Chapter Two

There it was, the only other physical evidence directly stating the name " Echo Creek ". Detective Smith read what was left of the torn and withered newspaper. Of what Smith could make out, the article detailed the murder of a redacted local of Echo Creek and an inconspicuous cryptid. The detective didn't need the name of the victim though, because he already recognized the scene. It was the exact same cold murder case he was investigating. The same one from the journal that disappeared and the same one that started his descent into the rabbit hole of tangled mysteries that he was currently still lost in. If he remembered correctly, the newspaper was printed in the town of Crooks and is connected to Echo Creek through a long dirt path which allowed for trade between the two towns.

Wait- ,long dirt path.

Like the path visible from Raymonds office window.

Like the path that Detective Smith is standing in front of right now.

If Smith is standing in front of the dirt road that leads to Echo Creek, then Amber town used to be Crooks and the building that used to be the one that Raymond worked at should have a direct view of the dirt road from the windows. Smith turned around to see said building. The Library. The detective had a lead.

Smith looked back for a minute, briefly considering just going down the dirt path right now.

No, not yet.

No one, not even the police could get there without direct permission from the mayor. So the detective would need solid reasoning for permission to investigate a long restricted area. If he went there now it could mean the end of his career, so instead he just investigated his current lead.

Detective Smith entered the old library, clouds of dust dispersing into the air as the door shut. It was dimly lit and as he walked he could see that not many people were here. Only the occasional few browsing the long bookshelves but rarely checking anything out. It was always like this, so it was always a mystery as to why the mayor insisted on keeping it open. Smith made his way towards the librarians desk. A young woman, looking to be in her early twenties, sat behind the desk. She was completely engrossed in the book that she was reading, twisting a strand of her jet black hair that was tied back in a loose ponytail. Smith stood there for a minute or so but it seemed that she hadn't noticed the detective's presence, so he tapped the desk a little to get her attention.

" Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there, " the librarian said, perking up from her book and adjusting her glasses. As she closed her book, she noticed the detective's wound from earlier had opened up.

" Your wrist is bleeding! Hold on, I have a first aid kit somewhere here, "

" That isn't necessary, " detective Smith said, but she was already rummaging through the cabinets underneath the desk.

" I'm Mariel by the way, " The librarian said, quickly peeking back up before ducking back down.

" Detective Smith, " Smith replied. As he waited he noticed a framed photo of a man with jet black hair, similar to Mariels. Wanting to break the awkward silence, Smith asked who that was in the photo.

" That's my cousin. Well, we're not really related but were all basically a family, " Mariel answered.

" all? " The detective questioned.

"…."

" Ah! Here it is! " Mariel exclaimed, pulling out a first aid kit. She adjusted her glasses once more and as she did, Smith noticed that her eyes had a faint gleam of red.

" Did you know that this library used to be an office building for a newspaper company? The secretary's desk was right here!" Mariel stated, opening the first aid kit and pulling out a bandaid and putting it on the detective's cut. '' alright, now that that's taken care of, what can I help you with? " Smith asked her if there was anything about Echo Creek. Strangely enough, Mariel said that there was, but it wasn't on the main floor. She invited Smith to the other side of the librarian's desk and took out a key from her pocket. She unlocked a door behind her that Smith hadn't noticed before and led him down a stone stairwell barely lit with lanterns. Down, down, down, they went for what seemed like an unusually long time, with only the echo of their footsteps filling their silence. Eventually they reached an empty room with four or five bookshelves that seemed to span on endlessly, filled with hundreds of identical books with black leather covers. Without missing a beat Mariel walked down one of the shelfs, her hand gliding on the spines of the books until stopping abruptly to take one out.

" This is what you're looking for, I believe, " Mariel said, turning around and handing the book to detective Smith. Smith turned to the first page and realized that it was the journal that had first started this whole mystery, the one with the unknown author.

" How did-, " Smith began as he looked back up, only to see Mariel holding Ryamond Williams' diary. The detective was confused to say the least. He had a million questions but none exited his mouth.

" Normally, you wouldn't have been allowed to come down here, let alone read one of the records. But you've already seen these two so I suppose it doesn't matter, " Mariel said rather apathetically, her previously bubbly personality seeming to have vanished. She put Raymonds journal back on the bookshelf before taking out a piece of paper that hadn't been there before and gave it to Smith. It was old and smudged but Smith could tell that it was a deed to a house located somewhere near the nature reserve.

" Uhm, thanks for helping me I guess, " Smith said, not really sure on how he should feel.

" I'm not helping you, " Mariel replied, and didn't say another word to the detective.