The clock had just struck 10 AM when Samuel and his team arrived at Lucas’s quiet neighborhood. Lea and Luke accompanied them, with Lea visibly tense but determined to see the day through. Luke, on the other hand, maintained an air of neutrality, unsure of what lay ahead.

  The group stepped out of the car, scanning their surroundings. The air was crisp, and the morning sun shone brightly, but the mood was somber. Lucas's house stood silent and still, the curtains drawn, showing no signs of activity.

  Samuel took the lead, ringing the doorbell three times in quick succession. The sound echoed faintly in the serene street, but there was no response. He pressed the button two more times, his patience wearing thin.

  Inside, Lucas stirred groggily in his bed. The repetitive chime pulled him from a restless sleep. His mind immediately went to the ongoing investigation. He had prepared himself for this possibility.

  Dragging himself out of bed, he shuffled towards the door, his mind racing. He hesitated momentarily before opening it. As his eyes adjusted to the daylight, he saw the group standing before him—Samuel, two other officers, Lea, and a man he did not recognize.

  Samuel motioned for Luke to step forward. “Do you know this man?” Samuel asked Lucas pointedly.

  Lucas glanced at Luke, his expression blank. “No, I’ve never seen him before in my life,” Luke responded firmly.

  Seizing the moment, Lucas added, “See? This is all a misunderstanding. I don’t know what Lea’s trying to do here, but I have nothing to do with Marcus or this case.”

  Samuel remained silent, his eyes narrowing as he observed Lucas. He gave no indication of believing or disbelieving Lucas’s claim.

  Lea stood off to the side, her nervous energy palpable. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her coat, her eyes darting between the garage and Samuel. She fought to maintain composure, knowing that anything she said could worsen the situation. With Luke present, she felt cornered, unsure of how much she could rely on him to corroborate her story—or if he even would.

  Lucas noticed Lea’s demeanor and couldn’t help but feel a pang of unease. What was she hiding? What was her endgame? He masked his growing anxiety behind a fa?ade of indifference.

  Samuel’s sharp gaze alternated between Lucas and Leah. He had been in enough interrogations to recognize when someone was holding back. Lea’s nervous fidgeting, contrasted with Lucas’s feigned indifference, only confirmed his suspicions that something was amiss.

  He decided to press the matter. “Lea,” he said, breaking the tense silence, “you mentioned Lucas had a garage. Is there any reason we shouldn’t take a look in there?”

  Lea stiffened, her eyes widening momentarily before she caught herself. “I—I don’t know. It’s not like I’ve been inside his garage,” she replied, her voice barely steady.

  Lucas interjected, his tone clipped, “Are we done here? Or are you planning to search my entire house too?”

  Samuel’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “We’re just doing our due diligence, Lucas. Why so defensive?”

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  While Samuel continued to push, Lea’s mind raced. She had to keep her reactions measured, but the stakes were too high. The garage held the truth, she was sure of it.

  As Samuel questioned Lucas further, Lea’s confidence grew. If the police found anything incriminating, it would lead directly to Lucas, shielding her from further suspicion.

  She allowed herself a fleeting moment of satisfaction. Lucas had made a critical error by hiding Marcus’s body in his garage. The concrete floor wouldn’t be enough to mask his involvement forever.

  As Samuel questioned Lucas, one of the officers approached with a man wearing a dusty jacket and a slightly anxious expression. “Inspector, this is one of the workers who helped with the recent construction in the garage,” the officer informed.

  The worker nodded hesitantly. “Yes, sir. I worked there. The owner—this man—was… strange,” he said, gesturing toward Lucas. “He was in a hurry to finish the work. Insisted we smooth the floor quickly after we saw some loosened mud underneath.”

  Samuel’s interest piqued. “Loosened mud?” he repeated, his tone sharp.

  The worker nodded again. “Yes. It wasn’t a big deal for us at the time, but his behavior… like he was watching us too closely. It felt off.”

  Lucas interjected, his voice rising, “That’s ridiculous. I was just making sure you did the job right. What does any of this have to do with your investigation?”

  Lea, who had been silent until now, seized the moment. Her voice shook with a mix of anger and feigned emotion. “It has everything to do with it! I’ve seen you lurking around. And now Marcus is missing. I’m sure you had something to do with it!”

  Lucas turned toward her, his expression darkening. “You’re out of your mind. I had nothing to do with Marcus. Stop trying to frame me!”

  Samuel raised a hand to silence them both. His focus remained on Lucas. “You understand that if there’s nothing to hide, we’ll confirm that soon enough,” he said.

  Lucas hesitated but then squared his shoulders. “Fine. You want to check the floor? Go ahead. I have nothing to hide. But when you find nothing, you’ll owe me for the damage to my property.”

  Lea stared at Lucas, astonished. She had expected him to resist more forcefully. Does he really think the body won’t be found? she wondered.

  Samuel gestured to his team. “Get the equipment. We’re starting now.”

  The officers retrieved tools to dismantle the freshly laid concrete floor. As the sound of hammering filled the air, everyone watched intently—Samuel, Lea, Luke, and even Lucas, who stood motionless, his face an unreadable mask.

  The floor began to give way, piece by piece. Lea’s heart raced as the officers worked. This was the moment of truth. Lucas, standing a few steps away, appeared composed, but his eyes betrayed flickers of anxiety.

  Luke, unfamiliar with the full extent of the story, watched with growing unease. In his mind, Lea remained the prime suspect. Yet, he couldn’t ignore Lucas’s odd behavior.

  As the officers dug deeper, Samuel leaned in closer, his flashlight illuminating the exposed ground beneath the concrete. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would emerge.

  The sound of shovels scraping concrete and metal echoed through the garage as the officers dug deeper into the newly exposed ground. Over an hour passed, and sweat glistened on their brows. Yet, the efforts yielded nothing—no body, no evidence, not even the faintest trace of Marcus.

  Lea stood frozen, her mind reeling in disbelief. How can this be? she thought. Even Samuel, who had harbored deep suspicions about Lucas, appeared stunned. His flashlight hovered over the empty pit one last time before he stood upright, shaking his head.

  Lucas broke the silence, a relieved smile creeping across his face. “I told you there was nothing here. You wasted your time and damaged my property for no reason.” His voice carried a mix of triumph and mockery.

  Lea, however, felt paralyzed. Lucas had outsmarted her entirely. The sense of control she once had slipped away, leaving her to wrestle with a new terror: Where is the body?

  Samuel turned toward Lea, his eyes narrowing. “Miss Lea,” he said firmly, “you’ll need to call Mike and have him come to the station immediately. We have some questions for him.”

  Defeated, Lea nodded numbly. The officers apologized to Lucas for the inconvenience and left the property. Lea returned to her hotel, her mind a whirlwind of panic and confusion.

  Inside her dimly lit hotel room, Lea clutched her phone with trembling hands. When Mike picked up, his voice was casual at first. “Hey, Lea. How’s it going?”

  Lea’s voice cracked as she explained the situation. “There’s no body, Mike. The police dug up the entire garage floor and found nothing.”

  Mike fell silent on the other end before responding, his tone strained. “What do you mean there’s no body? We saw Lucas burying it that night.”

  Lea’s voice rose. “I don’t know, Mike! I don’t know what he did, but it’s gone. The police are on to us now, and they want you to come to the station.”

  Mike sighed, trying to sound composed. “Calm down, Lea. Don’t panic. I’ll be there in a few hours. Just stay put, and don’t do anything rash.”

  Alone in her hotel room, Lea sat on the bed, her thoughts spiraling. She replayed the events of the night Marcus disappeared, trying to pinpoint where things had gone wrong. The body was in the garage. I was sure of it. Lucas hasn’t left his house since then, so where could it have gone?

  She clenched her fists, frustrated by her inability to piece the puzzle together. Their original plan had been straightforward, but Lucas’s erratic actions had forced them to improvise.

  To be continue...