She spent six years hunting a monster, only to find him sitting in the very next room.
The DNA of Deceit
The cardboard box sat on Detective Ellen White’s desk, smelling faintly of cellar mold and old copper. Inside lay a single, mud-encrusted barrette and a typewritten note: The man who took Linda Lomes in 2020 still wears a gold shield.
For six grueling years, Linda’s face had haunted Ellen’s mornings and wrecked her nights. Fifteen years old, walking home from school on a rainy Friday, vanished into thin air. Ellen had chased ghosts, dead ends, and false leads until her department deemed the case cold.
But holding the barrette, Ellen felt the familiar, obsessive fire flare to life. The note was specific. The evidence was damning. But the realization that followed was a physical blow that left her breathless.
The gold shield. The specific scheduling details only an insider would know.
Through the blinds of her office, Ellen looked into the adjacent room. Chief of Detectives Larry Curtis was laughing at his desk, nursing his morning coffee in a styrofoam cup. Her boss. The mentor who had comforted Linda’s grieving mother on television.
Ellen’s heart hammered against her ribs. She didn’t need a warrant yet; she just needed a baseline. A single stray hair from his chair, a fingerprint from his discarded water bottle, or the saliva on that styrofoam cup currently sitting in his trash can.
She stood up, smoothing her jacket, her hands trembling with a mix of terror and anticipation. The murderer wasn’t hiding in the shadows of the city. He was right next door.
Ellen stepped into the hallway, her eyes locked on the coffee cup. Larry looked up, his smile fading into a sharp, calculating gaze. “Morning, Ellen,” he said, his hand hovering near his desk. “You look like you’ve finally seen a ghost.”
How does Ellen get the DNA without tipping off the Chief? Does she walk into a trap? Write the final scene and close the case.
