Chapter 8: What Was Behind the Wall
“Gloria, what's behind that panel?””
Nadia's voice was barely above a whisper.
Gloria didn't answer immediately.
She looked toward the dining area, where the damaged mural stretched across the front wall.
Then she walked to the office window.
“That section was part of the original building,” she finally said.
“What does that mean?”” Nadia asked.
“The café used to be a bank. Before I bought it, the building had a small records room behind that wall.””
Daniel opened his folder.
“Records room?””
Gloria nodded.
“There was a storage compartment behind the old wooden panel. The previous owners told me it had been sealed after the renovation.””
Nadia frowned.
“Why would anyone want to open it?””
Gloria looked at the photograph.
“I don't know.””
Daniel placed the image on the desk.
“The report submitted by Mason specifically mentions removing the panel.””
Gloria studied the red circle.
“Who gave him permission?””
Daniel shook his head.
“No one from our office.””
Renee suddenly spoke.
“Mason said there were old documents inside.””
Everyone turned toward her.
“What documents?”” Gloria asked.
“I don't know. He said they were connected to the building's previous ownership.””
Gloria frowned.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Renee looked down.
“Because Trent told me not to get involved.””
Nadia stepped closer.
“Renee, you knew they wanted the wall opened?””
“I only found out last week.””
“Then why did you let Trent destroy my mural?””
Renee's eyes filled again.
“I thought they were just trying to avoid the inspection.””
Nadia stared at her.
“You told me it was ugly.””
Renee looked away.
“I know.””
“You watched him cover the woman's face.””
“I know.””
“And you told me to repaint it for free.””
Renee began to cry.
“I'm sorry.””
Nadia didn't respond.
An apology couldn't bring back three nights of work.
And it certainly couldn't erase what had happened.
Gloria walked toward the front wall.
“Show me where the panel is.””
Nadia followed her.
They stopped near the center of the mural.
The painted woman's face had been almost completely covered, but a narrow section of the wooden frame remained visible beneath the white paint.
Gloria pressed her fingers against the edge.
“Here.””
Daniel examined it.
“There are screws underneath the paint.””
Nadia stepped back.
“So they were going to remove it?””
“Apparently,” Daniel replied.
Gloria turned toward the office.
“Renee, call building maintenance.””
Renee hesitated.
“Should we really open it?””
Gloria looked at her.
“Not until we document everything.””
Daniel nodded.
“That's sensible. If there's evidence of unauthorized access or tampering, we need to preserve it.””
Gloria took photographs of the wall.
Nadia photographed the paint damage.
Then Daniel called his office.
He explained the situation and requested that the property management company send an independent representative.
Twenty minutes later, a maintenance technician arrived.
His name was Carl.
He carried a toolbox and a small flashlight.
Gloria explained what they had discovered.
Carl examined the panel.
“Looks like someone has already worked on this.””
Gloria frowned.
“What?””
He pointed to the lower edge.
“These screws are newer than the others. Someone tried to loosen them.””
Nadia leaned closer.
There were scratches around the frame.
A small piece of wood had been chipped away.
Carl touched the edge.
“It's been opened recently.””
Gloria's expression hardened.
“Can you remove it?””
“Not without damaging the surrounding wall.””
“Can you tell whether anything is inside?””
Carl used his flashlight to inspect a narrow gap.
He moved it slowly.
Then stopped.
“There's something behind it.””
Gloria stepped forward.
“What?””
“Looks like a metal box.””
Nadia stared.
Daniel took a photograph.
Carl carefully removed the outer screws.
The panel shifted.
A faint smell of dust and old wood escaped.
He pulled it open.
Behind the wall was a narrow compartment.
Inside sat a rectangular metal box.
It was old, rusted around the edges, and secured with a small brass lock.
Gloria covered her mouth.
“I haven't seen that in years.””
Nadia looked at her.
“You knew it was there?””
“I knew the compartment existed. I thought it had been emptied before I bought the property.””
Carl carefully lifted the box.
It was heavier than it looked.
He placed it on the table.
Gloria examined the lock.
“Can you open it?””
Carl shook his head.
“Not without damaging it.””
Daniel leaned closer.
“There's a label.””
A small metal plate was attached to the front.
The lettering was faded.
But still readable.
*PROPERTY RECORDS — 1998–2008.*
Gloria looked confused.
“Those are old records.””
Daniel nodded.
“Possibly original ownership documents, maintenance agreements, or financial records.””
Nadia glanced at the empty space behind the wall.
“Why would Mason want this?””
Gloria didn't answer.
Instead, she examined the bottom of the box.
There was a white envelope taped underneath.
It had been placed there recently.
Unlike the metal box, the envelope looked new.
Gloria carefully removed it.
On the front was a handwritten name.
*GLORIA.*
She stared at it.
“That's strange.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“Do you recognize the handwriting?””
Gloria shook her head.
“No.””
She opened the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
The first line made her gasp.
*IF YOU ARE READING THIS, SOMEONE HAS ALREADY TRIED TO REMOVE THE RECORDS.*
Nadia looked at her.
“Who wrote it?””
Gloria read the signature.
Her face changed.
“Evelyn.””
“Who is Evelyn?””
“My sister.””
Gloria sat down.
Nadia knew the name.
Gloria had mentioned her once during the café's opening celebration.
Evelyn had died several years earlier.
Gloria looked at the letter again.
Her hands trembled.
“She worked in the building before I bought it.””
Daniel waited.
Gloria began reading aloud.
Gloria, if this box has been opened, you need to know that the original property records were never transferred to the new owners.
She stopped.
Then continued.
There was a financial dispute involving the previous management company. Several renovation payments were recorded twice. The original invoices and authorization documents are inside this box.
Nadia looked at Daniel.
The same pattern.
The same false invoices.
Gloria continued.
I tried to report it, but someone changed the records before the inspection. I kept copies because I knew one day someone might try to do it again.
The room fell silent.
At the bottom of the letter was another paragraph.
The person who arranged the original payments was never investigated. His name is in the records.
Gloria turned the page.
A handwritten name appeared.
*MASON HALE.*
Nadia frowned.
“Trent's brother?””
Gloria shook her head.
“No.””
She looked at the date.
Then at the signature.
“This letter was written twelve years ago.””
Daniel slowly straightened.
“Are you saying Mason was involved in the building's previous financial dispute?””
Gloria nodded.
“But he would have been a teenager.””
She looked at the next line.
And her face went completely white.
Because Evelyn hadn't written Mason's name as the person responsible.
She had written:
*MASON'S FATHER — ROBERT HALE.*
Gloria sat back.
“Robert was the previous property manager.””
Daniel looked at the metal box.
“Then the old records may explain why the current renovation payments were structured this way.””
Nadia glanced toward the damaged mural.
The wall had been destroyed to reach the compartment.
But the box had been hidden there for years.
And someone had known exactly where to look.
Gloria slowly closed the letter.
“Call the police.””
Daniel nodded.
But before he could move, Nadia's phone rang.
The unknown number again.
She answered, putting it on speaker.
A man's voice came through.
“Did you open the wall?””
Nadia froze.
Gloria looked at her.
“Who is this?””
The caller ignored her.
“Nadia, listen carefully. You need to leave that building.””
Nadia swallowed.
“Who are you?””
A pause.
Then the man whispered:
“I'm the person who put the box there.””
The call ended.
Gloria stared at Nadia.
May you like
And Daniel slowly reached for the metal box.
Because something told him the old records weren't the only thing hidden inside.
