| October 4, 2023 – 10:15 AM | Lin's Farm – Petting Zoo Area
Helen leaned against the newly installed fence, watching the animals roam their enclosures with a rare, satisfied smile.
"I have to admit," she said, crossing her arms. "This place is starting to feel… real."
Lin arched an eyebrow. "Was it not real before?"
Helen gave her a knowing look. "You buy things so fast I barely process them before you've moved on to the next phase. But now?" She nodded toward the petting zoo. "I can actually picture families bringing their kids here. Schools doing field trips. Parents pretending they're outdoorsy."
Lin chuckled. "That's the goal."
Helen glanced at her. "And you're still calling it an investment?"
Lin smirked. "Of course. Sentimental thinking gets people killed, Mom."
Helen sighed, shaking her head. "And here I was, hoping this meant you were finally softening up."
Lin ignored that. Instead, she adjusted the gate latch, making sure it was secure before casually dropping;
"By the way, Jake and his grandpa are coming to stay."
Helen blinked. "Wait-what?"
Lin leaned against the fence, watching Roxanne and Rex chase each other around the property.
"Lucas called this morning. His dad wants to take Jake on a six-month cruise. Lucas doesn't like it. I don't like it. So, I told him to send them here instead."
Helen raised an eyebrow. "And he just agreed?"
Lin shrugged. "He panicked first. Then he agreed."
Helen exhaled, rubbing her temple. "Lin, that's-" She hesitated, then sighed. "Actually, that's probably for the best. Jake is too young to be stuck on a boat for months."
Lin nodded. "Exactly. And if things go south? This is where you want a kid to be."
Helen watched her carefully. "And Lucas? What's his situation?"
Lin smirked. "Oh, he's drowning in problems. Boss flew back early, now he's being sent on a four-day business trip to Switzerland. Vivian is still playing housewife-of-the-year. Basically, his life is a mess."
Helen shook her head. "That poor man."
Lin grinned. "Yeah, well, worst case, he quits and becomes my farmhand."
Helen laughed. "You keep saying that. I feel like you'd actually do it."
Lin tilted her head. "Wouldn't be the worst idea."
Helen chuckled but then nodded toward the open field past the petting zoo. "So what's next?"
Lin sighed, already making a mental list. "Landscaping. I need trees, plants something that makes this place look less like a repurposed disaster zone and more like an actual destination." She tapped her fingers against the fence. "Once that's done, I can list the location and start booking visitors."
Helen hummed. "Any ideas for the plants?"
Lin smirked. "Evergreens for coverage, fruit trees for food, native plants to keep maintenance low. And maybe some flowers, just so people stop calling me cold-hearted."
Helen snorted. "Oh, sweetheart. Flowers won't be enough to fix that reputation."
Lin grinned. "Figured as much."
She crossed her arms, watching the animals.
A few more steps, and everything would finally be in place.
| October 4, 2023 – 11:30 AM | Lin's Farm – Front Gate
The sound of tires crunching over gravel made Lin glance up from her notebook.
A black-and-white patrol SUV pulled onto the property, stopping just before the main entrance.
Deputy Eric Porter stepped out, his uniform crisp, his expression serious.
Lin sighed. "You know, most people bring coffee when they show up uninvited."
Eric didn't smirk this time. "We're checking the area. There was a kidnapping."
Lin stilled.
Helen, who had been kneeling near the rabbit enclosures, looked up sharply. "A kidnapping?"
Eric nodded, shutting the SUV door. "Happened last night, about thirty miles from here. Young woman, early twenties. Disappeared from her car. No sign of forced entry, no struggle. Just gone."
Lin tapped her fingers against the fence. "And you're checking here because…?"
Eric exhaled. "Because whoever took her drove this way. We've got traffic cam footage showing a vehicle heading toward Maep's, but no footage of it leaving."
Helen crossed her arms. "So, they're either hiding out or they dumped her body nearby."
Eric shot her a sharp look. "We're still hoping for option one."
Lin nodded slowly, processing.
Kidnappings weren't common out here. Fights? Petty crimes? Sure. But an abduction? That was something else.
"What do you need from me?" Lin finally asked.
Eric studied her for a second, then glanced around. "You got security cameras up yet?"
Lin shook her head. "Not installed yet, but we've got motion lights along the perimeter."
Eric nodded. "Alright. Let me know if anything strange pops up—people trespassing, vehicles that don't belong, anything."
Lin leaned against the fence. "You think it's an outsider?"
Eric exhaled. "We don't know yet. Could be someone passing through. Could be someone local." His eyes flicked toward the vast, tree-lined property. "Either way, you should be careful."
Lin gave him a slow, knowing smirk. "Deputy, I'm always careful."
Eric huffed, shaking his head. "Just… keep an eye out, Zhang."
Lin watched as he turned back toward his SUV, a quiet tension still lingering between them.
A missing woman. A vanishing car. A town too small to ignore it.
Something wasn't right.
And Lin intended to find out exactly what.
| October 4, 2023 – 11:45 AM
Lin watched as Eric climbed back into his SUV, but instead of driving off, he lingered for a moment, fingers drumming against the steering wheel.
He was thinking about something.
And from the way his jaw tightened slightly, she knew whatever it was wasn't good.
She stepped closer, resting an arm on the open window. "Something else you're not telling me, Porter?"
Eric exhaled through his nose, then glanced at her. "She's the third one."
Lin narrowed her eyes. "Third what?"
"Third girl to disappear like this." His voice was low, unreadable. "Same pattern. No struggle, no sign of forced entry, just… gone."
That was news.
"And how many of those cases got solved?"
Eric's silence was answer enough.
Helen, who had been standing a few feet away, folded her arms. "This isn't just a random crime, is it?"
Eric hesitated, then shook his head. "No. It's not."
Lin leaned against the truck, processing. Three disappearances. No evidence left behind. And now, a car headed toward Maep's, only to never be seen again.
Something bigger was happening.
Eric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I don't want people panicking before we have real answers. Just keep an eye out. And if something feels off?" His gaze locked onto hers. "Call me."
Lin smirked. "You really think I'd handle this like a civilian?"
Eric exhaled, shaking his head with a half-smile. "No. That's exactly what worries me."
Lin stepped back as he finally pulled out, gravel crunching under the tires.
Helen watched until the SUV disappeared down the road, then turned to Lin. "Well. That's unsettling."
Lin cracked her knuckles. "Yeah. And now I want to know what the hell is going on."