Secrets & Lies {On Hold}

~*One*~

Five Years Later...

"So darling, have you read the newspaper this morning?" Evelyn asks her daughter Rachel as she pours tea from the kettle into a mug for Rachel.

"What is new mom? It's not like anything interesting ever happens in this boring town anyway." Rachel stares at her mother and clasps her hand around the mug as she takes another spoonful of her favorite cereal; cheerios.

"Well dearest, I really think you should read the newspapers." Evelyn goes over the sink to wash the dishes "Someone claims to know where your cousin is."

Rachel almost chokes on her cereal.

"Wait, Becca?"

"What other cousin do you have that is missing?"

"Good point." Rachel wipes her mouth with the serviette and stands up "Where is the newspaper?" she begins searching.

"It's over on the bookshelf honey but at least finish your breakfast first."

"Breakfast can wait first, this can't" Rachel mumbles.

Rachel leaves the miniature kitchen to the equally small living room of their small two bedroom bungalow located in one of the few middle class neighborhoods in Lakewood.

At the age of twenty, Rachel was still living with her mother who works at least three various jobs at a time to cater for the both of them. Rachel is dark skinned because of her father is an African. She has short soft black hair that always looked voluminous but which she forced bangs at the front nonetheless. Her height is 5'4 making her a bit short but was made up for by her flawless features that complimented her slim frame perfectly. Her dark hazel eyes, small flat nose and prominent full pink lips were set on her perfectly sculpted diamond face. Her outlook was indeed dashing.

Rachel reached for the newspaper on the third shelf of  the large wooden bookshelf and staring at her on the first page was the news headline that read "LAKEWOOD SUBURBAN BEAUTY REBECCA MITCHELL CRIME CASE HAS NEW LEADS"

Rachel scans through the article and quickly reads it. The article says nothing new except a crucial update. There is a witness who by public standards is anonymous but knows something. According to this article, Rebecca isn't a missing person but a dead person who is buried somewhere in the woods in Lakewood.

"Crap!" Rachel exclaims "B-but no one is supposed to know that!" She says to herself.

"Know what?" Evelyn comes from what seems to be out of nowhere startling Rachel in the process. Rachel fidgets then turns to look at her mother.

"Know that Becca is dead. I mean mom! How can someone just come out of the blue and say that. It doesn't make any sense. How would they know that?" Rachel covers up.

"Yes sweetie. The person even goes further to say that your dear cousin was buried even. Who would want to do that?" Evelyn wonders.

"I can't fathom who would want to hurt Becca either." Rachel shifts her gaze "Mom I have to go" she clutches the newspaper tighter within her hands and moves back towards the kitchen then grabs her long black faux pas bag and shoves the newspaper inside.

"Sweetie, aren't you at least going to finish your breakfast?" Evelyn asks her concerned "You keep skipping meals. It isn't healthy."

"Mom, I'm full, I will eat more later." Rachel leaves a peck on her mom's cheek and rushes out the door before her mother can protest again. "Seems like I definitely need to catch up with my old partners again, now don't I?"

And before long, Rachel gets on her bike. Destination? Reunion.

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