Chapter 9: The Race Against Time

👉 Previous Decision: You learned the phantom voice belongs to Eleanor Hollister and she’s trying to reveal the ledger’s location.

My phone buzzed, vibrating on the desk. An automated alert from my home security system.

“Motion detected: Basement. 3:30 AM.”

I tapped the screen, bringing up the live feed from 1442 Old Furnace Road. The basement camera showed a crew of men in hard hats, their faces obscured by the dim lighting.

Sledgehammers rose and fell, striking the old plaster walls. Dust billowed. Julian stood nearby, directing them, his face a mask of frantic urgency.

He was trying to locate and destroy the original 1888 physical ledger. Before the county clerk’s office opened at 8:00 AM. Before anyone could officially register the reversion clause.

“He’s in the basement,” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. “He’s trying to find the book. He’s going to destroy the evidence.”

Silas stared at the screen, his jaw tight. “That’s a five-hour window. The county clerk’s office won’t open until then.”

The rhythmic thud of the sledgehammers echoed faintly through the phone’s speaker. Julian was working against the clock. So was I.

“If that ledger is destroyed,” I said, “it’s his word against ours. Against a faded copy, or a digital record that could be challenged.”

The phantom voice on Trunk-88 had been clear: “He’ll destroy it…”

I had to act. The physical proof, the original document that Eleanor had tried to protect, was within reach, but also on the verge of vanishing forever.