Bound By Sin

One Week Later.

Genevieve sat at the dining table, her fingers tracing circles on the worn wooden surface. Across from her, Nicholas was leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and eyes distant. Her parents stood by the window, their unease evident as they watched Detective Blackwood and Detective Caldwell approach the house. The detectives had been calling them in for questioning almost every day for the past two weeks, and now they were here again, this time in person.

Genevieve's mother opened the door, letting the detectives in. Blackwood's usual grim demeanor filled the room before he even spoke. Caldwell, slightly less severe but equally sharp, followed behind him, glancing around the space as though she was assessing every corner.

"Thank you for seeing us again," Blackwood began, his gravelly voice filling the silence. "We wanted to give you an update on the situation."

Genevieve exchanged a glance with Nicholas. An update. It was always the same thing. Stay inside, answer their questions, and wait for the next piece of terrible news. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being kept in the dark, that something crucial was being withheld from them.

Her father, arms folded, stood by the doorway. "What's happening? We've been locked in here for a week. Is it safe for them to go outside yet?"

Detective Caldwell stepped forward, her gaze steady. "We're here to tell you that it's safe for your children to leave the house. The lockdown is being lifted."

Genevieve blinked in surprise. "Wait, seriously? We can finally go outside again?" There was a mixture of disbelief and cautious relief in her voice.

Nicholas frowned, his brow furrowing. "But... what changed? Are you sure it's actually safe?"

"We believe the immediate danger has lessened," Blackwood said, his tone measured. "There's been only one murder since we advised everyone to stay indoors."

"Everyone?" Genevieve's mother asked, her brow creased with concern. "You mean the whole town was locked inside too?"

Detective Caldwell nodded smoothly, not missing a beat. "Yes, ma'am. We implemented a town-wide lockdown. It wasn't just your children. It was for everyone's safety."

Nicholas and Genevieve exchanged a look, something about that not sitting quite right. But they didn't say anything yet.

Her father, ever skeptical, leaned against the wall, arms still folded. "And you're sure it's okay now? Why let them out when the murders haven't stopped completely?"

Blackwood's jaw tightened. "We're still investigating, and we've increased patrols. We believe the threat is no longer as immediate. You'll want to be cautious, of course—don't let them go out alone at night, stick to public areas—but we're confident it's safe for them to return to normal life."

Genevieve stared at them, her mind racing. "One murder since we've been locked in? But people were dying left and right before... how did that change so quickly?"

Caldwell gave her a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "We believe the lockdown measures disrupted the killer's pattern. It bought us time, and we've made progress on the case. But we can't keep the entire town locked down forever, and we don't believe the same level of danger exists right now."

Genevieve felt a knot of unease settle in her stomach. Something about this felt wrong, like the pieces weren't adding up. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped when her mother gave her a pointed look. Not now, that look said.

Nicholas, quiet for most of the conversation, finally spoke. "And what about after this? If you haven't caught whoever's doing it, what's stopping them from starting again?"