Lesley made her way downstairs, where she found Nick sound asleep on the couch. The rumbling from his boisterous snoring blended with the sounds of the television as the speakers blared into the living room. She picked the remote control off the coffee table, turning off the television. With delicate footsteps, she strolled into the foyer and grabbed her purse from off the hook along with her car keys. It was late, but she couldn't wait another minute. She had to speak with Grant.
Lesley drove through the mountains and down the pitch-black roads of Arcaden. A wave of unease drifted over her, heightening her senses. Sweat began to seep through the palms of her hands as she firmly gripped the leathery steering wheel.
Focusing on the desolate, dimly lit road ahead, Lesley pondered the case.
The occasional gust of wind and the hum of the tires rolling against the asphalt were the only sounds she heard. She pressed the Bluetooth button on the dashboard, hoping to drown out the sounds. Her playlist of refreshing tunes suddenly filled her ears. Humming to the music, a serene sense of calmness swept over her. The weight of anxiety slowly lifted off her shoulders, making her feel at ease.
However, the feeling of relaxation quickly eluded her as her eyes landed on an inconspicuous, hazy figure in the middle of the empty road.
A sudden gasp escaped her lips. The sight before her plunged her into an unsettling state. There stood an eerie, ghostly silhouette of a girl.
Lesly looked closer, squinting her eyes to get a clearer view.
Is that a ghost?! Lesley wondered.
She gulped. The figure was draped in a white gown. It appeared to be a young girl, around sixteen or seventeen. Her long ebony hair cascaded down her back. She had big brown eyes that spoke of pure innocence.
Lesley gripped the steering wheel tighter, her fingers constricting around the leather. The faint sensation of suffocation engulfed her as her breath lodged in her throat. She coughed.
As she continued to look out at the road ahead, the ghostly figure was still there. It hadn't moved.
Is this just a figment of my imagination? Lesley thought. She batted her eyes and shook her head, hoping the figure would disappear. But the ghostly image remained. Its eyes locked into Lesley's, causing her heart to flip flop in her chest.
The car veered directly in its path, but Lesley's instincts kicked in; she slammed on her brakes, desperately attempting to halt her vehicle. The wheels screeched, and the car swerved violently to the side of the road, thrusting her forward. Her head hit the steering wheel with a decent amount of force.
Lesley trembled with fear. Her mind raced faster than a cat chasing a mouse. Fear gnawed at her, gripping her tightly like icy fingers. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had stumbled upon something beyond the realm of the living.
Possibly a dead Leah Meyers.
Shaken up, she sat in her car, contemplating the haunting encounter. With jittery hands, she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door. She stepped out into eerie darkness. Slamming her car door shut behind her, the sound reverberated into the night. Surrounded by tall trees and bushes, she gazed at the road; it was empty, as usual for the secluded area.
"Lesley," a girl's voice called, shivering down Lesley's spine.
"Leah, is that you?" Lesley frantically scanned her surroundings, but the ghostly figure had vanished. The voice was distinct, transporting Lesley back to that dreadful night in the forest.
"Yes, Lesley, it's me, Leah," the voice replied.
Lesley instinctively placed her hand on her clavicle in shock. "Leah! I want to help you."
"Lesley, you know," Leah said, her words laden with a sense of grief, "You know what the councilman did to me."
Lesley's mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, "No, Leah, I don't know. I don't even know who the councilman is. Who is he, Leah?"
Lesley waited impatiently for a response. She was determined to unravel the mystery, but she needed answers. Her longing to help Leah grew stronger with each passing moment.
"I saw you searching, Lesley," Leah responded, taking a deep breath, "You know." Her voice, a faint whisper with a tinge of sorrow, only added to the already gloomy atmosphere, "It's the councilman in Arcaden. Tell him."
"Leah, tell who what?" Lesley begged, her heart pounding, "Please tell me. I need to know more so I can help you."
But before Lesley could get a response, Leah's voice slowly dissipated, and she was gone, leaving Lesley frustrated and confused.
Lesley swiftly returned to her car and placed the key into the ignition. The engine roared, and she pressed her foot down on the accelerator, starting her journey again.
***
She resumed her trip on the desolate highway, driving down the dark and narrow roads.
Lesley sighed as her mind catapulted back to the ghostly image she had witnessed on the road. The image of Leah. Wrestling with her thoughts, she grew weary.
Whom can I confide in?... Should I tell Grant what happened? ..No, he won't believe me. No one will. They'll all think I'm crazy.
Lesley decided she would become Leah's voice. However, she wouldn't disclose the visits and the ominous voices. It would be her secret, privy to no one but her.
First, she would question Grant about the city councilman and discover who he was and what he had done to Leah.
The station slowly came into view, masking gently behind the light layers of fog. Lesley breathed out a sigh of relief. Loosening her grip on the steering wheel, she felt the weight of the situation dissipate from within her.
She glided her car through the misty atmosphere and veered into the parking lot. The headlights cut through the darkness, and the sound of gravel crunched beneath her tires. She glanced around, scanning the lot for a parking spot. When she finally located one, she carefully maneuvered her car into it. Glancing up at the building through the layer of dust that marred her windshield, the etchings on the brick walls were reminiscent of wrinkles on a face, hinting at its old age.
Stepping out of her vehicle, she slammed the door shut behind her, and the sound echoed through the air. As she strolled toward the entrance, tiny stones in the asphalt faltered beneath her feet.
The amber glow of the streetlamp flickered, casting eerie shadows in her path. She took in her surroundings, and tension built back up within her. Despite the chill in the air, a flush of heat tingled across her face, flushing her cheeks. The dark and misty atmosphere engulfed her. With a sense of impending doom, her stride grew quicker. She nearly found herself running into the building.
Finally arriving in front of the glass door, she stepped inside, and a mixture of relief and calmness washed over her. She gazed down the dimly lit hallway and spotted a tall, lanky officer. He saw her, too, as he strolled her way. Positioning himself right in front of her, his emerald eyes locking onto hers as he spoke, "Can I help you, miss?" His voice was deep and authoritative. With his eyebrows raised in curiosity, he questioned the reason for Lesley's arrival at the station at such a late hour.
"Yes, I'm here to see Officer Grant." Lesley replied, feeling a sense of security as she stood inside the station, escaping the doom and gloom of the night.
"May I ask why you're here to see him?" The officer gazed into her eyes.
"He knows why." Lesly answered, refusing to give him the reason as to why she was there.
"Follow me." He gestured. Lesley walked down the dimly lit hallway, following the officer's lead. Her tennis shoes screeched against the freshly waxed floors.
Lesley strolled through the station, trailing behind the officer. An eerie sensation wrapped around her like a mushroom curved around its root. She took notice of the white walls. They were worn and weary, sagging under the weight of time. Their age revealed by a sickly yellowish tinge and paint that clung desperately in chipped fragments.
"Officer Grant is right in here." The lanky officer smiled as he gestured into a dimly lit office with a flickering lightbulb that appeared to be dying out.
Lesley entered the room.
"Thank you." She replied to the officer who escorted her.
Lesley gazed around the office. It was dingy, and dust particles were lurking in the corners of the walls and within inconspicuous areas of the desks, causing Lesley to shudder.
Grant was waiting at his desk, tapping it with his black pen.
Lesley smiled as she laid her eyes on Grant, "Hi, Officer Grant."
"Lesley!" Grant greeted enthusiastically with a smile, "Come on in."
She walked into the dusty office, strolling toward his desk as she eyed the blue chair opposite it.
"Please have a seat." Grant gestured to the chair.
She sat in the chair, finally feeling relaxed after her chaotic drive to the station.
"Can you close the door, please?" Grant instructed the officer. The officer gently closed the door before he left. His footsteps echoed through the walls as he plodded back down the hallway, and gradually, the sound faded away.
Grant picked up his black mug of coffee, "Would you like a cup of coffee or some water?"
Lesley shook her head, "No, I'm fine."
Grant took a sip of his coffee before placing his mug back down on his desk."So, where shall we start?" Grant's eyes locked with Lesley's.
"I really would like to understand what Leah was like before she drowned." Lesley paused as she thought of the specifics she needed, "I heard she was dating a married city councilman. Do you know his name?"
Grant rubbed his forehead stressfully, "To be quite honest, I don't." Grant sighed, "This Leah Meyers case totally has me stumped."
Lesley's eyes widened, "How so?"
"As a former cop and now detective who has worked in law enforcement for over twenty years, I've never encountered a case such as this one. First of all, three witnesses attested to Leah's drowning. However, we never recovered a body. Dead or alive." Grant placed his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together, "I mean, Leah could still be alive for all we know. Although I highly unlikely."Grant cleared his throat, "I would love to get an autopsy, but with no dead body ever found, we can't." He shrugged, "I personally suspect foul play."
Lesley's face crumpled into one of confusion as she raised her brows, "Why do you personally suspect foul play?"
"There are a lot of intricacies with this case, which I unfortunately cannot disclose." Grant began to rub his coffee mug as he thought about all the suspicious events surrounding Leah's death. He knew there was more to it, and he was determined to solve the case all on his own.
"I was angry with this department and with the city of Arcaden." Grant started, "They treated this investigation like it was a minor theft. It was an open and closed case, with nearly no amount of time nor resources dedicated to it."
"Why do you think that is?" Lesley raised her brows in curiosity.
Grant leaned forward, his stomach pushing into the desk. He got face to face with Lesley and whispered, "Because one of the witnesses is the wife of the city councilman."
Lesley's eyes widened, and goosebumps rode down her arms, "What's the name of his wife?"
Grant's gaze ventured up toward the ceiling, "The document was sealed; nobody has access to it, not even me, so I have no idea."
Grant brought his coffee mug back up to his lips and took a generous sip.
"How is that possible?!" Lesley asked in astonishment, her eyes gazing into Grants.
"Two words. City Councilman."
***I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THE BOOK SO FAR*** PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW*** THANKS FOR READING!!**