The Case of the Missing Moonstone

Detective Lucille Ashcroft had seen her fair share of peculiar cases, but none as strange as the one that brought her to the moss-clad estate of the Calder family. A moonstone necklace, said to have been blessed by an old forest spirit, had gone missing. While the family insisted it was a mere theft, Lucille could sense there was something more—a prickling unease that hung in the air like static.

The Calder castle was perched on the edge of the Weeping Hollow, a forest known for its eerie whispers and unexplainable phenomena. Locals swore the woods were alive, not with animals, but with something older. Lucille, however, prided herself on keeping one foot firmly in the realm of logic. She strode into the grand hall with a notebook in hand, ready to untangle the web of secrets she could feel tightening around her.

“Detective,” greeted Marianne Calder, the family matriarch, her voice smooth and practiced. She was tall and willowy, her age betrayed only by the faint silver in her braid. Her three children hovered in the shadows behind her: Richard, the eldest, with his severe demeanor; Elena, with a sly smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes; and Theo, the youngest, who seemed perpetually on the verge of vanishing into thin air.

Lucille got straight to the point. “Tell me about the necklace.”

Marianne’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s been in our family for generations, a gift from the spirit of the Hollow herself. My great-grandmother swore it ensured the prosperity of the wearer, but…” She hesitated, her gaze flickering toward the forest visible through the stained-glass window. “The Hollow doesn’t take kindly to its treasures leaving the estate.”

“Do you think it was stolen?” Lucille asked.

Marianne’s reply was hesitant. “Not stolen. Misplaced, perhaps. Or…called home.”

Lucille raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Over the next hour, she questioned each family member. Richard insisted he was out riding his horse at the time of the theft, while Elena claimed she’d been painting in the solarium. Theo, with his nervous energy, simply muttered, “I don’t know,” over and over.

It was Theo who intrigued her most. Something about the way his hands trembled and his eyes darted toward the forest made her decide to keep a closer watch on him.

That night, Lucille prowled the estate. The whispers of the Hollow seemed louder here, their cadence almost like words just out of reach. As she wandered closer to the forest’s edge, a glimmer caught her eye. Among the roots of a gnarled oak tree, something pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.

She crouched down and reached for it but stopped short as a voice behind her said, “You shouldn’t touch that.”

Theo stood a few paces away, his face pale as moonlight. “It’s not yours to take.”

Lucille straightened, her hand falling to her side. “Is it the necklace?”

Theo nodded, his shoulders hunched. “It…it wasn’t supposed to leave the Hollow. She—” His voice cracked. “She’s angry.”

“Who’s angry?” Lucille asked, though she already knew the answer.

Theo’s eyes filled with tears. “The spirit. She’s not just some family story. She’s real. And she’s watching.”

Before Lucille could respond, the forest erupted in a low, guttural hum, like the sound of an ancient tree groaning in a storm. The necklace shimmered brighter, and Lucille felt a pull, as though the Hollow itself wanted her to step closer. She resisted, her hand gripping Theo’s arm.

“Why was it taken?” she demanded.

Theo collapsed to his knees. “Richard thought he could sell it. He said the family was broke, but he didn’t understand. The spirit…she’s bound to it. Without it, she’ll come for us. All of us.”

The hum grew louder, and Lucille swore she saw the shadows of the forest moving, bending unnaturally. “Take it back,” Theo whispered, his voice hoarse. “Please.”

Lucille didn’t believe in spirits. Not entirely. But something primal in her gut told her to listen. She grabbed the necklace and placed it on a low branch of the oak. The moment it touched the wood, the humming stopped. The forest fell silent, save for the soft rustle of leaves.

The next morning, Richard was gone. His horse remained in the stables, and his bed was undisturbed, but no one had seen him since the night before. Marianne didn’t seem surprised. Her only comment was, “The Hollow takes what it’s owed.”

Lucille left the estate with more questions than answers. Officially, she filed it as a closed case of familial miscommunication. But when she returned to the city, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the Calder family had traded one dark secret for another.

In the weeks that followed, whispers of prosperity began to circulate about the Calders again. But Lucille knew better. The necklace was back in its rightful place, but the Hollow wasn’t done watching.