Page 75 of Buried Secrets

Chapter 21

Matt’s stomach clenched as he climbed the mansion’s front steps, seeing Kaitlin through the office window. Not even a day since their confrontation, and the sight of her felt like a gut punch. Her dark hair caught the morning light as she bent over something on Amy’s desk, and for a moment he forgot why he was angry with her.

Amy appeared at the door before he could turn the knob, her face grave. “Come see what Sully found.”

Inside the cluttered space, Kaitlin stood beside the folding table without meeting his eyes. The space between them crackled, and Matt caught Amy’s questioning glance as she looked from one to the other.

“What do we have?” Matt asked as he scanned the items spread across the table.

“A journal, belonging to a Margaret Straub,” Kaitlin said quietly, all eyes on the small leather book. “Hidden in an air duct for thirty years. The woman who wrote it knew she was going to die.”

Matt handled the journal carefully. “You’ve read it?”

“How else would we have known to call you?” Amy replied.

At Amy’s prompting, he opened to the final entry and scanned the scrawling handwriting. The words hit him: Dr. Whitaker, Mr. Holloway, locked doors, murder threats. Written in a victim’s own hand.

“Jesus,” he breathed. “She names them specifically.”

“Her name’s on the inside cover,” Kaitlin added.

Matt felt the pieces clicking into place. A contemporaneous account, specific accusations, names and dates they could corroborate with physical evidence. This was the breakthrough they needed.

“I’m taking this,” he said as he pulled an evidence bag from his jacket. “Was there anything else?”

Amy indicated the locket and photographs. “Personal effects. All hidden together in a pillowcase inside an air duct.”

Matt documented each item with his phone before sealing them. The locket was tarnished silver and the chain was broken. He would bet good money that the locket contained baby hair, and further DNA evidence of the crimes committed here.

“I’ll need statements from both of you about the discovery.”

Amy nodded. “Whatever you need.”

Kaitlin remained silent, her arms crossed protectively across her chest. Matt wanted to say something to her, to acknowledge what this meant for the case they’d built together, but the words wouldn’t come.

“I’ll be in touch,” he said instead, heading for the door.

Outside, he called Samira before starting the engine. She answered on the first ring.

“We found a journal, written by one of our victims before she died. There’s also a locket—”

“Don’t open it,” Samira said quickly. “Bring everything to the lab intact. If there are photographs or hair samples inside, we need to preserve the chain of custody.”

“Understood. I’m heading back to town now to get search warrants. This gives us everything we need for official interviews and property searches.”

“Matt, this is huge. If we can authenticate the handwriting and verify the paper dating, you’ll have contemporary testimony that—” Samira’s voice cut off.

The line rustled, and Agent Cook’s voice came through the speaker. “Winters? What’s this about new evidence?”

Matt’s jaw tightened. Apparently, the FBI hadn’t yet handled him. “Agent Cook. Just some personal effects from one of the victims.”

“What kind of personal effects? Samira mentioned a journal.”

“A few items found during renovation work. Nothing conclusive yet.” Matt kept his words deliberately vague. “How did your interview in Presque Isle with the Straub family go?”

A pause. “Productively. Margaret Straub’s parents confirmed the timeline of her disappearance. Standard victim background information.”

“That’s it?” Matt asked.