Chapter 7 - The missing pages.

Teresa searched his face, looking for any sign that he was trying to frighten her.

She didn't find one, she looked back at the file."You keep it here? In this cabinet?"

"Usually." He answered.

"Who has access to your house?"

"Very few people."

She let out a slow breath. "So either someone broke into your house..."

"...or someone I trusted betrayed me," Lucas finished quietly.

Neither possibility sounded any better. Teresa pulled out one of the dividers. The tabs were labeled by year.

The first two sections were thick.

The third looked odd.

The papers jumped from one month to another.

"There are gaps."

Lucas walked over beside her. He didn't crowd her. He simply leaned over enough to see the page she was holding.

He flipped through the section carefully.

"You remember every document and files you kept here?" She asked curiously. 

"I catalogued them myself." He answered sternly. 

"You never made copies?"

"I did." He replied. 

"Then why are you worried?"

"Because the originals had handwritten notes. He turned another page. He emphasized on that carefully. 

"So did these." The margins were blank.

Someone hadn't just removed documents. They'd replaced some of them.

Teresa frowned. "Whoever did this knew what mattered."

Lucas nodded once. "They weren't searching. They came for something specific."

Silence settled over the room again. Teresa folded her arms. "I still think it was Asher."

Lucas shook his head almost immediately. "No."

"You don't even have to think about it?"

"I already have."

"He had the strongest reason."

"He also has the shortest temper."

She frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Lucas closed the folder. "If Asher wanted this file, he'd take the entire cabinet."

Teresa couldn't argue with that. "He doesn't plan well when he's angry." "You sound very certain." She added. 

"I've known him his entire life."

She looked toward the window."So you're saying someone else came into your house, opened the file, removed only the pages they wanted, and left everything else exactly where it was."

"Yes."

She laughed once, quietly. "That sounds worse."

"It is."

Lucas walked toward the bookshelf. His fingers brushed over the edge of one shelf before stopping. He crouched.

A tiny scratch marked the polished wood beside the filing cabinet.

He ran his thumb across it. "I don't remember this."

Teresa walked over. "It's just a scratch."

"It wasn't here yesterday." He said in a small panicky voice. 

"You notice everything, don't you?"

"I have to." He stood again.

"My study is cleaned every Friday." He added. 

"And?"

"Today is Wednesday."

She looked around the room, nothing seemed out of place.

The books were perfectly aligned, the curtains were open, and whoever had entered hadn't left chaos behind.

Teresa shivered despite herself. "How long have you had this file?"

Lucas thought for a moment. "For years now."

She stared at him in shock. "The whole marriage? Like you have been keeping this file the whole time?"

"I started it a few months after your wedding."

She looked away. "I didn't even know you noticed me."

Lucas didn't answer. Before Teresa could think too much about it, Lucas opened the folder again.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Across the city, Asher stood inside the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, watching rain streak down the glass.

His assistant stepped inside. "Mr. Grimhollow?"

"Yes?" He answered with a controlled smile. 

"We confirmed it."

Asher turned.

"Teresa visited Mr. Lucas Grimhollow's residence this morning."

A slow smile spread across his face. "How long?"

"Just over an hour."

His assistant waited for instructions. None came.

Instead, Asher walked back to the window.

"So..." he murmured, "You finally opened the door."

"Sir?"

Asher waved a hand. "Nothing, you can go now." 

He reached for his phone. His thumb hovered over Teresa's contact.

For several seconds he simply looked at the screen. Then he typed.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Teresa was still standing in Lucas's study when her phone vibrated.

The sound made both of them look down.

A message, from Asher. She opened it.

Only one line appeared on the screen.

Did you enjoy reading my brother's secrets?