It was 10 minutes past 9 when Morganta’s parents, Phil Maddison and Kira Harvey-Maddison, arrived at her apartment. The smell of overcooked toast hit them almost immediately as they stepped inside. Morganta greeted them at the door. It had been nearly nine months since they had properly seen each other in person. She led them to her small dining table and handed them each a slightly burnt, unevenly toasted slice of bread. She started with small talk, asking how they had been and how life was going.
Phil Maddison, bald and carrying the weathered appearance of most older men, was 74 years old. He had been 47 when Morganta was born. A retired tradesman, Phil had spent most of his life working physically demanding jobs.
Kira, Morganta’s mother, was 60—almost 17 years younger than Phil. Their relationship had always been unstable. They met in 1991 when Phil was 39 and Kira was 25. They married in 1998 and had Morganta in 1999. By 2005, they divorced. In 2008, they reunited, remarried in 2012, divorced again in 2017, and eventually got back together during the COVID pandemic in 2021. They were still together now, though Morganta often felt another separation was inevitable.
After a few minutes, Morganta pulled the old flyer from her bag and placed it on the table. Phil looked at it first. “I remember this,” he said quietly. “Whole town talked about it when it happened. I even knew someone who knew them.” He studied the faded paper carefully. “Sad thing,” he muttered. Phil looked back up at Morganta. “Why are you showing me this?” Morganta hesitated for a moment before answering. “I’m thinking… just thinking… about reopening the case.” Kira immediately looked toward Phil, already anticipating his response. “Morganta,” Phil said firmly, “not a single detective has solved this case. Police couldn’t solve it. Private investigators couldn’t solve it.” Kira nodded in agreement. Phil shifted the conversation. “How’s work going?”Morganta gave a fake, exaggerated smile.
“Oh, work? It’s going bloody great. And by great, I mean it’s fucking boring as hell.” Her parents exchanged glances. “There’s nothing meaningful,” Morganta continued. “It’s all robbery reports, missing pets, old women needing help with nonsense. The men get murder cases. The men get real investigations. I’m stuck solving why someone’s cat got stuck in a tree.” Phil chuckled slightly, though he could tell she was serious.
“They treat me like being female means I can’t do shit,” Morganta snapped. “Correction—we can.” Phil’s expression softened. He had always been fiercely protective of his daughter. Kira, while clearly not wanting Morganta to pursue the case, also disliked hearing about her daughter being dismissed in the workplace. Morganta sighed.
“I’ve thought about quitting.” She pointed to the flyer again. “There’s a $500,000 reward for finding them. Dead or alive.” Phil leaned back in his chair. “Morganta… sweetheart… if your workplace is really that toxic, then maybe quitting is the right move. But this case…” He paused, struggling to phrase it carefully. “The best detectives in the country couldn’t solve what happened to that family. I’d love for you to prove me wrong… but I just don’t think you can.” His words stung more than Morganta expected. “I’m sorry,” he added. Kira remained silent, but Morganta could tell she agreed.
Trying to break the growing tension, Kira checked her watch. “We should probably head off. It’s getting late.” It was already 9:40pm. Kira thanked Morganta for the food and offered to help clean up, but Morganta declined. She walked them to the door. “Thanks for coming,” Morganta said, though she directed it mostly toward her mother.
Then she shut the door.
Morganta stood silently in her apartment, hurt by her father’s lack of faith but more determined than ever. She was going to prove everyone wrong. But she couldn’t do it alone. She sat on her couch, opened the nearby window, and let the cold night air rush inside. Then she opened her laptop. Her first priorities were clear:
Research the case
Find someone to help her investigate
Morganta logged onto a professional detective database she had used through work called OpenCase. OpenCase was a secure investigative platform where detectives, law enforcement, and private investigators could access case files, internal reports, archived evidence, and even hire freelance professionals.
After a quick search, Morganta found the case.
The Kingsport Five it was titled.
She clicked.
The file opened with the family details.
The Dawson Family:
John Dawson (46)
Father
Police officer
Reportedly struggled with severe depression and suicidal thoughts
Last seen leaving work after de-kitting from his shift
Mary Dawson (48)
Mother
Pharmacist at a Kingsport chemist
Last seen on CCTV at a supermarket during the road trip
Addison Dawson (19)
Eldest child
College business student
Worked part-time at McDonald’s
Last seen on campus
Lucas Dawson (12)
Middle child
Primary school student
Last seen at school
Blake Dawson (7)
Youngest child
Primary school student
Last seen in Kingsport town hall
The family had been traveling from Kingsport to Southfree to visit Mary’s mother.
Estimated trip:
3 hours, 34 minutes
They vanished approximately:
1 hour, 19 minutes into the drive
Location:
West Kingsport Highway, near the small rural town of Fraser (population just over 100).
Police officially concluded on May 5, 2024, that John Dawson had likely driven his family off-road in a murder-suicide.
While this remained the most accepted theory, countless others existed:
kidnapping
government cover-up
alien abduction
supernatural interference
Morganta rolled her eyes at some of them… until she reached the evidence logs.
Digital Evidence:
Addison Dawson’s Search History:
“What is the weather in Fraser?” (8:32pm)
“How to know if you’re being stalked”
“Are ghosts real?”
Morganta frowned.
Fraser wasn’t supposed to be a major stop.
That first search was odd.
The later searches were disturbing.
Unsent Messages:
Addison had attempted to send four messages to friends, but poor signal prevented delivery.
*“Road trip!”
*Image attachment: woods outside the car window
“wtf”
Morganta enlarged the photo.
In the dark woods, barely visible through flash distortion, stood what looked like… a figure.
Morganta had read enough for one night, But before logging off, she knew she needed help. OpenCase had a professional investigator hiring board. After reviewing multiple profiles, Morganta selected:
Lexus Grant (29)
8 years detective experience
Independent investigator
Specialised in cold cases
She hired him for one week. Her message was simple:
> “Need assistance investigating The Kingsport Five.
> Traveling to Fraser and West Kingsport Highway.
> Objective: interview locals, review disappearance site, revisit witness accounts.”
Morganta hit send.
For the first time since finding the flyer, this wasn’t just curiosity anymore.
This was a real investigation.