A son asked his mother to dig up his grave a year after his funeral. Everyone’s hair stood on end when she found…

Back at the house, Emily and Mark spread the documents out on the kitchen table. The photographs showed David with a group of men Emily didn’t recognize. They looked rough, dangerous.

The bank statements revealed large sums of money being transferred in and out of an account in David’s name. But it was the final document that made Emily’s blood run cold. It was a contract, a deal between David and a man named Victor Crane.

The terms were vague, but the implications were clear. David had been involved in something illegal, something that had put him in over his head. Victor Crane, Mark muttered, his face pale.

I’ve heard that name before. He’s a known criminal. Drugs, smuggling, you name it.

If David was mixed up with him, Emily’s hands clenched into fists. We need to find him. If David’s in danger, we have to help him.

Mark nodded, but his expression was troubled. It’s not going to be easy. If Crane’s involved, this is bigger than we thought.

We need to be careful. Emily’s mind raced as she stared at the documents. She thought about the empty casket, the key, the journal.

David had gone to great lengths to protect her, but now it was her turn to protect him. We’ll start with Crane, she said firmly. If we can find him, we can find David.

Mark hesitated, then nodded. All right, but we need a plan. We can’t just walk into this blind.

As they began to plot their next move, Emily felt a surge of determination. She didn’t know what they were up against, but she wasn’t going to back down. David was out there, and she was going to find him, no matter what it took.