Stacy: The vampire

"We have a point in our favor," Jack said to Steven and Adam, who were still in the interrogation room, working things out.

"Tell me, what is it?" Steven asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Only we, the ones involved, know that Penelope is alive. I spoke with Kowalski, and he agrees that keeping this secret, at least for now, might help us catch whoever did this," Jack replied.

"If someone did this at all, and it wasn't her own doing," Steven said.

Adam looked at his friend with disdain.

While Steven went after Louis, Sister Marie arrived at the police station.

Abrax had been clever in suggesting that her car might be released.

Marie was pale, short, and had a lightly made-up face. Even with her nun's habit, a few loose strands of hair revealed her blonde color.

"I'm glad you came, Miss. Please, have a seat. Would you like some water or coffee?" Abrax was polite and courteous.

"I'll do whatever it takes to assist in the investigation, but I'd prefer tea, if you have it." Marie carried herself with poise—her appearance made her seem fragile, but something in her demeanor contradicted that.

Adam smiled and asked an officer to bring tea. Fortunately, the former sheriff had left several boxes of tea in his old office, now Jack's.

"From what I see, Miss, you don't seem shaken by the outcome of the case. I hope that's just my impression," Adam remarked.

"It's not that—I just know how to hide my pain very well." Marie exposed her wrists and gently moved them as she spoke.

"Sister Marie, I'll be direct. What I want to know is whether Penelope had any enemies or if her behavior was really as her mother described—a sweet and innocent girl."

As he asked, Abrax subtly began to mimic Marie's gestures. Another officer arrived with her tea. Marie took a sip before responding:

"You want to know if Penelope was the little saint everyone claims she was, is that it? It's quite common for daughters of important figures, like a mayor, to be absolute disasters as people—I've seen it plenty of times. But that wasn't the case with her. Penelope was truly sweet."

Abrax continued imitating Marie's gestures and then asked:

"So, she had no enemies? I mean, she didn't have issues with other teenagers?"

Marie took a long pause before answering. She also stared at Adam—anyone watching would think she was interrogating him, not the other way around.

"I know what you're doing, Detective Abrax."

"Oh yeah? And what exactly am I doing?"

"You're mimicking my gestures so that I unconsciously consider you similar to me. I'm not a fool—I watch crime shows. I came here because you said my car might be released, or what's left of it. But that's not why you really called me, is it?"

Abrax smiled.

"And why do you want the car? You probably won't be able to use it anymore."

"You want me to explain why I want something that belongs to me? My reasons don't matter. If I'm not a suspect and you have no further need for it, you should return it—or I'll report your conduct to your superiors."

Marie stood up, and before Abrax could say another word, she smiled and said:

"I don't know if the mayor is aware of how you're handling this investigation, but I'm quite close to Janet. I'll personally tell her everything. I'm sure she doesn't know that her 'dead' daughter is a suspect."

Marie left the room as swiftly as a fox, leaving Abrax stunned.

Red Hollow wasn't the most incredible town in Texas. Nestled between a nostalgic desert and lonely mountains, it was a place to live if you were born there—otherwise, it was best to stay away.

Most people under twenty-five only knew the story of the kidnapping of the star Stacy and now the "kidnapping and murder" of the mayor's daughter. But before that, there had been other incidents—terrible ones—that the older folks preferred to sweep under the rug.

The problem with that was, sooner or later, all that dirt could come to light. And that was exactly what was about to happen. The mayor was starting to realize it.

No mother was happier than the first lady to know that her daughter was alive, even as she feared the kidnapper might strike again.

The mayor went to the police station right after his psychiatrist appointment, recommended by Kowalski, while his wife and daughter went straight home to stay out of sight.

Jack poured whiskey for his friend and questioned why he had also seen the psychiatrist.

"I can't sleep. The doctor thinks it's anxiety."

"And do you think that's what it is?" Jack asked seriously.

"Maybe. I should be happy, right? My daughter isn't dead. So why do I feel like this? Hopeless, just waiting for the worst?"

"Carl, why are you saying that?"

"Penelope—the doctor says she's fine, but she doesn't speak. She simply won't say a single word. The psychiatrist, Kowalski's friend, said it could be trauma and that she'll speak again soon. He confirmed it's nothing physical."

"I don't know much about medical stuff, but if the doctor says it's trauma, then that's probably it. The real problem now is something else—we'll have to reveal that she's alive at some point. But it would be best to catch whoever's responsible first."

Carl got up and paced the room.

"It's not just that, Jack. Penelope won't eat either—nothing at all. She barely drinks anything, except for milk. But it's weird… She wakes up in the middle of the night and drinks an entire gallon of milk as if it were nothing."

"She practically just came back from the dead. That's strange, sure, but given the circumstances, it's expected. What did the doctor say about that?"

"Nothing. He just said it's part of the whole thing. I know I should be happy—Janet is thrilled—but I just can't."

"Maybe you will be when we catch the bastard who did this. Don't overthink it—your daughter is alive and seems well. Be grateful for that."

Meanwhile, Steven hadn't found Louis, so he decided to investigate Penelope's school on his own. He got addresses of her friends and asked around. Everyone said the same thing: that Penelope was a good girl. But Steven wasn't convinced and kept pushing, knocking on every door he could.

The next morning, the mayor stormed into the police station like a raging bull.

"What happened, Carl? Is there a problem with Penelope?" Jack asked, instinctively reaching for his holster, ready for anything.

"Jack, I hope you had nothing to do with this, but last night, I got multiple calls from the parents of Penelope's friends. They said some so-called investigator named Steven was questioning them about my daughter—about her character! I hope this is just a misunderstanding. So tell me right now, what the hell is that officer of yours thinking? Are you implying my daughter has something to do with this?"

Jack was completely caught off guard—he had no idea Steven had been operating behind his back.

"Carl, calm down! I'll speak to Steven right now. But you need to calm yourself!"

Jack lined up Steven and Abrax and confronted them.

"The mayor is in my office, furious, saying that you, Steven, have been investigating his daughter. I must be losing my mind because I clearly remember telling you to speak with LOUIS and to be as discreet as possible. Isn't that right?"

Steven turned red. Adam glared at him with anger.

The situation quickly escalated into a brawl, with Jack having to fire a shot into the air to break them apart.

Later that night, Abrax reviewed the case files. As he absentmindedly flipped through photos, one fell to the floor.

As he reached down to pick it up, his eyes widened.

"I can't believe it… How did I miss this before?"