28. Chapter 28- Dimitir and the Pub

Chapter 28- Dimitir and the Pub

Alexei

T he night hung heavy around me as I dialed my sister's number, the weight of our investigation pressing down on my shoulders. Ana answered on the second ring, her voice tight with concern.

"Alexei, what's wrong?" she asked, her tone filled with worry.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation ahead. "Ana, we need to meet," I said, my voice clipped with urgency. "It's about the murders."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Ana responded. "Of course, Alexei. Where do you want to meet?"

I glanced around the empty streets, searching for a suitable location. "Let's meet at the park," I suggested, knowing it would be quiet and secluded.

"Alright, I'll see you there," Ana replied before hanging up.

As I drove to the park, my mind raced with thoughts of the Nogitsune and the dark forces that threatened to tear our world apart. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over me, knowing that we were facing an enemy unlike any we had encountered before.

When I arrived at the park, Ana was already waiting for me, her expression grave as she took in the sight of me approaching.

"What's going on, Alexei?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

I took a deep breath, preparing to reveal the truth. "We visited Mystic Vale," I began, recounting our harrowing experience in the abandoned town. "And I learned about the Nogitsune."

Ana's eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. "A Nogitsune? But how is that possible?"

I shook my head, my mind still reeling from the revelation. "I don't know, Ana. But we need to act fast if we're going to stop it."

She nodded in agreement, her expression grim with determination. "I have a hunch," she said slowly, her eyes glinting with resolve. "We need to speak to Dimitri's wife. She might have some answers."

Dimitri. The name sent a shiver down my spine, reminding me of the vampire who had been the killer's latest victim. "You're right," I agreed, knowing that Ana's instincts were rarely wrong.

Together, we made our way to Dimitri's home, the night shrouding us in darkness as we approached the quiet street. I knocked on the door, my heart pounding with anticipation.

After a moment, the door creaked open to reveal a young woman, her face drawn with grief. "Mayor Alexei, Ana, thank you for stopping by." she welcomed us, her voice tinged with sadness.

As Vera welcomed us into her home, the weight of grief hung heavy in the air, casting a somber mood over the dimly lit living room. She led us to a worn couch, her movements slow and deliberate as she settled herself beside us.

"I appreciate you both coming," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "It's been a difficult time."

Ana and I exchanged sympathetic glances before I spoke, trying to offer some semblance of comfort. "We're here to help, Vera," I assured her, my tone gentle.

She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears as she began to recount the events leading up to Dimitri's death. "He had been acting strange for weeks, he was always visiting that pub downtown.

He said he was meeting with work friends." she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "And then one day, I came home early from work and found him meeting with some strange friends, I had never seen them before in my life."

I leaned forward, my interest piqued by her words. "What were they discussing? Who were they?" I asked, my voice low with anticipation.

Vera hesitated, her gaze dropping to her lap as if struggling to find the right words. "I didn't know who they were. They were talking about a revolution," she admitted finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't understand it at the time, but now I think they killed him when he wanted to back out of whatever they were planning."

"Do you remember anything else?" I asked, my voice tinged with urgency.

Vera shook her head, her eyes clouded with grief. "No, that's all I know," she replied, her voice choked with emotion. "But please, you have to find out who killed my husband. He didn't deserve to die like this."

Ana reached out, placing a comforting hand on Vera's shoulder. "We will do everything we can to uncover the truth," she promised, her voice filled with sincerity. "You have our word."

Tears welled up in Vera's eyes, and she nodded, gratitude in her gaze. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Thank you for everything."

As we left Vera's home, we stood outside by the car.

"Let's check out the pub and see if we can identify the friends he was meeting, they should have CCTV footage there." Ana suggested and I nodded. I climbed into the driver's seat, and we headed towards the pub.

I updated Evelyn on what Vera said about the meetings at the pub and told her that Ana and I were headed there now.

Maybe we are truly getting somewhere, and we will be able to stop the Nogitsune before the attack is launched.

The night air was heavy with anticipation as Ana and I made our way to the pub.

As we approached the pub, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over me, knowing that we were about to delve deeper into the mystery that had gripped our town. Ana and I exchanged a silent glance before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

The pub was dimly lit, the soft murmur of conversation filling the air as patrons sat huddled together in small groups. We made our way to the bar, where a tired-looking bartender greeted us with a nod.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice tinged with weariness.

Ana flashed him a charming smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "We're here to check the CCTV footage," she replied smoothly, her tone casual.

The bartender's expression shifted, a flicker of concern crossing his features. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that," he said, his voice guarded.

I leaned forward, my gaze locking with his as I spoke in a low, persuasive tone. "I am Mayor Alexei, and It's important," I insisted, my voice laced with authority. "We need to identify some individuals who were here recently."

The bartender hesitated for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine," he said, his tone resigned. "Follow me."

As we made our way to the back of the pub, my mind raced with anticipation, knowing that we were about to uncover crucial information that could lead us one step closer to finding the killer.

The bartender led us to a small room at the back of the pub, where a bank of monitors flickered to life, displaying grainy images of the pub's interior. Ana and I exchanged a glance before turning our attention to the screens, searching for any sign of Dimitri and the two friends that Vera had mentioned.

Hours seemed to pass as we painstakingly reviewed the footage, our eyes scanning the screen for any hint of the individuals we were seeking. Finally, Ana let out a triumphant exclamation, her finger pointing to a blurry figure on one of the monitors.

"There, Dimitri meeting with someone" she said excitedly, her voice tinged with triumph.

I leaned closer, studying the figure on the screen with narrowed eyes. Getting the bartender, I asked "Can you enhance the image?", my voice tight with anticipation.

The bartender nodded, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he worked to enhance the footage. Slowly, the blurry image sharpened into focus, revealing the face of a man I didn't recognize.

Ana frowned, her brow furrowing with concentration. "I've never seen him before," she murmured, her voice tinged with frustration.

I nodded in agreement, a sense of disappointment settling over me. "We need to keep looking," I said, my voice determined. "There must be something else. Vera said there were two of them."

As we continued to review the footage, my phone rang, startling me out of my concentration. I glanced down to see Evelyn's name flashing on the screen, and I quickly answered.

"Evelyn, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice tight with concern.

Her voice came through the phone, calm and steady. "I just wanted to check in," she said, her tone reassuring. "How's it going at the pub?"

I filled her in on our progress, explaining how we had identified one of the individuals from Vera's description but had never seen him before. "We're still working on finding the second one," I added, my voice tinged with frustration.

Evelyn listened patiently before responding. "I trust your judgment, Alexei," she said, her voice filled with confidence. "But please, be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."

I nodded, knowing that she was right. "I will," I promised, my voice filled with determination. "And Evelyn, please don't declare a curfew yet. It might trigger the killer to act faster. We need to go slowly for now."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Evelyn responded. "Alright, Alexei," she said finally, her voice tinged with resignation. "I'll hold off for now. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," I replied, my heart swelling with gratitude for the woman I loved. "I'll see you soon, Evelyn."

As I hung up the phone, a sense of determination settled over me. We were closer than ever to uncovering the truth, and nothing was going to stand in our way.