The basement was darker than I expected, and it was also cold. A single bulb hung from the ceiling, and when Kiran flipped the switch, a dim orange glow bathed the room. Dust floated in the air like fireflies, and boxes lined the walls, some labeled with scribbled marker, others blank.
And then there was the wardrobe.
It stood against the far wall. It was tall, wooden, and out of place, as if it had been dragged down from a bedroom and shoved there just to hide something. Kiran walked straight to it and looked back at me.
“It’s behind this.”
I took a deep breath. “Let’s move it.”
It was heavier than it looked, and it scraped loudly against the concrete as we shifted it aside. Behind it was a small recessed space in the wall. At first, I thought it was just a storage nook, but then I saw it — a safe.
It was old, with a keyhole that matched the one Kiran had given me.
“You’re sure?” I asked him.
He nodded.
With a shaking hand, I inserted it into the lock. It clicked and then gave way. I opened the safe.
