Chapter 39 - The Forgotten Lighthouse
Inside the folder, a hand-drawn map had been folded between two pages.
Unlike modern road maps, it showed old ferry routes across Lake Arden from nearly fifty years earlier.
One route ended at a location no longer marked on current charts.
Mercer pointed toward it.
"What's here?"
Arthur studied it carefully.
"A lighthouse."
Collins looked surprised.
"There hasn't been a lighthouse on Lake Arden in decades."
Arthur nodded.
"Officially."
By noon, the team reached the northern shoreline.
Hidden beyond thick pine forest stood a weathered stone lighthouse almost completely concealed by overgrown trees.
Its lantern room had collapsed years earlier.
Or so it appeared.
As Mercer examined the structure through binoculars, he noticed something unexpected.
Fresh tire tracks.
Someone had visited recently.
The team split into two groups.
Mercer entered through the main doorway while Arthur circled toward a narrow maintenance path overlooking the lake.
He stopped beside a rusted bench.
His eyes narrowed.
A small carving remained visible despite years of weather.
E + A
Mercer walked over.
"Elena?"
Arthur smiled sadly.
"She carved this when she was sixteen."
For a moment the investigation disappeared.
Arthur saw only memories.
A summer afternoon.
A laughing daughter.
A promise that life would become simpler after one final case.
The memory faded as quickly as it came.
Reeves called from inside.
"Chief!"
Everyone rushed toward the entrance.
Hidden beneath the spiral staircase was another concealed compartment.
Inside sat a portable film projector.
Several reels.
And a locked steel case.
No dust covered any of them.
Someone had been maintaining the room.
Collins carefully examined the projector.
"It's newer than everything else."
Arthur nodded.
"Someone has been coming back."
As Mercer lifted the steel case, a mechanical timer began ticking somewhere inside the lighthouse.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Every investigator froze.
Mercer carefully set the case back down.
Arthur listened.
"The sound isn't coming from the case."
He looked upward.
"It's above us."
May you like
Everyone instinctively raised their flashlights toward the dark spiral staircase.
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