Secrets of Blackwater Bay
th the downpour. Beside him, Emma sat in silence, her body tense as she stared out the window, lost in thought. She hadn't wanted to leav
im, some clue about who he was or what he wanted. But there had been nothing. No tracks in the mud, no sign that anyon
. Blackthorn Bay had a way of playing tricks on people, b
l howled through the narrow alleys, rattling windows and shutters. Jack pulled into a spot outside the old diner, its neon sign flickering weakly in t
quietly, glancing at E
he exhaustion etched in her face, the tension in her shoulders that hadn't eased since they left the m
what we need to figure out," he said, his voice low. "The guy at your door wasn't just
d give her that. "But why? Why me? I don't even know who he is, and I have
hair. "That's the thing. It might not be about you dir
ng forward slightly
e kind of person to let things go easily-he could see that in her eyes. She wanted a
words carefully. "But not just because of her wealth or her family's name. There were always r
in confusion. "Strang
.. superstition. People here believe in curses, in old family secrets that go back generations. The Hartleys wer
slightly, but she
specially in her later years. People said she knew something-something tied to the house, to your family's past. And now
vously in her lap. Jack could see the wheels turning in her mind, the fear and uncertainty mingling with frustration. She didn't w
involved in something dangerous?" Emma
ough the word didn't seem too far off the mark. "But I d
aze distant. Then she said, almost
er, his brow rai
appened. It's... strange. There are entries about shadows, about someone visiting her in her dreams. She mentioned a secret, someth
say anything about who this perso
all vague, almost cryptic. Like
r something tied to that journal. Maybe your grandmother had something he
herself. "But what could it be? What could be so
that frustrated him. He was used to solv
t secret is," Jack said, his vo
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kept his eyes on the road, his senses alert for any sign of movement, but the surroundi
round them as they drove. The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the old stone walls of the house as it came in
sweeping over the grounds one last time before turnin
der the pressure by now, but Emma was holding her own. Still, he could see the fear in her eyes-the un
sed for a moment, scanning the shadows around them. The night was quiet, save for the occasiona
ling Jack's nostrils as they entered the foyer. The house felt different, more alive than it had earlier. The shadow
lose behind, his senses on high alert. He didn't like the feel of the place-not tonight.
the table and handed it to Jack. "Here," she said, her voice
dwriting was neat but rushed, as if Margaret had written the entries in a hurry. He s
ove at night.
reams, whispering truth
no matter the cost. The bl
ing on the journal. The bloodline must be prese
wing as he read the next entry. Th
s coming for me. The house is no longer safe. I must f
he said slowly, looking up fr
eyes wide with apprehen
served to know the truth. "Your grandmother was afraid. Sh
p back, shaking her head. "Why? Why w
o place. Whatever her grandmother had been hiding, it was tied to he
is is," Jack said, his voice
ar flickered in her ey
ore-something hidden in the house, some clue that would lead them to
ets the eye. Your grandmother wouldn't have written all this without le
, but she nodded. "
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