Cases Uncovered

30 | Golden Hour

"Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons, with the greatest for the last."

- Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow

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Chapter 30:
Golden Hour

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ZANE

Four hours had passed since the last message. After Raine uploaded a chapter of her novel to her website, we had the chance to finish our homework for a major subject.

We were just halfway through when continuous knockings on the door caught our attention.

"I'll get it," I said, grabbing the doorknob. When I opened the door, Auntie was standing there with a small red envelope in her hand.

"Raine, someone left this for you outside. They asked me to give it to you," she said.

My colleague, her pen clicking continously and her foot tapping involuntarily as she mulled over her assignment, reached out and grabbed the note.

"You didn't read it, did you?" she asked as she took the card from my aunt.

"Read it? Don't worry, I didn't open it," Auntie replied. "The postman of those three men living in 220B gave it to me."

"Alright, thanks," Raine said, closing the door.

When she opened the envelope, there was a photo of the man on the motorcycle from earlier. He was sitting on a bench, seemingly unconscious. We hadn't even had a chance to examine it when Raine's phone rang again.

"Well done, De... De Verra," a new voice said on Raine's phone.

"Is it the same number as earlier?" I whispered, and she nodded.

"The first one is free... free now," the voice stammered. It sounded like a woman, probably the one Auntie said gave her the letter. "It's up to you what you want to do with him."

"What is this? Why are you doing this?" Raine asked.

"I told you, the game has started again," the voice replied.

"You know, I like Serafina. She's beautiful and... easy to trust," the voice added.

"You—" Anger and anxiety were about to burst out of me when Raine quickly shushed me.

"Don't let them hear you if you don't want your family to be involved," she whispered firmly. Her eyes reflected the seriousness about what was currently happening.

"You can... you can ask for help from your cousin or... or anyone else, just remember that it starts with us and... it ends with us," the woman on the phone continued.

"What are you doing to those innocent people?" she asked.

"Don't worry," the woman replied. "I-I won't hurt them as long as you don't break the rules."

"You have no heart!" Raine's clenched fist trembled slightly, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears that revealed her struggle to control her anger.

"Four hours, and you found the first clue," the woman added. "Now, I'll give you twelve hours for... the next ones."

Beep.

"We heard the call!" George opened the door with others from his group.

"What are you all doing here?" I asked.