The Cabin, The Lake and Her Secrets

Chapter 2- The Black Swan

"How is he holding up?" Detective Hart asked a police officer, "Not good, he's just sitting there looking at her picture" he replied in a worried tone. Detective Hart sat on a chair as he watched them question Hope's father.

Something about this case is making me sick to my stomach, I just have a feeling it's about to get worse.

Officer 1: "What is your name sir?"

Mr Sterling: "Liam Sterling"

Officer 1: "What is your relation to the victim?"

Mr. Sterling: With tears welling up in his eyes, and a raspy voice, he stuttered. "She's... m.   my daughter"

Officer 1: "When was the last time you saw her?"

Detective Hart and other police men stands on the other side of the room

"Got anything from the crime scene?" Detective Hart questions the police officer. "Sigh, so far nothing" he responsed. Detective Hart continued to listen to the interrogation, but it became more painful to listen to as it went by.

Mr. Sterling: "It was just Hope and I, her mother passed away during childbirth. God knows I did my best being an only parent and Hope she really did make it easy for me. I even felt bad that I couldn't provide a lavish life for her, but she didn't care, she never complained about her life.... our life. She just got accepted to college too......... a doctor...... I called her Dr. Sterling you know (he smiles but it quickly fades into tears).

"Its getting late, let him go home and rest we'll continue to question him tomorrow," Detective Hart stated to his colleagues.

Two hours later

Detective Hart watched Mr. Sterling as he left the police station and went straight home, he stood at the front door not wanting to go inside. He then fell to the ground and started to cry.

I'm a father too, two girls, I would be losing my shit if this happened to me. I know seeing her like that, the blunt force trauma to the head, the way the killer disposed of her. I can only imagine what she went through before that. His stomach began to turn and the insides of his mouth went dry. She was the only person he was living for, and that spineless son of a bitch took that away from him.

He waited a little longer until Mr. Sterling finally went inside, and he assumed that he went to bed. He stayed for a while, watching the yard, making sure there wasn't any funny movements. Just as he was about to start the car a figure approached the corner of the alley; the streetlight went on and off and the figure got closer and closer. Detective Hart saw this and pulled back his car seat a little, just enough so that it would appear as if the car was empty. He watched as the figure stood at the gate of Mr. Sterling. Just as the person took a step closer a dog came running towards the gate barking nonstop. The person just stood there looking at the dog.

What kind of freak show is this? (his phone goes off and lights up the car) Shit, shit, fuck, fuck.

Detective Hart looked to his right and saw the phone ringing, it was his wife. This got the attention of the person, and they slowly made their way over to the car. The streetlight went off again, so it was extremely dark. Detective Hart didn't dare to move a muscle or that would expose him. The person was seconds away from the door when an elderly woman came out. "Bumi get inside you crazy dog" she shouted, the dog stood its ground and kept barking at the figure. "Who's out there?" she shouted, the figure slowly tilted its head looking at the old lady and looked back at the car and slowly walked away from the car. The streetlight came on for just five seconds and then went out and then came back on. By that time the figure was gone.

Did.... Did the killer just come back for Mr. Sterling?

How the fuck did he know their address?

Is it possible that the killer knows the Sterling family?

These were all the questions that started to flood Detective's Hart mind. He quickly but carefully left and went home.

"You finally decided to come home huh?" Mrs. Hart asked before Mr. Hart could even step through the door. "Don't worry Nick told me about today, you went out again to make sure the victim's family was ok" she questions, and he nods. "I'm sorry I didn't pick up your call Mida" he replied. "John, what happens one day when you do that and the killer decides to follow you home, hmm then what? How will you protect this family if you keep putting me and the kid's life in danger!" she shouts. He didn't dare to argue with her because deep down he knew it was true. "John are you....... You saw the killer, didn't you?" she asked. "Not the face, but I suspect the killer went by the victims house today, I wasn't spotted but I, I need to protect you guys so I'm sending you and the girls to my mother's" he replies. Mrs. Hart steps back in complete shook and mutters "Unfuckingbelievable" as she went upstairs. Mr. Hart stood there in the living room with a look of defeat all over his face. He knew that this case was going to be a rocky one, with a lot of secrets that he needed to set out into the light. 

9 AM the next morning

-Phone rings and goes straight to voicemail-

You have two new messages, first message:

Hart where are yah you old bastard? The team has been down at the station waiting for you for two whole hours! You better get your ass here in the next 15 minutes. BEEP

Second message:

Me and the kids left early this morning, didn't want to wake you up especially after you had been drinking all night. I ugh.... We really need to talk about somethings after this case, I can't keep going on like this, our.... Our marriage can't keep going on like this.... 'Mommy, mommy look grandma made cookies'... I have to go, stay safe. BEEP

-Sound of beer bottles shuffles as Detective Hart moves around on the sofa-

After getting ready, he packed the bottles and the remaining drinks he had and threw it out. He got in his car and pulled out of the driveway, as he looked in his rear-view mirror he saw the figure again. Fear washed over his face, he quickly jumped out of the car, pulled out his gun and pointed it at the figure, but it was gone. Detective Hart slowly walked to the back of the car, no one was there, but he did notice an envelope. He looked around carefully before picking it up. He pulled a note out and unfolded it. His eyes moved from left to right as he read the note, but his facial expressions couldn't hide the fear that was growing onto his face.

Isn't it sad when the hunted becomes the hunter John? You should know you started this 15 years ago. Hope was just a clue to this puzzle, you have many more pieces to find.