Chapter 33
Author: Julie Paola
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
9 year old Neil Schoenfeld loved his mum’s good heart. He loved the services she rendered for others and the compliments they gave after that. He loved how hardworking she was and the sacrifices she made, despite being a single mother. The neighbors supported in every way they could too, but his mother was an independent woman. She loved to do things by herself.

One day, she received news from the school she applied for. She luckily got in on scholarship and they were willing to offer her a job if she showed dedication and attended consistently. Neil was happy for his mother. What he hadn’t expected was to see less of her. That wasn’t a problem for him at first since he stayed with neighbors and they treated him well. This neighbor was the closest to his family. His mother trusted them a lot and didn’t mind leaving him there for days, if not weeks. Soon, they got irritated by his constant stay in their home and began to verbally abuse him. They pointed out every flaw and insulted him f
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  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Chapter 34

    ONE YEAR LATER Neil was taken out of his ward and brought into the private visiting room with no context. When he asked who visited, since he rarely got visitors, he was given no response. “Just sit down and wait patiently,” his nurse warned him before walking out. Neil complied, admiring the empty room. The treatment did help him a lot no doubt. His ill feelings toward his mum aren't gone, but he’s learnt to accept the past. What was done was done. He couldn’t control fate. The most he could do was start a new beginning. The visiting room door opened and someone stepped in. Someone he was familiar with. He stood up in shock, confused by the sudden appearance. Another person followed the visitor behind, gesturing to him to calm down. It was Morrie, complying with her promise to visit him once a month. What he hadn’t expected was for her to bring Flora this time. “It is fine, Neil. I brought her here on purpose,” Morrie smiled. Flora waved formally, before staring around the room.

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Epilogue

    Neil took his car keys ready to set off for an evening drive. Since he arrived back in the country for Christmas, he never spent time alone. It was either his mum constantly calling him or….“Dad!” He heard his young son scream his name from up the stairs. His wife, Susanna followed, jogging down in her casual wear. “Vixen, stop running!” She tried to catch up with the 7 year old. There was no point. The boy was way too fast. “Dad, I want you to fix the lego set again,” the child grumbled, holding a piece of lego. Neil nodded and pecked him on the cheek. “Sure, I will do that,” he agreed with a nod. “But let me take a quick drive first,” “No, Dad,” his child stumped his feet stubbornly. “I want you to do it now.” Neil wasn’t sure of what to do. How the hell could he do this? He didn’t want to hurt his son’s feelings, nor was he ready to sacrifice his evening drive as he always does. “Fine, I can….” He wanted to accept, as he took the Lego piece from him. Susanna stopped him. “No

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Prologue

    My name is Neil Schoenfeld, a college graduate who loves detective work. Lots of ‘em! So, here is a brief note of what I think happened to Melanie Hopper after the brief findings I made. I am scratching my head with my own hands, wondering how to begin. But do not worry. I am good. This story could help you solve the case later in this novel. It is the base of the investigation we are working on today. Remove the idea of family and friends because no one is a friend or a true family member. Anyone can be the killer. So keep your eyes open, pay attention to details and take note of every little details, even the one that seems unimportant. Help me solve this case so that I can be promoted from being an average loser to the ultimate position I deserve. Thank you anonymous reader. It feels weird talking to myself, but okay. Now, here is what I feel the 19th of November looked like. It might look like a story, but it isn’t a fiction. I promise. ***Melanie ran as fast as she could, brus

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Chapter 1

    FEW HOURS AFTER THE PROLOGUE.(NILE SCHOENFELD THIRD PERSON POV)NILE SCHOENFELD: Ex-Detective of Melanie’s Case. (Suspended)EDUCATION: COLLEGE GRADUATESKILL LEVEL: AVERAGE, NOT RELIABLE Important Terms (CO means Chief Officer)24 year old Nile Schoenfeld adjusted the house antenna to the satisfaction of his younger siblings. He watched the teenagers argue on how the television signal went on and off due to poor connection. “Wait! Stop!” His 16 year old sister, Maggie stopped him as he bent it to a particular position. “It works now!” “Really?” He asked, staring at the strange way he positioned it. “It’s gone,” his brother, Migel blurted out in disappointment. Nile groaned and wiped off his sweat. “Could you tilt it to the side a bit? My favorite show is about to start.” Nile knew he couldn’t attend to the antenna forever, but he tried it for her anyway. The reception got better for a few seconds, before the car of his office colleague pulled over in front of his home. This di

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Chapter 2

    “Why did you go there, Neil?” The Chief Officer, Richard Fodd asked, sitting before Neil. Neil scoffed already seeing that coming. The moment the police arrived at the scene and forced him off the ground in handcuffs, he knew he was in trouble. There he was in the interrogation room, being questioned like he was a criminal or something. Neil took off his hat and placed it on the table. “Someone had to check the murder scene. Not just anyone, a detective to be precise. That was why I rendered my services as a good detective should. You are welcome." Richard stared at him briefly and laughed, tapping the table with his pen. “Neil, Neil, you are something else, aren't you?Your ears aren't working at all. How do you not still understand what is going on here? No one thinks you are fit for this job, boy. No one wants you to do this job. You aren’t allowed to get involved in cases anymore.” “Why?” Neil lashed. “ 5 years of college experience and special training weren’t for no reason. I

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Chapter 3

    Neil and George pulled up before the old witness cottage. George wasn’t optimistic about pressuring the old man to speak, but Neil couldn’t waste anymore time. “It has to be done,” he informed George as he came out of the car and shut the door. “But…but…,” George tried to catch up with his pace. “If you get caught by the CO, you will be in big trouble.” “Do you also believe a new detective can solve this case better than me?” Neil quizzed. “No, that is not what I am implying. Your stubbornness could get you in trouble,” Neil ignored him, knocking on the Old Witness door. “Neil…” "O! You keep quiet..." The door slid open and an old man’s head popped through the open gap. “Do I know you?” He asked. His curious eyes switched nonchalant when he saw George. “I see, it's you people again,” Neil instantly pulled out his ID Card. “My name is Neil Schoenfeld. I am Wenner’s detective and I have a couple of questions for you.” The old man reluctantly allowed them in and offered them a

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Chapter 4

    Flynn was deeply hurt by the terrible memory Neil brought back. “What’s wrong with you, Neil? Do you have to remind me of that hurtful moment? You’ve ruined my mood,” Neil apologized and took another sip of the beer. Flynn has always been an emotional man, but the dude can barely hurt a fly. He couldn’t even kill a turkey the previous thanksgiving. What nerve would he have to kill a grown lady? “Her death was a shock to everyone,” Flynn went on. “No one expected her to be killed like that. Who did it anyway? Was her killer ever found?” Neil shook his head in denial. “Unfortunately not. The police department is trying, but this is a more difficult case than I thought. Unless, maybe the suspect is someone close. Someone closer than we think. Someone no one suspects because everyone thinks he would never do a thing like that,” Neil arched his brows at Flynn and studied his reaction. Flynn coughed due to the beer entering the wrong hole. "Are you okay, Flynn?" Neil asked. Flynn nodd

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    Chapter 5

    Neil and George stood before Melanie mum's door, getting ready for the other phase of the interview. Neil knocked softly and they both waited for a response. “I can’t believe you made me pose as the CO just to get you into that freaking race!” George whispered. Neil placed his hands over his lips. “Be quiet, George. You cannot say that here,” “Sure! As usual I will pretend you are not going to get me in trouble. Why did you go for the race anyway? Why are you risking your life for no reason?” George hated confidence."This is not the right time to talk about this,” Neil rung the doorbell again. "You have a crafty mind, Neil. You're crazy,” George insulted with a frown.They both stopped the conversation when the door knob turned open. An elderly woman walked out, carrying a toddler that happened to be Melanie’s child. “You are from the police?” She asked as soon as he showed his ID. “Yes, Mrs Hopper. We have some questions for you,” Mrs Hopper nodded in agreement and gave them a

Latest Chapter

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Epilogue

    Neil took his car keys ready to set off for an evening drive. Since he arrived back in the country for Christmas, he never spent time alone. It was either his mum constantly calling him or….“Dad!” He heard his young son scream his name from up the stairs. His wife, Susanna followed, jogging down in her casual wear. “Vixen, stop running!” She tried to catch up with the 7 year old. There was no point. The boy was way too fast. “Dad, I want you to fix the lego set again,” the child grumbled, holding a piece of lego. Neil nodded and pecked him on the cheek. “Sure, I will do that,” he agreed with a nod. “But let me take a quick drive first,” “No, Dad,” his child stumped his feet stubbornly. “I want you to do it now.” Neil wasn’t sure of what to do. How the hell could he do this? He didn’t want to hurt his son’s feelings, nor was he ready to sacrifice his evening drive as he always does. “Fine, I can….” He wanted to accept, as he took the Lego piece from him. Susanna stopped him. “No

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Chapter 34

    ONE YEAR LATER Neil was taken out of his ward and brought into the private visiting room with no context. When he asked who visited, since he rarely got visitors, he was given no response. “Just sit down and wait patiently,” his nurse warned him before walking out. Neil complied, admiring the empty room. The treatment did help him a lot no doubt. His ill feelings toward his mum aren't gone, but he’s learnt to accept the past. What was done was done. He couldn’t control fate. The most he could do was start a new beginning. The visiting room door opened and someone stepped in. Someone he was familiar with. He stood up in shock, confused by the sudden appearance. Another person followed the visitor behind, gesturing to him to calm down. It was Morrie, complying with her promise to visit him once a month. What he hadn’t expected was for her to bring Flora this time. “It is fine, Neil. I brought her here on purpose,” Morrie smiled. Flora waved formally, before staring around the room.

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Chapter 33

    9 year old Neil Schoenfeld loved his mum’s good heart. He loved the services she rendered for others and the compliments they gave after that. He loved how hardworking she was and the sacrifices she made, despite being a single mother. The neighbors supported in every way they could too, but his mother was an independent woman. She loved to do things by herself.One day, she received news from the school she applied for. She luckily got in on scholarship and they were willing to offer her a job if she showed dedication and attended consistently. Neil was happy for his mother. What he hadn’t expected was to see less of her. That wasn’t a problem for him at first since he stayed with neighbors and they treated him well. This neighbor was the closest to his family. His mother trusted them a lot and didn’t mind leaving him there for days, if not weeks. Soon, they got irritated by his constant stay in their home and began to verbally abuse him. They pointed out every flaw and insulted him f

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Chapter 32

    Outside the court, Neil gave George an apologetic look, but what was the use for that? The guy already spent one month in jail for no reason. Their relationship would never be the same anymore. At least, George was sure of that. During the trial, different accusations were raised against Neil; Break ins, threats, murder, stalking and many others. Neil could swear that many weren’t the case but there was nothing he could do about them. They refused to let him defend himself. He stared at Melanie’s family. The poor mother wanted justice, that was all. After all, they all saw him threaten her with a knife while he used her as bait. “I can assure you my Lord that this man is not insane. He is as normal as every other sane criminal trying to cover up for his crimes.” Mrs Hopper’s lawyer insisted with so much certainty. “If he isn’t normal as his lawyer claims, his mother would have sent him to a psychiatric hospital a long time ago.”“Objection my lord!” Neil’s lawyer stood up in defense.

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Chapter 31

    Neil was still unable to believe what he saw. Morrie stepped out of the car looking healthy, except for her bandaged head. Her blue eyes shone under the sun as she made her way past the police and stood beside detective Ronald holding a document. “It’s fine, CO. He didn’t push me. I slipped. This case is more about Melanie, than me.” Morrie said, showing them the document she held. Detective Ronald arched his brows. “I thought you were warned to stay indoors,” he whispered to Morrie in anger. “I am okay now. The hit wasn’t that bad. The doctor told you herself, right?” She drew herself from him and turned to the rest of the police force. “I have here a medical report of Neil Schoenfeld. While receiving my treatment because of the fall, I was lucky enough to meet Neil's therapist which I am sure neither of you knows he has. Neil is sick. He suffers from a borderline personality disorder, which is why he cannot bear reliving the same hurt. He kidnapped me because he thought I was go

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Chapter 30

    Neil narrowly escaped into the forest, back to his little home which ought to be his point of abode. How wrong he was! In less than thirty minutes, the police flooded the forest trying to comb the entire woods. Neil knew for sure that he was in trouble. The forest wasn’t safe for him anymore. He snuck his way out of the forest and made his way back to the highway, where he walked aimlessly. He had nowhere to go, or who to meet up with. He couldn’t flee the state either. After an hour of walking, he slept in a closed alley, with a few homeless people who didn’t know what was going on. “Do you want some bread?” One asked, offering him moldy bread. It was a woman with a child whose body was full of blisters. “Sure,” Neil accepted it nicely and stared at the young girl. The girl looked like she was in pain and needed help. “You should take your daughter to the pharmacy.”He told the lady, looking concerned. “We do not have the money for that. Please mind your business. I didn’t give yo

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    Chapter 29

    Neil didn't expect to be cornered by the police like that. In fact, he knew he crossed the line by coming back home anyway. This new detective was trouble and he wouldn’t allow himself to fall for it. Neil gazed around his room, thinking of a plan. He stroked his beard with a stern look, until his eyes fell on his window panes. He gasped with a smile. “Yes! Of course! The window!”Without hesitation, he jumped out of his window and scurried out of the compound, trying to make the least noise. “He isn’t here,” he heard the detective tell his mother with his thick British accent. “He was here a few minutes ago. I promise,” his mum was too naive to understand what was happening. Neil threw one last look at his home before blending with the citizens. In the forest, his mind wasn’t at peace. He thought of the mail that was sent to him and why it was sent. At that moment, he was stranded and needed all the help he could get. But how was he sure he could trust the sender of the mail? Wha

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Chapter 28

    Tears flooded Neil’s eyes. Once again, there was no response. He heard the sound of sirens coming from a distance which scared him. Without hesitation, he ran out of the building and escaped into the forest. He could barely think straight anymore. His phone buzzed and he checked who it was. It was the CO. Neil wasn’t sure if to answer the call or not. When he did, the CO sounded normal.“Where are you Neil? The new detective is here.”Neil wasn’t surprised. That was why there was so much going on. This new detective was too good. How did he figure him out so quickly?Neil hung up the call and removed his SIM card. He broke it into two and tossed it aside before slipping his phone into his pocket. He needed to get a new SIM card. He couldn’t risk being traced.He was lucky to find Fynn at the bar looking like he just saw a ghost. His nice blue shirt was moist with sweat. The weather wasn’t even that hot.“Are you fine?” Fynn asked.“Do you have a sim you aren’t using anymore ?” he asked

  • Dark Secrets (Thriller)    

    Chapter 27

    Detective Ronald (Third Person POV)Detective Ronald fidgeted with the watch in his office as his men brought in more boxes they found at Neil’s home. His visit was unexpected. He did that on purpose. He was once a secret agent during his younger days. So he knew what he was doing. When he heard of Neil’s closeness to Morrie and George, he thought of him as a first suspect. Not that Neil did something wrong or caused him to doubt. But the guy’s convenient way of getting away with cases, shocked him. Why haven’t they found Morrie’s stalker yet? Why was Neil conveniently slacking instead of searching for Morrie? It made no sense to him. Finding Morrie’s smartwatch at his home only made things worse. It barely made his doubt any better. “Open those boxes and tell me what is in there. Remember to use the gloves.”His men nodded and they began to bring out some old dusty items. The CO rushed in with disbelief. “How are you here so fast?” He asked.“We’ve got a case on our hands, sir,” R