Chapter 21 - A Sinister Message Waits Outside Their Front Door
Claire rushed out of her office toward the front foyer, grabbing her heavy brass security flashlight from the console table.
She unlocked the solid oak front door slowly, pushing it open to peer out into the warm, moonlit southern night.
A single black manila envelope lay sealed on the welcome mat, illuminated by the porch light’s gentle amber glow.
She crouched down, her fingers trembling slightly as she picked up the envelope and tore open the thick paper flap.
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Inside was a single glossy photograph showing the back porch of their estate taken from the tree line just ten minutes ago.
No note was attached, save for a single handwritten number scrawled across the bottom in familiar, furious red ink: Three. Claire gasped, slamming the heavy wooden door shut and throwing every single deadbolt lock into place with shaking hands.
