Page 25 of The Fighter
A few seconds later light came on and I was able to see a bit around Magni’s large body. It looked like more of the same. Furniture, boxes, and books.
Magni backed out and turned to Khan. “You take a look and tell me if you see what I see.”
The two men changed position in the narrow space and Khan moved just inside the door. “So, the bed wasn’t purple. It was crimson.”
“You found Dina’s bed?” My voice was much too loud, but I was already pumped and the excitement that we’d found some of Dina’s things made me want to cheer.
Turned out that the small room was full of Dina’s stuff and slowly, as we began pulling them out, Khan and Magni unpacked boxes and picked up small items with their eyes glassy. No doubt they were taken back to memories of their lost sister.
In the end, it was only larger items like her bed, a small desk, a tall dresser, and some rolled-up rugs that were left in the room.
“I love this one.” Mila was letting her hands slide over a keepsake box. “Look at how pretty it is. I think little Dina would love to have this in her room.”
“Does your sister know that she’s named after a relative?”
“We told her, but she’s four. I doubt she understands what it means.”
Mila opened the box and Jonah, and I both leaned in to see what was in it. A bracelet made of braided leather straps, hairbands, and a few drawings from Magni were among the things Mila picked up.
“Dad, look at this drone you painted when you were five.”
Magni lifted his head from the box he was going through. “Hmmm.”
“It’s cute how you turned the G in Magni the wrong way.”
Magni gave a small smile and returned to his box. “I think I might have found something.” Lifting a stack of five leather-covered books, he showed them to us. “These are diaries.”
“Can I see?”
Magni handed me one and I opened it fast. “This one starts in March 2411 when Dina was eleven.”
“What does it say?” Mila came to stand next to me as I read aloud.
“Dear diary, I don’t like red roses as much as white roses. Today, we had some vile stew for dinner and if they ever serve it again, I’d rather go hungry and not eat at all.”
Khan had picked up a diary as well. “This one is from 2414, so she was fourteen then.” Khan was skimming through the pages. “Looks like it’s mostly about clothes, Magni, and complaints about our father being a strict disciplinarian.”
“Is that the last one?” I nodded at the book in Khan’s hands.
He flipped to the last page. “This one ends a few months before the tournament.”
“Let’s see if she continued in a different book after that.”
We searched through the seven books, but the one Khan had was the latest.
I wanted so badly to ask if I could read through them, because going through the diaries of a possibly murdered woman would feel like true police work.
Mila looked over and saw me biting my lip and like the best friend she was, she was quick to say. “Can I add the diaries to my pile? I would love to learn about life at the manor when you were children.”
At first Khan hesitated but when Magni shrugged and handed over the stack of books he was holding, Khan flicked through a few more pages and handed his over as well. “I don’t have time to read through them right now, so you can have a go at it. Just let us know if you find anything interesting, okay?”
“I will.”
“Even if you don’t, I’d like a chance to read them when you’re done.”
“Of course, I’ll make sure you and my dad get them as soon as I’m done.”
Looking at his wristband Khan frowned. “It’s late. We should get back. Mila, pack your pile in a few boxes and we can help you carry it to your room.”
