Page 14 of When You're Forgotten

“Let’s see if we can find anything resembling footprints or tracks,” he said, taking a step forward.

Amelia followed, hugging her arms against the chill.Together, they navigated around shrubs and flowerbeds, occasionally wincing at the soft squish of sodden ground underfoot.The hall’s lights behind them seemed distant, giving the impression of stepping into another world, cloaked in darkness.

“So,” Amelia murmured quietly, “someone decided the side-lawn approach was best.Minimal chance of detection, apparently.”

Finn swept the beam across the grass, half-hoping they’d discover footprints or some clue.The ground showed faint impressions here and there—possibly from staff or deliveries, but none obviously human.After a few minutes, they reached the eastern edge of the property, where a tall hedge curved along the boundary.

“This is about where the footage cut out,” Finn said, shining the light around.He crouched, peering at the ground more closely.

The grass was uneven, dotted with patches of muddier soil.Something at the edge of his flashlight beam caught his eye—a set of faint depressions forming a sort of trail.He leaned closer, heart ticking up a beat.The shape didn’t look like a simple shoe print.

Amelia knelt beside him, flattening her bandaged hand on a drier patch to steady herself.“What is it?”she asked under her breath.

Finn directed the flashlight carefully, illuminating a small cluster of prints: elongated, smeared, palm-like.The muddy outlines suggested a broad shape—like a human hand.Then, further along, another partial imprint, as if the person had used both hands and knees to move forward.

“They look like… hands,” Finn said, voice hushed with a flicker of unease.“Whoever was crawling out here was literally on all fours.”

Amelia’s breath caught, a swirl of tension filling the dark air around them.“Why crawl around the grounds unless you’re trying to appear as an animal?Or they truly didn’t want to be recognized as human from the cameras’ vantage?”

Finn rocked back on his heels, scanning the rest of the lawn.“The shape we saw in the footage was exactly that—someone or something creeping along.And these tracks confirm it was a person, or at least a person with full use of their hands.”

Amelia’s features tightened.“This is more unsettling than I expected.Could be a burglar, an intruder, maybe a killer.”

Finn shut off the flashlight, letting only the faint glow from the manor windows outline their silhouettes.A swirl of night wind rattled the nearby hedges, sending a sudden chill down his spine.The thought of a figure slinking across the lawn on hands and knees, approaching unseen, triggered an uneasy feeling in his gut.

“Maybe James saw whoever it was,” Finn said, “and panicked.That might account for a heart attack—fear or a confrontation.”

Amelia nodded slowly.“Maybe this intruder sneaked into the house when James thought he was safe.I don’t think there’s much more we can get from here tonight.”

He rose, offering her a hand to help her up.“Agreed.No point in stumbling around more now.Let’s head in before we start conjuring monsters in every shadow.”

She accepted his hand, grimacing slightly as she stood, bandaged fingers pressing into his palm.With a wary look over his shoulder at the dark grass behind them, Finn led the way back toward the manor’s warm glow.Each step echoed softly in the hush.

At the threshold, he paused, glancing over the estate’s silhouette.The security lights revealed just enough to see the imposing structure, windows reflecting moonlight.Brynmor Hall seemed to watch them in turn, tall and silent.Another swirl of wind brushed across the driveway, and Finn had a horrible, illogical thought:What else crawls around this estate at night?

CHAPTER SEVEN

Finn felt a mild draft follow him and Amelia into the sitting room, as though the corridor behind them exhaled cold air that seeped in around the edges of the heavy double doors.The clock on the mantel indicated it was late—closer to ten than nine—and Brynmor Hall had a hush about it, a quiet thick with shadows.He shut the door behind them, casting a quick glance at the carved wooden panels, as if half expecting another mysterious knock or creaking footstep to chase them.

The sitting room, which during the day had been filled with soft natural light, now glowed under the warm radiance of several lamps and a candelabra on a side table.Mrs Hughes had prepared a small dining setup near the hearth: a round table with a crisp white cloth, two place settings, and an arrangement of silverware that looked almost formal.A subtle aroma of roasted meat, herbs, and warm bread hung in the air, making Finn’s stomach rumble.

“I could get used to service like this,” he murmured, sharing a conspiratorial smile with Amelia.

She gave a small laugh, but her mind seemed partially elsewhere, eyes flicking across the room’s plush chairs and the flicker of flames in the fireplace.“True.At least we don’t have to do dishes tonight.”

Before they could approach the table, Mrs Hughes glided in, her right hand still trembling lightly at her side while she left clutched a folded piece of paper.She offered a polite bow of the head.“Mr.Wright, Miss Winters—your dinner is ready.And here…” She extended the paper.“This is the staff list.Everyone I know who’s employed here regularly or stays on the estate.”

Amelia accepted the paper with a polite nod.“Thank you, Mrs Hughes.We appreciate it.”

As Finn watched Mrs Hughes, he noticed a thread of apprehension in her expression.Not fear exactly, but a sort of tension.He took the opportunity to inquire about something that had been needling him.“Mrs Hughes, can I ask—why isn’t there a security camera on the east side of the house?”

She seemed briefly flustered, blinking and straightening her back.“I’m afraid I don’t know, sir.That business was arranged by Mr.Penrose, and I wasn’t consulted.It’s been that way for years, as far as I recall.”

“Right,” Finn said, letting it go for now.“Thank you.”

She offered a tiny dip of her head, turned to Amelia, and spoke softly, “You’ll find a few more staff names on that list than you might expect.Some are part-timers who come and go on a monthly basis.But that’s everyone I’m aware of.”

Amelia glanced at the paper.“We’ll look it over.Thanks again.”

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