chapter 3

As he was reading the passage in her diary, goosebumps immediately rose on his skin. This case was giving him a headache, and he closed the diary, feeling emotionally and physically drained. The evidence pointed to Samantha, but the statements and diary hinted at a different story. Confusion was swirling in his head. He got up, deciding to head home and watch some late-night TV. Molly was probably waiting for him. Feeling guilty towards his niece, he stopped at the nearest McDonald's to buy her a Happy Meal. His eyes and body ached from fatigue.

When he entered the house, he saw Katie holding sleeping Molly. "She's been waiting for you all day," Katie said with a smile, putting the Happy Meal in the fridge to keep it cool for the morning. "I'm sure she has," he answered, heading to the kitchen to grab a cold beer. He watched as his sister took Molly upstairs to her room. Settling in, he opened his beer and took a long swig while watching TV. His sister Maggie sat down beside him, a curious smile on her face. "So, what's the update on the Damport Massacre case?" she asked, her tone excited but inquiring.

"Maggie, you know I cannot talk about that with you. The case is still going on, and it's very sensitive at the moment. Maybe later, okay?" replied Higgens seriously knowing his sister's true crime obsession. She nodded. "But do you think that girl is really the killer? Or is it the influence of this haunted house? They say it was the site of a satanic cult called 'Samael' back in the 1560s. The cult believed Samael, the death of God, could grant them eternal life. They sacrificed hundreds of children and women in a ritual called 'The Samael Fair'. She explained, her eyes wide with excitement.

Higgens smiled, his mind reeling from the information. "Maybe you should cut back on the true crime shows, Maggie. You're spooking me more than any ghost story," he teased, dodging the pillow and blanket she tossed at him. "Goodnight, bozo!" Maggie called, heading upstairs to her room. Higgens considered going to bed early but felt a nagging discomfort. He was curious to learn more about the history of the lake house. Taking his laptop, he began to dig deeper into the Damport Lakehouse. The more he read, the truer Maggie's words rang to be. The house had been the site of a cult's mass suicide hoping to be reunited with Samuel. After the suicide had taken place, the haunting had begun. No one could live there for more than a month without experiencing strange occurrences---disembodied voices, unexplained noises, and sightings of a figure with red eyes at 4:10 am.

A chilling thought occurred to him: what if Samantha was innocent?

The next morning, Higgens rose early and headed to Jackson's residence. The mom of Samantha opened the door for him, while her eyes showed shock on seeing him. "Good morning, officer," she said, formally, her voice slightly trembling. "May I ask why you came so early?" He pulled out his hat to try to look respectful. "It is about the case about your daughter, ma'am," he replied and nodded as she stepped aside to make him enter.

The silence in the living room was oppressive; the only sound was their own ragged breathing. Mrs. Jackson sat across from him, staring at her coffee, looking as worn out as the house itself. "Mrs. Jackson—" he began, but she cut him off.

"I'm divorced," she said simply. "It's Ms. Heron." Higgens cleared his throat, trying again. "Ms. Heron, I have an issue with your daughter. She has had mental health issues since her age of eight years old. Can you tell me more about that?" Samantha's mom sighed heavily with tears welling up in her eyes as. "My husband and I were having problems during my last trimester with Samantha. We argued a lot, but we managed to get along until he met someone at work five years ago. He decided he didn't want to be a father anymore." Her voice cracked as she recalled the painful memories. "It was tough on both of us and Samantha. She loves her father a lot, and his repudiation really devastated her. The children in school began calling her names because of the divorce. her mental well-being started to breakdown." Her hand was shaking as she clutched her cup before speaking again. "Samantha is a tough girl. She fights her demons daily on medication and therapy. Always says, 'I want to get better so I can be an inspiration.' The night she left, she was so exuberant and giddy. As a single mom, it made me happy to see her that way. she said we'd go see Wicked together when she came home." Ms. Heron swallowed a sob. "My Samantha is a good person. I'm sorry to burden you with this, officer, but I think you may have arrested an innocent girl." She scrubbed at her tears, pasting a smile onto her face. "I just love my daughter so much. I can't believe I am alone now. It feels like I'm going to lose my mind. This pain is unbearable."

Higgens nodded sympathetically. "My condolences, ma'am." He stood up, ready to leave. As he walked out, he heard her call out, "Officer, do you think my daughter killed them?" He paused, turning back. "Ma'am, we're basing our case on the evidence we've gathered, and it all points to your daughter." With that, he got in his car and drove away.

A month had passed, and the case was growing cold, but it still pointed to Samantha. The final nail in the coffin was her confession in the interrogation room. Higgens sat as Officer Miggy entered the room, his face sweaty and full of terror. Miggy looked at the camcorder Samantha used during their trips. "Hey, Miggy," Higgens called out, but Miggy did not hear. He just kept staring, his body tense. Suddenly, he let out a scream, his eyes rolled back in his head as he dived face first onto the ground. "Hey! What's going on?! Miggy?! Miggy?!" Higgens shouted in shock, as Miggy started screaming again, his body moving wildly. "They're coming for me. I need to go hide! I need to fucking hide!" he screamed, his voice almost hysterical. The office grew into chaos as they tried to pin down Miggy, whose body remained flailing as six people got on top of him. "Relax, Migs, we're here! No one is here!" Higgens called out to calm him, but Miggy didn't listen and kept screaming. Officer Andy rushed over with a syringe of fluoxetine, injecting Miggy to sedate him. When the drug took effect, Miggy's screams were no longer able to be heard, and slowly, he closed his eyes.

Higgens were left pondering what the hell had just occurred to Miggy? And should he be the one watching those camcorder tapes?

TO BE CONTINUED

DEE 2024