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Chapter_206
It had been over twenty years since Grandmother’s mind slipped away, yet whenever her frailty returned, she called out for “Ruby.” Felicity had pressed her parents and other relatives for answers, but always met with evasions—or outright refusals. Tonight, however, her grandfather spoke with uncommon gravity: “Some questions aren’t meant to be asked yet. When the time comes, I will tell you everything.”
The news of the culprit’s death brought relief in waves. At the Lewis estate, Nash found Hera and her parents in tears of joy and gratitude. Maria dabbed her own eyes with a handkerchief as Harrison clapped Nash on the back.
“Nashy,” he said, voice thick with emotion, “you crossed continents to catch the murderer. Now Grandpa can rest in peace.”
“Thank you,” Nash replied with a warm smile. “It was my honor.”
Lauren glanced at Harrison. “Dad left something for you—he insisted it go to Nash.”
Harrison nodded and retrieved a strange, cube-shaped metal box from the couch. “He guarded this with his life. We’ve tried to open it, but it seems like a puzzle—no lid, no lock, just interlocking metal panels that rattle when you shake them.”
Nash set the box on his palm. “Looks like a mechanical burr puzzle,” he mused. With a gentle press of his fingers, panels slid outward. Minute wires snapped free, revealing hidden seams. “Not magnets,” he explained, “but a chemical compound that bonds the pieces lightly—push hard enough, and they pull apart.”
For the next half hour, Nash methodically pressed and twisted each panel, his hands moving with practiced precision. Hera yawned and propped her chin on her hands. “Are you sure you can do this?” she asked.
Nash glanced up with a grin. “Want to find out?”
With a final crack, the last panel fell away like a petal. All four sides collapsed outward, revealing a bundle of yellowed papyrus, an incomplete, hand-drawn map, and a delicate gold ring shaped like a coiled dragon.
Hera leaned forward, eyes wide. Harrison and Lauren did the same.
Nash carefully unfolded the brittle scroll, its surface covered in unreadable hieroglyphs. The map showed unidentifiable landmarks, and the ring—its design intricate—gleamed softly in the lamplight.
“Did Master Calcraft leave these for you?” Hera asked, voice soft.
Nash shook his head. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Then what did Grandpa say when he asked to see you?” Hera pressed.
“He told me… to take good care of you,” Nash replied, choosing his words with care.
A single tear slid down Hera’s cheek. Lauren, too, gazed at the dragon ring with distant eyes—wondering what legacy and hidden histories lay waiting to be discovered.