The Unknown: Darkness Among Us #1

7 - Victims of Greed

"Another one finished", James announced as he got up from his seat. Pam watched him walk across the room, to place the new collection of papers on the side with the others.

"I'm still working on this one", she told him. "I thought this one was going to be easy. Now, I'm not so sure".

"What's wrong?", James questioned as he moved to stand alongside her.

"Nothing is wrong, I just keep getting lost as I'm reading, as the author seems to keep changing. So far, I am up to three different authors, and they all seem to be telling the same story".

"That is interesting", James replied.

"Yeah, I could use a break", Pam said as she set her work to the side. "What was Your's about?".

James sighed as he walked back around the table to sit in his chair. "It was about a missing person's case. A young girl went missing some years back, a reporter went down and began sniffing around".

"As they do".

"Yeah, well... there were a few old articles about the case it's based on".

"What happened?".

"The reporter began to dig too deep and her killers didn't like that".

"Killers? As in more than one", Pam questioned.

"Yes, that is what killers mean, Pam", James replied. "Turns out that she had been murdered by her family and those she called friend... all because her father and grandmother, didn't want a scandal to come to light that would ruin his career as a politician... getting the girls inheritance from the grandparents that raised her, seemed to be a nothing more than a bonus. Five conspirators, five killers and one poor innocent girl, who wanted nothing more than to forgive her father and move on with her life".

"I take it the reporter got a lot of attention after that?", Pam asked, shaking her head.

"He did, but not in the way your thinking", James answered. "They killed him too. Turned his body into a scarecrow, right above the place where Kira was buried".

"Kira?".

Leaning forward James flipped open his notebook. "Yeah, Kira Winters was the girl who disappeared. Simon Smith was the reporter. Simms had cut out pictures of both Simon and Kira, both appear to be from newspapers, probably reporting about their respective disappearances".

James leaned back in his chair. "As sad as the story is, there is one thing that just doesn't sit well with me".

"And that?".

"Simon apparently saw something as he died. He saw some creature he could not explain in his final moments. The author suggests that it was, 'like nothing I had ever seen before'".

"We've also noticed that there something strange with the other stories as well", Pam stated. "A few times the word, 'he', was mentioned with Aiden's story. Which he never elaborates on. Then there is also the puppeteer, who has some supernatural powers and was stalked by a puppet. All three seem to be following a supernatural theme so far".

There was a moment of hesitation as Pam realised something. "You don't think that might not be a coincidence".

"I think we've already established that Simms was a horror fan", James replied.

"No. No, I don't think so... just hear me out", Pam spoke hurriedly. "We know that Simms didn't write any of these stories. There is enough evidence so far, that suggests all these events did happen. Aiden's missing person case. The articles about the disappearance of the reporter and the girl. Then you were there to see first hand what the puppeteer did-".

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down", James interrupted. "You're not saying-".

"That everything written here has happened and that they are confessions and statements by those involved".

There was absolute and complete silence on James part, as he stared back at her. His face was emotionless and unreadable. Pam held her breath as she waited for her partner's response. Leaning onto the desk, James stared at her before stating. "You do realise what you're admitting to. That you believe these supernatural elements are actually true. All of this here isn't credible as it is, this just makes them even less so".

"James, please, I know how insane it sounds-", Pam began.

"They are just works of fiction Pam", James pushed coldly.

"But maybe there is something more to this than either of us understand", Pam pleaded with him. "What if I am right? Just think about it. These stories know too much for them to be fake or based on real-life events. I'm convinced they cannot just be a collection of horror stories, for some book. You said it yourself no one knew anything about the puppeteer case, how could Simms know what happened. Unless they were there".

"You really believe this?".

"It's all we have to work on".

"Pam, we are detectives, not supernatural investigators".

"Please James".

"You're not going to drop this are you".

"No", Pam answered sternly. "We are already in trouble, and I doubt Graves is going to let us get a second look at these files once he gets his hands on them. We need to finish what we started James and try to understand what Simms was going through".

James didn't respond as he refused to look her in the eye.

"Please, James, just humour me", She begged. "Look at it again with an open mind, we may find something we didn't see before".

Shaking his head, James got up from his seat. "I'll consider it".

"Thank you, James", Pam said as James put on his coat. "Look, it's late I'm going to go and grab us something to eat when I come back, I'll let you know if I'm going to go along with your supernatural superstition". Pam didn't say anything as James began to leave, but as soon as he opened the door to leave, she called out.

"Burgers will be great, thank you, James".

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