Chapter 06: Shadows of the Past
The sky outside was a dull gray, the clouds swirling like a storm waiting to break. Mason’s car cut through the city’s backstreets, the tires humming softly as the engine purred in the background. His thoughts, however, were far from serene. He was closing in on the last piece of the puzzle, but each step forward seemed to pull him deeper into a labyrinth of lies, murder, and betrayal.
Sophia Montgomery. The name haunted him as he drove. She was the key to everything, and finding her was no longer just a matter of connecting dots—it was a race against time. Fox and his people were closing in, and if they found her first, everything would be lost.
The drive led him to an old apartment building on the edge of the city, a place that had seen better days. The paint on the walls was chipped, and the windows were covered with grime. It wasn’t a place for the faint of heart, but it was a place where secrets could hide.
Mason parked his car across the street and surveyed the building. There was no sign of movement, no sign that anyone had been in or out recently. He pulled his collar up, his hand instinctively going to the gun at his side. He had no idea what he would find inside, but he had to be ready.
Stepping out of the car, Mason crossed the street and headed toward the entrance. The hallway inside was dark, the only light coming from a flickering overhead bulb. He felt the weight of the silence pressing in on him as he moved through the narrow corridor, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. He knocked once on the door to apartment 2B. No answer. He knocked again, harder this time.
A voice, hoarse and tinged with fear, came from inside. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Mason. I need to talk to you,” he called out.
There was a long pause, the kind that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Finally, the door cracked open, and a woman’s face appeared in the narrow gap. Her eyes were wary, but there was a flicker of recognition in them as they locked onto Mason.
“You’re Mason, the investigator,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “What do you want?”
“I’m looking for answers. About Fox. About the murders. You know something, don’t you?”
Sophia’s gaze flicked to the hallway behind her, as if weighing her options. Mason could see the tension in her posture, the way she was holding herself, like a woman who had been living with a constant weight on her shoulders. After a moment of silence, she stepped back and opened the door wider, ushering him inside.
The apartment was small and sparsely furnished, with only the bare essentials. A few mismatched chairs, a coffee table covered in papers, and a single lamp providing the dim light. There was a faint smell of old cigarettes in the air, but it didn’t seem to bother her. She moved toward the couch and sat down, her eyes never leaving Mason’s.
“What do you know about Harrison Fox?” Mason asked, taking a seat across from her. His eyes narrowed as he studied her, looking for any sign of hesitation, any flicker of guilt.
Sophia’s hands shook slightly as she folded them in her lap. “I knew him. Years ago. He was… different back then. But we’re not talking about the same man anymore. He’s changed, Mason. He’s not the person I knew. And the things he’s involved in… I couldn’t walk away fast enough. It’s why I left. But leaving him didn’t mean leaving the danger behind. It’s followed me everywhere.”
Mason leaned forward, sensing she was holding back. “What’s he involved in? What kind of danger?”
Sophia swallowed hard, her gaze flicking to the window. “Murder, Mason. That’s what he’s involved in. People have died—people who were close to him, people who knew too much. He’s trying to cover his tracks. He’s been doing it for years. And I… I saw something. I saw something I shouldn’t have.”
Mason’s heart raced. “What did you see?”
She hesitated for a moment, her face pale. “I saw him kill someone, Mason. I saw him murder a man who was working for him. It wasn’t quick. It was cold. I shouldn’t have been there, but I was. And now… now I’m paying the price for it.”
Mason’s mind raced as he absorbed her words. This was it. The missing link. The reason why Fox was so determined to bury his past, the reason he would stop at nothing to make sure the truth never came to light. But why hadn’t Sophia come forward sooner? Why had she waited until now?
“Why didn’t you go to the police?” he asked, his voice steady but laced with disbelief. “Why wait until now to tell anyone?”
Sophia’s eyes filled with fear, and for a moment, she seemed like a different person altogether. The tough exterior she had put up for years was gone, replaced by someone vulnerable, desperate. “Because I’m afraid, Mason. I’ve seen what Fox can do. I’ve seen how he handles people who get in his way. The people who know too much don’t last. And if I talk… if I say anything, he’ll kill me. He’ll kill everyone I’ve ever loved. You don’t understand how deep this goes. You don’t understand who’s protecting him.”
Mason sat back in his chair, the weight of her words sinking in. He had suspected something this big was at play, but he had no idea how far Fox’s reach extended. He could feel the walls closing in around him. The web was tightening.
“What do you want me to do?” Mason asked quietly, his voice betraying none of the fear that had begun to coil in his gut.
Sophia’s eyes met his, filled with desperation. “I want you to bring him down. I want you to expose him. Before it’s too late.”
As Mason nodded, a cold chill ran down his spine. He had a choice to make. Sophia’s words had shifted everything. Fox wasn’t just a businessman with secrets. He was a killer. And Mason had just stepped into a game where the stakes were higher than he could have ever imagined.
As he stood up to leave, Sophia’s voice stopped him.
“One last thing,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re not just going after Fox. You’re going after everyone he’s involved with. The people who think they’re untouchable. The ones who make sure their hands stay clean. But they’re not. They’re all in this together, Mason. And if you bring him down, you’ll bring them all down with him.”
Mason didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. The pieces were falling into place. But now, the question was no longer about the truth. It was about survival.
