She Found a Forgotten Case File at Work — Then Realized the Recent Murders Were Following Its 20-Year-Old List
Chapter 3
The second murder occurred less than three miles from the courthouse.
William Harper had been a retired judge.
He was found inside his home at 7:12 that morning.
There were no signs of forced entry.
No fingerprints.
No weapon.
And almost nothing missing.
Except one photograph.
Daniel stood beside the body while Mara waited outside.
When he finally emerged, his face was grim.
“Same method?”
“Almost.”
“What does that mean?”
“Both victims received something before they died.”
Mara looked at him.
“What?”
Daniel handed her a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a folded piece of paper.
Three words were written on it.
YOU REMEMBERED NOTHING.
Mara stared.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Judge Harper presided over one of the original cases.”
“Which one?”
“All three.”
Mara felt a chill.
“Then the victims knew each other.”
“Apparently.”
“Why was that hidden?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”
Mara returned to the records department.
She began searching through archived databases.
Within an hour, she found something.
A fourth name.
Not in the official case file.
In an evidence inventory.
Samuel Price.
Status: Deceased.
Cause: Suicide.
Date: Twenty years ago.
Mara stared at the screen.
The man’s name wasn’t on the handwritten list.
She checked the old documents again.
Nothing.
Then she found another note.
This one was written on the back of a photograph.
Her father’s handwriting.
Four witnesses. One survivor.
Mara’s heart began pounding.
She called Daniel.
No answer.
She called again.
Still nothing.
Then someone spoke behind her.
“You’re digging where you shouldn’t.”
Mara turned.
Thomas Hale stood at the entrance.
Her supervisor.
His face was unusually pale.
“What do you mean?”
He walked toward her.
“You need to stop looking at that case.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s closed.”
“Two people have died.”
Thomas stared at the file.
“Exactly.”
Mara noticed something.
His eyes weren’t on her.
They were on the handwritten list.
“You know what this is.”
Thomas said nothing.
“Mr. Hale?”
He stepped closer.
“Your father made a mistake twenty years ago.”
“What mistake?”
“He trusted the wrong people.”
Mara’s voice hardened.
“Who?”
Thomas looked toward the hallway.
Then whispered:
“People who still work here.”
He walked away.
Mara remained frozen.
For the first time, she realized the killer might not be outside the courthouse.
He might be inside it.
