The Last Whisper E-Book

Matthias Schmidt

• Herausgeber: neobooks
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Deutsch

Seitenzahl: 95

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

The Last Whisper is a gripping psychological thriller about Detective Marcus Hale's relentless search for a missing woman, Emily Carter, uncovering dark secrets and facing a dangerous adversary—perfect for fans of suspenseful, twist-filled mysteries who love heart-pounding tension and complex characters.

Leseprobe

The Last Whisper

1. Prologue: The Whisper

A chilling phone call in the dead of night sets the stage for a mystery that will change everything.

2. Chapter 1: Vanished Without a Trace

A woman disappears under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind no clues—or so it seems.

3. Chapter 2: The Broken Detective

A troubled investigator with a haunted past takes on the case, but his own demons threaten to cloud his judgment.

4. Chapter 3: The First Clue

A cryptic diary surfaces, hinting at secrets someone would kill to protect.

5. Chapter 4: The Stranger’s Warning

A shadowy figure emerges, claiming to know the truth—but can they be trusted?

6. Chapter 5: Echoes of the Past

The investigation uncovers a cold case with eerie parallels to the current disappearance.

7. Chapter 6: The Whisper Returns

The mysterious caller strikes again, this time with a dire warning: *Stop digging, or else.*

8. Chapter 7: The Hidden Room

A secret chamber is discovered, filled with evidence that raises more questions than answers.

9. Chapter 8: The Prime Suspect

A suspect is arrested, but something about the case doesn’t add up.

10. Chapter 9: A Second Victim

Another body is found, and the race against time intensifies.

11. Chapter 10: The Web of Lies

The detective uncovers a conspiracy that reaches far deeper than he ever imagined.

12. Chapter 11: Betrayal

A trusted ally reveals their true colors, leaving the detective questioning everyone around him.

13. Chapter 12: The Chase

A heart-pounding pursuit through the city’s darkest corners.

14. Chapter 13: The Last Whisper

The truth is finally revealed—but at a devastating cost.

15. Epilogue: The Echoes Remain

The case is closed, but its echoes linger, leaving the detective—and the reader—forever changed.

Chapter 1: Vanished Without a Trace

The rain fell in sheets, drumming against the cracked pavement and pooling in the gutters. The city was a blur of neon lights and shadows, the kind of night where secrets thrived and people disappeared. Detective Marcus Hale stood under the flickering streetlamp, his trench coat soaked through, his breath visible in the cold air. He hated nights like this. They always brought back memories he’d rather forget.

The call had come in an hour ago. A missing person. Female. Late twenties. Last seen leaving a bar downtown. No signs of struggle, no witnesses, nothing. Just gone. It was the kind of case that usually ended in heartbreak, but Marcus couldn’t afford to think like that. Not yet.

He adjusted his collar and stepped under the awning of the bar, The Rusty Anchor. The place was a dive, the kind of spot where the regulars drank to forget and the bartenders poured with a heavy hand. The sign above the door buzzed faintly, one of the letters flickering like a dying heartbeat. Marcus pushed the door open, the bell jingling softly as he stepped inside.

The air was thick with the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke, even though smoking indoors had been banned years ago. The bar was nearly empty, save for a few patrons hunched over their drinks, lost in their own worlds. Behind the counter, a burly man with a tattooed forearm polished a glass, his eyes flicking up as Marcus approached.

“Detective,” the bartender said, his voice gravelly. “Figured you’d show up sooner or later.”

Marcus flashed his badge, though he doubted it was necessary. Everyone in this part of town knew who he was. “You the one who called it in?”

The bartender nodded, setting the glass down. “Yeah. Name’s Joe. She was here last night. Left around midnight. Haven’t seen her since.”

“You know her name?” Marcus asked, pulling out a small notebook.

“Emily. Emily Carter. She’s a regular. Comes in a couple times a week, always orders the same thing—vodka soda with a twist of lime. Nice girl. Quiet. Keeps to herself.”

Marcus scribbled down the details. “Anyone with her last night?”

Joe shook his head. “Nah, she was alone. Sat right over there.” He pointed to a corner booth, the leather cracked and peeling. “Left her phone on the table. I tried to catch her, but she was already out the door. Figured she’d come back for it, but…” He trailed off, shrugging.

Marcus frowned. “She left her phone? That’s unusual.”

“Yeah, I thought so too. I put it behind the bar in case she came back. You want it?”

“Please.”

Joe reached under the counter and pulled out a sleek smartphone, handing it to Marcus. The screen was locked, but Marcus slipped it into an evidence bag anyway. He’d have the tech team crack it open later.

“Did you notice anything unusual about her last night?” Marcus asked, closing his notebook. “Anyone bothering her? Did she seem upset?”

Joe thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Not that I noticed. She seemed… normal. Maybe a little distracted, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

Marcus nodded, though the answer didn’t sit right with him. People didn’t just vanish into thin air. There was always a reason, always a trail. He just had to find it.

The rain had let up by the time Marcus stepped back outside, though the air was still heavy with moisture. He pulled out his phone and dialed his partner, Sarah Reyes. She picked up on the second ring.

“Hale,” she said, her voice sharp. “What’ve you got?”

“Missing woman. Emily Carter. Late twenties. Last seen at The Rusty Anchor last night. Left her phone behind. No signs of struggle, no witnesses.”

Sarah sighed. “Sounds like a dead end already.”

“Maybe,” Marcus said, glancing back at the bar. “But something feels off. She’s a regular, but she left her phone. That’s not normal.”

“You think she was running from something?”

“Or someone,” Marcus said. “I’m going to check her apartment. Meet me there?”

“On my way,” Sarah said, and the line went dead.

Emily Carter’s apartment was a small studio on the third floor of a rundown building on the edge of the city. The hallway smelled faintly of mildew, the carpet stained and worn. Marcus knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He tried the handle—locked.

“Step aside,” Sarah said, appearing behind him with a lock-picking kit in hand. She knelt in front of the door, her dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and went to work. Within seconds, the lock clicked, and the door swung open.

The apartment was sparse, almost unnervingly so. A single bed sat against one wall, neatly made. A small table with two chairs stood in the corner, a laptop closed on its surface. The kitchenette was spotless, not a dish in sight. It looked more like a hotel room than a home.

“She doesn’t spend much time here,” Sarah observed, stepping inside. “Or she’s a neat freak.”

Marcus moved to the table and opened the laptop. The screen lit up, prompting for a password. He closed it again and turned his attention to the rest of the room. There were no photos, no personal items, nothing that gave any insight into who Emily Carter was.

“Check the bathroom,” Marcus said, moving to the small closet by the bed. Inside, he found a few changes of clothes, all neatly hung, and a pair of sneakers on the floor. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Sarah emerged from the bathroom, holding a small plastic bag. “Found this in the trash,” she said, handing it to Marcus. Inside was a crumpled receipt from a pharmacy, dated two days ago. The items listed were mundane—toothpaste, shampoo, a pack of gum—but something about it caught Marcus’s eye.

“Why keep this?” he muttered, more to himself than to Sarah. “It’s just a receipt.”

“Maybe she was planning to return something,” Sarah suggested.

“Maybe,” Marcus said, though he wasn’t convinced. He slipped the receipt into an evidence bag and continued his search.

It wasn’t until they were about to leave that Marcus noticed it—a small, almost imperceptible scratch on the floor near the door. He knelt down, running his fingers over the mark. It was fresh, the wood still pale beneath the surface.

“Someone was here,” he said, standing up. “Recently.”

Sarah frowned. “You think someone took her?”

“I don’t know,” Marcus said, his mind racing. “But I’m not ruling it out.”

As they left the apartment, Marcus couldn’t shake the feeling that they were missing something. Emily Carter hadn’t just vanished. She’d been taken. And if they didn’t find her soon, she might not be the only one.

Chapter 2: The Broken Detective

The precinct was alive with the hum of ringing phones, clacking keyboards, and the low murmur of voices. It was a symphony of chaos, one that Detective Marcus Hale had long since learned to tune out. He sat at his desk, a cup of lukewarm coffee in one hand and Emily Carter’s phone in the other. The tech team had managed to bypass the lock screen, but so far, the device had yielded little of value. No suspicious messages, no recent calls, nothing that pointed to why she might have disappeared.

Marcus scrolled through her photos, hoping for a clue. Most were mundane—selfies, pictures of food, a few blurry shots of the city at night. But one album caught his eye. It was labeled “Memories,” and it was password-protected. He frowned, setting the phone down and rubbing his temples. Another dead end.

“Hale.”

He looked up to see Captain Daniels standing in the doorway of his office, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. She was a tall woman, with sharp features and a no-nonsense attitude that commanded respect. Marcus had worked under her for years, and while he admired her dedication, he also knew better than to cross her.

“Captain,” he said, standing up. “What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me why you’re still here,” she said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. “It’s past midnight. Go home, get some sleep. The case will still be here in the morning.”

Marcus shook his head. “I can’t. Not yet. Emily Carter’s been missing for over 24 hours, and we’ve got nothing. No leads, no suspects, nothing. If she’s out there—”

“If she’s out there, you’re not going to find her by burning yourself out,” Daniels interrupted, her tone firm but not unkind. “You’re no good to anyone if you’re running on fumes, Hale. Go home. That’s an order.”

Marcus opened his mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes stopped him. He nodded reluctantly, grabbing his coat and heading for the door. As he stepped out into the cold night air, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was letting Emily down.

The drive home was a blur of neon lights and empty streets. Marcus lived in a small apartment on the outskirts of the city, a place he’d chosen for its anonymity rather than its charm. It was a stark contrast to the home he’d once shared with his wife, a place filled with warmth and laughter. But that was a lifetime ago, and Marcus had long since stopped thinking about what might have been.

He parked his car in the lot behind the building and made his way up to the third floor, his footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell. The apartment was dark when he stepped inside, the only light coming from the streetlamp outside his window. He tossed his keys on the counter and headed straight for the fridge, pulling out a beer and cracking it open. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to take the edge off.