Chapter 5: The Family Ties
The following days blurred together for Ada. The quiet town of Cliffton, once seemingly idyllic and calm, had become a maze of secrets, half-truths, and veiled threats. She felt like an intruder, someone picking at the very fabric of the town’s existence. But she couldn’t stop now. The deeper she dug, the more she realized that Sarah’s disappearance wasn’t just an isolated incident—it was part of a far-reaching web, one that tangled inextricably with the history of the Hayes family and the darker undercurrents of Cliffton.
After her unsettling encounter with Robert Hayes, Ada spent the next few days attempting to track down other possible sources. She reached out to old town residents, hoping someone would be willing to talk about the Hayes family and Sarah’s involvement with them. But each time, her efforts were met with resistance. The locals, it seemed, had learned long ago not to ask questions when it came to the Hayeses. The family’s influence ran deep, and the fear of crossing them was tangible.
Still, Ada pressed on. She spent hours at the library, pouring over old town records, news articles, and court cases. There was very little on the surface about the Hayes family, but she did find something—a reference to an old legal dispute between the Hayes family and a local businessman, David Calloway. The case had been sealed, its details obscured, but Ada knew that anything hidden this carefully was worth exploring.
Her phone buzzed, breaking her concentration. It was a text from Jenna, the waitress at the diner who had given her Jacob’s address. Jenna had been a reluctant ally, but Ada sensed that she knew more than she was letting on. The text read:
"Meet me at the diner at 2 pm. Don’t bring anyone. I’ve got something you need to see."
Ada’s curiosity piqued, she decided to meet Jenna. She needed any lead she could get, and Jenna, despite her warnings, had been one of the few people in town willing to talk.
When Ada arrived at the diner, it was as quiet as usual, with only a couple of customers scattered across the booths. Jenna was waiting for her at the far end, her eyes scanning the room nervously. As Ada approached, she noticed the waitress’s hands were trembling.
“Jenna?” Ada asked softly, sitting across from her. “What’s going on? What did you want to show me?”
Jenna leaned forward, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep quiet about this,” she said, glancing around again. “You’re right. There’s more to this than just Sarah’s disappearance. But you need to know something about the Hayes family. About Robert, especially.”
Ada’s heart skipped a beat. She had already sensed that Robert was no ordinary heir to a family fortune, but hearing the fear in Jenna’s voice made the reality of the situation hit harder.
“Tell me what you know,” Ada urged.
Jenna swallowed hard. “I’ve worked for the Hayeses for years. And I know things. Things I shouldn’t know. Robert… he’s not the man he appears to be. He’s been involved in shady dealings for a long time—blackmail, extortion, even worse. But it’s not just him. It’s a whole network. They’re connected to everyone in this town—police, politicians, business owners. They control everything, Ada. And Sarah… she was getting too close. She was going to expose them. I don’t know how, but she had something—something that could bring them all down.”
Ada sat back, her mind racing. She had suspected that Sarah’s disappearance wasn’t a random act, but hearing it from someone like Jenna made the conspiracy feel far too real. The Hayeses weren’t just wealthy, they were untouchable. And they were willing to go to any lengths to protect their secrets.
“Where is Sarah’s evidence?” Ada asked, her voice urgent. “What did she find?”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t know. But I do know she was keeping it hidden somewhere. I overheard her talking to Jacob about it a few days before she vanished. She said she had proof, something that would bring the whole family down. She was scared, Ada. Scared of Robert and the things he’d do to keep the truth from coming out.”
Ada felt a wave of frustration. Sarah had known something crucial, something that could unravel everything. And now, that information was out of reach, lost with her disappearance.
“I think Robert knows what Sarah had,” Jenna continued. “He’s been looking for it, asking around. But no one’s been able to help him. That’s why I’m telling you this. If you’re serious about finding Sarah, you need to follow the trail. Start with Robert. He’s the key to all of it.”
Ada leaned in, her gaze steady. “I need more than just suspicions, Jenna. Do you have anything concrete? Anything that could point me in the right direction?”
Jenna hesitated, her eyes flickering nervously as she looked over Ada’s shoulder toward the entrance. Ada followed her gaze and saw a man walk in—tall, with sharp features and a cold, calculating look in his eyes. It was Robert Hayes.
Jenna’s face went pale. “I need to go,” she said quickly, standing up. “I can’t talk anymore. Please, Ada, be careful. You’re in over your head.”
Before Ada could respond, Jenna turned and walked toward the back of the diner. Robert’s gaze shifted toward Ada as he passed, his expression unreadable but tense.
Ada watched Jenna leave, then turned her attention back to Robert. His presence in the diner felt like an unspoken threat, as if he was aware of every move she made. But she couldn’t back down now. She had come too far, and the pieces were finally starting to fall into place.
With newfound resolve, Ada left the diner and headed back to her car. Jenna had given her a critical clue—Robert was the key. And the more Ada thought about it, the more she realized that Robert Hayes wasn’t just a man protecting his family’s legacy. He was a man desperate to keep something buried. And Ada was determined to uncover it, no matter the cost.
Good
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