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Officer River exhaled, his gaze lingering on the notebook. “From what he wrote, I would say yes. I reckon he was trying to tell her something—something that someone didn’t want her to know.”

“And what does Julian mean by their list? Who are they?” David asked, his voice edged with urgency.

“We don’t know yet. Julian’s case was ruled a suicide, and the investigation is officially closed. No further inquiries will be made,” Officer River said, his tone measured. “I’m only here because I found something new just as I was about to leave his house. But of course, this could be helpful in locating your daughter, as there is significant evidence suggesting her disappearance is connected to Julian Marlowe.”

“Officer, I wanted to ask… do you know someone named An-” Mr. Lay hesitated, exchanging a glance with David before shaking his head. “Never mind. Forget it.”

“Okay, we will let you know as soon as we have something new about your daughter,” Officer River assured him. He hesitated for a moment before adding, “In the meantime, if anything comes to mind—no matter how small - let us know. Sometimes, the smallest details can change everything.”

Mr. Lay nodded, his fingers tightening around the edge of the table.

Officer River gathered his notes and slid the evidence bag back into his case. He offered a final nod to them. “I’ll be in touch if anything else comes up,” he said, his tone firm yet weary. With that, he turned and walked toward the door, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence. A moment later, the front door clicked shut, leaving the room feeling heavier in his absence.

“Alright, let’s take a moment to process everything,” David said, his voice steady but thoughtful. “What we do know is that Julian had uncovered something—some secret about them. For whatever reason, he wanted Amelia to know the truth. He arranged a meeting with her this morning at 10 a.m.—or perhaps she was the one who reached out to him. We can’t be certain yet. But one thing is almost undeniable now: The Silent Shadow was written by Julian. Another manuscript was found in his room, and the writing style is an exact match.”

“Exactly,” Mr. Lay agreed, “And it seems like the police are aiding them in concealing the truth from the public. Julian’s case is most certainly not a suicide. Someone has been pulling the strings from behind the scenes, controlling everything. Then there’s this Anna Raynott, the literary editor who worked closely with Julian. She is probably the only person who knows what's hidden in the book. And we need to find her, fast.”