Emily's eyes narrowed as she looked at the piece of paper. "What's Eclipse?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
The figure smiled again, its teeth glinting in the dim light. "That's for you to find out, Detective. But I'll give you a hint: it's connected to Sarah's murder. And if you're brave enough to follow the lead, you might just uncover the truth."
Ryan's eyes were skeptical. "We're not buying into some wild goose chase," he said, his voice firm. "If you've got information, give it to us straight."
The figure chuckled, its laughter echoing off the walls of the warehouse. "Oh, I'm not trying to trick you, Detectives. I'm just trying to... enlighten you. You see, the truth is often hidden in plain sight. And sometimes, you need to look beyond the evidence to see it."
With that, the figure turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Emily and Ryan staring at each other in confusion.
"What do we do now?" Ryan asked, his voice low.
Emily hesitated, her mind racing. Part of her wanted to investigate the Eclipse lead, to see where it would take them. But another part of her was screaming that it was a trap, that they were being played.
"I don't know," she said finally, tucking the piece of paper into her pocket. "But I think we should be careful. This feels like a setup."
Ryan nodded, his eyes scanning the warehouse. "I agree. Let's get out of here and regroup. We can discuss our next move back at the precinct."
As they turned to leave, Emily couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that the figure was still lurking in the shadows, waiting for them to make their next move.
And then, just as they were about to step out into the night air, Emily's phone rang, shrill and insistent.
She hesitated, wondering if she should answer it. But something told her that she had to, that this call was connected to the Eclipse lead.
"Detective Rodriguez," she said, her voice firm.
But the voice on the other end was not what she expected. It was a woman's voice, low and husky, and it sent a shiver down Emily's spine.
"Welcome to the game, Detective," the woman said, her voice dripping with malice. "You're just in time to play."