BIPOLAR

Chapter Three: The Possibilities.

    "My notebook?", Sarah asked, "Come to think of it I haven't seen it in a while."

     Detective Blaine looked to the sky in thought. "When you find it give me a call because I'm sure what you wrote down on the day your husband died has been torn out. My deepest condolences Sarah."

    Sarah searched for her notebook when she arrived home but she could not find it. She thought of asking her children but the sight of despair covered their faces. She decided to buy another notebook and put it behind her in order to focus on her kids.

    The days following the funeral blurred together in a haze of grief. Sarah struggled to balance her own emotions while supporting her children.

   Jamin, Lisa, and Favour navigated their own paths of sorrow.

    Jamin, the eldest, became withdrawn. He stopped playing his favorite video games and spent most of his time alone in his room. And his behavior outside began look strange, he constantly bit his fingernails and always looked over his shoulder as though he was scared.

     Lisa, once a bubbly and energetic child, now seemed lost. She clung to Sarah, refusing to let her out of her sight.

    Favour, the youngest, struggled to understand. "Why did Daddy leave?"  she asked repeatedly.

    Sarah did her best to reassure them, but the questions lingered.

   One evening, as they sat down for dinner, Lisa spoke up.

    "Mom, do you think Dad's death was an accident?"

    Sarah hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "The police are still investigating."

    Lisa's eyes widened. "Do you think someone hurt Dad?"

    Sarah's heart ached. "We don't know yet, sweetie."

   Jamin looked up, his eyes filled with worry. "Will we be safe?"

    Sarah pulled them into a tight hug. "I'll always protect you."

    As bedtime approached, Sarah tucked them in, her emotions raw. She couldn't shake the feeling that her children's innocence had been shattered.

    Later, in her own bed, Sarah's thoughts turned to Juke's secrets. Had his mysterious behavior put their family in danger?

    The questions swirled, keeping her awake. As Sarah sat on the floor she saw something under her closet, it was a book. Sarah got up and went to check it out, she pulled a book upon further inspection it was actually her notebook. The one she had lost the day of her husband's murder.

    Sarah looked through the notebook to see if she could find anything the day Juke died and just as Detective Blaine had said the pages were torn out.

    Sarah began to wonder two things, who torn out the pages and who put it under her closet?

    The next morning Sarah decided to
go down to the police station to talk with Blaine. As she passed through the walk way she felt a sense of peace and determination that feeling she used to get when she was a detective. She was directed to his office where she found him sitting on his chair.

   "Sarah How have you been?", he asked with a gentle expression, " please take a seat."

   "I'm doing okay", Sarah said," I found the notebook here it is."

    "Oh that is good ," he said.

    Sarah nodded. "Yes, but someone ripped out the pages where I wrote about that day."

    Blaine's eyebrows rose. "The day Juke died?"

    Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Yes. Why would someone do that?"

   Blaine leaned forward. "That's what I'd like to know. Based on what we know Juke died because he drank bleach. When we searched the area we found a bottle of bleach floating through the river, I suspect that it is the murder weapon. Also the murderer must have known of your notebook, therefore, you must have seen something that day and you recorded it. That's why your notebook has missing pages. But why give it back to you?"

    Blaine's gaze locked onto hers. "Sarah, I think someone's trying to conceal evidence."

     A chill ran down Sarah's spine. "Evidence of what?"

    Blain looked to the ceiling in thought. "Two things. One they killed your husband and tried to create the perfect crime."

   "What's the second possibility?"

   Blaine turned his gaze to her and his expression turned cold. "Or they are trying to hide the fact that you were the one that killed your husband Juke. "