Gwen's Cold Blood Murders

The Legacy of Elias Blackwood

Carter left the library with more questions than answers. The mention of Elias Blackwood stirred something dark and ancient in the town's history, something that had been buried for decades. He could feel the weight of Mrs. Whitaker's words lingering in the air like a heavy fog. "The game." The idea that a person could see life itself as a twisted sport, where death was a pawn and the rules were blurred with cruelty, made Carter sick to his stomach.

But what did it mean that this game was beginning again? Had someone inherited Blackwood's legacy, or was the man himself somehow involved, even after all these years? The detective had to find out.

The first thing Carter did when he returned to the station was to pull out every old file, every record, and every scrap of information he could find on Elias Blackwood. His disappearance had been a mystery in Oak Ridge—a case that had been buried beneath layers of time, dismissed as the ramblings of a madman. But Carter wasn't in the business of ignoring leads, no matter how old or strange they seemed.

He was digging through the archives when Sheriff Meadows walked in, a solemn look on his face. "Detective," he said, his voice quiet, "I just got a call from the hospital. Another child's gone missing."

Carter's stomach dropped. His mind raced. The pattern was forming, clear and undeniable. Another child—another victim. He had to move fast, or there might be more deaths to come.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Carter asked, already heading for the door.

"A boy. Same age as Max. 13 years old. His name's Cody Turner. He disappeared from his house earlier tonight. Family's in a panic, but there's no sign of struggle. No ransom note."

It wasn't just a coincidence. This was happening again.