One Shots! || Claretta || thebestmiraculer ||

Raven's Hollow

I love murders.

so. much.

...

Eleanor Harper stood in the dimly lit living room of the latest victim, James Simmons, questioning his grieving wife about his last movements.

Eleanor: "Mrs. Simmons, I need to understand where James was before his death. Can you walk me through his day?"

Mrs. Simmons, tears welling up: "He went to the hardware store after breakfast and then to the post office. He went with little Johnny for a walk in the park... A-and after that, he said he was meeting a friend at Whispering Pines for lunch."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Simmons."

"I don't... I don't understand why-why anyone would hurt him... he- he was *cries uncontrollably*"

Eleanor left, perplexed. She felt helpless.

In her pursuit of answers, Eleanor questioned friends, relatives, and acquaintances. As she interviewed John, the best friend of Alex, victim number two, she sought any clues about unusual encounters.

Eleanor: "Did Alex mention anything strange before he died, John? Anything out of the ordinary?"

John, with a furrowed brow: "No, Detective. We just had a normal conversation. He didn't seem different."

Frustrated with the lack of leads, Eleanor found herself immersed in autopsy reports, muttering to herself in the sterile atmosphere of the examination room.Eleanor, reviewing the reports: "No clear cause of death. It's like an invisible killer, leaving nothing behind."

As Eleanor Harper exited the fourth victim's house for the fourth time this week, her head hurt more than it ever did.

 Her phone buzzed, breaking the ominous silence. It was a message from her colleague, Officer Daniels.

Officer Daniels: "Detective Harper, HQ needs you for reports. They're expecting you by 2pm tomorrow. There's a train for Manhattan at 6 pm."

Eleanor's gaze fixed on the message. The urgency in those words fueled her determination. She knew that the unravelling secrets of Raven's Hollow awaited her, and time was ticking away. 

She packed up her things, questions racing through her restless mind.
Why? How?

Who?

Needing a break from the grim crime scenes, Eleanor sought solace at Whispering Pines- the supposed best cafe in the village.

"Good afternoon Missy. How may we bless you with flavours today?" the young waiter, his tag read 'Adrian', asked. 

"What's best?"

"Well, for starters, is our special soup with carrots and parsnips and a lot of spices. Then we have Gnocchi, Butter chicken..."

And so the list went on.

Eleanor: "Let's start with the soup then, i guess"

The waiter smiled and nodded. He turned and began to walk away to the kitchen.

Eleanor glanced at the clock. 3:58. she didn't have much time. 

Eleanor called to the waiter "Excuse me!"

He turned and walked towards her, "Yes Miss?"

"Please cancel the soup, just give me something else. Uhh, some Gnocchi? "

The waiter looked at her for a while before nodding and heading back.

By night, she was back home. In the bustling streets, her mind lingered on the mysteries of Raven's Hollow until she overheard her neighbour.