The True Weight of the Legacy Left Behind in the Cold
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
I walked toward the door, my hand reaching for the heavy brass latch.
My father took a step toward me, his face twisted in anger.
“Don’t touch that door,” he ordered.
I ignored him and pulled the latch.
The door swung open, letting in a blast of freezing wind and a flurry of white snow.
Calvin stood on the porch, his face pale and his chest heaving.
“Calvin, what is it?” I asked.
He looked past me at my father, his eyes dark with worry.
“The warehouse,” Calvin said, his voice tight. “Someone just broke into the main office.”
I stared at him, the cold air freezing the breath in my throat.
“What?” I whispered.
“They didn’t take the money, Avery,” Calvin said, stepping into the cabin.
“What did they take?” I asked.
Calvin looked directly at my father.
“They took Elliot’s personal safe,” Calvin said. “The one with the original will.”
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“The safe?” I repeated, my voice barely audible over the wind.