Murphy Lawden and Dr. Alexander entered the old library without speaking. Dust floated in the cold air, and every shelf looked untouched for years. The broken window at the far end allowed weak morning light to enter.
Murphy held the strange book in his hand and slowly opened it.
The pages were empty.
Dr. Alexander stepped closer. "Empty?"
Murphy turned another page.
On the third page, words suddenly appeared:
The second witness is still alive.
At that exact moment, footsteps echoed upstairs.
Both of them looked up.
Murphy closed the book immediately and ran toward the staircase, Alexander following behind.
On the second floor, they found a young man standing near a shelf, shaking with fear. His face was pale, and his hands trembled badly.
"I... I did not touch anything," the young man said.
Murphy stared at him. "But you saw something."
The young man slowly nodded.
"Last night... I saw a man here. He wore black clothes. He stood near that shelf and spoke to someone... but nobody was there."
Alexander looked at the shelf. Nothing unusual appeared there except old books.
Murphy asked, "What did he say?"
The witness swallowed hard.
"He said, 'The first page is open.'"
For the first time that morning, Murphy's expression changed.
He walked directly to the shelf and removed several books until a hidden space appeared behind them.
Inside was a small iron box.
Alexander looked surprised. "Hidden compartment?"
Murphy opened the box carefully.
Inside lay a single photograph.
Three people stood in front of this same library many years ago.
One face had been scratched away.
Murphy looked at the remaining two faces silently.
Alexander noticed something unusual.
"You know them?"
Murphy answered quietly,
"One of them is already dead."
Outside, rain began to fall.
Then from downstairs, a scream broke the silence.