The Last Call
April 1, 2025
Detective Ben Carter stood at the entrance of the dingy apartment, the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke hanging in the air. The buzzing neon light outside the building flickered as if it too had grown tired of the night. Ben’s boots made a soft thud on the hallway’s worn carpet as he stepped inside.
The crime scene was as grim as they come. Sarah Miller, a young bartender from a nearby pub, had been found sprawled on the floor of her apartment, blood pooling around her. No signs of forced entry. No witnesses. Just a woman, dead, with her phone still clutched in her hand.
Ben sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It had been a long day, and this case—like so many others—was turning out to be another cold one.
“Anything?” Ben asked, his voice gravelly as he addressed his partner, Detective Elena Roberts, who was standing by the body.
Elena glanced up, her face impassive. “Not much. She was shot in the chest at close range, no signs of struggle. The phone… that’s the only odd thing.”
Ben crouched down next to the body, his eyes scanning the phone in Sarah’s hand. It was still unlocked, the last call on the screen showing the number of a local drug dealer, Bobby Kane.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Ben murmured. “She’s not involved in anything shady. Why would she be calling Kane?”
Elena shook her head. “Maybe she got in too deep. Maybe he did this because she was asking the wrong questions.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed. He knew Kane. A small-time dealer with connections to bigger fish. If Sarah had been digging around, it was possible she had uncovered something she shouldn’t have.
“Let’s pay Bobby a visit,” Ben said, standing up.
The drive to Bobby’s apartment was tense. Ben had dealt with him before—smooth-talking, always a step ahead of everyone. But there was no way he’d let this go. Not this time.
When they arrived, Bobby was sitting on the front stoop, sipping a soda. He looked up at them as they approached, a grin spreading across his face.
“Well, if it isn’t the law,” Bobby said, his voice dripping with mock politeness. “What can I do for you?”
Ben didn’t waste time. “Sarah Miller. You know her?”
Bobby’s grin faltered for a split second. “I know a lot of people.”
“Cut the crap, Kane,” Elena snapped. “We know you were on the phone with her last night. Now, tell us what happened.”
Bobby shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Look, I don’t know what you think—”
“You want to explain why your number was the last one on her phone?” Ben interrupted.
Bobby hesitated, his eyes darting around. “She was just asking about a delivery I made, alright? I didn’t hurt her.”
But Ben could see it in Bobby’s eyes. The truth was just beneath the surface, and it didn’t take long before the walls came down. Bobby had made a mistake—Sarah had gotten too close to something she shouldn’t have known.
Within hours, they had enough evidence to charge Bobby Kane. But Ben couldn’t shake the feeling that the case wasn’t over yet. There was still someone else out there—someone pulling the strings.
As he walked away from Bobby’s apartment, he stared at Sarah’s phone, her last call still unanswered.
The killer wasn’t done.