THE SILENT KILLER

CHAPTER 4

Adrian hurried back home. When he got home he was so quick to lock the door behind him and went straight for his bedroom where he laid facing the ceiling his thoughts were still fixed on what he saw as it was devastating.

The things he saw at the butcher's shop would not leave his mind. He remembered the secret building.

He remembered the containers containing human parts. He remembered the men carrying them.

Nothing about it felt settled.

"So this is what has been going on?" he whispered. The more he thought about it, the more he became worried. Soon his eyes started to feel heavy.

After a while, he fell asleep.

The next morning, the city was busy as usual.

Cars drove through the streets. People walked to work. Shops were opened for business.

At the police station, Detective Valerie Dominic was sitting at her desk with a huge pile of files in front of her.

Valerie was one of the best detectives in the city. She was also known for her looks because she was a beautiful young lady and she had features which made her very attractive.

She was tall, caramel skinned, brown eyes, black long curly hair, with a slim thick body.

Her walking posture also added to it all as she walked with her hips which made her waist move with each step she took so it was easy to say she made an announcement unknowingly to her when she walked into a place.

She was hard working, clever, brave and never gave up on a case. She was also stubborn and very inquisitive when it came to things she actually wanted to know more about.

Right now, she was looking at the reports about missing people.

Some were adults. Some were teenagers. Some were children, but most importantly they were all human beings.

Many people have disappeared over the last few years. Nobody knew where they had gone.

There were no ideas. There were no witnesses or traces to lead them on. It was like they had vanished into thin air.

Valerie opened another file and shook her head. "This can't be a coincidence," she said quietly.

She picked up a few files and stood up.

A few minutes later, she knocked on the door of Chief Officer Hayes.

"Come in," the chief said. Valerie walked inside.

The chief was sitting behind his desk. He looked tired and overstimulated.

"How can I help you, detective?" he asked.

Valerie placed the files on his desk. "We need to talk about the missing people again." The chief sighed.

"Again?" "Yes." He leaned back in his chair.

"What happened now?" "More people are missing." The chief nodded.

"I know." "Then why aren't we doing anything about this anymore?" Valerie said,

The chief frowned "We are doing something."

Valerie crossed her arms "Well, it doesn't feel like we're doing

enough."

The chief looked at her "Our officers are investigating every case which you are very well aware of."

"But we aren't finding anything," Valerie

said.

"We have no suspects." "We have no clues." "We have nothing."

The chief rubbed his forehead.

"I understand."

"No, sir. I don't think you do." The room became quiet. Valerie pointed at the files.

"Families are scared." "Children are disappearing."

“People are living in fear”. "We need to look deeper."

The chief looked at her carefully. "So what are you trying to say now?"

Valerie took a deep breath. "I think Mr. Sterling knows something."

The chief immediately shook his head. "Not this again."

Valerie stepped closer. "I've been watching him for a while now and I think he may have a lead on this case."

The chief frowned. "And?"

"I've seen strange things." "What kind of strange things?"

"His workers moved around late at night."

"There are vans coming and going."

"And some of the businesses he owns seemed suspicious, where does he get the money to fund them."

The chief sighed. "Do you have proof?"

Valerie was silent.

The chief nodded. "That's what I thought."

"But I know something isn't right."

"Well knowing isn't enough," the chief replied.

"We need hard evidence if at all we're about to hold an investigation against one of the richest and most powerful men in the state."

Valerie felt angry. "And the people that keep disappearing while we wait?" She pushed saying.

The chief folded his arms. "Then keep investigating."

"I am investigating." "Good. Bring me evidence then we can have this conversation."

Valerie closed her hands forming a fist. "We are making a mistake."

"No," the chief said firmly. "We are following the law and besides you should stop monitoring that man hence, you're caught."

“You wouldn't like the consequences because you know who you're dealing with.”

Valerie grabbed her files.

Without saying another word, she turned around and stumped out.

The door shut loudly behind her.

Several officers looked up. Valerie ignored them.

She walked out of the station and got into her car. She was frustrated. Something was happening in the city.

She could feel it. And somehow, she believed Mr. Sterling was connected to it.

She started her car and drove away.

As she passed one of the butcher shops, something caught her eye.

A black van was parked behind the building in the alley between two buildings where the back door was.

Valerie slowed down. Several men were carrying large containers out of the back door.

One by one, they loaded the containers into the van. The men worked quickly.

It looked like they were used to this movement. Valerie watched carefully.

Something felt wrong. She reached for her camera and took several pictures.

A few minutes later, the men finished loading the van. The back doors were slammed shut.

The driver seemed to already be inside. The van drove off in speed almost immediately.

Valerie quickly started following it. She stayed far behind so nobody would notice her.

The van drove through several streets. Then it headed toward the warehouse district. Large buildings stood everywhere.

Trucks moved in and out of the area.

Finally, the van stopped at a warehouse.

Valerie parked across the street. She watched quietly.

Workers came out and started unloading the containers.

As they worked, Valerie noticed something attached to one of the boxes. A shipping tag.

She picked up her camera and zoomed in. Her eyes widened.

The tag said: Destination: Seattle, Washington.

Valerie blinked.

"Washington?" she whispered.

Why would containers from a butcher shop be shipped all the way to Washington?

It didn't make sense. She quickly took several pictures.

Then she looked around the warehouse again. Everything seemed normal.

But deep inside, she knew something was wrong. Very wrong.

She looked at the photos on her camera.

For the first time in a long time, she felt hopeful. This wasn't enough evidence yet.

But it was a clue.

And clues were exactly what she needed.

Valerie looked back at the warehouse.

Whatever was inside those containers was important and would give her answers, answers she was looking for. She was sure of it.

Minutes later, one of the workers walked over to a clipboard hanging near the warehouse door. He wrote something down and then disappeared inside.

Valerie quickly lifted her camera again and zoomed in.

The image wasn't clear, but she could see a few numbers and letters written on a paper attached to the clipboard.

Before she could zoom in any further, the paper was removed.

"Great," she whispered.

Just then, A black SUV rolled out from the back of the warehouse.

Valerie sat up straighter.

The windows were tinted dark, making it unable for one to see who was inside.

The vehicle stopped near the entrance. One of the workers walked forward and the driver handed him a small envelope.

The SUV remained there for only a few seconds before driving away.

Valerie quickly snapped several pictures.

Something about the transfer felt important.

As she lowered the camera, a shiver went through her body. She froze.

For a moment, she felt like someone was watching her.

Slowly, she looked around towards the warehouse.

There was a man standing near the entrance.

Even from a distance, she could tell he was staring directly at her car.

Valerie's heart began to beat faster. Has she been noticed?

The man stood still, watching. Then, very slowly, he smiled. A cold frightening smile. One that made Valerie feel weird in her stomach.

Without taking her eyes off him, she reached for her keys and started her engine.

Something told her she had already gotten closer to the truth than she realized.

And maybe...

The people behind all this had just realized it too.

“This investigation just became more interesting and dangerous” she whispered to herself as she drove off with speed from the area.