PART 3 — THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR IN THE HALLWAY
The scratching continued, followed by a soft, heavier breathing. My heart, already pounding in my throat because of the shocking contents of the letter, now plunged into panic. In a small house like mine, you don't expect strangers in the hallway, let alone at this early hour.
Lucas frowned, dropped the letter onto the coffee table, and walked with quick strides into the hallway. I followed right behind him, trembling with fear and uncertainty.
When we stepped into the hallway, we saw what had caused the sound.
Lying on the doormat outside the front door was not a burglar, not a mailman, and not a delivery courier. There lay a small, old dog, shivering from the cold and drenched from the rain that was still falling relentlessly outside. Around its neck, it wore a leather collar with a small copper cylinder.
Lucas stared at the animal. His eyes, which had just been full of anger when he looked at me, instantly softened. He dropped to his knees on the wet carpet, not caring that his clean clothes were getting dirty, and slowly reached out his hand.
"Easy, old boy," Lucas said with a warm, gentle voice I hadn't heard in thirty years. "How on earth did you get here?"
The dog barked weakly, wagged its tail, and rubbed its snout against Lucas's hand. When Lucas took the copper cylinder off the collar and unscrewed it, he pulled out a small, rolled-up note.
My hands trembled as I read along over Lucas's shoulder. Written on the paper in a shaky, unpracticed handwriting was an address, accompanied by only a single sentence: "Bring him back to where he belongs before it's too late."
Recognition spoke from Lucas's eyes. He looked up at me, and for the first time since his arrival, the wall between us seemed to waver for a brief moment.
"Mom," he said in a rough voice. "This address... that's the old vacation home in the dunes. Uncle Henk's house. But Henk died ten years ago. Who on earth lives there now?"
I shook my head vehemently. "I don't know, Lucas. Nobody has gone there in years. After Henk's death, it stood empty. At least... I thought so."
Lucas stood up, carefully holding the dog close to him, and looked at me piercingly. The revelation from his father's letter hadn't even been digested yet, and already we were being drawn into a new mystery.
"We're going there," Lucas said with determination. "Right now."
