The Silent Witness

Part 1: The Man in Room 307

The rain began at exactly 11:43 p.m. Detective Elias Graves would remember that detail for the rest of his life.

Most people believe murders begin with a killer.

They don't.

Murders begin with secrets.

And on a stormy Friday night in October, one very old secret stirred back to life.

The call came just after midnight.

Elias stared at the vibrating phone on his nightstand.

He had been asleep for less than an hour.

“Graves.”

“Detective, we’ve got a body at the Grand Regent Hotel.”

The voice belonged to Lieutenant Carter.

Elias sat up immediately.

“What happened?”

“You need to see it yourself.”

That was never a good sign.

Twenty minutes later, Elias stepped through the revolving doors of the Grand Regent Hotel.

The lobby was unusually quiet.

Several guests stood behind police tape, whispering among themselves.

Outside, red and blue lights flashed through the rain-covered windows.