Crestwood Investigation

Chapter 30: Let's Go To Prison Again

As Joshua, Michael, and Tyler flanked by prison guards they made their way through the dimly lit corridors of the prison, their hearts raced with anticipation, they were on a mission to uncover the truth behind the mysterious book that may hold the key to the recent murders plaguing Crestwood, however, their group had been divided as the guards informed Hannah, Emma, and Lindsey that they were not allowed to accompany them due to high-security measures currently in place by the prison dud to the recent incident.

The trio of girls exchanged worried glances as they watched Joshua, Michael, and Tyler disappear down the echoing hallway, their footsteps echoing against the cold concrete floor, they could only hope that their friends would find the information they needed without encountering any trouble.

The 3 Guys reached the warden's office where they presented their police and FBI badges and requested information about Juan Esteban.

Tyler spoke
"You have a prisoner here by the name of Juan Esteban, we need to speak with him."

The warden's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of Juan's name. "He was released not long ago at all" the warden revealed his brow raised in confusion. "Why do you guys want to know about him?"

Tyler stepped forward his FBI badge gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights
"We need a book he had that we think he might have let some other prisoners use" Tyler explained his tone urgent "It's related to the deaths of Kevin Stewart and Matt Johnson."

The warden let out a heavy sigh running a hand through his thinning hair
"He was here over 25 fucking years in this goddamn prison" he muttered his frustration palpable "And we never saw any damn book he had, I don't know how anyone would sneak in such things for so long, but we did find a book in Matt and Kevin's cell under their bed after their deaths, we put it in the back, i can grab it for you."

The three men exchanged shocked glances the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place. This had to be the book they were after.

Moments later the warden returned with an old weathered book in hand, its pages were yellowed with age. "The entire thing is in German and some weird writings I must warn" the warden explained his tone puzzled
"None of us could read it, We figured it to be some damn history book or something dumb like that."

Joshua eagerly reached out and took the book his hands trembling slightly as he flipped through its pages of photos and old writing "This is definitely what Kevin and Matt got from Juan" Joshua confirmed his eyes scanning the cryptic text
"But we still need to find Juan so he can read this, he'll likely know, can you give us an address where he may be after his release?"

The warden nodded solemnly reaching for a piece of paper inside his desk
"Yeah I have it right here, we keep information on all of our prisoners" as he handed them the slip of paper "But be careful, Juan's a dangerous man, he was arrested for some serious crimes."

The three thanked the warden for his help and time and left the office with the book in their possession and Juan's address in hand, they were one step closer to maybe  putting an end to Rache's reign of terror

Outside the prison walls Hannah, Emma, and Lindsey paced anxiously their minds filled with worry for their friends, they could only hope that Joshua, Michael, and Tyler would return safely and with the information they needed to stop Rache once and for all.

About an hour passed and the sun began to dip below the horizon casting long shadows across the prison yard, finally the heavy metal doors creaked open and the three men emerged.

Emma rushed forward her heart pounding with relief. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Joshua nodded a grim expression on his face "We have the book" he confirmed holding it up for them to see "But now we need to find Juan and figure out how to stop Rache."

Emma's eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of the ancient tome "That's the book?" she exclaimed her voice filled with awe and dread.

Lindsey shuddered a chill running down her spine "What do we do now?"

Michael glanced at the slip of paper in his hand the address scrawled across it
"We go to Juan's place and we find out everything we can about Rache and how to defeat him."

The six of them stood outside the prison, the weight of their mission now resting heavy on their shoulders.

As they pulled out of the prison parking lot the tension inside the car was palpable It wasn't long before Joshua's phone rang breaking the silence It was Isabelle and Joshua quickly answered updating her on everything they had learned and their plans to visit Juan's place.

Isabelle listened intently, her voice filled with concern as she asked questions and offered words of encouragement Joshua felt a sense of relief as he shared the burden of their mission with her, knowing that she was there to support him, even from a distance.

As they drove on, the landscape outside gradually changed giving way to suburban streets lined with rows of houses, the sense of anticipation growing with each passing mile.

Joshua hanging up the phone told Isabelle he loved her and she wished all of them good luck.

Finally they arrived at Juan's address a modest house tucked away on a quiet street, Tyler parked the car and they all climbed out the book still clutched tightly in Joshua's hands.

Taking a deep breath they approached the front door, their hearts pounding in their chests, with a sense of determination Emma took lead and knocked on the door, all of their minds racing with thoughts of what lay ahead once Juan opened the door.