by Angela Kay
“I’m so, so sorry for your loss, Luke,” Kristen said. It sounded as though she meant it. Her eyes glistened with tears and she stepped closer to him.
“I had to make things right. It tore my family apart. I was going to kill everyone who had a hand in their trial. It was their fault they walked away scot-free with no repercussion. But, then…I realized. They couldn’t learn, not if they were dead, now could they? No. They couldn’t.”
“You wanted them to hurt as much as you hurt.”
She came another step closer.
“Yes.”
“So, you killed their children?”
Closer.
“There is no greater loss than the loss of a child, is there?” he told her. He reached into the freezer, stroking Jessie’s frozen cheeks.
Kristen glanced at the board, then back at him. “What did my family do to cause your pain?”
“Your uncle read the verdict. He was the foreman.”
A chill crawled up Kristen’s back at the mention of her uncle. She couldn’t stand the man. He’d done things to her in the past, things she’d never told anyone.
Her uncle kept a secret life from his family, and when Kristen’s parents passed away when she was six, it only made matters worse. As a teenager, she finally found the strength to move in with friends of hers. Her uncle seemed to have written her off as if she didn’t exist anymore. It was fine by Kristen for her sake, but her uncle married a young woman with two little girls. She lived in constant fear that he would hurt them the way he hurt her.
She had once asked him would he touch them, and he said he outgrew the urges, but Kristen wasn’t sure if she could believe him.
And now, an opportunity was about to be born.
Now, maybe she could end her pain once and for all. Hurt the man who had hurt her.
“Hurting me won’t bring Bryce back.” Kristen took his hand into hers. She was aware her voice shook, but she wasn’t about to back down from the chance to end her lifelong pain. “Let me help you.”
“Help?” he echoed. “Why would you want to help me?”
“Because I’ve lost people too. I’ve been hurt by others. I understand how it feels. I understand your pain. We can help each other. I’m yours, Luke.”
As if to prove it, she stood on her toes and kissed him. At first, he hesitated, then brought her closer to his body.
Against his lips, she brought whispered, her breath hot against his skin. “I belong to you.”
38
“We appreciate you meeting with us, Mr. and Mrs. Barcliff,” Shaun began, sitting down on the sofa.
“Have you found our daughter yet?” Mrs. Barcliff blurted out. “Do you know anything yet? Jessie wouldn’t just take off and not contact us.”
“I’m afraid the police haven’t located her whereabouts. I’m very sorry,” Shaun said. “We’re doing everything we can.”
“Why is the FBI involved now?” Mrs. Barcliff wondered. “They don’t usually bring you in unless…no. You don’t think she’s been sold into sex trafficking?”
“No, not at all,” Aidan said quickly. “We are investigating something that led us to your daughter.”
Mrs. Barcliff narrowed her eyes in thought but remained silent as she shook her head slowly.
“Can you tell us about the last time you saw or spoke to Jesse?” Shaun asked. “When was it?”
“The night before she went missing,” Mr. Barcliff said.
“It was two months and four days ago.” Mrs. Barcliff stopped to sniffle. Aidan grabbed a Kleenex box on the table and handed it to her. “Thank you. Jessie and I had plans to meet for lunch the next day. But she never showed. It just wasn’t like her at all.”
“Had she been having any trouble lately? With a boyfriend, work…?” Shaun pressed.
“No, not that we’re aware of,” Mr. Barcliff interjected. “Our Jessie is a very happy-go-lucky girl. Not to say she had no problems.”
What kinds of problems?” Aidan asked.
“A supervisor at work was beginning to get to her to the point she didn’t want to go to work,” Mrs. Barcliff said. “But the situation usually resolved itself after she’d get off.”
Mr. Barcliff paused a beat before pushing out a heavy breath. “In full disclosure, Deacon Paris did call me a little while a go to say you would likely be coming by.
“The judge called?” Aidan said. “He told you about our investigation?”
Mr. Barcliff nodded as he took his wife’s hand in his. She gaped up at her husband. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m sorry, honey. I was trying to protect you. You were supposed to be playing bridge.” He looked at the agents. “That time in our lives was very dark. Jessie had been behaving wilder. We couldn’t stop it. She was drinking a lot, staying out late. She was a party girl back then. But you must understand. Jessie was never the same after the accident. When that young man died, she…changed.”
“How did she change?”
Mrs. Barcliff let out a whimper, then blew her nose into the tissue. “Jessie was always a good girl, but still, she had her wild side. The accident put a lot of things into perspective for her. Him too.”
“She couldn’t sleep for a long time after that night,” Mr. Barcliff continued. “She wouldn’t eat. She’d called out of work and eventually lost her job. It was difficult to get her out of bed and go for her community service. But then, the more she worked serving the homeless community, the more at place she started to get. She had found new meaning to her life. It was nice to see in her. I hadn’t seen her smile like that for so long. She continued it even after her hours ended.”
“Did she remain in a relationship with Ryan?” Shaun wondered.
“For a brief time, then separated for a while why they both dealt with the aftermath of that night,” Mr. Barcliff told him. “They were very much in love and didn’t date anyone else during that time. They eventually started dating again. They’ve been taking things slow ever since. But, we believed they wanted to marry. A small part of me believed…hoped they’d eloped.”
“And the other part?” Shaun urged.
Mr. Barcliff shook his head slowly. “When you’re a parent, you get a sixth sense. You know when something’s just not…right. My little girl wouldn’t go two days, let alone two months without speaking to us. She just wouldn’t. And then…then when I got Deacon’s call…” He choked up unable to finish his sentence.
“Now I remember,” Mrs. Barcliff said, a tear slipping from the corner of her eyes. “You’re the ones I’ve seen on the news about the Scavenger Hunter.”
“Yes ma’am,” Aidan confirmed.
“They’ve mentioned the judge’s sons a few times. Did this….person…kill Stevie and Braxton?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“And now you think he…killed my baby?” Mrs. Barcliff asked timidly. “The one who killed the judge’s sons and those other people?”
“We don’t know enough yet to make that assumption,” Aidan said, choosing his words with care. He wanted to ease the couple’s minds, but at the same time, he didn’t want to give them false hope. There were plenty of times people disappeared, then resurfaced as if nothing happened. Although Aidan couldn’t help but think this wouldn’t be the case, he wanted the couple to know facts, but keep a glimmer of faith. “Think back. Is there anything, anything at all you can think of that Jessie said or did which may lead to her disappearance?”
“You said she was getting frustrated at work,” Shaun said, “Could she have taken off for some alone time? Is it possible she and Ryan had been having problems and she needed to get away?”
The living room fell into a solemn silence as the couple considered the questions. Finally, each shook their heads.
Shaun nodded as he skimmed his notepad with the information he’d scribbled before they set out to question Jessie’s parents.
“Ryan lived with two other men, right?” Shaun asked, looking up.
“Yes,”
Mr. Barcliff said. “I don’t know a lot about them, but I do know they are friends of Jessie’s as well. They went partying with them often back in their wild days. Ryan and Jessie went to high school with one of the boys. I think the other might be a cousin.”
“Okay. We’ll go speak to them.”
“Would they tell you something they didn’t tell the police?” Mrs. Barcliff asked. “Because I think they were already questioned.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Aidan said. “Because the situation has changed, they may give further details on what may have gone on. It’s possible they may think of something they hadn’t before.”
Mrs. Barcliff sniffed, wiped the corner of her eyes with her knuckles, then covered her face, sobbing. Her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“I never in my wildest imagination thought this could be happening,” she said, her voice shaking. She looked up. “Our Jessie worked so hard to put the accident behind her. She grew up so much after that. Even though Judge Paris was going to let her off, our Jessie was so consumed with guilt. She came forward with the truth.”
“That was noble of her,” Shaun said.
“She knew it’d get her into trouble, and the judge as well for lying,” Mr. Barcliff said. “But she did speak to Judge Paris before she did it so he wouldn’t be blindsided. That’s the kind of woman she is. An honest, caring woman.”
“I can see you raised her well,” Aidan acknowledged. “Do you mind if we take a look around in Jessie’s home?”
Aidan knew the police had already searched Jessie Barcliff’s house, but now that they had more to go on, he wanted to look through and see if anything more stood out.
“Of course,” Mr. Barcliff said. “Anything we can do to help.”
“Thank you.”
After Aidan and Shaun left the couple, Aidan sat in the car, thinking of the Barcliffs. As he walked out, the air in the room had thickened, and he knew the Barcliffs knew their daughter was dead. Aidan had lost people he cared for, but he never had wondered before finding out the truth. He imagined the knowing, but not being able to learn the tangible fact was worse than any other feeling. It only left room for that glimmer of hope, that small light that remained lit for years to come.
Always fading, but never snuffing out.
Would they ever find Jessie Barcliff’s and Ryan James’ body?
Aidan didn’t know.
There were so many bodies lost in the world, never to be found.
One too many.
The chance was great for the young couple to fade away into the earth, along with all the others, their souls crying to be set free.
39
“You’ve got SOMETHING for me?”
Without a word, Jordan slid two thick envelopes across the table to his informant, who glanced through the contents.
“Have I steered you wrong before?” Jordan asked him, taking a sip from his lager. “This is like a marriage. You need the money, and I need information. We give a little, we take a little. It’s win-win, really.”
His informant frowned, eyeing the drink Jordan ordered for him but didn’t take it. For a long second, it seemed as if he was about to walk away from the deal.
“So, now it’s your turn.” Jordan pressed. “What does the FBI know that they don’t want the public knowing?”
The informant picked up his drink, made like he was going to sip it, then set it to the side with a despondent sigh. He stuffed the two envelopes into his bag, zipping it closed as he looked up at the reporter.
“O’Reilly’s got a lead on who the killer is.” He paused. “But he’s not telling anyone the identity,” the informant said.
“Oh, really?” Jordan said, arching his eyebrow. “What about Henderson? Surely the big gorilla knows.”
The informant shook his head. “Turns out, O’Reilly’s not being trusting, although I can understand it, with him being new to the office. And with him watching us all carefully. He knows there’s a leak. He doesn’t want the killer to get away. Henderson has been trying to squeeze the info from him, but O’Reilly’s stubborn.”
“That’s not surprising,” Jordan said. He took a long sip from his lager. “Wonder who he’s supposing is the killer?”
“I haven’t a clue,” the informant said with a shrug. “Look, Blake, I’ve done all I can do for you. This is the last piece of intel you’re going to get from me. You want inside information? Find someone else.”
“It’s all good,” Jordan said. “My uncle tells me our ratings are getting higher every day. The public is watching WJFX like a hawk. They are watching me. Why?” Jordan’s lips curved into a smile. “Because I tell the truth.”
“So, we’re good?”
Jordan smiled. “Yes. Consider us divorced. Thank you kindly for your service. It’s very much appreciated.”
“Good.” Jordan’s companion looked visibly ill. “I wish you well, Blake.”
Jordan watched as his informant walked away, leaving his drink untouched. He finished his own drink, then reached across the table to finish his companion’s. He noticed two young girls—a blonde and a brunette—looking his way. He decided he thought the brunette was prettier, but it would be just as nice to get to know the blonde as well. After all, blondes did have more fun.
After Jordan finished downing the drink, he slid out from his seat and walked over to the counter.
“Bartender, I need a fresh drink.” A pause. “And give these two beautiful ladies whatever they please.”
With a giggle, they ordered their choices of drinks.
“I’m Jordan.” He offered them a wink.
The blonde tilted her head in a flirty laugh. “We know who you are.”
“Yeah, we see you on TV, like every day,” her friend said. “We’re your biggest fans.”
“Aww, come on,” Jordan said, putting on a sheepish smile. “You’re embarrassing me. But I must say, I’m quite honored to be in the presence of such devoted fans.”
The drinks arrived, and Jordan continued to talk to his new companions. Neither had boyfriends, and they were roommates. While the brunette was going for her post-graduate degree in nursing, the blonde worked as a high school teacher. Before the second drink was finished, he had his arms wrapped around the brunette’s neck, but nibbling the blonde’s earlobe as the blonde kissed his neck.
“When are you going to invite me over to teach me a thing or two?” Jordan said into the blonde’s ear.
She giggled, then pulled away to whisper something into her friend’s ear. With a nod given in response, they took Jordan’s hands, pulling him out of the bar.
40
Aidan and Shaun stood on the porch of Danny Story and his cousin, Randy Books, watching as the former set his paint roller down. Fresh fumes encircled the air, meeting Aidan’s nostrils. He was careful not to touch the recently painted light blue sides of the railing.
“We haven’t seen or heard from Ryan,” Danny told them. “Or Jessie for that matter.”
“When was the last time you’ve spoken to the couple?” Shaun asked.
“The morning they disappeared,” Randy jumped in. “It’s been a couple of months. Jessie had spent the night. They were both off from work, so they planned to spend the entire day together.”
“Could they have eloped, you think?” Shaun wondered.
Both men shook their heads.
“They wanted to get married, and soon, and Ryan did want to elope, but Jessie wanted a wedding. She wanted her whole family there, so eloping was out of the question.”
“Were you friends with the couple twelve years ago?” Aidan asked.
“You mean when they had that accident?” Randy asked. “Yeah. It was a wild time.”
“A wild time?” Aidan echoed. “A kid was killed.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Randy said with a frown. “We all made mistakes. We were young.”
“Lots of people are young,” Aidan said, an edge to his words. “They don’t usually get drunk
, then behind the wheel.”
“Whoa, hold up. I only meant that it was a crazy time with everything that happened. They were messed up after the accident. It took a long time for them to get back to anything like normal.”
“Why don’t you tell us what happened that day?” Shaun suggested.
“We already spoke to the cops when it happened,” Randy protested.
“Now you’re talking to us,” Shaun reminded him. “Your friends have gone missing. Haven’t you noticed? Or perhaps you don’t care?”
“Of course, we care, man,” Danny replied. “But what does the accident have to do with why they’ve vanished? They made their peace and did their punishment.”
“There’s someone out there who may think differently,” Aidan pointed out. “Have you’ve seen the news?”
Randy shook his head. “We don’t have cable. We stream movies, that’s all. Why? What’s going on?”
“You should watch the news every once in a while,” Shaun informed them. “There’s someone seeking revenge of those involved with Bryce Van Camp’s death. The public calls him the Scavenger Hunter. He killed Judge Deacon Paris’ sons, the daughter of the defense attorney, the daughter of the ADA, even the son of the surgeon who tried to save Bryce Van Camp’s life.”
Randy’s face paled and Danny’s mouth fell open, stammering, unable to form words.
“You’re saying Ryan and Jessie are dead?”
“We don’t know,” Aidan admitted. “We have theories, some facts, but few concrete pieces of evidence.”
“But…but…” Danny shook his head. “It’s been twelve years. Why wait until now for revenge?”
“That’s something else we’re trying to figure out,” Shaun said. “Think back to the last time you’ve seen either one of them. Do you recall them acting differently?”
“No,” the muttered in unison.
“When they hit that guy, everything changed, man,” Randy said. “Jessie, especially. She was driving and so mad at Ryan. He was flirting with some girl at a party. She called him out on it, making a major scene.”
