Page 61 of Whispers of Sweetwater

And they decided to give it one more try.

In the attic storage loft above the hallway, Hayden found a dust-covered chest filled with old linens. A false bottom? No. Just musty blankets and the scent of cedar. Down in the bathroom, Molly and Brianna searched the cupboards beneath the sink, tracing their fingers along the back for a hidden panel.

Still nothing.

They regrouped in the living room, each wearing a similar expression – frustration, fatigue, and something deeper.

Disappointment.

Brianna ran a hand through her hair, her eyes scanning the room like she still expected a hidden panel to flick open. ‘I even tapped along the skirting boards in the bedroom. If there’s a hollow spot in there, it’s hiding better than a snake in winter.’

Hayden dropped onto the arm of the nearest chair and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I pulled apart the laundry shelves, but there was nothing but cobwebs and the smell of damp wood.’

Molly paced a slow circle near the coffee table, the key still clenched in her hand. ‘I checked under the lounge cushions, behind the picture frames, inside the old fireplace, even opened the damn sewing box of mine that he kept in the spare room. I thought maybe he’d hidden something in the lining.’

Brianna offered a tired laugh. ‘I even lifted up Sherlock’s dog bed. He wasn’t impressed.’

They all went quiet for a moment, the weight of exhaustion and futility closing in.

‘There has to be something we’re missing,’ Molly said at last, her voice tight. ‘Jack wasn’t vague without reason. If he’s giving us a key to somewhere in this cottage, then he meant for us to find it.’

Hayden nodded slowly. ‘Then we’re missing the how, not the where. Maybe it’s built in. Behind something permanent. Could be structural, under floorboards, behind a wall cavity, inside an old beam.’

‘We’ll need better light, so how about trying again tomorrow,’ Brianna said. ‘And fresh eyes will do us the world of good, too.’ She rubbed her forehead and sank onto the armrest of her couch. ‘I don’t understand. We went over every inch.’

‘It has to be here,’ Molly said, her voice quiet but firm.

‘Brianna’s right.’ Hayden exhaled, hands on hips. ‘We’re all knackered. Let’s not miss something because we’re half asleep.’

Nodding, Brianna checked her phone. It was just past midnight. No wonder they were all exhausted. Her shoulders sagged. ‘All right. Let’s call it for tonight. We’ll pick it up again bright and early. And I’ll shift my morning callouts,’ she added. ‘None are urgent. I want to be here when we look again.’

Molly straightened. ‘No, you go to work, Bri. I’ll come back first thing, but I’m not putting you out by making you be here too.’

‘Don’t be stubborn,’ Brianna said, giving her a look. ‘And by the way, you’re staying here tonight. It’s safer, given the circumstances.’

Molly opened her mouth to argue again, but Hayden cut in. ‘I’ll sleep on the couch. That way no one’s alone, and no one’s in danger.’

Both women looked at him.

‘Seriously,’ he added. ‘I won’t sleep much anyway. Might as well be here.’

Molly relented with a tight nod. ‘Fine. But I’m making breakfast.’

A small smile flickered on Brianna’s lips. ‘Deal.’

Brianna pushed herself off the couch and started pulling blankets from the hallway cupboard. She tossed Hayden a pillow with a tired grin and spread out a spare doona. As she tucked the edges around the cushions, she could feel his eyes on her. And she liked how that felt. A lot. Meanwhile, Molly slipped away and into the guest room with a muttered goodnight, leaving them alone in the lounge’s quiet hush.

Hayden stood, stretching his arms overhead, then leant a shoulder against the doorframe. ‘You okay?’

Brianna looked up from fluffing the pillow. ‘Yeah. Just wish we’d found something. It’s like the answer is breathing down our necks, but we’re too tired to see it.’

He nodded with his gaze steady. ‘We will.’

For a moment, neither of them moved. The air felt charged, the kind of quiet that wasn’t empty, but waiting.

‘Thanks for staying,’ she said softly.

‘Sure, I wouldn’t be anywhere else right now.’