The room was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the old ceiling fan. Amelia stood by the large window in Lucas's study, staring at the mysterious photograph she'd found earlier. It had been folded and hidden inside one of the ledgers retrieved from her father's secret safe. The image showed a blurry figure standing outside the estate's gate, watching.
"Who could it be?" she muttered to herself.
Lucas, leaning against the doorway, looked at her with concern. "You've been staring at that for hours, Amelia. Maybe it's just a passerby."
Amelia shook her head. "No. Look at the timestamp." She pointed to the corner of the photograph, where a faint date and time were printed. "This was taken the night my father signed the deal with Victoria."
Lucas frowned, stepping closer. "So, you think this person saw something? Maybe they know more than we do."
Amelia nodded. "Exactly. If they were there, they could've witnessed everything. We need to find them."
The photograph had no other identifiers, but the background showed a distinct landmark a small diner down the road from the estate. Amelia remembered visiting it as a child with her father. If the photograph had been taken near the diner, there was a chance the witness might still be local.
"I'll start there," Amelia said decisively, grabbing her coat.
Lucas followed her. "I'm coming with you. If this person knows something, we can't risk going unprepared."
They drove to the diner in silence, the tension thick in the air. The place was nearly empty when they arrived, the faint smell of coffee and fried food lingering. Amelia approached the elderly man behind the counter.
"Excuse me," she said, holding up the photograph. "Do you recognize this place? Or this person?"
The man squinted at the picture, then his eyes widened slightly. "I remember that night. There was a big commotion up at the estate. A few folks passed through here, but…" He hesitated.
"But what?" Lucas pressed.
The man sighed. "There was someone sitting in the corner booth, watching everything. They didn't order anything, just sat there for hours. When the police cars went up the hill, they left in a hurry."
Amelia's heart raced. "Do you remember what they looked like?"
The man shook his head. "Not really. They were wearing a dark hoodie. Kept their face hidden. But…" He paused, rummaging through a drawer. "They left this behind."
He handed Amelia a small notebook, its edges frayed. Amelia flipped through it, finding cryptic notes, symbols, and a few rough sketches of the estate.
"This could be the break we need," Lucas said, scanning the pages.
Back at the house, Amelia and Lucas pored over the notebook. The notes seemed disjointed, written in a hurried, almost panicked script. Phrases like "Deal struck", "Dangerous ties", and "Follow the money" stood out.
"Whoever wrote this knew what was happening that night," Lucas said. "But they were scared."
Amelia's fingers traced over a crude sketch of a symbol she didn't recognize. "This might be a key to something. But what?"
Lucas leaned back, rubbing his temples. "We need to find this person. If they're still alive, they could be the only one who knows the full truth."
Amelia began cross-referencing the notes with the ledger entries they'd recovered. One name appeared multiple times: Liam Carter.
"Who's Liam Carter?" she asked aloud.
Lucas's expression darkened. "He was a contractor who worked for your father years ago. Rumor was, he did more than construction—he handled… shady business."
Amelia's stomach churned. "Do you think he could be the silent witness?"
Lucas shrugged. "It's possible. But if he's involved, it's dangerous. People like Liam don't just disappear—they either get paid off or silenced."
Determined, Amelia decided to track Liam down. With some digging, she found an address in a rundown part of town. Lucas insisted on going with her.
When they arrived, the house looked abandoned. The windows were boarded up, and the front yard was overgrown. Amelia knocked on the door, her heart pounding.
There was no response.
Lucas pushed the door open, and they stepped inside. The air was stale, and the floor creaked under their feet.
"Liam?" Amelia called out.
A faint noise came from the back room—a rustling sound, like someone moving. Lucas motioned for Amelia to stay back as he drew his weapon and cautiously approached the noise.
In the dim light of the back room, they found a man hunched over a desk, his face hidden by a hoodie. Scattered around him were more notebooks, photographs, and documents.
"Liam Carter?" Lucas asked firmly.
The man didn't respond. Slowly, he turned around, revealing a face marked by fear and paranoia.
"You shouldn't have come here," Liam whispered, his voice shaking. "They'll know. They always know."
"Who?" Amelia demanded. "Who's watching us?"
Before Liam could answer, a red laser dot appeared on his chest.
"Get down!" Lucas shouted, pulling Amelia to the floor.
A gunshot rang out, shattering the window. By the time they looked up, Liam was slumped over, lifeless.
Amelia's breath hitched as she noticed something clenched in Liam's hand—a piece of paper. She grabbed it, her hands trembling.
The note read: "Trust no one. The traitor is closer than you think."