[Ambys 2022: Mystery/Thriller Winner]
Discovering a dead body just minutes from her cottage in the trees is the last thing Dray Dinley expects upon moving to the remote town of Hero.
Being convinced by the town outcast and suspected murderer, Wells...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
..
Dray scrunched her damp hair in the palm of her hand. It took forever to air dry.
Her morning included a run towards the lake, a definite walk back to her house, a shower, a hearty breakfast, and a whole lot of avoiding her desk. But now, as Dray sat down in front of her computer, she felt refreshed and ready to take on the confusing information.
The article still lit up the screen. She hadn't bothered shutting down her computer to eliminate searching again, but her planning proved futile. As soon as she tried to scroll down to the bottom, the screen froze. A few clicks to the refresh button and the page showed the site as no longer active. The article disappeared.
The intrigue of everything that happened in the last day reached far past the fear that stirred in the pit of Dray's stomach. It started to feel much more like a puzzle waiting to be solved and having always wanted to go to a murder mystery dinner party, Dray decided to follow the clues. After all, there would be no harm in just grazing the surface. She at least needed to prove if Weldon Walden was crazy. Then she would know if she had to steer clear of him or not.
After making her appearance somewhat presentable, and more like the adult she was, Dray walked south into town. She lived a couple blocks off the main road and within five or so minutes, just as the lake ended, downtown Hero appeared.
The peacefulness of most early afternoons in Hero spread throughout the neighborhood. The end of summer provided warm air and with the breeze off of the water, the temperature floated between warm and mild—in other words, perfect. Dray glanced around surprised to not see more people out enjoying it. Only a few walked their dogs or jogged along the sidewalk by the time she reached main street.
Downtown Hero began with a large white building facing east on the same side of main street as Dray's house. She slowed coming up to it. Chunky steps led up to square pillars showcasing the glass front doors. The architecture stood out with curved and worn statement pieces, though the beauty ended at the back of the building. A boxy addition devoid of any detail hid partially behind some trees. A bright blue sign stretched across the top of the roof. It was the police station.
In a split second decision, Dray made a sharp turn and hopped up the few steps. She pushed open the front door, glancing up as a small bell rung above her head. It reminded her of entering old antique shops growing up.
She refocused on the room and many eyes greeted her. She ran her hand through her hair and waved. "Oh, hi."
"Ah, yes," a man spoke. He stepped forward, his blonde hair blindingly familiar. "You just moved in down the road. Dray Dinley, correct?" He held out his hand. "I'm the sheriff here."
Dray lightly shook his hand and nodded. "Yeah, I thought I'd stop by and say hi, try to get to know the town and other stuff." Waltzing in with no time for a plan didn't do her any favors.
