Ryan's Secret

Ryan’s Secret

The small town she grew up in looked nothing like it did after she returned 12 years later. She walked into the little coffee shop by the corner of the street, inhaling the smell of freshly brewed coffee and muffins. This place was new; she didn’t recognise the faces, but she vividly remembered that there used to be a bookstore where that coffee shop now stood. So much has changed, she muttered to herself as she walked inside and looked around. She didn’t notice him; she was so focused on the view that she bumped right into a strange-looking face. His coffee spilled all over his shoes and her clothes. “I’m so sorry,” she said as she began wiping at her clothes. The strange-looking fellow didn’t utter a word; he just stood there, looking her up and down with a frown. “I will get you another coffee,” she said, trying not to offend him, but he said nothing; he just walked away. He went to the counter, bought another coffee, and left without a word. Feeling embarrassed, she turned and walked out of the coffee shop without saying another word.

Jasmine stood at the gate of her old house; it was run-down. No one had lived there since her mother was murdered inside that house, and she left town after her burial. She opened the gate; it squeaked with rust. She walked up the stairs, put her keys into the lock, and opened the door. Inside, it smelt musty but familiar. She stood at the entryway and reminisced for a moment. She remembered her mother in the kitchen on Sundays making pies and stews. She remembered sitting in the living room with her older sister, watching TV and playing games. She remembered the last time she was in her bedroom, when she slammed the door so hard it almost fell off its hinges. She was 17, and her mother told her she could not go to the bonfire party with her friends because she did not get into college and she was throwing away her life. That night, Jasmine snuck out through her bedroom window when her mother went to bed. That was the night her mother was murdered. Jasmine found her the following morning in her bedroom, stabbed to death. She called the police, and the investigation began. The case has been cold for twelve years now. The murderer was never found.

Though she wasn’t planning to stay long, Jasmine wanted to make some repairs to the house so she could sell it and share the profits with her older sister. There was so much work to do, so many repairs to be done because the house had been closed up for twelve years; it had started to rot, and the floorboards were squeaky and needed changing. Jasmine quickly realised that she couldn’t do this work on her own, so she started asking around town for anyone who could assist with the repairs. She visited some old neighbours and friends, and a few people recommended Ryan. Jasmine couldn’t recall ever knowing a Ryan while she was living in Haywood, so she kept asking. Then she concluded that this Ryan guy was the only person in town who could do the repairs, so she asked for his contact details and called him. They spoke briefly on the phone and arranged to meet that afternoon to discuss the repairs and cost. They were to meet at 3:00 p.m. at the house. There was a knock at the door at 3:05 p.m., and Jasmine opened it, freezing when she saw who was standing there. It was the strange guy from the coffee shop.

“Are you going to let me in?” Ryan asked. “Yes, yes, of course; come on in.” Jasmine stepped aside to let Ryan inside. She started asking questions. “Are you from around here?” Ryan answered, “I moved here some years ago.” Jasmine asked, “Family?” Ryan responded, “No, just needed a change,” then quickly changed the subject. “What are your plans for the house?” “Well, I’ll be putting it on the market once I am done with the repairs,” Jasmine said. She started to show Ryan around and talked about the repairs she planned and how she wanted the place to look before she was ready to advertise it for sale. They concluded downstairs, and Jasmine told Ryan they needed to go upstairs. Ryan froze at the bottom of the staircase. “Is something wrong?” Jasmine asked. “No, not at all. I just remembered I had another meeting I have to get to; I will have to come back another time.” Jasmine was puzzled but didn’t push; she allowed Ryan to leave.

It was three days later, and not a word from Ryan. Jasmine was annoyed, so she tried calling him again for the twentieth time; she got no answer. With limited time on her hands, she started asking neighbors where she could find Ryan; no one seemed to know. She kept asking until she went back to the coffee shop, and the waitress told her where she could find him. Jasmine was determined to give Ryan a piece of her mind, so she got into her car and drove toward the address she had been given. Ryan lived in the woods, according to everyone; he kept to himself and only spoke to a few people. He had never invited another person into his home. Jasmine drove for about 10 minutes, and then she came upon a little house nestled behind a big oak tree and some bushes. It looked rugged but cozy. She parked and walked up to the house. She knocked; no answer. She called; no answer. She opened the door and went inside. No one was home. Jasmine started to look around the room out of curiosity. She went to the kitchen; she looked around but found nothing. She stood outside a door, wondering if she should go in. So many thoughts ran through her head at that moment. “What if he is sick and inside, needing help?” Jasmine felt she needed to check; she owed it to herself, so she opened the door. No one was inside. She started looking around. She came across a box on the dresser, opened it, and almost fainted at what she saw inside. Jasmine quickly realized she was in the house of the man who murdered her mother. The box fell from her hand, and she was about to run out of the room when the figure in the doorway stopped her in her tracks. “You shouldn’t have come back!” Ryan shouted. “You were never supposed to find out!” He started advancing on her, and she quietly backed into a corner with nowhere to run. Jasmine thought, “If this is the man who murdered my mom, then what will he do with me now that I found out?” She was scared, but she would not give up so easily. She had to fight. Ryan said softly, “I didn’t mean to do it.” Ryan cried, “All I wanted was to take a few things and leave, but she wanted to call the cops.” “I was drunk, I was young and dumb, I was new to town trying to be cool and make friends.” Ryan broke down. “I’ve regretted it since.” Jasmine tried to plead with Ryan. “If you let me go, I promise I won’t tell anyone what you did.” “Do I look stupid?” Ryan shouted. “The moment I let you walk out of here, you will go straight to the police.” Jasmine had to try to save her own life, so she grabbed the closest thing she could find on the dresser and threw it at Ryan and attempted to run. Ryan caught her by the waist and held her. He threw her on the bed and grabbed a piece of rope that was sitting in a drawer at the base of his bed. He started tying Jasmine’s feet to the bedpost, but she fought, making it hard for him to do so. They struggled for a while until she was finally able to escape and ran to the door. Ryan chased after her, but Jasmine was able to get the car. Her keys were left inside, so she ran to the woods trying to escape.

Ryan knew he was in deep trouble if he let her escape, so he chased after her. Jasmine ran deeper into the woods until she came upon a river. A river she knew well, so she followed a path she had walked so many times as a teenager with her friends and her sister. She sighed with relief. She knew she had a long way to go, and it was getting late, so she kept running. Exhausted and thirsty, she could not stop. Jasmine ran for what seemed like hours until she came upon a small house. She knocked on the door. An elderly woman opened the door, and Jasmine begged for help. The little old lady was slow to assist because she did not know this strange woman at her door. Jasmine turned around and saw Ryan approaching from the woods behind her. Jasmine ran into the house, picked up a phone, and called the police. Ryan burst through the door. They started fighting, but the police were already on the line and heard everything. About ten minutes later, the police were at the old woman’s door. By then, Ryan had dragged Jasmine through the back of the house and back into the woods. The old lady told them what happened, and they went searching. In the distance, the police heard screams and followed the sound to Jasmine. Ryan had a knife to her throat and told the police to get back, or he would kill her. The police officers called for backup while they tried to negotiate with Ryan. “You just had to come back and ruin everything, didn’t you?” “Why couldn’t you just stay away?” By this time, other police officers had arrived, and it was getting dark. Ryan refused to stand down because he was determined not to go to prison for a murder he committed twelve years ago when he was just a kid.

 Ryan had nowhere to run. He was surrounded by police, and after what felt like hours of negotiation, he finally gave up. He dropped the knife and held his hands, interlaced behind his head. Jasmine ran to the nearest police officer, who held and hugged her, then checked her for cuts, while another officer arrested Ryan. Jasmine was taken to the hospital, treated, and released because there were no major injuries. She then went to the police station and gave her statement. Ryan was held in custody while his home was searched. The search uncovered a box containing a picture of Jasmine’s mother that Ryan had kept after murdering her, as well as her necklace with a locket holding two photos of Jasmine and her sister. The room was searched, and the knife Ryan used to murder her was also found in the back of his closet, in a box and covered with a white handkerchief. The items were taken to the station as evidence, and Ryan was charged with murder. Jasmine felt relieved. The twelve-year-old mystery of her mother’s murder was finally solved. Jasmine thought, “Maybe if I had come back sooner, I would have solved this case a long time ago, and my mother could rest in peace.” Jasmine sighed as a tear fell from her eyes. She was grateful and angry, but she was finally at peace, and so was her mother.