Susan Dern Is Missing (A Wild Cove Mystery Book 1)
Page 5
“Help!?” Owen laughs, demented. “By the look of things, you’re the helpless one here, Sheriff. And when I’m done with Mom…”
But the thought isn't finished. From the shadows with a set of garden shears in his hand, appears the diminutive figure of Henry Wright and embeds them in Owen's leg.
Mrs. Marsden cries out. “Owen! My precious boy!” She then lay on top of her son, tears running down her wrinkled face.
As Owen writhes in pain Henry Wright unties Jane's hands and she radioes, groggily, for assistance at the Marsden house. Then, she loses consciousness.
Jane was in the hospital for several days with a bad cut on the back of her head and a concussion. After a few days’ rest she recuperated, as did Jack, who had been knocked out with chloroform and dragged over the back wall to the Marsdens’ basement.
Susan took longer to recuperate. She was malnourished and had been drugged for several days, tied up in the basement of the Marsden house to take part in Owen's psychotic solution to his mother's nightly excursions. This had taken its toll upon her. When asked about her experiences, the entire saga was a nightmarish haze. She remembered being hit on the back of the head and, when she didn't lose consciousness that snowy night on Hemlock Street, Owen knocked her out with a chloroformed rag. The thought of that chemical smell still made her gag.
While it would take therapy and some physical rehabilitation, doctors expected Susan to make a full recovery. The scenes with her parents as they reunited were talked about for many years to come. That was not all.
It was a tough road, but with the help of the local church and Pastor Callaghan's advice and guidance, Larry Dern turned over a new leaf and sobered up. Having his daughter home was all the courage he needed.
The facts of the case were easy enough for Jane to write up once she felt better. As she explained to Deputy Morris one day from her hospital bed, “Old Mrs. Marsden had dementia and was wandering the streets at night. It appeared that she was looking for her old school class, and Owen had a terrible time keeping her indoors while trying to explain to her that she hadn't been a school teacher for 24 years.
“The strain of looking after his mother, who was deteriorating daily, finally got too much for Owen. He snapped and had a psychotic break. In his twisted mind, if he gave his mother the school class she was looking for, then perhaps their world could go back to normal. Susan was the first to be taken, but Mrs. Marsden kept insisting that more students were on their way. That was when Owen sneaked up on Jack, knocked him out with chloroform, and took him back to the house to add another student to the school. Who knows how many would have been needed until Mrs. Marsden was happy?
“We were just lucky Henry Wright was ahead of us all.”
And ahead of them all he was. Henry wasn't dangerous. Yes, he had served a prison sentence for kidnapping. But hearing Henry's side of the story, it was hard not to sympathize with him to a degree. He'd lost custody of his two kids many years ago, and so he panicked and tried to take them away to a place where they could be together. Henry was caught and served his time, the children were returned to their mother, and that was that.
Henry often walked the streets at night, not because he was strange or dangerous, but because he preferred to be alone with his thoughts. That was when he thought most about the children he doubted he'd ever see again. He’d returned to Hemlock Street because he felt terrible that Susan had disappeared. In his mind, he hoped that somehow he would chance upon her there. Instead, he wandered off back towards his home when the blizzard worsened, only to follow Owen when he heard a yell and saw him dragging Jack's body. He was trying to free Jack when Jane pulled her gun on him. Henry was viewed differently after that day in town. News of his rescue traveled to his ex-wife and he was reunited with his children.
Agent Ross visited Jane in the hospital. He was angry that she had continued her investigation, but had to admit, “That was good work Sheriff.” When the pleasantries subsided, he asked if she knew anything about a missing document from the briefing room.
“Missing document?” Jane said, shaking her head. “I don't think so. Maybe one of your FBI colleagues misplaced it.”
Agent Ross eyed Jane suspiciously. “We're not going anywhere, Sheriff Scott. There's something going on in Wild Cove, and we have reason to believe it is far bigger than one missing child. Good day.”
When the agents left her room, Jack entered with flowers. He kissed Jane on the cheek. “Since you kind of rescued me,” said Jack. “I will let you choose the movies for the next two weeks.”
“How about for the next month?”
“Don't push your luck,” Jack said, running his hand through Jane's hair as she rested in the hospital bed.
Reaching underneath her pillow, she pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper. “Give this to Pastor Callaghan, and don't let anyone see it. He needs to put it somewhere safe.”
“What is it?” asked Jack, curious.
“It's a document proving why the FBI agents are really here in Wild Cove.”
Jack looked at the piece of paper. “Oh no... He can't be their informant, surely.”
Jane frowned. “All I know is that those FBI agents are in direct contact with Sheriff Williams, and he's pulling the strings behind this.”
Also by Laura Greene
Wild Cove Mystery Series
Murder At Wild Cove Prequel
The Demise of Tom Hendry Book 2
The Past Life of Jane Scott Book 3
The Hooded Figure Book 4
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About the Author
Laura Greene is an international bestselling Murder Mystery author. She loves the outdoors. Hiking, exploring new adventures in nature and spending time with her family make for some of her favorite moments in life. When she’s not writing a new Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, she loves to connect with her readers. Join Laura Greene on Facebook.