The Unseen Witness- A Mysterious Person | Exciting Mystery Story to read

 The Unseen Witness- A Mysterious Person

Through stony carriageways of this monochromatic landscape, the sun grilled above the Madison Square Park, and accentuating the emergence of sharp shadows on the otherwise vibrant streets below. Crowds mixed – they laughed, they talked – their voices rose in the summer heat like the music of Christmas carols but there was palpable tension that simmered below the surface, there was discord waiting to ensue. It was in the form of a shriek that only broke once and brought with it gallop of thunder. 

 At that second, a man wrapped up in a gray trench coat crumpled to the floor from the convulsing narcotics and needles; and the new world of him became blurred joy and horror. He was overwhelmed by the sound of the crowd and saw disgust twist their faces into shocked looks before they started murmuring. People whipped out their phones with their fingers flitting on the buttons; cameras made noises of taking pictures and people hushed as if they were murmuring in a gale. 

 The camera eye was on Cassie Greene whose actions in the crowd resembled that of a specter. Her brash and instinctive nature and a professional working as private investigator she took a look of the scene placed before her just like a hawk. But her heart was thumping, not because of the chaos around them, and she realized that it is indeed the case she had been sure just started. 

 When she arrived at the wounded man the crowd began to voices expressing all sorts of theories and conclusions. “He collapsed,” someone yelled. “But why?” A man close by moaned, “I saw someone shove him!” Another man joined in, “He was okay one moment!” Cassie watched their expressions: worry, and shock, and something else, fear mixed with smugness. 

 Firemen arrived in the form of paramedics and once some frantic calls were made the crowd began to break up and voices mixed into murmurs. Cassie however stayed put, walking proudly through whatever was left of havoc ready to strike a pose most of the times, and perfectly capable of instilling fear among observers. The lady was able to drag one wide-eyed woman with swollen cheeks and red eyes. 

 “What did you see?” Cassie said this in the prudent manner always ensuring she remains authoritative. 

‘I … I was just walking my dog,’ the woman said incoherently, unable to decipher the complex emotions that she saw etched on Homicide’s firmly set face. “Then I saw him fall,” she said tearfully and turning away from Cassie while gesturing her that she cannot tolerate the weight of event any longer. 

 Cassie only managed to nod, feeling the tension that was covering that woman’s voice but still waiting to get an answer. At the edge of the circle there was a man leaning against the wall with his arms folded, his brows furrowed—as if he had built a wall against the spectacle. Turned away from the crowd pushing her, she walked towards him. 

 “You?” She pointed at the man and his look of annoyance well hidden behind bored – and impatient. 

 “Just another dump thing to happen in broad daylight”, he said and looked around carelessly. “It does get said that people can be real morons. ” 

 Cassie however did not want him to go that easily. “You should have seen something. The man fell—someone might have acted something,” she went on forcing. 

 He sighed, just like a man who takes a cocktail of arrogance and reluctance. ‘Well alright; I noted some people standing close to him,’ responded the man. “But who can tell anymore? You know how people exaggerate in moments like that,” I was left to mutter to myself as he strolled off with a smirk. 

 It is worth noticing that as the director of the drama, which was in the process of unfolding in front of her, Cassie felt the force of agency in her role. It was not just the WLB family who claimed that unusual things had happened in their house, other witnesses reached the same conclusion too. Both had their story which not only differed from each other but also each of them was very much clear and strict about their sides of the story. Her main duty was to stitch these disjointed pieces together and she felt there was a bigger stitch that she could not see. 

 

 Thus prepared she submerged herself in the case for the next few days. They were gradually reducing in credibility like a melting candle and no one amongst the crowd paid any attention. It was evident: someone had witnessed everything and for some reason he or she decided to cover the truth.

Her probe further focused to the man through the identity of the victim, Marcus Grey, a local artist whose works were not well-known but prominent enough to get around town. Cassie even spoke to friends who know the person, strangers and even the gossiped, a ‘go-to’ person for gossip on the neighborhood. She did not stop until she found out that Marcus was receiving threatening mails with messages that endangered his image and reputation for a scandal. 

 Because of one of the notes, she got to a coffee shop located at the corner of a seemingly normal street. It was there amongst the smell of roasted beans brewing, Cassie noticed a man she knew, an old man with a newspaper and a slightly furrowed forehead. The name he gave was James Callahan – it was clear, he was a loyal client. 

 When she drew near he raised his head and, with a sudden air of complete nonchalance which she could not fail to observe, he appeared to know her. 

 “I’ve come to talk about Marcus,” She made her voice as casual as possible despite the fact she was ready to kill whoever was behind all this. ‘’It was you on the park that day, wasn’t it?’’ 

 “I was,” he answered, angrily and uncomfortably moving in the chair with his legs crossed. “But you probably had your other witnesses to attend to by then and so you didn’t see that. ” 

 “Yes”, replied Cassie, and she moved closer and whispered with her lips near the ears of Regina. “But, I believe you opened more than what you can actually tell. ” 

 James let out a long breath, ran a hand through his balding head and caved under the pressure of thinking. “He’s not the man everybody presupposes him to be. . . ” he started. “But it was not me who killed him, really! ” 

 The core of truth came out gradually, as a timid layer of warmth at the first morning. James was able to share with the audience that he saw a fight occur prior to Marcus’ death; there were people fighting, the man in trench coat challenged Marcus about a debt that seemed to lead to something wrong. Most importantly, James revealed the biggest secret Marcus and insisted on his reporting to the police but he never dreamt that it would cost the lives of innocent individuals. 

 

Each day went by faster than the next; the clock was a cruel enemy which she feared more than anything in the world. Cassie ran through Madison square park, increasing her pace against the dwindling light still hoping to find out the truth before another such incident happens in Madison Square park. 

 Just as she was about to cry for backup, something shifted in that sea of people—there was another person she hadn’t seen before. A woman that is shrouded with darkness along her face shielded with sunglasses and a big hat. 

 Was she the missing witness? 

 When Cassie came nearer the woman looked at her squarely in the face, and Cassie saw recognition in her eyes. Time froze. An approaching clash was closer but it was nothing like the disorder of that day in the Park, this had a scent of oncoming revelation. 

 The emphasis in the camera eye, therefore, changed. There, nadiri among the possibilities, Cassie waded through water to get ready for the last scene of revelation. Might this become the moment when the threads of the innermost lies would start to uncoil or, would it cement itself as a conundrum locked away for eternity? Time alone, and the decisions which were made during the brief span of that time, would show.