The stone shone brightly in the sunlight and blue colourful spots were reflected on the walls as Rhénee turned the sapphire stone in her fingers. It was completely magnificent. Sophie looked at the spots of colour on the walls as though in awe. As for Rhénee, her eyes were on the stone.

"Whats in the drawer is the reason why you are here."

Those words gave Rhénee a chill down her spine. The terrifying voice had Rhénee freaked out. Who called her? And how did the person know her and her late grandmother? How did the person know what was in the drawer in the first place? So many questions ran threw Rhénee's mind, yet there were no answers. 

"Rhénee, are you awake?" Miss Griselda's voice came from outside the room.

Rhénee hid the sapphire necklace under the bed covers and Sophie looked around the room wondering where the pretty colours had gone. Miss Griselda peeked her head in the room.

"Yes, I'm awake," replied Rhénee with a smile. 

"You seem better today."

"The pain in the back has gone now. The painkillers really helped."

"Good to hear. You'll come down for breakfast?"

"Yes, I'll be right there."

Miss Griselda took her leave and Sophie looked at Rhénee hoping to see the bright blue colours again.

"You look anxious, my dear kitty," Rhénee scratched behind Sophie's ear, "but first of all, I need to know how my grandmother's necklace got in my room and why its so important to the creepy person who called me last night."

Rhénee got out of bed and cleaned herself up. She was ready to head downstairs. But first, she turned towards her grandmother's room.

When Rhénee reached the door, she slowly turned the door knob and the door clicked open. She swung the door quickly, entered the room and closed the door behind her.

Just like the other unused rooms in the house, every piece of furniture was covered with white sheets. Her late grandmother's room was much bigger than any other bedroom in the house. The curtains still covered the windows. Rhénee decided not to draw them open as it would be suspicious from outside.

Rhénee walked into the partially dark room and noticed that there were no pictures on the wall and the bed was not covered by a white sheet. That looked really weird. Everything in the room was covered by sheets except the bed.

When Rhénee looked on the wall above the bed, there was indeed a picture in the room. A portrait. The person in the portrait was none other than her late grandmother, Emelda.

In the picture, Emelda had a big lovely smile on her face and her grey hair was tied in a neat bun. Her soft brown eyes looked just like Rhénee's and her father's, and Rhénee felt like she was about to cry. She hadn't seen her grandmother in a really long time, but it looked like Emelda had not changed at all, the same neat bun behind her head and the same smile. Rhénee wished she could have given her grandmother a proper goodbye, but she was dead now and there was nothing Rhénee could do about it.

Rhénee started to look around for a sheet to cover the bed, when she noticed a black photo album laying on the bed. She picked it up and opened it. To her surprise, there were no pictures in it.

"This must be a joke. An empty photo album. It must be new so no one had a chance to put a photo in it."

Before Rhénee could close the album, a picture fell from the photo album and landed on her feet. She noticed it and bent down to pick it.

"Looks like there was a picture in here after all."

Rhénee straightened herself up and looked at the picture. It was a photo of a house, a wooden house and it looked all worn out. The roof had holes in it and it looked like it would crumble at any given moment. The windows of the house were all broken and the wood used to construct the house looked like it was in a rotting state.

"Why would anyone put a photo in here, especially of a house like this?"

She turned the photo to check if anyone had written anything behind it. Behind the photo read "Emelda" in black ink. Rhénee raised an eyebrow and wondered why anyone would write her late grandmother's name on the photo. Was the house in the photo related to Emelda in some way?

Rhénee's eyes flew to the portrait of her grandmother hoping that she could say something, but she knew that only happened in the movies. Then, Rhénee realised a silver neck chain around her grandmother's neck. She looked carefully and noticed the sapphire stone on her chest which was partially hidden because of the white coat she was wearing. 

Rhénee went closer to the portrait and it was the same stone which she had in her room. Was all this a coincidence? The necklace was Emelda's after all, but what about the photo album with just one photograph? Was someone trying to tell Rhénee that the house and Emelda have a connection? And if so, why is she in the middle of this all?

"Rhénee! You better come downstairs, your food is getting cold," came Miss Griselda's voice. 

"I'll be right there!" Rhénee replied.

Looking at the portrait one last time, Rhénee took the photograph of the house and quickly left the room. She made a stop by her room to hide the photo under her pillow. She quickly rushed down the stairs and entered the kitchen. 

"You took time coming down," said Miss Griselda, as she put hot oatmeal in a bowl for Rhénee. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Before Rhénee could reply, she noticed that Kevin and Mr Cowell, who also worked around the house, were having coffee. 

"Morning, Mr Cowell, morning, Kevin, " greeted Rhénee. 

"Morning," replied Mr Cowell and Kevin at the same time. 

"Don't worry about me, Miss Griselda," said Rhénee, replying to Miss Griselda. "I was just taking my time in my room."

"Well, you better come early next time, my dear," said Miss Griselda. "Even Sophie came here much earlier than you."

Rhénee took a seat on the stool and Miss Griselda places the bowl of oatmeal in front of Rhénee. 

"Its good to hear that you're okay, Rhénee," said Kevin. 

"Yes, Miss Griselda gave me a painkiller that really helped," said Rhénee, as she faced Kevin who sat across the table. 

"Anyway, I better go to work, thank you for the coffee, Miss Griselda. Your coffee is as delicious as always," said Kevin. 

"You're making me blush, Kevin," said Miss Griselda, "you really have a way with words."

Kevin smiled and he stood up from his seat. He looked at Rhénee and Rhénee noticed a twinkle in his dark blue eyes. She looked at her bowl and put a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth.

When Kevin and Mr Cowell had left the kitchen, Rhénee decided to take the opportunity to ask Miss Griselda some questions. 

"Umm, Miss Griselda, do you know where my grandmother's jewellery have been kept? Do you keep them in her room?"

"No, we removed most of your grandmother's things from her room," replied Miss Griselda. "Her clothes are in the storeroom ready to be donated or something. The jewellery is kept in the safe in the study. Mr Sinclair gave you the combination?"

"Yes, he did. I should visit the study and take a look."

"Thats a good idea. I'll be here if you need anything."

"Okay. Oh, are there any pictures or portraits hanging in grandmother's room?"

"No, all the pictures and portraits are in the storeroom now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, dear. Kevin and I removed everything in the room. Nothing was left hanging."

Rhénee tried not to look surprised at what Miss Griselda said. But what about the portrait which she saw in the room?

"Okay. I better hurry up eating my breakfast."

"Won't you be leaving the house today?"

"I don't know. I'll see, thats if the study won't take up much of my time."

***

Today, everything seemed to be going wrong for Eugene. To start with, when he woke up this morning, he had a really bad headache. He slept last night feeling troubled and his mother had asked what was wrong with him, but he had brushed her off. At breakfast, he had not talked to his mother or brother, not even to say morning. But he had talked to Miguel and told him what was wrong with him. Miguel dropped Eugene at his work place and now, Eugene was sitted in his office.

Eugene was looking at some papers on his desk but he couldn't make sense of what he was reading. He put the paper down and decided he couldn't take it. 

"I think I'll just go and get a fresh cup of coffee," he said to himself as he stood up from his chair.

When he reached the door and pulled it open, there standing in front of him, ready to knock on his door, was his father.

Mr Chamberlin was slightly taller than Eugene, and his black silky hair with a little grey at the temples of his head was combed back. He wore a white shirt and faded blue jeans.

"Hello, Eugene," greeted his father.

"What are you doing here?" Eugene's head throbbed painfully. 

"I came to talk to you."

"Now isn't the right time. Please leave."

"I know you hate me, Eugene. But can you put that aside and listen to me?"

"Why do I've to listen to you? Can you please leave me alone! Thats all I'm asking of you right now."

Eugene tried to walk past his father, but he was stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

"Its about your mother, Eugene. And your brother. You need to listen to me."

"I shouldn't even be listening to you. You're nothing but a drunkard."

"I may be a drunkard and all, but you'll have to listen to me even if I have to do it by force."

Mr Chamberlin dragged Eugene back into the office and made him sit on a chair. Mr Chamberlin looked at Eugene straight in the eye, and he looked like he was going to get out of control. 

"Listen to me, Eugene, and listen to me good. If you don't, you may put your own family and yourself at risk."

***

"What the heck! Where is it now?"

Rhénee looked around the room. The portrait of her late grandmother was no longer hanging on the wall. And the bed was all covered up. When Rhénee had removed the sheet covering the bed, the black photo album wasn't there either. Someone was in this room, but who?

"I've no time for this. I've to check the safe."

Rhénee quickly went out of the room and made sure she didn't bang the door to alert Miss Griselda. She quickly went to the study. She went it to the office desk and there on the wall was a picture of the beach and the beautiful ocean. She took down the picture and behind it was a safe encased on the wall. She unlocked the safe with the combination Mr Sinclair gave her. When the safe was opened, Rhénee found some jewellery boxes of different colours and sizes. She removed all of them and put them on the table.

When Rhénee sat on the chair, she started looking in every jewellery box. They were all filled with necklaces, rings, bangles and earrings, some of the in their own sets.

Then she opened a black rectangular jewellery box and there was nothing in it. There were no rings, no earrings, no bracelets or bangles, but it was a box suitable to keep a necklace. Rhénee wondered if this was the box which had held the necklace with a sapphire stone.

She closed the box and on the lid were words imprinted in gold. It was her grandmother's name. Rhénee took a look at the other boxes. They all had names of labels from expensive jewellery companies. The one she held in her hands was completely different.

Rhénee removed the necklace which she had in her pocket and opened the box again. She put the necklace in the box following the pattern which had been engraved in the box for the necklace to be put in place. To Rhénee's surprise, the necklace fit in perfectly. Even the rectangular shape of the sapphire stone fitted perfectly in its place. No doubt, the necklace had come from this box with Emelda's name on it. Rhénee closed the box and stared at the name of her grandmother imprinted in gold. 

"You found it!"

Rhénee almost jumped out of her seat. Miss Griselda was standing by the door looking straight at Rhénee. Rhénee sighed with relief. 

"Found what, Miss Griselda?" Rhénee asked.

"Your grandmother's favourite necklace," replied Miss Griselda. "That box has her name on it, right?"

"Yes, it does."

"Open it, dear. The necklace is very beautiful."

Rhénee's heart pace reduced a little. Miss Griselda had not been by the door when Rhénee had removed the necklace from her pocket. Rhénee did as she was told and pretended to look surprised as she saw the neckace.

"Its beautiful," said Rhénee. 

"Yes, it is. Your grandmother loved it. Now that everything is all yours, so is that necklace. She left that for you because she knew you would like it."

"I really do."

Rhénee looked at the necklace and started to wonder if she really liked it or not. The person who called her last night wanted Rhénee to know something about Emelda. And all the answers were in the photograph of the wooden house and the necklace.

"There is something about this necklace which makes it so special, especially for the person who called last night. What does this all have to do with my grandmother? "