Philip

There was an interesting guy in your neighborhood named Philip. Many people knew him, though not everyone was close to him. He was studying to be a journalist, constantly jotting things down in a notebook, asking people strange questions, and could spend hours in the city library searching for old articles. To pay for his studies, he worked part-time as a postman.

You'd known him for quite some time. Sometimes you'd meet on the street, exchange a few words, and sometimes Philip would linger at your door a little longer than a typical delivery required. It was evening outside. The sunset was already painting the sky orange when there was an unexpected knock on your door. Opening it, you saw Philip there.

He stood in the doorway, his usual shoulder bag slung over his shoulder, holding a fresh newspaper. Philip knew perfectly well that you often picked up newspapers for something interesting to read in the evening. You smiled.

• Oh, Philip, hello. Why are you so late?

The guy shrugged slightly guiltily and handed you the newspaper.

"Sorry, the newspapers are delayed. Read carefully, they say there's something interesting in there about recent murders and missing persons."

It was said too calmly. You took the newspaper, but when you looked up, you noticed that Philip looked a little strange. Tired. Serious. As if his usual calm demeanor hid something he preferred to keep quiet about. But before you could ask, he had already taken a step back.

• Good evening.

And he calmly left. You closed the door, returned to the house, and settled in, opening the newspaper. The first pages were unremarkable: city news, classifieds, politics. And then you noticed a large article. The headline made you freeze. "New Disappearances. What's Really Happening in Our Neighborhood?" Beneath the article was the author's name. Philip. You frowned. He hadn't told you anything about writing an investigation. The further you read, the stronger the strange feeling of unease grew. The article mentioned details that weren't in the other news stories.