The mayor of Willowmere disappeared on a Tuesday morning.

This was unfortunate for the mayor.

It was even more unfortunate for the town.

But it was particularly unfortunate for twenty-year-old Elliot Finch, because the mayor disappeared while Elliot was delivering his breakfast.

Elliot stood outside the mayor’s enormous blue house with a basket in his hands.

Inside the basket were three pancakes, two sausages, one boiled egg, and a cup of tea.

The tea was already cold.

Elliot knocked on the door.

“Mr. Mayor?”

No answer.

He knocked again.

“Mayor Hargrove?”

Still nothing.

Elliot looked at the breakfast basket.

He had been told very clearly to deliver it at eight o’clock.

It was now eight seventeen.

Elliot didn’t like being late.

He also didn’t like being early.

In fact, Elliot didn’t particularly like being on time either.

His biggest talent was arriving exactly when everyone else had given up waiting.

He knocked a third time.

“Sir?”

A voice came from inside.

“Go away.”

Elliot smiled.

“Excellent. You’re home.”

“No, I’m not.”

Elliot frowned.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Of course it does.”

“You’re speaking to me.”

“That doesn’t prove I’m home.”

Elliot thought about this.

It was annoyingly logical.

“Are you the mayor?”

There was silence.

“Yes.”

“Then you’re definitely home.”

Another silence.

Then the voice shouted:

“Go away!”

Elliot sighed.

“Fine.”

He placed the breakfast basket beside the door.

Then he turned around.

He took three steps.

Stopped.

Turned back.

Picked up the basket.

Then put it down again.

He took another two steps.

Stopped.

“Something isn’t right.”

Elliot had always considered himself a man of great intuition.

His sister, Clara Finch, considered him a man who frequently walked into furniture.

Both opinions were probably correct.

Elliot returned to the door.

He tried the handle.

It opened.

He stared.

“That’s not very secure.”

He pushed the door.

It creaked.

Elliot stepped inside.

“Mr. Mayor?”

Silence.

The hallway was enormous.

Portraits covered the walls.

Every portrait showed a different member of the Hargrove family.

There was a serious-looking grandfather.

A smiling grandmother.

A man with a beard.

A woman holding a cat.

And one particularly unpleasant man who appeared to be judging Elliot personally.

Elliot looked at him.

“I don’t like you either.”

The portrait remained silent.

Elliot walked deeper into the house.

“Mayor Hargrove?”

Nothing.

He entered the dining room.

The table was prepared for breakfast.

One chair was pulled back.

A newspaper lay open.

A plate sat untouched.

The tea was still warm.

Elliot frowned.

“That’s strange.”

He walked closer.

The mayor’s newspaper was open to the front page.

The headline read:

MAYOR HARGROVE ANNOUNCES BIGGEST TOWN CELEBRATION IN WILLOWMERE HISTORY

Below the headline was a photograph of Mayor Hargrove.

He was smiling.

Elliot stared at the photograph.

“You’re not smiling now.”

A sound came from upstairs.

THUMP.

Elliot jumped.

“Mr. Mayor?”

Another sound.

THUMP.

Elliot grabbed a silver spoon.

He wasn’t sure how a spoon would protect him.

But it was the largest object nearby.

He climbed the stairs.

At the end of the hallway was a bedroom.

The door was open.

Elliot slowly entered.

The room was empty.

The bed was made.

The window was closed.

The curtains were still.

The mayor was nowhere.

Elliot looked under the bed.

Nothing.

He opened the wardrobe.

Nothing.

He checked behind the curtains.

Nothing.

Then he noticed something.

A pair of shoes.

The mayor’s shoes.

They were sitting beside the bed.

Elliot stared.

“People don’t disappear without their shoes.”

Then he thought about it.

“Actually, I suppose they do.”

He walked toward the window.

On the glass was a message.

Written from the inside.

Three words.

FIND THE HOUSE.

Elliot stepped backward.

“Which house?”

Suddenly…

The front door slammed.

Elliot screamed.

He ran downstairs.

A woman was standing in the hallway.

She was about Elliot’s age.

She wore a brown coat.

Her dark hair was tied behind her head.

And she was holding a very large notebook.

She looked at Elliot.

Elliot looked at her.

She looked at the spoon in his hand.

Then she looked back at him.

“Are you planning to attack me with that?”

Elliot lowered the spoon.

“No.”

“Then why are you holding it?”

“For protection.”

“From me?”

“Possibly.”

The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Who are you?”

“Elliot Finch.”

“Why are you here?”

“Breakfast.”

She stared.

“Breakfast?”

“I was delivering it.”

“Where is it?”

Elliot looked toward the dining room.

“On the table.”

“Then why did you leave it?”

“Because your mayor disappeared.”

The woman froze.

“What?”

“The mayor.”

“What about him?”

“He’s gone.”

The woman slowly closed her notebook.

“I’m Clara Finch.”

Elliot stared.

“You’re my sister.”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Investigating.”

“Why?”

“Because the police asked me to.”

“Why didn’t they ask me?”

Clara looked at him.

“Because you’re an idiot.”

Elliot looked offended.

“That’s not a professional reason.”

“It is when you’re my brother.”

Elliot pointed toward the upstairs hallway.

“I found something.”

Clara immediately became serious.

“What?”

“The mayor’s shoes.”

“So?”

“They’re still here.”

Clara stared at him.

“That’s your big discovery?”

“And a message.”

Clara’s eyes widened.

“What message?”

Elliot pointed upstairs.

FIND THE HOUSE.

Clara ran.

Elliot followed.

They stood in the mayor’s bedroom.

Clara examined the window.

She touched the writing.

“Interesting.”

“What?”

“This isn’t written in ink.”

“Then what is it?”

“Charcoal.”

Elliot frowned.

“Who writes messages in charcoal?”

“Someone who doesn’t want to be identified.”

“Or someone who ran out of ink.”

Clara looked at him.

“Can you be serious for five minutes?”

“Probably not.”

She ignored him.

“Look at the window.”

“What?”

“There are scratches.”

Elliot leaned closer.

“Those are scratches?”

“Yes.”

“Looks like someone tried to open it.”

Clara shook her head.

“No.”

She pointed at the scratches.

“Someone tried to close it.”

Elliot stared.

“Why?”

Clara didn’t answer.

She walked to the wardrobe.

She opened it.

Inside were suits.

Dozens of them.

Clara moved the clothes aside.

A small door was hidden behind them.

Elliot’s eyes widened.

“That’s a door.”

“Very good.”

“I know what doors are.”

“Congratulations.”

Clara opened it.

Behind the door was a narrow passage.

Dark.

Dusty.

And very old.

Elliot looked inside.

“No.”

Clara stepped forward.

“Yes.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Because mysterious secret passages are never safe.”

“That’s exactly why we need to investigate.”

Elliot grabbed her arm.

“Clara.”

“What?”

“There’s a dead rat.”

She looked.

The rat was very much alive.

It stared at them.

Then ran away.

Elliot screamed.

Clara sighed.

“You’re embarrassing.”

“I thought it was dead.”

“You screamed at a living rat.”

“It looked suspicious.”

They entered the passage.

It led downward.

The walls were covered in old paintings.

Clara held up her flashlight.

Elliot followed closely.

“Why are there paintings down here?”

“Maybe they’re old.”

“Very helpful.”

They reached the bottom.

A wooden door stood in front of them.

Clara opened it.

They stepped into a large underground room.

There were shelves.

Boxes.

Old furniture.

And a giant map of Willowmere.

Elliot stared.

“Why does the mayor have a secret room?”

Clara walked toward the map.

“I don’t know.”

Elliot noticed something.

“Look.”

A red line had been drawn across the map.

It started at the mayor’s house.

Then continued through the town.

And ended at the forest.

Clara followed it.

“The Blackwood Forest.”

Elliot swallowed.

Nobody in Willowmere went to Blackwood Forest.

It was said to be haunted.

Or cursed.

Or both.

Mostly both.

Clara looked at him.

“We’re going there.”

Elliot shook his head.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely not.”

Clara smiled.

“You’re scared.”

Elliot stood straight.

“I’m not scared.”

“Then come with me.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

Elliot took a deep breath.

“Can I ask one question?”

“What?”

“Do we have to go today?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because the mayor disappeared today.”

Elliot looked at the map.

Then at his sister.

Then at the secret passage.

“Fine.”

They left the hidden room.

But neither of them noticed the small figure standing at the end of the passage.

A man.

Wearing a black hat.

Watching them.

He waited until they disappeared.

Then he entered the room.

He walked toward the map.

And moved the red line.

The new line pointed toward the old mansion at the edge of Blackwood Forest.

The man smiled.

“Let them go there.”

He turned.

A second man stood behind him.

“Are you sure?”

The first man nodded.

“They’ll find the truth.”

“And if they do?”

The first man smiled.

“Then they’ll find out why the mayor disappeared.”

Outside…

Elliot and Clara walked toward Blackwood Forest.

Elliot carried a backpack.

Clara carried her notebook.

Elliot stopped.

“Wait.”

“What?”

He opened his backpack.

Clara looked inside.

“Why did you bring three sandwiches?”

“For emergencies.”

“And a frying pan?”

“Protection.”

“And a rubber duck?”

Elliot smiled.

“Morale.”

Clara stared at him.

“We’re investigating a missing mayor.”

“I know.”

“Possibly a kidnapping.”

“I know.”

“Maybe murder.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you bring a rubber duck?”

Elliot held it up.

“Because mysteries are frightening.”

The rubber duck squeaked.

Elliot nodded.

“Exactly.”

Clara shook her head.

Then she noticed something.

A figure was watching them from the trees.

“Who’s that?”

Elliot turned.

The figure disappeared.

Clara ran toward the forest.

Elliot followed.

They reached the trees.

Nothing.

Only a single black hat lay on the ground.

Clara picked it up.

Inside was a small piece of paper.

She unfolded it.

There was one sentence.

THE MAYOR IS NOT THE VICTIM.

Elliot stared.

“Then who is?”

Behind them…

A branch snapped.

They turned.

A man stood between the trees.

He smiled.

Then ran.

“Hey!”

Clara chased him.

Elliot followed.

They ran deeper into Blackwood Forest.

The trees became thicker.

The light disappeared.

Then…

The ground vanished beneath Elliot’s feet.

He fell.

“AAAAAAAH!”

Clara screamed.

“Elliot!”

He landed in a pile of leaves.

Clara looked down.

“Are you alive?”

Elliot raised one hand.

“Unfortunately.”

Clara climbed down.

Elliot stood.

“Where are we?”

Clara looked around.

They were standing beside a huge stone wall.

Behind it…

Was an enormous mansion.

Old.

Abandoned.

And completely covered in ivy.

A sign hung above the gate.

BLACKWOOD MANOR.

Elliot stared.

“Find the house.”

Clara nodded.

“The mayor’s message.”

The gate slowly opened.

Neither of them touched it.

Elliot swallowed.

“That’s probably bad.”

Clara stepped forward.

“Come on.”

Elliot sighed.

“Why do I feel like we’re about to make the worst decision of our lives?”

Clara smiled.

“Because we probably are.”

They entered.

The gate slammed shut behind them.

High above…

In one of the mansion’s dark windows…

A man watched.

The missing mayor.

Mayor Hargrove smiled.

And beside him stood a woman Elliot had never seen before.

The woman looked toward the forest.

“They’re here.”

The mayor nodded.

“Good.”

“Should we stop them?”

“No.”

“Why?”

The mayor smiled.

“Because they think they’re investigating my disappearance.”

He looked at Elliot and Clara.

“They have no idea…”

He paused.

“…that they’re investigating their own.”

To Be Continued…