Lena’s fingers trembled around the worn photo of Danny Langford, its edges curled and frayed like memories long overrun by time. The smiling man in the picture looked younger, more hopeful for the future than the body that had been found in a pool of blood over a decade ago.

Then the darkness came.

The portal bloomed before her in a silent ripple, a churning oval of obsidian mist that tugged at her like a breath held too long. This time, she didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward.

Date: July 4th, 1992

The scent of motor oil hit her first, thick and tangy, a stinging reminder of grease-stained hands and whirring machines. Voices filtered in from another room—tired, agitated. But Lena didn’t move right away.

Instead, she surveyed the dimly lit office she found herself in. It had to be Danny’s. A sturdy desk sat pushed against shuttered blinds, cutting off her view of the shop floor. Faint streaks of light seeped through the slats like secrets too ashamed to show their face.

She moved closer, eyes falling on a photo frame on the desk. Danny, a woman—likely his wife—and a young boy. Sam Langford. Her fingers brushed the glass. It was a tender touch, but also one filled with conflict. ‘Never let a case get under your skin,’ Hayes’ voice echoed in her mind like an old warning bell. She chuckled under her breath and shook her head.

“Too late,” she murmured. The voices outside rose sharply, then settled again. Pen and notepad in hand, she approached the door.

“Guess I should go see what’s going on,” she whispered and stepped into the dark garage beyond the office door. No one. The lights in the back were off, casting everything in muted shadows. She moved forward cautiously, following the echo of voices.

As she rounded the corner into the front of the shop, Lena saw them.

Danny stood behind the counter, clearly stressed and weary. The lines on his face seemed deeper here—etched with worry and something heavier.

The boy across from him was a sharp contrast. He couldn’t have been older than seventeen. Short blond hair. Freckles dotted his nose. His green eyes, ringed with irritation, glinted under the fluorescent lighting. Multiple piercings—ears and a nose ring. His baggy jeans hung low, and a Cypress Hill shirt screamed rebellion. Hands buried in his pockets, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Lena jotted down every detail.

“Will you hurry up and tell me why you called me here, old man?” the boy snapped. “I was supposed to go watch the fireworks with the boys, like—twenty minutes ago.”

Danny said nothing at first. He bent down, grabbing a folder. Papers slapped the counter with a heavy thud. The boy didn’t flinch, but Lena saw the subtle recoil—a twitch of guilt.

“What’s this, boss?” he muttered, eyeing the documents from a distance. Danny leveled a sharp, soul-cutting stare. “I’ve been doing the math,” he said, voice low and disappointed. “And out of everyone… the only one it could be… is you.”

Lena’s pen scratched across her pad.

The boy’s posture stiffened. “What are you even talking about, old man? Why don’t you start making sense before I just bounce on outta here?!”

“You’re the only one who would take cash from the register,” Danny said, the words heavy with betrayal.

The boy staggered back a step, shaking his head. “What?! Y-You’re trying to set me up? For what? I wouldn’t do that shit! You’re lying! I’ll find the real book and prove you’re trying to lock me up!”

Then he ran to the back of the shop, towards the office.

“Hey—get back here, young man!” Danny shouted, rushing after him. Lena followed at a distance, silent as a shadow.

As Danny flipped the garage lights on, the boy came into view—his trembling hands clutched a large silver wrench like it was a sword drawn for battle. His chest heaved. His eyes were wide, wild.

Danny froze. His hands lifted in a calm gesture. “What do you have that for? Why don’t you put it down and we can talk this through?”

But the boy’s mask cracked. Anger rushed out like lava. “You’re right. You’re right about all of it. I did take the money! I asked you so many times for a raise, but you always said no! You'd just say time and time again that I didn’t earn it!”

“Because you—”

“SHUT! UP!” he screamed, tears falling freely. “You had your chance, old man. Now I’m gonna take what I’m owed. Lucky for me I know the code to your safe.”

Danny knew what he had to do. His family, his staff, and even the business depended on that money too much for him to just accept this loss. He lunged forward.

The wrench clanged against the floor as their bodies collided. A scuffle of limbs and grunts followed. Danny reached for the weapon, but the boy’s knee shot up—hard—into Danny’s groin. Danny dropped with a choked cry.

Then came the horror as the boy straddled him, weapon in hand.

One.

Two.

Three.

The wrench came down again and again, a sickening crunch accompanying each blow until Danny no longer moved. “Hah… hah… I finally get what I’m owed,” the boy heaved, tossing the bloody wrench aside. “Shoulda just paid up, old man…”

He turned and ran toward the safe in the office.

Lena dropped to her knees beside Danny’s body. His chest no longer rose. His face was slack and covered in blood. She whispered a prayer, hoping his soul found the peace denied to him in life.

Laughter echoed from the office. Raucous. Unhinged.

“I should probably do something about the old man, huh?” the boy said aloud to no one as he left the office, pockets stuffed with money. “No use havin’ all this moolah if I get sent to prison!”

She watched him scan the garage, searching for something, though she could only guess what that could be.

“Let’s see… gotcha!” Lena turned her head in time to see him staggering out of a shadowy corner with a gas can in hand, sloshing with gasoline.

At that moment, Lena had decided she had had enough.

She moved to the reception counter and examined the paperwork Danny had slammed down earlier. It was his bookkeeping. Each employee’s name was listed meticulously. Most had been crossed out.

All except one.

Her eyes narrowed before she proceeded to write that name down in her notepad. “Looks like I have my suspect then,” she murmured. “Time to head back.”

Just as she turned, the dark portal opened beside her once more, swirling with silent invitation. She stepped through. The moment she did, the acrid scent of smoke and burning rubber filled her lungs. Shortly after, she heard the back door of the auto shop slam open and then shut in a flash of movement.

The portal closed behind Lena as she fully stepped through it. Now it was time to tell Hayes what she had discovered.

To be continued…