December 18, 2024 • 17 mins
During Cedar Hollow's Winter Festival, sixteen-year-old Emma Bradley disappears after discovering connections between last year's Porter murder and her grandfather's decades-old "accident." Detective Rourke follows a trail of clues leading to the old warehouse district, where Emma's research has uncovered dangerous secrets about the town's past. The episode culminates in the revelation that both deaths are connected to a larger conspiracy involving Cedar Hollow's most prominent families.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The string of colored lights spanning Cedar Hollow's main street
swayed in the December wind, casting shifting shadows on the
fresh snow below. Detective Jack Rourke watched the gathering crowd
from his usual spot near Thompson's coffee shop, his gloved
hands wrapped around a cup of black coffee. One year ago,
he'd been standing in almost the same spot when he
got the call about Evelyn Porter's murder. Now, as the
(00:21):
town prepared to open its annual winter festival, he couldn't
shake the feeling that the Porter case wasn't quite finished
with Cedar Hollow. Penny for your thoughts, Detective Sarah McKenzie,
the coffee shop's owner, appeared at his elbow with a
fresh cup. You've got that same look you had last Christmas.
Eve Rourke accepted the coffee with a nod. Just memories, Sarah.
(00:43):
Hard to believe it's been a year. The Porter still
cast along shadow, she said, pulling her scarf tighter. Did
you hear Thomas Porter's daughter, Sarah is back in town.
Poor thing barely leaves that big house these days. Before
Rourke could respond, Mayor Henderson's voice boomed through the speakers,
set up near the town square's massive Christmas tree welcome
(01:04):
everyone to Cedar Hollow's seventy fifth annual winter festival. The
crowd's applause was enthusiastic, if somewhat subdued compared to previous years.
Rourke scanned the faces, noting how many people were glancing
toward the hill where the Porter mansion stood dark against
the gray sky. The murder had changed this town in
subtle ways. Locked doors that used to stay open, whispered
(01:27):
conversations that stopped when strangers approached, old friendships that had
fractured under the weight of suspicion. And now, Henderson continued,
I'd like to invite Emma Bradley to light our Christmas tree.
Emma's wonderful essay about Cedar Hollow's history won our annual
youth writing contest. A slim teenage girl with auburn hair
made her way to the platform. Rourke recognized Marcus Bradley's daughter.
(01:52):
He'd interviewed Marcus briefly during the Porter investigation, as the
man had been Evelyn Porter's financial adviser. Emma looked nervous
as she accepted the ceremonial switch from the Mayor, but
there was something else in her expression that caught Rourke's attention.
She was scanning the crowd, as if looking for someone specific.
The mayor began counting down with the crowd. Three two, one.
(02:14):
Emma flipped the switch. The massive tree blazed to life,
it's thousands of lights reflecting off the snow. The crowd cheered,
but Rourke was focused on Emma, who had quickly handed
the switch back to the Mayor and was hurrying off
the platform, phone in hand. Jack The shout came from
behind him. He turned to find Officer Maya Chen, one
(02:35):
of his most reliable officers, pushing through the crowd. The
look on her face made his stomach drop. What is it?
Marcus Bradley just called the station in a panic. His daughter, Emma.
She never showed up for the ceremony. The girl who
lit the tree. That was the understudy, Katie Martinez. Nobody's
seen Emma since she left home two hours ago to
deliver her final history project to the library. Rourke was
(02:57):
already moving coffee forgotten get statements from the family. I
want to know everything about her movements today and Chen
check if she had any connection to the Porter family.
Already did, Chen said, falling into step beside him. She's
been researching Cedar Hollow's founding families for her project, including
(03:18):
the Porters, and according to her teacher, she was especially
interested in last year's murder. The colored lights continued to
dance across the snow as Rourke headed for his car,
his mind already assembling the pieces of what could become
Cedar Hollow's second holiday tragedy. Behind him, the festival carried
on it's cheerful music, a discordant backdrop to the darkness
(03:39):
he could feel gathering once again over the small mountain town.
The Bradley Homes sat on the edge of Cedar Hollow's
historic district, a well maintained Victorian with dark green shutters
and a wrap around porch. Christmas lights hung unlit along
the eaves, and an unwrapped wreath leaned against the front door.
Forgotten in the chaos of Emma's disappearance. That Claire brad
(04:00):
met them at the door, her face tight with worry.
Detective Rourke, I remember you from last year. She twisted
a charm bracelet around her wrist. Marcus is in Emma's room,
looking for anything that might tell us where she went.
Rourke followed her up the curved staircase, noting the family
photos that lined the wall. Emma through the years, ballet recitals,
(04:20):
soccer games, school plays. The most recent showed her outside
the Porter mansion. Notebook in hand that caught his attention.
When was this taken? He asked, pausing at the photo.
About three weeks ago. Claire answered. For her history project,
she was interviewing Sarah Porter, Thomas Porter's daughter. The poor
(04:41):
girl finally agreed to talk about her family's role in
founding Cedar Hollow. She hesitated. Emma was very excited about
what she learned. Emma's room was exactly what Rourke would
expect from a sixteen year old honor student. Books everywhere,
a laptop covered in stick and a corkboard filled with
photos and notes. Marcus Bradley stood by the desk holding
(05:05):
a leatherbound journal. Detective Marcus nodded his financial advisor's composure,
cracking I found this. It's her research journal for the
history project, the last entry. He handed it over with
shaking hands. Rourke opened to the marked page. Emma's neat
handwriting filled the pages. Final interview with Sarah Porter Today
(05:26):
can't believe what she told me about her grandmother's murder.
Everyone thought they knew the whole story, but there's so
much more, the connections between the families, the old agreements,
it goes back decades. Meeting Tea tonight at the festival
to get the last piece. This is huge. Cedar Hollow's
perfect facade is about to crack. Did Emma mention who
(05:49):
Tea might be? Rourke asked. Scanning the rest of the entry,
Marcus and Claire exchanged glances. No. Claire said she's been
very secretive about her sources said it with part of
being a real historian. Officer Chen appeared in the doorway. Detective,
we found Emma's phone. She held up an evidence bag
containing a smartphone in a purple case. It was in
(06:11):
a trash can near the library. And there's something else.
Sarah Porter's asking to speak with you, says it's urgent.
Rourke looked back at the journal entry. Mister Bradley, when
exactly did Emma interview Sarah Porter last Thursday? Marcus answered,
but he hesitated. Sarah called here yesterday, very upset, said
(06:35):
Emma had to stop digging into the past, that some
things were better left alone. One more thing, Claire added,
her voice barely a whisper. This morning, Emma said she
found something in the old Porter Mansion, something that changed
everything she thought she knew about last year's murder. Rourke
closed the journal carefully. A teenage girl with evidence about
(06:57):
an old murder, a secret meeting, and a war warning
from someone connected to last year's case. The echoes of
Evelyn Porter's death were growing louder. Chen, get this journal
to forensics. I want every page analyzed and have someone
monitor the festival. Our mystery tea might still show up.
He turned to the Bradleys. I need to speak with
(07:17):
Sarah Porter, and then I want to know everything about
Emma's research, every interview, every document, every connection she made
between Cedar Hollow's families, because right now it looks like
your daughter might have uncovered something somebody wanted to keep buried.
As if emphasizing his words, the wind picked up outside,
rattling the windows. The first flakes of the promised storm
(07:37):
began to fall, slowly, erasing any tracks that might lead
to Emma Bradley or to the truth she had discovered
about Cedar Hollow's darkest chapter, the Porter Mansion. Looked different.
In the gathering storm, Snow clung to the Victorian architecture,
softening its edges. But Roke couldn't shake the memory of
that Christmas Eve night one year ago, when he'd first
climbed these steps to investigate Evelyn Porter's murder. The porch
(08:01):
light flickered as he rang the bell. Sarah Porter answered immediately,
as if she'd been waiting by the door. At twenty three,
she looked older than when Roorke had last seen her
at her grandmother's trial. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and
her hands trembled as she led him into the study
where Evelyn had been found. Eh, I should have called
you sooner, she said, pacing between the leather chairs. The
(08:21):
room was exactly as it had been, down to the
chest set in the corner where the crucial evidence had
been found. When Emma started asking questions, I thought I
thought I could handle it. Tell me about your conversations
with her, Rourke said, remaining standing what exactly did she
want to know? Sarah stopped at the window, staring out
at the falling snow. At first, it was just basic history,
(08:44):
the Porter family's role in founding Cedar Hollow, our business interests.
But then she started asking about grandmother's murder. She'd found
something in the town archives, old letters between my grandmother
and the Bradleys from the nineteen eighties. Rourke's pulse quickened.
Marcus Bradley never mentioned any connection to your grandmother beyond
(09:05):
being her financial adviser, because he didn't know the letters
weren't to him. Sarah turned her face pale. They were
to his father, Richard Bradley, and detective Emma found proof
that Richard Bradley didn't die in that hiking accident thirty
years ago like everyone thinks. He disappeared the same day
my grandmother transferred a massive amount of money to an
(09:26):
offshore account. The implications hit Rourke like a physical blow.
You're saying Evelyn Porter was involved in Richard Bradley's disappearance.
Emma thought so. She Sarah broke off. As her phone buzzed.
She glanced at it and went even paler. Oh God,
what is it? A text from Emma's number? But her
(09:48):
phone was found in a trash can, wasn't it. She
held out the phone with shaking hands, and the message read,
I know where Richard Bradley's body is. Same place Emma
will be if anyone keeps asking questions. Some secrets should
stay buried in Cedar Hollow. Attached was a photo that
(10:09):
made Rourke's blood run cold. Emma Bradley unconscious or worse,
lying in what appeared to be a concrete room. Behind
her was a faded painting. He recognized, the same one
that had hung in Evelyn Porter's study until the day
of her murder. Chen He barked into his radio, I
need every available officer at the Porter Warehouse complex on
River Road and get me everything we have on Richard
(10:31):
Bradley's accident from nineteen ninety four. Detective Sarah's voice was
barely a whisper. There's something else, something Emma discovered that
I didn't tell her was true. The painting in that photo.
Grandmother always said it concealed a safe with documents that
(10:53):
would destroy half the families in Cedar Hollow. The night
she died, someone opened that safe, but whatever was inside
was never found. The wind howled outside as Rourke pieced
it together. Emma hadn't just stumbled onto an old mystery.
She discovered the connection between two deaths separated by thirty years,
and now someone was willing to add a third victim
(11:14):
to protect a secret that had already cost two lives.
His radio crackled, Detective, it was Chen. We found Richard
Bradley's original case file. There's something you need to see.
The last person to see him alive, it was Thomas Porter.
Sarah Rourke turned to her sharply, where is your father
(11:36):
right now at the festival speaking at the closing ceremony.
She checked her watch and her eyes widened in horror.
In the old Warehouse district, the same place that photo
of Emma was taken, Rourke was already moving the pieces,
falling into place with terrible clarity. The warehouse district, where
both the festivals, closing ceremony and Emma Bradley were located,
(11:58):
was about to become the scene of either a rescue
or another Cedar Hollow tragedy, And somewhere in that maze
of old buildings, someone who had killed before was preparing
to kill again. The storm intensified as Rourke's car sped
through the darkening streets of Cedar Hollow, where thirty years
of secrets were about to come to light. If he
(12:19):
could reach Emma Bradley in time before heading to the
Warehouse District. Rourke made a crucial stop at the Cedar
Hollow Library. The storm had emptied the building of all
but one person, Dorothy Whittaker, the head librarian, who had
worked there for forty years. She was waiting for him
at the reference desk, a box of archived documents already pulled.
(12:40):
I knew you'd come, Detective, she said, pulling out a
Manila folder. Emma spent hours going through these last week.
She was especially interested in the town council minutes from
nineteen ninety four. The yellowed pages revealed a heated debate
about rezoning the Warehouse District, a motion sponsored jointly by
Evelyn Porter and Richard Bradley. The vote had failed, but
(13:00):
not before Richard Bradley had threatened to expose everything at
the next meeting. He vanished three days later. There's more,
Dorothy said, her voice lowered. Though they were alone, Emma
found something in Evelyn Porter's personal papers, which frankly shouldn't
have been in our archives at all. Someone filed them
(13:21):
here incorrectly. After her death, she handed Rourke a small
leather diary. Inside, in Evelyn's precise handwriting, was an entry
dated the day before Richard Bradley's disappearance. RB threatens exposure,
claims proof of seventy five incident. TA will handle Riverside
meeting after tonight. Proof will be buried with other problems.
(13:42):
Rourke's phone buzzed a message from Chen. She'd found surveillance
footage from the library the day Emma disappeared. The teenager
had been recording something in her notebook while reading old
newspapers when she suddenly packed up and rushed out. Minutes later,
a figure in a dark coat had followed missus Whittaker.
(14:02):
Rourke asked, did Emma make any copies while she was here? No,
but Dorothy hesitated. She was taking pictures with her phone
and she used our scanner once, but sent the file
to her email instead of printing it. Chen was already
on it when Rourke called got into her email account.
Last attachment she scanned was detective. It's a photograph from
(14:26):
nineteen seventy five shows Evelyn Porter, Richard Bradley, and Thomas
Porter at the Warehouse District groundbreaking, but there's something odd
in the background. Looks like they're arguing near the river.
Rourke studied Evelyn's diary entry again proof will be buried
with other problems. The warehouse district bordered the river, a
perfect place to bury secrets or bodies. His radio crackled.
(14:51):
A patrol unit had spotted Thomas Porter's car behind the
old Canton Warehouse, away from the festival crowd. Sir, the
officer reports, there's fresh tire tracks in the snow leading
to the maintenance tunnel entrance. The maintenance tunnels they ran
under the entire warehouse complex, originally used for steam pipes
and electrical conduits. Most had been sealed off years ago,
(15:14):
but as a child, Sarah Porter had mentioned playing in them,
a detail from last year's investigation that suddenly seemed crucial. Chen,
get me blueprints of those tunnels and find out if
any of them connect to the river. While waiting for
Chen's response, Rourke discovered one final item in the box,
a recent letter in Emma's handwriting, addressed to her parents
(15:35):
but never delivered. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this,
something happened to me, I know what really happened to
Grandpa Richard. The painting in Missus Porter's study, there was
another one just like it in the warehouse office. Both
had safes behind them. One held proof of what they
did in nineteen seventy five. The other held proof of
(15:56):
where they put him. I found the first safe tonight
at the fire festival. TP promised to show me the
second one. I think he was there when Grandpa died.
I have to know the truth. Love. Emma Chen's return
call confirmed it. The tunnel system had a sealed entrance
near the river, in the same area where the nineteen
(16:16):
seventy five photo was taken, and Thomas Porter, as the
original developer, would have had access to every tunnel in
the complex. The pieces aligned with terrible clarity. Two murders
decades apart, connected by an old painting and a hidden safe.
Whatever Richard Bradley had discovered in nineteen seventy five had
gotten him killed in nineteen ninety four. Now his granddaughter
(16:38):
had found the same secret, and Thomas Porter was about
to ensure it stayed buried. Rourke headed for his car,
calling for back up. The storm had intensified, cutting visibility
to mere feet somewhere in the darkness ahead, in the
maze of tunnels beneath Cedar Hollow's Warehouse district, history was
about to repeat itself. He had failed to save Richard
Bradley and Evelyn Porter. He wouldn't fail to save Emma.
(17:00):
But even as he drove toward the warehouse district, one
detail nagged at him. The photos sent from Emma's phone
had shown something else, a reflection in a window behind
her unconscious form, a reflection that suggested Thomas Porter wasn't
working alone. Someone else was in that room, someone whose
identity would shake Cedar Hollow to its core if Rourke
(17:23):
lived long enough to reveal it. Ed, this has been
a quiet. Please production head over to quiet. Please dot
ai to hear what matters
The string of colored lights spanning Cedar Hollow's main street
swayed in the December wind, casting shifting shadows on the
fresh snow below. Detective Jack Rourke watched the gathering crowd
from his usual spot near Thompson's coffee shop, his gloved
hands wrapped around a cup of black coffee. One year ago,
he'd been standing in almost the same spot when he
got the call about Evelyn Porter's murder. Now, as the
(00:21):
town prepared to open its annual winter festival, he couldn't
shake the feeling that the Porter case wasn't quite finished
with Cedar Hollow. Penny for your thoughts, Detective Sarah McKenzie,
the coffee shop's owner, appeared at his elbow with a
fresh cup. You've got that same look you had last Christmas.
Eve Rourke accepted the coffee with a nod. Just memories, Sarah.
(00:43):
Hard to believe it's been a year. The Porter still
cast along shadow, she said, pulling her scarf tighter. Did
you hear Thomas Porter's daughter, Sarah is back in town.
Poor thing barely leaves that big house these days. Before
Rourke could respond, Mayor Henderson's voice boomed through the speakers,
set up near the town square's massive Christmas tree welcome
(01:04):
everyone to Cedar Hollow's seventy fifth annual winter festival. The
crowd's applause was enthusiastic, if somewhat subdued compared to previous years.
Rourke scanned the faces, noting how many people were glancing
toward the hill where the Porter mansion stood dark against
the gray sky. The murder had changed this town in
subtle ways. Locked doors that used to stay open, whispered
(01:27):
conversations that stopped when strangers approached, old friendships that had
fractured under the weight of suspicion. And now, Henderson continued,
I'd like to invite Emma Bradley to light our Christmas tree.
Emma's wonderful essay about Cedar Hollow's history won our annual
youth writing contest. A slim teenage girl with auburn hair
made her way to the platform. Rourke recognized Marcus Bradley's daughter.
(01:52):
He'd interviewed Marcus briefly during the Porter investigation, as the
man had been Evelyn Porter's financial adviser. Emma looked nervous
as she accepted the ceremonial switch from the Mayor, but
there was something else in her expression that caught Rourke's attention.
She was scanning the crowd, as if looking for someone specific.
The mayor began counting down with the crowd. Three two, one.
(02:14):
Emma flipped the switch. The massive tree blazed to life,
it's thousands of lights reflecting off the snow. The crowd cheered,
but Rourke was focused on Emma, who had quickly handed
the switch back to the Mayor and was hurrying off
the platform, phone in hand. Jack The shout came from
behind him. He turned to find Officer Maya Chen, one
(02:35):
of his most reliable officers, pushing through the crowd. The
look on her face made his stomach drop. What is it?
Marcus Bradley just called the station in a panic. His daughter, Emma.
She never showed up for the ceremony. The girl who
lit the tree. That was the understudy, Katie Martinez. Nobody's
seen Emma since she left home two hours ago to
deliver her final history project to the library. Rourke was
(02:57):
already moving coffee forgotten get statements from the family. I
want to know everything about her movements today and Chen
check if she had any connection to the Porter family.
Already did, Chen said, falling into step beside him. She's
been researching Cedar Hollow's founding families for her project, including
(03:18):
the Porters, and according to her teacher, she was especially
interested in last year's murder. The colored lights continued to
dance across the snow as Rourke headed for his car,
his mind already assembling the pieces of what could become
Cedar Hollow's second holiday tragedy. Behind him, the festival carried
on it's cheerful music, a discordant backdrop to the darkness
(03:39):
he could feel gathering once again over the small mountain town.
The Bradley Homes sat on the edge of Cedar Hollow's
historic district, a well maintained Victorian with dark green shutters
and a wrap around porch. Christmas lights hung unlit along
the eaves, and an unwrapped wreath leaned against the front door.
Forgotten in the chaos of Emma's disappearance. That Claire brad
(04:00):
met them at the door, her face tight with worry.
Detective Rourke, I remember you from last year. She twisted
a charm bracelet around her wrist. Marcus is in Emma's room,
looking for anything that might tell us where she went.
Rourke followed her up the curved staircase, noting the family
photos that lined the wall. Emma through the years, ballet recitals,
(04:20):
soccer games, school plays. The most recent showed her outside
the Porter mansion. Notebook in hand that caught his attention.
When was this taken? He asked, pausing at the photo.
About three weeks ago. Claire answered. For her history project,
she was interviewing Sarah Porter, Thomas Porter's daughter. The poor
(04:41):
girl finally agreed to talk about her family's role in
founding Cedar Hollow. She hesitated. Emma was very excited about
what she learned. Emma's room was exactly what Rourke would
expect from a sixteen year old honor student. Books everywhere,
a laptop covered in stick and a corkboard filled with
photos and notes. Marcus Bradley stood by the desk holding
(05:05):
a leatherbound journal. Detective Marcus nodded his financial advisor's composure,
cracking I found this. It's her research journal for the
history project, the last entry. He handed it over with
shaking hands. Rourke opened to the marked page. Emma's neat
handwriting filled the pages. Final interview with Sarah Porter Today
(05:26):
can't believe what she told me about her grandmother's murder.
Everyone thought they knew the whole story, but there's so
much more, the connections between the families, the old agreements,
it goes back decades. Meeting Tea tonight at the festival
to get the last piece. This is huge. Cedar Hollow's
perfect facade is about to crack. Did Emma mention who
(05:49):
Tea might be? Rourke asked. Scanning the rest of the entry,
Marcus and Claire exchanged glances. No. Claire said she's been
very secretive about her sources said it with part of
being a real historian. Officer Chen appeared in the doorway. Detective,
we found Emma's phone. She held up an evidence bag
containing a smartphone in a purple case. It was in
(06:11):
a trash can near the library. And there's something else.
Sarah Porter's asking to speak with you, says it's urgent.
Rourke looked back at the journal entry. Mister Bradley, when
exactly did Emma interview Sarah Porter last Thursday? Marcus answered,
but he hesitated. Sarah called here yesterday, very upset, said
(06:35):
Emma had to stop digging into the past, that some
things were better left alone. One more thing, Claire added,
her voice barely a whisper. This morning, Emma said she
found something in the old Porter Mansion, something that changed
everything she thought she knew about last year's murder. Rourke
closed the journal carefully. A teenage girl with evidence about
(06:57):
an old murder, a secret meeting, and a war warning
from someone connected to last year's case. The echoes of
Evelyn Porter's death were growing louder. Chen, get this journal
to forensics. I want every page analyzed and have someone
monitor the festival. Our mystery tea might still show up.
He turned to the Bradleys. I need to speak with
(07:17):
Sarah Porter, and then I want to know everything about
Emma's research, every interview, every document, every connection she made
between Cedar Hollow's families, because right now it looks like
your daughter might have uncovered something somebody wanted to keep buried.
As if emphasizing his words, the wind picked up outside,
rattling the windows. The first flakes of the promised storm
(07:37):
began to fall, slowly, erasing any tracks that might lead
to Emma Bradley or to the truth she had discovered
about Cedar Hollow's darkest chapter, the Porter Mansion. Looked different.
In the gathering storm, Snow clung to the Victorian architecture,
softening its edges. But Roke couldn't shake the memory of
that Christmas Eve night one year ago, when he'd first
climbed these steps to investigate Evelyn Porter's murder. The porch
(08:01):
light flickered as he rang the bell. Sarah Porter answered immediately,
as if she'd been waiting by the door. At twenty three,
she looked older than when Roorke had last seen her
at her grandmother's trial. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and
her hands trembled as she led him into the study
where Evelyn had been found. Eh, I should have called
you sooner, she said, pacing between the leather chairs. The
(08:21):
room was exactly as it had been, down to the
chest set in the corner where the crucial evidence had
been found. When Emma started asking questions, I thought I
thought I could handle it. Tell me about your conversations
with her, Rourke said, remaining standing what exactly did she
want to know? Sarah stopped at the window, staring out
at the falling snow. At first, it was just basic history,
(08:44):
the Porter family's role in founding Cedar Hollow, our business interests.
But then she started asking about grandmother's murder. She'd found
something in the town archives, old letters between my grandmother
and the Bradleys from the nineteen eighties. Rourke's pulse quickened.
Marcus Bradley never mentioned any connection to your grandmother beyond
(09:05):
being her financial adviser, because he didn't know the letters
weren't to him. Sarah turned her face pale. They were
to his father, Richard Bradley, and detective Emma found proof
that Richard Bradley didn't die in that hiking accident thirty
years ago like everyone thinks. He disappeared the same day
my grandmother transferred a massive amount of money to an
(09:26):
offshore account. The implications hit Rourke like a physical blow.
You're saying Evelyn Porter was involved in Richard Bradley's disappearance.
Emma thought so. She Sarah broke off. As her phone buzzed.
She glanced at it and went even paler. Oh God,
what is it? A text from Emma's number? But her
(09:48):
phone was found in a trash can, wasn't it. She
held out the phone with shaking hands, and the message read,
I know where Richard Bradley's body is. Same place Emma
will be if anyone keeps asking questions. Some secrets should
stay buried in Cedar Hollow. Attached was a photo that
(10:09):
made Rourke's blood run cold. Emma Bradley unconscious or worse,
lying in what appeared to be a concrete room. Behind
her was a faded painting. He recognized, the same one
that had hung in Evelyn Porter's study until the day
of her murder. Chen He barked into his radio, I
need every available officer at the Porter Warehouse complex on
River Road and get me everything we have on Richard
(10:31):
Bradley's accident from nineteen ninety four. Detective Sarah's voice was
barely a whisper. There's something else, something Emma discovered that
I didn't tell her was true. The painting in that photo.
Grandmother always said it concealed a safe with documents that
(10:53):
would destroy half the families in Cedar Hollow. The night
she died, someone opened that safe, but whatever was inside
was never found. The wind howled outside as Rourke pieced
it together. Emma hadn't just stumbled onto an old mystery.
She discovered the connection between two deaths separated by thirty years,
and now someone was willing to add a third victim
(11:14):
to protect a secret that had already cost two lives.
His radio crackled, Detective, it was Chen. We found Richard
Bradley's original case file. There's something you need to see.
The last person to see him alive, it was Thomas Porter.
Sarah Rourke turned to her sharply, where is your father
(11:36):
right now at the festival speaking at the closing ceremony.
She checked her watch and her eyes widened in horror.
In the old Warehouse district, the same place that photo
of Emma was taken, Rourke was already moving the pieces,
falling into place with terrible clarity. The warehouse district, where
both the festivals, closing ceremony and Emma Bradley were located,
(11:58):
was about to become the scene of either a rescue
or another Cedar Hollow tragedy, And somewhere in that maze
of old buildings, someone who had killed before was preparing
to kill again. The storm intensified as Rourke's car sped
through the darkening streets of Cedar Hollow, where thirty years
of secrets were about to come to light. If he
(12:19):
could reach Emma Bradley in time before heading to the
Warehouse District. Rourke made a crucial stop at the Cedar
Hollow Library. The storm had emptied the building of all
but one person, Dorothy Whittaker, the head librarian, who had
worked there for forty years. She was waiting for him
at the reference desk, a box of archived documents already pulled.
(12:40):
I knew you'd come, Detective, she said, pulling out a
Manila folder. Emma spent hours going through these last week.
She was especially interested in the town council minutes from
nineteen ninety four. The yellowed pages revealed a heated debate
about rezoning the Warehouse District, a motion sponsored jointly by
Evelyn Porter and Richard Bradley. The vote had failed, but
(13:00):
not before Richard Bradley had threatened to expose everything at
the next meeting. He vanished three days later. There's more,
Dorothy said, her voice lowered. Though they were alone, Emma
found something in Evelyn Porter's personal papers, which frankly shouldn't
have been in our archives at all. Someone filed them
(13:21):
here incorrectly. After her death, she handed Rourke a small
leather diary. Inside, in Evelyn's precise handwriting, was an entry
dated the day before Richard Bradley's disappearance. RB threatens exposure,
claims proof of seventy five incident. TA will handle Riverside
meeting after tonight. Proof will be buried with other problems.
(13:42):
Rourke's phone buzzed a message from Chen. She'd found surveillance
footage from the library the day Emma disappeared. The teenager
had been recording something in her notebook while reading old
newspapers when she suddenly packed up and rushed out. Minutes later,
a figure in a dark coat had followed missus Whittaker.
(14:02):
Rourke asked, did Emma make any copies while she was here? No,
but Dorothy hesitated. She was taking pictures with her phone
and she used our scanner once, but sent the file
to her email instead of printing it. Chen was already
on it when Rourke called got into her email account.
Last attachment she scanned was detective. It's a photograph from
(14:26):
nineteen seventy five shows Evelyn Porter, Richard Bradley, and Thomas
Porter at the Warehouse District groundbreaking, but there's something odd
in the background. Looks like they're arguing near the river.
Rourke studied Evelyn's diary entry again proof will be buried
with other problems. The warehouse district bordered the river, a
perfect place to bury secrets or bodies. His radio crackled.
(14:51):
A patrol unit had spotted Thomas Porter's car behind the
old Canton Warehouse, away from the festival crowd. Sir, the
officer reports, there's fresh tire tracks in the snow leading
to the maintenance tunnel entrance. The maintenance tunnels they ran
under the entire warehouse complex, originally used for steam pipes
and electrical conduits. Most had been sealed off years ago,
(15:14):
but as a child, Sarah Porter had mentioned playing in them,
a detail from last year's investigation that suddenly seemed crucial. Chen,
get me blueprints of those tunnels and find out if
any of them connect to the river. While waiting for
Chen's response, Rourke discovered one final item in the box,
a recent letter in Emma's handwriting, addressed to her parents
(15:35):
but never delivered. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this,
something happened to me, I know what really happened to
Grandpa Richard. The painting in Missus Porter's study, there was
another one just like it in the warehouse office. Both
had safes behind them. One held proof of what they
did in nineteen seventy five. The other held proof of
(15:56):
where they put him. I found the first safe tonight
at the fire festival. TP promised to show me the
second one. I think he was there when Grandpa died.
I have to know the truth. Love. Emma Chen's return
call confirmed it. The tunnel system had a sealed entrance
near the river, in the same area where the nineteen
(16:16):
seventy five photo was taken, and Thomas Porter, as the
original developer, would have had access to every tunnel in
the complex. The pieces aligned with terrible clarity. Two murders
decades apart, connected by an old painting and a hidden safe.
Whatever Richard Bradley had discovered in nineteen seventy five had
gotten him killed in nineteen ninety four. Now his granddaughter
(16:38):
had found the same secret, and Thomas Porter was about
to ensure it stayed buried. Rourke headed for his car,
calling for back up. The storm had intensified, cutting visibility
to mere feet somewhere in the darkness ahead, in the
maze of tunnels beneath Cedar Hollow's Warehouse district, history was
about to repeat itself. He had failed to save Richard
Bradley and Evelyn Porter. He wouldn't fail to save Emma.
(17:00):
But even as he drove toward the warehouse district, one
detail nagged at him. The photos sent from Emma's phone
had shown something else, a reflection in a window behind
her unconscious form, a reflection that suggested Thomas Porter wasn't
working alone. Someone else was in that room, someone whose
identity would shake Cedar Hollow to its core if Rourke
(17:23):
lived long enough to reveal it. Ed, this has been
a quiet. Please production head over to quiet. Please dot
ai to hear what matters
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