Maya's POV
The box burns in Patricia's hands.
"No!" I lunge forward.
Ethan grabs the box. Throws it to the floor. Stomps out the flames.
Sophie tackles Patricia. They crash into the wall.
"Stop!" Patricia screams. "Those secrets will destroy you!"
I grab what's left from the box. Papers half-burned. Photos charred at the edges. The USB drive miraculously intact.
"Get off me!" Patricia shoves Sophie away. Runs down the stairs.
"Let her go," I say. "We have what we need."
Ethan examines the rescued items. "Most of it's ruined. But look there's writing on this burned envelope."
I read the fragments: ...third stone... river... grandmother's ashes... where you said goodbye...
"That's the clue my mother left on the wall upstairs!" I piece together what survived. "The next location. Riverside Park."
"What about the USB drive?" Sophie asks.
I try it on my phone. Corrupted. Won't open. "We'll need a computer expert to recover whatever's on here."
