Edge Of Innocence

CHAPTER 6 (The Unseen Witness)

Lucas paced the room, glancing now and then toward the garage where the workers were laying down the last stretch of concrete. He felt like his entire world was on hold, waiting for them to finish, but his mind was anything but still. He was nearly certain he'd seen his phone lying on the table last night, right where Lea had been sitting, her gaze cool and calculating. The memory gnawed at him.

Could Lea have taken it? The idea pulsed in his mind, sharp and unsettling. She was smart, manipulative-and if she had taken his phone, she could have placed it anywhere, maybe even in the forest, where its discovery would only draw suspicion back to him. It was a perfect setup. He could almost picture her, a faint smile curling on her lips as she slipped the phone into her bag and walked out.

The thought sent a jolt through him. He couldn't afford to sit here any longer. Every second felt dangerous, each one bringing him closer to whatever trap Lea might have set. But he couldn't just walk out on the workers-not yet. He forced himself to stay put, to wait for them to finish, but his patience was a thread stretched to breaking. Every noise from the garage hammered his nerves further, a maddening reminder that time was running out.

On the other hand, as Lea run back towards her hotel room,her mind raced with suspicion and determination. The sight of Lucas's garage undergoing hurried construction had solidified her belief that he was desperately trying to conceal something. Her footsteps quickened with each passing thought, as if the distance between Lucas's house and her hotel room was filled with mounting evidence against him. She moved through the quiet streets like a shadow, eyes narrowed, focused entirely on the plan forming in her mind. The pieces were finally coming together, and she needed to tell Mike immediately.

Moments later, Lea entered the hotel room and found Mike waiting. She barely paused to catch her breath, her words spilling out in urgency.

Lea: [Entering the room quickly] "Mike, you won't believe what I just saw at Lucas's house."

Mike: [Looks up, surprised by her urgency] "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Lea: "He's... he's covering up something in his garage. There's construction work going on-pouring concrete over the floor. It has to be... it has to be where he buried the body."

Mike: [His expression hardens, trying to take it all in] "Concrete? Are you sure that's what he's doing? Why would he start fixing up his garage out of the blue?"

Lea: [Nods with conviction] "Exactly. It doesn't make sense unless he's hiding something. And what else would he need to hide that urgently? He's trying to cover his tracks, Mike-I'm sure of it."

Mike: [Pauses, processing] "So you're saying he buried Marcus there, and now he's making sure no one can find it?"

Lea: "Yes. I think he's sealing it all away, just in case anyone starts asking questions. It's too coincidental. Why would he suddenly be pouring concrete on the garage floor right after Marcus disappeared?"

Mike: [Looks convinced, nodding] "Alright, if that's true, then we need to act fast. If we go to the police now, we can steer them toward Lucas-and maybe even get them to dig up that garage floor. That way, he's the one caught red-handed, not us."

Lea:[Takes a deep breath, relieved that Mike is on the same page] "Exactly. We finally have something to work with. And, Mike... there's one more thing. I left Lucas's phone in the forest. If it's found, we can twist the whole story around him. It'll look like he's trying to cover up everything."

Mike: [Smirks, nodding approvingly] "Now that's smart. With the phone out there, it'll lead suspicion right back to him. Good thinking, Lea. Looks like we're finally getting control of this."