Missing & Gone

by Shawn McGuire

  Which way should I go? I know he’s right behind me. I need to get away or he’ll kill me, too.

  A door on my apartment building slams shut and I turn to see a dark shadowy figure running my way. I need to get away from him. The woods across the street are thick, the perfect place to hide. I start down the paved walking path, but that’s stupid. He’ll catch me in seconds if I stay on it. I dart into the thick trees. The bushes scrape my legs and mosquitoes swarm as I disturbed their nesting spots. The vegetation is so heavy, I have to move slowly, but that’s better anyway. Running makes too much noise.

  “O’Shea? What the hell are you doing?”

  Randy stood five feet away, looking at me like I’d lost my mind. It’s not that I’d lost mine, it’s that I’d slipped into Jola’s.

  “Let’s go this way.”

  I started down the path I’d seen Jola take in my mind. Randy didn’t question me, just followed, curious more than anything by the look on his face.

  “She wouldn’t have stayed on this path,” I said of the blacktop walkway. “She knew Birke would follow her so would’ve darted into the woods. We need to look for signs of broken branches or trampled plants.”

  Randy scanned the left side of the path while I took the right, both of us looking for any indication of someone going off the path.

  “Birke would’ve been angry,” Randy said. “He would’ve followed her anyway.”

  “Maybe. But it’s dark at two-thirty in the morning. And there was no moon last night. He wouldn’t have been able to track her for long.”

  After less than five minutes, we came to a group of students working in the preserve.

  “I’m Detective O’Shea with the Madison Police Department,” I identified myself, “this is my partner Detective Ketchum. We’re looking for a female UW student who might be lost somewhere in the preserve. Have you seen this woman?”

  I showed them Jola’s picture, but none of the students had seen her. In fact, they said they hadn’t seen anyone else in the preserve that day.

  “This girl could be hurt,” Randy told them. “Will you keep an eye out for her?”

  “Of course,” one of the young women said.

  We turn to leave when my conversation with Effie repeated in my head.

  “Does ‘ducks’ or a ‘fireplace’ mean anything to any of you?” I asked.

  “It does,” the same young woman said. She pointed Northeast from our current location. “If you go that way, all the way to the lake, you’ll find an old stone fireplace. In the same area, is an old duck blind.”

  One of the other students pulled a map of the area from her backpack and pointed to a spot at the western edge of Frautschi Point.

  “We’re right here,” she said and traced her finger along the map. “The fireplace is over here. Keep the lake on your left-hand side and you should find it in a few minutes.”

  I thanked the students for their help, and Randy and I took off to find the fireplace.

  “I can’t believe we’re following the advice of a fortuneteller,” Randy said.

  Neither could I. When the clues all added up to the right answer, though, there was no reason to question the means.

  As we got closer to where this old fireplace was supposed to be, Randy and I started calling out for Jola. We came to a small clearing and there, right along the lake shore, was an old stone fireplace.

  “Jola Crane!” I called out. “Madison Police Department. We’re here to help. Please let us know where you are.”

  We kept calling, assuring that we were with the police, and after a few seconds heard a weak voice through the weeds.

  “Over here. I can’t walk. I blew out my knee.”

  Effie had said something about a twinge in her knee. I still didn’t believe in my grandmother’s woo-woo, but I didn’t believe in coincidences either.

  We trampled through the weeds and found the concrete foundation for a duck blind right along the water’s edge. Tucked down inside the blind, lay Jola Crane.

  ***

  A couple of hours later, Randy and I entered Jola’s hospital room. She was slightly dehydrated, had scratches and insect bites all over her body, and her knee had swollen to the size of a cantaloupe. They wanted to hold her overnight to be sure she was otherwise all right, but we needed to get a statement from her before that.

  “I spoke with your grandmother last night,” I told her.

  Jola laughed. “Let me guess, she had a premonition about me. That’s both comforting and aggravating at the same time.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “It’s great in situations like this,” Jola said, “but if I ever wanted to go off the grid, she’d find me every time.”

  I wanted to talk about Whispering Pines with her. My family used to spend so much time there when I was a kid, but I hadn’t been there in such a long time. If we got started, I was sure Jola and I would be able to talk for hours about stories of the village. It was so quirky with its unusual Wiccan ways, but I had absolutely loved it there when I was little, especially the spot set up with the fortunetellers’ wagons. I really needed to go up and visit Gran. Just because she and my parents were feuding, didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy time with her. If I went up during the summer, I could enjoy the tourist season.

  “Did you find Bethany?”

  The hopeful look on her face broke my heart.

  “We did find Bethany.” Randy’s voice was solemn and full of compassion.

  “And?” Jola asked.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Crane,” I said.

  “I tried to get her to come home with me. I should’ve dragged her to the car.” Jola closed her eyes, causing fat tears to fall. “How?”

  Randy told her that we had found Jola’s body in the play structure at the park. He explained that we had found a syringe near the structure as well.

  “We’re hoping to lift Clive Birke’s fingerprints off the syringe,” he said. “We’ll test its contents, but we suspect fentanyl laced heroin. There’s been a big problem with that around here.”

  “It’s a big problem everywhere,” I said. “We’ll run a toxicology test on Bethany’s blood to verify if that’s how she died.”

  “I knew it was going to end this way,” Jola said. “I called her parents a couple of times. They kept telling me they’d come get her, but they never did. I think they just couldn’t deal with her addiction anymore. They went through a lot with her after the surgery. It was scary how fast she got hooked on the Oxy.”

  “We found the video on your computer,” I said.

  “You got past my pass—?” She smiled without finishing the question. “Guess those of us with ties to Whispering Pines also have ties to one another.”

  Could be. Or maybe I just made a lucky guess.

  “Obviously, you downloaded it off your phone,” I said. “You never sent it to the police station, though.”

  “I was just about to,” Jola said. “Literally, I was about to open the email and attach the video when Birke came in. I’d been so sidetracked about Bethany, I forgot to lock it. Anyway, he grabbed my phone out of my hand, threw it on the floor, and stomped on it. He didn’t realize I’d already downloaded the video, or I’m sure he would’ve done the same to my laptop.”

  “And that’s when you ran?” Randy asked.

  Jola cringed painfully and shifted positions in bed. “Right. I didn’t know what he’d do to me, but I wasn’t going to stick around long enough to find out.”

  “Thank you, Jola,” I said. “Will let you rest, but as soon as you’re able, we’ll need you to come into the station and give a formal statement. Don’t worry about Birke. Thanks to your video, we’re holding him down at the station. He won’t be bothering you.”

  Jola nodded and as we left her room, she started crying.

  ***

  After finishing up the paperwork on this case, Randy and I were ready to call it a day. We walked out to the parking lot together, and as I got to my car Randy
asked, “You want to stop for a beer?”

  I wanted to go home. I wanted to call my grandmother and let her know that Jola was okay. Randy and I had only been partners for a couple of months, though, and this was the first time he had suggested we sit and talk. There had been a lot of tension between us over the last week or so that I didn’t understand. We needed to address that.

  “Sure, I’d love a beer.”

  We drove to a pub a few blocks away. I found a parking spot first so went inside and ordered two beers, then took a stool at the bar and waited for Randy to come in.

  “You know, it’s unusual for cases to wrap up that fast,” Randy said. “Nice to have a quick one now and then.”

  “I agree.” I took a long pull on my beer, shoved a few pretzels in my mouth, took another pull. “So, what’s been going on?”

  “Just some personal stuff.” Randy frowned as he stared at his bottle. “Honestly, I thought the captain was nuts promoting you, but I get it now. You’re a good detective.”

  “Even if I take advice from fortunetellers?”

  “Even if.” He looked me in the eye, took a swig, and then smiled. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know that if I’ve been acting like a dick, it has nothing to do with you. It’s all on me.”

  “If? You’re a total dick. Acting like one, I mean.”

  I signal to the bartender and ordered a double-sized order of sloppy nachos for me and my partner. When they arrived, he ordered another round of beers.

  ***

  It was after eleven o’clock when I finally got home. Meeka, my West Highland White Terrier, ran up to meet me, her little tail wagging at top speed. I dropped to the floor to let her jump all over me and cover me with kisses.

  “I missed you too, girl,” I said. “This was a really long day. Hopefully, they won’t all be like this.”

  “I hope so, too,” Jonah called from the bedroom.

  I kicked off my shoes, pulled off my jacket, and wandered into the bedroom. He was sitting in the bed, papers spread out all around him.

  “Looks like I’m not the only one that put in a long day.” I removed my weapon and put it in its case in my nightstand drawer.

  “At least I can bring my work home with me and spend time with you,” Jonah said, attitude on high.

  “Do you really want me to bring my work home with me?” I smiled, but he didn’t return it.

  “What I want is for you to be home when I get here at the end of the day.”

  He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me thoroughly. Jonah didn’t have a problem with me working, he just had a problem with me being a cop. He would be much happier if I could find a nice administrative assistant job somewhere. No, that wasn’t fair. The real problem was, he was afraid I’d get hurt. To be honest, that was a concern I had, too. But I was well-trained, and I was a damn good cop. I did everything in my power to make sure that nothing happened to the people I had vowed to serve and protect or myself.

  When it looked like the kissing was going to turn into something more, Jonah released me and with a husky voice said, “Let me finish this up. Ten minutes, then I’m all yours.” He waggled his eyebrows, and I laughed.

  “That is the best idea I’ve heard all day,” I said. “I’m going to call my grandmother while you finish your work.”

  The moment I settled onto the couch, Meeka jumped up and laid on my legs, letting her little body go limp. I really loved coming home to her happy, furry little face. If only she and Jonah could get along. He claimed she got hair everywhere, not true, and I’d never once seen her cozy up to him.

  I pulled up Gran’s phone number and pressed dial. It was late, but my grandmother had always been a night owl, so I wasn’t worried about waking her. True to form, she answered on the second ring.

  “You found her.”

  “How did you know?” I asked.

  “Effie told me.”

  I laughed and shook my head. Why did I even bother to call? I didn’t know how they did what they did up there in Whispering Pines, but it was sure entertaining.

  “She’s been waiting for your call,” Gran said. “Would you like to speak with her?”

  “Since she already knows everything,” I joked, “I don’t have much to tell her. You can let her know that we found Jola along the shore of Lake Mendota hiding in a duck blind near an old fireplace. She messed up her right knee, but otherwise she’s fine. Other than being devastated about her roommate, of course.”

  “You’ve been on speakerphone this whole time,” Gran said, sounding very pleased with herself. “Effie heard every word.”

  “I think I’ll make a trip down there to check on Jola,” Effie said.

  “That’s a good idea,” I said. “She suffered a pretty traumatic experience. I’m sure a friendly face would go a long way towards helping her. Speaking of visiting, it’s been a while since I’ve been to your house, Gran. I think it’s time I do something about that.”

  “Well,” Gran cleared her throat, “I would just love that.”

  “I’m not sure when,” I said, “but soon, I promise.”

  “Oh, hang on,” Gran said. “Effie’s having a vision.”

  I chuckled silently, envisioning Effie sitting on Gran’s couch in a trance with her eyes rolling back.

  “This one is about you, Jayne,” Effie said.

  “Me? What could you possibly be seeing about me?” I asked.

  “I don’t have specifics,” Effie said in her mysterious fortuneteller voice, “but I’m seeing some big decisions coming your way. Again, I can’t explain what that means, but I know that in the next six months or so you will be presented with a lot of choices.”

  “Sure,” I said, dismissing the woo-woo, “I’ve got to decide when to drive up and visit my grandmother.”

  “These choices will test you,” Effie continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “They won’t be easy, but they will be very necessary for your future. Even though you will doubt yourself many times, trust your instincts. They won’t steer you wrong.”

  I had just started this new position as detective. My boyfriend of the last seven years was not happy about it. He had political aspirations and had for years let me know he wanted me to be by his side, something I wasn’t very happy about. My dog wasn’t crazy about my boyfriend and vice versa. I had a partner, whom I was supposed to trust with my life, who was having personal issues that he didn’t want to talk to me about. What could I possibly need to make choices about?

  Bonus Material

  FAMILY SECRETS

  A Whispering Pines Mystery

  Releasing July 2017

  Welcome to Whispering Pines, Wisconsin, a place for those who don’t belong.

  Sixteen years after a family feud drove her from the cozy Northwoods village of Whispering Pines, Wisconsin, former detective Jayne O’Shea returns to prepare her grandparents’ lake house for sale. Once there, not only does she find that the house has been trashed, her dog discovers a dead body in the backyard.

  Jayne intends to stay out of it, but when it becomes obvious the sheriff isn't interested in investigating the death, Jayne can't stop herself. Her list of suspects grows faster than the plants in the commons’ pentacle garden. Could it be the local Wiccan green witch with her stash of deadly plants? The shop keeper who slips into trances and foretells death? The visitor determined to practice black magic?

  What Jayne knows for sure is that the closer she gets to solving this crime, the more the sheriff wants her to back off. And when a local fortune teller provides a crucial clue, Jayne knows it’s up to her to solve this murder.

  CHAPTER 1

  “I’m losing it, Meeka.”

  My West Highland White Terrier sneezed in response. Most likely she was agreeing with me, but she was also mad at me, so I couldn’t be sure. She loved car rides, which to her meant around town, getting out often to meet people. Five hours crated in the cargo area of my ten-year-old Jeep Cherokee made for one angry pup.

  Had we gone
fifteen miles yet? I forgot to check my odometer against that last sign. It had probably only been five. All I knew for sure was that I’d been driving on the two-lane country road through Wisconsin’s Northwoods for so long, a funhouse effect had settled in. The never-ending tunnel of pines, oaks, maples, birches, and other species I couldn’t identify was not my normal. I was used to row after row of houses crammed close together. Row after row of trees, not so much.

  After another couple of minutes, we passed a sign so small I almost missed it: Whispering Pines 5 miles.

  “We’re almost there, girl. Less than ten minutes and you’ll be running your little legs off.”

  My phone rang, and my mom’s face gazed at me from the phone in the holder clamped to the air vent. I reached a finger toward the answer button but froze before touching it. I told her I’d call when I got to Gran’s. Guess she thought I should be there by now. I was twenty-six years old. When was she going to stop micromanaging my life?

  The phone rang for a fourth time then went quiet. I clenched my hand into a fist and waited for her inevitable re-call. After a minute and no ringing, I relaxed and silently vowed to call her once I got to the house.

  Up ahead on the right, the sign indicating the beginning of the village limits appeared. I slowed, checked that there was no one behind me, then pulled to a stop. The impressive wooden marker had to be at least ten feet wide and eight feet tall, and the logs on either side were a good foot-and-a-half or two in diameter. It appeared to have been hand-carved by an artisan rather than machine-lathed.

  Welcome to Whispering Pines

  Est. 1966

  A symbol was etched into the wood below the date—a circle with a pentacle in the center and a crescent moon flanking either side. When I was little, I thought the symbol represented the sun, moon, and stars. Now I knew that it was the Triple Moon Goddess symbol and represented the maiden, mother, and crone. Whispering Pines, Wisconsin had been founded by followers of the Wiccan religion and to my knowledge, Wiccans still made up half the population. A narrow four-foot by two-foot plaque hung from the bottom of the sign and read, Blessed Be – Enjoy Your Visit.