Canvas of Deception

Chapter 5

Detective Victoria Blackwood

Sarah Sinclair. A young woman with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes, her life was about to take a dark turn. At 25 years old, she had already endured the loss of her parents and now found herself living with her boyfriend, James, and running a quaint café on Ebanwood Street.

"Does it say when her parents died?" I ask Xander, my voice growing tense with each passing second.

As I anxiously awaited Xander's response, the soft glow of the computer screen bathed his features in an eerie light, casting shadows that danced across the lines of his face. Outside, the distant wail of sirens echoed through the night, a haunting reminder of the urgency of our situation.

My heart raced as I listened to the rhythmic tap of Xander's fingers on the keyboard, each keystroke a countdown to the revelation we both feared. Sarah Sinclair's fate hung in the balance, and I knew that every passing second brought her one step closer to danger.

Finally, Xander's voice broke through the tense silence, his words carrying a weight that sent a chill down my spine. "17 December 2010," he said, his tone grave. "We need to alert her, Vic, and probably check her for the tattoo."

My mind raced with a thousand possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. I knew that confronting Sarah directly could put her life in even greater danger, but the thought of standing by and doing nothing was equally unbearable.

"Xan, if these people are really part of an illegal organization," I began, my voice tight with tension, "they're not going to reveal the mark, and they're certainly not going to talk to us. We'll just end up alerting the whole organization that we know about them and probably end up getting killed and even Sarah. We need to find another way to approach this."

Xander's expression mirrored my own uncertainty as we grappled with the gravity of our situation. The weight of responsibility hung heavy in the air, a silent reminder of the lives at stake and the perilous path that lay ahead.

"What do you suggest we do then?" Xander asked, his voice tinged with frustration and concern.

My mind raced as I searched for a solution, my thoughts spinning with the desperate need to protect Sarah and unravel the mystery that threatened to consume us both.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing," I said, my voice tinged with frustration. "But we can't risk confronting Sarah directly either."

Xander nodded in agreement, his brow furrowed in thought. "What if we leave her an anonymous letter?" he suggested. "Make it look like it's from the killer, warning her about the danger she's in. Then, we can follow her and see where she goes."

The idea had merit, I thought, though it carried its own risks. But with time running out and Sarah's life hanging in the balance, we couldn't afford to hesitate any longer.

"It's risky," I admitted, "but it might be our best chance to get ahead of this killer and keep Sarah safe."

Xander nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "Let's do it," he said, resolve shining in his eyes.

Together, we drafted a letter, careful to mask our handwriting and leave no trace of our involvement. We outlined the threat Sarah faced and urged her to be vigilant, signing it with a chilling alias: "The Watcher."

Once the letter was sealed and addressed, we left it at Sarah's café, careful to ensure that no one saw us. Then, we settled in to wait, our hearts pounding with anticipation as we prepared to follow Sarah and uncover the truth behind the ominous warnings.

As the hours passed, the tension in the air grew palpable, each moment stretching on like an eternity. But finally, just as the first light of dawn began to break through the darkness, Sarah emerged from the café, a look of fear etched on her face.

Without hesitation, we followed her, our footsteps echoing through the silent streets as we pursued the elusive truth that lay just beyond our grasp. The night air felt cold against my flushed face, a stark reminder of the urgency of our pursuit.

Sarah led us to a house on Grimstone Avenue, a twenty-minute walk from her café on Ebanwood Street. She walked briskly, often glancing over her shoulder to check for any signs of pursuit. We remained hidden in the shadows, maintaining a discreet distance to avoid alerting her.

As she approached her home, Sarah broke into a run, her ponytail swaying with each hurried step. In the dim light, I caught a glimpse of the same tattoo etched into the back of her neck, sending a ripple of surprise through me. I glanced at Xander, silently confirming that he had seen it too, reaffirming our suspicions.

Sarah Sinclair

As I arrived at James house, my heart raced with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. I had been shaken by the anonymous letter I received, its ominous words casting a dark shadow over my thoughts. I had followed the news of the recent murders closely, praying each night that I wouldn't become the next victim. Yet, as the reality of my situation loomed closer, my fears only intensified. All of the girls that had been killed, I had worked with them and none of them had ever mentioned receiving a letter from The Watcher.

With trembling hands, I knocked on the door, my mind racing with questions and doubts.

My boyfriend, James, greeted me with a warm smile, but I could sense the tension that lingered beneath the surface. As I stepped inside, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"James, I need to talk to you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I handed him the letter. "I received this today. I don't know what to make of it."

As I handed James the letter, my heart pounded with fear and uncertainty. I watched as his eyes scanned the page, his expression darkening with each passing moment. But as he looked up at me, his face a mask of concern, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me.

"Sarah, this... this is serious," James said, his voice trembling with emotion. "But I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to protect you. We'll get through this together."

Despite his words, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at my insides. I had always trusted James implicitly but now doubts crept in, fuelled by the unsettling realization of their shared tattoo and the secrets he may be hiding.

He had the same tattoo as me on the back of his neck, an eye with an inverted triangle carved in its iris tying us both to The Prophecy but I had never once seen him performing any duties like the ones I had been assigned. He had always told me that he was given separate duties and that we had to stay apart so we didn't raise any attention with The Prophecy. But now I am left wondering if it is James who is the killer.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, hidden beneath James's shirt sleeve, a tattoo different from her's burned into his skin—a mark of his allegiance to the prophecy, a symbol of the darkness that lurked within him. It was a secret he had kept hidden from her, a truth he had buried deep beneath layers of deception.

Detective Victoria Blackwood

As me and Xander watched from the shadows, our suspicions grew with each passing moment. Sarah's boyfriend was hiding something, of that much we were certain. But as we prepared to confront him, a sense of foreboding washed over us, a silent reminder that the truth was often more terrifying than we could ever imagine.