The Secret Watcher
Sarah's POV
I pulled out my gun and ran to Marcus's front door.
I could hear my heart thumping so loudly in my ears. Those silver eyes were etched in my memory, but the figure in the window was no longer there. I needed to enter that house immediately.
"Detective Chen, hold on!" I was already sprinting across the soggy grass when Mrs. Huang called from behind me.
When I got to the front porch, I slammed my fist against the door. "Police! "Open up!"
Nothing.
I gave the doorknob a try. locked. I listened with my ear against the door. The house was completely silent.
"Marcus Rivera! Detective Chen is here! I must talk to you right now!"
Nothing has changed.
Mrs. Huang, panting heavily, caught up to me. "Detective, please exercise caution. She's not your typical woman.
"Please tell me everything you've seen, Mrs. Huang. Every detail, regardless of how odd it may sound.
She gave a quick nod. "It began precisely two weeks ago. Around midnight, I was staring out my bedroom window because I was having problems falling asleep. At that moment, I noticed her ascending Marcus's front steps.
"How did she appear?"
Tall, slender, and sporting long, dark hair. She had a black suitcase in her hand and was dressed in a black dress. The strange thing is that she wasn't walking normally. She appeared to be floating as her feet hardly touched the ground.
As Mrs. Huang spoke, I watched all the windows for movement and kept my gun ready.
Mrs. Huang went on, "I found it odd that someone would book a room so late at night." "However, I noticed Marcus counting a large pile of cash on his porch when he came outside to greet her."
"How much money?"
"Enough to bring Marcus a smile for the first time since Linda's disappearance. He appeared happier than I had seen him in months.
A shiver went down my back. "What specifically transpired the night Linda vanished, Mrs. Huang?"
Mrs. Huang's face turned white. "You believe Linda had a negative experience?"
"Just describe what you saw to me."
"It happened about eleven p.m. three months ago. I glanced out my kitchen window when I heard loud voices coming from Marcus and Linda's backyard. They were fighting horribly.
"What caused them to fight?"
Linda was crying and saying things like, 'I can't keep lying for you,' and 'People are going to find out,' but I couldn't hear it all. Marcus was more irate than I had ever seen him.
I gripped my gun tighter. "What happened next?"
Marcus grabbed Linda's arm as she attempted to leave. She was pleading with him to release her. Then they got so close to the back fence that I lost sight of them. However, Detective..." Mrs. Huang's voice became hushed. "I heard Linda yell. Only once. Then there was silence.
"Did you make a police call?"
"I should have, but I was afraid. A few minutes later, Marcus reappeared, but Linda was not with him. He was holding a shovel.
My blood froze. "A shovel?"
"He began excavating close to the rear fence. Long periods of digging. He informed everyone the following morning that Linda had relocated to Seattle, but I never saw her call a cab or pack anything.
My thoughts were racing as I gazed at Marcus's house. Linda had not relocated to Seattle. She had never even left Riverside.
"Why didn't you tell the police about this earlier, Mrs. Huang?"
"I attempted to persuade myself that I was mistaken. For fifteen years, Marcus has been residing next door. I've seen him mature. I didn't want to think that he could harm Linda. Her cheeks began to well up with tears. "But the noises began when that weird woman moved in."
"Explain the noises to me."
"I hear crying coming from Marcus's house every night at precisely three in the morning. There are times when it sounds like a woman crying. At times, it sounds like a person groaning in agony. I thought I heard someone calling for assistance last night.
"Since the woman moved in, have you seen Marcus?"
"He looks awful just a few times. His hands are constantly filthy, he has dark circles under his eyes, and he has lost weight. The most peculiar thing, though, is how terrified he appears. He appears to be watching himself as he constantly glances over his shoulder.
My radio crackled all of a sudden. "Detective Chen, we have more information regarding the missing person case of James Mitchell."
I responded right away. "Go ahead."
"Mitchell never purchased a ticket, but we discovered his car left at the bus stop. His phone has been off for six months, and he hasn't used his credit cards. According to his family, he would never vanish without getting in touch with them.
Mrs. Huang took hold of my arm. "James Mitchell—didn't he rent Marcus's room before this woman?"
"Yes."
"Detective, the night before James was supposed to leave town, I saw him. Around midnight, he and Marcus were fighting in the backyard. James repeatedly said, "I'm going to tell the police," and "I know what you did." Marcus appeared enraged.
"What happened to James?"
Marcus reported the following morning that James had departed early in order to catch a bus. However, I never heard a cab arrive to collect him. For three more days, James's vehicle remained parked in Marcus's driveway.
A text message buzzed on my phone. My heart almost stopped as I stared at the screen.
"Detective Chen, you're asking the right questions," said the message, which came from an unidentified number. If you want to know the truth about Marcus Rivera's actions, meet me at midnight at the old cemetery on Maple Street. Come by yourself. "A friend"
"Mrs. Huang, please pack a bag and spend the night with a relative."
"Why? "What's wrong?"
Every light in Marcus's house abruptly came back on before I could respond. However, they remained this time.
And I could see movement in each and every window in the bright light.
Inside the house, not a single person was moving.
several figures.
Their skin was the same, glowing and pale.
They were all observing us.
Mrs. Huang screamed and seized my arm. "Detective, what is the population of that house?"
The figures remained motionless when I aimed my gun at the windows. They simply stood there, their silver eyes fixed on us.
Every figure in every window then lifted their hand and pointed straight at me, as though they were all under the influence of the same mind.
My phone rang. Marcus Rivera's number appeared on the caller ID.
When I answered, a
woman's voice said, "Detective Chen." Like wind chimes in a winter storm, the voice was lovely but icy. "We must speak.”