✨ Midnight at Cedar Hill Lake ✨
A New Year’s Eve Mystery
Chapter 1 — The Case That Interrupted the Countdown
New Year’s Eve in Cedar Hill usually meant fireworks over Joe Pool Lake, food trucks lining the park, and families wrapped in blankets waiting for the midnight show. Brian Knox wasn’t planning to attend any of it. He preferred quiet nights, and after the Christmas truck theft incident, he figured he’d earned one.
But Sarah Jones had other plans.
“You’re going,” she said, standing in his office doorway in a silver scarf. “It’s New Year’s Eve. You can be serious tomorrow.”
Brian grumbled, but Myra—cheerful as always—popped her head in. “We’re all going. Lee’s setting up a donation booth for the kids’ program that got those presents. It’ll be fun!”
Brian sighed. “Fine. One hour.”
But things rarely went according to plan.
Not for them.
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Chapter 2 — A Disappearance in the Dark
Cedar Hill State Park buzzed with celebration. Lee James stood beside his red pickup, now decorated with string lights and a “Thank You Cedar Hill!” banner.
Everything was going great—until Lee’s friend, Angela Tran, a volunteer organizer, hurried over, face pale.
“Sarah? I need you. It’s my brother, Ethan. He’s missing.”
Sarah instantly slipped into detective mode. “How long?”
“Thirty minutes. He went to unload equipment near the lake trail and never came back. I found his radio on the ground.”
Brian’s eyes sharpened. “Show us.”
The four raced to the trailhead. Brian studied the ground with a flashlight. Footprints. Two sets. One dragging slightly.
“Looks like he wasn’t alone,” Brian muttered.
Then he spotted something else—tire tracks heading toward a back service road.
Myra’s voice trembled. “Do you think someone took him?”
Brian stood. “Let’s find out.”
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Chapter 3 — Midnight in the Woods
Brian and Sarah followed the tire marks in Sarah’s SUV, while Myra and Lee stayed behind to keep Angela calm and alert the park rangers.
The service road wound through dark, quiet woods.
Brian tapped the dashboard. “These tracks… see how they weave? Driver was either inexperienced or in a hurry.”
A faint light flickered deeper in the trees.
Sarah slowed. “That’s not a campsite.”
Brian opened the door. “Come on.”
They approached carefully. In a small clearing sat an old white cargo van with its doors open—just a single lantern glowing inside.
And tied to a tree, unharmed but anxious, was Ethan.
“Who did this?” Sarah asked, untying him.
Ethan swallowed hard. “A guy who used to work for the event. I recognized him—Troy Harlan. He stole equipment last year and got fired. He said if I didn’t give him access codes to the donation tent cash box, he’d wreck the whole event tonight.”
Brian scanned the trees. “Where is he now?”
Ethan pointed shakily. “He left ten minutes ago. Said he was headed toward the fireworks barge.”
Brian stiffened. “The barge? The one with all the pyrotechnics?”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “He’d never—”
Brian shook his head. “We’re not taking chances.”
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Chapter 4 — Seconds to Midnight
They radioed Lee and Myra. Lee responded immediately:
“Meet me at the dock. I’ll get us a boat.”
Minutes later, the four traveled across the dark lake in a ranger skiff Lee had “borrowed with permission.” Fireworks technicians on the barge were prepping the midnight spectacle, unaware of any danger.
Brian scanned the deck with binoculars. “There. Someone who doesn’t belong.”
Troy Harlan was crouched near the main fuse panel.
Brian’s voice dropped. “If he pulls the wrong wire, that whole rack could blow early.”
Sarah whispered, “We’ve got five minutes until midnight.”
Brian grunted. “Then we’re taking the direct route.”
Before Sarah could argue, he dove off the boat and cut through the water toward the barge. Sarah cursed under her breath and followed, with Lee anchoring the skiff.
Brian climbed up the side silently, soaking wet, and surprised Troy.
“Party’s over.”
Troy spun, panicked, and yanked a cable—sparks flew.
Sarah rushed up beside Brian. “Stop! That’s a live—”
Too late.
A fuse ignited—shooting down the line like lightning.
Brian sprinted, grabbed the burning fuse mid-track, and yanked it free, extinguishing it on the deck just before it reached the main canisters.
Sarah exhaled shakily. “You’re insane.”
Brian shrugged. “You’re welcome.”
Park security arrived moments later and arrested Troy.
And with seconds to spare…
3… 2… 1…
BOOM!
Fireworks burst across the sky—red, gold, white—perfectly timed after all.
Lee, from the boat, cheered. “Now that’s a New Year!”
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Chapter 5 — New Beginnings
Back onshore, families clapped and laughed, unaware how close they’d come to a canceled celebration—or worse.
Angela hugged Ethan tightly. “Thank you… all of you.”
Sarah turned to Brian, brushing wet hair from his forehead. “You know… for someone who didn’t want to come tonight, you saved the holiday again.”
Brian smirked. “Maybe I’m just trying to impress a certain lawyer.”
Myra rolled her eyes. “Oh please, just kiss already.”
Sarah turned bright red. Brian laughed quietly—but he didn’t deny it.
Lee walked up, shaking his head. “Next holiday we celebrate, can we just eat food and watch a movie? No chases, no explosions?”
Brian clapped him on the shoulder. “No promises.”
Fireworks continued bursting over Cedar Hill Lake as the four friends stood together, exhausted but triumphant.
A new year had begun.
And whatever came next… they’d face it as a team.
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