Echoes in the dark

The Deception

Detectives Sam Clayton and Hannah Cruz returned to the Harper mansion with a sense of urgency. The evidence found in the park suggested that Evelyn had been there, and possibly taken against her will. They needed to question Richard and Margaret again, focusing on their alibis and any potential deceptions.

Victor Harper greeted them at the door, his face lined with worry. "Have you found anything, Detectives?"

"We've found some evidence that suggests Evelyn was in Highgate Park," Sam replied. "We need to speak with Richard and Margaret again."

Victor nodded, leading them to the drawing room where Richard and Margaret were waiting. Richard looked tense, his jaw set, while Margaret appeared anxious, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"Mr. Donovan, Miss Harper, we need to ask you a few more questions," Sam began. "Can you both tell us where you were the day Evelyn disappeared, starting from the morning until evening?"

Richard was the first to speak. "I was at my office all day, working on a merger deal. My secretary and several colleagues can confirm my presence."

"We'll need their contact information to verify that," Hannah said, jotting down notes.

Richard nodded and provided the details.

Margaret shifted nervously in her seat. "I was here, at the mansion. I didn't leave the house."

"Can any of the staff confirm that?" Sam asked.

"Yes, Clara, the head maid, saw me several times throughout the day," Margaret replied, her voice shaky.

"Thank you," Sam said. "We also need to ask about any recent interactions you've had with Evelyn. Were there any arguments or conflicts?"

Richard's eyes flickered with irritation. "I've already told you, Evelyn and I had disagreements about the wedding. But nothing that would make me want to harm her."

"And you, Miss Harper?" Hannah asked, turning to Margaret.

Margaret looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "We argued about Richard. I thought he was pressuring her too much. Evelyn didn't want to listen, and we said some things we both regretted."

As they left the drawing room, Sam and Hannah headed to the kitchen to speak with Clara. The head maid was busy overseeing dinner preparations, but she stopped to talk to them.

"Clara, we need to confirm Margaret's alibi for the day Evelyn disappeared," Sam said. "Did you see her throughout the day?"

Clara nodded. "Yes, I saw Miss Margaret several times. She was in the garden in the morning, then in the library in the afternoon. She seemed upset, but she didn't leave the mansion."

"Did you notice anything unusual?" Hannah asked.

Clara hesitated. "Well, I did hear raised voices coming from the drawing room that evening. It was Miss Margaret and Mr. Donovan. They were arguing about something, but I couldn't make out the words."

"Thank you, Clara," Sam said. "You've been very helpful."

As they left the kitchen, Sam's mind raced with possibilities. Margaret's alibi seemed solid, but the argument with Richard added a new layer of complexity. They needed to dig deeper into Richard's activities and see if there were any discrepancies.

Back at the station, they reviewed the information they had gathered so far. Richard's alibi checked out; his secretary and colleagues confirmed he was at the office all day. Margaret's alibi also seemed credible, with multiple staff members vouching for her presence at the mansion.

"Something still feels off," Sam said, leaning back in his chair. "There's a piece of the puzzle we're missing."

Hannah nodded. "We need to follow up on the argument Clara mentioned. It might give us a clue about what really happened."

They decided to interview some of Evelyn's friends, hoping to uncover more information about her relationship with Richard and Margaret. Their first stop was the home of Sarah, one of Evelyn's closest friends.

Sarah was a warm, friendly woman in her early thirties. She welcomed them into her cozy living room, offering them tea and cookies.

"I can't believe Evelyn is missing," Sarah said, her eyes filling with tears. "She was so excited about the wedding, but she was also stressed. Richard was pushing her too hard, and Margaret was acting strange."

"Can you tell us more about Margaret's behavior?" Sam asked.

"Margaret has always been competitive with Evelyn," Sarah explained. "But lately, she seemed more secretive and distant. Evelyn confided in me that she felt Margaret was hiding something."

"Did Evelyn mention any specific concerns about Richard?" Hannah asked.

Sarah hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, she was worried he was more interested in her family's wealth than in her. She even talked about postponing the wedding, but Richard wouldn't hear of it."

As they left Sarah's house, Sam and Hannah compared notes. Evelyn's friends confirmed the tensions between her, Richard, and Margaret, but there were still no concrete leads.

"We need to follow up on Richard's financial situation," Sam said. "If he's in trouble, it might explain his urgency about the wedding."

They delved into Richard's financial records, discovering that his business was in serious debt. The merger deal he was working on was a last-ditch effort to save his company. Marrying Evelyn, with her substantial inheritance, would have provided a financial lifeline.

"This gives him a strong motive," Hannah said. "But we need more than just motive. We need evidence."

They decided to re-examine the evidence found in the park, hoping to uncover something they had missed. As they sifted through the items, Hannah's eyes widened.

"Sam, look at this," she said, holding up a small, ornate hairpin. "It's engraved with the letter 'M'. This could belong to Margaret."

"Let's bring her in for questioning," Sam said, feeling a surge of anticipation. "We need to find out what she's hiding."

Back at the mansion, they confronted Margaret with the hairpin. Her face went pale as she recognized it.

"Margaret, we found this in Highgate Park, near where Evelyn's torn dress was discovered," Sam said. "How did it get there?"

Margaret's hands trembled as she took the hairpin. "I... I don't know. I lost it a few days ago. I have no idea how it ended up in the park."

"Margaret, we need the truth," Hannah said gently. "If you're hiding something, now is the time to tell us."

Tears streamed down Margaret's face as she broke down. "I didn't hurt Evelyn, I swear. But I did see Richard in the park that night. He was meeting someone, a woman. I couldn't see who it was, but they were arguing."

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Sam asked, frustration creeping into his voice.

"I was scared," Margaret admitted. "Richard can be very intimidating, and I didn't want to get involved."

Sam and Hannah exchanged a glance. They finally had a new lead. They needed to find out who Richard was meeting and why. The deception was beginning to unravel, and they were getting closer to the truth.