Lucas froze, his breath catching in his chest as the ranger’s voice broke the stillness of the forest. The man stood a few paces away, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Lucas in the dim light.

  “What are you doing here at this time?” the ranger asked, his voice firm and direct.

  Lucas felt his pulse quicken, his mind working overtime to come up with a plausible explanation. He needed to tread carefully. Think fast, Lucas. Think smart, he told himself. With a forced nervous chuckle, he gestured to the forest floor.

  “I… I lost my phone here yesterday,” he stammered. “Thought I’d come back and look for it.”

  The ranger raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Strange place to lose a phone,” he said, his voice edged with suspicion. His gaze shifted to a dark stain on the ground. “And what about that? Looks like blood. Care to explain?”

  Lucas’s thoughts raced. He needed to deflect the ranger’s focus and fast. Adopting a sheepish look, he said, “It’s, uh… deer blood. I hunt sometimes. Just a hobby, but I know it’s illegal, so I didn’t want to make a fuss about it.”

  The ranger’s expression darkened, and he took a step closer. “Hunting is illegal here! Do you even know what you’re admitting to?”

  Lucas flinched but quickly regained his composure. “I know, I know,” he said hurriedly. “I shouldn’t have done it. But listen… maybe we can work something out.”

  The ranger’s sharp gaze didn’t waver. “Work something out? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Lucas reached into his pocket and pulled out the cash he had—just a modest amount. He held it out, his hand trembling slightly.

  “This is all I have right now,” he said. “Take it, and I’ll bring you more tomorrow. Just tell me where to meet you.”

  The ranger eyed the money, unimpressed. “This won’t cut it,” he said. “And why should I trust you? I don’t even know who you are.”

  Lucas’s stomach sank. He had hoped to avoid revealing too much, but the ranger wasn’t backing down. The man’s voice turned cold.

  “If you’re serious about coming back tomorrow, prove it. Show me some ID or tell me where I can find you. Otherwise, I’m calling this in.”

  Lucas hesitated, his mind racing. This is a risk, he thought, but I don’t have a choice. The darkness was closing in, and the forest felt more menacing with every passing second.

  With a reluctant sigh, Lucas fished out his wallet and flashed his ID briefly, careful not to let the ranger study it for too long. “There. Satisfied?” he asked, his voice tight with unease.

  The ranger studied him for a moment longer before nodding. “Fine. Meet me tomorrow evening near the ranger’s office. Don’t make me come looking for you.”

  Lucas nodded quickly, relief mingling with dread. “I’ll be there. You have my word.”

  The ranger gave him a final, scrutinizing look before stepping back into the shadows.

  As Lucas hurried back home, the forest seemed darker than ever. The faint light of the moon barely penetrated the thick canopy overhead, and every sound—the snap of a twig, the rustle of leaves—sent shivers down his spine. His breathing was shallow, his steps uneven, but he didn’t dare slow down.

  By the time he reached the edge of the forest, his shirt clung to his back, damp with sweat. He slipped into his house and locked the door behind him, leaning against it as he exhaled deeply.

  The clock ticked past 6:45 p.m, the moonlight casting eerie shadows across the room. He sipped his coffee slowly, trying to piece together a plan. The ranger’s office, deep in the forest, would offer some privacy for their next meeting, but it also posed significant risks. Lucas knew he had to tread carefully.

  For now, all he could do was wait and hope he could outsmart the ranger—and anyone else who might come looking.

  On the other side Lea stepped out of the hotel room, closing the door quietly behind her. Mike was already a few steps ahead, walking briskly toward the shadows. He glanced back , his voice low and urgent. “You know the plan, right? Stick to the script. No deviations. We can’t afford any slip-ups.” He repeated every detail of the plan as if drilling her for an exam, his tone growing sharper with each word.

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  Lea nodded, but her mind churned with unease. Mike’s insistence felt suffocating, yet she understood the stakes. “I know,” she replied, her voice wavering. “I’ll handle it.”

  Mike, however, wasn’t convinced. “Lea, I mean it. You need to stay calm. If anything feels off, don’t push it. I’ll be out of the city by the time you reach the station. They won’t find me.”

  With that, Mike walked briskly away, disappearing into the dimly lit streets, leaving Lea alone to face what was ahead. She pulled her coat tighter around her and began her slow, deliberate walk toward the police station.

  The streets felt heavy with silence, and the chill of the air seemed to seep into her bones. It took her nearly 15 minutes to cover the short distance, her pace faltering with every step as doubts swirled in her mind. What if they saw through her story? What if she slipped up under pressure? Her hand brushed against her coat pocket, where Marcus’ photograph lay folded—a crucial piece of the act she was about to perform

  Finally, Lea found herself standing before the police station. The flickering streetlight overhead cast her shadow onto the station's wall, a looming reminder of the weight she carried. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stepped inside.

  The station was dimly lit, with officers bustling about, papers stacked high on desks. Lea’s nerves tightened as her gaze swept the room. An officer at the front desk noticed her hesitation and offered a kind smile. “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  Lea nodded, her voice trembling slightly. “I’m here to file a missing person’s report. My husband...he hasn’t returned since yesterday.”

  The officer gestured for her to sit, pulling out a notebook. “Alright, start from the beginning. What’s your husband’s name, and when did you last see him?”

  Lea drew in a shaky breath and began recounting the story Mike had drilled into her. Her words were measured, her tone laced with just enough worry to sound believable. “His name is Marcus. We were staying at the Golden Leaf Hotel. Yesterday evening, after we returned from a walk he left the hotel room without saying anything and never returned.”

  The officer’s brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you try calling him?”

  Lea’s response was smooth, as rehearsed. “He left his phone in the room. I didn’t think much of it at first. He’s done this before—gone to visit friends or attended parties without telling me. He always came back, but this time...he didn’t.”

  The officer’s pen hovered over the page. “And why wait until now to report him missing?”

  Lea’s hands trembled slightly, but she clasped them together to steady herself. “I thought he might turn up like always, but when he didn’t come back, I started to worry. We don’t know anyone in this city, and his family is in another town.”

  The officer’s eyes narrowed, his suspicion barely hidden. “What about his family? Have you informed them?”

  “I was about to,” Lea replied quickly. “But I thought it was more important to alert the police first.”

  The officer exchanged a glance with a senior officer nearby, who approached and leaned against the desk. His voice was sterner. “We’ll need a photograph of your husband. And we’ll start by checking with the hotel staff.”

  Lea fumbled in her coat pocket, pulling out Marcus’ photo. The officer studied it briefly before placing it into a file. “Alright, ma’am. We’ll need you to come with us to the hotel.”

  Lea’s heart pounded as they escorted her to the police car. She slid into the back seat, gripping her coat tightly. Her mind raced as the car sped toward the hotel. This was the critical moment—if the staff said anything out of line or mentioned Mike, their carefully constructed plan could unravel.

  When they reached at the hotel, the police began their investigation methodically, questioning the hotel staff and examining Marcus's room. The room appeared perfectly normal—no signs of a struggle or anything out of place. The staff was cooperative, providing routine answers about Marcus and Lea’s stay, but there was nothing that raised immediate suspicion.

  Meanwhile, Mike, who was staying in the same hotel under a different name, remained unnoticed. He had taken all necessary precautions to avoid raising any alarms, acting as just another tourist. He carefully timed his secret meetings with Lea to occur only when they could avoid prying eyes. His room was registered to an entirely different identity, ensuring that even a thorough investigation by the police wouldn’t link him to Lea or the missing Marcus.

  As the investigation proceeded, Lea, trying to bolster her story, decided to make a show of her concern. In front of the officers, she called Marcus’s family, her voice trembling as she informed them of his disappearance. The officers listened carefully, noting her nervous demeanor but sensing nothing out of the ordinary beyond a distraught wife trying to find her husband.

  When the police found no significant leads in the room or from the staff, they turned their attention back to Lea, probing further. They asked her if Marcus had any enemies or if she suspected anyone who might wish him harm. Lea seized the opportunity, realizing this was the perfect moment to steer their focus toward Lucas.

  Feigning a moment of sudden recollection, Lea furrowed her brows and hesitated as if piecing together a distant memory. "Actually," she began, her voice faltering, "I do remember something strange. Last evening, when Marcus and I were walking near the forest, we passed a house... and I noticed a man standing there, watching us. I mentioned it to Marcus, but he told me not to worry. Later, though, I felt like someone was following us. When I turned around, I think it was the same man."

  Her performance was convincing, a mixture of fear and uncertainty. She painted a vague yet unsettling picture of the man she described. "He was tall," she said hesitantly. "I didn’t get a good look at him, but there was something... off about the way he stood there, just watching."

  The officers pressed her for more details, asking if she could provide a clearer description. Lea deliberately kept her answers vague, careful not to implicate herself by appearing too knowledgeable. "I’m sorry," she said, shaking her head as though trying to recall. "It was dark, and I didn’t see him clearly."

  The police jotted down her account, noting the proximity of the described house to the forest. Lea inwardly smirked, knowing she had successfully directed their attention toward Lucas without revealing too much. She felt a small sense of victory, but she also knew that this was just the beginning of a delicate balancing act.

  Lea led the police officers toward Lucas's house, careful to maintain her act of a concerned and frightened wife. As they moved, she felt a surge of satisfaction, knowing that everything seemed to be going according to her plan. She reminded herself to stay cautious, understanding that the moment to hint about the ground floor would come soon, but it had to be done subtly.

  Meanwhile, Lucas sat in his dimly lit living room, staring out of the window. The night had already settled in, the clock ticking close to 10 p.m. His mind raced with thoughts about the ranger, Lea’s possible betrayal, and the mounting challenges he knew he would have to face. He tried to calm himself, convincing his mind that preparation and composure were his best weapons now.

  Suddenly, through his window, he noticed the unmistakable glimmer of police lights. His heart skipped a beat as a police car slowly approached his house. He had anticipated this moment, preparing for it mentally, yet the sight of the vehicle still sent a cold wave through him. He thought to himself, Lea has done it. She’s brought them here. Now it’s up to me to counter her moves.

  The bell rang, piercing through the tense silence of his home. Lucas walked toward the door, each step deliberate and heavy. When he opened it, his face froze, and his calm facade cracked momentarily. Standing on his doorstep, accompanied by Lea, was a senior police officer—Samuel. The same Samuel who had investigated Lucas’s previous case, a name and face Lucas hoped he would never encounter again.

  Samuel’s sharp gaze met Lucas’s. The unspoken history between them cast a heavy shadow over the moment. Lucas quickly gathered himself, attempting to mask his fear with feigned surprise and confusion.

  To be continue......