Danger with a Face

WHEN KERRY WOKE UP ALL SHE COULD SEE WAS DARKNESS. SHE SUDDENLY FEELS THE PAIN IN HER ANKLE AND HER WRIST. SHE STARTED TO PANIC. SHE TRIES TO SCREAM BUT THERE WAS NO SOUND COMING FROM HER MOUTH. SHE TRIED TO CALL OUT. CALL KEVIN’S NAME. HER LIPS AND THE TIP OF HER TONGUE WORKED HELPLESSLY ON A STICKY, ROUGH SURFACE SHE RECOGNIZED AS THE ADHESIVE SIDE OF TAPE. HER EYES WERE GETTING USE TO THE DIMNESS, AND SHE MADE OUT THAT SHE WAS IN A BASEMENT. IT WAS FEELING HOT AND WET. SHE MADE ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO SCREAM BUT COULD BARELY HEAR THE MUTED HUM THAT FOUND ITS WAY THROUGH THE TAPE. A SCUFFING, BUILDING RHYTHM CAME TO HER, MOVING CLOSER. FOOTSTEPS ON THE STAIRS COMING DOWN THE BASEMENT. THE LIGHT BLINKED ON, BLINDING HER. PATRICK SAT IN HIS OFFICE AT HOME STEERING AT THE WALLS AS IF THEY COULD GIVE HIM ANSWERS. HE HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS CASE FOR ALMOST FOUR AND HE STILL HASN’T GOT ANYTHING ON THEM. HE KNEW THE ANSWERS WERE CLOSE BY BUT HE JUST DIDN’T KNOW HOW CLOSE IT THEY WERE. PATRICK HEARD A KNOCK ON HIS DOOR AND HE LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT IT WAS JOHNSON, AND HE SIGNAL HIM TO COME IN. “DID YOU FIND ANYTHING ON THOSE TAPES?” ASKED PATRICK. “I’M AFRAID NOT.” JOHNSON REPLIED. “WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?” “I WAS HOPING YOU COULD TELL ME.” “COME ON.” SAID PATRICK AS HE PICKED UP HIS JACKET AND HEADED FOR THE DOOR. “WHERE ARE WE GOING?” ASKED JOHNSON “WE ARE GOING TO CHECK FOR ANY CASE OF PROSTITUTIONS FOR THE LAST TWO TO FOUR YEARS AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE ANY CONNECTIONS.” “DO YOU THINK WE ARE GOING TO FIND ANYTHING?” “IT’S WORTH THE SHOT.” “THEN WHY ARE WE STILL STANDING HERE?” “LETS GO.” SOMETIMES IT MADE SENSE TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING. IT OCCURRED TO PATRICK THAT THEY’D CAREFULLY INVESTIGATED THE MURDERS THAT HAD BEEN HAPPENING ON THEIR WATCH. PATRICK AND JOHNSON WENT DOWN TOWN TO GET SOME INFORMATION. “SO, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?” ASKED JOHNSON. “ANYTHING. SOMETHING. WE JUST NEED SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GO WITH.” ANSWERED PATRICK. PATRICK STOOD, STRETCHED, AND THEN POURED SOME OF YESTERDAY’S COFFEE INTO A WHITE FOAM CUP. TASTING THE HORRID STUFF AND MAKING A FACE, HE SNATCHED UP A FILE FROM JOHNSON’S DESK, SAT DOWN AT HIS OWN DESK, AND BOOTED UP HIS COMPUTER. AFTER A MINUTE OR SO, AND SEVERAL ACIDIC SIPS FROM HIS FOAM CUP, HE PEEPED AT THE GLOWING MONITOR. WHERE TO LOOK FIRST. HE WONDERED. HE SEARCHED EVERYTHING HE COULD SEARCH ON BUT HE HAD NO LUCK. THEY SPENT THE NEXT SIX HOURS LOOKING BUT THEY HAD NO LUCK. THEY DECIDED TO QUIT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. KERRY’S ALMOST MUTED SCREAMS WERE LIKE INSANE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT TO HER AGONY. WHILE THEY WERE BARELY AUDIBLE, SHE COULD HEAR THEM. EACH ONE ECHOED IN EVERY DARK ROOM OF HER MIND, EACH ECHO SHARPER AND MORE PAINFUL THAN THE LAST. KERRY HAD GIVEN UP HOPE. WHAT FILLED HER MIND NOW, ALONG WITH PAIN, WAS A QUESTION. WHY MUST IT TAKE SO LONG TO DIE? SARAH’S MOM, MS SUMMERS, STOOD SQUARELY IN THE DOORWAY OF HER HOUSE IN THE QUEENS, AS IF BRACED TO DEFEND HER HOME AGAINST INVADERS. A FLY DRONED CLOSED BY, ABRUPTLY CHANGED DIRECTIONS, AND PASSED WITHIN INCHES OF HER FACE. SHE IGNORED IT. “WE NEED TO LOOK AROUND THE PLACE,” PATRICK TOLD HER. “YOU MEAN SEARCH IT,” SHE SAID. “YES. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE ASKING YOU TO LET US DO.” “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL FIND?” “WE DON’T KNOW. THAT’S WHY WE WANT TO SEARCH.” MS SUMMERS GAZE DARTED TO JOHNSON AND AN UNIFORM COP WHO WAS STANDING BEHIND PATRICK, THEN TO THE RADIO CAR PARKED BEHIND PATRICK BMW AT THE CURB. “YOU HAVE A WARRANT,” SHE SAID “OR YOU WOULDN’T HAVE BROUGHT PEOPLE WITH YOU TO HELP SEARCH.” “WE DO HAVE A WARRANT, DEAR. WE THOUGHT WE’D ASK AND MIGHT NOT HAVE TO USE IT. WE ARE HOPING FOR YOUR COOPERATION CONSIDERING IT WAS YOUR DAUGHTER WHO WAS MURDERED.” SHE FLINCHED WHEN SHE HEARD IT SO BLUNTLY STATED.