7. Chapter 7 New Leads

Chapter 7: New Leads

EVELYN

The late night is quiet as I make my way to Ana's place. The weight of the day's events hangs heavy on my shoulders. As I approach her door, I see the light is still on. Ana must be waiting for me. I knock gently, and a moment later, she opens the door, looking exhausted but determined.

"Evelyn," she says, stepping aside to let me in. "Any news?"

"Nothing substantial," I reply, shaking my head. "But we can't stop now. We need to dig deeper."

Ana nods, her face set with resolve. "Let's get to it, then."

We set up in her living room, papers, and files spread out across the table. The light casts shadows on the walls, giving the room an eerie feel. We start going through the documents again, focusing on the witches who were killed.

"There has to be a reason they were targeted," I say, scanning a file. "Something connecting them."

Ana nods. "Agreed. Let's look into their backgrounds, see if there's a common thread."

We work in silence for a while. The only sound is the rustling of papers. The pile of documents grows smaller as we meticulously review each one.

"Look at this," Ana says suddenly, holding up a piece of paper. "They all attended the same particular coven meetings regularly."

I take the paper from her, my eyes scanning the list of names. "You're right. They were all part of a smaller, more exclusive group within the coven."

Ana leans back, rubbing her temples. "Why would someone target this specific group?"

"I don't know," I admit, feeling a headache coming on. "But it's a lead. We need to find out more about these meetings."

Ana pulls out her laptop and starts typing. "I'll look for any records or notes from their meetings. Maybe there's something there."

As she searched, I sifted through the files again, looking for any piece of information I can use, no matter how small. The hours drag on, and exhaustion starts to take its toll. The sun begins to rise, casting a pale light through the window.

"I've got something," Ana says, her voice cutting through the quiet. "One of the witches, Laura, kept detailed notes on their meetings. It's all here."

I move to look over her shoulder. "What do they say?"

Ana scrolls through the notes, her eyes narrowing. "It looks like they were working on a powerful spell. Something to protect the town from dark forces."

"That's it," I say, feeling a spark of hope. "Someone didn't want them to complete the spell. It must have been a threat to whoever is behind this."

Ana nods, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "We need to find out who knew about this spell and who would benefit from stopping it."

We spend the next few hours digging through the notes and cross-referencing them with other files. It's slow, painstaking work, but we're making progress. The pieces are starting to come together.

But then, as the morning wears on, I feel my energy waning. I rub my eyes and lean back in my chair. "I'm exhausted, Ana. I need a break."

Ana looks up, concern in her eyes. "You should rest, Evelyn. You've been pushing yourself too hard."

"I can't afford to rest," I say, shaking my head. "Not until we find the truth."

She reaches out and squeezes my hand. "We will, Evelyn. But you won't be any good to Alexei or anyone else if you collapse."

I sigh, knowing she's right. "Okay. Maybe just a short nap."

Ana helps me to the couch, and I lie down, the events of the past days swirling in my mind. As I drift off, I think about Alexei, locked away and waiting for me to clear his name. I won't stop until I do. But for now, I need to rest.

I wake up a while later, the sun now fully up. Ana is still at the table, surrounded by papers. She looks up as I sit up, rubbing my eyes.

"Feel better?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say, stretching. "Thanks. Any more progress?"

"A bit," she replies, pushing a stack of papers towards me. "I've been looking into anyone who might have had a motive to stop the spell. There are a few names that keep popping up."

I take the papers and start reading through them. "Good work. Let's see if we can narrow it down."

We spend the rest of the day going through the names, looking for any connections to the murders. It's tedious work, but we're making headway. Every now and then, I glance at my phone, wishing I could speed-dial Alexei like in the past and tell him all about the tough cases, but it's impossible now. I push down the worry and focus on the task at hand.

As night falls again, we finally have a list of suspects. It's not much, but it's a start. I look at Ana, who's slumped over the table, clearly exhausted.

"We've done good work," I say, trying to sound hopeful. "We'll follow up on these leads tomorrow."

Ana nods, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. "Yeah. We'll get there, Evelyn. We have to."

I gather the papers and get ready to leave. "Get some rest, Ana. We're going to need all our energy for this."

She smiles faintly. "You too, Evelyn. Take care."

As I drive home, the streets of Harmony Grove are quiet, the town unaware of the supernatural forces at play. I think about Alexei and the promise I made to the children. I won't let them down. We're getting closer, and I won't stop until I find the truth.

I park outside my house and sit in the car for a moment, gathering my thoughts. The night is still, the stars shining brightly overhead. I take a deep breath and step out, ready to face another day. We will get to the bottom of this. For Alexei, for the coven, and for the town of Harmony Grove.

I arrive at the sheriff's department early, hoping they have made significant progress in my absence. The team is already gathered, and the air is thick with tension.

"I'm sorry for my absence, I just needed to take the time off as all of this is overwhelming," I say as I get to them, and murmurs of support fill the room. They understand the pressure of everything on me.

"Sheriff, we've got another lead," Sam says, handing me a file. "Surveillance footage from a nearby street camera."

I open the file and see grainy images of Alexei's car driving away from the bar. My heart skips a beat when I notice Alexei in the passenger seat. The driver's figure is indistinct and shadowed. Alexei doesn't look lucid, slumped against the window. Boom!! This is big; it proves he was not alone going to the deserted house where the witches were found and that he was blacked out!

"Who's driving?" I ask, flipping through the images.

"We can't tell," Sam admits, frustration in his voice. "The angle and shadows make it impossible to identify the driver."

I clench my jaw. "What about Alexei's car? Have we found it?"

"Yes, ma'am. We found it parked a few blocks away from Alexei's house. We dusted for prints, but it's been wiped clean."

My frustration mounts. "Someone's covering their tracks well. Too well."

Sam nods. "We're working on enhancing the footage, but it's going to take time."

I look around at my team, seeing the same frustration mirrored in their faces. We're back to square one, and time is running out.

"Alright, let's keep pushing. We need to figure out who that driver is. Check traffic cameras, security footage from nearby businesses, anything that might give us another angle."

The team disperses, diving back into their work. I head to my office, sit at my desk, and bury my face in my hands for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts.

A knock on the door startles me. It's Ana, looking as exhausted as I feel.

"Evelyn, any updates?" she asks, stepping inside.

I hand her the file. "We found footage of Alexei's car. He's in the passenger seat, but we can't identify the driver. The car was wiped clean."

Ana's face falls as she flips through the images. "This is bad. We're dealing with someone who knows how to cover their tracks."

I nod. "And it means Alexei wasn't alone. Someone was with him, someone who's trying to frame him."

"We need to find out who that is," Ana says, determination in her voice. "And fast."

"We're working on it," I assure her. "We just need more time."

Ana's eyes narrow. "The longer Alexei is locked up, the harder it will be to clear his name."

"I know," I say, my voice tight with frustration. "But we can't rush this. We need to be thorough."

Ana takes a deep breath and nods. "Alright. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Actually, there is," I say, an idea forming. "Can you go through Alexei's personal contacts? See if anyone stands out, someone who might have a grudge or a motive to set him up."

"On it," Ana says, already pulling out her phone. "I'll start right away."

As she leaves, I return to my desk, my mind racing. We're missing something, some crucial piece of the puzzle. I just need to figure out what it is.

The department buzzes with activity all day. Sam comes in and out, updating me on their progress. They've managed to enhance the footage slightly, but the driver's face is still obscured. It's frustratingly close, but not enough.

Just as I'm about to call it a night, Sam bursts into my office, a look of triumph on his face.

"Sheriff, we've got something," he says, breathless.

I sit up, my heart pounding. "What is it?"

"We found another camera angle from a store down the street. It's not perfect, but we've got a clearer view of the driver."

He hands me the enhanced image. The figure is still shadowed, but I can make out some features. It's a man wearing a hood, but his face is partially visible.

"It's not enough to ID him," Sam says, "but it's a start. We can run it through facial recognition, see if we get any hits."

"Do it," I say, hope flickering in my chest. "And keep me updated."

As Sam leaves, I stare at the image, trying to commit every detail to memory. We're getting closer. It's only a matter of time now.

The night drags on, and I force myself to stay focused. We're on the right track, but we can't afford any mistakes. Alexei's life depends on it.

By the time dawn breaks, we have a partial match on the driver. It's not definitive, but it's a lead we can follow up on. I gather my team for a briefing, laying out our next steps.

"We're getting closer," I tell them, my voice steady. "We've got a partial match on the driver. We need to follow up on this, see if we can get a full ID."

The team nods, determination in their eyes. We're all tired, but we can't afford to let everyone down.

As we set out to track down our new lead, I feel a glimmer of hope. We're not there yet, but we're making progress. And I won't stop until Alexei is free, and the real culprit is brought to justice.