Resident Evil Dark Files: Raccoon's Shadow (with OG character)

Hidden in Plain Sight

Monday morning, June 22nd

The phone ringing jolted me from a dead sleep and sent me flying out of bed like a startled cat. I froze to the spot, ready to pounce at the slightest noise and still trying to blink the sleep out of my eyes when mom's tired voice sounded up from her room next door.

"Hello?" She paused. "Y-yes. Speaking—"

I perked up and tiptoed to my door to listen better when mom's panicked voice cracked.

"What?"

Someone shifted in the bed, and I could hear Dad whispering while half asleep. "What is it?"

The way he said those three words didn't sit well with me.

"Yes! Yes, I can...yes, I can come down..."

The cold hardwood soaked into the soles of my feet as I patted across the hall to mom and dad's bedroom. Light from their lamp trickled out from the ajar door, and through the crack, I could see mom hunched over the side table with the phone glued to her ear.

"Don't worry. I'll be there shortly," she said, putting the phone back on the receiver.

Every worst possible scenario raced through my head as I shoved the door open. "What happened? Is Joseph alright?"

Mom and dad's eyes tore off each other and onto me. Dad just stared, while mom looked like she was fighting back the tears. "That was the police station...they found a body."

My heart stopped.

"What?" Dad whispered.

"They think it might be Deanne Rusch."

All the air left my lungs in one awkward, "Huh?" Earning a glare from mom. "What? Joseph is ok?"

"Joseph is fine, but Margaret is a mess right now. They have her at the station, but she refuses to see the body for identification.

"So, why did they call us?" Dad asked, sitting in bed and turning on the lamp beside him. I had the same question on my tongue, too.

Mom shoved the covers off her and started sifting through her dresser. "Maggie's family isn't in Raccoon—only her mother, but she's in the nursing home and not all there. They called her sisters, but it would take them at least a day before they got here, and the police needed to I.D. the body as soon as they could. So, I guess she asked me to come down and help her."

The relief inside me didn't last long. Joseph was safe, thank God. But poor Mrs. Rusch. I remember Joseph babysitting Deanne and me when we were little. She was a few years younger than me; we were still good friends.

My chest tightened, and my eyes hurt. "Can I come with you?"

Mom froze with one leg in her pants and the other in the air. "Wha—I don't think you should—"

"Deanne and I were childhood friends...and Mrs. Rusch was always nice to me. I would feel awful for not being there for her now."

Mom's eyes flickered to dad; he shrugged his shoulders. "I gotta go in early today for work. It wouldn't be bad to have Adds with you. I'll stay back and call your work later and let them know of the situation."

I held my breath as mom stared at me from across the room. At last, she sighed and resumed getting changed. "Ok."

The hot coffee burned my lips and throat as I sat in the waiting area. It wasn't the best coffee, but it kept me awake nonetheless. My attention shifted to the reception area where Leah usually sat, although it was still too early before she came in. Someone else sat behind the glass. The old man eyeballed mom and me from the moment we walked in and hasn't let his guard down since. His beady eyes stared above the computer screen; the blue glow made him appear older as the harsh light caught every wrinkle and detail on his face.