The Dead: Silent

The Unexpected Twist

I arrived at the forest, the same spot where Mr. Smith's body was found. As I walked through the underbrush, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The trees seemed to loom over me, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching out to grab me.

I reached the spot where the body was found and began to examine the area more closely. As I looked around, I noticed something that didn't quite add up.

The first thing that struck me was the lack of blood. Mr. Smith's body had been brutalized, but there was surprisingly little blood at the scene. And then I noticed something even more unusual - the soil around the body was disturbed, but it looked like someone had tried to cover something up.

I pulled out my phone and called for forensics to come and take a closer look. As I waited, I began to pace back and forth, my mind racing with possibilities.

When the forensics team arrived, they confirmed my suspicions. The soil around the body had been deliberately disturbed, and there were signs of a second set of footprints in the area.

"This isn't the first murder scene," I said aloud, my voice firm.

"What do you mean?" one of the forensics techs asked.

"I mean that this isn't where Mr. Smith was killed," I said. "This is just a dumping ground."

The team looked at me in surprise.

"But what about all the evidence we found?" one of them asked.

"I think it was planted," I said. "Someone wanted us to think this was the crime scene."

The team began to scan the area again, searching for any other clues that might have been missed. And then, one of them let out a shout.

"Officer Johnson, you're not going to believe this!"

I rushed over to see what they had found.

It was a small piece of fabric caught in a nearby bush. It looked like it might have come from a jacket or a coat.

"This could be our killer's DNA," one of the techs said excitedly.

I felt a surge of adrenaline as I realized that we might finally have a lead on our killer.

But as I looked around at the forest, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing something. This wasn't just about Mr. Smith's murder - there was something bigger at play here.

And then it hit me - the " Meet me at the old oak at 8pm" note on the receipt. It wasn't just a random message - it was a clue to something much larger than we had initially thought.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Ava's number.

"Ava, we need to talk," I said firmly.

There was a pause before she answered.

"What do you want?" she asked warily.

"I know it's not just about Mr. Smith's murder," I said bluntly. "There's something bigger going on here, and I think you know what it is."

Ava's voice dropped to a whisper.

"What are you talking about?" she asked quietly.

And then everything went silent...