AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 4 | NEW FOOTPRINTS
EVELYN’S POV
“Agent Evelyn, the Mayor wants to see you. You’ll need to meet him in his office.” Sheriff Callum filled me in, and I nodded. Sheriff Callum led the way, and I followed closely. I slid into the passenger seat of his car, noting how expensive it looked, and he drove us straight to the Mayor’s office.
Upon reaching Mayor Alexei’s office, Sheriff Callum knocked on the door before opening it. The Mayor looked up from his desk, his gaze meeting mine with a mixture of curiosity and reservation.
“Mayor Alexei, this is Agent Evelyn. She will be leading the investigation into the recent murders,” Sheriff Callum introduced.
The Mayor stood and extended his hand. “Agent Evelyn, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said with an air of formality.
I shook his hand reluctantly, annoyance simmering beneath the surface. His polite demeaner clashed with the urgency of the situation, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that bureaucratic hurdles were slowing down the investigation.
“Likewise, Mayor,” I replied, my tone curt. There was a sense of unease in the room, a silent acknowledgment of the tensions between us.
As the Mayor returned to his seat, my eyes caught sight of a familiar coat hanging on a rack. The same coat had brushed against me earlier, causing my coffee to spill. Recognition sparked in my mind, and a surge of disbelief welled up.
“Mayor, I believe we’ve met before,” I stated, my gaze fixed on the coat. “Earlier today, in fact.”
His brow furrowed in confusion, but I continued, my annoyance now palpable. “You bumped into me at the coffee shop, spilling my coffee. Without so much as an apology.”
Sheriff Callum shifted uncomfortably, caught in the crossfire of our brewing tension. The Mayor’s expression remained composed, but I could sense a subtle shift in the atmosphere.
“You know, Mayor, I believe in starting fresh. How about we bury the hatchet, and you apologize for ruining my coffee earlier?” I suggested, my voice laced with a challenge. I wanted to see if he was capable of swallowing his pride, even for a moment.
His eyes narrowed, and a smirk played on his lips. “Apologize? For what? Accidents happen, Agent.”
I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to retort. Arrogant and unapologetic, my suspicions about him deepened. This man was hiding something, and I was determined to expose whatever it was.
“Mayor Alexei, I’m here to solve these murders. I need your full cooperation,” I stated firmly, my patiencewearing thin.
He chuckled, a condescending sound that only added to my irritation. “Agent, I have a town to run. I suggest you don’t overstep your boundaries.”
Overstep my boundaries? In my pursuit of justice? Unthinkable. I stared at him, determined to break through his composed exterior. Annoyance boiled within me, threatening to spill over. I needed to shake things up to break through his defences.
“I want the bodies exhumed for a more comprehensive autopsy. We need to uncover every detail. I believe the coroner must have missed a few things from the initial autopsy,” I insisted, leaning forward, my gaze never leaving his.
His response was swift—a flat-out refusal. “The families wouldn’t consent to it. It’s out of the question.”
Out of the question? Unacceptable. I couldn’t let him stonewall me, not when the answers I sought lay buried with the bodies. The families might be grieving, but justice demanded a thorough investigation.
“You’re stonewalling, Mayor. Denying the truth won’t make it disappear,” I retorted, my annoyance now vocal.
“And you’re being inconsiderate; you want those people to relive their trauma,” he shot back, his voice like a cold breeze.
Before the heated exchange could escalate further, Sheriff Callum stepped between us, a sturdy barrier against the rising tension. “Alright, that’s enough. We all want to solve this, but let’s keep our heads straight.”
I shot one last glare at the Mayor before taking a step back. This was just the beginning, and Mayor Alexei had just become my first suspect. The unravelling of Harmony Grove’s secrets had only just started, and I was determined to expose the truth, no matter how deeply it was buried.
“Can I visit the latest crime scene, or is that considered inconsiderate too?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm, and Sheriff Callum led me outside. He obviously didn’t appreciate my tone.
“That’s within my jurisdiction. We can go right away, and I know you are here to help, but we aren’t used to having strangers. Don’t worry, everyone will come around soon,” he reassured me, and I nodded.
The visit to the crime scene, a basketball court bathed in the cold glow of streetlights, was a stark contrast to the Mayor’s office. I walked alongside a few officers. Their initial doubt was beginning to thaw as they witnessed my commitment to the investigation.
The night air was crisp as we approached the court, a somber atmosphere hanging over the place where life had been brutally extinguished. I observed the surroundings—the discarded basketballs the echoes of laughter that now seemed like distant memories.
I crouched down to inspect the area where the victim was found. The police had combed the scene thoroughly, but my trained eyes caught something they had missed—a set of footprints, strangely wide and peculiar in shape.
