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"He was their person of trust," Edward pointed out. "I remember that he hadn't been working for them very long, as opposed to our butler for instance, who has been with us for over twenty years. Harry worked for my parents for only a couple of years, not more than that. Still, in that short amount of time, he managed to prove himself invaluable. My parents thought him a very capable man, and they relied on him for many things."
"All right, that makes sense that they would share certain things with him," Leah could agree with that. "But... why would my mother mention him in her note? Why was it imperative that he be informed of this... whatever this was?"
"I don't know," Edward sighed, raking his fingers through his hair nervously. "But more importantly, who is this man they want to bring down? And what is the truth about him?"
"I don't know." Now, it was Leah's turn to repeat the same words Edward had just spoken. "My mother knew a lot of people. It could be anyone. Really anyone."
"My parents also knew many people," Edward agreed. "This would just be a silly guessing game. We need to find out more about this man." He looked around. "Maybe the answer is in one of these books."
"You mean, maybe there is another note hidden somewhere in there?" she wondered.
"It's worth looking into," he said, nodding.
She looked at the bookshelves, and the seemingly endless rows of books. She tilted her head, grimacing. "It might take us all night."
"I'll start from this row," he said, going to one side. "You start from that one. Make sure to go through every book. Do not miss a single one."
Leah immediately did as she was told. She took one book at a time, with her hopes flaring up that this one might hide the secrets of the identity of that man. Something told her that this man was responsible for everything. This man held the key to the mystery of both Leah's and Edward's life. They had to find out who he was. The alternative was unacceptable.
However, every time she picked up a book, she would go through it, flipping through the pages, her eyes painful with staring, but by the last page, Leah would realize that this was just an ordinary book. Nothing else. It had no answers for them. Then, she would move onto the next one.
Occasionally, she would look up at Edward. He was equally busy with book after book, piling them to his side. It appeared that he didn't have more luck than she did. Still, they kept on looking, pushing through the disappointment that washed over them like a tidal wave, every time a book was empty.
It took them approximately four hours. When they both stood up, they realized that all the books had been searched, and they had nothing to show for it, except for the first note, which now rested on a small table in the corner of the library, taunting them with its contents, offering more questions than answers.
Leah sighed. "Nothing."
"I should have known," Edward said, sounding equally disappointed.
"When you went through your parents' papers and documents, did you find anything... out of the ordinary?" she wondered.
"No, nothing," he shook his head. "And believe me, that was the first place I looked, in Father's study. I even managed to find the key to his locked drawer, which had always been a source of fascination for me as a child." He paused only to smile, overwhelmed by memories. "I always used to think that he kept gold there, or diamonds, or something priceless, like that."
"Was there any gold or diamonds?" she wondered, curious.
"No," he replied, the way only a disillusioned adult could. "Just a bunch of work-related papers, documents, a few photographs and Mother's love letters."
"Those truly are precious," Leah pointed out. "Not in the way diamonds and gold are, but even more priceless than that."
"I think so, too," he smiled. "I looked through the entire study, hoping to find some clue that would lead me in the direction of their possible murders. I found nothing. You can imagine my disappointment."
"I can," Leah agreed.
"I don't know if Mother kept a diary or something like that," Edward wondered. "Women usually do. I would be embarrassed to read it, but I would ignore this feeling, just to be able to find out what happened."
"I also don't know if my mother kept a diary," Leah agreed. "That would be helpful."
At that moment, Leah realized that perhaps they had been looking for clues in the wrong place. "What if your parents replied with a letter or a note to my mother, and that reply is still in Father's Manor?" she suddenly asked.
Edward's eyes widened at the possibility. "Have you gone through your mother's things?" He instantly realized how disrespectful that sounded. "I'm sorry. That sounded... different than I imagined it would. I meant, if perhaps you endeavored to find a clue regarding her death in your home."
"Father has made that quite difficult," she admitted, with a heavy sigh.
"Why?" Edward was astonished. "Doesn't he want to find out what happened to her?"
"He does," Leah validated. "It's just that he doesn't want me to be like her. And digging up the past is something that she would have done."
"One needs to dig up the past when there is still something left to be resolved," Edward pointed out.
