Horror Candlewood

IC: Julia Wilson
The Bookworm, Harbour District

“She and I went to school together,” Julia explained when he confirmed having met Jane a few days ago.

"Greet her from John the book hound if you see her, will you?” She nodded to indicate she would.

“And thanks." He pointed to the book in his backpack. "I will let you know how I liked it."

“If you do like it, there’s a second one,” she pointed out as she closed down the register. Finishing up with him meant she could tend to the last closing duties, lock up and go home. “Have a good night.”

TAG: @DarkLordoftheFins , @SirakRomar

 

The Bowling Alley, Mike's Bowling Center

Kyle smiled at his friend and he was for a moment back again, fully in the here and now. "Man, one day I will make you ask her."

They waved Mike and Janine goodbye and walked home through the quiet streets of Candlewood. Kyle stayed silent for most of the way, but that was not so unusual. He wasn't shy, but he was not the talkative type either. It was around midnight they passed Jane Masters flat, not knowing what meaning this place would soon have for so many people in the town including probably Miles.

Tag: @Reynar_Tedros



In front of the The Weaver, Harbour

Cole looked at the Sheriff for a moment and probably considered his chances of talking himself out of it. Then he looked at Mike and sighed. "Sure, that is okay. But we did not wanted to do anything bad to the guy. Just marking our territory. Sorry for the trouble Mike." He looked at the guys and they nodded. "Sounds fair Sheriff."

Anna Harmon smiled and left with Mike who did not consider Cole Manners excuse worthy of a reply. "Got a camera that should show you the whole thing." He sighed. "No sound though." Anna nodded. "After you."

Ethan had finished his little interview and walked back to the Sheriff. "Okay, the boys are lucky the guy did not mean business. Mr. George England is a SEAL." He laughed. "Visiting his aunt and had a beer when he said Cole and his gang disturbed him playing pool and provoked him. I believe every word. He assured me he tried not to take any unnecessary measures. Also he does not press charges. Said they didn't land a single hit." Ethan raised his brows. "So I take those guys in with Anna and let them sleep off this boozy night. Get home to your girls. Nightshift is mine." Ethan winked. "And considering you are off duty now and I am not, I consider this an order."

Ethan yawned and looked over the Harbour. "I got a feeling this will be another slow summer."

He had no idea how wrong he was about this one.

Tag: @HanSolo29



Townhall, Meeting Room

Grace smiled at him one of those winning smiles that had made her his wife. "Calm evening it is." She smiled. "We need the energy for Mr. Croft tomorrow. Remember? He invited us to his club."

And when Mr. Croft, the towns most wealthy and arguably most powerful and influential citizen invited you, you couldn't say no.

The building was already empty when they left and the streets were calm and peaceful. They did not know that this peace was about to end. In this very night things began to spiral out of control while James and Grace power enjoyed a quiet evening at home reading and talking.

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321



The Bookworm, Harbour District

After John left Julia counted the money and brought it to the bank. Afterwards she would go to the empty flat of hers. Ethan had nightshift. They talked later on the phone and Jane Masters send a message ask for Julia to join her for coffee at the weekend.

They would never have that coffee. It was the last time Julia heard of her.


John wandered the streets, having his usual walk and then probably found a quiet place to do what he usually did, reading. He also received a message later that night asking if he would come over. It was also Jane Masters. A shame he had fallen asleep ten minutes earlier. It would also be the last message he ever got from the beautiful young woman.

Tag: @JediMasterAnne, @DarkLordoftheFins




GM Note: No need to reply (also you can if you want), but this concludes our Prologue which we pretty much marched through. I will post the opening post of the game in a few minutes. I am very proud how this thing took off!

 

Chapter 1: The Vanishing of Jane Masters

... where Jane Masters vanishes and the book shows up again.

---------

Ocean View Cafe, Harbour

The Ocean View Cafe really had the best view on the Harbour and combined it with an excellent breakfast and a fine coffee.

Alice Moore was an elderly lady in her late sixties and owned the shop and worked herself as a waitress there every day, helped by her daughter Rebecca and her little brother Rick in the kitchen. It had become the first address for the morning coffee for people around here and tourists and locals alike found themselves here this sunny morning.

The Sheriff had his own corner and words were unnecessary when he came up, also Alice smiled as she filled his coffee and handed him the local newspapers. "Heard you had a run in with Mr. Manners yesterday that ended not so well for him and the boys. About time you catched that punk with his hands in the cookie jar." She winked at him and then looked at Rebecca as she walked over to John Carver . Anna Harmon stepped into coffee and joined her boss. "Coffee dear?" Alice asked. "No thanks. Had three cups already." She replied. She looked around and then turned to the Sheriff and gave him the night report. "Ethan is at home, Mara is on the phone." Mara was their secretary and she usually took the calls not going to the emergency line. "Quiet night, it seems. One neighbor who got a complaint from someone for making too much noise at night, that's it. But I dropped by the harbor this morning and there was something going on about Johnny Langston trying to keep people from going out. Farlow took care of it himself." She referred to the harbor master Farlow, who usually handled most things about the fishermen himself.

John had quickly become another regular beginning his morning routine here with a book and a coffee. Rebecca smiled at him and got out her old fashioned notepad. "Coffee, I guess? Breakfast?" She asked and took his order. Once she was gone a man in his fifties who was wearing a tweet jacket to warm for the day and featured an impressive beard stepped to the table. "Mind if I sit?" He asked. All tables were taken, so he could not get a table of his own, but the man could have asked the Sheriff or someone else to sit. "I am Eddy Roberts , I run the local library. Guess Jane might have mentioned me?" He sat down without waiting for John's answer. "You are John, I guess?" There was something tense or troubled in his eyes.

Julia actually had her free day and her Dad was today in the store. He did not take as many shifts as he used to, as his back hurt a lot after those long days. But if he did not spend at least a day or two there, he got restless. But something odd and unexpected had happened this morning. Just as Ethan had returned from his nightshift Julia had found a message on her mobile from someone she had not heard in a long time. Chloe Barnett had asked if she could invite her for breakfast in a "somewhat urgent matter". It had been the first time she had send Julia message since ... it had actually been the first time. When Julia entered the café her old schoolmate was already sitting in a corner reserved for them and smiled an exhausted smile at Julia. She was wearing a jeans and shirt that could barely hide the fact she had lost weight. Again. Her skin was pale and almost nobody was pale this summer. Next to her was a backpack that looked oversized next to her petite and drained body. Julia probably also recognized the Sheriff and John, who she had sold the book the night before.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @JediMasterAnne, @HanSolo29



The First Candlewood Yacht Club

The Club was a place for the more wealthy citizens of Candlewood and the more luxury oriented tourists. It was owned by Charles Croft who was probably the most wealthy of all citizens of Candlewood and also the most influential one. He owned two hotels, the fish factory and plenty of real estate in the city as well as the Club and a number of shops for fishing equipment. He was known as a fair and just man, but hard as nails when it came to business. Powers knew many considered him the shadow mayor of Candlewood and that for a long time and a number of predecessors of James Power. Nevertheless he had kept out of politics since Power's election. The more surprising was the invitation to his club to the Mayor and his wife.

Even more surprising was his company when he arrived. Samuel Lawrence , Power's predecessor was sitting at the table with him, wearing an old fashioned beige suit and his trademark Panama hat.

"James." Croft stood up and gave his most winning smile. "Grace. You look beautiful as always." He smiled. "Thank you Charles." She replied with a smile and Charles gave a symbolic kiss to her hand and then offered the Mayor a firm handshake. "Major." Lawrence stood up and imitated Croft's welcome. "Sam, good to see you. How is retirement?" Grace asked him without hostility. Samuel Lawrence was known to enjoy his free time.

"Wonderful. You should see the fish I catched this year. Wonderful."

Croft waited for the intro to end and offered them to sit at his private table that overlooked the whole harbour.

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321



Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

Miles had a quiet day with few letters and very limited small packages to deliver. Even if he took his time, he would probably comfortably be done before noon.

One of his last deliveries was to Jane Masters . She was the towns unofficial beauty queen, so Miles obviously knew her at least by sight and reputation. Her break up with Miles Croft , the son of the towns richest citizen Charles Croft had been talk of town two years ago. The end of the perfect couple. But since then Jane had almost religiously stayed single and was surrounded by an air of unavailability nowadays that made her only more interesting to young men in the town. The door to her apartment complex was never locked, so Miles could get to her flat directly with the amazon package he had to deliver. It was a rather big book judging from the weight and size. Jane usually had her books delivered to the library where she worked, so this was unusual in a minor way.

What was a bit more unusual was, that Miles found the door to her flat wide open and a strange smell coming from it. It was a biting smell as if someone had used large quantities of a very strong disinfection fluid. Neither ringing her doorbell nor knocking at the open door made her show up to take her package though.

Tag: @Reynar_Tedros

 

IC: Julia Wilson
The Ocean View Café, Harbour

Once John had left, Julia finished closing down the shop, then stopped by the bank before heading home. Leftovers for dinner, then a long bath before crashing on the couch, dozing off with the TV on. Ethan called mid-way through his shift, like he usually did, after which she finally migrated to bed.

Even though she had the next day off, she was still up and dressed by the time Ethan made it home. He gave her a good morning hug and a kiss before heading to bed. He’d probably sleep for the rest of the morning, and be up in time for a late lunch or early dinner. Then they’d have a few hours to themselves before he had to go back to work.

Julia had meant to do some quiet housework while her husband slept, but he’d barely shut the bedroom door before her phone chimed with a text message. She had two new messages: one from Jane about meeting for coffee this weekend, but that had been sent last night, while Julia must’ve been asleep. The second was from—Chloe Barnett? She wanted to meet for breakfast at the café.

What on earth did Chloe want? They hadn’t seen much of each other or spoken in years, and even before the…incident, they hadn’t really been friends. They’d been nice enough with each other, sure, but they’d never been close. How did Chloe even have Julia’s phone number?

Partly out of curiosity, and partly to be polite—Chloe said it was “somewhat urgent”—Julia texted Chloe back to say yes, she would meet her. She slipped into the bedroom and, on finding Ethan still half-awake, told him where she was going and kissed him goodbye before heading out.

The Ocean View Café was a popular spot for any meal of the day, but was especially buzzing in the mornings as people stopped in for breakfast or just a cup of coffee before work. Julia spotted a number of familiar faces when she entered, including John, from last night, and Sheriff Collins, probably getting ready to start his shift. She waved hello to Jack, but didn’t stop to talk, not wanting to keep Chloe waiting. Besides, the sheriff had another officer with him; they had their back to Julia, so she couldn’t tell who it was.

Chloe was sitting at a corner table, a large backpack sitting in the seat next to her. She looked tired, thin, and pale.

“Chloe,” Julia greeted her former classmate, taking the seat across from her. “How have you been?”

TAG: @SirakRomar

 

IC: Miles Rayburn
Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

It was another boring day at the office for Miles. His office, of course, being the streets of Candlewood, Washington, where he drove his postal vehicle every day from mailbox to mailbox, delivering letters, ads, parcels, and the like to names he'd become familiar with over the years. He could drive through town off the clock in his own vehicle and his own clothes and tell you who lived where and how often they went on vacation and their online shopping habits and if their dogs were well behaved or not.

Mail was light today and there weren't many parcels, but company rules still mandated he had to make his route last eight hours, so he spent a lot of the day checking his phone, browsing Twitter to keep up with the news and texting his parents about how life was going back in Seattle, walking slowly down driveways to deliver packages to doorsteps, conversing with anyone who was home and had some time to kill. Mrs. Anderson had an injured knee and was having trouble getting around these days, so she appreciated Miles bring her mail to the door along with her Zulily package to save her an arduous trip to the street and back. Mr. Palmer, recently divorced, answered the door to sign for a certified letter in his underwear and donning a gaming headset, a sight Miles would've liked to avoid. The Bowmans' dog was a mean one so Miles didn't wait around for an answer there, just dropped the Amazon box and rang the doorbell and scooted back to his truck a little quicker than usual.

One of the last stops on his route was to Jane Masters' place. She had a package that wouldn't fit in her box and all the parcel lockers at the apartment complex were full, so Miles would have to take it to her door. Not that he minded on a day like today, he was still running comfortably ahead of schedule despite his best efforts to keep his pace slow and easy. Jane didn't often have packages, and judging by the size and weight of this one, Miles guessed it was a book of some kind. He'd been asked before if he was ever curious about what he delivered, if he was ever tempted to take a peak inside, and his honest answer was that he never gave it a second thought. He hardly ever looked at where letters were from, or wondered what was inside any given box. This particular package was no exception, although he would have cause for curiosity soon enough.

When he approached Jane's apartment, he found her front door wide open. As he got closer, he caught a big whiff of something strong coming from the inside, maybe some kind of cleaning product or disinfectant. He didn't notice any service trucks in the parking lot on the way in, and wondered if Jane was just doing some cleaning on her own and had the door open to vent out the smell. He wouldn't blame her if that was the case, as the odor was pretty brutal.

He rang the doorbell and heard it sound throughout the apartment. He tried not to look inside, didn't want to invade her privacy with wandering eyes. He checked the time on the Fitbit he always wore on his left wrist. There was no response, he didn't hear any movement after he rang the bell, so he reached over and knocked on the door fairly loudly. He waited. Still nothing. He leaned forward a bit, just outside of the doorframe.

"Hello?" he called. Something felt off, something he couldn't quite place. "Miss Masters?"

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

John Carver
Ocean View Café, Candlewood

The coffee was good, the view excellent. A shame the cafe was so crowded, but otherwise the Ocean View Café was a perfect spot to hang out.

"Coffee, I guess? Breakfast?" Rebecca asked and he looked up and smiled. "Only coffee today, please." He did not feel like having breakfast, but needed to get his day going. Then suddenly there was a man in his fifties who was wearing a tweet jacket to warm for the day and featured an impressive beard. He had appeared seemingly from nowhere the moment the waitress had left. "Mind if I sit?" He asked. John looked around. All tables were taken, so he could not get a table of his own, but the man could have asked the Sheriff or someone else to sit. "I am Eddy Roberts , I run the local library. Guess Jane might have mentioned me?" The man sat down without waiting for John's answer. "You are John, I guess?" There was something tense or troubled in his eyes. John knew the look. He had seen it often enough. Sometimes even when looking at the mirror.

The mention of Jane made him relax a little, though. That was one of those talks. A survey run by a guy twenty years too old for her? Well, then again he himself was probably ten years too old for her.

Julia passed him and he gave a small greeting smile, to show he recognized her.

John leaned back and folded his arms. The only thing that made little sense right now was why he was so troubled. Nervous? Sure. Insecure? Maybe. But sitting here was confident to the level of arrogance. Or it was a sign of desperation.

John looked at him a moment and then tried to speak with a voice as calm and friendly as possible. "Yes, I am John and actually no, nobody ever mentioned you to me and I was not aware of your existence until you sat down at my table." He folded his hands. "So have a seat, enjoy a good coffee and the view. But please do not expect me to discuss any personal or private matters with a complete stranger like you are, ok?"

Tag: @JediMasterAnne, @SirakRomar, @HanSolo29

 

Ocean View Cafe, Harbour

Edward Roberts eyed John and sighed. "Fair enough." He nodded and was looking for the right words. His eyes still had this look up urgency. "I know you two got ... close. Nothing wrong about that, I am happy the girl had fun. But ... I can't reach her and she did not show up for work. That is not her. Totally not. She hasn't even read her whatsapps. So I just wanted to ask, if you knew anything about where she is and what she is doing." It was obvious Eddy was not very good at this. Also it was obvious why he was so tense. He had probably hoped she was with John, which she obviously was not.


Chloe waited for Julia to sit down. "A million thanks for coming. I know it is probably a bit of a annoyance, so highly appreciated." She smiled at Julia and there was a gratefulness in her smile. It was the only honest smile Julia would get from her. "We haven't seen each other since ..." I dropped out of school a year after my Dad killed my mom and then blew his head of "... forever."

She smiled again and it slowly became apparent she actually forced herself to smile, like a puppet doing the one trick it was designed to do. "Seen Jane the other day. Actually she suggested I should see you, so she gave me your number. Hope that was okay. You know how she is." The last sentence sounded fake. It just did. Chloe knew as well as Julia that they barely known each other. Neither did Jane and Chloe know each other very well. Actually for girls going to the same school and being at the same age and sitting in same courses, it was remarkable how little they knew each other, even before the tragic events that send Chloe into isolation. They had just been different breeds of teenage girls. Chloe had been with the cool kids, surfing and skating ... and Julia and Jane were more of the educated ones, aiming for higher goals.

Chloe turned to her backpack. "I won't waste your time." She took out something wrapped in linen cloth and put it on the table, carefully unraveling a book in a brown leather binding. It looked old, very old actually. No label or name was on it, but the quality of the binding was obvious. It had the size of a mid-sized notebook.

"What do you think?" Chloe asked as if Julia was supposed to know something about the book.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @JediMasterAnne



Jane Masters flat, Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

There was no answer. Somehow this was not surprising, because there was silence in the flat. Not only was nobody heard, but actually nothing could be heard. No shower, no TV, no steps and no air conditioner. No fridge humming. Nothing. There was absolute silence and the smell.

As Miles knocked the door opened slightly and he saw the small floor connecting the few rooms of Jane Masters little apartment. There was a small pool of water on the ground slowly spreading. It seemed to come from the room straight ahead. Probably the kitchen. But also from the kitchen he could hear no sound.

Tag: @Reynar_Tedros

 

IC: Julia Wilson
The Ocean View Café, Harbour

"A million thanks for coming. I know it is probably a bit of an annoyance, so highly appreciated.”

“It’s not really a problem,” Julia assured her.

"We haven't seen each other since...” There was a tense pause, both women thinking the words that weren’t being said. “…forever.”

Chloe’s smile became forced after this, like a mask, though why she felt the need to fake it, Julia couldn’t say. "Seen Jane the other day. Actually she suggested I should see you, so she gave me your number. Hope that was okay. You know how she is."

The last part was a bit of an odd thing for Chloe to say, as if to imply that she knew Jane just as well as Julia did, when they both knew perfectly well that such was not the case. Chloe hadn’t seen or talked to Jane in years, no more than she had Julia. She didn’t need to pretend to be friends with them simply to justify Jane giving her a phone number. So Jane had given Chloe Julia’s number; that was fine, though she did wonder why? What had Chloe gone to Jane about in the first place?

As if reading Julia’s mind, Chloe extracted a small parcel from her backpack, which turned out to be a very old, leather-bound book, carefully wrapped in linen. There was no title, the leather cover had no stamping or decoration, but despite its apparent age, at cursory glance the book appeared to still be in decent condition.

"What do you think?" Chloe asked.

In truth, Julia found this all a little odd and a little anti-climactic. Chloe obviously thought the book should mean something to her, but Julia didn’t know what that was.

“What is it?”

TAG: @SirakRomar

 

James Power
The First Candlewood Yacht Club

The Mayor entered the party with his wife at his arm, eye's wide at the extravagance before them. James Power was not a rich man by any means; frugal yes. He was responsible enough with his money to be able to make a decent life for his family even as a significant portion of his pay check went to pay for his parents assisted living.
But even before he became Mayor, he was a simple part time teacher. Working hard to earn that extra buck to keep his kid fed, and his wife happy.

He really hadn't thought that becoming the leader of a small town might be a ticket to mingle among the elite; and he didn't particularly like the picture that might pose to his constituent's. 'Oh old out of touch mayor Power mingling with the top classes, he must just be another one of their puppets.'

The very thought sent a shiver down his spine. He had carefully crafted his imagine as an independent politician. He made it clear, to everyone, while he would accept donations if their intent was to support policies he backed. He wouldn't only do what he felt best for the town, and would not change his views to give special privileges to those who donated to him. He had already given several very public 'no's' on idea's he thought were bad for the community. He assumed it was for that reason Charles Croft hadn't been actively trying to influence his administration to date.

Despite this distaste, he and Grace had discussed this very thing last night before bed. When the richest man in town invites you to a party, you don't say no. He would show up, but wouldn't make promises to anyone.

As it happened the first face they recognized upon arriving was Samuel Lawrence. His old competition for mayor. With his beige suit and hat he looked like someone right out of a century old black and white film. Even so, James offered a smirk at the old fellow. Small town politics didn't leave room for permanent rivalry.

A moment later he noticed Mr. Croft sitting across from his predecessor. "James." he too recognized them it seems. Grace. You look beautiful as always."
He stood to offer her a symbolic kiss on the hand, and offered a strong handshake to James as well. "We're happy to be here Charles." he offered a cordial reply in turn that betrayed none of his apprehension

Samuel greeted them in a mirror of Mr. Croft, as they moved to take a seat they began discussing generalities. "Sam, good to see you. How is retirement?" Grace was naturally the first of them to reach out. "Wonderful. You should see the fish I catched this year. Wonderful." "I'm certain it was. Sounds like you settled down nicely in the last year." James offered in return. He resisted the urge to get strait to the point. As tedious as he found small talk, it would be rude to push the discussion to the purpose of their invite so early.

Tags: @SirakRomar

 

IC: Miles Rayburn
Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

Huh.

It was eerie, the silence that came from inside Jane's apartment. If no one was inside, then whoever was the last to leave must have done so in a hurry, leaving the door open as it was. But Miles was a postman, not a detective, so he set the package, which said 'Carrier - Leave If No Response' on the label, down in front of the doorway. As he did so, he noticed a pool of water forming on the hardwood floor inside, slowly seeping outward, as if something was overflowing just out of sight.

"The f-" he mouthed to himself, eyebrows narrowed. Suddenly he felt a vibration on his arm and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Jesus Christ." He turned over his left wrist where his Fitbit was congratulating him with a pixelated fireworks display for reaching 10,000 steps for the day. He lifted his chin to the sky and sighed, laughed nervously to himself and adjusted his cap. After his heartrate calmed down to a manageable pulse he gave one last look into the seemingly deserted apartment and turned back the way he'd come and headed towards the complex's office, which wasn't too far from Jane's flat. He'd already delivered their mail so he assumed they'd be surprised to see him walk through the front door again.

"Hey again," he said to the receptionist as he entered and closed the glass door behind him, open blinds bouncing off the pane. "I just wanted to let you know that, uh, the door to Jane Masters' apartment was wide open when I dropped off a package for her. I rang the doorbell and tried knocking but it didn't seem like anyone was there. And there was a really strong smell coming from inside, like maybe some kind of cleaning product? Just seemed weird so I figured I'd run it by you guys, see if you knew anything about it."

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

John Carver
Ocean View Café, Candlewood

This seemed indeed to be more a case of a concerned friend than a jealous admirer. John sighed at the man who had intruded his morning ritual unasked.

"Well, I am sorry. Our ... relationship ... if you even wanna call it that ... was not that intense. But she wrote me yesterday night and seemed just alright. Maybe she is jogging? Or just missed her shift and reads a good book with her mobile turned off?" He was sure the man had considered these scenarios. He seemed to overreact a little, if he indeed told the complete truth. Nevertheless John remembered Jane and her behavior.

Stop chasing ideas!

"But if you honestly think there is reason for concern, you should ask the Sheriff over there for help, not me."

This wasn't really something he could or wanted to help with. The whole thing with Jane got a bitter taste by seemingly everybody knowing about it. Especially when "everyone" were complete strangers. Maybe he had spoiled Candlewood and it was time to move on.

"If you don't mind, I would like to read my book."

Tag: @SirakRomar, @HanSolo29

 

Ocean View Cafe, Harbour

"Sure, if you wanna go to the harbor you should do so, Sir." She barely called him Sir. Obviously she thought she had handled the situation well and felt a little insulted by him taking care of it. A rookie who did not understand sometimes the Sheriff just had to show up and show presence. Anna eyed the Sheriff and then there was something she remembered. "A certain Jane Masters tried to call you at two at night hoping you had nightshift. She said she would drop by the office around eleven. Did not say what it was about." She added to her report. "That's the cutie all the guys are so mad about, right?"


Chloe looked at the book and then seemed to decide against saying what she originally planned on saying.

"I found this. Seems to be very old. Dated 1869. Almost 150 years. Well, nobody knows more about books in this town than your family so I wondered if you could ask your Dad to have a look and tell me if this is worth something." The book lay between the woman. "Maybe he knows where to sell something like this." That made it clear why Jane had send her Julia's way after Chloe had asked the library for advise. They knew a thing or two about books, but nothing about selling them. "We could make fifty fifty if it is worth something."


Edward looked at John for a moment and then waived the thought of going to the Sheriff away. "No, you are probably right. I am a bit over-cautious. She was just a little strange lately, that's all. Forget about it and thanks for talking to me. And sorry for disturbing you." Edward stood up and passed him on his way out. Then he stopped. "She asked me to drive her home. The day before yesterday. She never did this, you know?" He said to himself more than John and left without a single word.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @JediMasterAnne, @HanSolo29


The First Candlewood Yacht Club

"Well, I know you are busy James, so I will come straight to the point." Croft sighed and straightened himself in his seat. Then a waitress appeared and Croft laughed. "Well, no business before coffee though." He looked at the waitress and winked. "Doppio." He said and the young woman nodded and smiled. "Sure Sir."

"What do you take?" He asked and the moment he had used to order the coffee had been the moment Samuel Lawrence had used to give James a long and intense look, seemingly warning him of Croft, before returning to his smiling self. "Careful." That was all that Grace whispered to him.

Croft waited for all orders to be done, before he turned to James and began to talk.

"Lately I had a nice long walk in the hills around the city. I am old, but I can still do a six hours hike that makes most younger man beg for mercy, you know? Well, I went up the south one. Brownback. Lovely. Guys like Sammy here make such a big thing about the sea, but our forest is the source of true beauty, if you ask me. Anyway, I stumbled over something up there. The old observatory. You know the observatory, right?" He was talking about the abandoned complex in the hills above Candlewood, which had once served as an observatory and now had been rotting away for more than two decades, after it became obsolete through bigger observatories opening up in the neighboring areas. "This thing has been rotting since Sammy here was king. I think it shut down when you were making coffee for old Mary, has it? Sammy here told me he tried to sell it when he was Major. Would have sorted out this mess of a finance plan he left you, hm?" Croft laughed. Sam Lawrence joined him out of pure courtesy. "It is in bad shape. Pretty bad. I think the only visitors nowadays are the youngsters who wanna drink and loose their virginity in save distance from parental guidance." Croft laughed again and then turned serious. "I wanna buy it." He simply said these words and looked at James. James probably had never given the complex a thought, but it was actually owned by the town, after the institute had ended it's leasing contract twenty years ago. The value in the books was close to zero, though. Next to James he felt his wife becoming tense though.

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321


Jane Masters flat, Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

The receptionist was John Palin, if Miles had cared he would have recalled his address. He was on his tour. John looked up and greeted with a nod. A slight overweight afro-American he was wearing a security uniform that was a little tight over his belly.

"Really?" He yawned. "Hadn't seen her go out." He said tired. Obviously the guy had nightshift and needed a bed. But he gave it a little thought. "Well, need to check. Got a minute?" He shrugged. "Alone until eleven and I prefer to have a witness when I enter a tenants flat, you know?"


A minute later they were up there and John entered the flat. "Miss Masters?" He asked out loud and stepped into the pool of water. He walked into the kitchen of the small flat and the water was coming from the fridge. Melting ice probably. John tried the light switch. "Power off?" He asked Miles. "Miss Masters!?" He asked again. Miles saw Jane's purse and mobile lying on a small glass table near the exit. It vibrated as another message arrived from "Eddy".

"Where the hell is she?" The receptionist asked Miles and looked around. He had the same bad feeling Miles had. "Maybe we should call the Sheriff?"

Tag: @Reynar_Tedros

 

IC: Miles Rayburn
Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

Miles had no intention of getting involved in whatever this was. Hell, he wasn't even sure why he decided to join John on his little investigation to Jane's apartment. He didn't follow the man into the place, but rather stood outside and watched, feet planted next to the package he'd just delivered a few minutes ago, shoulder leaning on the doorframe.

"Power off?" John inquired about the leaking water that was coming from the refrigerator, implying that something frozen inside had melted. That would've taken a long time to happen, though, and Miles had been by Jane's doorway a couple times in the last week and hadn't seen it open until today.

The strangest part of the scene was that a purse and a cell phone lay unattended atop a glass end table near the front door, belonging to Jane, Miles assumed. The phone vibrated and the screen lit up and Miles was close enough to see that a text had come in from someone listed in the phone as Eddy. He thought back to when he first started at the post office and the eye exam he was given during orientation. The lady giving it joked that he was cheating and said she'd never seen eyes so sharp. Such vision definitely helped when reading street signs from far away, and, as it so happened, text messages to a girl who may or may not be missing.

John seemed to exhaust all of his leads inside the apartment. "Maybe we should call the Sheriff?"

Miles shrugged. "Maybe." He looked down to check his watch and thought about the scanner in his mail truck that doubled as a tracking device for his supervisors back at the office. It'd been sitting in the same spot for a while now, and he hated giving them a reason to ask him about his route. "Look, I gotta get back to work, so... Do you need anything else from me?"

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

IC: Julia Wilson
The Ocean View Café, Harbour

"I found this. Seems to be very old. Dated 1869. Almost 150 years. Well, nobody knows more about books in this town than your family so I wondered if you could ask your Dad to have a look and tell me if this is worth something. Maybe he knows where to sell something like this. We could make fifty fifty if it is worth something."

That explained why Jane had sent Chloe to Julia, then. The library accepted donations of old books, but they wouldn't be interested in something that old, or know what to do with it, really. And while it wasn’t Julia’s area of expertise by a long shot, her father, Don Thatcher, did know a thing or two about rare, old books. But Julia still felt like something was a little off.

“I’m sure he’d take a look at it, at least,” she began. “But why didn’t you just take it to the shop? Dad's there today, I could have told you that over the phone.” Why had Chloe felt the need to meet Julia here in person when she could have just asked the question with a text and saved them both some time? Better yet, Chloe could have just called the store.

“Where did you find it?”

For that matter, beyond just being a very old book, she still didn't know what it was.

TAG: @SirakRomar

 

James Power
The First Candlewood Yacht Club

"What do you take?" Charles Croft was certainly offering his best hospitality for this occasion. Still, James couldn't help but notice the concerned expression on Sams face.
That made things quite clear, Croft wanted something. The Mayor gulped somewhat nervously as his wife whispered to him one word "Careful."
He took her hand in his own before turning towards the waitress. "Oh, I don't particularly care for the taste of coffee. Uh, perhaps just a water would do thanks."
He nodded to the young women, who looked to Grace. "I'll have my coffee black if you don't mind." she smiled, dismissing the waitress as they both turned to the matter at hand.

Mr. Croft began his story with what appeared to be a somewhat exaggerated statement about his personal fitness from what the Power's could tell. But eventually his intent became clear. "The old observatory. You know the observatory, right?"
"I haven't been to see it personally, but I am aware of its location yes." James states a matter-of-factly. His mind was already connecting the dots, but he was certain until the older man mentioned his discussions with Sam. At which point James sat back in his chair. Glancing subtly at his predecessor in hope of getting a read on how accurate this all was, he couldn't tell much.

But it was rendered mute a moment latter when Charles finally spat it out. "I wanna buy it."

The Mayor slouched somewhat with a smirk, as if to say 'was that all?'. That old thing hadn't been much use to the town for decades. He didn't want to pay for upkeep, neither had his old boss Mary Larson. The only reason it was still around was because she didn't want to spend the resources to knock it down either.
He honestly couldn't think of a good reason to say no, surely the Crofts would take better care of the property than the town had?

But before he could say anything, he registered his wife tense at his shoulder. Her words echoed in his ear again. "Careful."
This forced him to glance back at Sam, who appeared noncommittal to his previous display of concern. But that shred of doubt prevented James from outright agreeing to the proposal. "It is a generous offer Charles. Perhaps you can treat it better than the town has... but I would rather run this by the council first. Such unilateral action on my part is unbecoming of the democracy we are supposed to be."
He smiled, attempting to look sincere. In the mean time he would attempt to discuss this matter with Mr. Lawrence in private, to be sure there aren't any ulterior motives in Crofts
offer.

Tags: @SirakRomar

 

Jane Masters flat, Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

John looked at him and then at the water on the ground. "I don't know. Okay, probably she just wanted to defreeze her fridge and had no idea how to do it." Then he realized he had been asked by Miles a question and nodded. "No, thanks man. Have a great day." He smiled and stepped out of the flat taking out his mobile.

As Miles was on his way down the stairs he heard John above talk to the Sheriff's bureau. "Hey, this is John Palin from Kennedy 61b. Is the Sheriff or Ethan there?" He waited a moment. "Okay, can you send someone here? There is an empty flat here with some strange things ... suspicious? Yeah, kinda. Just don't wanna ignore it you know? Jane Masters. 6123. Yeah, I will be here."

Outside Miles almost ran into Rick Farlow, a young guy his age. He came back from his morning jogging. "Hey." He just greeted. They knew each other through Kyle who sometimes hang out with Rick. "Got anything for me?" He asked and smiled. Then he pointed at the package under Miles arm. Miles had taken with him Jane Masters package. Strange enough he did not remember picking it up again. He was probably pretty sure he hadn't.

Tag: @Reynar_Tedros



Ocean View Cafe, Harbour

Chloe was silent for a moment. "We sell the house. Dad's house. Found it in one of his boxes in the cellar." She told Julia and sighed. "And sorry for the fuss. I thought ... asking for a favor would be easier over a cup of coffee." She explained. "Also I don't really know your Dad, you know?" Chloe's facade was breaking. She felt she had done something wrong and insecurity crawled into her features. Even ten years later in moments like this it became obvious how much she struggled to manage her everyday life.

She opened the book and the pages were handwritten in a language that was certainly not English. A lot of signs were in it and before Julia could get a good look the other woman closed t again. "Please let your Daddy have a look and get back to me, will you?" For the wife of s policeman it was easy to spot Chloe did not tell everything. "But please be discreet. I would prefer if nobody knew about this book who isn't ... necessary." Chloe lost her fight with her urge to not look over to the Sheriff. "I could really need the money."




Anna looked at the Sheriff and gave the words a thought. "Possible. But not necessary the only answer. Ethan's wife is friends with Jane, so if it was something urgent, but not directly threatening and personal in nature ... she might have been shy to share it with him." She looked up to the Sheriff and smiled almost apologizing. "Just an idea." She smiled. "I would accept a bet on a stalker. Maybe a rather harmless but annoying one."

That was what Ethan meant, when he had reported after the original interview with Anna. The Sheriff had taken two promising guys and Ethan did a slightly underqualified young woman. Right afterwards he had come to the office grinning. "We have to work on her deputy skills, but she will be hell of a detective one day." He laughed. "A bit shy, a bit too cute, but she is smart. Considering what dumb old pretenders we are, I say let's take her." Collins had taken her and Ethan had proven himself to be an excellent judge of character. She struggled with being a force of order, but everything investigative she was a natural.

Anna took a call while the Sheriff was seeing Cole entered quickly and avoided eye contact with the Sheriff. "Tough night?" Alice asked him mockingly and pointed to an empty seat near the entrance.

Anne looked up. "Sitting with him right now. Sure. You are sure it is Jane Masters flat?" Her body tensed visibly. She stared at the Sheriff, she had probably said this as much to him as to Mara. "Moment." She addressed the Sheriff directly now. "The security guy from Jane Masters flat just called and there seems to be a problem." She needed no order from her Boss to know what came next, she wasn't that new to the job. She stood up and grabbed her jacket. "We check it out, thanks Mara."

Tag: @HanSolo29, @JediMasterAnne





The First Candlewood Yacht Club

"Absolutely." Croft smiled. "Actually Burns and Farlow are quite excited over the idea." That were the two blocks that would make it go through. Croft had obviously prepared well, to buy a worthless piece of junk.

"I believe the whole thing is a missed opportunity. Think what it could mean to the school if it opened up? Tourism? I have great contacts to a few universities, I might get some scientists back into town. I would pay for renovation myself and donate the whole thing to the school when done. Under the condition it carries my name, obviously. Maybe I set up a foundation that finances it. Something that would survive my limited time on this planet. A man my age needs to start thinking about his heritage to the world, you know?" Croft spread his arms. "I also know you could use the extra income in your books. I would be generous with the price. Consider it a donation to our wonderful community."

This sounded like a perfect deal.

Sam Lawrence smiled and nodded. "An excellent idea, if you ask me. I would probably even get involved myself." Something in his voice seemed artificial though. Like a second rate actor trying to convince his audience.

"But that would be refitting the observatory, right? Not tearing it down and build a number of houses with a great view, right?" Grace asked Croft directly.

"Of course. The observatory. Maybe a restaurant for tourists." Croft smiled, as if say 'smart girl'.

"That could go into the contract?" She asked.

"Absolutely." Croft replied.

Then the menu came. "You gotta try the octopus. It is delicious." Croft cheerfully advertised the specialty of the month.

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321

 

John Carver
Ocean View Café, Candlewood

Having someone suddenly drive her home could have many reasons, but he understood why the whole thing made the man tense. A change in habits. Then she had picked up a stranger and invited him to stay over night. The same night. John sat down his coffee and remembered what she had said. Something about ...

"I think I can use the company, you know? And if it makes you proud, you would be the first guy ever staying in my flat?"

"Just moved in?"

Jane had stroked back her blonde hair and had given him this dry smile of hers. "Two years."

Why had she picked him up? It seemed random that night, but together with the fact she now did not answer messages and had shown other unusual behavior it was a sign something had happened. It was not necessary something bad. Maybe she had decided to change her live or habit. Maybe she had left the town. No, she had asked him over the second night. Maybe there had been a hidden agenda why she had chosen him? He had told her what he used to do for a living.

John took out his phone and looked at his answer to her message this morning. She had not replied. She had not read it yet. Also she had missed work.

Had she tried to avoid being alone? If so, why? A stalker? Instinct? John shook the thought off and stowed it away for later use in the back of his head.

Maybe she went dark? Leaving your mobile and no messages were the first things an amateur came up with when going dark. Hell, he had not done anything different. No, it made little sense otherwise.

This was a peaceful town. He remembered what Jane and Julia had told him. He looked over to Julia, who was sitting with this unhealthy looking woman. Then he looked over to the Sheriff. He was there with a cute young deputy. They would handle any problem.

But if there was a problem, why had she not told him? Or the Sheriff? Because she wasn't sure.

The young woman had been the first human and sexual contact he had in months. He wondered if it was healthy to ignore her situation if there was one.

Also there was something else awakening inside of him. The hunting instinct. A riddle needed solving and he knew himself well enough to know his mind would not ignore a challenge. He would have to make it to do so. Emptying his coffee he ordered another one. Then he turned back to his book and tried to occupy his thoughts with the tale of a serial killer hunted by the very first profiler. It was a well written bock with a lot of research going into it, he could tell. He was not sure if this was his genre though. Too close to reality to not feel bugged by how far away from reality it actually was.

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

IC: Julia Wilson
The Ocean View Café, Harbour

At the news that Chloe was selling her father’s old house, Julia couldn’t help but wonder who would ever buy it. Even if Chloe managed to find a buyer who didn’t know about the murder-suicide, once they lived in the area for a while, sooner or later they’d find out. It took a very particular kind of person to knowingly live in a house with that kind of past. But Julia wasn’t going to say that out loud.

Chloe was clearly getting uncomfortable as it was, and as she continued, Julia quickly began to see why. She didn’t get a good look at the inside of the book—she only glimpsed the handwriting in a foreign language (maybe a journal of some kind?)—before Chloe closed it again, like she didn’t want Julia looking too close. Then, “I would prefer if nobody knew about this book who isn't ... necessary."

Red flags instantly went up, and just to add to the bad vibes that Julia was currently getting off of Chloe, the other woman glanced directly over at Jack, who was still in discussion with the other officer.

"I could really need the money."

Chloe might need the money, and though Julia did feel for the other woman, this felt very shifty. Chloe was clearly not giving her the whole story, and Julia was starting to think that she might be better off not getting involved, no matter how desperate Chloe was. Certainly she wasn’t involving her dad, not until she knew what they were really dealing with.

“Chloe,” she started, her voice low—even though it was plenty noisy in here, she still didn’t want to risk being overheard. “I can tell there’s something you aren’t telling me. Before I agree to have Dad look at this, I need you to be honest with me.” She wasn’t trying to be mean to the other woman, or put her on the spot; actually, if her hunch was correct, she might be trying to save her from much bigger problems than what she already had.

“This book isn’t even possibly connected to…what happened that night, is it?” Logically, she couldn’t see how it could be, but the way Chloe was acting…

TAG: @SirakRomar

 

James Power
The First Candlewood Yacht Club

"Absolutely." Mr. Croft responded casually. "Actually Burns and Farlow are quite excited over the idea." James held in a laugh. Of course Charles Croft would have thought ahead. "That does sound like them." he conceded with a smirk. The older fellow went on declaring how he saw it as a service to the community, an increase in revenue towards this greater cause. A boost to town funds would be good in the long run. James just wanted to be sure any potential backlash wasn't directed at him. The best way to achieve that was to go through the council.
There were practical reasons to sell the land, but he also knew certain people wouldn't see it that way.

Grace was clearly aware of that fact as well, and was naturally more willing to voice her concerns than him. "But that would be refitting the observatory, right? Not tearing it down and build a number of houses with a great view, right?"
The Mayor raised his eyebrow at Croft, as a way to show the answer was important to him as well.
"Of course. The observatory. Maybe a restaurant for tourists."
"That could go into the contract?" she pressed, and he understood why. Any loophole would be exploited. While he held no particular attachment to the land itself, he wanted to be certain this deal was primarily to the benefit of the town, not just the Croft bank account.

"Absolutely." the man didn't hesitate with his response. James wondered what to make of that fact. Though before he could respond, Croft changed the subject, as the menu arrived. "You gotta try the octopus. It is delicious."

A pause in the conversation followed, before Grace spoke up again. "I think I will then." she reluctantly gave a smile. Clearly trying to be civil, even as she remained skeptical of the planned purchase. "I will take the Salmon please." James nodded.

After the orders were complete he pushed back to the topic at hand. "I'll consider your offer, and bring this up at the councils next weekly meeting. If it doesn't face any serious opposition, as you have indicated, I don't see a reason it won't go through."
He gave a reassuring look to his wife. He hoped nothing unfortunate would be uncovered, but he would be ready as well.

Tags: @SirakRomar

 

IC: Miles Rayburn
Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

As Miles was heading back to his mail truck he heard a familiar sound come from the phone in his front right pocket that signaled he'd received a text message. He looked down and took the phone out of his pocket with his right hand and saw that the message was from his mother.

Hey sweetie!! How is your day going? Miss you!! =)

Miles hadn't been to Seattle to visit his folks in a few weeks, and his mom was definitely the most attached member of his family (she also had a tendency to text him as if he was still in middle school away at summer camp). He was about to reply when he looked up and almost ran into Rick Farlow, who'd obviously been exercising.

"Hey," Rick greeted him.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Miles put his phone back in his pocket. He'd reply later.

"Got anything for me?" Rick pointed at the package underneath Miles's left arm and smiled.

"Oh, uh..." Miles turned his head and looked down at his arm and sure enough a familiar package was there, nestled between his arm and his torso. He let it fall into his hand and looked at it, eyebrows narrowed. What the hell? It was the package that belonged to Jane Masters, the exact same one he'd left by her doorstep not two minutes ago. He turned around and looked back up the stairs where John was on the phone with the Sheriff's office and then back at the package in his hand, read and re-read the name and the address. It was the same. "No, uh..." he looked back up at Rick with a confused expression on his face, and back down at the parcel. "No, this is for, uh... it's for someone else. I've already delivered everything else, so if you have something it'll be in your box." He swore that he left the package by Jane's doorstep, but there it was, right there in his hand, staring back at him like some celestial tether that didn't belong. He felt strangely mesmerized by the thing, and felt no compulsion to return it to the mysterious second story apartment. After all, it'd be irresponsible of him to leave it in such a precarious place, wouldn't it? Sure, he'd just re-scan it and take it back to the post office and keep it there until Jane came and picked it up herself. Yeah. That made sense. He looked back up at Rick. "Well, have a good one." And he headed back to his truck, the parcel still gripped firmly in his hand.

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

Jane Masters flat, Kennedy Street 61b, Southern District

On the way Anna got from Mara what she had. "Flat is empty, nobody saw her leave. Door was open. Miles Rayburn the mailman informed the reception and they called us." Anna shrugged. Except the open door there were a number of explanations for this.

They arrived at the flat only a minute later and John Palin smiled at them as they parked. "Sheriff, sorry to call. Might be nothing, but Ms Masters is missing. Door is open. Power is out. Her purse and mobile are in the flat and I checked, she hasn't left the house. Not through the front door. Backdoor rings an alarm, also nothing. She has kinda ... vanished." He shrugged. "Thought I'd call you."

Anna went to the back of their car to get their fieldkit to take it up with them. They had no CSI in Candlewood, so they usually did minor forensics themselves.

Tag: @HanSolo29


Streets of Candlewood, Southern District

The rest of the tour was easy. Kyle seemed to have an equally calm day on the northern route. COFFEE? He wrote, obviously having the same amount of free time Miles had.

But there was an uneasiness in the car. Miles felt ... watched. By the package of the absent Jane Masters he felt watched. If he looked at it, it was only a package though. In the radio the local DJ was making jokes about the fishermen having seen a sea serpent or something and then played Irma Thomas. He greeted Jane with it, which was a strange coincidence. Maybe it was the Jane.

Tag: @Reynar_Tedros



Ocean View Cafe, Harbour

Chloe looked at Juli and then the other woman became bitter. "The book was in a box in our cellar buried under other boxes and it has been there for ten years, probably longer. But it was there when my Dad got - for no apparent reasons - the two-barreled shotgun from the sleeping room, went down to the kitchen were my mum was eating breakfast, put it to the back of her head and blew her head of. It was also in this box in this house when he turned the rifle, put it into his mouth and somehow managed to pull the trigger to blow his own head of. Yes." Chloe exhaled, as if a burden was falling off her. "Is it spooky? Oh man it makes you nervous, imagine how I feel about it. But truth is, we don't know why Dad did it and we probably never will. All investigations are closed, all questions answered except the incomprehensible: Why!" Chloe looked at the table in the diner. "But this is a book owned by a murderer, who happened to be my Dad. I understand it is making you nervous. I have no right to ask you for a favor. If you prefer it, I can drive to Hansonville and talk to those guys. I would take no offense." Chloe smiled a bit disappointed. In Candlewood she could not breathe, turn or say anything without her dead murderous Dad haunting her. Ghosts? Who needed Ghosts? The Dead had their ways to hang around.

"If the slightest idea it might connect in any way with what he did comes up, I will hand it over to the Sheriff personally. Promised." Chloe tried still to find help. Her voice was tough and clear, but her eyes were desperate.


John did probably see this intense conversation, but his book did a good job occupying his thoughts. Then his phone rang. The number was not in the mobile, as he had got a new one recently. But he knew it of course. Seattle Office? Yes, it was Seattle office.

Albert Barlow was at Seattle Office. Albert was an old friend of his and especially of Curtis. He had been a friend of Curtis.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @JediMasterAnne





The First Candlewood Yacht Club

They ate and indeed everything was delicious. Over dinner they did smalltalk. Grace asked about the factory and the recent renovation and Sam asked about how the Council was nowadays and got a superficial answer. Then they discussed the plans of the Coastguard to open up an office at Candlewood and the need to get better lightning for the southern district, the major infrastructure project for the year. The company doing it for the city had got the contract against one of Croft's companies, but he seemed to be not even aware of it. Finally Croft saw Anthony Burton enter, the director of Candlewoods only bank and maybe the greatest rival for political influence to Croft. He excused himself to greet him.

Sam waited until he was away and out of the hearing range, made sure nobody else listened and then finally spoke. "This is a very good deal. But a bit too good and a bit too urgent for my taste. He asked me to talk to Maria Burns. He summoned us here and now he offers money. One wonders why someone is so eager to acquire what are basically a bunch of ruins with a great view." Sam took a sip of the coffee and smiled.

"What do you think? He wants to do something else with it?" Grace asked. Sam shook his head.

"Makes no sense. He could wait for election year. He can make reelection really hard, you know? I know. I said no to him once and found myself in retirement."

Grace nodded. The former mayor was right of course. Political influence in Candlewood was easier when elections were coming.

"Someone should go up there and have a look." Sam said and raised his brows. "We were not exactly friends, James. But if you want me to help out on this one, I could do a walk today. Day is still early."

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321

 

IC: Julia Wilson
The Ocean View Cafe, Harbour

She had expected that Chloe might get defensive, but she had not anticipated that she would be so...graphic. Like most of the people in Candlewood, Julia knew the basic details of what had transpired that day, but the way Chloe said it was very unsettling. But she got the feeling that the other woman wasn't actually lashing out at her, as much as venting old frustrations over unanswered questions.

At least it seemed that the book's only stigma was that it had previously belonged to a murderer, and Chloe had given her word to turn the book in to the police if any forensic connection was uncovered.

"I'll have Dad take a look at it, if there really is no criminal connection," Julia told the other woman. "Save you the trouble of going out to Hansonville." Though personally, Julia thought Chloe looked as if she could do with some time away from Candlewood.

"I still don't understand why it needs to be so hush-hush, but I'll ask Dad to keep it quiet. Necessary contacts only. But--"Julia's voice turned stern, fixing Chloe with a "do-not-screw-with-me" look that she'd picked up from Ethan "--if this does turn out to have ties to any crime, I will give it to the sheriff and I will tell him where it came from. I am not putting myself, my dad, or my husband on the line for you. Clear?"

TAG: @SirakRomar