Chapter 5 - The First Husband
The emergency alarms instantly blared, echoing loudly through the pitch-black police station.
Officers shouted frantically in the darkness, trying to restore backup power to the security doors.
I knew this was my absolute only chance to escape and save Harper before Clara finished her sick plan.
I quickly slipped past the distracted detective and navigated the dark hallways using only my memory.
I reached the emergency exit stairwell and ran down three flights of concrete stairs.
I burst out of the heavy metal doors into the freezing night air, officially becoming a wanted fugitive.
I stole a dark jacket from an unlocked car and began the long, dangerous walk back to my neighborhood.
My mind raced as I thought about Harper pointing toward the roof of our Victorian house.
I realized she was not pointing at the roof itself, but at the old, dusty attic space right beneath it.
I reached the edge of my street just before dawn, keeping to the deep shadows of the large oak trees.
The house was completely dark, but I knew Clara was inside waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
I silently climbed the wooden trellis on the side of the house, my muscles burning with sheer exhaustion.
I forced open a small attic window and tumbled quietly onto the dusty wooden floorboards.
The attic was filled with old boxes, broken furniture, and decades of forgotten memories.
I used a small penlight from my stolen jacket to search the cramped space.
I found a loose floorboard near the chimney that looked like it had been recently moved.
I pried the heavy board up and discovered a rusted metal lockbox hidden in the insulation.
I used a sharp piece of metal I found on the floor to pry the rusty box completely open.
Inside, I found a massive collection of life insurance payouts, all perfectly signed by Clara.
She had done this exact same routine in three completely different states under three different names.
She was a professional black widow, and Harper was merely a highly profitable prop in her deadly game.
I took photographs of every single document using my backup medical phone I had hidden in my shoe.
Suddenly, the wooden stairs leading up to the attic began to creak under the weight of heavy footsteps.
May you like
I quickly turned off my penlight and held my breath in the terrifying darkness.
The attic door slowly swung open, revealing Clara standing there with a massive, suppressed hunting rifle.
