12 Three Hours Later The phone buzzed against her chest, waking her with a jolt. Julia blinked, disoriented. Her coat was still on. The laptop had slid to the floor. The television murmured in the background, half-muted. She answered without checking the caller ID. “Jules,” came Pamela’s voice, sharp and urgent. “You need...
Call the Four – 11
11 Stakeford, 05:14 — Approaching the House The road narrowed as they turned off the main stretch, the houses thinning into silence. Eoin held the phone in one hand, the map pulsing faintly on the screen. The blue dot inched closer to the red pin. Neither of them spoke. The air outside was still,...
Call the Four – 10
10 Police Station, 05:05 — Reception and Corridor Julia stepped through the sliding doors, the fluorescent lights inside the station humming faintly. The front desk officer looked up, bleary-eyed but alert. “I’m here to see Detective Brad Laudale,” she said, flashing her press badge. The officer nodded toward the corridor. “He’s just down that...
Call the Four – 9
9 Police Station, 05:10 — Incident Room The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a pale sheen across the cluttered desk where two phones lay side by side, Adeyinka’s parents’ devices, unlocked and combed through, their screens still glowing with the last opened apps. Brad leaned over the desk, scrolling through the call logs again....
Call the Four – 8
8 Night Bus, 02:33 The bus rumbled on through the dark, its interior dimly lit by overhead strips that buzzed faintly with age. Most of the other passengers were asleep, heads against windows, jackets pulled up to their ears, the occasional snore rising and falling like waves. Adeyinka sat slouched in his seat, hood...
Call the Four – 7
7 Police Station, Interrogation Room, 02:58 The corridor was narrow, the walls painted a tired shade of institutional grey. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a cold pallor over everything. The officers walked ahead, silent, purposeful. Olamide and Lola followed, side by side. Neither spoke. They were led to a heavy door with a reinforced...
Call the Four – 6
6 The Keith’s Residence, 02:00 The air is socially charged, emotionally unsettling, and atmospherically claustrophobic, as Haley’s home becomes a quiet echo chamber of prejudice and projection. The living room was warm, overlit, and crowded with neighbours’ coats draped over chairs, mugs half-full, phones buzzing with updates. The television played the news on low...
Call the Four – 5
5 Olusoji Residence, 02:18 Ten minutes later, headlights swept across the front of the house. A marked police car pulled up. Two uniformed officers stepped out, one carrying a folder. Brad opened the door before they knocked. “We have the warrant,” the lead officer said, handing it to Olamide. He scanned it, jaw tight....
Call the Four – 4
4 Julia Scott, Outside the Morrison Residence, 23:39 Julia eased her car to the curb, engine ticking as she killed the lights. The Morrison house loomed ahead, modest, quiet, its windows dim but not asleep. She could see movement inside. Visitors, maybe. Neighbours. The beginnings of a vigil. She checked her phone again. Three...
Call the Four – 3
3 Row Residence, 22:14 Thomas Row stepped into the house, the cold clinging to his coat. He placed the scratch cards and cigarettes on the kitchen counter, then paused. The house was quiet, not unusual, but tonight it felt hollow. He climbed the stairs slowly, one hand on the banister, and knocked on...