Whispers of the Forgotten

Chapter 7: The Scarred Man

The mention of a mysterious “him” sent Evelyn and Lucas digging through old employment records from the Caldwell estate. After hours of searching, they found a name that fit the description: Malcolm Ross, a former groundskeeper who had been fired shortly after Elena’s death.

Malcolm’s file included a photo of a man with a distinctive scar running down his left cheek. Evelyn felt a chill as she studied his face. “This has to be him,” she said.

Lucas nodded. “He was fired for ‘inappropriate behavior,’ but there’s no record of what that means. He disappeared shortly after.”

The duo tracked down Malcolm’s last known address, a run-down cabin on the outskirts of town. As they approached the property, Evelyn’s stomach churned. The cabin was eerily similar to the one where they’d found Jacob.

Inside, they discovered a grim collection of items: newspaper clippings about Elena’s death, photographs of the Caldwell family, and a series of crude drawings depicting a hooded figure looming over a woman. One drawing showed a young girl standing by a lake, her face eerily similar to Elena’s.

“This guy is obsessed,” Lucas muttered. “But why now? Why start killing again after all these years?”

Before Evelyn could respond, her phone buzzed with a text message. It was an anonymous number, and the message sent a shiver down her spine:

> “You’re getting too close. Back off, or you’ll regret.