The Red Ledger

The city was asleep, the quiet only broken by the occasional hum of distant traffic or the sharp clatter of a distant train on its tracks. Detective Liam Hayes sat in his car outside the old office building, his eyes scanning the darkened windows. The building had once been a hub for corporate giants, but now it was a ghost of its former self—empty, silent, and forgotten.

But tonight, it was important.

He’d been tracking a killer for the past several months, one who had a penchant for leaving behind a peculiar signature: a red ledger, always found at the scene. It was a small book, the pages filled with names, dates, and cryptic symbols, but each ledger ended with a single word: “Finished.”

Liam had grown obsessed with the mystery. The killer’s pattern was like a puzzle—carefully constructed, with each murder pointing to someone who was part of the victim’s past. But there was always a piece missing, a thread that didn’t tie up.

Tonight, Liam was about to pull that thread.

The call had come through an hour ago: “The ledger’s here. Found in the old office building on Kingsley.”

Liam stepped out of the car, his coat pulled tightly against the chill night air. He walked briskly to the entrance, where Officer Jenna Collins was waiting, her eyes tired but alert.

“Everything’s clear?” Liam asked.

Jenna nodded. “No one’s been in here since the building closed down. We’ve got a team waiting inside, but I thought you’d want to see it first.”

Liam nodded, and they both entered the building. The faint smell of mildew lingered in the air, and the floors creaked beneath their weight. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting long shadows along the walls. They moved quickly through the corridors, reaching the office that had been left untouched for years.

Inside, on the old desk, was the red ledger.

Liam’s heart skipped a beat. This was it. The final piece.

He approached the desk slowly, as if the book might vanish if he moved too quickly. The ledger was small, bound in leather, with the edges frayed from years of neglect. It looked ordinary, almost benign. But he knew better.

Jenna stood by the door, watching quietly as Liam opened the ledger. The first page was covered in dates—dates that lined up with the victims he’d been tracking. The murders, the names—they were all here, mapped out in this eerie, methodical way. But as he flipped through the pages, he found something he hadn’t expected: a name he didn’t recognize.

Liam Hayes.

His breath caught in his throat. He stared at the page, the letters glaring back at him. This was no coincidence. This was personal.

“What the hell is this?” Jenna asked, stepping forward.

Liam turned the page. There, in bold letters, was the word: “Finished.” But beneath it, scrawled in red ink, was another name—“Jenna Collins.”

Jenna took a step back, her face paling. “That can’t be right. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Liam’s hands were trembling as he turned the page again, but this time, the ledger stopped at the end of its entries. There was nothing more—just an empty space.

The silence was deafening.

“You think this is the last one?” Jenna whispered, her voice shaking.

Liam didn’t answer immediately. His mind was racing. This was more than a simple serial killer. This was someone who had been planning, watching—someone who had known exactly where they were headed, who had been orchestrating every move. And the final act was now at hand. He could feel it.

“I don’t know,” Liam said, his voice low. “But I’m going to find out. And I’m going to stop it.”

He slammed the ledger shut and walked toward the door, his steps heavy with determination.

“Liam,” Jenna called, her voice urgent. “You’re in this now. They know who you are. This isn’t just about us anymore.”

Liam stopped in his tracks, turning to face her. “I don’t care who they are. I’m ending this. No more names.”

The air felt colder now, the night pressing in on him, as if the shadows themselves were closing in. He had no idea who the killer was, or how they had connected him to this twisted game. But he did know one thing: whoever was behind this wouldn’t stop until their ledger was complete.

And Liam wasn’t going to let them finish it.