The River Girls

by Melinda Woodhall

  Nessa’s tone and expression had cooled. She didn’t like being questioned and treated as an outsider. “She’s only sixteen. Her mother’s pretty worried.”

  Reinhardt’s face softened, the wrinkles becoming even more pronounced. He looked around to see who else may be within hearing, his gray eyes anxious. “Sorry, I’ve been working an intense caseload. Guess I’m on edge. I think we all are.”

  Nessa nodded, her affront at being questioned morphing into concern for the department. Seemed like Jankowski had been right; there really must be a shitstorm brewing.

  “I’ll try to catch up with Jankowski so he can fill me in. In the meantime, send me over the details. I’ll see if there’s any way I can help.” Reinhardt’s phone began to ring in his pocket. He looked at the display and grimaced, already heading toward the parking garage.

  “Okay, I’ll email you the reports,” Nessa called as she watched Reinhardt disappear into the stairwell.

  She turned away with an empty feeling in her stomach, suspecting she had little hope of getting help from the stressed-out detective. As she walked back toward the station, she caught sight of her reflection in the window across the street.

  The hulking building that housed the Medical Examiner’s Office loomed behind her, and, despite the thermometer hovering just under triple digits, a chill rippled through her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Eden cleared her throat and fidgeted with her keys as she waited for the receptionist to look up from the computer. The woman’s badge identified her as Maddie Simpson and contained a photo that appeared to have been taken when she’d been twenty years younger and fifty pounds lighter.

  “Sorry,” Maddie said, craning her neck and adjusting gold-rimmed glasses so that she could peer over the counter at Duke, “but animals aren’t permitted inside the Medical Examiner’s Office.”

  “Actually, this is my support dog,” Eden replied, her already frazzled nerves adding an edge to her voice. “And he is allowed to accompany me in here. I confirmed that directly with the M.E. before I agreed to come down to make an identification.”

  Eden’s tone of defiance prompted Maddie to roll her eyes and let out an audible huff as she pushed a clipboard and pen across the counter. “Log your name and time of arrival. I’ll let Chief Nguyen know you’re here.”

  Eden jotted her name and noted the time, before adding Duke’s name to the line underneath hers. She looked down and gave Duke a reassuring smile, feeling better just to have the dog’s warm body nestled against her leg. When she heard someone open the door behind her, she absently moved toward the waiting area and took a seat on a green vinyl chair, closing her eyes and trying not to think about what could be causing the sweetly putrid smell that cloaked the room.

  The sound of a deep, masculine voice behind her made her catch her breath. Her body stiffened as she listened to soft-spoken words. She knew that voice; she knew the slickly handsome man that owned that voice. Anger stirred inside her as she listened to the warm, persuasive tone that she suspected had been used to sway countless judges and juries.

  Keeping her head still, Eden opened her eyes and looked sideways to confirm her suspicions. She saw Leo Steele leaning against the reception counter, an iPhone held to his ear with one hand, his other hand writing something on the sign-in sheet.

  He was clean-shaven and, as usual, perfectly groomed. But he looked tired, and his expression was tense. He hadn’t seemed to notice that she or Duke were in the room.

  Still oblivious to what’s going on around him, she thought as she reached out to scratch Duke’s head, her unsteady hand seeking comfort in his soft fur. Her pulse quickened in anger as she remembered the first time she’d seen Leo Steele.

  It had been almost five years now, but it still felt disturbingly clear in her mind. He’d been wearing the same type of power suit he had on today: well-tailored, expensive, and accented with a bold tie that couldn’t fail to draw attention. He’d been sitting next to Preston Lancaster at the defense table in the county courthouse, representing her brother-in-law who’d been charged with violating a restraining order.

  Eden’s eyes watered as she thought of Mercy that long-ago day. Her sister had been so young and scared, so heartbreakingly beautiful, torn by the conflicting feelings of love and fear she had for the man who had been her high-school sweetheart before they’d gotten married.

  Her grief turned to rage at the thought the quiet young man her sister had fallen in love with. He’d been plagued by jealousy and self-doubt, obsessed by the fear that his lovely wife was going to leave him. Over time he’d become possessive and abusive, until finally Mercy had no choice but to move out in order to protect herself and her children.

  But Preston hadn’t been able to accept Mercy’s departure, and thanks to Leo Steele, he been free to leave the courthouse that day, only to hunt down and kill Mercy five days later. Eden pushed the thought of Preston Lancaster out of her mind. It made her head hurt to think of him and the devastation he’d caused.

  Leo turned toward the window, cupping his hands around the phone, seeming to shield his conversation from prying ears. With his back turned, Eden took the opportunity to stare at him. Her green eyes blazed with fury as they silently reproached him.

  If you hadn’t gotten the charges dropped, then Preston would have been locked up. He’d have been in jail the night Mercy died. My sister would still be alive. Hope and Devon would still have a mother.

  She bent to give Duke a hug, resisting the rush of painful memories. She couldn’t let herself slide back into the abyss of anxiety she had only recently escaped.

  “Do you have any idea where she may have met Hollywood?” Leo kept his voice low, but Eden was sure she hadn’t misunderstood the words he’d murmured into the phone.

  Could he be talking about the same guy that had abused Star? Could there possibly be two different guys in Willow Bay called Hollywood?

  An abrupt tap on her shoulder brought Eden’s attention back into the room. Maddie Simpson was standing over her, aggravation written all over her face.

  “Ms. Winthrop, are you okay?” Maddie crossed her arms over her substantial chest and looked down at Duke in suspicion, as if he was responsible for Eden’s failure to respond when her name had been called.

  “The M.E. is ready for you now. Please come with me.”

  Maddie opened the door to the restricted area and motioned for Eden to follow her. Eden stood up, then hesitated, looking back to see if Leo had finished his call. Regardless of her distaste for the smooth-talking lawyer, she needed to ask him if he knew where she could find Hollywood. Star might be with him, that is, if she wasn’t laying on the autopsy table in the room beyond.

  But Leo was still clutching the phone to his ear, too caught up in the conversation to notice her intense stare.

  “Ms. Winthrop?” Maddie said, not bothering to hide her impatience. “The M.E. has a very busy schedule today as I’m sure you can understand.”

  Eden sighed and followed Maddie, her fear at what she was about to see returning in full force. As she walked through the doorway, a chill slithered up her spine. Wrapping her arms around herself, Eden looked over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Leo’s brooding face. His dark eyes rose to meet hers as the door closed between them with a soft click.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Maddie escorted Eden and Duke down a brightly-lit corridor into a narrow room. She motioned for Eden to take a seat in one of several matching chairs positioned against the far wall. The only other furniture in the room was a polished wooden table that held a box of tissues, a pitcher of ice-water, and a stack of Styrofoam cups.

  Eden poured water into a cup and let Duke lap it up, knowing the hot weather was even harder for the dog to endure with his thick, golden coat. She tried not to look at the wide glass window that dominated the left wall.

  She knew from her previous visit to this same room that a gurney with the dead girl’s body would be positioned on the other side o
f the window, and that the forensic technician would open the blinds to allow her to view the body when the time came.

  The technician had explained to her last time that this method was the most practical approach, since she wouldn’t be required to don protective clothing and wouldn’t be exposed to the often-upsetting sights and smells of the autopsy suite.

  Eden swallowed and tried to force back the terrifying onslaught of memories that were crashing in on her: Mercy’s battered face, the hot blood on her hands, her own wail of despair when the grief had proven too much to bear.

  A light rap on the door frame brought Eden back into the present and announced the entry of a petite woman wearing a white lab coat over black pants. Her dark, shoulder-length hair framed an elfin face and kind brown eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled.

  “Nice to meet you. Ms. Winthrop. I’m the Medical Examiner, Iris Nguyen.”

  Eden reached out to shake the offered hand, not trusting herself to speak. She noted that Iris was very different than the medical examiner that had performed Mercy’s autopsy. The older man had been cold and stiffly professional, his bedside manner seemingly better suited to dealing with the dead rather than the living.

  “I know this is difficult for you, and I appreciate you coming here today.” Iris opened a file folder and pulled out a copy of the missing person’s report Eden had filled in at the police station.

  “I understand that the girl you’ve reported missing isn’t your relative, but that you have an interest in locating her since she turned to your foundation for assistance?”

  When Eden nodded, but didn’t respond, Iris continued. “I’ve read through the description you provided, and I have to say the girl found in the river does seem to be a possible match, but I need you to view the deceased and let us know if you think she is in fact the same girl.”

  “Okay,” Eden croaked out. She cleared her voice and tried again. “Okay, I’m…I’m ready when you are.”

  Frown lines appeared between Iris’ brows. “Are you going to be all right, Ms. Winthrop? Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Eden said, hoping it wasn’t a lie. “I’ve got Duke here to help me. He’s my emotional support dog.”

  “And he’s a very cute dog at that.” Iris knelt next to Duke and looked into his big, brown eyes. “Hi there, boy.”

  Duke wagged his tail and sniffed the hand Iris offered, but his body was rigid, and Eden wondered if the smell and feel of the place was spooking the sensitive dog.

  Can he smell the chemicals and decay through the walls and glass? Can he sense death next door?

  Iris stood up and walked to the window. “When you’re ready, let me know and I’ll open the blinds. You’ll see a metal gurney covered in a white sheet. A nice young man named Wesley will be there as well. He’s one of our forensic technicians. You won’t see the deceased until you indicate that you are ready for Wesley to pull the sheet down. He’ll reveal just the face and shoulders.”

  Eden clutched at Duke’s collar. Panic clawed in her stomach.

  I have to do this. I have to be strong.

  After taking several long, deep breaths, Eden nodded at Iris and stood up, inching her way over to stand next to the window. She towered over Iris, who was now holding the cord to the blinds and looking at Eden with an encouraging smile.

  “There’s no rush,” Iris said. “Just let me know when you’re ready for me to open the blinds.”

  A wave of dizziness washed over Eden as she stood next to the window. She reached out with a shaky hand and steadied herself against the cold, concrete wall.

  “I’m ready,” she whispered.

  Iris pulled the cord and the blinds rolled up, revealing a metal gurney covered in a crisp white sheet. A young man stood next to the gurney, dressed in green scrubs. His hair was covered by some type of cap, and his face mask had been pulled down around his chin.

  “That’s Wesley,” Iris said, putting a hand on Eden’s shoulder. Eden pulled away, not wanting the forensic pathologist to feel her trembling. She could see Wesley looking anxiously at Iris, waiting for her signal.

  “I’m ready…please, just let me see if it’s her.” Eden covered her mouth with both hands as Iris nodded at Wesley.

  She held her breath as the sheet was pulled down to reveal a thin, waxen face; a large purplish bruise stained one cheek. Dark roots along the hairline contrasted with the strands of limp, blonde hair that had been smooth back from the discolored face. Angry red bruises and abrasions encircled a frail neck.

  Eden felt a rush of air leave her lungs as her knees threatened to buckle. She leaned against the window and closed her eyes.

  “It isn’t her,” she managed to say. “It isn’t Star.”

  “So, you feel sure this girl is not the same girl you reported missing?” Iris asked, her voice calm.

  “Yes, I’m…I’m sure. Star’s hair was different. It was much lighter and curly, and she didn’t have dark roots. I would have noticed.”

  Eden had a vivid picture of Star in her mind; she could still see the mass of platinum curls and swollen eye clearly. “And she had a black eye. It was pretty bad. That was just two days ago. There’s no way it healed that quickly.”

  Eden looked through the glass at the ruined girl. Another senseless death that she couldn’t prevent. The girl wasn’t Star, but she was somebody’s daughter. Someone out there must be wondering where she is. A disturbing thought crossed Eden’s mind.

  Maybe she’s Star’s friend. Maybe that poor, dead girl is Jess.

  Iris nodded to Wesley and he pulled up the sheet as she closed the blinds. She turned to look at Eden with a worried smile.

  “Have a seat, Ms. Winthrop, while I pour you some water. You look a bit pale.”

  “I’m fine,” Eden whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut against the image of the dead body on the gurney.

  But with her eyes closed, she saw Mercy’s face on the other side of the glass, Mercy’s battered body under the sheet. Time seemed to stop and reverse, the room spun, and Eden’s legs felt unbearably weak. She sank onto a chair, her head slumping forward into her hands.

  Suffocated by the heavy air and the sickly smell, Eden’s breath began to hitch, and she put a hand to her throat. Panic set in, and she was sure when she drew her hand away it would be coated in blood. She looked down with wide eyes. Her hand was shaky, but clean. She clutched at the medical examiner’s coat sleeve and struggled to draw in air.

  Duke stood and nudged Eden’s face, one pawing rising to rest on her knee. He whined softly in his throat and looked up at Iris as if waiting for her to do something.

  Iris strode to the door and opened it, calling out in a brusque voice, “Wesley, I need your help. Ms. Winthrop is feeling faint.”

  Quick footsteps were heard in the hall, and the young man hustled into the room, putting two strong hands gently on Eden’s shoulders, holding her steady.

  “I’ve got you,” he said in a soft voice. He looked over at Iris and motioned to the wooden table.

  “There’s a vial of lavender oil in the drawer. That will usually do the trick.”

  Iris opened the drawer, picked up a small glass container, and handed it to Wesley. He pulled out the stopper and wafted the vial near Eden’s head, the sweet scent of the essential oil immediately filling the room.

  “Breathe in slowly, ma’am,” Wesley urged. “Slow breaths in and out.”

  Duke nudged his head onto Eden’s lap, and she sucked in a deep breath, before loudly exhaling. After several more inhalations and exhalations, her head started to clear but she could still feel her heart racing.

  My pills…I need my pills.

  She always carried her anti-anxiety medicine in her purse, but today she’d left her purse in her car, taking just her keys and an ID into the office. She needed to get to her car, needed to take one of her pills before her panic attack escalated any further.

  Feeling an overwhelming impulse to get out of the room
as fast as possible, Eden lifted her head and squared her shoulders.

  “I’m all right now.” Her voice was thin but firm. “I just needed to catch my breath. And now I need to go. I have…I have an appointment.”

  Eden rose to her feet, knees still weak. She cleared her throat and spoke to Duke. “Come on, boy. Let’s get going.”

  “The police may have more questions for you, Ms. Winthrop,” Iris said, for the first time looking rattled. “And you shouldn’t be on your own if you’ve been feeling faint.”

  “Detective Ainsley knows where to find me,” Eden replied as she shuffled toward the door. Wesley stood in the doorway, his sturdy figure blocking her exit. He looked wary, and for a minute Eden thought he might try to stop her, but then he stepped aside.

  “Please, take it easy for the rest of the day, Ms. Winthrop,” Iris called, as Eden and Duke made their way back down the corridor and pushed out into the reception area.

  Maddie Simpson had her back turned behind the reception window as Eden hurried Duke toward the exit. The harsh sunlight blinded her momentarily as she stepped onto the sidewalk, and it took a minute for her eyes to adjust.

  “I’ve got to go, Beth,” she heard Leo Steele’s voice behind her before she saw him. He was leaning against the building, cell phone once again held to his ear.

  “I’ll come by and see you as soon as I’m done here. It probably isn’t Jess. Try to stay positive.”

  Eden’s breath caught in her throat as Leo strode back into the building, leaving her standing on the hot pavement staring after him. She had needed to talk to him, had wanted to ask him about Hollywood.

  Her head spun, the glare of the sun causing lights to flash and swirl in front of her eyes. Fighting back the dizziness and gripping Duke’s leash, she knew she had to make it back to her car. She had to take one of her pills and have a chance to regain control of her emotions.

  Once inside the parking garage, she located her SUV and pulled her purse from the back seat, digging for the pill bottle that she hadn’t opened in months. She studied the bottle containing the benzodiazepine that had ruled her life for the first two years after Mercy’s death.