Sheriff Jon was sipping his morning coffee when Mr. Thompson, one of Willow Creek's most vigint residents, knocked on his office door. The elderly man looked visibly agitated, his hands trembling slightly as he held his hat.

  "Morning, Mr. Thompson," Jon greeted him warmly. "What brings you in today?"

  "It's that duplex down the street," Mr. Thompson began, his voice shaky. "I’ve seen a man lurking around there for the past few days, watching the pce. Gives me the creeps, Sheriff."

  Jon's attention sharpened. "Can you describe him for me?"

  Mr. Thompson nodded. "He's tall, maybe six feet, with a lean build. He has dark hair, always wearing a baseball cap, and he dresses in dark clothing. I've seen him mostly in the evenings, standing across the street or down the block. He’s always watching that duplex where the murder happened."

  Mr. Thompson’s description seemed to match what Mrs. Henderson told them previously.

  Jon's mind raced. Kate still lived in that duplex, and with everything that had happened recently, this was troubling news. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Mr. Thompson. I'll make sure to look into it."

  After Mr. Thompson left, Jon immediately called a meeting with his deputies. "We have a new development," he started, expining what Mr. Thompson had told him. "I want everyone to keep an eye out for this man. Distribute his description to all units and patrols. He’s been seen near the duplex on Maple Street."

  Jon felt a knot of worry tightening in his stomach. He knew he needed to take action quickly. As his deputies dispersed, Jon stayed back for a moment, pondering his next steps. He knew he had to ensure Kate's safety, but he decided to wait for the right moment to inform her about the potential danger.

  In the meantime, Jon instructed his team to increase surveilnce around the area and to report any sightings or suspicious activities immediately. He also made a mental note to check in on Kate more frequently without arming her. The situation was delicate, and he wanted to handle it with care.

  Once everyone dispersed, Deputy Mark approached Jon with a sense of urgency, clutching a folder. "Hey, Sheriff," Mark said, his voice tight. "I have some really important information.”

  Jon’s eyes widened, his attention sharpening. "What do we have?"

  Mark opened the folder and handed Jon the first page. “Our victim, Maggie Greene’s fingerprints are an exact match to Margaret Saunders. Miss Saunders has a long criminal history. I was able to locate her parents and asked them to come in for an interview.”

  Jon took the page, scanning it quickly. "Margaret Saunders," he murmured, the name heavy on his tongue. "I remember hearing about her years ago. She testified against a major crime syndicate, didn’t she?"

  Mark nodded. "That's right. She was the key witness in taking down some very dangerous people. I guess she moved here shortly after and became Maggie Greene.”

  Jon exhaled sharply, the pieces falling into pce. "So, they finally tracked her down," he said, more to himself than to Mark. "This changes everything."

  Mark shifted uncomfortably. "It does. If they found her, they could find anyone connected to her.”

  Jon nodded, the weight of the new information pressing on him. "We need to move fast. Double the patrols around Kate’s pce and find anyone else who might be involved. And let’s re-examine every detail of Maggie’s—Margaret’s—case. There might be something we missed."

  Mark returned the first page to the folder and pulled out another document. "That's not all, Sheriff.”

  Jon looked up, his eyes narrowing. "What else is there?"

  Mark handed Jon another document. “We’ve got a fingerprint match from a first-floor window near the front door. The prints belong to a guy named James Sadler.”

  Jon quickly scanned the report, his expression hardening. "James Sadler? Do we have a record on him?"

  Mark nodded grimly. "Yes. Mr. Sadler has a criminal record, mostly for petty theft and vandalism. He's been in and out of the system for years."

  Jon nodded, feeling a mix of urgency and curiosity. "Good work, Mark. Let's track him down and bring him in for questioning. He might know more about what happened to Maggie."

  Mark nodded and hurried off to coordinate the search. Jon stood there for a moment, processing the new information. If James Sadler had been at the scene, he might also be the man watching the duplex. With determination, Jon headed back to his office to coordinate the next steps in the investigation.

  ***

  As Jon was going over some case files in his office, he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he called out, expecting to see Mark with an update on James Sadler.

  To his surprise, Maggie's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Saunders, stepped into the room, their faces etched with worry and grief.

  "Sheriff, we heard you wanted to speak with us about Margaret Saunders, our daughter," Mr. and Mrs. Saunders said in unison, their voices trembling.

  Jon's heart sank. He had been so focused on finding James Sadler that he hadn't considered the impact on Maggie's parents. "Please, have a seat," Jon said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk.

  "I'm sorry for your loss," Jon began, his voice filled with empathy. "We're doing everything we can to find out what happened to your daughter."

  "We just want justice for Margaret," Mrs. Saunders said, her voice breaking.

  Jon nodded, his resolve strengthening. "We have a lead that we're following up on, but we could use your help. Did you know Margaret moved here and lived a new life as Maggie Greene?”

  Mrs. Saunders wiped a tear from her cheek and nodded slowly. "Yes, we only found out about her new life because we hired a private investigator. Margaret had been out of touch for so long, and we were worried. The investigator tracked her down here, to Willow Creek. He didn't find anything suspicious, just that she was living quietly as Maggie Greene."

  Jon's eyes narrowed. "Do you have any contact information for this private investigator? He might have noticed something that could help us."

  Mrs. Saunders nodded, reaching into her purse and pulling out a business card. "His name is David Turner.”

  Jon took the card, gncing at it before pocketing it. "Thank you, Mrs. Saunders. This could be a valuable lead. We'll contact him immediately."

  Mrs. Saunders managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Sheriff.”

  Jon then asked, “Do you know if your daughter had any enemies or anyone who might have wanted to harm her?"

  Mr. Saunders shook his head. "Our daughter was a kind soul. She didn't have enemies. She was loved by everyone who knew her. Margaret may have had some troubles, but she was just a young kid." Despite their grief, Maggie's parents were determined to help in any way they could to find her killer.

  Jon mentioned the high-profile case that Maggie was involved in. "Your daughter was a key witness in taking down a major crime syndicate. Her testimony helped put away some very dangerous people. Do you know if she ever received threats or had any reason to believe her life was in danger?"

  Mrs. Saunders looked at her husband and then back at Jon. "Margaret never told us about any threats directly," she said, her voice quivering. "But she did mention feeling uneasy sometimes. She said she was always looking over her shoulder."

  Mr. Saunders added, "She was supposed to get into the witness protection program, but something went wrong. They said there were too many leaks and they couldn't guarantee her safety."

  Jon nodded slowly, “Did she ever mention anyone specific from her past who might still be after her?"

  Mr. Saunders shook his head. "No, she never gave names. She just said she felt like she was being watched sometimes. We thought it was just her nerves after everything she went through."

  Jon took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the case even more now. "We need to find out who exactly was after her and why. If you can think of anything else, even the smallest detail, it could be crucial."

  "Margaret left home over five years ago," Mr. Saunders expined, his voice trembling slightly. "We never stopped looking for her. Recently, we hired a private investigator to help us track her down. But before we could reunite…." Mr. Saunders breaks down crying and cannot finish his sentence.

  Jon felt a pang of sympathy for Maggie's parents. Losing a child is a pain no parent should endure, and to have their hopes of a reunion dashed in such a tragic way was heart-wrenching.

  "I'm so sorry," Jon said, his voice heavy with emotion. "I can't imagine what you must be going through. We'll do everything we can to bring justice and closure for you."

  Mrs. Saunders nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude and fear. "Thank you, Sheriff. Margaret was brave, but she didn't deserve this."

  Jon assured them that he would keep them updated on the investigation and promised to do everything in his power to find out the truth about Maggie's death.

  After they left, Jon sat quietly at his desk, reflecting on the conversation. The case had taken on a new dimension, knowing that Maggie Greene was really Margaret Saunders and had been estranged from her family for so long.

  He knew he had to find James Sadler and unravel the mystery of what had happened to Maggie, not just for justice, but also for her grieving parents who had been searching for her for years. They deserved to know why their daughter had left and began a new life with a different identity.