[Ambys 2022: Mystery/Thriller Winner]
Discovering a dead body just minutes from her cottage in the trees is the last thing Dray Dinley expects upon moving to the remote town of Hero.
Being convinced by the town outcast and suspected murderer, Wells...
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Straining to avoid any fanciful—and if she was being truthful with herself, logical—thoughts about her current situation, Dray darted into her room. The desk chair scratched against the hardwood floors and she flinched from the sound, mentally noting to buy a computer chair on wheels as soon as possible. She sat with one leg bent underneath her and flipped open her laptop.
The main search engine popped on the screen and Dray's fingers sloppily ran over the keys, searching for missing persons reports in Hero. She furrowed her brow at the results. Only one story appeared on the page.
She clicked on the link and found an article reporting on a missing persons story. A man in his late twenties, only a handful of years older than herself—which sent a bout of chills down her spine—stood with a wide smile, holding up a stringer of fish with his older brother. They both sported bright blonde hair that reflected white in the sun.
A cough sputtered out of Dray. The brother was the town sheriff. She had only passed by him once or twice, but it was hard to forget that obnoxious head of hair.
Dray shoved away from her desk, the chair scratching hard against the floor once again. She didn't dare look at the damage. Surely it would take her whole deposit, another thing to add to the melting pot.
Dray grabbed her camera and popped out the memory card. She leaned over her computer, but it took a couple times to slide the card into the right slot. The pictures automatically opened through a basic program and she selected and printed the last one in a small size, making sure to avoid actually looking at it.
She snatched it out of the tray and whipped her purse over her shoulder. Jogging through the house to keep up her momentum—because she knew she wouldn't follow through otherwise—she swung open the front door, but came to a jarring halt.
The tall and dark man from the woods stood outside her house. He paced back and forth a few feet away from her front steps. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he looked down. His hair covered his eyes.
Dray slowly shut the door behind her. "Excuse me, can I help you?" She asked softly and crossed her arms over her chest.
He looked up and turned on his heel, taking a few steps forward. His eyes drifted to her hand and the picture that she held loosely between her fingers. His face fell in a narrowing glare.
"You don't want to do that." He stared at the photo, just a short arms length away from the bottom step.
Goosebumps rose on her arms. "Why?" She tried her best to remain calm and casual, maybe even confused. Her eyes darted around him. No one else was outside.
He exhaled and shook his head. His mop of hair fell over his face and he swept it away with one hand.
Dray tightened her jaw, suddenly annoyed at whatever game he played. "He's missing. I found him. I need to go to the police." She didn't need to be a crime expert to understand the right thing to do in this situation.
