Chapter 9 - Case Closed

I got the answer to my every question

And yet I want to go in a different direction…

The truth was so complicated

Or was it simple, just not something I expected?

Another week had passed. Sheriff Williams sat in his chair, the words of Dr. Sanders echoing in his mind. Everything she said made perfect sense, yet it made no sense at all. ‘Emily. Schizophrenia. Killed herself by accident.’ Despite this, the sheriff hadn't filed the papers of Dr. Amanda’s statement. He hadn't closed this case.

“Sheriff. You might want to see this.” A voice interrupted Sheriff Williams’ thoughts. He looked up to see an officer standing in the doorway, breathless and urgent. “It was the owner of one of the pharmacy stores from Glenn Road. His CCTV captured some interesting footage on the night of 25th July.” Sheriff Williams swallowed hard.

Quickly retrieving the CD of the footage, he inserted it into the drive, his fingers tapping anxiously. “He is going to kill me. Please…” Emily Smith's voice filled the room from the recording. Sheriff Williams gasped, his hands covering his mouth. “Oh my God… He…” There was no one visible in the footage. Emily stumbled backward, her voice trembling, “He has a knife.” She pleaded, dodging an invisible assailant. A sudden movement left her ankle sprained. Sheriff Williams knew Dr. Amanda was right, yet witnessing everything with his own eyes provided the proof he needed.

“I swear I will never talk about it again,” Emily screamed, struggling to her feet. “Oh my God!” With a loud thud, she fell once more, her jeans ripped and her knee bloody. “Ch… You?” she muttered, panting, panic-stricken, fighting with herself. Sheriff Williams couldn't believe his eyes. Moments later, she limped away toward the Annex theatre, disappearing from view.

The CCTV footage of the abandoned road played on for a few more minutes before Sheriff Williams switched it off. Closing the file that had haunted his desk for a long time, he stamped it, tossing it in the file of completed cases. Sheriff Williams then chuckled, a bit like a maniac, the sound echoing in the quiet room. And just like that, the twisted, complicated Emily Smith murder case was solved. However, the small pile of files beneath his table reminded him that some secrets were yet to be uncovered and some truths, however bizarre, had to be revealed.

As he reached for another file, his phone rang. “Hello Sheriff…” It was one of the officers from the bullpen. “We have three girls missing.” A new case was called Sheriff.