opened it A bunch of letters tied with a red ribbon filled the box Tucked sighed and came over as Sam undid the ribbon They unfolded the top letter together and Sam read it aloud My Darling Sylvie Each day our special place beckons I never knew such love could carry such hope When we roam our wild magical island together I want to stay forever Now that you know the truth we must protect this wondrous and terrible secret I no longer suffer alone It is now our burden but it’s made lighter through you Always with love Mitchell
Sam ran a finger over the crinkled paper her chest bursting with emotion over all that Uncle Mitch had lost What island is he writing about Tuck There aren’t any islands here he said The nearest one is miles away Sam fished around the bottom of the box for more clues and pulled out a creased photo of a woman wearing a wedding dress on a beach Tall green trees and giant ferns swayed in the background She clasped a bunch of sunflowers tilting her head with a soft smile Sam you two have the same face Tuck said
It was like looking at an older version of herself The woman had the same upturned nose and large brown eyes Apart from her long blonde hair she looked just like Sam Sam flipped the photo over Across the back someone had scrawled Sylvie Mardock Silence filled the hidden room The buzz saw and hammering had stopped Sam froze A screen door
slammed She gripped the photo then quickly slid it into her shorts pocket Feet stomped down the stairs Uncle Mitch loomed over her blocking the light What are you doing he yelled grabbing the letters from her hands We were just exploring Sam said Tuck hung his head Uncle Mitch pointed at him You Tucker Thompson are a snoop You instigated this didn’t you Tuck’s head shot up No I I didn’t Mr Mardock Get out Uncle Mitch rose taller his head nearly bumping the ceiling
