The sound of my footsteps bounced off the cold concrete walls as I made my way down the jail corridor. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the click of my shoes against the floor. The smell of disinfectant stung my nostrils, a harsh reminder of where I was. As I approached the visiting area, my hands grew clammy. I wiped them on my jeans, trying to steady my nerves. What would I say to Dad? How could I possibly explain everything that had happened?

  I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders as I stepped up to the glass partition. And there he was.

  Dad looked... tired. So tired. The lines on his face seemed deeper than I remembered, etched with worry and sleepless nights. His warm brown eyes, usually twinkling with humor, were dull and bloodshot.

  "Hey, kiddo," he said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

  "Hi, Dad," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. I cleared my throat and tried again. "How are you holding up?"

  He shrugged; the gesture so familiar it made my chest ache. "Oh, you know me. Making the best of things. How about you? You look like you haven't slept in days."

  I let out a short, humorless laugh. "That obvious, huh?"

  "I'm your father, Arlo. I notice these things."

  I nodded, searching for the right words. How could I tell him about the investigation? About the danger Elsie and I were putting ourselves in? About the growing fear that we might be in over our heads?

  "Dad, I..." I started, then faltered. The weight of everything I wanted to say pressed down on me, leaving me speechless.

  Dad leaned forward, his eyes softening with concern. "What is it, son? You know you can tell me anything."

  I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "I just... I miss you. And I'm scared."

  His hand twitched, as if he wanted to reach out and touch me. But the glass barrier stood between us, cold and unyielding.

  "I miss you too, Arlo," he said softly. "More than you know."

  I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Dad, I need your advice. I’ve been investigating what happened to you. I think...it's getting dangerous. But I can't just let it go. Not when I know there's injustice happening. What should I do?"

  Dad's expression shifted, a mix of concern and something else I couldn't quite place. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving mine. "Arlo," he began, his voice low and serious, "I think you need to step away."

  His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I blinked; sure I had misheard. "What? But Dad, you've always taught me to stand up for what's right."

  He nodded slowly. "I have. And I stand by that. But sometimes, son, the cost can be too high. This town... it has secrets that run deep. Dangerous secrets." He waved his hand and the prison around him, “Look what has happened to me. Look at what has happened to John Harper. I couldn’t bear anything more happening to you or your mum.”

  I felt my heart racing, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. "But we're so close to uncovering the truth. We can't stop now."

  Dad's eyes filled with a sadness I'd never seen before. "Sometimes the truth comes at too high a price, Arlo. I don't want to see you pay it. You have your whole life ahead of you."

  I left the jail in a daze, my father's words echoing in my head. The world seemed to tilt on its axis as I made my way to the town square, where I was supposed to meet Elsie. The bustling crowd hit me like a wall of noise. In the center, standing on the edge of the fountain, was Elsie. Her auburn hair caught the sunlight, blazing like a torch as she faced off against Mayor Thorne.

  "You can't keep lying to us!" Elsie's voice rang out, clear and strong. "The people of Havenwood deserve to know the truth about the new developments!"

  Mayor Thorne's face was a mask of calm authority, but I could see the tension in his jaw. "Miss Harper, these accusations are baseless and harmful to our community. I suggest you think carefully about your next words."

  As I watched Elsie's fiery determination clash with the mayor's icy composure, my father's advice echoed in my mind. I felt torn between two worlds, unsure of which path to take.

  The crowd around us buzzed with a mix of excitement and unease. I could see some people nodding along with Elsie's words, while others shot her disapproving glares.

  Mayor Thorne raised his hands, silencing the murmurs. "Ms. Harper, your passion is admirable, but misguided. We've conducted appropriate due diligence throughout the process. The new developments are all above board."

  Elsie's eyes flashed. "Those reports are fabricated, and you know it!"

  A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. I felt my heart racing, torn between admiration for Elsie's courage and fear for what might happen next.

  The mayor's voice turned cold. "That's a serious accusation, young lady. One that could have severe consequences for you and your family."

  “It already has, you know what happened to my dad!” She retorted.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “That’s enough young lady, I suggest you focus your passion on your studies in school.” With that he turned on his heel and swept through the crowd on the way to the town hall. As the crowd dispersed, I made my way to Elsie. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes bright with adrenaline.

  "Are you okay?" I asked, touching her arm.

  She whirled on me. "Where were you? I thought we were in this together!"

  I flinched. "I... I was visiting my dad. Elsie, maybe we should slow down. Maybe we should have talked about confronting the mayor before doing it. This is getting dangerous."

  "Slow down? He was right there!" Her voice rose. "Arlo, we're finally making progress! We can't back off now."

  I took a deep breath. "My dad thinks we should let it go. He's worried about what might happen to us. Worried it will ruin our lives. It’s already messed with my college enrollment."

  Elsie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Let it go? After everything we've uncovered? I can't believe you're even considering that!"

  "I'm just trying to be careful," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "This isn't a game, Elsie. There have been eal consequences. It could get worse."

  "Of course it's not a game!" she snapped. "That's exactly why we can't stop now. People's lives are at stake!"

  I snapped back; I couldn’t help myself. “Our lives are at stake!”

  We stood there, staring at each other, the air between us crackling with tension. I wanted to agree with her, to feel that same fire of conviction. But my dad's words kept echoing in my head, along with the fear I'd seen in his eyes.

  "I need some time to think," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

  Elsie's face fell, a mix of disappointment and anger. "Fine. You think. I'll keep fighting."

  As she stormed off, I felt like I was being torn in two. The truth or safety? Justice or protection? Elsie or dad? I had no idea which path to choose.

  I watched Elsie's retreating figure until she disappeared around the corner, her fiery hair the last thing to vanish from sight. The weight of our argument settled on my shoulders like a lead blanket, and I found myself walking in the opposite direction, my feet moving of their own accord.

  The streets of Havenwood seemed different now, unfamiliar and cold. Faces I'd known all my life suddenly felt like strangers, their eyes following me with suspicion. Or was that just my imagination?

  "Hey, Arlo!" Mrs. Benson called from her porch. "Everything alright, dear?"

  I managed a weak smile and a nod, but didn't stop. I couldn't bear small talk right now, not when my mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts.

  As I walked, the smell of salt grew stronger, and I found myself at the edge of the old pier. The wooden planks creaked under my feet as I made my way to the end, the vast expanse of the churning sea stretching out before me.

  The wind whipped my hair, carrying with it the cries of seagulls and the distant rumble of waves crashing against the rocks. I closed my eyes, letting the familiar sounds wash over me.

  "What am I doing?" I whispered to myself, my words carried away by the breeze.

  I opened my eyes, staring out at the horizon where the steel-gray sky met the darker waters. The sea had always been a source of comfort, a constant in a world of change. But now, it felt as turbulent as my thoughts.

  "Is this worth it?" I asked the waves. They didn't answer, just continued their relentless motion against the shore.

  I thought of my dad's tired eyes, of Elsie's passionate determination, of mayor Thorne's smug dismissal. The faces swirled in my mind, a kaleidoscope of consequences and choices.

  A particularly strong gust of wind nearly knocked me off balance, and I gripped the railing tightly. The cold metal under my fingers grounded me, reminding me of the very real world I was standing in, not just the one in my head.

  "What would you do?" I asked the empty air, thinking of the detectives in my beloved mystery novels. They always seemed so sure, so resolute in their pursuit of the truth.

  But this wasn't a novel. This was real life, with real dangers and real people who could get hurt. I stood there, torn between two impossible choices, as the sun began to set behind me, casting long shadows across the weathered boards of the pier.

  My hand hovered over the churning water, the thumb drive with our digitized evidence held tightly in it. The weight of it felt heavier than it should, as if all the consequences of this investigation were contained in that small package.

  "If I just let go," I muttered, "it all goes away."

  But even as the words left my lips, I knew it wasn't true. The truth wouldn't disappear with the evidence; it would still be out there, waiting to be uncovered.

  I closed my eyes, remembering my father's words from earlier. "Arlo," he'd said, his voice weary but firm, "sometimes the cost of justice is too high. You have your whole life ahead of you."

  The memory of his advice clashed with everything I thought I knew about right and wrong. I opened my eyes, watching the waves crash against the pier's supports.

  "But if not me, then who?" I asked the indifferent sea. "If everyone gives up when it gets tough, how does anything ever change?"

  A seagull cried overhead, its mournful call echoing my internal struggle. I thought about Elsie, about our argument. Her fire, her unwavering belief that we could make a difference, had always inspired me. But now, standing alone on this pier, I wondered if that fire might burn us all.

  "Is the truth worth risking everything?" I whispered, my words carried away by the salty breeze.

  The sun dipped lower, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. As beautiful as it was, I couldn't shake the feeling that it might be the last peaceful sunset I'd see for a while if I continued down this path. I looked down at my hand, still suspended over the water. The choice lay heavy in my palm, as weighty as the future it would determine.

  My fingers tightened around the evidence, knuckles turning white. The rough edges of the thumb drive dug into my skin, a physical reminder of the weight of my decision. I could feel my heart pounding, each beat a silent argument for and against what I was considering.

  "This isn't just about me," I muttered, my voice barely audible over the lapping waves. "It's about Dad, Elsie, the whole town."

  I closed my eyes, trying to picture the consequences of both choices. Tossing the evidence away would mean safety, a return to normalcy. But it would also mean living with the knowledge that I'd turned my back on the truth.

  Keeping it... well, that was the unknown. The danger. The possibility of change, but also of loss.

  I took a deep breath, tasting salt on my tongue. When I opened my eyes, I found myself taking a step back from the edge of the pier. The evidence was still clutched in my hand, but it no longer hovered over the water.

  "I can't decide this now," I said to myself, surprising even me with the firmness in my voice. "Not here, not like this."

  I turned away from the sea, my decision still unresolved but a new sense of purpose stirring in my chest. The sunset painted long shadows across the boardwalk as I started walking back towards town.

  "One more day," I promised myself. "One more day to think it through, to talk to Elsie, to figure out if there's a way forward that doesn't end in disaster."

  As I walked, I felt a flicker of something in my gut. Not quite hope, not quite determination, but a mix of both. Whatever I decided, it wouldn't be out of fear or impulse.

  I glanced back at the pier one last time before it disappeared from view. "The truth is still out there," I murmured. "And tomorrow, I'll decide if I'm the one to reveal it."