THE SILENT WITNESS

CHAPTER 1: THE DISCOVERY

Detective Jameson stood at the edge of the woods, the early morning mist swirling around his ankles like a chilling specter. The call had come in just after dawn: a jogger had stumbled upon a body, hidden behind a thick veil of foliage. Jameson's team was already processing the scene, their movements precise and calculated.

As he approached the body, Jameson's eyes scanned the area, taking in every detail. The victim was a young woman, likely in her mid-twenties. Her eyes were frozen in a permanent stare, her skin pale and clammy. A small tattoo of a bird adorned her left ankle.

"What do we know?" Jameson asked his partner, Detective Rodriguez, who was crouched beside the body.

"Not much yet," Rodriguez replied, her voice low and even. "No ID on her. No signs of forced entry or struggle in the immediate area."

Jameson's gaze lingered on the victim's face. Something about her seemed... familiar. He couldn't quite place it.

"Get her picture sent to Missing Persons," Jameson instructed. "Let's see if anyone's been looking for her."

As the team continued to work, Jameson noticed a small piece of paper caught in the bushes nearby. He carefully plucked it out, his eyes widening as he read the words scrawled on it:

"I saw it all."

Jameson's gut twisted. This wasn't just a murder – it was a message. But from whom, and about what?

The investigation was just beginning, and Jameson was determined to unravel the tangled threads of this case. But as he looked down at the victim, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched – and that the killer might still be lurking, silent and unseen.