The Noir series: The Dilemma of the Missing People on Blackson Street

Chapter 2: The Unfortunate Struggle

 As I entered Audrey's freeze-dried candy shop, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The open front door and the mess on the ground only added to my suspicions. I followed a trail of footsteps to Audrey's attic meeting room, where she sat sipping tea and staring out the window. Her innocent appearance didn't fool me. I knew she was involved in the case.

"I assume you already know why I'm here," I said, taking a seat across from her at the table. Audrey nodded, feigning innocence. But I saw the worry in her eyes. "The missing posters have got you worried?" I prodded.

"It's awful...this is Donny's dream. It's our dream," she lamented. "We were kids when we said that we would live close to each other and be partners,"

I promised to get to the bottom of things, but Audrey wasn't convinced. She pulled away when I reached for her hand and cleared her throat. "Well...you came here because Donny saw me dragging a body bag, right?"

I nodded, trying to keep my cool. But then Audrey did something unexpected. She walked over to a corner and pulled out a black body bag. My heart raced as she unzipped it and revealed..red clothes.

"I was just trying to dry my clothes when it started thunderstorming," Audrey explained. "I didn't want to put everything away so I decided to be a little lazy and just stored it in the attic for another day."

I nodded, still suspicious. And then I remembered something.

"What was Donny doing outside?"

I asked. Audrey's reply only added to the mystery. 

"She was just returning to the bakery." She saw Donny leave the bakery and assumed she was heading home but when she went to check, Donny wasn't there.

I thanked Audrey for the information and decided to investigate further. Lily was out of town, but there were still missing people to track down. And I had a feeling that Audrey wasn't telling me everything...