The fire crackled in the quiet room as the letter’s cryptic message hung in the air. Charles stared at it, the lines blurring before his eyes as his thoughts raced. One among you knows the truth. Was Dalton playing some twisted game, or was there something far darker at work here?
Victor paced the room like a caged animal, every step echoing his rising anger. “This is ridiculous. We’re being played like fools.” He turned on Simon. “You seem awfully calm about this. Care to explain why?”
Simon, leaning against a grand bookshelf, looked up lazily, his cold eyes narrowing. “I don’t do panic, Hawthorne. That doesn’t mean I’m any less concerned about what’s happening here.” His tone was measured, deliberate. “But you’re the one throwing accusations. Perhaps you’re trying to deflect attention.”
Victor’s nostrils flared. “Is that so? You’ve always been the shadowy one, Simon. No one knows what you’re really up to, and now you’re pretending you’re above suspicion?”
Before Simon could respond, David stepped in. “Enough. Pointing fingers won’t help us. We need to figure out what this letter means. Dalton was clearly setting us up for something. But why?”
Charles took a deep breath and stood, breaking the tension between Victor and Simon. “Dalton has always been... unconventional. But this feels different.” He glanced at Kenneth’s still body. “There’s a method to this madness, and it’s tied to each of us.”
Victor frowned. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m saying this isn’t random. There’s a reason why we were all invited here tonight—why it had to be us.” Charles’s eyes darkened with thought. “Each of us has crossed paths with Dalton in some way, and I think that’s the key.”
David snorted. “You mean he’s making us pay for our sins?”
Charles met his gaze, unflinching. “Maybe. But we won’t know until we start digging deeper into what connects us.”
Simon straightened up, his face finally showing a sliver of concern. “You think this is personal?”
Charles nodded. “More than that—it’s a game we’re meant to lose, unless we figure out Dalton’s endgame.”
YOU ARE READING
Whispers In The Fog
Mystery / ThrillerA group of wealthy men are invited to an exclusive retreat at an isolated mansion, but when they arrive, their mysterious host is nowhere to be found. As the night unfolds, one of the guests is found dead, turning the gathering into a deadly game of...
