Maddie Ann s Playground

by Mackenzie Drew

  “I thought I’d warn you before they got here,” Jake added.

  “Well, I think I’m going to get out of here. There's nothing we can do here now, so I’m going to go grab a bite to eat before I fall over from hunger,” Tom told him.

  Jake decided to join him instead of dealing with the crowd on its way.

  ***

  The disaster unfolded as Claire tried to escape from the cemetery. Watching the workers with despair on their faces brought tears to her eyes. One man died, and two others taken away critically injured to the hospital. She knew Maddie Ann caused this evil earthquake. Suddenly realizing Maddie Ann had traipsed off somewhere, preoccupied with her own world, and the window of opportunity closing rapidly, Claire put all her strength and concentration in trying to escape the ties that kept her earthbound. She felt her toes rise off the ground, then felt a snapping sensation as she broke her bonds and rose from the ground. As she soared aloft, a flash of golden, light shot to the sky, like a Roman candle.

  “Did you see that?” a man asked.

  “I believe I did, son,” the supervisor whispered.

  “I think we’ve awakened the dead.”

  The entire remaining crew, medical personnel and cops included, took off their hats and held them against their chests as sorrow for their dead and injured colleagues hit them. They all had the sense to look guilty as they realized they violated the dead and paid the price.

  ***

  Claire had to find Jennifer. Before the black souls dragged her back into the cemetery last night, she’d noticed Father Donovan lurking beyond the gates. At first, relief swamped her, believing Jennifer made it to safety. She was grateful he showed up like she asked him to. Then, shocked, she'd watched him dragging her away by the hair. She knew this priest had a dark side to him from his reaction to her visit to his bedchamber, but she never could put a finger on it until now. He and Maddie Ann had some going! All her gut instincts told her so.

  Claire watched him soar through the sky that night, holding an injured Jennifer in his clutches. If he held Jennifer captive, Claire had to think of a way to rescue her. Maddie Ann must have given him power, but how did they know each other? Thinking hard about what she witnessed, Father Donovan looked more like a devilish beast than a priest. He'd transformed into something alien, a sick perversion of everything good and decent. She had to stop him the same way she planned to stop Maddie Ann.

  ***

  Jake pulled into the high school parking lot. For reasons unknown, it looked as though no one cared about the seriousness of this investigation. There was a big secret kept from the whole town about the missing teenagers. His strong determination to find out would expose the truth. With an hour before school let out, Jake went in to the office and waited for the principal to call him in. Several delinquent students lined the walls of the waiting room and he remembered his high school days sitting in those hard plastic chairs. If he made it through a whole day without trouble, he considered it a good day. His mind wandering in the past, the principal, Mr. Kemp, called him three times before he answered.

  “Detective Kelly, you can come in now,” he called.

  Jake jolted from the seat as if he were in trouble. “Sorry about that, I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he explained.

  Jake took a seat facing Mr. Kemp’s desk. He noticed he finally sat on the other side as an adult and not a kid awaiting the consequences of bad behavior. He chuckled out of nowhere at the memory of the pranks he used to pull. Mr. Kemp didn’t look too amused as his face colored.

  “Sorry about that,” Jake smiled. “I was remembering my high school days and getting called in to the principal's office.”

  “So, what can I do for you?” he asked.

  “I'm investigating a homicide, which includes some of your students who disappeared.”

  “Yeah, whatever. Weren’t you in here earlier?” he asked, twirling a pen around in his hand.

  “Yes, sir, I need to find out what crowd these girls hung out with and talk to the missing girls' friends,” he explained. “I've been getting nowhere fast, and the parents are getting frantic.”

  “There are over two hundred students in the senior class alone. We accept students from three separate counties. I can't keep track of all of them. What are their names? I can pull their files.”

  “Claire Barton, Kari Wolfshire, Lisa Hartley, Lizbeth Miller, and Tina Hastings,” replied Jake. “Oh, and Jennifer Cravens.”

  Mr. Kemp jotted the names on a notepad, and went out of the room to get their files. As soon as the door shut, Jake stood and scrounged through the top drawer of the principal's desk. Typical paperwork and office supplies cluttered the space. Hearing heavy footsteps outside the door, he sat down, looking guilty.

  “Ah, here we go. I remember these girls and the tragic news about them. Their files are all in order. If there is anything else you need, call us and we'll try to answer any questions you may have,” he said handing the manila folders over. “These girls were a self-contained clique in this school, and not many other students infiltrated the group. They were all decent students and I don't remember seeing them in my office. They were good role models for the other students.”

  “Well, sir, this is a start, but that’s not all I need.”

  Annoyance creased Mr. Kemp’s face. He turned chalk white and gripped the edge of his desk.

  “Sir, what’s wrong?” Jake asked, puzzled.

  “Temporary wave,” he said. “I’m sick to my stomach, but it will pass.” He waved a hand in front of his face, fanning himself.

  Jake waited until the man regained his composure. “Sir, I need to find out some information about these girls. I need to interview some of your staff and students. Will that be a problem or do I need a warrant?”

  “You can interview anyone you like, but I doubt they'll tell you anything. There's a conspiracy of secrecy in this town. I know something that I haven’t told anyone, but you didn’t hear it from me. It pertains to two boys, and I think they may have had something to do with the girls' disappearance,” he explained.

  Jake’s eyebrows rose. He lifted one foot to his knee and fumbled with the cuff on his slacks. “And how did you come by this knowledge?”

  Of course, Kemp knew something, and in Jake’s suspicious mind, Kemp had something to do with the girls’ disappearance as well. This whole case could be one giant conspiracy. His job at the school consisted of drilling the man until he got what he came for.

  When Kemp didn't answer, he said, “I need to ask you a question, Mr. Kemp. If you had knowledge of foul play that may or may not have occurred with these girls, why didn’t you come forth and report it?” He already wanted to choke the shit out of this guy.

  “I couldn’t. You don’t understand,” Kemp expressed, excited. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Try me.”

  Jake knew by his vibes that Mr. Kemp hid something important. “Why don’t you start from the beginning? I have all day—do you?” he asked sarcastically.

  “They asked me not to tell you anything. I’m probably going to lose my job over this,” he said, sweating through his shirt.

  “Hey, you and any other guilty parties are more than likely going to jail for withholding information and hindering my investigation. No need to worry too much about getting fired,” Jake shouted, wanting to slap his pasty face.

  “All right, for God's sake; keep your voice down. The two boys involved were Mitch Styles and Aaron Mackenzie. There, I said it.”

  “The judge and the mayor’s sons’? Holy crap, now I know why you hesitated. I can’t wait to visit Judge Styles and Mayor Mackenzie. Did they pay you to keep your mouth shut? You wait; it’s gonna be way worse for you if you don't cooperate.”

  Kemp didn't say another word. He stared at the ceiling.

  “For God sakes man, say something,” Jake said.

  “I've already said everything I can. Now please leave,” Kemp demanded. He jumped up, showing him to the door.
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  “Oh, don’t you worry, I’ll be back, and this time, it won’t be a casual little sit-down, I promise you that. It’s been awhile since the kids’ disappearance, and you didn’t have the balls to come forth. I’ll make sure the parents find out if their kids get into any danger and you have information to help them, you know how to look the other way. Obviously, you only protect the kids of certain community leaders in this town. You’re worse than the scum around my toilet.”

  With his Irish temper flaring, Jake slammed the door to Kemp’s office. He got nowhere with the office staff, either. Nobody claimed to know anything. Storming out, three students huddled by the office door, whispering and pointing in his direction. He wondered what they were doing out of class. “Is there a problem, ladies?” he asked.

  A girl with long scraggly hair and clothes big enough to fit a large adult peeled off from the rest and blurted, “You're here, about Claire, aren't you? I know a secret about her, Officer.” The two other girls took off like scared rabbits.

  “Hi, I’m Detective Kelly, what’s your name,” he asked.

  “Sara Wilson.” She frowned.

  “Uh, would you like to talk about it in private?” Jake asked.

  She glanced over her shoulder as if for reassurance from her departed friends “Sure.”

  He led her to a little bench by the lockers at the schools south end. “Yes, what is it, Sara?” he said gently as they sat side-by-side.

  “I know something about Claire Barton I’ve never told a living soul,” she said in a mousy voice.

  Now he was getting somewhere. “Why haven't you told anyone your secret?”

  “Well, I wasn’t allowed to, sir.”

  Jake’s instincts told him the school officials knew more than they said. Everyone held secrets, and nobody dared breathe a word. Who the hell were they afraid of?

  “Sara, it's critical you tell me everything you know. The parents of those missing girls will be so grateful for any information,” he said, talking softly so as not to further frighten the already scared girl.

  Sara sighed and looked at him with tears brimming in her pale eyes. “It's about a bet with some guys and a couple of other girls. If they knew I told you this, they’d hurt me,” she whispered feeling as if she betrayed her peers.

  He gazed into her terrified eyes. “Listen, I will not let anyone hurt you. You're safe with me, but if someone hurt Claire and her friends, I need to know about it. You understand that, right?” Hesitant to press his point, Jake needed another way to get her to continue talking. “I’ll tell you what, Sara, how about if you go down to the police station with me, write up a statement, and then I’ll make sure you get home.”

  She looked up and down the hall as if afraid to talk to the cops. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I mean—I feel fine talking to you here, but the police station…my mother won't like it one bit.”

  Jake wiped the frustration off his face and leaned forward. Obviously, the poor girl was too scared to tell him what she knew. “If I guarantee no one will hurt you, will you reconsider?” he asked. He needed answers, one way or another. “I'll talk to your mother and tell her you aren't in any trouble. I promise.”

  “Fine, but we have to hurry before somebody sees me.” Sara hid behind him as they walked down the empty hall. As they drove away from the school, fear engulfed her, and she ducked down in the seat.

  On arrival at the police station, a woman with thin brown hair scraped back in an untidy bun met them. She stood next to the precinct doors with her arms crossed and an angry scowl on her face. She approached them before they had a chance to walk up the steps. She grabbed Sara tightly by the arm, and yanked her backwards toward the parking lot.

  “Mama, let go of me. What are you doing here?” Sara asked with widened eyes.

  “I want to know the same thing, Sara Michelle,” her mother answered. “The principal called me when he saw you leave with this detective.”

  “Hey, is there a problem here, ma’am?” Jake asked firmly.

  “I would say there is,” she yelled. “Why have you arrested my daughter?”

  “I haven't arrested her. She says she has information about a case I'm working on. Why don’t we go in and talk about it, shall we?” Jake stood his full 6'2” height, going for intimidation. This woman didn't understand anything else.

  “We have nothing to say to you, mister. Now leave us alone.” Shouting loud enough for everyone within blocks to hear, she jerked Sara's arm and started walking away.

  Sara wrenched away from her mother. “Leave me alone, Mama. I need to tell him, and you’re not stopping me this time.”

  She raced to catch Jake. Together, they hustled inside the station. In a full-blown panic, Sara’s mother hurried after her. Jake led Sara to an interview room but before she took a seat, her mother rushed in.

  “Don’t you say a thing, Sara. Please, honey, I beg you. They'll find out and you'll be sorry,” she cried. “They'll ruin us.”

  Jake had no idea what she meant. He listened to mother and daughter bicker and then decided he'd had enough. For a minute, he wondered if they did this on purpose. “Ladies, ladies; explain what’s going on or I'll put you behind bars for hindering a homicide investigation. It’s your decision.”

  Eyeing the look in her mother’s eyes, Sara shuddered. Her bottom lip stuck out and she burst into tears.

  “What’s going on with you people? I believe that in the six years I’ve been on the force, I’ve never come across such secretive people before. I know one thing though, withholding information from the police will get you in more trouble than you imagine,” Jake said stern enough to grab their attention.

  “I want to tell you. I just don't want to go to jail.” Sara glanced up. Her mother gave her the evil eye one last time, causing her to look away and blush.

  “Don't you do it, Sara. I'm warning you. Keep your trap shut.”

  “What’s so bad that you have a problem telling me?” He threw his arms up in total disgust. What else could he do to get them to cooperate with him? Besides getting a special permission form from a judge to have Sara’s mother removed and treat Sara as an adult witness, he didn’t know. Jake thought about this and wondered if it would work. Sara’s mother cared too much about what others might think, so it appeared, instead of doing the right thing by helping the police solve a crime. Struggling to control his anger at their stonewalling tactics, Jake’s face turned red and his veins protruded through his neck.

  “Give me a name, just a name, damn it, please. I haven’t the time to play your childish games anymore. We allegedly have five dead young women and soon the only survivor could die by some sick bastard's hands…don't you people get it?” The little ruse they played annoyed him to no end, and he was determined to get the truth out of them before the end of the day.

  “I think we’ve said all we’re going to say,” Sara's mother said. “I know my rights and unless you charge us, we are free to go.”

  Jake looked at her like she'd grown horns. He decided to ignore their request, even if he came to regret the decision later.

  “Mrs.…,”

  “Wilson,” the woman replied. “Roberta Wilson.”

  “It’s nice to finally know your name. Anyway, hypothetically speaking, what if Sara were among those missing girls? Wouldn’t you want the police to do whatever it took to find her? And even if they had to question girls as young as Sara to get the information?”

  Roberta gazed into Jake’s eyes then bowed her head. “I don’t disobey the law mister and I do appreciate their service. But when the police badgers innocent people like you have, I lose all respect for them.”

  Jake closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead to release some stress. “Mrs. Wilson, please understand, this is my job, I’m a cop and it’s my duty to ask questions. Again, please for God sakes, if you know anything about those six girls or know anyone that had something to do with their disappearance, now is the time to tell me what you know, so we can do somet
hing to find them.” Jake shifted his gaze. “We're talking about murder, Sara. If there is some crazy bastard out there keeping these girls prisoner, and we can get them back alive to the arms of their parents, how proud would you feel? If they're already dead, at least they can have a proper burial. These parents want their kids back either dead or alive, and I can't bear the thought of them suffering any longer.”

  They sat in silence, refusing to talk. Admitting to himself that his interrogation skills sucked, he needed help from someone more skilled to handle this situation. Picking up the receiver, he paged Officer Kyle in to help him. The man had a knack to get witnesses to talk.

  As they waited for him, Mrs. Wilson suddenly got up, telling Sara they were leaving. Her backside slid off the seat, and a sudden rush of adrenaline raced through Jake’s body. “You sit. I didn’t ask you to leave,” he demanded. The woman gave Jake a nasty look, but sat back down. Growing impatient, he finally heard a rap on the door. “It’s open,” he called.