Penumbra

Strangers in the Forest

The weather, though gloomy today, failed to dampen the spirits of the people in Himmelsburg. It seemed that the curse of unresolved cases had taken a pause since December last year. Maybe I had miscalculated the pattern? It appeared to be close,but not entirely accurate. However, there were other concerns on my mind now, such as the impending arrival of our little one and the lingering frustration of unsolved cases.

From the moment I returned from Bayern, I laid out all the details to Chief Klein-the rangers, the footages, the deceased animals, and Mr. Bauer. Chief Klein informed me that Mr. Bauer was a solitary man with few friends. Tragedy had struck his life as his wife tragically passed away after giving birth to their daughter, leaving Mr. Bauer to raise her alone. Heartbreakingly, the little girl became one of the victims,shattering Mr. Bauer's world. It haunted him for years.

Throughout his time in Himmelsburg, Mr. Bauer was an unofficial suspect. His reclusive nature and his penchant for hunting animals made the locals view him with suspicion, further isolating him and driving him to the brink of madness. Could he have been involved, either as the mastermind or an accomplice? It was a possibility,albeit an uncertain one. However, Chief Klein staunchly defended him, citing their deep childhood friendship. Oddly enough, I couldn't help but harbor a growing suspicion towards Chief Klein himself. The situation was becoming increasingly surreal.

A call from Chief Klein interrupted my thoughts. He revealed that they had apprehended Mr. Şahin, who was currently at the police station. In Mr. Şahin's basement, the police discovered a boat, books, snorkels, oxygen tanks, bright lanterns, and professional scuba diving equipment, along with a meticulously detailed plan of the lake's geography. He was now the primary suspect in his own son's disappearance. However, his lawyer argued that Mr. Şahin had taken matters into his own hands, seeking justice by embarking on a personal mission to find his son.

Mr. Şahin claimed that local divers and the police were entangled in a conspiracy,and his son was still trapped within the depths of the lake. I received an urgent email from the lead investigator, Mrs. Wagner, summoning me to an emergency meeting.To my surprise, Chief Klein was also present, along with other team members involved in the case.

As it turned out, Detective Wagner had relinquished the case to Chief Klein, as he had persistently pushed for its return. With other pressing matters demanding her attention, Detective Wagner entrusted the case to Chief Klein, leaving him without her resources. Now, we had complete control and the freedom to continue the investigation-an encouraging development

Remarkably, Mr. Klein managed to procure a document granting permission for a "pen-test for investigation reasons" that had commenced a few days before the library incident. I felt a wave of relief, no longer wanting to engage in unlawful activities. After all, I had taken up the role of a digital forensic analyst to catch hackers, not become one myself.

"Alright, sir. Thank you for the document. But what's our next move? What comes next?" I inquired.

We examined the tapes from Mr. Bauer, as well as the hidden maps he possessed. I handed over the animal photographs, particularly the one featuring the deceased deer, to the forensics team. Hopefully, they could offer fresh insights.

"We'll take a look at it, but it's definitely peculiar," one of them remarked.