Secrets of Lakefront House
CHAPTER 56. PROOF BUTTON

“Yes, some epithelium in the crevices, but the report says it penetrated CODIS and no match was found.”

"Can you scan and email me his photo?"

"I don't know…"

“That may be important.”

“I've sent him to the Hidden Valley Police Department, to Detective Provenza.”

"Well, I can't really ask for it, now can I?"

“Trust no.”

"Do you mind? Please." jenessa crossed her fingers, waiting for a woman's response.

“I don't think there's any harm, but you have to promise not to mention my name if someone finds out that you have this.”

"Very. Besides, I don't even know your name. I can't give it to you if I want to."

“Alright, I think I can do that, but only because you are a friend of Rangga.”

Jilena ate dinner while waiting for the email to come, keeping her eyes on the computer screen. Halfway through his chicken and potatoes, an email pops up. He clicked on it to open, double-clicked on the attachment, and the photo filled the screen. As the woman said, it was a cuff button. She had seen it somewhere before—but where?

It was a polished gold box with rounded corners. There is a design in the middle with a black background, an artistic abstract combination of A and E. But where has he seen her before?

He finished his meal while staring at the computer screen, racking his brain to look for some clues about whose cufflink it was—but nothing appeared. Frustrated, he cleaned the table and threw his plastic dishes into the trash. Why does it look so familiar? With no answer coming to his mind, he stepped into the study and sat down at the table. There may be other clues among the documents he found inside the manila envelope. Jilena threw the papers on the table and examined them once more, hoping to see something she had missed the first time she checked them out. Nothing stands out.

He opened an antique work desk drawer and rummaged through it—nothing new there. He slammed the drawer in frustration.

His phone rang on the table. "Hello."

“Hey, it's Sarah. Are you busy tonight?”

“No, my night is quite open. What's on your mind?”

"I think I should come and help you check papa's stuff, you know, we can see papa's relics and share them—if you're not busy.”

Jilena had finished her article and sent it to the newspaper, and— her search through her father's desk did not take her anywhere, so of course, she was not busy—why not? He had tried to check his closet and drawers when he first arrived at the house, but he felt a little creepy and uncomfortable, as he had just returned home after a long time. “No, no, come on. Who knows, maybe we'll find a great treasure in papa's closet.”

It might be nice to do something with her sister without any quarrels and arguments that arise have damaged their relationship. Getting Sara to leave Noah in his rearview mirror would take time, it seems, but at least now they can talk about it. If only someone had the courage to tell him sooner about his sister and Logan, they could have been further down the road by now.

...*...

When Sara arrives, they climb into their parents' old room and stand in the doorway. They glanced at each other without speaking, as if they were stepping into the holy land.

"Aren't you?"

"But we have to do it" said Sarah. Jilena stepped into the room first and Sarah followed behind her. They walked into the spacious walk in closet first, looking through the shoebox of the rack, the round flower hat box on the top shelf that surrounds the room, and saw a jewelry box tucked behind a large ivory colored ceramic pot filled with vanilla Jilena scent candles pull something off the shelf and extend it to his sister.

"Remember this?"

Sarah rubbed her finger at the intricate embossed design. “Mother likes the scent of vanilla in her closet.”

"She said it made her clothes smell like sugar cake." Jilena lifted her up to her nose and inhaled it.

"And papa hates him." Sarah scrunched her nose. “She used to say she didn't display a very professional image, had clothes that smelled like a bakery,” she said, as she uttered her tone to mimic her father's voice. Jilena teekekeh saw her older sister who mimicked the way their father spoke. "It's very similar."

"Oh, he's not so bad."

“Not for you.” The peaceful atmosphere disappeared, and Jilena turned around and pushed the candle back onto the shelf. “Objection if I keep candles?"

"Take it for you." Sarah ransacked the box.

"I'm gonna go check on the other papa's stuff" Jilena came out of the closet.

"Wait, I want to see too." Sarah followed.

Was Sarah afraid she would ask for something she wanted? They finally started getting along again. Now is not the time to start bickering over their father's stuff like a dog fighting over bones.

“Baw one of those shoe boxes so we can empty the top drawer,” jilena said. Jilena opened the top drawer, found a watch and a flat-shaped jewelry box. He opened it and found how many pairs of cuffs were arranged in several small boxes of felt cloth. He took the watch. “This is his sports watch, but don't you have another watch? The expensive and luxurious one that Mother gave her on their wedding anniversary."

"Oh, Ferragamo?" Sarah asked indifferently, studying the pair of cuffs in her hands. "Is anyone wearing cuffs anymore?"

Is Sarah trying to change the subject?

“Yes, Ferragamo. Do you know where it is?"

"In my house." Sarah's sharp gaze looked at Jilena for a moment, then changed back to the case of cufflinks. “Remember, when we take papa's personal belongings from the morgue?”

“It was a watch worth a hundred million rupiahs. What did you do to that watch?" His blood pressure is starting to rise. Don't fight now. His mother's voice was like a jolt in his head.

“I've forgotten those things until you mention it,” Sarah said, she was still staring at the cufflinks as she checked them one by one. Is that the truth? Or is he trying to take something? "So you have papa's wedding ring too?”

"of course. Along with other items—his clothes and shoes. You look like you're interested in just getting the keys to the car at the time. Why are you asking about other stuff now?”

Sarah asked in a plain tone to her voice, giving her sister a familiar look in the eyes. It was that gaze that made Jilena always get into trouble when her older sister did something wrong and Jilena was blamed for it. He took a breath and stopped, trying hard to keep his voice calm. “Why don't you bring his stuff here so we have it all in one place? Then we can decide who gets what, what we have to sell, what we have to give—that kind of thing.”