Hidden Angels: Wildfire Lake Book One

by Victoria Wyngate

  “Down the hall. His office is on the left,” she replied.

  Marty went where he was instructed and knocked on the door. Jeff opened it and motioned him inside.

  The two gentlemen shook hands.

  “I’m Investigator Miller. When was the last time you saw this waitress? What’s her name?” he asked as he removed a pen from his pocket.

  “Her name is Gretchen. Gretchen Peterson,” he responded. Marty wrote the name down on his pad.

  “Can you describe her for me?” he asked.

  “She’s about 5’6” and weighs, I’m guessing, about 120 pounds. She has long blonde hair and green eyes.”

  “What was she wearing?” Marty asked.

  “We have a standard uniform here. A Roadhouse t-shirt and jeans. White tennis shoes and a black Roadhouse apron.” Jeff answered.

  “When was the last time you saw Gretchen?” asked Marty.

  “At approximately ten o’clock last night. Said something about going out to have a smoke. Her car was still in the lot when I left at 11:30 p.m. I just thought she had gone home with a friend. When she didn’t show up for her shift this morning, I tried calling her. Only got her voicemail. I thought maybe she just over slept. I was going to try again a little later, but we got busy. When I called the second time Lyndsey heard the phone ringing from inside Gretchen’s locker,” said Jeff.

  “Did anyone touch or open the locker?” asked Marty.

  “No, we waited until you got here,” he answered.

  “Good, we’ll need a look at that locker and its contents,” said Marty, “I’ll also need to see her car.”

  “Follow me,” said Jeff as he led the way down the hall. As they left the office a woman came around the corner.

  “Marty, what have we got?” she asked.

  “Well, hello to you too Cindi,” he replied.

  “Sorry, hello. Now, what have we got?” she said sarcastically.

  “That’s better. What we have is a missing waitress and a scene that was not immediately discovered. It has probably been contaminated,” he replied.

  “Awesome. Well, where do you want me to start?” she asked.

  “Follow me,” he said as he led them to the employee break room.

  “Gretchen’s locker is over there to the left.

  Number 15.” Jeff said, pointing to the row.

  Cindi put her case down and removed a pair of gloves. Putting them on she went over to the locker and opened it. She pushed the red bangs that were in her eyes behind her right ear as she looked inside. On the locker floor was a purse. On the only shelf was a cell phone.

  She photographed, bagged and labeled both. “It’s highly unlikely whoever took her was in this room. It would’ve been too obvious,” she said, “Her car still in the lot?”

  “Yes. It’s the blue Monte Carlo on the right side,” said Jeff.

  She turned on her heels and headed outside. It wouldn’t be easy to process the scene in the dark, but it wouldn’t be her first time.

  She had floodlights in her trunk.

  ******

  David looked at his watch and exhaled deeply.

  “What? Is that really the time?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m afraid so,” responded Trish, “I was having such a wonderful time. I guess I lost track of the time myself.”

  “I hate to, but I have got to go,” he said, “l have a long day tomorrow and it’s late.”

  He took Trish in his arms and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

  “Good night then,” he said, “I’ll talk to you soon.” Trish walked him to the door.

  She leaned on the door as she closed and locked it behind him.

  Wow, she thought, just wow.

  ******

  Cindi set up the flood lights in the parking lot. She took crime scene tape and roped off the area between the front and rear corners. That area included Gretchen’s car.

  Cindi knew that the chance of finding crucial evidence was faint, at best. She had to try though. With all the cars and people coming in and out of the lot, cross contamination could pose a significant problem.

  That, along with the delayed discovery of the crime scene. She began marking and photographing the items found in the secured area. She took pictures of Gretchen’s car inside and out.

  Cindi walked close to the car and placed a marker next to a cloth lying on the ground.She photographed the cloth and put it into an evidence bag, labeling it.

  She dusted the exterior surfaces of the car for fingerprints and put the prints with the rest of the evidence. Cindi then called a tow truck as the state crime lab would be in charge of the processing of the car.

  She boxed the evidence she had collected then went to find Marty. She found him in the employee break room finishing up an interview with one of the waitresses.

  “I’ve finished outside. I’m just waiting for the tow truck,” she said.

  “Good, I’m almost done here,” he replied.

  Cindi went back outside to wait for the truck.

  The tow truck arrived fifteen minutes after Cindi had placed the call. The driver was loading the vehicle to the flatbed when Marty emerged from the restaurant.

  Cindi turned to him and asked, “Got what ya need?”

  “I think so, at least for now. And you?” he asked.

  “As soon as he gets this thing hooked up, but I still need to get my equipment. I won’t be ten minutes behind you. I’ll drop off the evidence on my way home.” Cindi said.

  Marty said, “I’ll wait if that’s alright with you? He might still be in the area.”

  “Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” she replied as they watched the driver tighten the last of the chains.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Travis had gotten up early and was on the road before sunrise. He hadn’t bothered to shower or eat. But now he was extremely hungry.

  Stopping at a small diner he went to an unoccupied booth and took a seat. The server came to take his order.

  “Black coffee, eggs over easy and hash browns.” he said as he looked up at her. The waitress was a brunette. Too bad, he preferred blondes. When his meal arrived he finished it quickly and paid his tab in cash.

  He got back on the road and turned on the radio, country station, figures. He quickly changed the channel to a classic rock station. That’s better, he thought. He tapped the steering wheel to the music as he drove.

  ******

  Trish awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. She picked it up on third ring.

  “Hello?” she said sleepily.

  “Hello gorgeous.” said David, “Did I wake you?”

  “It’s alright,” answered Trish, “My alarm was scheduled to go off soon anyway.”

  As she finished that statement the strident sounds of the alarm filled the room. “See,” she said as she turned it off.

  “I was thinking about you this morning and wondering when I might be able to see you again? Maybe tomorrow night?” he asked.

  “I’d like that very much,” she said, “I’m off tomorrow.”

  “How about 6:00 p.m. then?” he asked, “I know this fantastic little Italian place off the beaten path. It has high reviews.”

  “Sounds good,” said Trish.

  “See ya then,” he said, “I… guess, I’ll let you go to get ready for work. I have to do the same, good-bye.”

  “Bye,” she said as she turned on the radio and started getting ready for work.

  ******

  Travis had driven hardly three miles before coming upon a small mom and pop type hardware store. Perfect. He needed supplies. Pulling into the lot he went inside. He picked up a small bundle of rope and a roll of his favorite duct tape. He saw a black ball cap with no logo and picked that up as well.

  On his way to the checkout counter he passed a row of packing supplies. Almost as an afterthought he picked up a roll of clear box tape. You never know, he thought.

  He headed toward the register and paid for the items in cash again.
Rule number one, never leave a paper trail. He took the items to the car.

  Only fifteen more miles to go. He was getting so excited.

  Travis drove into the city limits of Leesville. It was only a little bit bigger than Lynxboro, but much more picturesque. The houses on the main street all had large white columns on their spacious front porches. The lawns were all professionally landscaped.

  The sight actually made him a little nauseous. It reminded him of photographs he’d seen in one of those many women’s magazines.

  He continued along the main street looking for restaurants and a hotel. On the edge of town there was a community park with a surrounding jogging trail.

  Just past the park, was a campground. According to the sign on the street it offered rental cabins.

  However, the campground was closed for the winter season. He noticed the big heavy front gates were padlocked. If he was going to take a look at the cabins he’d need to enter on foot.

  There were large trees on each side of the gate. He went back to the park and turned into the driveway. The park remained open during the winter months. It was clearly posted on the sign at the entrance. He parked in one of the spots and looked around.

  It was now mid-November and it was getting colder. No one would be out braving this cold and wind for the sake of their physical fitness.

  He was wearing a heavy ski parka and pulled on a stocking cap. Locking his car, he turned toward walking trail. It was wooded, well used and narrow.

  There were mile marker signs on the side of the trail at various intervals. At the one half mile mark he looked through the trees and saw several small cabins.

  Those must be part of the neighboring campground, he thought. One cabin was set back into the trees a little further than the others. Wanting a closer look at that one he walked through the woods. He approached the cabin, slowly, looking around and taking in the surrounding area.

  He was concerned this cabin might be the home of the caretaker. However, the cabin seemed to be deserted for the season.

  Things were falling into place quite nicely.

  ******

  Marty Miller arrived at his desk and found a file folder. It was a detailed printout of the findings from the state crime lab. Included in the file were DNA results found on the cloth from the crime scene.

  According to the analysis, some of the DNA found on the cloth was a 99.9% match to the hairs found on a brush in Gretchen’s purse. The cloth contained traces of Chloroform as well as DNA from an unidentified male.

  He closed the folder and rubbed his forehead. This case had just gotten complicated. It had gone from a missing person to a kidnapping.

  ******

  David sat at his desk looking through the case files for the two missing women. No witnesses. No evidence from the scene and no new leads.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. He took the photographs of each woman and lay them side by side on his desk. The physical descriptions of these two women convinced him, without a doubt, that the cases had to be related.

  There was something else about these women that scared him to death. The similarities between them and Trish. What if whoever was responsible for their disappearance decided to go after her?

  He picked up his phone and called dispatch. He asked for additional patrols of Trish’s complex.

  Better safe than sorry, he thought.

  David hung up the phone and glanced out of the window as the first snow fell. He was going to get Trish a present, but not a traditional one. This one would be for her protection.

  He glanced up when he heard an alert tone. Grabbing the remote he turned up the volume for the small television mounted on the wall in his office.

  The local news was broadcasting a weather advisory and it didn’t look good. There was going to be a storm impacting most of the immediate area.

  The prediction was for at least 4-6 inches of snow.

  ******

  Travis got back to his car as the snow started falling. The bitter chill of the freezing wind made his cheeks feel raw and irritated. His eyes were stinging and his nose started running.

  He pulled his parka tighter around his throat. He ran to get into his car and out of the wind. Wasn’t expecting snow, he thought. He turned on the radio to see if he could get an update on the latest weather predictions.

  The only thing on the radio was classic rock from the 1980’s. He cranked up the volume as he drove. By the time he got back to town it was dark.

  The lights from the Wayside Bar and Grill cast a welcoming glow onto the parking lot. He pulled into the lot and killed the engine. The first thing he noticed as he walked inside was the thick smoke hanging in the air.

  It was obvious that the clean air gestapo had not made it to this section of the country yet.

  Smoking was still allowed in this place, evidently. Coughing and blinking back a tear he walked further inside.

  He spotted a stool at the end of the bar near the television. Sitting down he ordered a beer.

  He had just taken his first sip when a weather update came on.

  The weather report ended as Travis finished ordering his dinner. He started thinking about altering his plans and weighing his options.

  Maybe he could pay his grandfather a visit in North Carolina. There were just a few,slight problems. He would have to get more money from somewhere. He had just enough with him to pay for his meal and maybe a tank of gas.

  However, he had some cash back at the cabin.

  His meal arrived as another weather update came on the screen. The meteorologist was explaining how the storm front had stalled along the state line. It was dumping heavy amounts of snow.

  This stall was causing the storm to intensify as it picked up moisture from the river running along the state line. The estimated time for the storm to hit his location had been pushed back by several hours.

  He’d have just enough time to get back to the cabin and settle in before it hit. He had provisions and firewood enough to at least weather the brunt of the storm.

  Waiting out the storm would also give him time to think.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Trish looked at the thermometer she had just taken out of her mouth. It registered 102.4 degrees. No wonder she had been having chills.

  She had been feeling achy all morning and now had a fever. I can’t get sick, she thought. I have a date tonight. She picked up the phone and called David.

  He answered on the second ring. “Hello gorgeous,” he said.

  “Hey,” she responded. “I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to take a raincheck for tonight.”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I think I’m coming down with something. I’ve been feeling achy all day and now I’m running a fever. I’m afraid it might be the flu. I’m probably contagious.” Trish replied.

  “I chase criminals all day and for a living, I’m not afraid of the flu,” he said.

  “Really David, I don’t feel well at all. I’m going to bed and rest. I’m sorry, but I will make it up to you. I promise.”

  “Is there anything you need?” he asked.

  “Not that I know of,” she said, “I just need to rest right now, but thanks for the offer.”

  “Anytime,” he said, “You just get some rest and I’ll call later to check on you. Call me if you think of anything you need. No matter what time it is.”

  “I will,” she said, “But I’m really feeling lousy and I just want to go to bed”

  “Okay, but you better take care of yourself. Bye,” he said.

  “I will. bye.” I hope he understands, she thought. She headed to her bedroom to lie down.

  Good thing I’m off tonight, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

  Trisha woke two hours later to the sound of knocking on her front door. Getting unsteadily to her feet, she grabbed her robe and slipped it on.

  She shouted at the door, “Alright, I’m coming.” I don’t feel up to entertaining anyone ri
ght now, she thought.

  She looked in the mirror hanging in the hallway. I look just like I feel, she thought. Horrible.

  She opened the door and said, “I’m sorry but....” Her voice trailed off when she saw David standing on the porch.

  “I know you don’t feel well, but I thought this might make you feel a little better,” he said, nodding toward the basket he held in his hands. Trish stepped back, allowing him to enter the room.

  She followed him into the kitchen where he put the basket on the table and started removing some of its contents. He looked at her as he removed a small disposable bowl.

  “This is what I was saying would make you feel a little better. It’s chicken soup. My Grandmother’s recipe.” he said.

  He walked over to the microwave and opened the door. He looked at the small disposable container and turned to face Trish.

  “Where do you keep your soup bowls?” he asked.

  “In the cabinet to your right on the bottom shelf.”

  She said pointing to the right one.

  He opened the cabinet that she pointed to. “I don’t want to serve it to you lukewarm and I don’t think this Styrofoam container would survive the nuking process,” he said as he removed a bright yellow bowl from the cabinet.

  He put the bowl on the counter and transferred the soup into it. Taking the bowl to the microwave he started pressing buttons.

  Trish walked up behind him and asked, ”Really? It’s your grandmother’s recipe?” looking at him skeptically.

  “Okay, you caught me. I actually picked it up at the corner deli, but it’s the thought that counts, right?” he answered.

  Trish smiled, watching him complete his task. He is so sweet, she thought. She sat down at the kitchen table.

  He waited for the microwave timer to sound before he grabbed a towel from the handle of the oven. He wrapped it around the sides of the bowl to avoid getting burned and put the bowl on the

  table in front of her.