Chapter 1: Echoes Of The Unfinished Business

Chapter 1: Echoes of Unfinished Business

The stale office air hung heavy, thick with the scent of old paper and suppressed anxieties. Sunlight, muted by the grime on the windows, cast elongated shadows across the worn linoleum floor. Kendra jolted, her head snapping up from the table with the abruptness of a startled bird.

“So, Kendra, how is the mission progressing? Kendra? Kendra?” Mrs. Lucas’s voice, sharp and insistent, had cut through the fog of Kendra’s exhaustion.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Kendra stammered an apology. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Lucas. I haven't been sleeping well. Things… things haven't been easy lately.” The weight of unspoken burdens seemed to settle around her shoulders.

Mrs. Lucas, her expression etched with a familiar blend of impatience and a steely resolve that came from years in the game, dismissed Kendra’s personal struggles with a curt wave. “That’s your concern, Kendra. The question is: what is the status of the report on the… the ‘drug dealer’?” The disdain with which she spat out the moniker felt calculated, as if she despised the very name.

“Oh, yes… right.” Kendra hesitated, the weight of the investigation pressing down on her. “Well, the investigation is ongoing, but… the evidence is increasingly pointing towards…” She paused, gathering her courage, steeling herself to speak the unspeakable.

“Towards *who*, Kendra?” Mrs. Lucas pressed, the curiosity in her voice a palpable force. It was a tension that both women knew, the silent hunger for the truth and the fear of what that truth might reveal.

Taking a deep breath, Kendra finally uttered the name, barely above a whisper, as if afraid to make the reality concrete. “Michael Stones.”

“Speak up, Kendra,” Mrs. Lucas commanded, her voice regaining its strength. “I didn’t quite catch that. It sounded like you said Michael Stones.”

“That’s because I did. He’s present at nearly every single one of the drug dealer's known operations. He uses his influence, his public image, to convince people everything is fine, when it clearly isn't.” The words tumbled out, fuelled by weeks of sleepless nights, countless hours poring over documents, and the unsettling feeling of being on the precipice of something monumental.

A silence hung in the room, thick with the implications of Kendra’s pronouncements. Mrs. Lucas processed the information, her usually stern face softening slightly. The weight of the revelations seemed to cause her to re-evaluate the parameters of the case. Finally, she broke the silence.

“I confess, I hadn't considered it from that angle. But Kendra, I trust your judgment. Trying to convince the world that the celebrated Michael Stones is behind this… it won’t be easy. You’ll need a…”

Her sentence was interrupted by the insistent buzz of Kendra's phone. Mrs. Lucas sighed, clearly frustrated.

“Forgive me, Mrs. Lucas. I have to take this. It's Austin.” Kendra's voice was filled with a nervous anticipation.

“Kendra, I’ve got it. The evidence is solid. You were right. Michael Stones is the drug dealer.” The voice on the phone crackled with excitement.

“Oh my goodness! I'll be there with the team immediately!” Kendra replied, cutting the call. Turning back to Mrs. Lucas, her eyes were alight with a mixture of relief and a grim determination. “Call the authorities, Laird.”

“Wait, Kendra,” Mrs. Lucas said, her voice filled with a flicker of uncertainty. “Shouldn’t you go there first? Verify everything before you bring in the team? Make sure it's all exactly as Austin describes?”

“I know, Mrs. Lucas,” Kendra replied, her gaze meeting her boss’s. “But trust me. I won’t let you down.”

With a swift nod, she turned and hurried out of the office. The need to act, to bring this case to a close, to finally bring those responsible to justice, had become an all-consuming fire.

---

The camera lights blazed, casting harsh shadows across the set. Kendra, her face a mask of professional composure, stood before the lens. The weight of the world, it seemed, was resting on her shoulders.

“Good evening, and welcome to 4tel News. I'm your journalist, Kendra Smith.” Her voice, steady and clear, resonated across the studio. “For the past six weeks, this city has been plagued by an unknown criminal who calls himself the 'drug dealer', a figure who has brought chaos and fear to our beloved community. I, along with a dedicated team, have been undertaking a thorough investigation to bring this individual to light. Tonight, we finally uncover the truth. A truth that will shake the foundations of this city. A truth about a man who has masqueraded as a hero, a man who has been a role model to many. A man whose secret life will now be revealed. Open your eyes. Fasten your seatbelts. The truth is coming.”

Kendra paused, allowing the tension to build, the anticipation palpable. Every eye on set was glued to her, breath held, waiting for the climax.

“He is the famous celebrity…” Kendra paused again, drawing out the suspense, making every second count, her eyes searching for the truth. “He is the famous celebrity, Michael Stones. The reign of terror is over. You may arrest him, officers!”

The camera followed Kendra's gaze as she gestured, the image shifting to the gates of Michael Stone's opulent mansion. The roar of the police sirens filled the air.

“You’re wrong, Kendra. I’m not the one! You're making a terrible mistake!” Michael Stones, his face a picture of stunned disbelief, was manhandled into a police vehicle.

Back in the studio, Kendra straightened, the fire in her eyes fading, replaced by a deep-seated weariness.

“Thank you to everyone who helped bring this mission to completion. I couldn't have done it without you. I am your favourite journalist, Kendra Smith, and, as always, for news told well, tune in to 4tel.”

“And… cut!” Austin’s voice rang out from behind the camera.

Kendra turned, a smile stretching across her face. “How did I do, Austin?”

“You were amazing, Kendra. Congratulations on completing the mission.” He beamed at her, his usual good humor shining through.

“We completed it together,” Kendra corrected, her smile widening. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Uhm, you would have,” Austin began, then broke into a laugh. “But thanks.”

As they both giggled, Austin's attention was suddenly caught by a thought. “So, I actually wanted to ask…”

Once again, Kendra's phone interrupted, the familiar buzzing echoing in the now quiet studio.

“Oh, so sorry, Austin, it’s my boyfriend. He just sent a text.” Her voice softened, and a gentle smile played on her lips as she looked down at the phone.

The word "boyfriend" hung in the air, a silent dagger. Austin's expression faltered, the light in his eyes dimming. The weight of the unspoken – the deep-seated feelings he held for Kendra, which he had long tried to keep hidden, weighed heavily on him.

“What was it you wanted to ask?” she asked, her attention back to him.

“Oh, uh… I was just wondering where you were heading after this.” He stammered, trying to regain his composure.

Just then, a sleek, black mini-vehicle pulled up outside the studio, its presence commanding attention.

Without hesitation, Kendra replied. “My ride is here, Austin. I’m heading to my boyfriend's. So, I guess we’ll talk later.”

She moved towards the exit, her footsteps light and quick. Austin found himself staring after her, the sadness etched onto his face slowly giving way to a more complex emotion.

“Thanks again, Austin. Bye! See you soon!”

“Bye, Kendra,” Austin mumbled, his voice a ghost of its former cheerfulness. He tried to force a smile, but it was clear that his heart wasn't in it.

---

Kendra reached the waiting vehicle, a luxurious car designed for comfort and speed. She turned the door handle, anticipation coursing through her. The prospect of seeing her boyfriend, of finally relaxing after weeks of grueling work, was a delicious promise.

But as she swung the door open, a scream caught in her throat.

Her eyes widened, her legs locked in place as her blood went cold. Her breath caught in her throat, a choked sound lost in the sudden silence.

She looked down, her focus drawn to a single, devastating detail. Her expensive, golden Louis Vuitton handbag, a symbol of her achievements, and of all she had worked for, was falling, in slow motion, to the ground. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.

She lifted her eyes, her gaze tracing the interior of the car, and then back down again to make sure she was not imagining things, to try and gather herself. The heart racing, the blood pounding. It was all a blur.

Reality crashed back in, the room spun.

"What the…" she choked out, her voice barely a whisper, the words swallowed by the rising tide of fear and confusion. The completed mission and the sense of accomplishment that went with it had crumbled. The nightmare had only just begun. The uncompleted was coming back for her, but this time, it was coming for real.