Cry For Help

by Clara Lewis

  With a sigh, the chief signed the warrant and walked off.

  Alec wasted no time. He rounded up a couple of the best men in the station and told them to get ready. Just like the chief, they found it impossible Jennifer was capable of murder. Alec was sure that their minds would change in due time.

  Alec couldn’t hear anything beyond the beat of his own heart. What if he was too late?

  “You can’t think like that,” he scolded himself.

  Once everyone was ready, Alec started the car and sped off.

  Jennifer’s house resembled that of an old, homey cottage. It was situated far away from town, and in the past, Alec would just shrug and say it was for the best. The tourists coming and going could get annoying if you lived in town.

  But now, he realized that her location enabled her to have the perfect conditions for kidnapping and murder. No one was around to help, and the woods could hide anything.

  Alec led the group and he knocked on the door.

  Jennifer responded almost immediately. She answered the door wearing an apron and holding a washcloth. Surprised to see Alec standing there, she looked around him and noticed a bunch of policemen who looked on edge.

  “Can I help you?”

  Alec held up the warrant and pushed past her. His eyes landed on the ruined wall Evelynn had pulled apart. He then met eyes with another policeman and he nodded. The policeman headed straight for the room.

  “We can handle this, thanks.”

  Jennifer rushed past him and blocked his way.

  “I asked if I could help you with something. It’s rude to just barge in.”

  Alec looked down on her and grimaced.

  “You’re under suspicion of murder, now please let us do our job.”

  Alec directed the other policemen to look into the rest of the rooms for evidence, and more importantly, to look for Evelynn.

  “Evelynn!” Alec yelled.

  He heard no reply, but it was worth a shot.

  One policeman looked under the couch and pulled out the diary that Evelynn had found within the walls. He handed the book over to Alec who took one look at it and stuffed it inside his jacket.

  Suddenly a loud shot cracked above his head. Alec immediately ducked and turned his head. Jennifer had gotten her gun.

  “Ma’am, put the gun down,” Alex said as he raised his arms to show her that he meant her no harm.

  Jennifer shook her head and continued to fire shots. Although she had a gun, it was clear that she wasn’t used to firing it. The recoil had caused her arm to jerk back each time she fired the gun, therefore missing its target—Alec.

  A policeman had snuck in behind her and Alec nodded at him. He grabbed Jennifer and wrestled the gun out of her hands. She collapsed to the floor and continued struggling. Alec moved to help the man, but he shook his head. He had it all under control.

  From the end of one hallway, another policeman called out to Alec.

  “We found her!”

  Alec ran to the basement and pushed past the people crowding the doorway. He knelt beside Evelynn’s unconscious body and took off his jacket. His eyes widened as he saw the state that she was in. She was covered in bruises and cuts. Her borrowed dress had been stained by fresh blood that came from the welts caused by Jennifer’s belt. He carefully wrapped his jacket around her and picked her up gently.

  Evelynn stirred in her sleep but winced. As tenderly as he could, Alec adjusted his hold on Evelynn. He carried her back out and walked straight to his car.

  He called the other policemen over.

  “I’m taking her to the hospital. Finish up here and call the team to go through this place thoroughly.”

  Chapter 10

  “That was a rough twenty-four hours.”

  Alec gave Evelynn a dry look.

  “That’s not funny. What if I never got your message?”

  Evelynn crossed her arms and winced as the hospital gown brushed against her wounds. She tried to hide her reaction, but Alec was quick to observe. He got up from his seat to assist her and she reached her hand out. She was fine.

  “But you did, and that’s what matters. What is the status of Jennifer?”

  “She’s been arrested. That diary alone was enough to put her away for decades. The town is shocked but they’re simply happy that the killer was caught.”

  Evelynn leaned back and smiled. Finally, her job was done. Alec grabbed her arm and examined it for any more bruises.

  “I’m fine now,” she assured him.

  He nodded, but his shoulders drooped. He felt guilty.

  “If only I’d gone with you.”

  “What, and get both of us shot?” Evelyn asked him.

  Alec shrugged.

  “You know what, you never told me why you suspected Jennifer first.”

  Evelynn looked thoughtful.

  “Well, the Campbells lived away from the town. Emily and Jennifer were the only two who lived in that house and they go to the same school. That alone made me suspicious of Jennifer. It could be purely coincidental, or it could be that Jennifer wanted to control her kid. It’s a wonder how Emily even got a secret boyfriend.”

  Despite everything that Evelynn had endured in one day, she decided she wouldn’t judge the entire town on the actions of one person. It would take time before she would feel comfortable enough to visit again, but she had to admit there was more to this town that she would like to explore.

  “I’ll visit again soon,” Evelynn started, “but for now I just want to go home.”

  Alec nodded in understanding.

  Evelynn had refused any payment for her involvement in the case. She had gotten emotionally attached to the story and her shared experiences with the girls. When she was rescued, she had felt such undeniable relief.

  If she had failed to catch the killer, who knows if Jennifer were to kidnap another kid? How far would Jennifer be willing to go and how long could she have kept her façade up before the whole town found out?

  Evelynn shuddered. She shouldn’t think like that.

  A few days later, Evelynn was safely home. She threw herself into her work, but this time, she wasn’t as eager to meet with suspects as she often would have in the past. No matter, it was something that would be fixed over time.

  “Evelynn! Got a letter here for you!”

  Evelynn got up from her desk and accepted the letter. She looked at the handwritten address on the back of the envelope and paused when she saw a familiar script. The letter was from Astrid Dunn, and it was scary how similar her handwriting was to her daughter Cassie.

  Evelynn excused herself from the room and sat outside. She excitedly opened the letter. Tears formed when she read that Lucille had passed away. Warmth bloomed in Evelynn’s heart when it was later explained that Lucille had died with the knowledge that her granddaughter’s killer was in jail and wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon.

  She finally had her peace.

  As the sun shone through the tree leaves, Evelynn took her phone out and looked at her calendar. She barely had any free time, but the end of the year was looking empty.

  Maybe she should visit again.

  Here Is Your Next Read

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