The Unknown: Darkness Among Us #1

11 - Real or Fiction?

Carefully, Pam placed the final collection of documents with the others. Scanning the table before her, her eyes flickered over all five stories they had managed to piece together in just one night. She was surprised by the latest and final story she had completed.

The tale of a driver whose heart betrayed him and another took his place. The very thought that something like that could happen was rattling around in the forefront of her mind. Questions demanding answers and her rational mind was trying so had to be reasonable. Reminding her that she was a detective inspector and what she was chasing was pure madness. But her intuition was convinced, that something was missing and that there was an extraordinarily strong possibility that everything was true, in some form or another. Pushing her to go over everything again, whether James believed her or not. She would find the truth.

The sound of the door opening behind her caught her attention. She turned to find James walking back into the room. He looked as pale as a sheet. Whatever he had uncovered for himself, seemed to have shaken him to his core. Pam knew that whatever it was that could scare James this bad, had to be important.

James didn't look at her as he closed the door. Nor when he shrugged off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair. Before he proceeded to lean on the back of his chair staring hard at the table.

"Is everything alright?". She asked him.

James was silent. As if struggling to come up with an answer to explain what he knew. Then he whispered into the empty air.

"James, whatever you found out. It can't be that bad and you can tell me we're partners in this". Pam attempted to reassure him as she cautiously approached him.

"It's accurate!". James repeated, his voice was strong as he spoke, not giving away how truly uneasy he is. Pam watched as James took out the drawing he had folded up and taken away with him. Unfolding it quickly he slammed the drawing down on the table alongside a printed photo. "It's fucking accurate". James suddenly seethed. His sudden burst of anger surprising her.

Taking the item in question. Pam looked upon the gruesome drawing and photograph, both depicting the same sight.

Three bodies. All dangling from the ceiling like puppets in a show. It took a few moments for it all to dawn on her. Instinctively, she covered her hand over her mouth as she suddenly felt extremely sick and disgusted. There were almost completely identical. The drawing was an exact copy.

Now she understood why James was so shaken. If this image was of the crime scene James had stumbled upon in his youth, she knew the details of the case were never truly revealed. So how could Simms obtain a photo that had been buried in the police archives? Or to be able to draw it so accurately without ever being there or seeing the picture.

"How...?". Pam breathed out. "How could Simms be able to do this?".

"I... I don't know". James replied solemnly. "Unless he somehow stole a copy, or someone gave it to him. But both of them are impossible".

"How can you be so sure of that?".

"To save people from panic, true details of the case were buried deep within the police archives. I didn't realise how much protection they put around the case, until today. When I went to confirm my suspicions. They wouldn't let me anywhere near it. Kept telling me that it was for 'higher ranks only'. Despite the fact, I was the one who discovered the scene, they still wouldn't allow me access... minding current circumstances didn't help either".

"So how did you get it?".

"I had to call in a favour from an old friend of mine who is a superintendent. He got me the picture; I was lucky he was working late tonight. He also told me that I have to return the picture to him by morning, or I'll be having fellow officers knocking on my door". James explained.