Chapter 1

"So? What brought you here, actually? It's unusual for a big city girl to come to this area." The handsome man who is sat in front of me asks, holding the cup of hot coffee in front of him and without peeling off his gaze from me, he takes a sip.

 Covering the lower part of his face, I finally notice how tired he actually is. The black intimidating eyes he has are half-covered by his heavy lids and dark circles are surrounding them. Was he even sleeping?

"Oh, well. I-- To be honest, I didn't want to come, but my teacher insisted. I'm here because of my university paper." I lean back on the leather couch and rub my temples. What a headache I got.

"And what's the object of your paper?" He slightly tilts his head and under the dim artificial lights his stubble pops up. He hasn't even shaved?

"Well, I chose to write about the supernatural and how it affects the crime investigations." I shake my head. Who thought it would be so hard?

"Do you believe in ghosts?" He raises his thick eyebrow in surprise.

"Well, no. That's the thing." I point to him with my fork, then dig it in my omelette. "I believe this is one big bag of bullshit. There are enough cases that stay unsolved or are closed due to 'demonic possession' and honestly, that enrages me. Imagine the disappointment of the grieving families in the system. They want retribution, but get 'your family member was murdered due to demonic possession' kind of crap."

"And how do you plan to prove that this is a backdoor in the system?"

"Hmmm..." I toss my head back and stare at the ceiling. How do I plan to prove it? I have no goddamn idea. By now I think I'm losing my mind here. There's something so wrong with this town. "Well, that's the thing. I need to do so much research. I need the opinions of psychologists, I need past cases. It's just so much work. I thought it'll be easier." I complain. 

"Okay, give me an example of a past case you think was unfairly treated and closed as 'crime due to demonic possession'."

One particular case always comes to my mind whenever I need to think of an example. 

"Easy. The DeFeo's. They were all murdered in their sleep by the oldest son. He claimed and kept insisting that he did it because 'a demonic force was speaking to him'. The whole family. Shot in the heads."

"And how can you be so sure that he's not lying? Just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it can't exist. It's like holding a spoon of water and saying there are no sharks in the ocean because there are none in your spoon."

"Wait, are you trying to convince me to believe? Honestly, I never thought of you to be the believer in the supernatural type of person." I cross my arms disapprovingly and look at my partner. I thought he, out of all the people I met here, will be sober-minded.

"Well, if you haven't noticed so far, we're investigating a case dating nearly forty years back. So far without any lead to prove it's the work of a person and not what people say it to be."

"Ugh, you're talking about that stuff? What did people call it again? Samodivas? You believe the cause of all murders is some forest ghosts?" I burst into laughter. This is ridiculous.

"Well, can you prove it otherwise?" 

His question makes my smile frown. Can I prove it? So far I have had no success. But I refuse to believe the cause of all problems is a ghost. Or more like 'unearthly beautiful spirits that lurk in the nights' if I must quote all the people I interrogated so far. 

And the thing is, my time here is almost over. I need to find out what's going on here and I need to do it fast.

Little did I know where my determination will lead me. 

                        ***

"Roni? Veronika!"

"Yes?! What?!"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." I shout and finish my look by carefully painting my lips in crimson red, then blow a kiss at the woman from the other side of the mirror and she answers me with a silly giggle, then a deep sigh follows. Talk about postponing the inevitability. Do I really have to go?

"Are you ready for your first day, beautiful lady?" The chirping voice of my best friend pours in my ears and is followed by her hugging me from behind and resting her chin on top of my head.

"Ouch, Nancy! Your chin is stabbing in my scalp!"

"Oh, come on! I'm just showing you my love and never-ending support!"

"Well, your never-ending support is scratching a hole in my head."

"Can you shut up and smile?" Nancy pulls her phone out of her back pocket and points it in front of my face.

"Say 'selfieee'! " The bright light of Nancy's front camera sharply blinks in my face, almost blinding me. Who takes a selfie with the light on during daytime?! 

"Jesus, Veronika! Couldn't you smile at least a little? You look like you ate a whole lemon! Come on, let's take another one!"

"Nancy, no. I need to go."

"Boo-hoo. You're no fun! Perhaps, if you mysteriously disappear, people will see this bitter face of yours."

"No one is going to disappear, Nancy." I roll my eyes, but I already thought about this, I won't lie.

"Well, you can never know. New place, new house, new people."

"Okay, shut up or I'll pack my things again."

Nancy jumps off my back, grabs the perfume that's carefully put on the dressing table and hastily sprays me, the otherwise sweet-smelling liquid gets in my mouth and I cough.

"Jesus, Nancy!"

"Sorry, but you were about to leave and you should wear perfume. Which, if I may add, you forgot to put. You can never know who you can meet."

"As if I can meet someone in this God forgotten place. What was the population again? Two thousand people?"

"With us, it's 2 002." Nancy fixes my knee-length black dress and steps back to look at me.

"So funny, Nancy. So funny. I can't believe I was sent here to finish my tuition."

"Why were we sent here again?

"I was sent here. You glued yourself to me, saying I can't leave without you. Dramatic as always."

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too. Aren't you running late? Come on! Chop-chop!"

Nancy basically kicks me outside the house I rented for us. Then she slams the door at my face and waves me goodbye through the little window next to the front door. So much for loving me.

                        ***

     Nancy Cooper. Dark brunette, green-eyed, porcelain-white barbie doll, 24, unemployed, party animal.

 She's the best of friend you can have. Loyal like a dog and fearless like a lion. Despite her fragile body, she has one of the hardest nuts-kicks I've seen. I met her during high school and we fastly bonded. Maybe because she's the total opposite of me? You know, opposites attract.

And who am I? Veronika Hughes. Also 24, dark-haired, dark-eyed, dark-skinned and to-be criminal investigator. Shy and introverted, a bookworm if you want to say. The total opposite of Nancy.

And where are we? In the middle of nowhere. Waterfall Bridge, Maine. I was sent here as a part of finishing my thesis so I can finally get my bachelor's degree. According to my not-so-bright tutor, this place is perfect for my work, as I chose to write about the supernatural crossing paths with criminology. Damn me if I know why she chose this place.

"Ah, miss Hughes! It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" 

A man around my dad's age looks me up through his round glasses as I interrupted whatever he was typing on his computer. A warm and welcoming smile spreads across his face and he gets up offering me a hand. I take it and a strong handshake follows.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr...?"

"Mr. Smith, but you can call me Jason." 

"Jason Smith? Aren't you like... the Police Chief for around here?"

"The one and only."

"It's an honour to meet you, Mr. Smith."

"Jason, dear. It's Jason. We're all friends here."

"Oookay..."

"Listen, this will be your office. I was entering some data in your computer. My office is upstairs if you need me."

"You know I haven't graduated yet, right? I'm here for my thesis."

"Oh, I know. But I got great recommendations for you and no matter you haven't finished your tuition yet, you will get your badge and gun. You can be a nice addition to our department and of course, a new citizen is always something big for our otherwise small community."

"Yeah, I noticed you're not exactly... big of a town."

"That's correct, but that's why we're so close. And we have everything you can possibly need. We have a school, a cafeteria, a restaurant, a club even. So who needs the big cities?"

I sigh, thinking about everything I left behind for a whole year, only to come here to finish my stupid degree.

"May I ask you a question, sir?"

"Only if you start calling me Jason."

"Alright. Um Mr.-- Uh, Jason, what's so mysterious about this town that I was sent here to draw inspiration for my thesis?"

"Oh, nothing really happens here. That's why our police station has seven people working here. Everyone else was re-sent to other stations around the district."

"That's... weird."

"Okay, I'll leave you to settle down, I'm upstairs if you need something. You can play solitaire or whatever."

"Oookay."

Officer Smith leaves and I take some time to look around myself. The medium-sized office looks like it was furnished 50 years ago. An old and massive dark-brown bookshelf is leaning on the wall next to a wide window, which itself is the only source of light to the office. Next, under the window is a desk, another old piece of furniture, littered with books and documents. 

The only thing that seems out of place is the backdoor that Officer Smith left through. Although it's wooden, it looks modern and new. And then there's another desk and although it's bending under the number of papers on it, it's in perfect order. I wonder who uses it?

Curiosity wins and I look around myself in case someone comes, then carefully sit in the chair behind the desk and move the mouse to wake up the computer. 

Enter password.

Ah, great. It wants me to log in.

"Hey, Jason, I'm back. I brought you-- who the fuck are you?!"

I'm startled half to death by a husky male voice and two big palms thumping the desk on each side of the computer's monitor. I look up only to discover a pleasurably cute young man in black slacks and a white shirt.

 Judging by the card hanging on the left side of his chest, he works here. Ash blond hair is carefully put back and his chiselled jaws look so smoothly shaved, I want to touch the skin. A pair of black eyes stare daggers at me and I swear he's exhaling fire. I guess it's his desk.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"

"Jason! Jason come here! Right now!"

The man shouts Officer Smith's name and in no longer than a minute, Mr. Smith throws himself running through the door.

"What's up, Christopher?"

"Who is this woman and what does she do here?!"

Christopher, as it came clear, doesn't move his intimidating gaze from me. He speaks through teeth and his whole cold vibe gives me shivers.

"Chris, this is Veronika Hughes. She's the trainee you're assigned to work with."

"No. No, no, no!" Christopher raises his hands in disagreement and moves his murdering look from me to Jason.

"Christopher, you don't really have a choice."

"You know I work alone! What to say about working with a woman!"

"She's here temporary, Christopher."

"I quit. Call me when she leaves."

I feel uneasy and overall embarrassed for causing such a drama. I don't like it here either, but I don't complain. Do I?

"Christopher, sit down and think rationally!"

"Well, I can't! She's sat in my place!"

"Oh, I- I'm so sorry." I hurriedly jump out of the chair and step back. I swear it became 10 degrees hotter here.

"Christopher, do you mind coming with me to my office?"

"Yes, I do, actually."

The man is stubborn as a donkey. Such a waste to have this handsome face and this douchebag's personality. 'I don't work with women' meh meh. I quote him silently in my head and roll my eyes. Such an asshole.

"Miss Hughes?"

"Huh?"

"Are you fine with coming to my office?"

"Oh, sure..."

Officer Smith takes a few steps in front of me, then opens the backdoor and gestures for me to come. I follow him and after a few stairs up, I find myself sitting in his office.

A big portrait of what looks to be the younger version of Officer Smith in a police uniform hangs on the wall behind his desk. A little narcissistic if you ask me, but whatever. His office is bigger, tidier and... emptier. It has a lot of empty space, whether it be because the room itself is bigger than the office downstairs or because most of the documentation is again- downstairs.

"Miss Hughes, do you want a coffee or can I offer something else?"

"Oh, no, no, I'm fine. What's wrong, sir?"

"Oh, I called you to give you your badge and a gun."

"Mr. Smith... I think it'll be the best if I call my teacher and ask her to choose a different place for me. I don't want to cause any problems. Plus, I don't see what I'm doing here. If nothing happens, I don't see what I'll be doing here to finish my thesis."

"Veronika..." Officer Smith sighs and leans back on the leather chair crossing his legs, then locks his fingers on top of his knee. "Don't worry about Christopher. He's a tough cookie, but he'll eventually accept it."

"Why doesn't he want to team up with someone? He's the lone wolf in the story or what?"

"This... this is a thing you should ask him. All I can tell you is that he wasn't always like this and I believe he still is the cheerful boy I knew, he's just pretending."

"Yeaah, alright."

"When did you move in?"

"Oh, we came just two days ago. I rented a house on Elmond street."

"We? Is someone accompanying you? Perhaps, a partner?" Jason puts his index finger on his chin in a questioning pose.

 He looks like a nice man, but his question makes the hairs of the back of my neck stand on end. After all I'm just a new girl, living with her best friend. The thought of getting visited by someone with unclear intentions was the fear I had to overcome when we were moving in.

"So..?" Mr. Smith interrupts the silence, impatiently waiting for my answer.

"Oh, um... I came here with my best friend."

"Interesting. It's even better this way." A half smile spills across his face. Now I'm pretty sure I shouldn't have told him my address.

"May I ask why you're so eager to know, sir?"

"Oh, well..." He laughs and tosses his head back, looking at the ceiling. I still refuse to believe the Officer can be some shady ageing man. I believe I'm good at appraising people. "You see, I'm an old man already, Veronika. I'm a little over my fifties and I wish I can have grandchildren before I die. Or at least before I fall dying in bed, unable to play baseball with the kids. I have two wonderful sons who refuse to get serious with a woman. And I refuse to die before I see them both married."

"Oh, I see..." I take a deep breath, relieved that he has no dark intentions. He's just a little weird, like any other father, matching their kid with every potential person they like.

"Veronika, you're free for today, but tonight we're having a little gathering at Grace's. You can join if you want to. And your friend is welcomed too. It'll be a great way to meet some people."

"Uh, I'll see. Thank you, sir." I nod for goodbye and leave Mr. Smith's office, then walk down the stairs and to my temporal office. And walking under the challenging eyes of Christopher, a.k.a. my new coworker, is intimidating and unnerving. It's like walking down the hall of shame.

"Soo, we'll be sharing the same office?" I try to start a small talk while carefully putting the gun inside my bag, but the only thing I get as an answer is an annoyed grumble. "Okay, I see you're not happy with this fact. Umm, see you tomorrow, I guess?"

I grab my bag and leave. I was here for no more than two hours and already feel worn out. Good thing my new house has a bathtub. 

What a great first day.