chapter 8: tainted truth

Cassidy was inside Lily Marston's old office. The cabin was old and rusty. It was covered with dust and it was dark inside. The roughly patched walls was stacked with photos;most of which belonged to the Langston's,there was also their family portrait,Aaron's familiar face standing out among them. Another person who was obsessed with the Langston's!

Cassie was so absorbed in the photos that she didn't even notice the approaching footsteps.

"Just the perfect place to meet,sheriff." She heard a deep voice behind her

Cassie quickly turned around,only to meet face-to-face with Aaron Langston! Her heart raced. Aaron leaned on the door frame,with a smirk written all over his face,his eyes glistered with amusement. She could tell that he was really enjoying seeing her that shocked.

"Aa- Aaron!" She stammered. "You are the last person I was expecting to see here."

Aaron shrugged with a clear smirk on his lips. "I'd ask you the same question too. What brings you to this part of the town,Sheriff?"

"Just doing my job, I assume you already know the cases I'm working on."

"Oh, you are still being nosy. Digging into things that are better left unknown." He said sacarstically

Cassie inclined her gaze towards him. "Whatever that means. You don't scare me,you know?"

"Right." He replied with a low tone. "Fear is known for clouding judgment. And both me and you know that judgment means everything in this town."

They stood in silence for a while. The silence was awkward. Cassie could feel Aaron's gaze devouring every part of her body,she didn't know what he was trying to achieve by that gaze,but she was sure it made her uncomfortable. An unspoken tension filled the air between them,no one between them ready to break the silence.

Aaron then stepped back,now standing in the doorway,he straightened up and looked at Cassie one last time.

"Take care,Sheriff. And be rest assured that,not everyone in this town plays by the rules." He said,his voice softening."

Cassie watched his figure disappear into the thin night. She felt really strange after that encounter with Aaron. Her emotions were all over the place,she couldn't exactly place a label on whatever was going on in her mind. Many people had already warned her of the dangers of the case she was handling,but hearing the warning coming from Aaron gave it a certain weight she couldn't explain. She was slightly trembling, but she brushed her emotions aside,after all, Aaron was also a part of the darkness she was fighting.

After Aaron left,Cassie proceeded to the corner of the cabin,which had piles of dusty and worn out files. She took the biggest file and started looking through it. There were names- a clue of a much bigger operation; hinting at something that went beyond the Langston's.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her from her deep thoughts. The unknown sender;

" _You're getting close. Watch your back."_

She quickly scanned the room as if she was expecting whoever was sending her the messages to come out of any corner and strangle her to death. Her accelerating heartbeat could be heard one mile away. It just dawned on her, how alone she was. She was looking for the truth- but she was also being watched.