Red Roses dark Secrets

Chapter 3: Shadows of the Past

The fluorescent lights flickered overhead in the precinct as Detective Alex Miller sat at his desk, the dull hum of the air conditioning punctuating the tense atmosphere. The small office was filled with the scent of stale coffee and the sound of keyboards clattering as his colleagues worked through the growing pile of reports. Outside, the sound of distant sirens wailed, a reminder that the chaos in Maplewood was far from over.

Miller's gaze was fixed on the screen in front of him, where the diner footage replayed Sarah Jenkins' last moments. He felt like an intruder in her life, watching as she laughed with a stranger, completely unaware of the horror that awaited her. The image of the man in the black hoodie haunted him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was connected to the case in a way he had yet to understand.

"Did you find anything in his background check?" Miller asked, turning to Hayes, who was engrossed in her laptop, furiously typing.

"Not yet," she replied, her brow furrowed in concentration. "But I'm running a search through our database. If he's been in trouble before, we'll find it."

Miller nodded, leaning back in his chair, his mind racing. "I swear I've seen that guy before. If only I could remember where..."

The sound of Hayes's phone buzzing interrupted his thoughts. She glanced at the screen, her expression shifting from focus to alarm. "It's the chief," she said, answering quickly. "Yes, sir. We're on it. I'll keep you updated."

Miller couldn't help but overhear the conversation. He caught snippets of the chief's voice, rising in urgency as he spoke about the need for answers and swift action. The pressure was mounting, and Miller felt the weight of expectation pressing down on him.

When Hayes hung up, she turned to him, a mixture of determination and anxiety in her eyes. "We need to wrap this up quickly, Alex. The chief wants a progress report by the end of the day."

"Understood," Miller said, pushing aside his fatigue. "Let's prioritize finding that guy. We should reach out to the diner patrons who were there last night. Maybe someone remembers something important."

"Agreed," Hayes replied, grabbing her notepad. "I'll gather a list of names and start making calls. In the meantime, let's check in with the forensic team. They might have something from the scene that we missed."

The two detectives moved through the bustling precinct, their urgency palpable. As they stepped into the forensics lab, the air was heavy with the sterile scent of antiseptic and the quiet buzz of machines. Several technicians were busy analyzing evidence, surrounded by tables cluttered with tools and files.

"Detectives!" called out Dr. Lisa Greene, the lead forensic analyst, as she approached them. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy bun, and her glasses perched precariously on her nose. "I have some preliminary results from the crime scene."

"What did you find?" Miller asked, leaning forward, anticipation coursing through him.

"We recovered a few fibers from Sarah's clothing that we believe are from the killer's clothing," Dr. Greene explained, holding up a small evidence bag with a few strands of dark fabric. "We're running tests to confirm, but if this matches the hoodie from the footage, we might have a solid lead."

"Excellent work, Lisa," Hayes said, her excitement evident. "How long until you get results?"

"Could be a few hours, depending on the lab workload," Dr. Greene replied, glancing at her notes. "I'll keep you posted. Also, there was something else... a note was found at the scene."

"A note?" Miller echoed, his heart racing. "What did it say?"

Dr. Greene hesitated, her expression growing serious. "It was brief, just a few words. 'The rose is the key.'"