Page 11 of When You're Gone

"Thank you, Mr. Pendergast.You've been most helpful," Finn said, nodding slightly.

"Anytime, Detective.Inspector. Do stop by if you wish to discuss Babbage further—or perhaps peruseour collection of horological wonders," Pendergast offered with a genialsmile as they left.

Finn nodded with a grin. “Thisplace is great.”

“You don’t have to ask him twice tocome back,” Amelia said. “Thank you again, Mr. Pendergast.”

The phone in Finn's pocket buzzedinsistently as they stepped out of Pendergast’s dusty shop, the musty smell ofold books and brass still clinging to them. He glanced at the screen, ananonymous number flashing up with a message that sent a chill down his spine.

"Amelia, it’s another message.Look at it," Finn said, holding out the device for her to see. The text onthe screen was a quote, antiquated in its language yet chillingly apt: "Ascogs and gears do turn, the world prepares to burn."

"Another damned riddle,"Amelia muttered, her face stoic with deep thoughts, clearly sifting through theimplications.

Finn looked around.

“What is it?” Amelia asked.

“I get the feeling we’re beingwatched,” Finn answered. “The timing… We just came out of the place whereHenshaw bought pieces of a difference machine, built with cogs and gears. Then,we get this. It’s no coincidence.”

"He could be anywhere,” Ameliasaid. “Don’t make it obvious you’re looking. It’s better if he thinks we’reblind to it. Come on. Let's get back to the station."

***

Back at Hertfordshire Constabulary,Finn and Amelia sat in the dimly lit room, surrounded by stacks of case filesand evidence bags. The air was heavy with the weight of unsolved mysteries andlingering danger. Finn's gaze was fixed on a series of photographs spread outbefore him, each one a piece of the puzzle they were trying to solve.

One image showed Lucas Henshaw'sjournal with intricate diagrams scrawled across its pages, hinting at a mindconsumed by forgotten technologies. Another displayed the antique pocket watchfound in Henshaw's mouth, its hands frozen in time. Finn's brow furrowed as hetraced the connections between these relics of the past and the present-daymurders.

Finn turned to another computerscreen. On it was the moment of Emily Stanton's death, caught on camera forall the world to see. Alongside it was a text display of her viewers discussingthe video in the chat window.

Finn and Amelia had both watchedthe video back now, over and over. Sadly, only the killer's mask could be seenfor a brief second. It looked like a grotesque pale face caught in afrightening pose. But there was no way to identify the killer.

Amelia, on her part, sifted throughnotes detailing Pendergast's recollections of Henshaw and his acquisitions fromthe antiques dealer. She studied the receipt stained with blood, a grimreminder of lives intertwined by threads of history and technology.

Silence enveloped them as theyabsorbed the details before them, each lost in their own thoughts yet connectedby an unspoken understanding. The flickering overhead light cast shadows thatdanced across their faces, mirroring the dance of shadows lurking in the depthsof this intricate case.

Amelia's phone rang and she quicklypicked up. “Winters... Yes... Okay, anything else? Thank you, Kelly. That's abig help.” Amelia hung the phone up.

“What is it?” Finn asked.

"Preliminary tests show thatboth Emily and Lucas were murdered within 1 to 2 hours of each other."

Finn nodded.

“The killer must have prepared bothkills well in advance to pull that off, rushing between scenes,” Amelia said.

"I can't shake the feelingthat there's a link between Lucas Henshaw and Emily Stanton," Finn mused,his eyes scanning the evidence before him. "Henshaw delved into archaictechnology, seeking hidden truths in old machines, while Emily was all aboutmodern tech, streaming her life for the world to see."

Amelia looked up from the notes shewas reviewing, intrigued by Finn's train of thought. "You think theirpaths crossed somehow? That maybe Henshaw's pursuit of forgotten technologiesled him to something that put him in the killer's sights?"

Finn nodded slowly, the piecesstarting to align in his mind. "It's possible. Both of them were divingdeep into realms where technology meets history. Henshaw with his antiquedevices and Emily with her online presence. Maybe there's a connection we'remissing, something that ties them together beyond mere coincidence."

As they pondered this new angle,the weight of their investigation seemed to grow heavier, the shadows in theroom deepening as if concealing secrets waiting to be uncovered. The clock onthe wall ticked steadily, marking time as they delved deeper into theintertwined fates of Lucas Henshaw and Emily Stanton.

Amelia neatly stacked the notes shehad been organizing, her fingers tracing over the details of their latestfindings. As she closed the last folder, a sigh escaped her lips, mingling withthe heavy air of the room that Finn felt was palpable.

Finn stretched in his chair, hismuscles protesting from hours spent hunched over evidence. With an unexpectedcreak, the chair tipped backward, sending Finn sprawling to the floor with athud. Startled, Amelia rushed to his side, extending a hand to help him up.

"Finn, are you alright?"concern laced her voice as she steadied him.

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