Suddenly, an elderly man walked through the doorway carrying a weathered green backpack.
“Nora?” he inquired. “I am your husband’s attorney. He wanted you to have this.”
He placed the pack gently into my hands. I immediately noticed how surprisingly heavy it felt. The lawyer observed my expression for a moment before lowering his voice.
“Julian wasn’t entirely who you believed him to be, Nora,” the old man murmured. “He wanted you to know the whole truth.”
Part 2: The Red Dress and the Ledger
I unzipped the heavy green backpack with trembling hands while the attorney, Arthur Pendelton, stood silently by the window of the vacant room, watching me with a solemn gaze.
Resting inside were three distinct objects: a worn leather-bound notebook, a legal deed wrapped in oilskin, and a folded square of bright red silk fabric.
