Mrs. Huang Recalls
Sarah's POV
I snatched Torres's flashlight and sprinted toward the library door.
"Wait, Sarah!" Behind me, Torres shouted. "We need a plan!"
I couldn't wait, though. Marcus was going to murder Mrs. Huang as she screamed. I ran to my car after bursting out of the library.
Torres leaped into the passenger seat after catching up. "Tell me what we're doing, at least!"
"Remember that bright lights are too much for Elena to handle? She only leaves the house at night. Perhaps we can remove Marcus's authority over everything if we fill Marcus's home with light.
I sped as fast as I could toward Elm Street. Torres was using his radio to call for backup while he checked his gun.
"This is Detective Torres. We need all available units to 1247 Elm Street immediately. Officer in distress."
"Detective Torres, we show no officers assigned to that location tonight," the radio crackled back.
"What?" Torres appeared perplexed. "This is an emergency, dispatch!"
"Detective Torres, you are expected to be off duty tonight based on our records. Do you feel alright?
I reached for the radio. "Elena also has control over the dispatch system. She does not want backup to arrive.
It was pitch-black at Marcus's house once more when we turned onto Elm Street. But from inside, I could hear shouting.
"Mrs. Huang!" As we dashed to the front door, I shouted. "We're here!"
Even though the front door was locked, I could still hear Marcus's irate voice and Mrs. Huang's tears.
Torres gave the door a forceful kick. On the third kick, it flew open.
The house was pitch black inside. I switched on my flashlight and scanned the front room with it.
"Mrs. Huang! "Where are you?"
"Down here!" From the basement came the voice of Mrs. Huang. Once more, she sounded like herself—frightened but not robotic. "Aid me! He is insane.
Torres and I ran down the basement stairs. Mrs. Huang was huddled in a corner, out of sight of my flashlight beam. Over her, Marcus stood brandishing a shovel, his eyes crazed and furious.
"You can't get away!" Mrs. Huang was being yelled at by Marcus. "You know too much," said Elena. You've witnessed everything.
"Marcus, drop the shovel!" I pointed my gun at him and yelled.
In the beam of my flashlight, Marcus whirled around and blinked. "Detective Chen? You wouldn't come, Elena said. You were too afraid, she said.
"Where is Elena now?"
Marcus glanced around wildly. "I'm not sure! After being here, she simply disappeared! However, she instructed me on what I needed to do. She claimed that Mrs. Huang was dangerous and would cause havoc.
As I kept my gun and flashlight trained on Marcus, Torres moved to assist Mrs. Huang.
"Set down the shovel, Marcus, so we can discuss this."
"No! If I don't finish this, Elena will be upset. When I don't follow her instructions, she becomes very upset. Marcus lifted the shovel.
At that moment, I came to a significant realization. I aimed my flashlight straight at Marcus's eyes.
"Look at me, Marcus. Take a look at me. When did Elena tell you to harm people for the first time?
In the intense light, Marcus blinked. His expression was bewildered. "I... wait," she said. "What did she say?"
I maintained a constant light on his face. "Consider carefully, Marcus. When did you hurt Linda for the first time?
Marcus put his hands to his head and dropped the shovel. "Linda? I cherished Linda. Why would I harm Linda?
"Because Elena told you to?"
"No, that's not correct." Marcus surveyed the basement as though he had never seen it before. "Elena claimed to be assisting me. She threatened to take the house away from me because of Linda.
Mrs. Huang was helped to her feet by Torres. Despite her trembling, she appeared fine.
Keeping my flashlight on Marcus, I asked, "Mrs. Huang, are you hurt?"
"No, but now I remember everything, Detective Chen!" Mrs. Huang spoke clearly and sharply. It's similar to waking up from a bad dream. Elena was manipulating my thoughts and forcing me to say things I didn't mean.
"What do you remember?"
"Everything! Marcus did everything, including the night James vanished and the night Linda passed away. Mrs. Huang gestured to Marcus. "But Marcus wasn't acting by himself, Detective. Elena was giving him instructions in a whisper in his ear.
Marcus fell to the floor of the basement. "I took their lives. God, I killed Linda. However, Elena claimed that Linda would ruin me. I had to defend myself, she said.
"Elena lied to you, Marcus," I said. "She wished for you to murder people. She always had that plan.
Torres appeared perplexed. "Sarah, why did Elena call us to stop Marcus tonight if she wanted him to kill people?"
It was a wise query. Why would Elena leave Marcus just as he was ready to murder Mrs. Huang?
Mrs. Huang took hold of my arm. "Detective Chen, I just had another thought. I noticed something odd in my attic the night before Elena moved in.
"What kind of strange?"
"Up there, someone had been. Everything was rearranged. Additionally, there was a box that wasn't mine.
"What was in the box?"
"I'm not sure. I was too afraid to look. Mrs. Huang's eyes glowed. "But perhaps it's time to look. Elena might have concealed something there.
While Mrs. Huang and I went to her home next door, Torres remained with Marcus. After showing me to her attic, she switched on the overhead light.
She pointed to a tiny wooden box in the corner and said, "There." "Before Elena arrived, that wasn't there."
I cautiously opened the box. "Linda Rivera" was written in gold letters on the cover of the diary that was inside.
I said, "Torres needs to see this," and we quickly returned to Marcus's basement.
I took out Linda's diary and read aloud the first few pages:
"Marcus has been behaving oddly lately. At night, he converses with himself, and occasionally he becomes irate over nonsensical things. He scolded me today for something I didn't say. He seems to be hearing voices that aren't there.
Marcus's eyes were watering as he gazed up at me. "She wrote about me?"
"Marcus informed me today that someone is attempting to steal our house," I continued reading. He claimed that a woman informed him that I intended to abandon him and take everything. I didn't say that, though. Marcus is someone I adore. Why would he believe that I wish to harm him?
"Elena was lying to you from the beginning," I informed Marcus. "She was causing you to become angry and paranoid."
I flipped to the next page and said, "I'm afraid of Marcus now. He took hold of my arm last night and accused me of plotting against him. He claimed that "she" warned him that I was dangerous. He just stared at me blankly when I asked him who "she" was. I believe he is being controlled by someone.
Mrs. Huang took hold of my arm. "Detective, check out the most recent entry."
I read Linda's last words: "I worked it out. A non-human woman resides in our home. She has been whispering poison in Marcus's ear, and she only comes out at night. I came across old newspaper articles about Elena Voss. One hundred years ago, she passed away in this house. Marcus Rivera was the person who killed her. She is now seeking retribution and is using my Marcus to do so. People must understand that Marcus is not a bad person if something were to happen to me. A ghost that wishes to ruin the Rivera family is controlling him. Though I'm worried it might be too late, I'm going to try to save him."
There was absolute silence in the basement.
Marcus then broke down in tears. "Linda attempted to help me. Elena gave me the impression that she was my enemy, so I killed her.
"Marcus, where is Linda buried?" Gently, I inquired.
Marcus gestured toward a basement corner. "There. alongside James. With each one of them. Elena claimed that I had to bury them for my own protection.
As I continued to read Linda's diary, Torres began to call for a crime scene team.
Then I discovered something that chilled my blood.
"Torres," I muttered, "take a look at this."
I showed him Linda's last journal entry, which was made the day before she passed away:
"I discovered Elena's vulnerability. She can only manipulate people when they are unable to see well, and she cannot exist in bright light. However, there's more. Elena isn't merely exacting revenge on Marcus. She's getting him ready for something more significant. I discovered a list written in Marcus's handwriting, but it's not his, if you get what I mean. It is a list of names. Every family in town with adolescent daughters. Elena intends to force Marcus to murder each of them individually. She will not confine herself to the Rivera family alone. Her goal is to make Marcus the most heinous murderer this town has ever seen.
A list of twenty names appeared at the bottom of the page.
"Dorothy Huang" was the first name on the list.
Mrs. Huang let out a gasp. "That's me!"
"Sarah Chen" was the second name.
As I read the remainder of the list, my hands began to shake. Elena wasn't merely seeking retribution against Marcus.
She intended to demolish the whole town.
And just when she needed Marcus the most, we had taken away her authority over him.
All the lights in both houses above us abruptly went out.
Elena's voice suddenly emerged from everywhere in the darkness:
"Detective Chen, thank you. Marcus's guilt will make him much easier to manage now that he is aware of what
he has done. And you are fully aware of my plans for this town now that you have read Linda's diary."
Above us, the basement door slammed.
We were confined.