The Real Elena
Sarah's POV
I floored my car backward down Elm Street after slamming it into reverse.
I repeatedly pressed the power button, but Elena's voice continued to echo through my radio. "Detective Chen, Mrs. Huang won't benefit from fleeing. Return and confront the reality.
Until I got to the main road, I continued driving backward. After that, I turned the wheel and sped toward the city center. I could hardly hold the steering wheel because my hands were shaking so much.
I picked up my phone and dialed Torres at the first red light.
"Sarah? Nearly one in the morning has arrived. "What's wrong?"
"I need to meet you at the public library right now, Torres."
"Sarah, the library is closed. Additionally, did Chief Morrison not advise you to take a break?
"Torres, Elena Voss is not human. She is in charge of people's thoughts. Mrs. Huang is being used as bait by serial killer Marcus Rivera to trick me.
A long silence fell. "Sarah, you're scaring me. It sounds like you're having a breakdown.
I felt like screaming. Elena had made everyone think I was crazy. "Just meet me at the library, Torres. Please. as my companion."
"All right, but only because I'm concerned about you."
Torres arrived with his extra library key twenty minutes later. He was able to get us inside because his wife worked there.
"Sarah, this better be important," Torres said as he turned on the lights. "It's not exactly routine police work to break into the library at one in the morning."
I sprinted over to the research computer. "I need to look up old town records. Newspaper archives. Anything about Elena Voss."
"Who is Elena Voss again?"
"Marcus's mysterious tenant. The person who only comes out at night and pays in cash.
As I entered Elena's name into the library's database, Torres took a seat beside me.
There was nothing.
I experimented with spelling. Elena Vos. Voss, Elena. Voss, Helena.
Nothing has changed.
"Sarah, it's possible that this woman is using a fictitious name or simply has a common name. That doesn't mean she's supernatural."
"She talked to me on my car radio, Torres. She can control people's minds. Mrs. Huang was forced to behave like a robot by her.
Torres put his hand on my shoulder. "Sarah, you've been under a lot of stress lately. Our minds can trick us when we're extremely exhausted.
Elena might have erased or altered the recording on my phone, but I still wanted to show it to him. She had technological control.
"Just help me look," I pleaded. "Please."
We spent two hours looking. I searched through half a century's worth of newspaper files, property records, and phone books.
Nothing.
Torres was growing weary. "It's three in the morning, Sarah. We ought to return home.
"Hold on." I thought of something. "What if her name isn't Elena Voss? What if she's using the name of someone who used to live in Marcus's house?"
I began searching through all of the prior owners of 1247 Elm Street by bringing up the property records.
It had been owned by the Rivera family for thirty years. The Johnson family for twenty years prior to that. The Martinez family had lived there for fifteen years prior to that.
And before that, going back over one hundred years, the house had belonged to the Voss family.
My heart began to race. "Take a look at this, Torres."
"What?"
I selected the 1923 record, which was the oldest. "Herman Voss first constructed the house in 1920. He lived there with his wife Margaret and their daughter Elena."
Torres bent toward the screen. "All right, so that house used to belong to an Elena Voss. There is nothing odd about that.
I continued to read the old documents. Then I discovered something that chilled me to the bone.
"Torres, Elena Voss died in 1924. She was twenty-eight years old."
"How did she die?"
I selected an article from the October 15, 1924, newspaper. "Local Woman Found Dead in Basement" was the headline.
I read aloud the following passage from the article: "Elena Voss, 28, was discovered dead yesterday morning in the basement of her family's Elm Street home. Miss Voss had been missing for three days before her body was discovered by her father, Herman Voss. Police have no suspects, but murder seems to be the cause of death. Miss Voss was well-known in the neighborhood for assisting families in locating missing family members.
Torres frowned. "That's strange. However, Sarah, it's merely a coincidence.
"Keep reading," I said, scrolling down to the next article.
"Marcus Rivera Sr. has been taken into custody by police in relation to Elena Voss' murder. During a dispute over money he owed for rent, Rivera, a boarder in the Voss residence, admitted to killing Miss Voss. According to Rivera, Miss Voss found out that he had been stealing from other people.
Torres fell silent.
"Marcus Rivera Sr. was discovered dead in his jail cell this morning, apparently by suicide," I continued reading. He wrote in his note that he couldn't live with what he had done to Elena Voss.
"Marcus Rivera is the name of the guy who lives in that house now," Torres muttered to Sarah.
"Marcus Rivera Jr.," I said. "The son of the man who murdered Elena Voss a century ago."
I located Marcus Rivera Sr.'s family records while doing research on him.
One year after Elena's death, in 1925, Torres, Marcus Rivera Sr., had a son. In 1950, that son had a son, who in turn had another son in 1985.
"Marcus Rivera Jr." said Torres. "The Marcus who currently resides in the house."
I said, "Elena Voss returned as a spirit to exact revenge on the Rivera family." "But not only retaliation. Marcus Jr. is being forced to follow in his great-grandfather's footsteps by her. Murder those who book rooms in that house.
Torres got to his feet and began to pace. "This is crazy, Sarah. You're discussing spirits and ghosts.
Then describe how Elena was privy to information about James and Linda that Marcus was not. Describe how she uses electronics to communicate and manipulate people's thoughts.
Torres was unable to respond.
After more searching, I came across another article that clarified everything.
"Look at this, Torres. Elena Voss did more than assist families in locating missing family members. She was looking into a string of murders that occurred in 1923 and 1924. Boarding house room rentals among young people kept going missing.
"And she discovered it was Marcus Rivera Sr."
"Yes. But before she could demonstrate it, he killed her. I gave Torres a look. "Elena returned to complete her task. She is holding Marcus Jr. accountable for the wrongdoings of his great-grandfather.
Torres took a heavy seat. "Mrs. Huang is in grave danger if this is accurate, Sarah."
"I have to return to that house because of that."
"Not at all. You might be killed if Elena is truly a vindictive spirit.
Elena isn't attempting to harm innocent people, Torres. She is working to bring murder victims justice. She might be able to save Mrs. Huang.
"Or she might kill you for obstructing her path."
"Detective Chen, you're discovering the truth," was the text message that buzzed on my phone. Excellent. Return to Elm Street now. Mrs. Huang is awaiting your arrival. She doesn't have much time left, so act quickly. Marcus is getting hungry again. "-Elena"
When Torres saw the message, he reached for his gun. "We're requesting backup."
"Elena can control other police officers just like she controlled Mrs. Huang. Backup won't be useful.
"Then what do we do?"
I glanced at the wall clock in the library. Nearly four o'clock had arrived. The sun would begin to rise in roughly three hours.
"We wait until sunrise," I replied. "Elena cannot be in the sun." That's when she's weakest."
Then my phone rang. Once more, it was Mrs. Huang's number.
When I responded, Mrs. Huang's frightened voice resurfaced on the speaker, but this time it was her own voice.
"Detective Chen! Assist me! Marcus is behaving strangely, and Elena left the house! He keeps saying that it's time to bury me along with the others while brandishing a shovel! Hurry up! He will return downstairs.
In the background, I heard Marcus shouting: "Elena! You went where? You promised to assist me! Elena.
The line died when Mrs. Huang screamed.
Torres and I looked at each other.
"Elena isn't controlling Marcus anymore," I stated. "She left him and Mrs. Huang alone."
"Why would she do that?"
All the lights in the library went out before I could respond. Elena's voice sounded to me in the darkness, as if she were speaking directly throu
gh the walls:
Because Detective Chen, it's time for you to make a decision. Let justice be done at last, or save Mrs. Huang from Marcus. You cannot have both.