Chapter 35 : The Reason

The following morning arrived, casting a faint light upon the world. Angela found herself alone in the kitchen, her eyes fixed on the cup of coffee before her. Her sleep-deprived mind throbbed with a dull ache, consumed by thoughts of the diary and the enigmatic knife. Soon, Mrs. Vera materialized from behind, her presence accompanied by a warm smile. "Hello, my dear. You're up early," she greeted, pulling out a chair and settling down.
"Would you like me to prepare coffee for you, Mrs. Vera?" Angela quickly rose to her feet, eager to assist her.
"Yes, please, Angela. And thank you," Mrs. Vera replied, taking the seat facing the living room. "Did my son trouble you by waking up so early?"
"No, he had already gone to bed before me," Angela responded her mind momentarily fixating on the hidden knife and her burning curiosity. "Mrs. Vera, may I ask you something?" she ventured, placing the cup of hot coffee in front of Mrs. Vera before retrieving the knife she had discovered from the kitchen drawer and presenting it to her.
"Do you have any knowledge of this knife, Mrs. Vera?" Angela inquired, placing the knife she had found on the table.
Mrs. Vera's reaction was notable. She burst into laughter, her excitement palpable as she took hold of the knife. "Oh, Angela. This is one of my missing knife collections from long ago," she exclaimed, her joy evident. "I thought it had been stolen and lost forever." Mrs. Vera turned to Angela, wearing a smile. "Where did you come across it?"
"In the pink room," Angela replied, her voice steady. "It was hidden beneath Esmeralda's cupboard, in the drawer next to her bed."
"What?" Mrs. Vera fell briefly silent, then opened a large cabinet, retrieving an exquisitely packaged box filled with a selection of expensive knives. One of the knife holders stood empty. "Look at this. This is where the knife belongs." She carefully placed the recovered knife back into its designated holder, where it fit perfectly. Frowning, she pondered, "Why would Esmeralda take it and conceal it in her room?"
"Perhaps she had a specific reason for doing so, Mrs. Vera," Angela offered, her voice laden with speculation.
Mrs. Vera gazed at Angela, her expression one of confusion. "But why would she take it secretly? She could have simply asked me for it."
Angela's thoughts swirled, captivated by the puzzle that had unfolded before her. Mrs. Vera's words resonated in her mind, reminding her that Esmeralda could have easily requested the knife without resorting to theft. So why did Esmeralda feel compelled to take it covertly? "Maybe she was afraid of something," Angela murmured, her voice barely audible. The image of Esmeralda clandestinely pilfering the knife from the kitchen played vividly in her mind, painting a picture of hidden fears and secrets.
However, before Angela could delve deeper into her thoughts, Mrs. Vera's sudden reaction shattered the fragile peace of the moment. The usually composed woman seemed to crumble, her voice trembling with a hint of despair. Her eyes, now tinged with crimson, betrayed suppressed sadness as she hastily retreated to the living room. Angela stood frozen in place, her heart heavy with the weight of Mrs. Vera's unspoken emotions.
"She is hiding something," Angela concluded, her voice filled with a mix of determination and concern. With each passing moment, the intricate web of mysteries surrounding the mansion and its inhabitants seemed to grow more intricate. Angela knew that unraveling the truth would require perseverance and a willingness to confront the shadows that lurked within the halls of the old estate.


After a few minutes had passed, Angela found herself in Leonardo's room, engaged in a conversation about the knife discovered in Esmeralda's room. Eagerly seeking Leonardo's opinion, she asked, "Do you believe that Esmeralda purposely took the knife and hid it in her drawer for some specific reason?"
Leonardo's gaze remained fixed on the wall, his expression solemn and inscrutable. "She took it intentionally and concealed it in the drawer next to her bed," Angela continued, sharing her speculations. "It provided easy access whenever she needed it urgently." Her mind buzzed with curiosity, yearning to uncover the depths of Esmeralda's intentions. What was her plan?
"What are your thoughts?" Angela inquired, her voice tinged with caution.
"I don't recall," Leonardo shrugged, his tone tinged with resignation. "She never told me," he sighed, "or perhaps she did, but I chose to ignore it. What a fool I am."
Angela dismissed the self-deprecating notion and made her way toward the bathroom. "Only she knew the true purpose of the knife in her drawer."
"Perhaps her diary holds the answers," Leonardo interjected firmly, urging Angela to prioritize the search for the diary, as it could shed light on some of the mysteries surrounding Esmeralda's death.
Angela formulated her conclusion. "She was afraid of someone," she stated, her voice filled with conviction. She locked eyes with Leonardo. "Someone tormented her and instilled fear within her. That's why she took the knife and hid it for self-defense."
"That would support my suspicion that Esmeralda didn't commit suicide," Leonardo declared flatly.
"You're right, Leonardo," Angela concurred, her voice laced with agreement. She emphasized that a person contemplating suicide would not harbor a fear of harm; rather, they would actively seek it. Furthermore, if Esmeralda had intended to end her life in a bloody manner, a kitchen knife would not have been the instrument of choice. A cutter or a blade would have been more suitable for such an act.
As the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together, Angela and Leonardo embarked on a quest to uncover the truth behind Esmeralda's demise, armed with their shared conviction that there was more to her death than initially met the eye.
Both Leonardo and Angela found themselves at a loss when it came to deciphering the significance of the knife discovered in Esmeralda's room. Despite their efforts, their analysis yielded no substantial insights. Nevertheless, Angela made a solemn promise to Leonardo that she would never cease her search for Esmeralda's diary. She was consumed by the desire to uncover the truth, believing that the diary held the key to unraveling the enigma surrounding Esmeralda's life and death.
"That diary was Esmeralda's lifeline," Leonardo remarked, his voice tinged with a hint of pain. Angela turned to face him, observing the solemn expression etched upon his features. Leonardo began to reminisce about his past experiences with Esmeralda.
"She carried it with her wherever she went," Leonardo continued, his voice filled with a mix of nostalgia and longing. "I rarely saw Esmeralda without her pink journal and a pen. Whenever she was alone, she would immerse herself in its pages, capturing her thoughts and emotions. It piqued my curiosity, and I once asked her about its contents. She simply smiled and said, 'Within this diary are my thoughts and feelings, my dreams and failures, and my hope and happiness.'"
"One day, I stumbled upon the diary lying abandoned on a bench beneath the orchards," Leonardo recalled, his tone laced with a tinge of regret. "I picked it up, gazing at it for a moment, and felt tempted to read a few pages. I decided to start in the middle, but before I could open it, Esmeralda's furious voice cut through the air, freezing me in my tracks. Her eyes blazed with anger, and she chastised me, 'Never open my diary, Leonardo!' She made me promise and swear not to breach her trust by delving into its contents, even if I had all the time in the world. And that was the last time I laid a hand on it."
"You know, she was right," Angela chimed in, her voice filled with conviction. "A journal or personal diary is a sacred space, meant only for its owner's eyes."
"But you have to find it, Angela," Leonardo insisted, his gaze intense and unwavering.
"I know," Angela replied, her voice carrying a quiet determination. "Every rule has an exception." She paused briefly before adding, "I will find the diary."
With a renewed sense of purpose, Angela embarked on her quest to locate Esmeralda's cherished diary, fully aware of the weight of responsibility resting upon her shoulders. She understood the gravity of her task and was prepared to navigate through the shadows of secrecy to uncover the truth that lay hidden within the pages of Esmeralda's journal.