By Roxanna Andrews
Detective Sarah Murray sat at her desk with the pictures of five missing women spread out in front of her.
She had been a Detective just eight months for the Kalispell County Police Department. At twenty seven, she was one of the youngest women to make Detective. She had come to the attention of the Chief of Detectives early in her career while still a patrolman. She had helped solve three homicides in eight years. Kalispell didn't have a lot of homicides so solving three was a big deal.
Sarah was tall and thin, with blonde hair and blue eyes that could look turquoise depending on the color she wore.
Sarah always dressed in muted tones, her hair either in a knot at the back of her neck or a ponytail. It was an all male detective squad, Sarah was the only woman, and an attractive female could cause big problems and distractions no one needed. Sarah never played up her looks and was all business.
Most of her cases were burglaries that were quickly solved. Thank goodness these guys are dumb, was a mantra among the detectives. Suspects would leave so much evidence at the scene, they were easily apprehended, few were proficient at their craft.
When there wasn't enough to keep her busy, she was loaned out to Major Crimes. The five missing women were Major Crimes cases. They were all presumed dead as they had been missing for two to six years. Lauren Taylor's and Carla Matthew's being the oldest. The cases were all open, but considered cold.
Major Crimes agreed to give the cases over to the Detective Division to see if they could come up with any new leads. They held out little hope, especially when they heard the cases had been given to a rookie.
The Chief of D's had assigned Donald Russell as Sarah's partner, a twenty year veteran, thirteen as a detective. He was forty two, but looked much younger. Don took great care of himself. He watched what he ate, didn't smoke or drink and worked out regularly. This caused the less in-shape, not so attractive detectives, to give him the nickname, A-Don-us, but it was never said to his face.
Don's piercing blue eyes scrutinized Sarah from across the room.
"Hey, Sarah. Your eyes are going to cross permanently if you don't quit staring at those photos. Come on, put them away. It's time to go home." He walked over to her desk and started picking up the photos and put them in a green file folder.
Sarah sighed and rubbed her eyes. She'd been there since six A.M. and though bone weary, knew she wouldn't relax or sleep if she went home.
Locking the file in her desk, she grabbed her coat and smiled at Don.
"I see them in my head anyway, every time I close my eyes," she told him, and moved towards the door.
"Yeah, I know. I do too, but you gotta have a life outside of this," his hand motion encompassed the room. "Or you'll go crazy."
The night air had a bite to it and a light snow had begun to fall. Sarah pulled up the collar of her coat. Don looked at the sky and shook his head.
"Not a fan of snow," he said.
He walked her to her car, then waited for his Uber driver. Sarah wondered why he never drove himself, but getting Ubered wasn't a bad idea. You don't have upkeep on a car, no paying for gas or insurance, it was probably cheaper in the long run. And a big plus, not having to drive on icy roads.
The snow had quit falling by the time Sarah arrived home. Her house was only five miles from the precinct. It was a short commute, for which she was grateful. She pulled into her garage, then went to get her mail.
The home was older, but had been meticulously cared for. It was in a nice neighborhood with huge, full grown trees, manicured lawns and gardens. The house had belonged to her grandparents, and when her grandmother died two years ago, she left it to Sarah, her only female grandchild.
Throwing her purse and the mail on the coffee table, she went to take a shower. After dressing in comfy sweats and a T-shirt she settled in the recliner that had come with the house, and went through the mail. Nothing but bills. She threw them back onto the table, turned on the TV, and put her head back.
Dozing in the recliner, Sarah woke to a noise. Her heart froze. Grabbing her gun from her purse, Sarah listened, trying to determine where the sound was coming from. It was her bedroom window. Standing at the door, a gun in her outstretched hands, she watched, her heart now pounding and hands shaking.
The curtain was drawn back, a leg came through the open window, then an arm and a head. The face that appeared had been in her nightmares for the past seven years. She felt complete terror. Her brain kept shouting, pull the trigger and Sarah raised the gun. Pulling the trigger, she heard a hollow click. Her heart skidded to a halt. The gun was empty. Sarah backed away, then turned to run, legs feeling like lead. He laughed as he grabbed her, and putting an arm around her neck, he forced her down the hall and opened the front door.
Grabbing his arm, she tried to pull free, but he was stronger than her. She tried to scream, but no sound would come out.
Oh, no ... please, no. Was I about to become a statistic like the cases of the missing women I'm trying to solve?
The man forced her down the two steps on the porch, down the red brick path to the street. Opening a car door, he shoved her inside.
| Author Notes |
This is a sequel to the story, 'The Girl with the Dead Eyes.' It can be found in my portfolio.
It is estimated that 600thousand people go missing every year in the US. Most are presumed dead. Some become homeless and can't be found, some just want a new life and start over, but most are murdered and the bodies never found, which is appalling. Most people are murdered by someone they know. Kalispell-Small city in Montana 'Thank goodness these guys are dumb,' is a mantra among detectives and police. My friend who was a detective, and now works as an investigator for the DA, told me they say or think it all the time. It makes their job so much easier. |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of previous chapter: The curtain was drawn back, a leg came through the open window, then an arm and a head. The face that appeared had been in her nightmares for the past nine years. She felt complete terror. Her brain kept shouting, pull the trigger and Sarah raised the gun. Pulling the trigger, she heard a hollow click. Her heart skidded to a halt, the gun was empty. Sarah backed away, then turned to run, legs feeling like lead. He laughed as he grabbed her, and putting an arm around her neck, he forced her down the hall and opened the front door.
Grabbing his arm, she tried to pull free, but he was stronger than her. She tried to scream, but no sound would come out.
Oh, no, please,no. Was I about to become a statistic like the cases of the missing women I'm trying to solve?
The man forced her down the two steps on the porch, down the red brick path to the street. Opening a car door, he shoved her inside.
***********************************
Finding her voice, *Sarah was able to call out. "Let me go!" Opening her eyes, she was still in her living room, sitting in the recliner, with the TV on. It had been a dream.
Sarah checked her gun to be sure it was loaded, then went to get some water. She breathed in and out slowly trying to stop her racing heart. Her hand shook as she drank from the glass. The dream had been so real.
She tested all her windows to make sure they were locked, then went to sit in the recliner. She tried to concentrate on the television show that was on, but her mind kept traveling back to darker days.
The last few months she had been so busy learning to be a detective, there had been a day or two that she hadn't thought of him. But working on the cases of the missing women had brought it all back.
David Lawson had been a sophomore, Sarah a senior, when they attended the State University in Bozeman. At first he was a nice guy she'd met at a party, then the stalking began. He seemed to be everywhere she went, she thought it a coincidence the first few times, but she soon learned they were not coincidences. Then the emails started, then phone calls, and showing up at her dorm. She changed her email address and phone number several times, but somehow he always got them. By the middle of the school year the emails and calls had turned menacing and she reported him to the school. They ordered him to stay away, but of course it did no good. Security personnel had to escort her to and from her dorm, but he still showed up outside her classes.
The school finally expelled him, but he was still always there. They advised her to leave school, but she felt she was the one being punished. Why should she have to leave? She'd done nothing wrong and was the one being harassed. They said they couldn't guarantee her safety. It was crazy. Finding out his family had money and gave big donations to the school made her suspicious and angry. It wasn't fair.
Sarah thought about going to live with her grandparents, it would be a short commute to the college, but she didn't want to put her grandparents in any danger. If her parents found out, they would want her to leave school and she was almost done. Just a few more months and she'd graduate and leave David Lawson behind for good.
But it wasn't for good. The first time he showed up at her parents' home in Big Sky, she was terrified. Sarah never thought he would follow her, but she should have known better. Now her parents had to be told, and what followed were dozens of calls to the police, restraining orders, never being alone, learning to shoot a gun. She couldn't be on social media and worst of all, she couldn't get a job. He followed her to her interviews and she worried about the safety of the people in the building.
The family decided she had to move away and change her name. They moved her to an apartment building in Kalispell that had security and installed a camera so she could see who was at her door. They changed her name from Kara Donaldson to Sarah Murray. They just came up with it one night as a family
"It has to be a name that has no connection to the family at all, or he might be able to figure it out," her brother Mark, told them. Was Sarah Murray random enough? They all hoped so.
No change of name or address was registered with the post office, a friend would bring her mail, someone they hoped Lawson didn't connect with Sarah. Her parents and two brothers were afraid of being followed, so they didn't see her for almost a year.
Sarah changed her appearance, her naturally blonde hair was dyed brown. Her plain contacts were now colored, changing her eyes from blue to brown, a muddy brown as blue and brown didn't mix well. She felt like she had lost everything, even herself because of David Lawson.
Taking every self defense class known to man, and going to the shooting range at least three times a week, didn't really make her feel any safer, but it relieved some of her frustration.
Getting a job at Starbucks just around the corner from where she lived was huge. Sarah would finally have some money of her own, It didn't pay enough to cover her rent and other expenses, so her parents and brothers put money in an account for her. She felt horrible about it, they shouldn't have to do that.
She had a degree in Criminal Law, hoped to be a District Attorney one day, but that dream was on hold now. If she went to law school, he'd show up one day.
Knowing how the law works didn't make you immune to crazy people. Living in constant fear is not really living, it was as if she were in someone else's life.
Then one day she had a conversation with a policeman on her break and her life changed almost overnight.
"Have you ever thought of becoming a policeman? They value applicants who have studied Criminal Law. You'd be a real asset to the department," he told her.
Sarah hadn't thought of using her degree in actual law enforcement, but now it seemed to make sense. Just one huge problem. There was no record of a Sarah Murray until two years ago. When they did the background check, they'd find out and it would look suspicious. They'd never let her in the academy.
Sarah talked to her parents, and though they didn't really like the idea of her becoming a policeman, her father agreed to talk to the Chief of Police in Big Sky to see if he could help. Chief Garcia knew everything about Kara's, now Sarah's, situation.
"Becoming a policeman was not what we dreamed for you, but after the year and half you have had, anything that will make you happy is fine with us," her father told her.
Chief Garcia reached out to Chief Landry of Kalispell and Sarah got a phone call to come in and see him.
She applied to the academy the next day. The Chief had talked with the Commissioner and gotten permission to handle her application and background check himself. Human Resources took it from there.
Sarah found she enjoyed the training, and enjoyed being able to have friends again. But she was always reserved, not saying much about herself, and careful about who she befriended.
No one knew of her situation except her Sergeant, the Chief of Police and the Chief of Detectives. Chief Garcia of Big Sky was good friends with the Chief of D's and asked permission to tell him the situation so he could keep an eye on her. Sarah agreed.
The Chief of Detectives, George Brenner, was a mountain of a man, big and tall, but not overweight, it just seemed as if he took up the whole room. He roared a lot, but Sarah found out quickly that he was more teddy bear then lion. He took her under his wing and when his wife found out about her, she insisted Sarah come often for dinner. It was so nice to belong to a family again. This was all kept between them. No one needed to know Sarah and he were close, and that she spent time in his home.
When she was promoted to detective and they gathered for the morning briefings he often ended by saying, "The world is a dark place, we see the worst of the worst, but don't let the darkness swallow you. Be the light, the good guy clearing a path through the darkness. Always keep the light on."
Sarah would forever be grateful to him, when one snowy winter night, David Lawson found her. But she didn't want to think about that now. He had been sentenced to eight years without early release and Sarah finally had her life back. She let her hair go back to blonde and quit wearing colored contacts. She kept the name Sarah Murray, it was just easier.
Sarah sighed and pick up her laptop. She wasn't going to sleep now. Might as well get some work done.
| Author Notes |
I'm sure there are many boo boos I didn't see, sorry.
*I changed my main character from Rachel to Sarah as there is another detective book being posted with a detective named Rachel. The other author used the name first so I changed my character's name. She didn't ask me to do this, but I felt in fairness it was the right thing to do. 7.5 million people are stalked a year in the United States. Over 85% of stalking victims are stalked by someone they know. 61% of female victims and 44% of male victims of stalking are stalked by a current or former intimate partner. It is very hard to do much about a stalker, even with anti-stalking laws. If you have ever seen the show NCIS, Pauley Perrette who played the character Abby has had a man stalking her for years. There is little she can do about it. Many celebrities have been stalked or are being stalked, which isn't as surprising as Joe Schmoe, everyday person being stalked. |
By Roxanna Andrews
Part of pervious chapter: Finding her voice, *Sarah was able to call out. "Let me go!" Opening her eyes, she was still in her living room, sitting in the recliner, with the TV on. It had been a dream.
Sarah checked her gun to be sure it was loaded, then went to get some water. She breathed in and out slowly trying to stop her racing heart. Her hand shook as she drank from the glass. The dream had been so real.
She sighed and pick up her laptop. Knowing she wasn't going to sleep now, might as well get some work done.
***********************************
*Sarah brought up some of the files she had made on the missing women. She had a picture and bio of each one, newspaper articles on the abductions, some video of news bites, and notes she had made.
All the women had dark hair, but one, Carla Matthews who was blonde. All were between eighteen and twenty-one, except Lauren Taylor and Carla Matthews, who were both twenty-eight. In fact the two women didn't seem to fit the profile of the other women at all. The others were in high school or college. Lauren Taylor was an assistant manager of a catalog shipping company. Carla Matthews worked from home. She made jewelry and had an online shop. Both women were college graduates, Lauren even had a degree in business management and they were both married.
Sarah was surprised that Major Crimes had lumped them in with the other three women. They told her the M.O. was the same, disappeared without a trace, the car found abandoned on the street near the victims destinations, their purses and cell phones still in the front seat. No fibers, no hairs, no fingerprints, no DNA and never a witness.
Did this guy wrap himself in cellophane? He had to have made a mistake sometime, somewhere. Sarah wanted to interview the families and friends again, but the Chief had said no to that. It didn't make sense to her. She had the notes of the other detectives who had been assigned to the case and they were thorough and well documented. But Sarah felt she needed to see the families, watch their facial expressions, maybe get them to remember something since they were last interviewed. She'd talk to the Chief again, beg if she had to.
The next morning Sarah talked with Don to get him on board about re-interviewing the families and friends of the missing women.
"I think it will really help if I can question them myself. Just reading someone's notes doesn't cut it."
"I agree, let's go see the Chief." Don led the way.
"Chief, we wanted to talk about re-interviewing the families of the missing women."
Before he could say anymore, the Chief agreed. "It wasn't my decision to say no. The Mayor is good friends with one of the families and he didn't want to put them through that again, but I don't think the families will mind if it means solving the cases. They all want that, I get phone calls at least once a month from almost all of them. Go ahead, I'll deal with the Mayor."
"Okay, thanks," Sarah turned to leave, then turned back. "Who doesn't call about their missing family member?" she asked.
"Taylor and Matthews. Haven't heard from them in years."
Sarah nodded, "Thanks."
She and Don spent an hour calling the families leaving messages or setting up times to come by.
They started with the newest case, it would be fresh in the minds of the family.
**
Renee Cummings' father met them at his office.
"We appreciate your willingness to speak with us. We know this is hard."
"I'll do whatever it takes to find my daughter."
Sarah nodded, but before she could ask the first question, Mr. Cummings asked one of his own.
"Do you think she could have been kidnapped by a sex trafficking ring?" The look in his eyes held so much pain, Sarah was glad she could give some reassurance.
"Mr. Cummings..."
"Please, call me Jack."
"Okay, Jack, that is always a possibility, but since she was older, Twenty-one, we think not. They usually take girls much younger. But we are monitoring any suspected trafficking rings, which is something that is always being done. The police have a database of missing girls they check regularly, Renee is on it. The way she was abducted isn't the norm for traffickers either. They don't abduct people from their cars."
Mr. Cummings nodded and gave a shaky sigh. "How can I help you?"
"I'm going to record this," Sarah told Jack. "Is that okay?"
"Yes."
Sarah and Don asked questions in turn and Jack did his best to answer them.
"You may want to talk to my other daughter, Nadia, she knew Renee best. They were so close. This has been very hard on her."
"Yes, I'd like to talk to her, what about your wife?" asked Sarah.
"She left about six months after Renee disappeared. She just couldn't handle it. She had a drinking problem already and it just got worse. I came home one day and found she'd packed, cleaned out our bank account and I haven't seen or heard from her since."
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "I wasn't even surprised. It's terrible to say, but it was a relief. I never knew what I would find when I got home, she had shut down and refused to talk about it. She didn't talk at all, really, except to lash out. For some reason she blamed me for Renee's going missing. The marriage had been bad for a long time. That's why, at first, I thought Renee had just left home. Maybe she was sick of her mom's drinking, our fighting, and needed space. But it wasn't like her. She was a rescuer, always wanting to make things better. I just couldn't see her leaving her mom. And when we didn't hear from her for days and she didn't contact her sister, we knew something was wrong."
Sarah nodded and she and Don stood and shook Jack Cummings' hand. "I'm sure we'll be in touch. This is my card." Don handed him his business card. "You can call anytime."
"This is Nadia's number. She may have more answers than I did." Jack handed them a piece of paper.
Out in the parking lot, Don asked, "What do you think?"
"I think I don't know any more than I did before." They drove to their next appointment.
Sarah had called Nadia and she'd agreed to talk with them. She owned a little coffee shop downtown, so Sarah and Don met her there.
She took them to a small office in the back.
"I don't know if I can add anything to what I've already said or what my dad told you, but I'm happy to help any way I can. It's good to know you are still investigating."
"Sometimes fresh eyes see things that got missed," said Sarah.
Nadia nodded, "What do you want to know?"
"Can you think of anything she told you about someone following her? We are sure she was stalked for a while. Did you notice a stranger hanging around, a car, anything?"
"Just the white truck I told the last detectives about."
"White truck?"
"Yes, I remembered her telling me about it and I called and left a message for the detective that had come to the house. Renee said she saw it at school a few times and it followed her for a while, but always turned off long before she got home."
Why hadn't there been anything in the notes about a white truck?
"Did she say anything else about the truck? The make, dents, decals? The person driving, a man or woman?"
"Not really, just that it scared her. Do you think it could be important?"
"Maybe, we'll look into it. Thanks Nadia for talking with us. I know this is hard," said Sarah.
"She's my little sis, I'm supposed to protect her. I should have gone with her that night. She asked me to, but I was tired."
"Then there might be two of you missing now. This is not your fault, okay?"
She nodded and walked them to the door. "You'll let us know if you find anything?"
"Of course," said Don.
"Why wasn't there anything in the notes about a white truck?" Sarah said once they were in the car.
Don shook his head. "Somebody messed up."
| Author Notes |
* I changed the name of the detective from Rachel to Sarah. There is another detective story posted with the name Rachel, she has an on going series of stories so I thought in it best to change the name of my main character.
Let me know if you think this is too long. |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of previous chapter: "Why wasn't there anything in the notes about a white truck?" Sarah said once they were in the car.
Don shook his head. "Somebody messed up."
*****************
"I never got any message about a white truck," said detective Marks. "I don't know who she talked to, but it wasn't me. Don't you think we would have followed up a lead like that?"
"Yes, I know you would have. That's why it's weird it wasn't in the notes," said Sarah, respectfully, trying to calm the detective down.
"Well, I didn't know anything about it."
"I'll go look at the camera footage we have, see if a white truck shows up," said Don.
Sarah was nervous about looking at the footage. She was relieved when Don said he would do it. Even though she would like to see it for herself, everything about this case was bringing back bad memories. Having been stalked herself made working on it difficult. At times, she felt a panic attack coming on. But she kept it to herself. She didn't want the Chief to bench her. It was her fist big case and she wanted to do well.
Sarah made some phone calls, then went to the media room to talk to Don. "The Harris family can see us tomorrow. Still can't get a hold of Rick Taylor or Ryan Matthews. I left another message. Any luck with the footage?"
"I don't see a white truck in any of it. Maybe it's a dead end."
"Yeah, maybe." Sarah agreed.
The next morning they went to interview the Harris family. Their daughter, Madison, had been missing three years. The couple sat next to each other on the couch holding hands.
"We have come to accept that she may be ... dead. We just need to know ... what happened to her," Janet Harris's voice broke. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and cleared her throat. "How can we help?"
Sarah swallowed and took a deep breath. Seeing this couple so emotional made her think of her own parents and the fear they felt for her when she was being stalked. If not for the grace of God, they could be her parents.
Sarah put her mind on the job and worked to keep her emotions in check. She and Don went through their list of questions, but the answers revealed nothing new. Before leaving, she asked one last question.
"We think she was stalked before being abducted. Did she say she saw the same vehicle or person hanging around?"
Neil Harris thought a moment. "Now that you mention it, she did say she kept seeing the same white truck. But, that was months before the abduction. Does that help?"
"It just might, Mr. Harris. Did she describe the truck, any dents, decals, who was in it? Man, woman?"
"I asked her. She just said a white truck. Madison knew nothing about trucks. She did say a man was driving, and the license plate had mud on it."
Sarah wrote in her notepad and stood. She put out a hand and could see it was shaking a bit. "Thank you so much for speaking with us. I know this is hard."
"We'd answer a thousand questions if it helps us find our daughter."
****
"Do we have video surveillance on Madison? If we can just get one frame of that white truck, maybe get the make or model, even a license number," said Sarah as she got behind the wheel. Don always insisted she drive.
"From your lips to God's ears. Yeah, we have tape of the night she was abducted. When we get back to the station, I'll go through the footage we have. Maybe you can listen to the interviews we taped, see if there is anything we didn't catch."
Sarah listened to the interviews, but didn't hear anything new. She dropped them off to be transcribed, and went to see Don. It was almost quitting time and Don wasn't in the media room. She went to his desk and it looked like he'd gone for the day.
She wrestled with looking at the videos herself. She would feel better if she knew what was on them, but the panic threatened to come to the surface. Maybe I need to see a doctor to get some meds for this.
She forced herself to go to the media room and with a shaky hand put in the tape marked 'Renee Cummings'. About ten minutes into the video, she saw it, the white truck. Why had Don said he didn't? It was blurry and dark. No chance of getting a license, or a model for that matter, but it was something. Maybe one of the crime tech guys could clean it up.
Next she put in the 'Madison Harris' tape. Just when she decided the truck wouldn't be there, it showed up, almost at the end of the tape. It drove slowly past Madison as she left her job. They estimated that about thirty minutes after that, she had been abducted.
Sarah enlarged the frame and zoomed in on the license plate. Part of the plate was covered in mud -- just two numbers showed. The mud had to be deliberate. It would take a lot of time to track down, but maybe Max could help. Max was a genius with computer searches. At least she had the make and model now, a Dodge Ram.
She zoomed in on the driver's side window, and half expected to see David Lawson driving. I have to stop this. She could see nothing through the tinted glass.
Sarah went to write down the info and realized she had been sweating. She had to wipe off her hand before she could write.
Leaving the media room, she went to see if Maxine Davis was still at her desk. She was in luck; Maxine sat fixated on her screen.
"Hey, Maxine."
The young woman jumped.
"Man, don't sneak up on a person like that."
"I wasn't sneaking up on you. What are you doing?"
"I'm engaged in the fight of my life. I'm playing War Craft with my online video game club. Just a minute, I'll ask them to hold on. Hey guys, I have to tend to some business; so can we freeze the game for a half sec?"
Maxine took off her headphones and gave Sarah her full attention. "Just so you know, I'm off the clock; I'm not playing video games when I should be working. What do you need?"
Sarah shrugged and handed her a piece of paper. "I'm wondering if there is a way to trace a license plate with just two numbers? I have the make and model."
"I can do it, but it's going to bring up like three thousand cars."
"Well, this is a truck, a white truck. Does that narrow it down?"
"Yeah, to like... five thousand. Everyone around here has a truck."
"It's a white Dodge Ram." Sarah said, raising her eyebrows.
"Everyone has a white Dodge Ram."
"I know. Do your best; and it's for my eyes only, okay."
"Oh, intrigue. I love it. Roger, boss, for your eyes only," she laughed,
and went back to her game.
Sarah's phone blinked with a message, and she hoped it was either Taylor or Matthews calling back about an interview.
"Hi, this is Rick Taylor. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been out of town. Tomorrow afternoon is fine if you can come by then."
| Author Notes | Okay, let me have it. =} I did a last minute redo but since I spent the money to post, I didn't want to pull it for a couple of days and lose that money. Is there a way to get your money back if you pull a story? Anyway, sorry, I'm sure this is a mess. |
By Roxanna Andrews
Sarah's phone blinked with a message, and she hoped it was either Taylor or Matthews calling back about an interview.
"Hi, this is Rick Taylor. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been out of town. Tomorrow afternoon is fine if you can come by then."
*****************
The following afternoon, Sarah and Don sat in Rick Taylor's living room and asked a series of questions. The guy liked to talk and added a lot of detail to the answers - his reaction to finding out his wife was missing, how devastated he was, how he hadn't changed anything since the day Lauren disappeared, and on and on. She thought he talked too much.
Sarah's radar had gone up. She didn't like him and had a feeling something wasn't right. She wanted to interview Ryan Matthews more than ever now.
"We would like to interview Mr. Matthews as well. We haven't been able to get a hold of him. Do you know how we could reach him?" Sarah asked.
"Well, you'll have to go to the cemetery. Ryan died six months ago," Rick informed her.
Sarah hadn't heard he was dead. "Oh, really. I guess we didn't get the word on that."
"Yeah, he drowned in a hot tub, got drunk and passed out. I told him he was drinking too much." Rick shook his head.
Rick didn't seem the least bit upset over his best friend's death. The guy was just weird.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thanks, I was pretty torn up about it."
Yeah, you act totally devastated, thought Sarah.
Back in the car Sarah asked Don why they didn't know Matthews was dead.
"I don't know. I guess we didn't get that memo either."
*********************
When they got back to the station, a pile of papers sat on Sarah's desk. It was a print out of all the white Dodge Rams that had a license with the two numbers she'd asked for. Good ol' Max, she got things done. The total at the end of the last page said 4253.
The names were in alphabetical order. Thank you, Max. She quickly perused them, and fifteen minutes in, one hit her like a lightening bolt. She went to talk to Don.
"I have a confession to make, I looked at the video footage the other night after you went home ... I found the white truck."
Don looked uncomfortable and squirmed in his seat. "What do you mean you found the truck?"
"It was right there, big as life. Why did you say you didn't see it?"
Don did some more squirming and couldn't meet her eyes. "Look Sarah, I haven't told this to anyone, but I'm losing my eyesight."
Sarah was stunned. That was not at all what she was expecting him to say. She didn't know what she was expecting, but not this.
"I have macular degeneration. That's why I always let you drive and I Uber to work. I could still drive, but don't think I should. I don't know why I said I'd look at the footage, it was stupid. As the veteran detective I thought I should take the lead and ... I guess I want to hide it as long as I can. Once they find out, I'm out of a job."
"Don, I'm so sorry. Can anything be done? Have you gotten a second opinion?"
"I can have an eye transplant." He laughed when her eyes got big. "I'm kidding. I've seen three doctors, they all say the same thing. Since I am so young it is progressing slowly, it usually happens to people in their sixties. They all say I am the youngest patient they have seen. How'd I get so lucky." He sighed and look so depressed, Sarah felt terrible.
"Well, I'll cover for you as long as I can. You do a great job of hiding it, I'd never know."
"Yeah, well ... I've been going to a support group. They have a lot of tips on how to get around, do everyday stuff without the MD interfering too much in my life, until, of course, it gets full blown. I still have a few years before that happens."
Sarah nodded. "Maybe they'll find a cure before then. You're still a skilled detective. You could consult on cases."
"Come on, Sarah. You're kidding yourself. Don't try to give me false hope. I'll deal with it when the time comes. So, what were you saying about the truck?"
Sarah got her mind back on business. She was still in shock from Don's confession and amazed he confided in her. "I was able to get a partial plate number, and the make and model. The plate was covered in mud, which I'm sure was deliberate. Anyway, I gave what I had to Maxine and she ran a search. Look whose name is on the list."
She showed him the name she had highlighted - Ryan Matthews.
"You're not thinking he's our guy? His wife disappeared too."
"Well, how many times does it turn out to be the husband?"
"All the time. But, that would mean he killed his best friend's wife." Sarah just raised her eyebrows.
Don let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'll call around and see what I can find out."
As she waited for Don to get back to her, she listen to Rick Taylor's interview again. There was just something about the way he talked. It didn't sound right. It wasn't sincere, more like a script he had memorized.
Don called her over. "It seems Matthews got rid of the truck about a year ago, but there isn't any paperwork to say who he sold it to."
"Maybe we won't need it. Don, I'm really thinking he's our guy. I know it was his truck following both Cummings and Harris. Can it be this easy?"
"I don't know. We need to search his house again, let's hope it hasn't been cleaned out. The police searched it after his wife disappeared, but they weren't that thorough. Let's tell the Chief and get a search warrant."
They were in luck, the house hadn't been sold yet and everything was still inside. They found out it had been left to Rick Taylor. Didn't Matthews have any other family? Sarah wondered.
The warrant took about an hour to secure, meanwhile, they put a forensic team together and a few officers, and headed to Matthews.
Rick met them at the house with the key. "I haven't had time to clean it out. I'll do it soon though and get it on the market. It's a nice house, in great shape. Should get a good price for it."
Sarah, again, thought how he didn't seem in the least upset about his best friend's death. But, she had been a police officer long enough to know people didn't always react the way you thought they should to death. She tried not to read too much into it.
She asked Rick to wait outside. Everyone on the team took a room, Don took the basement and Sarah took the master bedroom.
After about twenty minutes, Don called Sarah. "Get down here. You need to see this."
| Author Notes |
I tried to be very careful with this chapter, but I know, just let me have it.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in people over age 60. It occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. The retina is the light-sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye. Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Don Russell-Veteran Detective, Sarah partner The Chief- Chief of Detectives, George Brenner Rick Taylor-Victim who's wife disappeared Ryan Matthews-Now deceaded, wife also disappeared |
By Roxanna Andrews
Rick met them at the house with the key. "I haven't had time to clean it out. I'll do it soon though and get it on the market. It's a nice house, in great shape. Should get a good price for it."
Sarah, again, thought how he didn't seem in the least upset about his best friend's death. But, she had been a police officer long enough to know people didn't always react the way you thought they should to death. She tried not to read too much into it.
She asked Rick to wait outside. Everyone on the team took a room, Don took the basement and Sarah took the master bedroom.
After about twenty minutes, Don called Sarah. "Get down here. You need to see this."
******************
When she got to the basement Don was holding open a door to a wooden cabinet.
Sarah went through the contents. It was like a detective's dream. All the evidence you would need to convict a murderer, in this case, a serial killer. Pictures of the women, jewelry, clothing and licenses, all belonging to the victims. And best of all, pictures of the suspect with the women. There were at least twenty. This guy had been at it for a long time.
Sarah let out a long, shaky sigh. She couldn't believe she had solved her first big homicide as a detective. It was finally over for the families waiting to hear about their wives and daughters. The only drawback was there wasn't anything to say where the bodies might be. They may never be able to bring them home.
The FBI would have to be informed as the murders took place in multiple states. They would notify the out of state families.
"We have to call the Chief. Do you want to do the honors?" she asked Don.
"No, you go ahead. It was your hard work that solved the case. You deserve the credit." He put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her like a proud father.
"We did it," she corrected him. Getting out her phone, she made the call.
The next few days were a blur for Sarah. She called and spoke to the families. They all cried when told their daughters and sisters were dead. Sarah cried as well. She could feel a lot of their pain and couldn't help but feel terrible for them. They had been so young with their whole lives ahead of them. They had so much promise and their dreams, as well as the dreams their parents had for them, had been taken away.
Sarah couldn't help but put her parents in their places, what if it were them getting this news?
All the families were grateful they had the answers as to what happen to their missing loved ones, but were upset the bodies may never be recovered.
Sarah was interviewed numerous times by the press. She made several television appearances, and was invited to have dinner with the Mayor. She even had an interview with the Commissioner.
She struggled to keep her emotion in check. She had teared up a few times, which she found made for good TV. The interviewer and audience seemed to love it when she did. Sarah felt at times she was being used by the Kalispell PD as good advertising.
Don refused to take part in most of it, which she found a little odd. He said she had solved the case and deserved the credit. Maybe he was worried about someone noticing he was going blind. He did have dinner with the Mayor, and was with her when the Commissioner congratulated them.
Sarah had been so busy she hadn't had time to analyze the feeling she had in her gut that wouldn't go away. Something wasn't right. It was all so easy. Everything had just fallen into place. Was that normal? Shouldn't the case have taken a lot more work, been harder to solve? If it were this easy, why hadn't Major Crimes been able to solve it? There was just something. It all felt like a dream.
She watched Rick Taylor being interviewed again and again as the best friend of a serial killer. He'd repeat how he and Ryan had known each other all their lives. "I had no idea Ryan was this way. He had always had some weird quirks, but nothing to indicate he was a mass murderer."
There was just something about Rick's demeanor. It seemed wrong. He was too excited to be getting attention. He hardly mentioned his wife. If a reporter asked, and they always did, he'd look sad. "There was no evidence that Ryan killed her, but I'm certain he did. He just got really weird after his wife and Lauren disappeared. It's so hard to believe someone I called my best friend would do such a thing."
But Sarah still wasn't convinced the two wives should have been lumped in with the other missing women. She went to talk to the Chief.
"There is really no evidence that he did kill Lauren, or his wife for that matter. I just don't think the cases are related."
"I don't know Sarah. Major Crimes and the Commissioner think he did it and the cases are closed."
"But there were no photos or trophies from Lauren Taylor. All the others had been meticulously cataloged, but not Lauren and Carla. Why?"
"Sarah, just be happy with the win and let it go. Serial killers don't always do every murder exactly the same way. If Major Crimes thinks it's closed, then it's closed. You have other cases. Work on those." He shooed her out of his office.
She tried to discuss it with Don Russell, but he too felt the cases closed and wanted to move on. When Sarah persisted, he became abrupt.
"The case is closed Sarah. Don't go looking for stuff that isn't there. Move on."
But Sarah couldn't let it go. She'd love to get into Rick's house and do a search. She just had a feeling about him and was sure he was lying about something. She tried to keep her mind on her next case, but it kept wandering back to Rick Taylor.
In the months that followed, her relationship with Don Russell deteriorated to the point that they only talked about cases and even then, it seemed an effort for him.
Sarah couldn't figure out what was going on. She tried to talk to him about it, but he wasn't interested in fixing things. Was he angry she was getting so much attention? Maybe he regretted telling her about losing his sight or he was depressed. Sarah tried to be understanding. She knew how she would feel in his place.
Whatever it was, he was distancing himself from her more every day. She knew she had to put in for a change of partner. They couldn't be effective this way.
One day during a car ride back to the station, he broke the stony silence by blurting out, "I'm retiring next month."
Sarah only felt relief and was a little ashamed of herself.
"If you think that's best," she replied.
"Yeah, I think it's best," was all he said. The rest of the ride was spent in uncomfortable silence.
| Author Notes |
This posted and I didn't realize it, so may have lots of boo boo's. Sorry.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Don Russell-Veteran Detective, Sarah partner The Chief- Chief of Detectives, George Brenner Rick Taylor-Victim who's wife disappeared Ryan Matthews-Now deceaded, wife also disappeared Lauren Taylor- Rick's wife, missing person Carla Matthews- Ryan's wife, missing person |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of previous chapter: One day during a car ride back to the station, Don broke the stony silence by blurting out, "I'm retiring next month."
Sarah only felt relief and was a little ashamed of herself.
"If you think that's best," she replied.
"Yeah, I think it's best," was all he said. The rest of the ride was spent in uncomfortable silence.
***************
"It is my sad duty to announce the retirement of detective Donald Russell." The Chief of Detectives, George Brenner stood in the middle of the room at Don's retirement party. There are a few awes and boos from the crowd.
The Chief put up his hands for quiet and continued. "Don's decided he's had enough of crime and sad stories. Of course, he's way too young to totally retire, so he's thinking he may try his hand at writing. He has plenty of material, that's for sure. One story he'd like to tell is, Ryan Matthews-Serial Killer. A few publishers have already expressed interest." The room applauded.
Sarah knew the real reason he was retiring. He still hadn't told anyone about his eyesight, and she would never betray his confidence so she kept it to herself.
She couldn't say she would miss him, and truth was, Sarah was relieved. She found him increasingly difficult to work with. His short answers or just stony silence in the car was getting to her. He was less and less a partner and more a resentful child. She would have put in for a change of partner if he hadn't retired.
"We'll miss you around here," Sarah lied. "I wish you all the best with your writing endeavors. Make sure you spell everyone's name right." She gave an uncomfortable laugh at her attempt at humor.
Russell just nodded with a half smile.
Sarah looked down at her styrofoam cup still full of punch. She had long since stopped trying to break through the wall he had put up between them. Sarah raised her cup. "I need a refill," she told him and got away as quickly as she could.
In the interim between Don retiring and the department assigning her a new partner, Sarah was on her own. She decided to conduct her own investigation into Rick Taylor. She knew something wasn't right and she couldn't let it go.
Sarah had a stack of new cases on her desk and worked them diligently, but she also worked on finding out all she could about Rick Taylor on the side, starting with looking into his supposed best friend, Ryan Matthews' death. Sarah looked through newspaper archives to find the story, and was able to bring up the death investigation in the precincts online records.
She also watched the news shows that aired right after the serial cases were solved. Sarah had skipped watching all the specials that dug into every aspect of Matthews' life, trying to discover what had turned him into a monster. You had to watch these shows with a filter; there is a lot of guessing and things that are just made up. They interview people who supposedly know the suspect, but have never met him. It happens all the time. Sarah watched them now, hoping to glean a bit of knowledge. She learned little.
There were several red flags as she read the police record and newspaper articles. The first being he had died on the exact date that his wife had disappeared six years before. That couldn't be a coincidence.
The next red flag was ten feet wide, lit up and waving. He had died in Rick Taylor's hot tub.
"You've got to be kidding me," Sarah thought. Funny, Taylor had left out that fact when he told her how Matthews died.
The report said Taylor told the investigating officer that Matthews had been drinking all evening. Rick had gone into the house to get more beers, leaving Ryan alone in the tub. When he returned, Ryan was underwater. Rick had gotten him out and started CPR, but it was too late.
The autopsy showed a blood alcohol level of 0.162, meaning he'd had more than nine drinks. Cause of death was drowning. There was a contusion on the back of his head which was attributed to hitting his head on the side of the tub when he passed out. Sarah was skeptical. Don't you sit with your back against the side of a hot tub? Why would you bang your head? Had he tired to stand and had fallen?
There was speculation that it could have been a suicide since it was the anniversary of his wife's disappearance. Co-workers felt he never really got over her being gone. He talked about her all the time.
Sarah wondered if it could be suicide. If he was his wife's killer, and she was beginning to think he was, maybe the guilt of killing someone he really loved got to be too much for him. But again, what about the bump on his head?
Had Rick started to worry he would unravel? She didn't for a minute believe that he didn't know Ryan was a killer. Maybe they were in on killing their wives together. She felt sure Rick was involved. Maybe it was like that Alfred Hitchcock movie, "Strangers on a Train," where two people trade murders. Could Rick have smashed Ryan's head into the hot tub wall to knock him out and held him under?
She decided to start surveillance on Rick Taylor on her own time.
*****
Sarah sat in her car, up the street from Taylor's house. She stopped at Nacho Taco to get dinner. It was two for a dollar night and she hurriedly ate her favorite meal in case she needed to follow her suspect.
After five hours and no movement anywhere around the house, she decided to call it quits. It was 12:00am and she was dead tired. It had started to snow and she couldn't see out the windshield anymore. She could hardly sit there with the motor running and using the windshield wipers. Besides, she had to pee so bad she had tears in her eyes. I shouldn't have had that Coke.
Three nights in a row she watched without seeing Rick leave his house.
"This man has no social life," she said out loud in frustration. But why was she upset that he wasn't out stalking a new victim? Wasn't that a good thing. I'm beginning to worry about myself.
On the fourth night, a gray Toyota pulled into Rick's driveway. A man got out and Sarah grabbed her binoculars. She didn't get a good look at him before Rick opened the door, but he seemed familiar. About ten minutes later, they came out and got into the man's car. This time, Sarah could see him clearly. It was Donald Russell.
| Author Notes |
I could not find a pic of a car sitting in front of a house at night. Now, you would think that would be easy to find, but it brought up the dumbest things, pics of celeberties, car wrecks-what? So this is the best I could find. Pretend it's a single house and dark. ={
Sorry this was a bit dull, but things will get very exciting soon. Really - I promise. I have wondered what people on long stakeouts do about having to go potty. That would be a big problem for me, I'd have to skip stakeout duty. ={ Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Veteran Detective, Sarah partner The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Rick Taylor-Victim who's wife disappeared Ryan Matthews-Now deceaded, wife also disappeared Lauren Taylor- Rick's wife, missing person Carla Matthews- Ryan's wife, missing person |
By Roxanna Andrews
"This man has no social life," she said out loud in frustration. But why was she upset that he wasn't out stalking a new victim? Wasn't that a good thing. I'm beginning to worry about myself.
On the fourth night, a gray Toyota pulled into Rick's driveway. A man got out and Sarah grabbed her binoculars. She didn't get a good look at him before Rick opened the door, but he seemed familiar. About ten minutes later, they came out and got into the man's car. This time, Sarah could see him clearly. It was Donald Russell.
********
Sarah ducked as Don's car passed her's. What was going on? Was Donald a part of this, or were he and Rick just friends? Maybe they had gotten to know each other through the investigation and she was wrong about everything. No, something wasn't right here.
Dumbfounded, Sarah was not sure what to do. Should she follow the men and see what they were up too, or get into Rick's house and have a look around? No warrant meant no admissible evidence, and the Chief had told her to forget about Rick Taylor. If he found out she went into his house without a warrant, he'd be furious. Maybe even suspend or fire her.
She decided to follow the men. She pulled out of the complex and was able to spot the gray Toyota a few blocks ahead. Traffic was light. Everyone was home watching Monday Night Football. Afraid of being seen, she hung back and hoped distance and darkness would keep Don from recognizing her car.
They were headed for the college and Sarah got a sick feeling. They pulled into an apartment complex used by students and did a slow drive by. Were they trolling for their next victim?
If Don were a part of this, it would explain some things that had puzzled her. His refusal to go on TV for interviews, getting angry when she tried to push her theory that Rick had been a partner in the serial killings, and distancing himself. And what about his saying he couldn't see to drive? That had been a lie.
The Toyota left the apartment complex and pulled into a bar that was, no doubt, filled with college co-eds. Sarah prayed they didn't grab anyone tonight and broke the speed limit going back to Rick's. She no longer cared about a warrant and wanted answers.
She called her partner from her days as a patrolman, and asked him to go to the bar and watch the gray Toyota. She gave him the license plate and told him they had been swerving and were drinking again.
"It's two guys. Let me know when they leave the bar, and follow them."
"Sarah, what's going on? Why do you need to know when they leave the bar?"
"....I'll tell you one day, but not tonight. Can you do this for me, or not, Max?"
Max sighed loudly. "If it were anyone else... I'll do it, but you owe me."
"Okay, I owe you. Thanks."
Sarah, parked up the street from Rick's house in the darkest place she could find. Looking up and down the street to make sure no one was out, she made her way to the back door and picked the lock. She had been practicing and did it in record time. Using her flashlight to see, she went to the basement first. It seemed the logical place to start. Turning on the light, Sarah hurried down the steps.
She searched the room without success, then saw what looked like a door behind some shelving. Looking for a knob and not finding one, she knocked on the wall, it sounded hollow. Feeling around for some kind of button that might open the door, it suddenly slid open.
Behind the door was a small room and in it was a chain linked enclosure like a cage. It had a thin mattress on the floor, a blanket and small pillow. Was this where they kept the girls before killing them? Sarah hands shook as she took pictures with her cell phone. There was a dark stain on the floor that looked like blood. Having brought a DNA kit, she swabbed the stain.
Her phone buzzed and scared her so bad she almost dropped it. It was Max.
"Your gray Toyota has left the bar. I've been following it for a while and I don't see any swerving."
"Was it just the two men who left the bar?"
"Yeah, was there supposed to be someone else with them?"
"No, I just wondered."
"You have to tell me what this is about, soon. This is going to drive me crazy."
"I'll come visit you in the psych ward."
"You're so funny."
"Yes, I am. Thanks a lot for doing this."
"Yeah, you owe me."
Turning to leave, Sarah bumped into a shelf and a box fell to the ground. The contents spilled out. It was a bunch of old photos. Picking them up, she was completely stunned to see one of Don, Rick Taylor and Ryan Matthews. Their much younger faces smiling up at her as they bunched together for the selfie.
Sarah's heart pounded. Don had known these guys for a long time. She slid the photo into her jacket pocket and put the rest back in the box, replacing it on the shelf. Running up the steps on shaky legs, she turned off the light and ran to her car.
She was pulling out when the gray Toyota pulled into Rick's drive way. Making a hasty retreat in the opposite direction, Sarah headed home.
Her head was spinning from all she had learned. Could Don really be a part of all this? The evidence said, yes. She got a chill thinking of all the times she had been alone with him.
Pulling into her housing tract, she stopped to get her mail, suddenly feeling exhausted. All the tension and rush of adrenaline had left her drained.
Throwing her mail, phone and gun on her nightstand, she went to take a shower. Sarah crawled into bed and grabbed her mail, thinking sleep was far off. She had put her lamp on a timer long ago, having too often fallen asleep with the light on. After an hour the light clicked off, and Sarah was sound asleep.
Waking to a noise, Sarah saw a shadow standing over her. Still foggy from heavy sleep, reaching for her gun, she saw a muzzle flash and everything went black.
| Author Notes | I lost this chapter in cyber space and had to rewrite it, but I think I like this version better so may have been a blessing in disguise? No, Okay, tell me all my boo boos. |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of previous chapter:Throwing her mail, phone and gun on her nightstand, she went to take a shower. Sarah crawled into bed and grabbed her mail, thinking sleep was far off. She had put her lamp on a timer long ago, having too often fallen asleep with the light on. After an hour the light clicked off, and Sarah was sound asleep.
Waking to a noise, Sarah saw a shadow standing over her. Still foggy from heavy sleep, reaching for her gun, she saw a muzzle flash and everything went black.
**********
A black SUV sat just across the street from Sarah's home. It was partly obscured by a tree trunk and several bushes. The windows were tinted so no one could see in. David Lawson sipped a Coke as he watched Sarah's house. Because of good behavior and a mix up at the prison, he had been released early.
The parole board should have let Sarah know her stalker was free, but that too had fallen through the cracks.
David had been across the street for five nights. He had big plans for Sarah and himself. He couldn't wait to tell her, but first, he'd just watch. He didn't have the best view because of a tree trunk, but he could see when she came and went and that was enough, for now.
The night before he had fallen asleep waiting. Sarah had been coming home late the last few nights. He had called the precinct the night before asking for her, and was told she was off duty. So where was she going? Thinking Sarah could have a boyfriend, he felt the rage building inside him.
Calm down David. Remember what the prison counselor told you. When you feel rage coming on, take deep breaths and count.
He heard her garage door open and he leaned forward, straining to see around the tree. Sarah's car backed out and David started the SUV and followed. He allowed some distance between them. Sarah was a good detective and would notice him if he weren't careful.
Sarah drove into a housing complex and parked along the street. David parked far enough back not to be seen, and watched Sarah through binoculars. She never left her car.
A gray Toyota drove past and then back again a few minutes later. Two men were in the car. David saw Sarah's car lights go on and she made a U-turn. David let her pass, then did his own U-turn and followed.
*******
David now sat at the end of Sarah's bed. He'd had to shoot her and was worried. She hadn't come around yet. He had used rubber bullets, but they could do a lot of damage. He had hit her right temple. There was no blood and he couldn't feel any broken bones, but there was a knot and an ugly bruise had formed.
He had gotten a cloth and soaked it with cold water to lay on her temple. Now he waited and prayed she'd open her eyes. He had so much to tell her.
Sarah looked through slits in her eyelids. Her head throbbed. Seeing a silhouette of a man at the end of her bed, her eyes flew open and she gasped.
David turned at the sound, and smiled when he saw her looking at him.
"Oh, Sarah, darling, I was getting so worried."
It took her a moment to realize who he was. It was dark and she only had the light of the moon to see by. He held up a flashlight and she felt the color drain from her face. Let this be a dream, she thought. Remembering the muzzle flash she felt her head, expecting to feel blood. There wasn't any, just a big bump.
"I used rubber bullets. They can kill, but not usually." He had an uncanny way of reading her thoughts.
"You're supposed to be in prison for another two years." Sarah's voice shook.
"I was such a good boy, they let me out early. Did you miss me?" He smiled, and moved up closer.
"You weren't eligible for early release."
"It looks like somebody changed their mind." He laughed. "Aren't you happy to see me?" He put a hand on her leg and she pulled her legs up to her chin.
"You need to understand that you and I are meant to be together. The very first time I saw you, I knew you were my destiny. I have explained this to you over and over. No one can come between us. Not those men whose house you were in, not anyone.
You know that saying, if I can't have you, no one can? Well, we're going to die together, Sarah. You and me forever united in death. It will be very romantic and symbolic. I haven't got all the details down, but I will soon. I have a good hiding place for us until then."
Sarah was trying to calm down and think. What had she learned to do in this type of situation? She had taken classes and tried to remember through the fog of her throbbing head and fear. What did he mean by, the men's house you were in?
"Sarah, darling, you need to pack. We're leaving and you'll want to take some clothes. I've bought you a few new outfits, but you may want to pack a few things."
David looked in her closet and using the flashlight, found a suitcase. He laid it on the bed and opened it.
"You don't need a lot, just throw some things in. It's a long drive and we need to get going. Sorry, there's no light. I cut the wires to the house. Didn't want an alarm going off."
Sarah looked at her night stand for her gun and phone, but they were gone.
"Looking for your gun? It's here." He opened his jacket to show he had it in his waistband. "I hid your phone. Didn't want anyone tracking us. Now come on, get packed. You may want to change, too."
Sarah felt as if everything were moving in slow motion. David took her by the arm and led her out to his car. She thought about screaming, but if someone came to her rescue, they could be hurt or killed and she didn't want that. A round house kick could do the trick, but that was only on TV. All those amazing women were so much fantasy. In real life, a round house kick rarely did much against an attacker larger than yourself. All the self defense classes in the world can't help you when the guy's a foot taller, stronger and has a gun.
David put her in the front passenger seat and taking handcuffs out of the glove compartment, he cuffed her left wrist to the door handle.
"I chose the car for the door handles. Most cars don't have handles like this anymore. It's a shame. Are you comfortable?" David smiled down at her, and closed the door.
| Author Notes |
Tell me all the boo, boos.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Rick Taylor- Man whose wife disappeared-Sarah thinks he's responsible. Ryan Matthews-Now deceaded, wife also disappeared |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending to previous chapter: Sarah felt as if everything were moving in slow motion. David took her by the arm and led her out to his car.
She thought about screaming, but if someone came to her rescue, they could be hurt or killed and she didn't want that. A round house kick could do the trick, but that was only on TV. All those amazing women were so much fantasy. In real life, a round house kick rarely did much against an attacker larger than yourself. All the self defense classes in the world can't help you when the guy's a foot taller, stronger and has a gun.
David put her in the front passenger seat and taking handcuffs out of the glove compartment, he cuffed her left wrist to the door handle.
"I chose the car for the door handles. Most cars don't have handles like this anymore. It's a shame. Are you comfortable?" David smiled down at her, and closed the door.
******
It was uncomfortable to be handcuffed with her left arm crossing her body, Sarah was completely helpless.
David talked almost non-stop. He seemed overly excited and she didn't think that was a good thing. She didn't listen as closely as she should have, she was so busy with her own thoughts, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. But she did catch one thing he said. "I've been watching you for five days, parked across from your home. I was afraid you'd notice, but you seemed too busy. You came home late every night. Where were you, Sarah?"
She closed her eyes, pretending sleep, furious with herself. Why hadn't she noticed the SUV park across from her house for five days?
What kind of detective am I? I get my mind on one thing and can't see anything else. I should be fired.
Her only hope was the second cell phone she had in her sock. She remembered it when she was getting dressed. She was so afraid David would see it, but he paid no attention to her.
He's so confident. I'd love to just smash his face.
***
Feeling exhausted, Sarah actually fell asleep. Opening her eyes, saw total darkness. No streetlights, no light from on-coming traffic, just black road in front of her. She felt a panic attack coming on. The darkness could only mean they were out of the city and way off the beaten track, maybe out of cell phone tracking range.
"Did you have a good sleep?" David put a hand on her shoulder. She tried to shrug it off.
"Are you thirsty? I have water." David handed her a bottle of cold water.
"Where are we?" Sarah swallowed several times, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. She was freezing. The road was clear, but she could see snow piled high along the roadside.
"Are you cold?" He pulled over and got a blanket from the back seat. Wrapping it around her, he gave her shoulders a little squeeze. Though she hated him touching her, she was grateful for the warmth.
"We're on our way home," he said in answer to her question. "Home. I like the sound of that, don't you Sarah? It's a nice place. It will be your home from now on. You'll be happy there, I promise. I have it all stocked with everything we'll need. Of course, we will only live there a short time, just until our death ceremony."
"Why do you want to die? Wouldn't it be better if we could live a nice long life together?" Sarah was starting to remember her training. Play along, gain his confidence. "I know I haven't been very friendly, but you scared me. You came on so strong. I just needed time. But since you've been in jail, I've had time to think, and... I missed you."
Sarah wanted to vomit. Forcing herself to say the words she didn't mean was hard. She had very little experience being a girlfriend and wasn't sure how to act.
"You're not friendly now, either," he pouted.
"Well, how would you feel if someone was standing in your bedroom in the middle of the night? You scared me, you also shot me."
"I know, I'm so sorry. I was afraid you were going to shoot me first. I panicked. Sarah, if only you knew how I have longed for you to say you cared. Why didn't you write me?"
"I wasn't allowed to. Remember, we couldn't have any contact. So, I just had to wait for you to serve your time. I'm happy they let you out early. They were supposed to tell me when you were released. I would have picked you up had I known."
"We're together now and that's all that matters."
"Yes, that's all that matters," Sarah drifted off to sleep. The water had been laced with a sedative.
**
"Where's Murray?" The Chief called from his office.
His sergeant called back. "She's not in yet, sir."
"Not in yet? She's always the first one in. Get in here."
Sergeant Rob Mitchell hurried into the Chief's office.
"I'm trying to choose a new partner for Sarah. I should have done it a long time ago, but there wasn't time. I think she needs a veteran. Someone confident, but not overbearing. She is so head strong. She needs someone who will listen, but keep her in line."
"Yeah, that's a tall order. I can't think of a soul."
"There's a guy transferring in from the one four. I've heard nothing but good things. I'm thinking he may be the guy. Here's his resume and background." He handed Rob a folder. "Look it over and tell me what you think."
"Sure thing, Chief."
Rob went back to his desk and looked over the resume of Chad Newman. His picture was attached and he didn't like what he saw. The guy not only had a cool name, but a haircut to match and he was good looking besides. Why did he have to be good looking? There must be hundreds of ugly cops out there, and the good looking one want's to transfer.
He had an amazing record, Rob thought he should be the Chief of Police or the Commissioner by now.
Rob realized he was being ridiculous. The guy was a great cop and Sarah would be lucky to have him as a partner. He couldn't let his feelings get in the way of her career. He admitted he had a crush on Sarah, but what could he do about it? He was her boss.
***
Sarah woke to a car door slamming. The car had stopped, and the sun was up. How long had she been asleep? David had gotten out and was taking things out of the trunk into a house. It was a nice house. She wondered if it were a family home. She hoped so. There would be a record of it and the Chief would send someone to check it out.
David unlocked her handcuff from the door handle. "Good morning, sleepy head."
She was so groggy, he had to help her walk. David had parked close to the house so the walk was short. The snow was deep and the cold went up her legs. He took her through the house to a bedroom and laid her on the bed, handcuffing her to the headboard. He left and moved the car into the garage, and was back shortly holding grocery bags.
"I'll fix us something to eat. I was a cook in prison, you know. I got pretty good at it."
"I need to use the bathroom," Sarah told him.
He unlocked the cuffs and left, locking the door behind him. Sarah went into the bathroom and got out the cell phone, bringing up the home page. There was a signal, but the battery was almost dead. She tried calling 911, but the call wouldn't go through. She had no idea where she was. Hoping the battery would last long enough to be tracked, she prayed fervently that rescue wasn't far off.
Back in the bedrooom she looked around the room for an escape, and went to the window. Iron bars blocked part of her view. There were no other houses that she could see, and there was so much snow. If she got away, where would she go? Freezing to death was a real possibility.
David had been very busy. Everything in the room looked new. How long had he been free? The bedspread was an expensive brocade in crimson and gold. The furniture was new. A dark oak night stand, dresser and a huge wardrobe made up the decor. She found it overwhelming, but it was something David Lawson would like. Not one feminine touch. It was all for him, like the narcissist he was.
Hiding the phone in the bottom drawer of the dresser, she took clothes from the suitcase and laid them on top of it.
***
When Sarah didn't show up for her shift, the Chief began to worry. She was never late and always called in if sick. He decided to check her house.
The resume on the transfer he had given Rob, was fake. He thought it would be funny to shake up the Sergeant . He knew he liked Sarah, and thought this might light a fire under him to do something about it. He knew there was an unwritten policy of not dating other cops, and Rob, being her superior could complicate things, but they'd work it out.
Now he wondered at the wisdom of his joke. If Sarah were in trouble, there would be no laughing.
On the way to his car, he got a call about a possible homicide, shots fired at a home. Sarah would have to wait.
| Author Notes |
Tell me all the boo, boos.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Rick Taylor- Man whose wife disappeared-Sarah thinks he's responsible. Ryan Matthews-Now deceaded, wife also disappeared |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of previous chapter: When Sarah didn't show up for her shift, the Chief began to worry. She was never late and always called in if sick. He decided to check her house. On the way to his car, the Chief got a call about a possible homicide, shots fired at a home. Sarah would have to wait.
****************************
The Chief decided to send two officers to Sarah's place to check on her. They had instruction to call as soon as they knew anything. He then drove to the crime scene, surprised to see it was Rick Taylor's home. The guy seemed to always be in the middle of something.
*****
Guns drawn, four policemen walked through the Taylor home. Seeing no one on the main floor, the open basement door led them down the steps. They found Donald Russell at the bottom, covered in blood. He was still alive but in bad shape. He was attempting to climb the stairs.
At a desk in the basement, Rick Taylor sat in a chair, slumped over a computer keyboard. He was dead.
The Chief was more than surprised to see Don Russell.
"What are you doing here," he asked.
"Hey, Chief, the EMTs are here," said one of the policemen.
The EMTs checked Don out and got him on a stretcher. They all helped to get him up the steps. As they loaded him into the ambulance, the Chief said, "I need some answers, Don. Who did this?"
"I don't know. He had on a ski mask . But he was about my height, around one seventy, one eighty. Had green eyes." Russell was in obvious pain.
"Did he say anything?"
"No," lied Russell. The guy had plenty to say, but telling the cops would put him smack in the middle of the serial cases. Just being at Rick's home might cast suspicion on him. If they found the video tape he'd managed to hide just before the police arrived, he'd have a hard time explaining it. He felt sure he could come up with a good lie given enough time.
"I'm sending one of my guys to the hospital to talk to you."
The Chief got a call saying Sarah wasn't at her residence, but her car was in the garage. Brenner didn't like the sound of it. He called his Sergeant and told him to get over to Sarah's place.
An hour later, he left the CSI team to look over the Taylor house. He asked the team lead to call if they found any evidence.
He broke the land speed record driving to Sarah's. He arrived to a circus. Crime scene tape everywhere, curious bystanders milling around, and about twenty cop cars.
"What are you all doing here?" He asked the uniforms waiting outside.
"We heard Sarah was missing and we came to help."
"You can't all be here."
"We have our radios on. If we get a call we'll go, but until then, we want to be here. Sarah is more than a fellow officer, she's like a little sister to most of us. We're staying."
The Chief nodded, "Well, make yourselves useful and tell all these bystanders to go home." He turned and went into the house.
Sergeant Rob Mitchell walked over to the Chief. "It looks like the front door lock was picked. The electricity was cut to the house, and the alarm never went off. She packed a few things, drawers are open and stuff is missing. There's no clue as to when she left. We are going to assume she didn't leave willingly. The only evidence we've found is this." He held up a rubber bullet in a zip lock bag.
The Chief took it. Who would use rubber bullets?
There was no indication as to when she may have been taken, but as to who, the Chief could think of only one person. But David Lawson still had two years left on his sentence. He called the Montana State Prison and taked to Warden Schmidt anyway.
"No, as far as I know David Lawson is still in his cell. He has two years left and no early release. I didn't see or sign any paperwork for him as I remember, but I'll check and give you a call back if I find somethings changed."
The warden looked through his computer files. Since the computer hadn't been updated for over twenty days, an oversight in computer maintenance, there was no record of David Lawson being released.
The warden had been on vacation and his assistant had been in charge during his absence. Schmidt gave him a call to double check on Lawson. The assistant, Marvin Grove, was in meetings all day at the state capital. They were discussing prison reform. He couldn't take calls, so the warden left a message, and asked to be called back. Mr. Grove never got the message.
"We also found her cell phone. Her purse is here, but we can't find her gun, and look at this. It was laying on the floor in the closet." Rob handed the Chief the picture once he was off the phone.
The Chief's eyes went wide when he looked at it. He stared at Rob. "Are you kidding me? Where did this come from?" The Chief looked down at the photo of Don Russell with Rick Taylor and Ryan Matthews. It was the one Sarah had taken from Rick's home.
"He never said a word about knowing these guys. I don't like the smell of this. Something's rotten here. I want you to get down to the hospital and question Russell yourself. I want to know what's going."
The Chief turned to another detective on the scene, "If she has her gun, that's good news, but the perp may have it, which is bad news. She has a second cell phone. Let's try tracking it."
Did the picture have something to do with Sarah's disappearance? This was a mess and it had to get sorted out soon.
*****
Sarah sat at a small round table across from David Lawson. He had allowed her to shower and change into a clean sweatshirt and pants. She felt much better, like she could think clearer.
A huge fire blazed in the fire place, keeping the house toasty warm.
Pushing her wet hair out of her face, Sarah picked up her fork.
Lawson had made ham and cheese omelet for breakfast, and they were delicious. Sarah hadn't realized how hungry she was, and ate over half before speaking.
"So, is this a family home? It's really nice."
"No, I rented and furnished it myself," David said, with his mouth full.
"Did your parents give you the money for it?" Sarah tried to make it sound like a casual question. She hoped they had. The Chief would look into the parent's finances and see a large sum of money paid out. She was sure the parents would do anything for their son. They seemed not to care at all that he was sick. Maybe they even knew where he was.
David gave her a disgusted look. "I don't live off my parents. I have my own money. A trust fund set up by my grandfather. When I got out, I was allowed to collect from it again. My grandfather was very generous. It has over two million in it at the moment. A lot of interest piled up while I was in prison."
Sarah felt her stomach churn. Two million dollars could get him out of the country to anywhere. She had looked in the fridge and seen inside the cupboards. She knew there was enough food to stay in this house for weeks. She hoped that meant he wasn't planning on leaving the country.
Please, Chief, track my phone and find me soon. Please, Lord, let the battery last long enough for that to happen.
"How nice, he must love you very much." She tried to look happy.
"He did love me very much. He's dead now. I killed him," Lawson said, very nonchalant as if commenting on the weather.
Sarah almost choked on her orange juice. She looked at him with a wide-eyed stare, then turned her head. She hoped he hadn't seen the horror she felt in her eyes.
| Author Notes |
I made so many changes to this so no doubt there are many boo, boos. So you'll have to tell me what they are.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Gene-Head of CSI team Rick Taylor- Man whose wife disappeared-Sarah thinks he's responsible. Ryan Matthews-Now deceased, wife also disappeared |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of previous chapter:
"How nice, he must love you very much." She tried to look happy.
"He did love me very much. He's dead now. I killed him," Lawson said, very nonchalant as if commenting on the weather.
Sarah almost choked on her orange juice. She looked at him with a wide eyed stare, then turned her head. She hoped he hadn't seen the horror she felt in her eyes.
********************
David went on to defend his actions. "He was old and sickly, and I needed money. I just wasn't cut out to be a regular nine to five guy. I'd never make enough for all the things I wanted. Dad wanted me to work for his company, wanted to groom me to take over, but that's not for me. I'll leave that to my brother, Michael." He took a bite of his omelet and wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin.
Sarah couldn't believe he had set the table with cloth napkins. She kept finding herself noticing and thinking about small insignificant details. Was it stress?
David continued his story. "I knew there was a trust fund set up, but I couldn't get to it until grandfather died, or I graduated from college with at least a masters. Gramps was a real stickler about education. But that was never going to happen, I hated school. Who knew how much longer the old man might live. I look at it as a mercy killing. He was sick, wasting away, only his money kept him alive. If he were an average income person, he'd have been dead long ago."
"What did you do?" Sarah tried to keep her voice casual.
"You mean, how did I kill him?"
Sarah nodded.
"Well, I spent the weekend with him. He was on lots of medication, one a sleeping pill. I gave it to him, plus another crushed up in his warm milk. When he took his bath, he fell asleep in the tub. I made sure he was asleep and then grabbed his legs, yanking them so his head went under water. He only fought a little. I left him there all night. His nurse found him in the morning. She was shrieking all over the house." He shook his head in disgust.
"I called nine-one-one. It was ruled an accident and never went any further. The autopsy showed the sedatives in his system, but the level wasn't that high. They figured he took two pills, forgetting he had already taken one. I kind of killed two birds with one stone, pardon the pun. Grandfather was in a better place and I got access to my trust fund." He smiled broadly. Taking the last bite of his omelet, he wiped his mouth and threw his napkin on his plate.
Sarah had lost her appetite and couldn't finish her breakfast. She found out more every hour what kind of person David Lawson was, and it was terrifying.
"Are you finished? You didn't eat all your breakfast. I don't want you getting skinny. I've never been one to like the skinny girls. I always like a bit of meat on their bones." He smiled.
"Yes, I'm done. Sorry, it was so big, but delicious. Thank you."
***
The Chief's phone rang. It was the head of the CSI at the Taylor house.
"I don't know what we have here, Chief. Both Taylor and Russell were shot, but we can only find, what look to be rubber bullets. The perp must have taken the shell casings, but why he left the rubber bullets and why he used them is a mystery. Looks like he even dug a bullet out of the wall. I can't find any other evidence of an intruder. No broken windows, the door wasn't kicked in or picked. I'm thinking maybe he was let in."
"Okay, thanks, Gene. Keep me posted on anything else you find."
Chief Brenner hung up, a bit stunned. There were rubber bullets at both crime scenes. It had to be the same person, but who? Who'd want to kill Taylor and Russell, and take Sarah? The Chief had a sick feeling. Did she stumble on to something that was a lot more than just a serial case? He hoped Rob could talk to Russell at the hospital and get some answers.
***
"Mr. Russell is in surgery. It could be hours before he's out and then he'll be in recovery at least another hour. It would be best to come back in the morning," a nurse told Sergeant Mitchell. "I doubt he'll be in any shape to answer questions today,"
Rob Mitchell was more rattled by Sarah's disappearance than he wanted to admit. Could Russell and Taylor have anything to do with it? He knew she was convinced that Taylor played a part in the serial cases. Then there was the picture of Russell with Taylor and Matthews. Where had Sarah gotten it?
It was clear Russell had been friends with these guys for a long time. But what did that mean?
He had a million questions buzzing around in this head. Rob decided to go to Taylor's place to look around, and see if he could answer a few.
Rob called the Chief to let him know he was unable to speak with Russell. "He's in surgery and the nurse at reception says it could be hours before he's out. I'm going to Taylor's place and have a look, see if the techs have found anything useful."
When he arrived, he found the crime scene techs still busy going over the house, collecting evidence in paper bags.
Gene, the team lead, walked up to Rob with a paper bag in his hand.
"My guys found this shoved under the stairwell." He took a bloody DVD out of the bag. "We took a swab of the blood, dusted it for prints and have cataloged it. You can look at it here. Let me clean it." Gene wiped the blood off and handed it to Rob.
Rob called the Chief again. "Hey, Chief. Gene gave me a DVD. It's got bloody prints all over it. Looks like Russell tried to hide it from us. I'm going to look at it here, see what's on it."
"Wait for me. I'm on my way." The Chief left instructions for the crime scene lead to call if he found anything else at Sarah's place.
"I doubt we will, Chief. We're about done. There's just nothing here. We'll take what we have back to the lab. You can look at it there."
Sergeant Rob Mitchell and Chief George Brenner, pulled up chairs in front of the video screen in the basement. Rob slid the DVD into Taylor's laptop and they waited impatiently for the video to start.
The screen soon filled with an image of a woman, doing what looked to be, picking a lock.
The Chief sucked in his breath. "Please tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing."
"Sorry, Chief. That's Sarah, picking the lock to Taylor's back door." Rob rubbed his hand over his face. "I can't believe she did that either. She really is headstrong. She was told to drop the whole, 'Taylor is involved in the serial cases', thing. She didn't listen."
As they watched, Sarah made her way to the basement and down the stairs. The motion sensor cameras went on as she moved throughout the house. In the basement, she searched the room.
"What is she doing now?"
Sarah was feeling the walls, then a door slid open, revealing a room with a cage inside.
"Is that a detention cell? Oh man, maybe she was right after all." The Chief looked a bit guilty.
Sarah stood back and took photos with her phone, then swabbed the floor. She talked on her phone for a minute and seemed in a hurry to leave. She bumped into a shelf, sending a box of photos spilling to the ground. Piicking them up she stared at one, then put it in her pocket. Leaving, she turned out the light.
"Now we know where the photo came from."
The next image was of Rick Taylor and Don Russell walking into the house. The screen went black. Rob fast-forwarded to see if anything else was recorded.
"That's all there is." Rob ejected the DVD, handing it to Gene.
"I'll keep it with all the evidence from the house. You can go through it back at the station."
Rob went over to the wall. He knocked, noting a hollow sound. Running his hand along a crack in the wall, he felt a button and pushed it. A door slid open.
Rob looked around the first cage and saw a second one a bit further down.
"There are two of these. What was this guy into? Do you think Don knew about this? Could they have sent someone to Sarah's to kill her?" Rob stared at the Chief, a worried look on his face. "Why hide the DVD? If anything, it's evidence of unlawful entry. If we arrest Don, he could use it against Sarah. Get the case thrown out because of no warrant."
"The prosecution could argue inevitable discovery. We would have found it all in our search," the Chief countered.
"We would never have looked for a secret room if we hadn't seen the tape," Rob pointed out.
"We'll worry about that later. For now, let's concentrate on getting Sarah home safe."
****
A light snow was falling. The temperature had dropped and David Lawson stirred the fire. He went back to the table and leaned back in his chair. "I've been wanting to tell you, you don't have to worry about those two guys."
He had said something about two guys the night he had abducted me. Could he mean Taylor and Russell?
"What guys are you talking about?"
"The ones you were following last night. Why were you following them?"
"It was a work thing. How do you know about that?"
"I followed you."
Sarah wasn't surprised.
"What do you mean, I won't have to worry about them?"
"They came back to the house right after you left. I went to see what was going on. The back door was open and I just went in. They were in the basement looking at a video of you. They were saying they had to do something about you. I knew what that meant. So I killed them. I shot 'em both."
"You killed them?" Sarah starred at David, mouth half-open.
"Yeah, whatever they were up to, you don't have to worry about it anymore. I'd kill anyone who wanted to hurt you, Sarah."
| Author Notes |
Sorry if this is a bit long. It's just 1700 but looks longer. I just felt where the chapter ended was the best way to leave it.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Gene-Head of CSI team Rick Taylor- Man whose wife disappeared-Sarah thinks he's responsible. Ryan Matthews-Now deceased, wife also disappeared |
By Roxanna Andrews
Previous Chapter: "I've been wanting to tell you, you don't have to worry about those two guys," David said.
"What guys are you talking about?"
"The ones you were following last night. Why were you following them?"
"It was a work thing. How do you know about that?"
"I followed you."
Sarah wasn't surprised.
"What do you mean, I won't have to worry about them?"
"They came back to the house right after you left. I went to see what was going on. The back door was open and I just went in. They were in the basement looking at a video of you. They were saying they had to do something about you. I knew what that meant. So I killed them. I shot 'em both."
"You killed them?" Sarah starred at David, mouth half-open.
"Yeah, whatever they were up to, you don't have to worry about it anymore. I'd kill anyone who wanted to hurt you, Sarah."
****************
Sarah cleared the table and did the dishes to occupy her time. She was amazed David would let her around knives. As she dried a small paring knife, she looked to see if he was watching her. He was busy checking the firewood, and she slipped the knife into her pocket.
She was stunned at the revelation that he had killed Rick Taylor and Don Russell.
Sarah felt some guilt over their deaths. It was her who had left the back door open when she broke in. There was no doubt Rick was involved in the serial murders, but there was no real proof that Don was involved and she'd liked him. It was odd to think of him as dead.
She began to wonder if she would ever be the light in the darkness the Chief encouraged the squad to be. Today she felt like a miserable failure of a detective. Breaking into a house without a warrant, huge violation. Not noticing David's car across from her house for a week, and now she was a captive of the psychopath.
Maybe detective work wasn't for her. She had been a good patrolman and she missed the camaraderie of the station house with her fellow officers. The detective squad hadn't really accepted her. Major Crimes always rolled their eyes at her. Did they see what she was just now seeing, a lousy detective?
"I got these for you." Sarah turned to see David holding up several outfits. "I thought you might want to change out of those sweats. I'll put them in your room."
At least the clothes were decent. Nothing revealing, just sweaters, long sleeve blouses and nice slacks. She pulled on black slacks and one of the sweaters, a periwinkle blue cashmere. It was beautiful and so soft.
She checked the cell phone before going back into the living room. The battery was now less than fourth power. She tried texting the Chief and calling nine-one-one again. The call wouldn't go through so she knew her text wouldn't either. Would they even be able to track her phone?
Back in the living room, David looked her over. "You look so nice. That's a great color on you. I knew it would be. I got you some shoes too." He handed her a pair of black low boots, real leather. Sarah had never owned such nice things. A policeman's salary didn't afford many luxuries.
"Thank you," she said, as she put on the boots. They felt wonderful.
"If you're wondering how I know your sizes, I got them the first time I broke into your home."
The first time he broke in? When was that? There I go being a lousy detective again. I never even noticed.
****
The Chief's phone rang. It was one of the officers who was canvassing Sarah's neighborhood for witnesses.
"Hey, Chief. We have a neighbor who has a video of the outside of Sarah's house. He has some footage you'll want to see."
"We'll be right there."
Burning rubber, Rob used lights and the siren all the way to Sarah's.
The Chief called their tech guy to see if he had anything on Sarah's phone yet.
"I haven't been able to track it. There is something jamming her signal. I'll keep at it, but so far I've got nothing," Scott told the chief.
"Scott says the cell signal is being blocked. I was afraid of something like that. I figured she would have tried to get a message to us by now if it were working."
They arrived in Sarah's neighborhood and a uniform flagged them down. They pulled into the neighbor's driveway.
The men gathered around the video screen. The neighbor's home was straight across from Sarah's. His camera was aimed at the street, and Sarah's front yard and door were included in the shot.
They watched as David Lawson crossed the road to Sarah's house. Fast forwarding, they stopped and watched him bring Sarah out and put her in his car.
"Oh, Lord. He's got her. So much for Lawson still being in jail." The Chief was furious.
just then his phone rang. The contact name said Montana State Prison.
"Chief Brenner...Yes, Warden, we are aware of that now. How did he get an early release?... Well, your little mix-up in bookkeeping could cost a young woman her life. I'll be filing a complaint with the state." The Chief put his phone away. "A little mix-up in bookkeeping. They released Lawson almost three weeks ago. I can't believe this."
****
The sun dipped behind the mountains. It was twilight and Sarah became nervous. Though David had not tried to touch her inappropriately or even kiss her, she had no idea of what he might expect once they went to bed.
Sarah had decided she would fight if he tried to force himself on her. She had put the paring knife in the drawer of the nightstand. It wasn't practical to keep it in her pocket. She thought about slipping it into her boot, but wasn't sure she could get to it in a hurry if needed. The nightstand seemed the best place, she could slip it under her pillow tonight.
Sarah found herself bored with nothing to do all day but worry. Being on edge, she wanted to snap at everything David said. Using all her self control, she kept herself in check.
David had a collection of movies and they watched a few, but they weren't something she would ever watch on her own, and they were getting on her nerves. There was no way she could enjoy watching a movie, no matter which one it was.
She would get up and pace and David would tell her to sit down. What was his plan? To just hang around the house. She wondered if he had found the chase more exciting than the prize and didn't know himself quite what to do now that he had her.
He was so immature, more like a teen than a twenty-six year old man. She had lost all her fear of him and felt she could easily escape, but she would need the car. Without it there would be no way to survive in the cold and snow. Especially since she had no idea where she was.
When he fell asleep, she could maybe get the car keys if he left them where they were, on the fireplace mantle. If not, she knew how to hot wire most cars, but the newer ones were not so easy. She hoped he wouldn't lock her bedroom door, but she was sure he would.
"I'm going to run to the store, so I'll be gone a while. We are pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so if you try to escape, be prepared to die of hypothermia." He smiled as he closed the door behind him. She tried it after she heard the car start. The door was locked tight from the outside.
Sarah found it strange that he would go to the store and leave her alone.
Wandering from room to room, she went into David's bathroom and looked in his medicine cabinet. On a shelf was a bottle of sleeping pills. They were over the counter, but could still come in handy. Praying he didn't keep a count of how many there were, she took four, hoping it would be enough to make him sleep. Maybe she would have hot cocoa waiting when he got home. Then hopefully it would be lights out.
David got part way down the drive and realized he had forgotten to get cash. He backed the car up and went in the house.
When Sarah closed the cabinet, she saw David in the mirror, standing behind her. Her heart almost stopped.
"What are you doing Sarah?" He asked. She could see the anger in his eyes.
"I... I don't sleep well. I never have. So I was looking for something that might help. I only took four." She held out her hand to show him. "I just don't want to be up all night. I should have asked, I'm sorry."
He held out his hand for the pills and she gave them to him. He slapped her hard across the face with the back of his hand. "Don't try something like that again." He shook with anger.
Sarah fell against the door from the force of the blow. He stood over her, breathing heavily.
Sarah brought up her hands to block any more blows. Oh Lord, am I about to die?
He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her hard into her room, locking the door. Sarah fell to the ground. She sat on the floor in the dark room, stunned that things had gone bad so quickly. Her face stung from the blow he had given her. Her heart pounded. Tears rolled down her cheek, but she shook them away. "I'm not going to die this way!" She shouted out loud.
Sarah knew she had to get away, no matter what.
| Author Notes |
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective
Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Rick Taylor-Suspected serial killer |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending to previous chapter: When Sarah closed the cabinet, she saw David in the mirror, standing behind her. Her heart almost stopped.
"What are you doing Sarah?" He asked. She could see the anger in his eyes.
"I... I don't sleep well. I never have. So I was looking for something that might help. I only took four." She held out her hand to show him. "I just don't want to be up all night. I should have asked, I'm sorry."
He held out his hand for the pills and she gave them to him. He slapped her hard across the face with the back of his hand. "Don't try something like that again." He shook with anger.
Sarah fell against the door from the force of the blow. He stood over her, breathing heavily.
Sarah brought up her hands to block any more blows. "Oh Lord, am I about to die?"
He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her hard into her room, locking the door. Sarah fell to the ground. She sat on the floor in the dark room, stunned that things had gone bad so quickly. Her face stung from the blow he had given her. Her heart pounded. Tears rolled down her cheek, but she shook them away. "I'm not going to die this way!" She shouted out loud.
Sarah knew she had to get away, no matter what.
*****************
The Chief and Rob are at a neighbor of Sarah's looking at video.
******************
The chief 's phone dinged signaling a text.
I finally got a ping off a tower near Yosemite. The phone pinged off two towers then went dead. Looks like the battery ran out.
"Oh great."
"What is it?" asked Rob.
"Scott texted that he tracked Sarah's phone near Yosemite, but now the battery's run out. What do you think? Is he camping around there or renting a cabin? I need to look at a map bigger than this phone."
"Have you heard back from the parents? Maybe they know where he'd go camping."
"The parents are no help. They're as crazy as he is. He has that trust fund. I can't see him camping in this cold weather when he could rent a cabin or house."
The homeowner brought him a map of Yosemite and some of the surrounding area. "My family and I spend all our vacations there. My kids love it. They don't allow camping this time of year, too much snow. All the campgrounds would be closed. Wolves are a problem too. If they're camping, they'd have to be outside of Yosemite, or doing it illegally."
The homeowner unrolled his maps and showed them the main camping areas and where the cabins for rent would be.
"This area here is a lot more isolated, very few homes or business." He pointed to the west side of the park.
"Maybe we should talk to the local sheriff or the Chief of PD, see if they can help. They could get started now. Let them know the car make and license plate. Hopefully he's still driving the same car," Rob advised.
"I'm thinking the same thing. I'm going back to the station to make the calls and fax pictures. I'll talk with Scott and some of the other CSI's, see if anything else has come up,"
"You'll have to have a uniform take you. Your car's at Taylor's place. I'll wrap things up here and meet you there in an hour or so."
********
Sarah had no way of keeping track of time without a watch or a clock in her room. Her cell phone was now dead, so she couldn't use it either.
David had been furious and it scared her. She could still feel the sting of the slap he had given her, and an ugly bruise was forming.
Sarah tore the room apart looking for something she could use to pick the door lock. She wasn't about to hang around until he came back.
She found a paper clip in the bottom drawer of the dresser. It was attached to paper work that told the cost of the furniture he had purchased. Ten thousand dollars worth. She was sure he had left it there so she could see how much he'd spent.
He must have gotten all new locks as well. The pick proof kind, because she was getting nowhere.
She remembered the paring knife she'd hidden in the night stand. Retrieving it, she whittled away at the wood around the latch, stopping every few minutes to listen for David.
It seemed a great deal of time had gone by since he left. How far out of town were they? Was he really going to the store? They had a ton of food in the house, what did he need? She was sure something else was going on.
She finally had the wood chipped away enough that she could get the knife in front of the latch. Holding the latch back, she pulled the door and it swung open.
With a sigh of relief, she stood and walked into the living room. The clock over the mantle said 9:20 P. M. He had left at around seven-thirty.
Now she had to decide where to go. It was dark, and she had no idea where she was. If she got lost she could freeze to death.
Trying the knob to the door that went to the garage, she turned it to find it locked, but when she pushed, the door swung open. David must have been so upset when he left, he didn't make sure it was closed securely.
She opened the big garage door and looked around. Still having no idea which way to go, she decided it didn't matter. She had to go now, David could be back any minute.
Going into his room to see if she could find what else he had bought her in the way of clothes, she found a closet full. A heavy coat was among them. Slipping the paring knife in the pocket, she took it off the hanger and looked for more warm clothing.
There were at least ten boxes of shoes, most high heels and impractical. The last box she opened was hiking boots. Thank you, David.
She got a trash bag and going into the kitchen, she filled it with cheese, lunch meats, fruit and bottled water.
****
David had made plans to meet with a dealer to get more of his drug of choice. He'd quit taking his anti-psychotics right after getting out of prison. He took them every day while there and the nurse made sure he swallowed the pill. But he hated the way they made him feel. Cocaine did a much better job.
Needing it desperately now because it had been a whole day since his last hit and he felt antsy and was in a angry mood. He knew Sarah had lied to him about the sleeping pills. She would have tried to slip them to him somehow.
She was just like all the girls he had loved. None of them had loved him back. He'd killed before and he might have to kill Sarah, she deserved it. Look at all he had done for her. He would have given her anything money could buy. But like all the others, that wasn't good enough for her.
David remembered the girl he had fallen in love with in high school. The first girl he had killed. She was so stuck up and wouldn't give him the time of day. He had kidnapped her too, and kept her in his parents' vacation home for three days.
He had joined in the search for her the town had organized, had even told a reporter how bad he felt about Gloria going missing.
Gloria, he could still see her beautiful face. But she hated him. She had spit on him, which put him in a rage and he hit her with his fist. She fell, hitting her head on the marble coffee table.
He buried her a few hundred feet from the house in an empty lot. As far as he knew, her body still remained in the deep hole he had dug. The city had built condos on the lot, and he was afraid the body would get dug up during the construction. But they put a parking lot over the makeshift grave and it was never discovered.
David sped down the snow covered road, his rage building over Sarah and all the other selfish women who had never loved him. Taking a curve too fast, he hit black ice and his car spun out. He over corrected and the car rolled, going over the embankment. It continued to roll four more times before hitting a tree and coming to a stop. The air bag deployed, breaking David's nose and knocking him out.
The car rolling had caused the snow to loosen and a mini avalanche ensued. The car was covered in snow half way up the windows.
No one saw the accident happen except a rabbit, whose ears twitched for a moment, and an owl who showed no interest.
| Author Notes |
I'm sure there are a zillion errors sorry. I read it many times, but that never helps. ={ I'm hopeless it seems.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Scott - Tech expert Rick Taylor-Suspected serial killer |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of previous chapter: David sped down the snow covered road, his rage building over Sarah and all the other selfish women who had never loved him. Taking a curve too fast, he hit black ice and his car spun out. He over corrected and the car rolled, going over the embankment. It continued to roll four more times before hitting a tree and coming to a stop. The air bag deployed, breaking David's nose and knocking him out.
The car rolling had caused the snow to loosen and a mini avalanche ensued. The car was covered in snow half way up the windows.
No one saw the accident happen except a rabbit, whose ears twitched for a moment, and an owl who showed no interest.
************************
Back at the station, Chief Brenner put a call into the Yosemite Park Ranger's HQ. He learned they had their own police department. He explained the situation and the sergeant on duty readily agreed to a search. He would send rangers to check out all the campgrounds and find out who had rented a cabin in the last two weeks. He'd send out an APB with the vehicle description and license number.
"We should bring in the FBI since it's a kidnapping and he's crossed state lines," the sergeant advised.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. I'll give them a call."
The Chief felt much better when he hung up the phone. He faxed a picture of Sarah and David Lawson, with some background on Lawson, to the Yosemite Ranger's headquarters.
Rob Mitchell arrived at the station and they decided to leave for Yosemite immediately. Ten uniformed officers would come as well, to aid in the search. The Chief asked Rob to call the Montana Bureau of Investigation and fill them in.
Forty-five minutes later a caravan of six vehicles, two pickup trucks and four SUVs left the Kalispell Police Station on their way to Yosemite National Park.
*****
Sarah put two sweatshirts on over her sweater and pulled on a pair of ski pants.
I guess David planned on our going skiing while we were here. The way his mind worked never ceased to amaze Sarah.
She pulled on three pairs of socks and pushed her feet into the hiking boots. Putting on a knitted hat, she grabbed the coat and food and went out the door.
Looking around the garage for anything she could use, she found two snowmobiles under a tarp. The keys were in the ignitions.
Why would he leave the keys in the ignitions? Was it a trap? No, David, besides being insane, was cocky. Confident that she could never escape.
Taking the key out of one snowmobile, so David wouldn't be able to use it, she put the bags of food and water under the seat that flipped opened. She thought a moment, then ran back in the house and grabbed the quilt that lay over the ottoman.
She was familiar with driving snowmobiles but it had been a while. Starting the engine, she throttled it forward. It took off so fast she almost landed on the ground. She throttle back and got it under control.
She knew she would leave tracks in the snow, and David would have no problem following them.
Out on a main road she would eventually find another house or a gas station. Staying on the shoulder of the far right lane, she turned her lights off in case David returned. Slowing to a crawl to avoid an accident in the dark, she inched along, aided by the moonlight reflecting off the snow.
*******
Chief Brenner and Rob drove mostly in silence. Each occupied with their own thoughts. Having dealt with Lawson before, the Chief was especially worried. Lawson had said some things he had never told Sarah or her family. He was also a suspect in the disappearance of a high school girl ten years ago. There was never enough evidence to arrest him, but the police still had him on their radar.
"Did you fill in the FBI?" The Chief asked Rob, breaking the silence.
"Yeah. I scanned photos and Lawson's background, sent those off. I told them about Don Russell, that he might know something. I told Davis and Taft to go to the hospital tomorrow and interview him."
"Good, I had almost forgotten about our friend, Don."
*******
There was almost no traffic once Sarah was on what she hoped was a main road. The lack of any traffic made her wonder. She hid in the bushes a few times, fearing the oncoming cars could be David.
She decided it was safe to open the throttle and turn on the lights. If she didn't, she would never get far enough away. After about thirty minutes the mobile began to sputter. It jerked along for a while and stopped all together. Out of gas. She noticed the gas was low, but thought she would find a gas station by now.
She pulled the snowmobile into the bushes to hide it and took all her provisions. She was glad she had thought to grab the quilt.
Walking for what seemed an eternity, she saw car lights ahead. She scrambled up the embankment and hid. As it passed, she saw it was a Park Ranger's car. She was in Yosemite.
Sarah ran down the embankment, yelling and waving her arms, but the ranger never noticed.
Frustrated, she screamed, then sat down on the embankment and put her head in her hands. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Sarah and keep moving.
David had brought her to Yosemite. She wondered why there weren't more business and gas stations close by. He must have found the most isolated place possible.
*****
The Parks PD had gotten the local real-estate agent on the phone and asked about recent rentals or sales. They sent her David's picture. She had sold him a house about two weeks ago and she gave the address.
As the police pulled up to the house, they saw the garage door was open; no car was inside. They knocked on the door, but didn't get an answer even though the lights were on. They went in through the garage and tried the door to the house. It opened. The men drew their guns.
"This is Yosemite PD, anyone here?" They went room by room calling out, "Clear!" when they found that room empty.
"Look at this. The wood around the door latch has been chipped away. I'm thinking Sarah was here and got this door open. So did she take the car and get away, or did he catch her and take her somewhere - maybe to kill her?"
"Maybe she's already dead and he's looking to dispose of the body." They went out to look at the tracks leaving the garage. "This looks like snowmobile tracks. So who's in the car and who's on the mobile?"
One of the ranger's radioed in what they had found to the sergeant.
*******
Sarah walked, staying close to the embankment. After seeing the Ranger's car going the opposite way, she wondered if she had chosen the wrong direction. She still didn't see any lights that indicated a house or gas station close by.
She had to keep fighting the fear that rose up inside her. She knew she could freeze to death. But what would be worse, freezing to death or having David kill her? At least out here she had a chance.
She was staying warm - so far - but that may not last. She stayed on the road to keep her feet from freezing in the snow.
A sharp curve was ahead, and she saw tire tracks swerving, and a large circle in the snow. A car must have spun-out. The snow on the top of the embankmen thad been knocked down. Taking a look, she saw what could be a fender sticking out of the snow. She hurried down to see if anyone was hurt.
The driver side window was down. "Anyone here!" she called.
A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. David, his face covered in blood, his eyes wild and a slight smile on his lips, had a death grip on her wrist. She fought to pull free, beating on his hand, and trying to pry open his fingers. He pulled her partly through the window and began beating her in the face, finally knocking her unconscious.
| Author Notes |
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective
Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Scott - Tech expert Rick Taylor-Suspected serial killer David & Taft - detectives |
By Roxanna Andrews
A sharp curve was ahead, and she saw tire tracks swerving, and a large circle in the snow. A car must have spun-out. The snow on the top of the embankmen thad been knocked down. Taking a look, she saw what could be a fender sticking out of the snow. She hurried down to see if anyone was hurt.
The driver side window was down. "Anyone here!" she called.
A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. David, his face covered in blood, a slight smile on his lips, had a death grip on her wrist. She fought to pull free, beating on his hand, and trying to pry open his fingers. He pulled her partly through the window and began beating her in the face, finally knocking her unconscious.
**************
David let her slip to the ground and climbed out the window. Taking off Sarah's coat and one of the sweatshirts, he dragged her to a tree and used the sweatshirt to tie her up.
He took an inventory of any injuries he might have. He had a broken nose, various cuts and scrapes from the air bag, and pain from his seat belt. Other than that, he seemed fine. God bless Lexus, they knew how to build a car.
He grabbed the quilt Sarah had brought and wrapped himself in it. Jumping up and down, he tried to warm himself.
The greatest danger to him now was hypothermia. He needed to get warm.
Checking his pockets, he found his lighter. Gathering twigs, he tried to start a fire, but the snow made the wood wet and hard to light. He took off his knitted cap and set it ablaze. Feeding twigs into the flames, he got a small fire going.
David used Sarah's coat to sit on and warmed himself beside the fire. He didn't care if Sarah froze to death. He planned to kill her anyway.
Now that his car was wrecked, he'd have to flag down a motorist and hijack the car. His gun had been in the seat beside him, in case things didn't go well with the drug dealer. Now he had to find it.
Sarah pretended to be unconscious as she watched David through her eyelashes. Her one eye was almost swollen shut, and she could barely see out of it. Her whole face hurt and she had a throbbing headache.
She couldn't believe this had happened. Why did she have to be such a Good Samaritan? She should have kept walking, but her training had taught her to come to the aid of those in need.
Her heart pounded and she could feel panic setting in. She closed her eyes and put her head back against the tree, breathing slowly to calm herself. Panicking could get her killed. She still had her knife, but David had taken her coat and it was in the pocket.
David went through the bags Sarah had brought. He found a water bottle, and took a long gulp. Sarah noticed that despite the cold he was sweating, and shaky. He was so pale. Did he have an internal injury from the crash?
Then it dawned on her; he was strung out. He must have been on his way to get drugs. That's why it couldn't wait.
David looked over at Sarah. She was awake and staring at him. Her face was bloody and bruised from the beating, her eye swollen. He felt bad. Even though she didn't love him, he still loved her. He shouldn't have hit her like that. He couldn't believe she had escaped. It just proved she had never loved him. His irrational mind going in different directions.
"You're just an angel of mercy aren't you?" he asked. "I couldn't believe it when I saw you. I thought I was seeing things. The crash knocked me out and when I woke up, I had no idea where I was. It took me a good twenty minutes to clear my head and remember what I was doing. I just sat there for a long time. I couldn't believe I had crashed my brand new Lexus. I was just getting ready to pull myself out of the window, when you showed up."
"You were going to get drugs, weren't you? You seem a little strung out."
"Ah, Sarah. You're such a great detective. You figured out my secret. Yep, that's where I was going. I found a little in my glove compartment, though. So, I'm not as bad off as I could be."
He smiled. "Now, what should I do with you? Should I leave you here to freeze to death? It could take days for anyone to find you. It's not like you don't deserve it. You never loved me, did you?"
He sounded like a child wanting reassurance from his mother. Sarah tried to win back his trust.
"You're the one who decided I didn't love you. You thought the worst of me when you found me with the sleeping pills. I have always had trouble sleeping, even in my teens. I didn't want to be awake all night, that's all. But, to answer your question, I'm not very crazy about you right now. Beating a person doesn't endear them to you, that's for sure."
"I'll put some snow on your eye, it will help the swelling. I've got to find my gun. I'm going to hijack a car." He stood. "I see you found the clothes I bought you." He eyed the ski pants.
"Did you expect we'd go skiing while we were here?"
"Why not? There's a great slope behind the house. We'd have it all to ourselves." He smiled at her and acted like he was skiing.
He pushed his head and torso through the car window and searched for the gun. It was in the back seat. He had just his feet sticking out of the window by the time he could reach over and get a hold of it.
It struck Sarah as funny to see his feet kicking out the window. She wanted to laugh. The exhaustion and stress were getting to her. She turned her face away and bit her lip.
"Let's hit the road." He put the gun in his waistband and untied her.
"Do you think I could have the coat back? I'm starting to get really cold." She shivered.
He helped her on with the coat. She was so relieved he hadn't found the knife.
He took out the gun, then grabbed her arm and yanked her towards the road. Her head throbbed, and she wanted to punch him in the face.
"There was almost no traffic when I was on the road. It could be a long wait for a car to come by." Sarah fingered the knife, then grasped it by the handle. She had to think this through. If she stabbed him, she had to aim to kill. He had the gun and could shoot her faster than she could run. She would have to pick just the right moment.
They climbed the embankment, him yanking her up in front of him. For someone strung out, he was still strong and in control. They slid down the other side and got on the road heading towards the house.
She worried that he might hurt the driver if they were able to get a car to stop. "You know, it might be better if we just ask the driver to take us to the house. We could say we were in an accident, look at us. If we steal the car, they'll call the police."
"Not if I kill them."
"Then police will be everywhere, looking for the car and a killer. We wouldn't get far. Asking for a ride is the best call." Sarah hoped she'd talked sense into him.
"Good thinking, Sarah." He squeezed her arm.
Yeah, I'm a regular genius.
They'd been walking for twenty minutes and Sarah was limping. A blister was raising on the heel of one foot.
Car lights reflected off the snow ahead, and Sarah prayed it was the park ranger. David put the gun away and walked to the middle of the road, waving his arms.
I could run now, thought Sarah. But she was afraid he might hurt the driver, so she stayed.
The car stopped and behind the wheel was a woman and her daughter. They looked at both Sarah and David, bloodied and limping, and showed immediate concern. "What happened? Were you in an accident?" the woman asked.
| Author Notes |
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective
Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief |
By Roxanna Andrews
They'd been walking for twenty minutes and Sarah was limping. A blister was raising on the heel of one foot.
Car lights reflected off the snow ahead, and Sarah prayed it was the park ranger. David put the gun away and walked to the middle of the road, waving his arms.
I could run now, thought Sarah. But she was afraid he might hurt the driver, so she stayed.
The car stopped and behind the wheel was a woman with her young daughter. They looked at both Sarah and David, bloodied and limping, and showed immediate concern. "What happened? Were you in an accident?" the woman asked.
*************
"Yes," answered David. "My car hit black ice and spun off the road. It flipped and went down the embankment. Could you just give us a lift to our house?"
"Maybe I should take you to the hospital to get checked out," the woman said. Sarah hoped David would keep his cool. She was just a young mother, her daughter looked to be about six or seven. Sarah was afraid for her.
"No, we seem to be okay; no broken bones, anyway. I'll call my father when I get home. My cell must have flown out of my pocket when we crashed. Dad's a doctor. I'd rather have him look at us than wait in the ER," David responded. Sarah was relieved he was keeping calm.
The woman agreed to take them home. They got in the back seat and David gave her directions to the house. "The roads are so dangerous this time of year. It is scary to drive," she said.
"Yes, I'm new around here and I found that out." David replied. He held the gun to Sarah's side. She could feel him shaking and hoped the woman wouldn't say anymore, David would only keep his cool for so long.
Sarah saw car lights ahead and the park rangers pass them. A few minutes more and she could have been saved.
The women pulled up to the house and Sarah's heart sunk.
David grabbed her arm as they exited the car. He thanked the woman, and offered to pay for her time and gas.
"Oh, don't be silly. What kind of person would I be to take a reward. Now, are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yes, I'll call my father right away. He's not far from here. Thank you so much and have a good night." David waved. Sarah was so glad he let her go.
He laughed. "I'm a good actor, am I not?"
He nudged Sarah like they were having fun. She nodded. "Oscar worthy," she answered.
She knew it was now or never. If he took her back in the house, she could die or be held captive for who knows how long.
Taking the knife from her pocket, she turned toward David. He smiled and went to put his arms around her. She plunged the knife into his chest, as hard as she could.
With a shocked look on his face, David staggered back. Sarah ran. She headed for the darkest place she could find, around the side of the house and down the back slope.
She heard David yell, "I'll kill you, Sarah!"
She doubted she had seriously wounded him. He had on a thick winter coat, but she had given herself a head start. Her blister screamed as she worked her way down the slope. Tripping on a rock, she fell and heard a crack. A sharp pain shot through her ankle. She began to roll, gaining speed as the slope got steeper. Scared to death, she worried the slope could end on a cliff.
Flinging her arms out, she tried to grab a hold of something to stop herself. Coming to a sudden halt, she groaned as she hit a line of bushes. A large grove of trees stood just beyond them. She tried to get up, but her ankle wouldn't allow her to walk. Crawling into the dense bushes, she lie there catching her breath.
She didn't know there were flood lights at the back of the house, but David turned them on, and the slope above her lit up. The light didn't reach to where she hid and she lie still and quiet.
She could hear David screaming her name. He shot the gun in the air. "I'm coming for you, Sarah!"
Sarah didn't move. She could see he had a flashlight now, it was one of those that gave off a bright, wide beam.
She clenched her fists. He would find her and she would die. David had taken so much from her, and now he would take her life. She'd never see her family again, or Rob. She really liked Rob. Lying there, she silently prayed, please Lord, please save me from this lunatic.
She could hear his heavy breathing coming closer. Looking around, she knew there was no where to go. She'd never make it to the trees with her ankle as it was. David stood over her, shining the flashlight in her eyes. "Hello, Sarah."
Tears filled her eyes. She put her hands up. "Wait David..." He pointed the gun at her head. The next moment a huge black shadow leaped out of the trees, knocking him to the ground.
Sarah heard growling and snarling, and David screamed. Two more black shapes joined the first. She heard more screams from David, then just a gurgling sound and wolves feasting.
After a few minutes, Sarah rolled on to her belly, bitting her lip to not cry-out in pain, and quietly inched herself along. She didn't want to the the wolves second entree. When she was far enough away, she crawled up the hill as fast as she could, staying in the shadows.
Halfway up the slope she saw police lights and heard radios. She called out, hoping someone would hear her. Someone did. She stood on one foot, and waved her arms to make herself more visible. Rob Mitchell ran down the slope to meet her. He held her close for a moment, then picked her up and carried her back up the hill. He yelled for someone to call a medic.
The Chief took Sarah from Rob and carried her into the house. She couldn't believe they were there. 'How did you find me?" she asked wiping tears from her eyes.
"Lots of good old-fashioned police work," the Chief said with a huge grin on his face. He was so relieved to have found Sarah safe, he was almost giddy. His arm was around her as the Rangers looked her over and gathered snow in baggies for her eye and ankle.
He kept his arm around her as they listened to the Ranger tell how they tracked her to David's car and came to realize he had her again. The Chief gripped Sarah's shoulder, as if afraid she would disappear again.
| Author Notes |
Almost to the end. I have a few more surprises in store, and wrapping up of some loose ends, answering all the questions about Don and than a happy ending? Maybe.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief |
By Roxanna Andrews
The Chief took Sarah from Rob and carried her into the house. She couldn't believe they were there. 'How did you find me?" she asked wiping tears from her eyes.
"Lots of good old-fashioned police work," the Chief said with a huge grin on his face. He was so relieved to have found Sarah safe, he was almost giddy. His arm was around her as the Rangers looked her over and gathered snow in baggies for her eye and ankle.
He kept his arm around her as they listened to the Ranger tell how they tracked her to David's car and came to realize he had her again. The Chief gripped Sarah's shoulder as if afraid she would disappear again.
******************
The Ranger told how they had followed the snowmobile tracks and then Sarah's footprints to the car; the license confirmed it was David Lawson's.
"The car was empty and didn't have a great deal of damage. Just dents and the right side was smashed against a tree. We figured he could have walked away from it with minor injuries. The footprints told us that two people had left the scene, and we called for backup and more searchers. We thought he'd more than likely go home, so we left the search and came back here."
Rob told her the sergeant at Yosemite Police HQ updated them that David's house had been located and gave directions.
"We got here about the same time the rangers did. We were just getting ready to go out searching when I heard you yelling. It was a beautiful sound."
"Well, you guys look beautiful, to me. I am so happy to see you. You don't know." Sarah had to keep wiping tears away. She was exhausted and overwhelmed. So much had happened in such a short time. It didn't seem real that Rob and the Chief were sitting beside her.
"What happened to David?" Rob asked, suddenly realizing they hadn't found him.
Sarah was so overjoyed to see Rob and the Chief, she almost forgotten about him herself.
"Oh... I guess someone should help him. He was attacked by wolves at the bottom of the slope; by the tree line." But she knew there would be no helping David, and she felt relieved.
A siren could be heard in the distance, signaling that the ambulance was on its way.
Five officers ran to David's aid but returned shortly. "Better call the coroner."
Sarah was transported to the hospital and Rob went with her. They determined she had a broken ankle and a concussion, and she was kept overnight for observation. She was released to go home in the morning, with orders to check in with her own physician.
Rob stayed in her room all night, sleeping in a chair. Sarah fell asleep as soon as they put her to bed. The nurses woke her throughout the night to check on her, so she didn't get much rest.
Sarah knew there would be a few bad dreams, but she would never again have to be afraid that David Lawson would show up on her doorstep. She had refused to be taken to the hospital until she had seen his body for herself and knew he was really dead.
After Sarah had been signed out mid-morning by the doctor, the convoy headed back to Kalispell. The Chief rode back with one of the other officers. He wanted Rob and Sarah to have time alone.
Sarah sat in the back with her legs on the seat so she could keep her ankle elevated. She told Rob all that she had been through since being abducted by David. It was hard to believe it had only been a day. It felt like a lifetime. "He told me he killed Don Russell. It's weird to think of him as dead."
"Don isn't dead. He was badly wounded, but after surgery, the doctor said he'll fully recover. We haven't had a chance to talk to him to find out what he was doing with Rick Taylor, but we're going to find out today."
"I'm glad he's not dead. I just can't imagine that he was part of the killing. I just think I would have sensed it. He was my partner and we spent a lot of time together. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I sure hope I'm right."
"So do I. Speaking of partners, the boss gave me the resume of a guy transferring in from the one-nine. He has him picked for your new partner, but he seems too good to be true. I think he might be. I haven't talked to the Chief about it, but I think it was his way of getting me to step up." He looked at Sarah in the rearview mirror to see her reaction. She smiled.
"I haven't heard a thing about it. But I won't be needing a new partner. I've been doing a lot of thinking and I've decided to resign. Detective work isn't for me."
Rob looked at her in the mirror again, with wide-eyes and raised eyebrows. "You're kidding?"
"No, I've felt this way for months. I just hung on because I didn't want to disappoint the Chief. And I wanted to get this thing with Rick and Don solved. But my time with Lawson showed me how short life is. I don't want to spend it doing something I'm not happy in."
"So, what do you want to do instead?"
Sarah laughed. "You are never going to believe this. I want to bake. Well, own a bakeshop, anyway."
Again Rob gave her a wide-eyed stare.
"I know it doesn't seem to fit me, but I know a lot about baking, having done so much of it with my mom and grandma. And I actually took classes in high school and during college. I plan to go back to school to learn about running a business. Sounds crazy, I know."
"I don't think it's crazy, just a huge surprise. I love baked goods. But you're a great detective, Sarah. I'm not just saying that. You have all the right instincts for the job."
"Thanks, but I'm afraid I may be too obsessive. I think I'd burn myself out in a few years. I began to realize I wasn't enjoying it. My folks told me about this little doughnut shop in Big Sky. The owner is retiring next year and wants to sell. I figure a year will give me time to learn the business. It may not work out, but I want to try."
"Well, what could be more perfect than a cop selling doughnuts," Rob quipped.
Sarah laughed. She realized she was laughing a lot. She tried to think of the last time she had really laughed and was unable to. It was another confirmation that she needed to start loving what she did.
Back in Kalispell, Rob took Sarah home. She was still exhausted and had slept part of the way in the car. Rob helped her into bed and pulled the blankets over her. He went into the living room and laid down on the couch. He didn't want to leave her alone with a head injury.
Rob had carried a knot around in his stomach for a day and a half. He didn't think they would find her alive. Finally able to relax, he unfolded the quilt that Sarah kept lying over the back of the couch. He pulled it up to his chin and closing his eyes, he fell asleep.
Rob woke a few hours later and went to check on Sarah. She was sitting up.
"I'm so hungry," she told him. "I haven't eaten in forever. Are you hungry?"
Rob nodded and left to check her fridge. There were lots of fixing for a sandwich and he made them each a roast beef ,and warmed it in the oven.
| Author Notes |
Okay, I put this thru two grammar programs, so hope I did better this time. I
know it's not perfect, but I do hope it's better. Sorry not much excitement in this one. Now to wrap up the mystery behind what Don was doing. Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief |
By Roxanna Andrews
Ending of pervious chapter: Back in Kalispell, Rob took Sarah home. She was still exhausted and had slept part of the way in the car. Rob helped her into bed and pulled the blankets over her. He went into the living room and laid down on the couch. He didn't want to leave her alone with a head injury.
Rob had carried a knot around in his stomach for a day and a half. He didn't think they would find her alive. Finally able to relax, he unfolded the quilt that Sarah kept lying over the back of the couch. He pulled it up to his chin and closing his eyes, he fell asleep.
Rob woke a few hours later and went to check on Sarah. She was sitting up.
"I'm so hungry," she told him. "I haven't eaten in forever. Are you hungry?"
Rob nodded and left to check her fridge. There were lots of fixing for a sandwich and he made them each a roast beef and warmed them in the oven.
****************
Rob left shortly after eating to go home. He wanted to shower and change before going to the hospital to talk to Don Russell. He told Sarah he would call her later and gave orders that she was to rest. She didn't argue and slept for five more hours.
Rob walked into Don's hospital room to find two men in suits standing beside his bed. They were talking in hushed tones and stopped when they saw Rob.
Rob knew immediately they were FBI.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Don looked at the agents and they nodded. "Shut the door," he told Rob.
"These are agents Wilson and Montag. They're my handlers."
"Handlers, huh? So, what does that mean?" Rob asked.
"For the last eighteen months, Don has been working with the FBI." Wilson told Rob. "We got word of a human trafficking ring operating somewhere near or in Kalispell. The names, Rick Taylor and Ryan Matthews kept coming up. We needed someone undercover and Russell agreed. He knew the men from college."
"Turned out the men weren't just involved in human trafficking. During the investigation, it came to light that they'd killed at least fifteen women, and were wanted in four states," Montag finished the story.
"Sarah gets all the credit for connecting them to the serial cases. How is Sarah, by the way?" Don inquired.
Rob was stunned by the revelation that Don was undercover with the FBI.
"Ah...Sarah will be fine. She's home resting. She got pretty beat up by Lawson."
"When he showed up at Rick's, I had no idea who he was. He was yelling about how he'd kill us before he'd let us hurt Sarah. He was shooting rubber bullets. I've never seen that before. One hit me in the head and knocked me flat. He was on me in seconds, beating the crap out of me. He got my gun and killed Rick. I thought I was dead too. He shot me, but never checked to see if I was dead or alive. The weird thing is he picked up all the shell casings, and even dug a bullet out of the wall. I don't know why he bothered."
"He was crazy," answered Rob.
"Was?"
"Yeah, he's dead."
"Sarah?"
"Nope, Yosemite wolves."
"Wolves, what a way to go. If I had known he was going to take Sarah, I'd have told you guys about him. I feel terrible about what happened. I should have said something. By the time you got to Taylor's, I was in pretty bad shape, plus I didn't know what I could say without jeopardizing the case."
"Sarah is so headstrong. I couldn't believe it when I saw her on the surveillance tape searching Taylor's house. Rick was totally freaked out. Said we had to do something about her. I guess that's when Lawson came in and heard us talking." Don coughed and grimaced in pain.
"Do you want to take a break?" Rob asked.
"No, I'm fine." He took a sip of water and continued his story. "I don't know where Lawson came from or how he got in. I was so shocked. I had never heard of the guy. I didn't react fast enough. If I had, Sarah wouldn't have had to go through all that".
"I don't think that's your fault," Rob assured him.
"I woke up about ten minutes after he left and I could hear sirens. I knew I had to hide the surveillance tape. I didn't want anyone in the department looking at it. I planned to go to Sarah's place when I left Taylor's. She took a bunch of cell phone pictures; I was so hoping she didn't send those off to the Chief."
"She didn't, but we found a picture when we searched her house. It was of you with Taylor and Matthews. That really had us wondering. CSI found the tape and we watched it. We had a lot of questions."
"Yeah, I'll bet. I saw Sarah put a picture in her pocket." Don said. "I had no idea that picture existed."
"When Sarah didn't show up for work, the boss sent two uniform officers over to check it out. It became obvious that she had been taken by someone," Rob told him.
"How did Lawson get out of jail?" He nodded toward the agents. "These guys told me he had two more years."
"We're checking into that. We were told it was a paperwork mix-up, but we have a feeling he paid someone. As soon as he was out he was back to stalking Sarah. He abducted her the night you were shot."
"Well, thank God she's safe now."
Rob nodded. "So...with both Matthews and Taylor dead, are you out of the FBI?"
"No, they were the little guys, holding the girls until they could be transported to the guy who ran things. I never found out who he was, so we're going to put the word out that I'm still in business. I want to get this guy."
"Yeah, I would too. If you need help, let us know." Rob told him.
"Taylor and I set Matthews up to take the fall for all the serial killings, hoping everyone would call the case closed."
"Everyone did, except Sarah," Rob said.
Agent Wilson got a phone call and motioned Montag to stepped out of the room with him.
"I'd like to see Sarah, if she's up to visiting me," Don requested. "I want to tell her I'm sorry about everything. The way I acted while we were investigating; I hampered the investigation on purpose to keep her from arresting Taylor. I needed him free, not behind bars. I told a lot of lies, and was also pretty nasty the last few weeks trying to distance myself. I wanted her out of it, but she wasn't going to give up."
"That's Sarah." The way Rob said her name and smiled, caused Don to raise his eyebrows.
"I'm sure she'd like to see you. She was pretty shook-up when Lawson told her he had killed you. She was relieved to hear you were alive. Are you allowed to tell her what's going on?"
Don shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I can trust her, and I owe it to her."
"I'll tell her."
The agents stepped back in the room, and Rob shook hands with everyone. "Well, I think this pretty much answers all my questions. Thanks for filling me in, and get better," he told Don, but he had fallen asleep, worn out from all the talking.
Agents Wilson and Montag walked Rob out to the parking lot.
"This is still an active case and we need it kept quiet. So, please don't talk about it," Montag warned him. Rob wasn't intimidated, but agreed to keep what he had heard to himself, right after he told the Chief and Sarah.
| Author Notes |
Just a couple more chapters to The End. Maybe a surprise left.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Wilson and Montag- FBI Agents Taylor and Matthews-The bad guys-serial killers |
By Roxanna Andrews
The agents stepped back in the room, and Rob shook hands with everyone. "Well, I think this pretty much answers all my questions. Thanks for filling me in, and get better," he told Don, but he had fallen asleep, wore out from all the talking.
Agents Wilson and Montag walked Rob out to the parking lot.
"This is still an active case and we need it kept quiet. So, please don't talk about it," Montag warned him. Rob wasn't intimidated but agreed to keep what he had heard to himself, right after he told the Chief and Sarah.
**********************
Rob drove straight to the station and told the Chief everything.
"The FBI, always doing things behind your back. Why couldn't they let me know Don was working for them? I could have made things easier."
Rob shook his head.
Rob called Sarah but got no answer. The Chief told him to go check on her and take the rest of the day off.
Rob sped to Sarah's home, lights and sirens going. He found her sleeping peacefully. His heart quit pounding, and he realized it would take a while for him to get over almost losing her. Sitting down on the couch, he turned on the TV.
He went to the news station and was surprised to see David Lawson and Sarah's picture on the screen. The lead story was about the abducted detective and the kidnapper's dramatic end by a wolf attack.
Rob was amazed at how fast they got the story together, but they often knew things before the police. He fell asleep, exhausted from getting almost no sleep for two nights. He woke two hours later to a knock at the door.
It was Sarah's mom. She had come to help until Sarah could get around better on her own. Sarah was up and had been in the kitchen having a snack when she heard the knock.
Sarah's folks were most upset with the Kalispell PD for not having told them about the abduction.
"Mom, it was over before it started. I was in good hands. Rob and the Chief wouldn't have let anything happen to me. Besides, I'm pretty good at taking care of myself, sometimes." Sarah joked, hoping to lighten the mood. "Mom, don't be upset. I'm here and the broken ankle was my doing. I've always been a klutz."
Her mom was not amused. "Isn't it protocol to inform the family of such things?" She gave Rob a scathing look. He looked at the floor.
"Yes, but it happened so fast. It was over in a day. The Chief knew I wouldn't want you and dad to worry. So they waited, and I was home before they could even make the call."
Her mom wasn't satisfied and said she and her father would give the Chief a piece of their mind when they saw him.
Sarah told her she was leaving the force, and her mom was greatly relieved. She wiped her eyes and hugged her daughter. "That's the kind of good news I want to hear."
Sarah had made an appointment with her doctor, and her mom took her. The doctor felt her concussion had cleared. She was given one of those scooters to put her leg on, so she could get around easily. Sarah loved it. In three weeks they would evaluate her ankle, and she might get a walking cast.
"Just don't kill yourself with the scooter," Rob pleaded.
"Yes, please don't," her mom reiterated.
Rob had told her Don Russell wanted to see her. She called and he was still in the hospital, waiting to be discharged. They met at the cafe.
"They don't keep you long these days," Sarah said.
"It's been way too long for me. I'd go nuts if I had to be here longer. I'm feeling good. Sore, but ready to go home. You look great, by the way."
"Thank you."
Don looked down at his food. "Sarah, I wanted to apologize for impeding your investigation; all the lies I had to tell. I felt bad about it and distancing myself, acting like a jerk. I hated to do that. I tried so hard to discourage you from looking into Taylor. You are such a stubborn woman."
Sarah laughed. "I am that. I'm just so happy you're not going to be blind, and so glad you aren't a serial killer."
It was Don's turn to laugh. "Me too. Being a serial killer isn't something I've ever aspired to. I wanted you to know that it was Taylor who killed Ryan. I'm sure you had guessed that already."
"I don't think it would take a genius to figure that out." Sarah laid her hands on the table.
"Matthews was coming apart. He never got over having to kill his wife. He'd become a drunk. Taylor got worried he'd say something to get them caught. He was so drunk that night, he fell asleep in the hot tub. Rick just pushed him under, didn't take long."
Don shook his head. "What an idiot. I wasn't at all happy to hear what he had done. I was hoping to turn Matthews and use him as a witness. Besides, I knew there would be a police investigation and it would complicate things. The FBI stepped in and made it go away until we could arrest Taylor."
"They were such horrible men. I can't say I feel bad about either of them meeting their demise," Sarah said. "I just wish we knew where the bodies of the women were buried."
"I might be able to help with that. Taylor had maps. I'm pretty sure they're of the gravesites. I told the FBI where they were hidden. They'll notify the families."
Sarah was overjoyed. "Thank you so much. It will mean the world to the families to be able to bring home their loved ones."
"I'll give the Chief the number so he can call to find out if it is the graves. They'll send agents and CSI to check the locations; maybe in a couple of weeks they'll know for sure."
"That would be so great. Sad, but great for the families."
"I got the feeling talking with Rob that you two might be an item now. Did I read that right?"
Sarah nodded. "Still the great detective. We'll see how things go, but I have a good feeling about it. It's going to be a long-distance relationship for a while. Going to turn in my badge for an oven mitt. I'm buying a doughnut shop in Big Sky."
"So you're resigning?"
"I am. I think being a detective is going to burn me out. I'm too obsessive. But I may do consulting. I think I'd enjoy that more."
"I'm shocked. I figured you'd be Chief of D's one day. You're a great detective, Sarah."
"Thanks. You'll have to come to Big Sky, I'll give you a free doughnut and everything."
They said their good-byes, Sarah hugged Don one more time.
"You never know. I may take you up on that free doughnut one day," Don told her.
"You better."
| Author Notes |
I think that ties up all the loose ends. Not a thrill a minute I'm afraid, but aren't you just so relieved to know Don wasn't a killer? =} Just one more chapter to The End and maybe one more surprise left.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Taylor and Matthews-The bad guys-serial killers Wilson and Montag- FBI Agents |
By Roxanna Andrews
"I got the feeling talking with Rob that you two might be an item now. Did I read that right?"
Sarah nodded. "Still the great detective. We'll see how things go, but I have a good feeling about it. It's going to be a long-distance relationship for a while. Going to turn in my badge for an oven mitt. I'm buying a doughnut shop in Big Sky."
"So you're resigning?"
"I am. I think being a detective is going to burn me out. I'm too obsessive. But I may do consulting. I think I'd enjoy that more."
"I'm shocked. I figured you'd be Chief of D's one day. You're a great detective, Sarah."
"Thanks. You'll have to come to Big Sky, I'll give you a free doughnut and everything."
They said their good-byes, Sarah hugged Don one more time.
"You never know. I may take you up on that free doughnut one day," Don told her.
"You better."
**********************
Sarah resigned the next Monday. The Chief was not happy. He tried to talk her out of it but her mind was made up. "We're going to miss you around here."
"I don't doubt you will find a good replacement. Someone better at being, 'the light in the darkness.' I don't think I did that part very well."
"Are you kidding? You were one of my brightest, Sarah."
Sarah moved back to Big Sky the following week. Her parents and brother helped her pack. With her broken ankle, she couldn't do much. Rob came by after he got off work to help. She wasn't taking much. She planned to rent out the house furnished, so took only what had special meaning to her.
Sarah looked into taking business classes and found she could do it online. She was glad because, with the cast, she had to be driven everywhere. She worked at the doughnut shop when she could, getting acquainted with the business and the customers.
The cast came off a month after the move, and her ankle was as good as new, though a bit skinnier than the other. It was such a relief to drive herself again.
She and Rob talked every day and saw each other when possible.
"I wish you were here. You are missed at the station, mostly by me. Oh, and the Chief, he misses you too. He's telling me to say that." Sarah laughed.
By the time she had her business certificate, she and Rob were engaged.
He made the trip to Big Sky with a beauiful diamond solitaire ring in his duffel bag. While horseback riding in a stunning valley with snow topped mountains in the background, he had popped the question.
"Sarah, I have loved you since I first met you. Will you do me the great honor of being my wife?" Rob had even gotten down on one knee.
"Give me a second to think about it...Yes, yes, yes!"
A week before the shop owner retired and Sarah was set with the bank loan, she received a letter in the mail. The return address said, Lawson Industries of Bozeman. Sarah knew Lawson Industries was David Lawson's family company. She took a deep breath and sat down.
She opened the letter and something fluttered to the ground. She picked it up. It was a check made payable to her in the amount of a million and a half dollars. Sarah sucked in air and choked. She had to get a glass of water. Holding the letter with shaking hands, she saw the signature was that of Michael Lawson, David's brother.
Dear Miss Murray,
Let me start this letter by telling you how very sorry my family and I are for the trauma my brother caused you.
There is no adequate way to say in words how badly we feel.
This apology should have come months ago but we were waiting for all the legal paperwork to be done so my brother's trust could be accessed. The funds were passed on to me and I wish for you to have half.
My family and I know the money cannot make up for all the pain you were put through. We understand you have plans for purchasing a bakery and hope this will help accomplish that goal.
The other half of my brother's trust fund will be divided between several non-profits. One is the First Responders Foundation and another a mental health facility that is working on new methods to treat people like David.
We again hope you can accept our profound apologies and we wish you great success with your business and in your life.
Sincerely,
Michael Lawson, and for my parents, Martin and Joyce Lawson
Sarah called Rob. "You're not going to believe this!"
Rob moved down three months before the wedding. There was an opening in the Sheriff department in Big Sky and Rob applied for and got the job. They only had a police force of eight, but there was plenty to do, land disputes, loose cattle, the occasional disorderly drunk, and now and then, a shooting.
With the unexpected funds from the Lawsons, they bought a house and Rob lived there.
"We're having a real estate boom this week." The Realtor told Rob and Sarah, when they came to sign papers. "I just rented a home in the same neighborhood to a lovely young woman."
"It's good to know we'll have nice neighbors," Sarah replied.
Sarah purchased her bakery without needing the bank loan and after four months, was breaking even. She considered that a huge accomplishment. Once people began to trust her baked goods, and the ski crowd came to town, she was sure business would pick up.
More than doughnuts was added to the menu. Using her grandma's receipts, Sarah and her two employees made muffins, brownies, scones and five different varieties of cookies. So far she had gotten very positive feedback. The local newspaper wrote a front-page article on her and the shop. She had changed the name to Elaine's Bake Shoppe in honor of her grandmother.
The wedding was fast approaching and Sarah was glad for all the help she received from her family and friends. Being so busy with the bake shop, she never would have gotten it all done without them. She was afraid she might be going down the aisle in her jeans, but of course her mom would never allow that. Sarah said "Yes" to a dress of exquisite lace and silk.
On the day of her wedding, Sarah woke with butterflies using her stomach as a flight pattern. She couldn't eat a thing and worried about passing out during the ceremony.
As she walked down the aisle toward Rob, Sarah thought how wonderful he looked in his black tux. She couldn't remember ever being this happy.
As Rob watched Sarah walk toward him, it seemed as if she were floating, everything seemed surreal. It was unbelievable to him that this woman was about to become his wife.
Chief George Brenner was the best man and he had tears in his eyes. He thought of Sarah as a daughter and believed himself responsible for the couple getting together.
"If it weren't for me, none of this would have happened," he told anyone who listened.
As the couple joined hands and repeated their vows, their happiness could be seen by all in attendence. Sarah's mom wiped tears from her eyes throughout the ceremony.
After being pronounced husband and wife, the couple walked back down the aisle hand and hand to applause and cheering.
Everyone said the wedding was one of the most beautiful they had ever witnessed and they raved about the food at the reception. Rob and Sarah were able to bump it up a few notches with the trust fund money Sarah received.
They also upgraded the honeymoon and planned two weeks in Hawaii. Sarah couldn't wait to lie on a warm beach.
"I'm coming back with a beautiful tan. Everyone will be so envious."
Just before the ceremony was about to begin, a woman slipped into a back pew. She was beautifully dressed in an exquisite suit and a hat that she wore pulled down hiding part of her face. She got curious stares from the other guests but paid them no attention. Her name was Monica Landers.
Renting a house in Big Sky with daddy's money, Monica had moved there three months ago to be close to Rob. In fact the house was in the same neighborhood as the newlyweds. She was finding the tiny town quite boring and if not for the fact that Rob lived there, she would never stay. Fortunately it was just a few hours drive to Bozeman, and she made the trip often.
Monica had read about the wedding in the paper and decided to attend. Rob looked gorgeous in his black tux. She couldn't take her eyes off him.
Rob and Sarah assumed she was someone's date when she came through the reception line and politely wished them well.
When the crowd waved the newlyweds off to their honeymoon, throwing birdseed and calling well wishes, Monica was among them.
She watched them drive off with a smile. Rob would be hers one day. The fact that he had just gotten married mattered not at all to her. She would find a way for them to be together. Monica always found a way.
| Author Notes |
The End! Or is it. =}
I put a small reference to "Say Yes to the Dress" a show about brides picking out wedding dresses at Kleinfelds in New York City. It's kind of fun to watch and it has become a catch phrase to ask if a bride 'Said Yes to a dress." The photo used is actually from my nieces wedding. She was a beautiful bride. =} Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective now bake shop owner Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college. The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief Monica Landers - Mysterious woman attending the wedding. |
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