The fog had lifted by mid-morning, but the streets of Maplewood still felt heavy, as though the town were holding its breath. Hazel unlocked the café, the brass bell jingling nervously. She kept glancing at the alley behind the café, half-expecting to see someone lurking, watching her every move.
Mia was already at her station, polishing mugs with trembling hands. "Hazel… are you sure you should be doing this on your own?" I am worried for you, you don't sleep anymore, you look haggard and I think you need to take some time off. I can take care here.
Hazel forced a small, tight smile. "I don't have a choice. Right now I don't feel safe anywhere, I can't close my eyes, I keep seeing Gerald's corpse, the note, the little clues, Someone's playing a dangerous game, and the police can't see everything. I need to know who's behind this."
The morning went by slowly, each customer a reminder of the world continuing, despite the horrors hiding in its corners. As much gossip was looming over the town, people had to eat. Hazel kept one eye on the back door while preparing drinks, her thoughts returning to the photograph and the coffee-bean note.
When the bell rang again, Hazel's stomach lurched. Callum stepped in, coat damp and collar raised. His eyes swept the café, landing on Hazel.
"You shouldn't have come alone this morning," he said. His voice was calm but carried that edge of authority that made Hazel want to argue and comply at the same time.
"I needed to check something," Hazel replied. "I have a lead."
Callum's brow furrowed. "A lead?"
Hazel reached into her apron pocket and pulled out the photograph with the shadowed figure and the folded envelope of coffee beans. She spread them carefully on the counter.
Callum studied them, lips pressed into a thin line. "Interesting," he said. "The beans are arranged deliberately. Someone's trying to communicate almost like a code."
Hazel's pulse quickened. "A code… in coffee beans? But what does it mean?"
Callum's eyes softened for a fraction of a second, just enough for Hazel to notice. In that split moment she felt drawn to him, feelings deep within her she never thought existed, crept in. "We'll find out. I need you to be careful. Whoever's doing this is clever, and they're watching you."
Her jaw tightened. "Then I'll just have to be clever too."
Before Callum could respond, the café's door opened again. A man in a dark jacket, his face partially obscured by a scarf, stepped inside. He glanced quickly at Hazel, then at Callum.
"Can I help you?" Hazel asked, her voice steadier than she felt.
The man's eyes flicked toward the photograph and beans. "I… I think you shouldn't be looking at that."
Callum straightened, stepping between Hazel and the stranger. "And you are…?"
The man hesitated, then pulled off his scarf. "I'm Nathan Harper. I knew Gerald… but I didn't kill him. I swear."
Hazel felt a chill. Another person connected to Gerald. Was he a witness or hiding something deeper?
Callum's gaze was piercing. "Why warn her about the photograph?"
Nathan swallowed hard. "Because whoever left it… they're not finished. Gerald got too close to something he shouldn't have, and now…" His voice trailed off, fear plain in his eyes.
Hazel exchanged a glance with Callum. Fear. Danger. The pieces were beginning to fit, but the picture was far from clear.
"Thank you for the warning," Callum said, voice measured. "Stay in town. Don't leave. And don't contact Hazel again unless instructed."
Nathan nodded quickly and left. Hazel felt a shiver run down her spine.
"See what I mean?" she said quietly. "They're watching me. Every move."
Callum's jaw tightened. "Yes. And if we're going to solve this, we need to find out who. Now."
Hazel looked around her café, the place that had once felt like a sanctuary. Now it was a stage for secrets, danger, and deception. And she was determined to uncover the truth—before someone else got hurt.