Like the shrewd little madam she was, she figured there must be a reason for the curtains to be closed. She switched on the light and saw that there in the corner of the room was a computer. It was a new one at that. The set-up in here was nothing like Poppy had expected at all. In her mind – or even the last time she’d been inside the cabin – when was that? – it was a glorified shed, with old paperwork, photos, and the usual garden furniture. Seeing the present set-up, though, was a surprise and very troubling. And Poppy, being the inquisitive one, she had to take a look. She’d expected to find a collection of porno films and magazines. Why she thought that she wasn’t sure, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she had this weird notion that her father was a mysterious man. All the women always gave him a double-take because not only was he an exceptionally good-looking man, but he was built like a bodybuilder. She found the cabin odd. It was too comfortable; it was as if someone spent a lot of time in here. The office chair seemed worn, yet it wasn’t dusty and neglected. It had a new cushion for extra back support. Even the black lamps showed not a speck of dust. The filing cabinets had a plant on the top that was vibrant, which told her something here wasn’t quite right. The trunks on the floor she’d never seen before, but then, everywhere appeared alien. Except for the suitcases in the corner, that was.

She would just have grabbed two cases and left, but it wasn’t in her nature to turn a blind eye. As she tugged at the cabinets, she soon discovered they were locked. Fumbling through the keys, she finally was able to access the drawers. Inside, she found some papers, yet when she read the details, she couldn’t make head nor tail of them. It was as if everything was in code. She decided to put them in her pocket to read later. The computer sparked into life but required a password. Although she tried all of her family’s names, she was out of luck. Her attention was then drawn to the trunk in the corner. She tried to find the key, but nothing fitted. Her heart was beating fast, and as she stepped back towards the suitcases, she noticed that on the side of one of the trunks was a piece of material that had been trapped outside when it was locked. She bent down and felt the brown fabric. It was hessian. Suddenly, her mind went into overdrive, and her breathing increased. She had to get out. Grabbing both suitcases, she turned to leave, ensuring she switched off the light. Once she was outside, she locked the padlock and hauled the cases up to the house and through the patio doors.