Past Unveiling by Audrey Walker (little readers .TXT) 📕

a long shot. The truth of the matter was that Robin was starting to doubt if this will ever be over. She had thought James was her guy, but now she knew he wasn’t. The real murderer was back, whoever he was, and he had started killing again. But he seemed to be a bit more cautious than before. He wasn’t killing recklessly the way he was before. In fact, ever since the body was found a week ago, there had been no sign of the killer. No other bodies have shown up.

Robin’s mind was reeling as she thought this over. She had been thinking about this non-stop, that the killer had planned to frame her for the murders. He had manipulated Jim into confessing and then hoped that Robin would rise to the baiting and kill Jim. Then the killer lured her down to the basement where he had planned on having James kill Abby. Robin would be caught red-handed and arrested for the murder of her sister and her brother-in-law.

It was clear to her that the child wanted revenge for something. And he didn’t just want to kill Robin. He tried to destroy her. Robin shuddered to think of what would have happened if his plan had succeeded. She would have lost the people she loved and would have been declared their murderer. But the plan had failed. Robin had managed to save both Abby and Jim, and James had been discovered.

The killer needed a new plan now. He needed to figure another way to have his revenge. Robin knew enough of his psychology to see that it won’t be anything simple. He won’t just kill her. No, the killer will figure out a way to ruin her. But he had made a mistake and underestimated Robin. This time, she planned on staying one step ahead; she didn’t plan on losing.

She was ready this time.

Chapter Three

“Detective Matthews,” a voice called her out.

Robin stood in the middle of the precinct, surrounded by officers who were all busy with their various tasks. The voice belonged to the new Captain, Captain Hendricks, who had been transferred here from another town.

“Might I have a word?” he asked.

Robin followed him into his office, and he shut the door behind her.

“Let me be clear, Detective,” he said, sitting down behind his desk. “I don’t like you. You are trouble, I can tell just by looking at you. Now, I don’t know how Roy did things around here, but I run a tight ship. I will not take any insubordination.”

He got up and walked over to her, looking her straight in the eyes.

“If I had my way, I would have never reinstated you,” he growled. “I don’t want you anywhere near my precinct. But it seems the higher-ups think you should re-join, that you are a vital addition to this precinct. Now, I don’t care what kind of help you might be. I want you to stay the hell out of my cases. I want you to keep your nose down and mind your own business. You step even a toe out of line; I will not hesitate to have you suspended. Permanently.”

“Sir,” Robin said. “If you would give me a chance, I could show you that I can really help–.”

“No, Detective,” he sneered. “You will do no such thing. You will stay away from it all. You are confined to your desk. You will deal with the paperwork only until I decide otherwise. If you fail to follow my orders or go behind my back, I will not hesitate to report you. I have a very strong record, Detective. I run my precinct efficiently, and have the highest arrest rate in this state. I will not have my efforts ruined because of a troublemaker like you, understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Robin said through gritted teeth.

“Dismissed,” he said.

Robin bowed lightly and walked out of his office, anger consuming her body. She controlled it, knowing full well that saying anything at this point will just make things more difficult for her. She looked around as the precinct continued to run in full swing. As always, it was filled with officers running through the building, filing paperwork, discussing cases, and running analyses. She had missed this. This hustle and bustle was the life of a cop – the smell of bad coffee and noisy chatter in the air. The sounds of typing on the keyboard, or even a yawn here and there, could always be heard. This was her home, and she was glad to be back.

Robin’s elation was short-lived, though. As she stood there, she realized that she had no friends here anymore. Everyone in this building blamed her for the Captain’s death. And even though Abby and Jim’s evidence was enough to clear both her and Kyle’s name, the officers still didn’t trust her. They still looked at her suspiciously, avoiding her, whispering when they saw her.

“Robin,” Kyle said, coming over to stand next to her. “How did it go?”

Robin told him what the Captain had said, and Kyle rolled his eyes.

“He is an ass,” he said. “He thinks he is someone special because of his record. He is not even half the man Captain Roy was. Have you been summoned before the investigative team?”

Internal Affairs was running an investigation into the incident, and Robin was supposed to appear in front of them soon to give evidence. Even though she had been reinstated, it was temporary. If Internal Affairs decided she was guilty, she could still be arrested. But she knew that wouldn’t happen. There was too much evidence against James now.

“I have to meet them tomorrow,” Robin said, her breath hitching. “I don’t know how I am going to sleep tonight. I have nightmares about internal investigations.”

“I already gave my testimony,” he said, patting her back. “Don’t worry; everything will work out.”

“Hey, Andrews,” Robin said as Andrews passed near her. He shot her a terrified look and then scuttled away, and Robin sighed.

“He still hasn’t