The once lively hall has now transformed into a ghostly, deserted motel-like setting. All the guests are crowded together, refusing to return to their rooms out of fear of the mysterious killer on the loose.
Emily looked at the little boy and smiled, trying to make him feel comfortable. "What's your name, sweetheart?" she asked gently.
The little boy looked at her with fear in his eyes and didn't respond. Jules spoke up, "His name is Stephen. He's just a bit shaken up after seeing the killer."
"That's okay, Stephen. You're safe now," Emily reassured him.
Meanwhile, George asked Alex, "When are they going to get here?"
Alex took a sip of his coffee before replying, "They said they'd try to be here in ten minutes, but if not, it might be because of the snowstorm."
George glanced at the clock. "Ten minutes have passed already. I hope they hurry up," he said, picking up his coffee.
As the receptionist paced anxiously in the hallway, his demeanour was uneasy, setting off a sense of unease in Emily. Suddenly, he announced the group.
"I'm just going to check on the stock of food ingredients. Be back soon!" the receptionist stated before hurrying off to one of the motel's rooms.
Emily couldn't shake off a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right with the receptionist's actions. "I am not convinced that he went to check the stock food ingredient?" she thought to herself and her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.
Emily couldn't help but wonder what was truly going on with the receptionist.
As the conversation about the killer took over the room, Emily quietly excused herself and made her way towards the room where the receptionist had disappeared.
Before Emily nudged the door open, her eyes caught the chilling sight of blood at the corner of the doorway of the storage room next to her. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the unsettling scene before her.
"Is the receptionist... killing people?" Emily muttered to herself, her mind racing with questions. "But why would he do something like that?"
As she stood frozen in shock, she knew she had to alert everyone about what she had discovered. With a deep breath, she resolved to inform the others.
She turned abruptly, stepping impatiently towards the crowd. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation, blending with the sharp wail of the approaching police sirens.
Excitement buzzed through the room as everyone sprang up from the couches and raced to the motel entrance. A palpable sense of joy filled the air.
With a screech, the police sirens fell silent as the patrol car came to a stop outside the motel. Despite the biting cold winds, a feeling of relief spread through the group gathered at the entrance.
Two uniformed officers stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind them. All eyes turned towards them, a collective sense of relief palpable in the air at the sight of the policemen.
The two policemen advanced towards the entrance, their expressions taut and serious. As they neared the crowd, one of the officers, Superintendent Richard Ackroyd, extended his ID card. "Greetings, everyone. I am Superintendent Richard Ackroyd," he announced. The other officer, Staff Inspector Mike Paul, followed suit, revealing his ID.
"Who made the report about the murders here?" Richard asked.
Alex spoke up, stepping forward, "I reported the murders."
The receptionist emerged from the room and was startled to see the two officers and the group gathered outside. The receptionist hastily approached them, urging, "Please come inside, sir."
The policemen and the others went into the room and sat down. The atmosphere was tense, and everyone felt a mix of happiness and worry. But Emily's mind was elsewhere.
"I heard the receptionist and the staff put the bodies in the outhouse. But why is there a blood drop on the storage room door? I don't remember seeing it clearly that first day," Emily pondered to herself.
Richard's voice broke through her thoughts, "So, where have you placed the dead bodies in?
The receptionist hastily replied, "We have placed Mr. Harry's dead body in the outhouse and Mr. Jones's dead body in their room."
Jules couldn't hold back her tears at the mention of her husband's name. Her son was too terrified to even speak. Mike tried to comfort Jules, "We'll find the person responsible for this, but please stay strong."
"Let's head to the outhouse first," Richard ordered.
Following the receptionist's lead, Richard and Mike made their way to the outhouse. As they stepped inside, a chilling sight awaited them - the gruesome remains of Mr. Harry lay before their eyes. The smell of decay hung heavy in the air, making it hard to breathe.
Reacting to the noxious odour, the receptionist covered his nose with his hand. Richard and Mike pulled out their handkerchiefs to shield themselves from the overpowering smell.
Then Richard began examining the body, focusing on the stab wound on the victim's stomach.
"The stab wound looks deep. This must have been a fierce attack," Richard said as he was looking at the victim's stomach.
"Yeah, and there's blood everywhere. It seems like there was a struggle," Mike said as he placed his hand on the chin.
The receptionist was standing there, nervously as Richard and Mike investigated.
"Two of our guests, staff and I found him this morning outside the motel. I and a staff moved him to the outhouse so that the dead body not get covered with the snow,"
"Do you know when this happened? Any idea who might have done this?"
"I'm not sure. We didn't see anything unusual until we found Mr Jones's dead body in their room,"
Richard carefully examined the surroundings for any potential evidence, while Mike surveyed the area for any possible witnesses.
"Let's gather evidence and take it back to the lab. Maybe we can find some clues there." Richard said and stood up from the ground.
"Agreed. We need to find out who did this. It's important to gather as much evidence as possible." Mike replied.
"Now we have to examine Mr. Jones's dead body," Richard said and glanced to the receptionist and asked him "By the way, have you found anything at the crime spot?"
"Yes, sir! We have found a bloody knife from the crime spot!" The receptionist exclaimed.
"Great! Please show us that knife," Richard said.
"Sure, sir!" The receptionist said as he ran out of the outhouse and quickly entered the motel. Ignoring the curious looks of everyone in the hallway, he headed towards the staff room.
Upon entering, two motel staff members immediately stood up from their seats, eager to assist him. Unfazed by their presence the receptionist headed straight for a cupboard. That day, he had instructed Michael to wrap the bloody knife in a plastic bag. As he opened the cupboard, he started to rummage around, searching for the weapon.
Time continued to pass as he continued searching for the knife. Ten minutes passed, and still, it remained elusive. As he thought about the difficult task of informing the officer that the knife was lost, a terrible feeling of uneasiness settled in his chest.
Taking a glance at the two staff members, he said with frustration, "Bring Michael here immediately!"
To Be Continued...
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Trapped In A Mystifying Fictional World (ONC 2024)
Mystery / Thriller[Shortlisted] [ROUND ONE, TWO & THREE QUALIFIED] Emily Walton is a 25-year-old young woman who has had a difficult life ever since she was a child. She never received love from her mother or her boyfriend, which made her feel miserable. As she nea...
