The morning sun filtered through the half-drawn blinds, casting long streaks of gold across my apartment floor. The room was still, except for the soft bubbling of water coming to a boil in the kitchen and the low hum of my fridge in the corner.
Miss Donna sat quietly on my couch, shoulders slightly hunched, eyes fixed on the carpet. Her fingers gripped her phone like it was her last tether to safety. After what happened last night, I couldn't blame her. Her home had been violated, torn apart by intruders whose intentions were still a mystery. I was glad I'd let her crash at my place. She needed rest. She needed refuge.
Then her phone rang.
"Hello, Miss Donna," came a deep voice from the speaker. It echoed faintly across the room.
I recognized the voice. Detective Charles.
I turned back to the stove, pretending to focus on preparing breakfast, eggs and toast, nothing fancy, but I could feel the tension in the room tighten. Something in her body language shifted. She stood abruptly and made her way to the door, stepping outside with quiet urgency.
"Hello, Detective," I heard her say as the door clicked shut behind her.
I crept closer, heart racing. Something about the secrecy of it all, it didn't feel right. Why did she need to step outside? What was she hiding?
"I'm so sorry I missed your calls," the detective said. "Yesterday was… it was hard on me." he continued..
"What happened? Are you okay?" Detective Charles asked.
"No," she said after a pause. "I need to tell you something. Some people broke into my house yesterday… and I think I know who they are."
That was enough to stop me in my tracks. I leaned a little closer to the door, my breath catching.
"There are things I need to tell you about the governor of our town," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "Something very important. And I've been hiding it for a long time."
My chest tightened. The governor?
Only one man came to mind.
Thomas Gall. The same man who had once been married to my mother. The same man I was convinced had orchestrated her murder and made it look like a random accident. A man who had power, wealth, and blood on his hands.
Could Donna be talking about him?
If she had secrets about him… then she wasn't just a victim. She might be part of something deeper, darker. My thoughts spun wildly. Had she been protecting him? Was she part of it all? Or had she been living in fear, like the rest of us?
I barely made it back to the kitchen before she returned. I grabbed the kettle, pretending to be caught up in the steam rising from the spout.
"Oh, Daven," she said, her voice a little softer now.
I turned.
"I need to hurry back home," she continued, walking toward me. "Detective Charles is on his way. I just wanted to thank you… for yesterday. For helping me, for being there when those men came. And for giving me a place to rest. I won't forget it."
She leaned forward and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. It felt like a farewell. A farewell with secrets still unsaid.
And just like that, she picked up her bag and left.
I stood there, stunned, thoughts racing. Why her? Why the governor? How deep was she in this mess?
If she was really connected to that monster, my mother's killer, then I couldn't just stand by. I had to find out the truth. One way or another, he was going to pay.
---
Uncovering Shadows
Miss Donna's house was once again crawling with police. Blue and red lights pulsed against the morning mist as Detective Charles stepped inside, removing his cap.
"Welcome, Detective Charles," Miss Donna said, offering him a cup of tea with a trembling hand.
He nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Miss Donna."
Then turning to his team, he instructed, "Sweep the entire house. Look for anything the intruders might've left behind. Even a scrap of fabric or a fingerprint."
Donna sat quietly, her face pale, body still shaken from the recent trauma.
"I think… one of them dropped something," she said after a moment. "An ID card. It's in my drawer upstairs. I'll go get it."
As she stood, she staggered slightly, reaching for balance.
"Easy there," Charles said, gesturing to the officer beside him. "Miller, go get it for her."
"Yes, sir," Officer Miller said quickly and disappeared up the stairs.
But once in her room, his calm demeanor shifted. He spotted the card, picked it up… and without hesitation, slipped it into his coat pocket. Stepping back, he pulled out his phone and made a call.
"My honorable governor," he muttered quietly. "One of your men left behind something. An ID card. Could trace back to you."
The voice on the other end was low and furious. "You know what to do, Miller."
"Yes, sir. I know."
"And the name on the card?"
"Mr. Lucas, sir."
A pause.
"Do the needful," the governor growled before hanging up.
Officer Miller tucked the phone away, smoothed out his uniform, and walked calmly back downstairs.
"No ID found, sir," he said to Charles. "I checked thoroughly. It's not there."
Donna's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? No, it was there! I'll go get it myself, I know exactly where I left it."
Charles and Miller followed her upstairs, but the drawer was empty.
Donna stared at it, confused, her voice faltering. "But it was right here…"
Charles sighed, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "You're exhausted, Donna. It's been a traumatic night. You need rest. I'll leave a few men outside your home, keep an eye out. You're safe now."
Before Donna could reply, another officer burst into the room.
"Sir!"
"Yes?" Charles responded.
"We found a body, sir. Behind the house. A male, shot dead."
Donna gasped, clutching her chest. "That… that must be my bodyguard. I hadn't seen him since yesterday…"
She broke down in tears. Charles motioned to his team.
"Secure the scene. I'll stay with her."
As the officers stepped out, Charles remained by her side, but his mind was already calculating. There were pieces missing from this puzzle. Something wasn't right. The ID, the governor, the intruders, and now a dead man.
Someone was trying to cover their tracks.