As they walked back to their car, Lexi couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced around, but there was no one there.
She smiled to herself, chalking it up to her imagination. But as they drove away from the estate, Lexi noticed something that made her heart skip a beat. The Blackwood Estate's entrance gates were adorned with intricate ironwork, and as they drove past, Lexi saw a small inscription etched into the metal:
"Beware the shadows within."
Lexi felt a shiver run down her spine as she read the words. What did they mean?
She glanced over at Rachel, who was busy typing away on her phone. "Hey, Rach? Can I ask you something?" Lexi asked, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
Rachel looked up, a curious expression on her face. "What's up?"
"Do you know anything about the history of the Blackwood family?" Lexi asked, her mind racing with possibilities.
Rachel frowned, thinking for a moment. "I know they're old money, and they've been around for centuries. But I'm not sure about the specifics."
Lexi nodded, her eyes narrowing as she thought. She was determined to uncover the secrets of the Blackwood family, and she was willing to dig deep to get the truth.
As they pulled into the office parking lot, Lexi noticed something that made her heart skip a beat.
A black SUV was parked in the corner of the lot, its engine running. And on the back window, a message was scrawled in red letters:
"Stay away from the Blackwoods."
Lexi's eyes widened as she stared at the message. Who was behind this, and what did they want?
"Rachel, look!" Lexi exclaimed, her voice trembling slightly.
Rachel's eyes followed Lexi's gaze, and her expression turned pale. "What's going on?" Rachel asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lexi shook her head, her mind racing with possibilities. She didn't know what was going on, but she was determined to find out.
Lexi's phone suddenly rang, shrill and insistent. She hesitated for a moment before answering, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Hello?" Lexi said, her voice firm.
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then a low, gravelly voice spoke up.
"Lexi Thompson, you're playing with fire," the voice said. "Stay away from the Blackwoods, or you'll regret it."
Lexi's eyes locked onto Rachel's, her mind racing with fear. Who was behind this, and what did they want?
The line went dead, and Lexi was left staring at her phone in shock.
"What just happened?" Rachel asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lexi shook her head, trying to process the strange phone call. "I don't know," Lexi said, "but I think we need to be careful."
Rachel nodded in agreement. "We should tell the police about this."
Lexi hesitated, unsure if they should involve the authorities. But as she thought about the ominous message on the SUV and the threatening phone call, she realized that they needed to take action.
"Okay, let's go to the police station and report this," Lexi said, her voice firm.
Rachel nodded, and together they headed to the police station to file a report.
As they walked into the station, Lexi couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She glanced around, but there was no one suspicious in sight.
The officer at the desk looked up as they approached. "Can I help you?" he asked, his expression friendly.
Lexi took a deep breath and explained the strange occurrences. The officer listened intently, his expression growing more serious with each passing moment.
When Lexi finished, the officer nodded thoughtfully. "We'll look into this," he said. "But in the meantime, I want you to be careful. If you notice anything else suspicious, don't hesitate to contact us."
Lexi nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. They were taking action, and she felt safer knowing that the police were involved.
But as they left the police station, Lexi couldn't shake the feeling that they were in over their heads. Who was behind the threatening messages, and what did they want?
Lexi's phone suddenly buzzed, and she hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Hello?" Lexi said, her voice cautious.
"Lexi, it's Henry Blackwood," the voice said. "I need to see you. Can you meet me at the estate tomorrow morning?"
Lexi's heart skipped a beat as she hesitated. What did Henry Blackwood want?
"Okay," Lexi said finally, trying to sound calm. "I'll be there tomorrow morning."
"Good," Henry said. "I'll see you then."
The line went dead, and Lexi was left staring at her phone in confusion. What did Henry Blackwood want to see her about?
Rachel looked at her curiously. "What's going on?" Rachel asked.
Lexi hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "Henry Blackwood wants to see me tomorrow morning," Lexi said finally.
Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. "What does he want?" Rachel asked.
Lexi shook her head. "I don't know," Lexi said. "But I'm going to find out."
As they walked back to their car, Lexi couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Why did Henry Blackwood want to see her? And what did it have to do with the threatening messages?
Lexi's mind was racing with questions as they drove back to their office. She was determined to get to the bottom of things, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in over her head.
As they pulled into the office parking lot, Lexi noticed a piece of paper on her windshield. She got out of the car and walked over to investigate.
The paper was a note, written in the same red ink as the message on the SUV:
"Lexi, don't go to the estate tomorrow. It's not safe."
Lexi's heart skipped a beat as she stared at the note. Who was behind this, and what did they want?
She looked around, but there was no one in sight. Lexi felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized that she was being watched.
What was going on? And who was behind the threatening messages?
Lexi's mind was racing with questions as she got back into the car. She was determined to get to the bottom of things, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in grave danger.
Lexi's hands were shaking as she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, and the note on her windshield had only added to her unease.
Rachel looked at her with concern. "Lexi, what's wrong?" Rachel asked.
Lexi hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "I found a note on my windshield," Lexi said finally. "It said not to go to the estate tomorrow."
Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. "What? That's creepy."
Lexi nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. Who was behind the note, and what did they want?
As they drove back to Lexi's apartment, Lexi couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see someone following her.
But there was never anyone there.
When they arrived at Lexi's apartment, Rachel insisted on staying over, just in case. Lexi was grateful for the company, and the two of them spent the rest of the evening trying to distract themselves from the strange occurrences.
But Lexi's mind kept wandering back to the note and the phone call. Who was behind it all, and what did they want?
As she lay in bed, Lexi couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see someone lurking in the shadows.
But there was never anyone there.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Lexi drifted off to sleep, her mind still racing with questions and fears.
Lexi woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring in her ear. She groggily reached over to turn it off, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Rachel was already up and getting ready for the day. "Hey, Lexi, I'm going to head out and grab some breakfast," Rachel said. "Want me to bring you back something?"
Lexi shook her head, still trying to wake up. "No, thanks. I'll just grab something later."
Rachel nodded and headed out the door, leaving Lexi to get ready for the day.
As Lexi showered and dressed, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The strange occurrences from the day before were still weighing on her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder what would happen today.
When she arrived at the office, Lexi was greeted by her boss, who was looking particularly stern. "Lexi, I need to talk to you about the Blackwood case," he said.
Lexi's heart sank. What had she done wrong now?
But as her boss began to explain, Lexi realized that it wasn't about her at all. It was about Henry Blackwood's request to see her.
"Lexi, I don't think it's a good idea for you to meet with Henry Blackwood alone," her boss said. "I think we should send someone with you, just in case."
Lexi nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Maybe this was a good idea after all.
But as she left the office to head to the Blackwood Estate, Lexi couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking into something much bigger than herself.