Chapter Thirteen: The Detective

Chapter Thirteen: The Detective

A Chapter by Not here

“All this paperwork,” Detective Daniel Smith complained to his partner. “Can’t get any real work done.”

The detective and his partner sat working on a backbreaking case, beads of sweat running into their eyes. With hands aching and eyes weary, they flipped pages and scribbled notes, longing for the day's work to be over. Outside of the police station, Marcy was bustling all about, heading to lunch or taking a comfortable stroll. But there was no rest for the two men at a desk, bound by invisible chains.

“Not that you do any,” Steven joked. “All Detective Smith does is sit around.”

“I do not.”

“Give me an instance where you actually worked as hard as me on a case,” Steven said, leaning back in his chair with arms extended behind. “I do all the dirty work, and you get the credit.”

“You want an example?”

“Yeah. I do,” Steven grinned.

They often bickered like this, but it was all in good fun. Most days, full of strenuous work, they needed a release valve, if only for a few moments while they solved and investigated cases. All in all, their police department was subpar, even compared to the handful of petty crimes they battled. Shoplifting, theft, indecent exposure, speeding; these were normally the extent of criminal activity. Every once in a while, something more serious would turn up. Stalking, a rare occurrence, was the most thrilling thing that happened. Some may call such a description sick, but to two underappreciated, overworked police officers felt this way.

“Well, I’ll give you an example. You see all these papers on my desk? And these notes over here?”

“Yeah, I know, I know. You’re such a workaholic.”

Detective Smith stared at him, concealing a smile. “I am trying to find two missing kids. This is the biggest case we’ve had in Marcy since...  well, I don’t even know. This is like the Lost Three all over again, but I have a chance to solve it.”

“Just for the fame?”

“No, not the fame. I want to help these families. You know what happened to my sister.”

“When you were younger?”

“Yes,” Detective Smith nodded. “I don’t want these families to go through the same thing.”

Steven nodded and asked, “Is there anything I can do? You normally have me look through case files.”

“Yeah, sure, but let me run something by you real quick.”

“I guess. Break isn’t for another” -he checked his watch- “half an hour I think. I’m going to lunch with the wife.”

“I’m staying here, working.” Detective Smith grabbed the notepad from his desk and ran his finger over it. “So, anyways, here’s what I think. Both of the older siblings described a woman, who they had seen out on the street, according to them. Both of the girls missing were about the same age. Both reported seeing some sort of lady walking away soon after, although the Gray boy only saw a shadow of sorts. On top of that, these two boys were best friends, as were the little girls.”

“That’s a lot of similarities to the Lost Three.”

“Exactly what I’ve been thinking, Steven. In that case, the ‘disappearances’ turned out to be a kidnapping, although nobody was sentenced. I think it’s the same here. There are so many similarities between the two cases and between the two missing girls, this had to have been premeditated, and committed by one person. What’s something we’ve learned about criminals in such a small town?”

Steven, looking out the window, answered automatically, “They’re almost always repeat-offenders.”

“Exactly.” Detective Smith chewed on the tip of his pen. “I bet you my salary this lady has done it before. I’m saying ‘before,’ because both kids thought she looked old, so having that long of a life means she did it before and isn’t just starting.”

“You say you’ll bet me your salary or celery?”

“Both, if you want. I’m sure of this.”

“Well, they’re worth about the same.” They had a good laugh over this before Steven continued, “So what do you want me to do? I’m on board with this theory, but we need facts.”

“Do what you’re best at.”

Steven eyed his disdainfully. “You know how many paper cuts I got from those old police files last time? It’s like asking me to dive into a pool full of tacks.”

“Get your swimming suit on.”

Shaking his head, Steven pushed back his chair and smiled. It was forced, and lines were beginning to form around his face, along with bags under the bright green eyes. Weariness and need for sleep seemed to resonate from him like a bad cologne.

“Before I start digging, I think I’ll take lunch break a little early today. Alright with you?”

“Yeah, sure; see you in a bit,” Detective Smith said, raising a hand to acknowledge his friend’s departure.

In the next ten or fifteen minutes, Detective Smith got a lot more work done than he normally would have. This case felt personal to him, like he wanted to help these families, and not just because the head detective told him to. Every case in Hardy, the neighboring small town, went directly to him and stayed nagging at him, just a bunch of tan folders standing on the desktop, adding to clutter already visible. This case, however, would go to the head detective if it turned out to be a kidnapping, and a serial kidnapping at that. If he could get most of the work done, though, and produce results, he might be allowed to keep working on it. While helping the town was most important, the recognition seemed, admittedly, a close second.

Sighing and sipping the tea on his desk, very bitter, just as he liked, Detective Smith looked out the large window to the left of his and Steven’s desks. It was gloomy down here in the city, despite sunbeams shining high overhead. The dark, murky buildings seemed to counter it powerfully, and all the trash lying about overcame the natural cheeriness. Coke bottles here, smothered cigarettes there; the whole city was just a waste dump with roads, plumbing, and the occasional person.

Actually, there was a person just across the road right now. It was not much more than a dark silhouette, but he could make out long hair sprawling down her -he guessed it was a her- back. She was not moving, though, just standing. A bench was only a few feet away, lonely and still damp from the rains.

Why doesn’t she sit? And didn’t the boys say something about long, white hair?

Yes, they had. But that was not quite white hair; it seemed more like a faint golden color, maybe with some gray or maybe a very light blonde. Although, that could have been the sunlight, or a trick of the eye.

He leaned down, head in his hands, and shook himself mentally. Looking back up, the lady was nowhere to be seen. The bench was there still, and everything else, like that seldom-used trash can, but there was no lady.

Maybe she walked on by. A normal thing to do, anyways. Just keep walking.

Detective Smith stood up and walked out towards the exit. He needed to steady his nerves, just stimulate them and keep them from racing away before his mind could catch up. Something about that lady seemed insidious. There was nothing unusual about it, just a woman walking up the sidewalk, taking a midday trot, possibly towards some sandwich deli.

He replayed the scene in his mind, walking out of the door and towards his favorite bar. A drink or two would do him some good. But now, in his head, was that lady holding something? Memories are foggy, at best, but it seemed certain. What was that in her hand, clenched tight, but with parts hanging loose?

Then, something clicked in his mind, and he saw it. A doll.

Although, that could have been the sunlight, or a trick of the eye.

You’re a detective; you know what you saw.

Just keep walking. It was just the sun.

You know what you saw. Don’t deny it.

Just keep walking.



© 2015 Not here


Author's Note

Not here
Thanks for reading everyone :) Ill post the next piece soon.

I think that out of the 20-something chapters total, I will post about 3/4 of them on here. To read the rest, you'll have to buy the book from Amazon, but I'll try to make it not too expensive. And I'll have it come out around December 1 probably, so there's always Christmas..... :)

My Review

Would you like to review this Chapter?
Login | Register




Reviews

Still hooked up on this one.....Love it

Posted 7 Years Ago


I like how you put the detective's point of view in this story. Usually that doesn't happen. And it seems like the case was personal to him. I enjoyed reading this chapter and I will read the next 3 soon. Great job :)

Posted 8 Years Ago


Not here

8 Years Ago

no problem :) thank you v much crystal
I like the story but with this chapter I felt I had missed a chapter and maybe I have. It seemed we needed to know sooner these are the detectives working on the missing girl case, but as mentioned before it may be me spreading these chapters out to far. Nicely done.

Posted 8 Years Ago


Not here

8 Years Ago

im not sure. ill go back and think over that alot when i edit them. thank you for the review and sug.. read more
Thanks for sharing! :) Love your descriptions.

Posted 8 Years Ago


Not here

8 Years Ago

thanks smiley face :) im not so fond of them myself but at least u like them
well, i still see that very well constructed story. gonna read more.

Posted 8 Years Ago


Not here

8 Years Ago

thank you danny. if you sent me any read rquests, ill be getting to them soon
Dani The Unreviewed

8 Years Ago

no, I didn't. you're welcome.

Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Request Read Request
Add to Library My Library
Subscribe Subscribe

Advertise Here
Want to advertise here? Get started for as little as $5
Compartment 114
Compartment 114

Stats

187 Views
5 Reviews
Rating
Added on September 6, 2015
Last Updated on September 19, 2015
Tags: Mystery, Horror, Suspense, Thriller, Scary Story, Story, Scary, She, Stalker, Lady, Children


Author

Not here
Not here

WA



About
welcome more..

Writing
Midnight Midnight

A Chapter by Not here


Morning Morning

A Chapter by Not here



Related Writing

People who liked this story also liked..


The Monster The Monster

A Poem by Not here