The Diary Keeper ["The Dark Legacies" Series]

Chapter 40: A trail gone cold

As the days passed since Ethan's disappearance, the weight of uncertainty and bore heavily on all of us. Did he really just ran away or he got into serious trouble?

One morning, as the sun cast a pale glow through the windows, the sound of approaching footsteps reverberated through the hallway. My heart skipped a beat as I realized it was the police. An uneasy mixture of hope and anxiety coursed through my veins - the police do not come to the dormitory every day.

Witness statements were taken, phone records analyzed, and surveillance footage scrutinized. And so, the moment had arrived - they knocked on the door of my room. Should I not open it? Should I pretend I'm not here?

To be honest, I wasn't particularly concerned about Ethan. Yes, we were friends and had been dating for a while. I had helped him greatly earlier, but that was all in the past. I sympathize with him as a human being, and I understand that the situation is terrible... But I'm indifferent, really.

Yet, despite my indifference, I decided to open the door. Before me stood two burly police officers with stern expressions. They stared at me as if they had come for me... to take me straight to prison.

"Name, surname," their voices were harsh.

"Mine?" I know it sounded awkwardly, but could you really keep your composure in such a situation?

"Yours, and whose else?" this phrase was followed by laughter.

"Lia... Liandra Amelia Di Flores."

"I'm Mr. Brown, nice to meet you," his face didn't exactly express his delight after meeting me.

"And I'm Mr. Sanders," this guy's voice was somewhat quieter but not particularly friendlier, "Hey, I remember you."

"Have we met earlier?" I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Girl, you're a local celebrity after that incident at the club!" they both sarcastically chuckled, and Mr. Brown added, "Somehow, we often cross paths on job matters with the same individuals."

It sounded as if I were some local criminal authority, known and feared by everyone around.

"Let's get down to business," Mr. Sanders immediately turned serious. "Where were you a week ago at 2:30?"

2:30 a week ago... That was the exact time when we summoned the spirit of Hazel!

Well, what was I supposed to tell them? That we escaped to an old cemetery and summoned the spirit of a dead girl from an unnamed grave? In this case, the truth sounded more like a lie than the lie itself.

"And what were you doing a week ago at 2:30?" I quipped. "I'm leading to the point that not many people remember such insignificant details."

"Miss Di Flores, you seem to remember everything quite well. You and your friend were spotted on the cemetery surveillance camera footage."

I simply tried to maintain a calm expression. It was time to lie, shamelessly lie.

"We were so drunk that we didn't even remember where we ended up in the morning," I laughed nonchalantly.

Clearly, the officers did not approve of this response. "Miss Di Flores, we will have to inform your parents. You understand, the matter is serious - your acquaintance recently went missing, and nobody knows what's happening. Teenagers should not neglect their safety, especially now. So, be vigilant. Goodbye."

"Well, that's better," I thought to myself. My parents were already accustomed to such antics, so it would all end with just a consultation with a psychologist. If I had told the truth, my future would have been spent in a mental hospital under the watchful eyes of doctors.