Mystery story.

The Blackmailing Threat

Agatha Martins was a well-respected old lady that recently retired from her job, everyone in her small town knew her. She was characterized by her honesty, kindness and humbleness. Everyone liked her, causing her to have little to no enemies. She didn’t get the chance to ever marry or have a family, that’s why the most important thing to her were her friends.

One of Agatha’s most appreciated and close friends was Olivia Patterson, another nice old lady that enjoyed knitting as much as her job as a nurse. She hadn’t retired yet, but was about to since some column problems were starting to make her job more difficult. They spent most of their free time together, Mrs. Martins even attended family reunions at Olivia’s house, she was considered one of the little children’s “Aunties”.

However, one of many days what was meant to be a calm meeting for tea, knitting and conversing with each other turned to a much more dark direction. Turns out she had been sent an e-mail of an unknown e-mail address telling her that they had found some of her younger years’ pictures and if she didn’t send certain amount of money each month to the extortionist, he would send it to everyone of the people she knew and loved, the only people she cared about how they saw her and her reputation.

The instant she received said threatening e-mail she went

white, face turning completely pale at the mere thought of her close ones seeing those lewd pictures that she didn’t even remember about. She was so worried and full of regrets, why did she have to be so naïve?

Agatha was doing her best to calm her down, the other elder lady crying in her shoulder, speaking her mind to her. She reassured her that she would do her best for that photo to never come to light.

That same day, after the sun hid itself between the clouds and the moon took over the sky painted with shades of red and blue Agatha decided to go home before the streets became too dangerous for her own well-being. Once she arrived at her tiny, humble but cozy apartment she had already decided to take matters in her own hands.

She entered Olivia’s e-mail from her computer and read the extortionist threatening e-mail. She decided he or she wasn’t an elder person since they spoke quite informally, unlike the elder people in town who had a more classy way of speaking. She could tell it was a male person because of the abrupt and aggressive way of speaking he had. This way of speaking wasn’t characteristic from the females in town, since it was a very conservative community. People have always been teaching women since a very young age to speak like “fine young ladies”, with delicacy.

She decided she would with her investigation the following day. However, first she needed to be well rested to think wisely, as her mother always told her since she was a child.

The following day she woke up, feeling ready to discover the burglar that decided to target her dear friend as a victim. Firstly she asked her, since she stumbled across her on her way to work, who she’d sent that picture to. Olivia said that she had given the old inappropriate Polaroid to a man called Robert Hopper, who she’d had a stable relationship with.

She looked for him, searching for any clues that could guide her to his residence. She decided she should ask the people of the town for information since it was not a big town everyone knew each other.

She went to a local tiny restaurant that not many people went to and asked if some elder guy named Robert Hopper has frequented the place, they confirmed his assistance, he had recently had lunch there. They told Agatha where he lived since she said he was her “brother” and immediately went to the address given.

When she arrived she saw a big wooden house in horrible

conditions, an old car that didn’t seem of much use and a dog chained to a poll, barking aggressively at her to which she flinched in surprise. She tried to ignore it and then knocked the door, some minutes passed before an elderly tall man opened the door. “How may I help you?” He asked in an annoyed tone. “Are you Mr. Robert Hopper?” The lady asked just to make herself sure. “I am, indeed” He answered coldly.

“Well, Mr. Hopper, I’d like to introduce myself. I am Agatha Martins, a close friend of Olivia. 

It turns out that she has recently  received a threatening e-mail of someone extorting her with an inappropriate picture of hers. You are the only person she gave that to, do you care to explain?” Agatha Martins asked seriously. “I hadn’t heard that name in a long time, there was only one copy of the photo as far as I know and indeed she gave it to me when we were in a relationship. But if I remember well I have it in one of my old drawers were I keep junk.” he said, being much more helpful than Agatha thought he would be in a short time. “Do you care to show it to me, just to make sure?” She requested.

“I guess it’s fine, I have got nothing to hide”, he moved to a side, so he could allow the woman to enter the property. It wasn’t much nicer inside than outside, walls were in a need of painting and house in an urgent need of cleansing, but Agatha just let it slip by.

“It’s in here” the old man said opening a drawer on the corner of the living room, looking through it. When he didn’t find it immediately he rummaged through it with a hint of aggressiveness in his movements, it was useless since he could not find it anywhere. “I left it in here, I swear. I fit isn’t in here I have no idea of where it could be” He said with a tone of alarm, fearing to be accused of something he had not done.

“I believe you Mr., but I am going to have to ask if there has been any visits in the house lately that could have found that picture and put it to bad use.” Martins asked with patience.

“Those punks!” he said with anger, “My nephews visited not long ago, one of them is quite mature, he is seventeen years old and has quite the backstory with this sort of misbehavior” He continued. “I am so sorry, I am so ashamed things turned out this way” he seemed genuinely ashamed, which Agatha comprehended. “It is okay, it is not your fault, just give me your nephew’s address so I can scold him about this misbehavior” she asked calmly.

Once she got the teenager’s address she made her way downtown to look for him and put an end to this chaos.

She arrived to the apartment complex, ringing door 57 being quickly answered by a tall boy dressed in all black. “You must be Mr. Hopper’s nephew, Dylan.” She asked once again just to be sure. “That’s me, is there any problem?” He asked unsure. “There is indeed, it appears you have sent a threat to a close friend of mine so there is two options for you pretty boy. Either you retire your threat or I report you to the police” she said in a scolding tone. “Ok, Ok, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, don’t need your filthy money.” He said in despite.

“I am going to have to ask you to return that picture

immediately, young man” She said, ignoring his insulting comment. The boy briefly entered the house and took the picture out of a photo album he had laying around. “Thank you, I hope you never return to these kind of misbehaviors.” Agatha turned around heading to her home so she could give the good news to her friend, Olivia.

“Olivia! Olivia!” she said happily, catching her friend’s attention. “What’s the matter?” she asked confused. Agatha told Olivia the whole story and she thanked her, everything ended up Okay.

-          By María José Durán, Step 9.