Page 58 of Into the Shadows

“You might be on to something.”

“At the very least, we can remind her that we’re always here for her, no matter what.”

“And she needs that reminder. Of that, I have no doubt.”

Chapter 33

Lottie

The number pad beeps, unlocking the deadbolt on Noah and Lilly’s front door. The clicking of little furry paws greets me as I walk inside.

“Hello, little munchkins,” I baby-talk to the cats. They’re the cutest little furballs I’ve ever seen. Well, except for Teddy’s kitten, Loki. Each one is a different shade of grey, and their names match their personalities. Smoky is the darkest and is a little more aloof than the others. Stormy’s a little hellion who likes to pounce on you when you’re not looking. Then, there’s Dusty. He’s the laziest of all three, and the cuddliest of them too.

Noah and Lilly’s family trip to New York couldn’t have come at a better time. Teddy flew up to meet Jackson and his team yesterday. I’ve been doing everything possible to ignore how much I miss him, so house-sitting is the perfect distraction. I thought about bringing Loki over to meet these guys, but I don’t want anyone to get into a fight. Cats can be little assholes when they want to be.

I carry my suitcase down the hallway and drop it off in the guest bedroom. It’s been a while since I spent thenight here. I used to babysit for Noah and Lilly when Mirabelle was a baby. Now that the girls are older, Noah and Lilly can leave them alone while they go out for date nights. Nellie has always been more responsible than a lot of kids her age. She’d never let anything happen to her sister.

I send a text to Noah and Lilly, letting them know I’m at their house and that the kitties are fine. Noah sends back a picture of Nellie holding Mirabelle in Times Square. Nellie has on her purple headphones, and her smile is wider than I’ve ever seen. Mirabelle has her head thrown back in laughter. I respond to Noah, telling him I wish I was there to hear her giggles.

As I’m walking through the living room, an old box catches my attention. I gently unlatch the metal clasp, the hinges groaning as I lift the lid. Inside are folded pieces of paper that are yellowed with age.

Knowing Noah and Lilly would never put anything personal out in the middle of the room for people to see, I have no issue opening the letters to find out what they are.

12 September 1865

My Darling,

When my eyes close and the world around me grows dark, the nightmares join forces to render me useless. I had hoped returning from battle would end the torment, but the chains around my neck have only tightened further.

Your love is the key to loosening those chains, my darling.

Each day, the space between us growslarger. How can I continue to live this life without you by my side? I could no longer survive without you as I could without air.

You are the sun that rises in the east every morning. If you stopped rising, my world would remain in darkness.

–Your heart

My eyes blur with tears.The outpouring of love is overwhelming. I’ve never read anything this beautiful. No wonder Noah and Lilly left these out in the living room. They deserve to be seen. I wonder who these people were.

I text Noah to see if he knows, and he responds, saying they never got around to searching. Since the letters don’t include names, they never looked into it any further.

An idea hits me. I yank my phone from my pocket and open a group video chat. Carson and Ryan answer first, and then Michael and Gia join. Ginny’s the only one who doesn’t answer. I hate that it doesn’t surprise me.

“Guys! I just found our next mystery.”

“Our what?” Carson asks, a bemused smile on his face.

“Gia, Ginny, and I were talking the other day about needing to get the Scooby-Doo Gang together again, and I found a mystery for us to investigate.” I hold up the box.

“What’s in the box?” Carson cries out, à la Brad Pitt inSeven.

“Letters from 1865. Love letters, to be specific. They’re beautiful. And I want to know who wrote them.”

“Uh, pretty sure letters normally have names on them,” Michael points out.

I give him a flat look. “I might’ve grown up with technology, but I still know how to write a letter. All of them have either pet names or nicknames on them. Nothing specific.”

“No wonder your spidey senses are tingling,” Gia teases.

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