Chapter 504


    We swung the gate open to the backyard, which was shrouded in darkness. I''m not gonna lie, I


    would''ve been majorly freaked out if I''de alone.


    Whipping out her phone, Hannah flicked on the shlight, scattering beams across the yard. The


    silhouettes of the shrubs danced on the walls, the trellis stood deste under the shadowy moonlight,


    and the rocking chair sat still in the gloom.


    In the dead of night, the ce felt downright eerie. I whispered to Hannah, "Let''s check inside."


    She nodded in agreement. I too turned on my shlight, casting a stronger glow around us.


    But just as we stepped toward the quaint cottage, a thud echoed from the back garden. Hannah spun


    on her heel and dashed toward a gate to the side, the usual route to the back.


    I followed suit, guessing someone must have leapt from a window, which sent a chill up my spine.


    As I turned to follow, two dark figures darted out of the building. By the time I shone my shlight their


    way, all I caught was a fleeting glimpse of their retreating backs.


    "Hannah!" I shouted.


    "What''s up?" she called back.


    "We''ve been duped! They''re gone!" I was still in a state of shock. "Looks like we''re not alone in this


    garden."


    Fuming, Hannah sprinted after the shadows, but they had vanished into the night. She hurried back,


    not wanting to leave me alone.


    "The sound was definitely someone jumping down," she huffed in frustration.


    "Let''s check the back and we''ll know," I said, not ready to give up. We passed through the moon-


    shaped gate and headed for the back garden.


    The backyard was surprisingly spacious, easily over sixty square meters. It looked like it once served


    as a vegetable patch, now neglected yet oddly tidy.


    Beneath the window, there were no signs of a break-in, but we spotted two deep footprints. Someone


    had indeed jumped from the second story.


    Looking up, the corresponding window was ajar.


    Hannah and I exchanged a nce, saying in unison, "Three people!"


    This realization sent a shiver down my spine. Three people had been hiding here, clearly not friends, or


    they wouldn''t have run off.


    In one cornery a pile of stones and tiles, likely materials for repairs. They provided the perfect


    leverage for a quick escape. Demonstrating, Hannah leapt onto the pile and vaulted over the wall.


    The moment Hannah disappeared from view, I won''t lie, the backyard felt downright spooky. I hurried


    back through the gate to the front parlor.


    Soon enough, Hannah was back, panting, "This ce is a maze, a perfect hideout. Someone could


    vanish in a heartbeat."


    My skin crawled, but I mustered the courage to suggest, "Let''s go inside and look around."


    Together, we ventured into the cottage. I found a switch by the front door and flicked it on; the garden


    was instantly illuminated.


    "Great, there''s a light!" Hannah grumbled. "Would''ve been nice to know sooner!"


    "I forgot there were lights here." I said, sheepishly.


    "Damn it! This ce has turned into a squat!" Hannah''s anger grew with every room we entered.


    There were four rooms on the second floor, each with signs of recent upation, a study, and a small


    living area. The tea on the living room table was still warm.  Draмanоvеls


    "Let''s figure out who these people are," Hannah said. "I''ll report this to the boss. There must be a


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    reason they came here; they wouldn''t stay for no reason."


    She dialed Ronan, detailing the situation from top to bottom.


    After she hung up, I told Hannah, "Looks like tomorrow we need to track down the contacts from


    Fidelia''s phone."