CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY - NINE - THE ENCHANTED RIVER

They hired a private investigator to look into Lydia's whereabouts, but even he came up empty-handed. It was as if Lydia Blackwood had simply ceased to exist. As the days turned into weeks, Anna's frustration grew. They were so close to solving the mystery, she could feel it. But without Lydia, they had no way to prove their theory or understand the full scope of what had been happening. One evening, as Anna was reviewing her notes for what felt like the thousandth time, a thought struck her. What if Lydia wasn't working alone? What if she had an accomplice still in the mansion, someone who was continuing her work? The idea sent a chill down Anna's spine. If there was an accomplice, it meant the thefts could continue indefinitely. Worse, it meant there was still someone in the mansion who couldn't be trusted. Anna shared her theory with Erik, who looked troubled by the possibility. "If that's true," he said slowly, "then we need to be even more careful. We can't risk alerting the a