The murderer

Chapter 3: Secrets in the past.

Jasmine Johnson sat at the edge of the sofa, her fingers tracing the worn edges of a photo frame. It was an old family picture—her parents smiling, young and radiant, holding her and Jasion and little Nina in their arms. She couldn’t look at it for long. Every time she did, she was reminded of the cold reality that they were gone, ripped from this world in a way that no words could explain.

Her eyes drifted to the study door. That was where her parents’ secrets lay hidden—papers, folders, and files that might hold the answers they desperately needed. Jasion had insisted they start searching there again. He believed that in those documents, the truth about who wanted their parents dead and why was buried.

Nina, her youngest sister, peeked out from behind Jasmine, clutching her stuffed bear as if it could somehow shield her from the darkness creeping into their lives. “Do you really think we’ll find something in there?” she asked quietly, her voice trembling.

Jasmine swallowed. “I don’t know. But we have to try. We have no one else to turn to.”

The study was a room Jasmine had rarely entered when their parents were alive. It smelled of old paper, polished wood, and faintly of her father’s cologne. The desk was massive, covered with neatly stacked documents, but hidden in drawers and secret compartments were files that revealed the layers of their parents’ lives.

Jasion moved methodically, opening drawers and checking folders. He pulled out a thick binder labeled Confidential – Do Not Open Without Consent. Jasmine’s pulse quickened. This was it—the binder that could explain everything.

She opened it carefully, revealing letters, contracts, and handwritten notes. One note, yellowed with age, caught her eye. It was addressed to her father from a man named Marcus Bell. Jasmine read it aloud:

"Your interference has gone too far, Johnson. If you do not back off, you will pay the price. And if your family gets in the way, it will not end well for them."

Jasion’s face darkened as he snatched the note from her. “So he’s back. Marcus Bell. Dad warned us about him before, but I didn’t think he’d be capable of… this.”

Nina clutched Jasmine’s sleeve. “He… he’s the one who killed them?” Her voice was small, almost inaudible.

Jasmine shook her head. “I don’t know yet. But he’s definitely connected. And we can’t trust anyone else until we figure this out.”

They spent hours poring over the files. Among the letters and business documents, they discovered a series of bank transactions and property transfers. Large sums of money had moved to unknown accounts, some offshore. Jasmine’s heart raced. “They were hiding money. Dad… Mom… they knew someone was coming for them.”

Jasion nodded grimly. “And Marcus Bell—or whoever else—might be after it now. That’s why we need to stay low, just like Dad warned.”

As the day wore on, they discovered more troubling details: contracts with high-profile clients, disputes with former partners, and a legal battle with a company that had suddenly gone bankrupt. Every discovery painted a picture of tension, greed, and betrayal.

Jasmine leaned back, exhausted. “We need to understand the people around us. Neighbors, friends, even family members. Any one of them could be connected. We can’t let our guard down.”

Jasion tapped his chin thoughtfully. “We’ll start by interviewing the people Dad dealt with directly. But we have to be careful. Anyone could be watching.”

Nina, unusually bold for her age, spoke up. “I want to help. I want to know who did this.” Her voice was firm, but her small hands shook.

Jasmine smiled faintly, pride and worry mixing in her chest. “We’ll all work together. But promise me—you’ll be careful. No taking risks alone.”

That night, Jasmine couldn’t sleep. Her mind replayed every detail of the study, the letters, the threats. Shadows danced on the walls as she stared at the ceiling, imagining figures lurking outside. She wondered if Marcus Bell—or someone else entirely—was already in the neighborhood, watching, waiting.

Jasion, too, lay awake, his laptop open, scanning social media profiles of everyone who had been in contact with their parents. Every post, every photograph, every comment became a potential clue. He was relentless. He refused to close his eyes until he felt some sense of security for his sisters.

Nina, tucked under the blanket, whispered, “I don’t want to be alone…” Jasmine held her close. “You won’t be. We’re together, always.”

But even as she spoke, she felt the weight of the unknown pressing down on them.

The next morning, the siblings returned to the study. Jasmine carefully examined the journal she had found tucked behind a row of books. Pages were filled with her father’s neat handwriting, detailing not only financial dealings but also threats he had received over the years.

One entry stood out:

"If anything happens to me or your mother, trust no one. Marcus Bell has been relentless. He wants the assets and will stop at nothing. Keep low. Protect the children. The truth is buried in the files. Only they hold the answers."

Jasion ran a hand through his hair. “So this wasn’t random. Someone planned this meticulously. Dad knew it might happen, which is why he left us these clues.”

Nina’s eyes were wide with fear. “But… why would someone want to hurt us? We didn’t do anything.”

Jasmine’s voice was firm. “They want what Dad had. Money, power… control. And if we find it, they might come for us next.”

As they dug deeper, they uncovered photographs of unknown people visiting the house over the past year. Some were business associates, others neighbors. One face kept appearing—an older man, always seen at a distance. His eyes seemed to follow the camera wherever it went. Jasmine felt a chill. “Who is this? He’s everywhere.”

Jasion examined the files. “We’ll find out. Let’s track him down quietly. No sudden moves.”

Hours turned into days as the siblings worked tirelessly. They reviewed phone records, emails, and letters. Every lead, every clue, seemed to pull them deeper into a web of secrets, lies, and betrayal. The more they discovered, the clearer it became that their parents’ deaths were not just about money—they were about revenge, power, and fear.

Late one evening, Jasmine noticed a figure outside the window. It was a man, standing still, watching the house. Her heart raced. She grabbed Jasion and Nina. “He’s back. Someone’s outside. Watching.”

Jasion grabbed a flashlight and peered out. The man was gone. Only the shadow of a car remained, idling briefly before disappearing into the night.

“This is getting worse,” Jasion muttered. “They’re not just after Dad and Mom—they’re after us now. Every move we make is being watched.”

Nina whimpered. “I don’t want to go outside. I don’t want to leave this room.”

Jasmine held her close. “We won’t. Not yet. But we need to be ready. We have to be smart.”

The following day, they discovered a hidden compartment in the study floorboards. Inside was a small notebook, bound in leather, filled with their father’s handwriting. Names, numbers, dates, and locations were scribbled across the pages. Jasmine’s fingers trembled as she flipped through it.

“This… this could be everything,” she whispered. “Dad left this for us to find. This is the key to understanding what happened.”

Jasion nodded. “And whoever killed them knows we have it now. We need to move carefully.”

Nina clutched the notebook. “Can we use it to catch the person who did this?”

Jasmine’s eyes were steely. “Yes. But first… we survive. We stay alive. And we protect each other.”

As night fell again, the siblings sat together, planning their next steps. They knew the killer was out there, waiting, patient, and relentless. Every shadow could hide a threat, every sound could be danger. But they had something the killer did not: unity, courage, and the will to uncover the truth.

And in the quiet moments before sleep, Jasmine made a silent vow: they would not just survive—they would find the person responsible, uncover every secret, and ensure justice for their parents.