Chapter 6: A name from the past.

Jonathan's words still echoed in my mind long after I left the docks. "It wasn't an accident. Someone wanted them dead." The weight of that truth settled deep in my chest, mixing with the cold sea air. I gripped the slip of paper he had given me - Carter Whitemore. The name sent a shiver down my spine. I knew him. He had been Daniel's friend before Daniel's tragic death.

Had he known something back then?

Had Daniel kept secrets from me?

By the time I reached home,my thoughts were a tangled mess. Lillian was waiting for me in the sitting room,her arms crossed. The moment I stepped inside,her sharp gaze landed on me. "You we're gone for too long, I was worried sick about you."she said.

I hesitated before handing her the paper. "Jonathan gave me this. Carter Whitemore. He thinks this man has answers."

Lillian frowned as she read the name. "Carter? Wasn't he..."

"Daniel's friend,"I finished for her.

Her eyes darkened. "I remember him. He disappeared after Daniel dead. Do you think he knows something?"

I nodded. ""Jonathan seems to be think so. And if that's the case, I need to find him."

Lillian sighed. "Everly,this is getting dangerous. If Jonathan is right and someone really had your husbands killed, what if they come after you next?"

A chill ran down my spine, but I pushed the fear aside. "Then that means I'm getting close to the truth." Lillian shook her head. "I don't like this." "Neither do I," I admitted. But I can't stop now."

She studied me for a moment before exhaling. "Fine. But you're not going alone."

The next morning,we begin to search for Carter Whitemore. Finding him wasn't easy - he had vanished from the public eye years ago. No one seemed to know where he had marked gone to.

But Jonathan had a lead for him to come to me. I traced the address scribbled on the paper to a small,run down townhouse on the outskirts of the city. The windows were shuttered, the walls cracked with age,it looked abandoned.

Lillian and I exchanged a glance. "Are you sure this is the place? Lillian asked. I nodded. "Only one way to find out."

I stepped forward and knocked.

Silence.

I knocked again, harder this time.

Still nothing.

Lillian sighed. "Maybe he's not..."

Before she could finish,the door creaked open.

I tensed,my heart pounding. The house was dark inside, the air thick with dust - it looked empty,but something felt...off.

Cautiously, I stepped inside. The wooden floor groaned under my weight. Lillian followed immediately,her movements tense.

The living was sparse - old furniture covered in white sheets,a cold fair place filled with ashes. But one detail stood out. A half-empty glass of water sat on the table.

Someone had been here recently.

A soft creaked echoed from the stairs.

I froze.

Lillian grabbed my arms. "We should leave."

Carefully,I climbed the staircase. The air was thick with dust,but fresh foot prints marked the steps. At the end of the hall,a door slightly ajar.

I pushed it open.

A man stood by the window, his back to me. His shoulders were tense, his coat wrinkled as if he had been wearing it for days.

My breath caught.

"Carter Whitemore?"

The man turned slowly.

His face was worn,his eyes sharp. Recognition flickered in them,but it was quickly replaced by something else.

Fear.

"Everly," he said, his voice rough. "You shouldn't be here."

I stepped forward. "I could say the same thing to you."

His jaw tightened. "If you've come looking for answers, you won't like what you will find."

"Someone doesn't want me looking into my husbands death" I said.

Carter exhaled sharply. "Then you should listen to them."

My stomach tightened. "So it's true?they were murdered?"

His silence was all the confirmation I needed.

Lillian crossed her arms. "And who killed thin?"

Carter's gaze flicked to the door,as if expecting someone to burst in. "I can't tell you that."

"You mean you won't," I shot back.

Carter ran a hand down his face. "You don't understand, Everly. The people involved in this...they are powerful. Dangerous people. If you keep pushing, you will end up just like your husbands.

Anger bubbled inside me. "So what? I'm supposed to just accept that they were murdered and do nothing?"

His expression darkened. "I'm telling you to save yourself while you still can."

A loud crash from downstairs made all three of us freeze.

Lillian's grip tightened on my arm. "We are not alone."

Carter's face went pale. "You need to leave. Now."

Heavy footsteps echoed through the house. Someone is coming. Carter shoved a slip of paper into my hand. "Go. Find this place. You will get answers there."

I barely had time to glance at the paper before Carter pushed me towards the door.

The footsteps grew louder.

"Go!" He hissed.

Lillian and I didn't hesitate. We ran. Down the hall. Down the stairs. A shadow moved in my peripheral vision. Someone was there.

But I didn't stop.

We burst through the front door and sprinted down the street. My heart pounded, adrenaline surging through my veins. Only when we reached the carriage did we stop, breathless. I unfolded the slip of paper Carter had given me.

An address.

No name. No explanation. Just a location.

Lillian learned over to read it. "Do you think it's a trap?"

I tightened my grip on the note. "Only one way to find out."

But deep down,I knew... this was only the beginning.