The Golf Course – Chapter 8

The morning light filtered through Jack’s living room window as he poured a cup of coffee, the heavy silence in the room interrupted only by the occasional car passing by. Fred and Jimmy sat across from him, each looking weary and tense. Jack took a sip, then set his cup down, studying his friends’ faces. They looked exhausted, burdened by something heavier than any of them could voice.

Fred broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. “I got another call last night. The same distorted voice.”

Jimmy’s head jerked up, eyes wide. “Another one? What did they say this time?”

Fred hesitated, glancing around as if he expected someone to be listening. “They just… said, ‘I warned you.’ Then they hung up.”

Jack clenched his jaw, his fists tightening. “This is getting out of hand. Did you tell Detective Daniels?”

Fred shook his head, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. “No. She already told us to stay out of it, and it’s clear they don’t want us investigating. Besides, even if I did tell her, I don’t think there’s anything they can do.”

Jimmy leaned forward, his face etched with a mixture of fear and anger. “I think… I think I’m being followed.”

Jack’s brows knitted together, his attention snapping to Jimmy. “What? What do you mean?”

Jimmy glanced out the window nervously, then leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I keep seeing the same black car. Every time I go out, there it is, a few cars behind me. It follows me for a while, then disappears. And I’ve noticed someone watching my building—different people, but they’re there, keeping tabs on me.”

Fred’s eyes widened, and he shifted uncomfortably. “Have they tried to talk to you? Or make contact?”

“No,” Jimmy replied, rubbing a hand over his tired face. “But they’re watching. I feel it every time I step outside.”

Jack watched Jimmy, a sense of dread settling in his stomach. “Jimmy, you should tell the police. This is serious.”

Jimmy shook his head firmly. “What are they going to do? Send a patrol car to my place? That won’t help us. If this is related to Ryan, then they’re already one step ahead of us. Besides, I can’t trust the cops to actually do anything meaningful.”

Jack pressed his lips together, a knot of frustration growing inside him. Jimmy’s paranoia was rising, and Fred was on edge. But Jack couldn’t deny that they all felt a looming sense of dread, like a shadow creeping closer.

“I don’t get it,” Fred muttered suddenly, glancing at Jack. “They’ve been watching me and Jimmy, threatening us. Why aren’t they doing the same to you?”

The question caught Jack off guard, and he felt a sudden discomfort. “What are you saying, Fred?”

Fred shifted, seeming to choose his words carefully. “I’m just saying… you haven’t gotten any of the calls. You haven’t seen anyone following you. I don’t understand why they’re only targeting us.”

Jimmy looked at Jack, a flicker of suspicion in his gaze. “He’s got a point, Jack. It’s weird, don’t you think?”

Jack felt himself bristle, defensive under his friends’ scrutiny. “Maybe it’s because I haven’t been digging as deep. Or maybe they’re picking you two because you’ve been more involved.”

Fred crossed his arms, looking unconvinced. “Or maybe they think you already know something.”

Jack’s face tightened, frustration bubbling up. “You think I’m hiding something?”

Fred shook his head quickly, his expression softening. “No, Jack. I don’t think that. I just… I’m trying to understand why they’re targeting us and not you. None of this makes sense.”

Jack exhaled, feeling the tension deflate slightly. “Look, I want to find Ryan as much as you do. Maybe I haven’t been as aggressive as you and Jimmy, but I’m trying to do this smartly. We’re all feeling the pressure, and I get it. But if we’re going to get through this, we can’t turn on each other.”

Fred nodded slowly, and Jimmy looked down, rubbing his hands together. The room fell silent as each of them retreated into their own thoughts, weighed down by the fear and suspicion that had taken root between them.

That same afternoon, Julia sat across from her father in the dimly lit sitting room of her family’s sprawling estate. Her father, Douglas Turner, looked as imposing as ever, his gray hair slicked back, his gaze cold and calculating. Julia had always felt a distance between them, but now, sitting in front of him, she felt like a stranger in her own family.

“Why the sudden interest in Ryan’s disappearance, Julia?” her father asked, his voice as smooth as silk but laced with a hint of irritation.

Julia straightened, meeting his gaze with a rare defiance. “I know you were working with him on one of your real estate projects. I also know that he was looking into some of your associates before he disappeared. I need to know if you had anything to do with it.”

Douglas’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. “I’d watch your tone, Julia. You know I don’t take kindly to accusations—especially from my own daughter.”

“I’m not accusing you,” Julia replied, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. “I just need to know what he was involved in. He was… he was important to me.”

Douglas studied her, his expression softening slightly, though his tone remained icy. “Ryan was ambitious. He wanted to get in on the ground floor of some very lucrative deals. But he didn’t know when to stop asking questions.”

Julia’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

Douglas sighed, as if annoyed at having to explain himself. “He became curious about certain business arrangements I was involved in. Partnerships I have overseas. Some of those partners don’t take kindly to strangers prying into their affairs. I warned him, told him to stay out of things that didn’t concern him. But he didn’t listen.”

Julia felt a chill run down her spine. “So you’re saying… he was in danger?”

Douglas shrugged, unperturbed. “I’m saying that Ryan’s curiosity put him in a precarious position. And in this world, people who don’t know when to stop asking questions often find themselves in over their heads.”

Julia swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice. “Did you have anything to do with his disappearance?”

Douglas’s eyes flashed with irritation. “No, Julia. Whatever happened to Ryan was his own doing. He stepped into a world he didn’t understand, and he paid the price. If you’re smart, you’ll stop looking into this.”

Julia’s gaze hardened, and she stood up, feeling a surge of anger. “I’m not going to stop, Dad. I need to know what happened to him.”

Douglas shook his head, his gaze cold and dismissive. “Then you’re making a foolish decision, Julia. Be careful who you go to for answers. You might not like what you find.”

Julia left her father’s study, her mind racing with what he had revealed. Ryan had been deeper into her father’s business than she’d realized, and it seemed clear now that his disappearance wasn’t just a random event. She needed to warn Jack—and let him know what kind of danger they were all in.

As night fell, Fred paced around his apartment, glancing anxiously at his phone. The weight of the recent events was pressing down on him, and his paranoia was mounting with each passing hour. He hadn’t heard from Jimmy or Jack since earlier that day, and his mind was spinning with questions.

Why were he and Jimmy being targeted, while Jack seemed untouched? It was a question he couldn’t shake, and the more he thought about it, the more suspicious it became. Jack was their friend—one of his best friends—but lately, Fred couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that Jack wasn’t telling them everything.

Fred’s phone buzzed, and he practically jumped, his heart racing as he glanced at the screen. It was a message from Jack.

“Meeting up with Julia tomorrow. She says she found out more about Ryan’s connection to her father. Will update you guys after.”

Fred read the message twice, his fingers hovering over the screen. He knew Jack was trying to help, but he couldn’t ignore the doubt creeping into his mind. Why hadn’t Jack received any of the threatening calls? Why hadn’t he noticed anyone following him? And why did it feel like Jack was always a step removed, just out of the line of fire?

Before he could think it through, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was a blocked number.

His heart pounded as he answered, his voice barely steady. “Hello?”

A distorted voice crackled through the speaker. “Stop digging, Fred. You won’t like what you find.”

The line went dead, leaving Fred standing in his apartment, the cold grip of fear tightening around him. He sank onto the couch, his mind racing, questions and suspicions swirling around him like shadows in the dark.