Which day would she die?
The sound of an old furnace rumbling—or was it thunder?—resounded through the damp basement. There were more rooms down here, other cages.
She’d heard the other women he’d brought here, crying and screaming, begging for their lives. He’d killed them anyway. There was no doubt about that.
She had been here the longest, she thought, although she couldn’t be sure. What was he waiting for?
Closing her eyes in case she needed energy later to fight him––and you can bet she would fight if she got the chance––her father’s sneering voice echoed in her head.
“You’re trash, girl. You ain’t going nowhere.”
Anger strengthened her resolve. She’d proved him wrong. She had made it as a cop. She had arrested countless cowards like him.
And she’d found love. It was a surprise, even to herself, but a few months ago, she’d met Melissa. Melissa with soft hair the color of raw honey. Melissa with sky-blue eyes and the voice of an angel.
Melissa, who she’d told all her secrets to.
Shondra had expected her to run as far away as she could, or to look at her with disgust or pity.
Instead she had pulled Shondra into her arms, declaring her love. That was only two months ago, but now they were planning to move in together. They’d even talked about a wedding.
Fear pressed against her chest. She was so close to having the family she’d always wanted, she couldn’t die now.
The last night she’d seen Melissa haunted her, regret consuming her. Melissa had been hesitant to tell her family about the two of them. “They just won’t understand,” she had said through tears. “They’re old fashioned and my dad is set in his ways. They’ll probably disown me.”
“If they do, then you’ve got me,” Shondra argued. “We’ll make our own family.”
At that, Melissa had burst into tears and run from the room. The next morning when Shondra got up, she was gone.
Shondra squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could take back the things she’d said. She hoped that Melissa could forgive her––that she’d get to see her again. That she’d live long enough.
Just then the screech of the door made her tense, pulling her back to her dark surroundings. He has returned.
Footsteps. Shuffling. Another woman’s scream piercing the air.
“Let me go. Why are you doing this?” The woman’s cries tore through the silence. “Please don’t hurt me…”
Tears blurred Shondra’s eyes as she heard the grating sound of another metal cage being slammed shut in the dark.
Twenty-Nine
Marvin’s Mobile Home Park
Ellie grabbed the wall to steady herself.
Find me proof, Bryce had said.
This was proof. The fucking phone call was proof. The bastard had been inside Shondra’s house––the daffodils were his calling card.
Fingers shaking, she snatched her phone. She should call the sheriff, but he’d already told her he was tied-up. Probably tying one on, was more like it.
So she called her boss. Shondra needed her to do her job, not fall apart.
Captain Hale sounded winded when he answered. “Ellie?”
“The killer has Deputy Eastwood, Captain.”
“What?”
Ellie heard the sound of Captain Hale cracking his knuckles. Struggling to steady her breathing, she explained about the phone call and what she’d found at Shondra’s.
“Did you call Sheriff Waters?” Hale asked.
“Yes, I told him about the message, but he blew me off. Said to bring him evidence.” She kicked at the floor with her boot. “So I came to Shondra’s and found it.”
“I’ll let him know, then send a team to process Shondra’s trailer right away.” He hesitated. “And Ellie, for God’s sake, be careful. If this killer sent you those messages, he may be watching you.”
A shiver rippled through her. He was right. The killer wanted her involved in this case.
That was his first mistake.
Later, while the crime team—fresh from the body at Ole Glory—processed the place, Ellie pulled herself together enough to canvass the neighbors. That turned out to be a bust.
The lady two trailers down had coke-bottle glasses and a hearing aid. The man on the other side of Shondra was three sheets to the wind. The two millennials next door claimed they’d been at a keg party the night Shondra disappeared, and the middle-aged couple with the two Labradors across the street had been at the ER because the man had a gallstone attack.
Exhausted and with her head crowded with images of what might be happening to her friend, Ellie returned to the trailer and found one of the crime techs deep in Shondra’s closet.
“Does Shondra have any kin or family to call?” he asked.
“No,” Ellie said. “She lives alone.”
“Are you sure? There are clothes in a size two and others in size twelve.”
Ellie checked the tags. He was right. The smaller sized clothes were also a more feminine style than the staple jeans and shirts Shondra wore.
Ellie scratched her head, trying to remember what Shondra had said about meeting someone. But then Penny Matthews had gone missing, and after that, she’d forgotten to ask her friend about it.
“She may have a girlfriend,” she murmured. “Check her phone when you get it charged and let me know what you find.”
He nodded, and Ellie went to the kitchen, finding the calendar Shondra kept on her desk. Quickly thumbing through it, she saw several notations about meeting a woman named Melissa White. A phone number had been scribbled below one of the dates.
Lifting her phone from her pocket, she stepped onto the front stoop. It was 11 p.m., and Melissa might be in bed. But she couldn’t put off the call. If Shondra had met her abductor before she’d been taken, Melissa might have helpful information.
Dialing the number, Ellie saw that the crows were still perched on the power line, their eyes darting towards her as if they were trying to tell her something.
Something she didn’t want to know.
Shivering, she yanked her gaze back to the driveway, tensing as a woman answered in a clipped tone.
“Hello?”
“Is this Melissa?”
“Yes.”
“Detective Ellie Reeves. I’m at Shondra Eastwood’s home, and I found your number.”
A shaky breath rattled over the line. “You’re that cop friend of Shondra’s, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and—”
“What is this about? Is Shondra okay?” Melissa cut her off, her voice rising with panic.
“I don’t know. When did you last see her?”
“A little over a week ago,” Melissa replied. “But I’ve been calling and calling and she hasn’t answered.” A cry escaped her. “I thought she was just mad and not picking up because we had an argument.”
“What did you argue about?”
“It was stupid,” Melissa said, tears lacing her voice. “We were talking about moving in together, and she wanted me to tell my parents, but I knew they wouldn’t approve.” So they were together, and Ellie had been barely paying attention. Guilt crushed her. “What happened to her?”