Haunted

by Amy Cross

  “Sure thing, boss, but -”

  “I'll explain everything later, Harry! Just find him!”

  “He's not armed and dangerous,” Lenny mutters as I cut the link to Harry. “He's unarmed and frightened.”

  “Tell that to Mo Garvey.”

  “Mo Garvey was a special case.”

  “Mo Garvey was a defenseless little girl!” I spit back at him. “I saw her injuries! I saw what he did to her!”

  “And yet you still went along with my way of fixing things.”

  Slamming my foot against the brake pedal, I bring the car screeching to a halt as I turn to him.

  “Don't act holier than holy, Michael,” he continues. “You agreed to let me take care of Neil Bloom. Maybe what I did wasn't what you expected, but you've always been more than willing to bend the rules.”

  “It's one thing to toss a few parking tickets,” I reply. “It's another to let a murderer walk free.”

  “Then why didn't you arrest him when he showed up again?” he asks. “Sure, it'd have meant some egg on your face, and you'd have had to explain why you'd initially confirmed that the drifter was the killer, but none of that would've really mattered, would it? Not if it meant putting Neil Bloom behind bars.”

  “I thought you were dealing with it!”

  “You thought I was going to kill him.”

  “I thought -”

  “You thought I was going to kill Neil Bloom for you,” he continues, “and you were fine with that. You thought I was going to make everything neat and tidy, and you were willing to go along with it all.”

  “I was wrong!”

  “Damn straight you were, but that doesn't change the fact that -”

  Suddenly he seems to spot something behind me.

  Turning, I look out along the dark street, and it takes me a moment to realize what's wrong. My house is opposite, and the front door has been left wide open.

  “Michael,” Lenny says cautiously, as the color drains from his face, “I think maybe you should check on Louisa and your little girl.”

  Clambering out of the car, I race across the street and over to the front door. The house has been left in darkness, but as soon as I get inside I spot a figure slumped on the floor. Racing to her side, I drop to my knees and see that Louisa is unconscious. There's a heavy bruise on one side of her head, but to my immense relief I quickly manage to find a pulse when I press two fingers against the side of her neck.

  “Where's Alex?” I shout, nudging her arm before realizing that she's out cold. Panicking, I shake her by the shoulder. “Louisa! Where's Alex?”

  Getting to my feet, I hurry to the bottom of the stairs and start making my way up.

  “Alex!” I yell. “Alex, it's Daddy! Alex, where are you?”

  Rushing into her room, I see that her bed-sheets are all over the floor. I crouch down and look under the bed, but there's no sign of her there either. Just as I'm about to get to my feet, I spot three syringes on the floor, and when I pick them up I find that they're all empty.

  “Alex,” I whisper, as I feel a cold chill pass through my chest. “Please God, no...”

  Stumbling to my feet, I race out onto the landing and then through to the master bedroom, where I find that most of the items from Louisa's dressing table have been shoved onto the floor. Heading back out, I start to notice other signs of a struggle, and by the time I get to the top of the stairs I see that Lenny is entering the house.

  “What happened?” he calls up to me.

  For a moment, frozen by shock, I can't even reply. I simply stand at the top of the stairs, convinced that somehow this can't really be happening, that at any moment Alex will coming out of hiding and Louisa will get up off the floor and this will turn out to be nothing more than a nightmare.

  Finally, however, I stumble back down the stairs and hurry over to Louisa, and then once again I drop to my knees and try to wake her up.

  “What happened here, Michael?” Lenny asks, and I can hear the fear in his voice.

  Before I can answer, Louisa's eyes start to flicker open, although it takes a couple of seconds before she's able to focus on me.

  “Louisa -”

  “Where's Alex?” she gasps, sitting up and looking around. “He was after Alex!” She turns back to me, and I can see the fear in her eyes. “It was Neil Bloom!” she stammers. “Mike, Neil Bloom came to the house! He said something about you spoiling his fun tonight, and then he hit me and...”

  Her voice trails off as tears start streaming down her face, and then suddenly she gets to her feet and starts racing up the stairs.

  “All units!” I shout, grabbing my radio. “I need you to block every route out of town and find Neil Bloom! He's taken my daughter!”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Alex Roberts

  Today

  “We've got her sedated now,” Doctor Carrimore says as she comes back into her office. “I'm sorry, but you won't be able to speak to your mother again today. We'll have to figure out a time when she might be more receptive.”

  Staring at the scar on my right arm, I can't help replaying Mom's attack over and over again. I came here hoping that she'd give me answers, that maybe she'd explain how I ended up with this scar and then she'd tell me everything that happened twenty years ago. Instead, I was simply given a demonstration of the fact that even today – even two decades after that awful night – her hatred for my father remains undimmed.

  “Alex?”

  Startled, I look up at the doctor.

  “I heard what your mother said to you,” she continues, “and I really want you to remember that you can't take her words at face value. She's almost certainly disorientated and -”

  “She hates him,” I point out. “And it's as if that hatred has consumed her.”

  “Your mother went through a very traumatic experience. Twenty years might seem like a long time, and you might think she should have recovered by now, but in all honesty she's made very little progress since she first came here. In many ways, I think she's probably still processing her experiences as if they happened yesterday.”

  “She said I saw Mo Garvey,” I reply. “That can't be right, though. Mo Garvey was dead.”

  “Your mother is very confused.”

  “But she was adamant!” I continue. “She said my father and I both saw her.”

  “I don't think you should go picking through every word that came from your mother's mouth,” she replies. “You'll end up over-analyzing the situation until you no longer know what's real and what's part of her delusion.”

  “But I -”

  Before I can finish, I see the dead girl again, flashing briefly in my mind's eye. She's standing in the corner of my bedroom, except after a moment I realize that this time something's different. It's not my old bedroom from when I was a child; instead, it's the master bedroom, the room that I share with Brad. The image is already fading, but it was as if I momentarily experienced a more recent memory, and a shiver runs up my spine as I realize that I think I might have seen her another time too.

  The cemetery.

  I have a really clear image of that dead, ravaged little girl standing in the dark cemetery.

  I was talking to her, and she was hold my hand. I've seen her several times since Brad and I moved back to the house, but I forgot until now. I thought it was only my older memories that were lost, but now I'm starting to realize that my mind was blocking more recent events too.

  “I have to go,” I stammer, getting to my feet and heading to the door.

  “Alex, wait! I'm worried that you're reacting very emotionally to your mother's outburst.”

  “Damn straight I am,” I reply, hurrying into the corridor and making for the reception area at the far end.

  “Your mother is a very damaged woman,” Doctor Carrimore continues, struggling to keep up with me. “It would be decidedly unwise to pay too much attention to the things she came out with, or to assume that they're based on anything more than a
grain of truth.”

  “I know she's damaged,” I reply, “and I have to find out what caused that. All the reports I've read state that she was virtually catatonic from the moment my father died.”

  “That's right, and -”

  “There has to be a reason for that.”

  “I think it's established that your father's breakdown was extremely traumatic for both of you.”

  “It's more than that,” I reply, reaching the double doors and pushing them open. Hurrying past the reception desk, I head out into the parking lot. “She knows the truth and it destroyed her.”

  “Alex, please!” Doctor Carrimore calls after me. “This is what I warned you about. Your mother can't distinguish between fantasy and reality. Alex, wait!”

  Reaching my car, I quickly open the door and climb inside. I thought my mother might be able to give me some answers, but it's clear that I've hit a dead-end with her. Instead, I have to go and find the one person who should be able to tell me exactly what happened. Even if I don't like what he has to say.

  After twenty years, I finally need to know the truth.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Sheriff Michael Blaine

  20 years ago

  “I want you to be no more than twenty meters apart,” I explain, as the members of the search party gather around the map that I've laid out on the patrol car's hood. “Move through the forest at a slow and steady pace, and make sure you check every inch.”

  “But what makes you think Neil would have brought Alex here?” Harry asks.

  “Habit,” I reply. “He's always been a man of habit, and we believe he brought Mo Garvey to this part of the forest when he...”

  My voice trails off, and for a moment I think back to the horrific sight of that poor little girl's body on the forest floor. Her eyes. Her mouth. Her ears. The damage to her chest, and the damage further down as well. If we don't find this monster soon, he'll do the same things to my little girl.

  “Just take my word for it,” I continue finally. “Neil Bloom has lived in the same house all his life, he's done the same job, and he barely even buys new clothes. The man does the same thing over and over whenever possible, and I'm certain he'll have brought Alex here. While you're all searching the forest, I'm going to lead a team to the river. Neil likes to go fishing, he knows that area well. I'll explain the rest later, but for now there's no time to lose. I need you all to get moving!”

  “We'll find her,” Harry says as the others set off. “I promise, boss. I don't know how, not yet, but we'll find her and she'll be safe and well.”

  “She'd better be,” I reply. “Now get out of here. And remember to call me if you see or hear anything that seems even remotely suspicious.”

  “How's Louisa doing at the hospital?”

  “She's getting the treatment she needs. Now move!”

  He hesitates, as if there's something else he wants to ask.

  “Harry,” I continue, “please -”

  “You lied to me, didn't you?” he says suddenly.

  “Harry -”

  “That surveillance tape was right,” he continues. “The drifter wasn't the one who killed Mo Garvey. Why did you lie to me, Mike? Why did you try to cover it up?”

  “You don't understand.”

  “I thought you were on the right side. I thought you cared about the truth, and about justice. I looked up to you. I wanted to be like you!”

  “I don't have time to talk to you about this,” I tell him. “Harry, my daughter is missing and the only thing that matters right now is finding her. I'll tell you anything you want once we've found Alex, but right now I need you to focus on helping me figure out where Neil Bloom has taken her. Please, Harry, just help me on this one last thing.”

  He pauses, before muttering something under his breath and turning away.

  I watch as he hurries to catch the others, and then I look back down at the map. There's such a huge area to cover and sunrise won't come for a couple more hours yet. Finding Neil and Alex is going to be like searching for two needles in a vast haystack, but I refuse to fail. My little girl is out there somewhere, and I'm going to save her from that maniac. Somehow, I'm going to find her.

  “I'll come with you,” Lenny says suddenly.

  Turning, I have to hold back from punching the bastard.

  “I can help,” he continues. “Like it or not, I know Neil well, and you might need someone like me on your side. Please, Michael, put aside your personal feelings and let me do what I can. We both want to correct our past mistakes. Having me with you could mean the difference between life and death for your little girl.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Alex Roberts

  Today

  “Harry Bischoff?”

  As soon as he opens the door, I can tell that he knows who I am. Having driven through the rain, I came straight to Harry's door when I got back to town. I didn't even go home first, I just sent Brad a message telling him I'd be a little late. After all, he'd never understand. He'd tell me to stop chasing shadows. Now it's almost 11pm and I'm standing on the doorstep of a complete stranger, as rain comes crashing down. I don't know this man, I didn't even know he existed until recently, but right now I think he's the only person in the whole world who can help me.

  “You're the same Harry Bischoff who wrote that book about Mo Garvey, aren't you?” I continue.

  He hesitates, before nodding. He looks startled, as if he's not used to strange women showing up at his house. I can't say I blame him, either. After all, I probably look like a complete mess right now.

  “My name is -”

  “Alex,” he replies, with a hint of fear in his voice. “I heard you were in town. I left a note in your mailbox the other day.”

  “That was you?”

  He nods.

  “I'm sorry,” I continue, “I didn't read it all. I thought I didn't need to hear what you had to say, but now I have to know everything. Please, you have to help me.”

  “You look so much like your father,” he replies, clearly in a state of shock. “In your eyes, and your cheeks, and your mouth and -”

  “I need to know what happened twenty years ago,” I reply, interrupting him. “All of it. I need to know about Mo Garvey, and I need to know about the scar on my arm, and I need to know about my...” I pause for a moment, unable to quite get the words out. “I need to know about my father,” I manage finally.

  He pauses for a moment, and then he shuffles back and opens his front door all the way, waiting for me to go inside. I hesitate for a few seconds, still terrified about what I might learn, still thinking that I could turn and run and never face any of this. Finally, however, I step into his dark house, and a moment later he swings the door shut.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Sheriff Michael Blaine

  20 years ago

  “We should be with the others at the river,” I point out, as I continue to follow Lenny through the forest. “Why would Neil go to some old cabin that's been in his family for years? He must realize it's the first place we'd look!”

  “Did you know about it before I told you?”

  “No, but -”

  “Exactly! Nobody does, but Neil showed me the place once.” He glances at me over his shoulder, and I can just about make out his face in the moonlight. “He's going to think that I'm on his side. The way he sees the world... I'm quite sure he thinks I'll protect him.”

  “You did protect him!”

  “And I'll pay for my mistakes,” he continues. “I'll make sure everyone knows it was my fault that Neil walked free.

  “It was your fault,” I reply, before realizing that I can't blame him entirely. “And I went along with it,” I add. “Someone else can take my job once this case is over. I don't deserve the badge. Harry would be better, or pretty much anybody else. All I care about right now is finding my little girl and getting her home before anything bad happens to her.”

  “Neil didn't mean to kill Mo, you know
.”

  “Sure he didn't.”

  “He panicked, Michael. He drugged her. He thought he'd given her enough to make her sleep through the whole thing. He thought she'd wake up and never know what had happened to her. I know that sounds awful and foolish now, but -”

  “It sounds evil!” I hiss.

  “He didn't give her enough of the sedative, and when she woke up she panicked. And then Neil panicked, and somehow he lost control.”

  “I read Tom Milford's report,” I reply through gritted teeth. “I know what he did to her, and I don't want to think about that while I'm searching for my own daughter. I just don't understand why he'd go after Alex. He must realize that I'll come after him. It's almost as if he's baiting me.”

  “When the red mist descends,” Lenny replies, “Neil tends to do dumb things. That's always been one of his weaknesses. The rest of the time, he's a decent and -”

  Stopping suddenly, he looks straight ahead.

  “There,” he continues. “There's a light in the cabin.”

  Following his gaze, I see that he's right. A small cabin is standing beyond the trees, nestled in a clearing and silhouetted against the night sky, and I can just about make out the flash of a torch's beam swinging past one of the windows.

  I immediately step forward, only for Lenny to grab my wrist.

  “Wait!” he hisses.

  “My daughter's in there!”

  “I have to go alone.”

  “The hell you will!”

  “We don't want him to panic, Michael! That's when he makes mistakes. Please, you have to trust me, when it comes to Neil a softer approach is far more likely to work. You've already seen tonight that he reacts badly to you.”

  “He kidnapped my daughter and assaulted my wife!”

  “And I'll deal with him,” he continues. “For the love of God, Michael, give me two minutes before you come charging in there. That's all I ask. Two minutes will be enough time for me to make him understand that he has to let little Alex go unharmed. If I'm not out after two minutes, then by all means come in and do things your own way.”