The Dark Places

by R. S. Whitfield

  “I’ll interview her with Parker and put the report on your desk,” she stated matter-of-factly. Dennis looked up, silently nodded and Surin walked out of the room.

  She approached Parker, who was sitting at his desk typing up the incident report regarding this morning’s call out. “We’re up,” she said, and with that, he stood and gathered his notebook.

  Surin walked over to Dennis’s desk and squatted beside the young girl. “Hi there, my name’s Surin, and this is Parker,” she said, gesturing to Parker who had kept his distance. “Can we ask you a few questions?”

  The girl stared back, her eyes slightly glazed, she turned around looking for Dennis.

  “It’s Kealy, right?” Surin asked.

  The girl looked back, nodded and pulled the blanket tighter around her small frame.

  “See that room over there, Kealy?” She motioned towards interview one. “We’re going to pop in there, close the door, and get you away from all this noise. How does that sound?”

  The girl nodded again, and Surin helped her stand up. They walked hand in hand over to the door. Parker opened it and helped Kealy sit down once again. Surin gently closed the door behind her. Instantly the room became quiet, and she could see Kealy visibly relax. Parker sat in the furthest chair from the table, which was smart, Surin thought. He was a big man in stature, and his presence may seem intimidating to a small girl. He kept his distance which made him appear non-threatening. Surin sat close and hoped that Parker was taking notes.

  “So, Kealy, what grade are you in?” Surin started.

  The question seemed to catch the girl off guard. “Oh, um, grade eight.” She looked at Surin perplexed, her voice hoarse from crying.

  “Wow, that makes you a teenager, right?” Surin continued, trying to make the girl feel comfortable in her presence.

  “I just turned thirteen last month. We had a party at the ice-skating rink near my home — it was awesome,” she replied. A small smile breached her lips but was gone so swiftly that Surin thought she might have imagined it.

  The silence stretched out between them, and Kealy’s eyes dropped to her shaking hands, and she clasped them together quickly.

  “Kealy, when you’re ready, tell us as much or as little as you want about what happened tonight. There’s no rush, there’s nowhere else we need to be, OK?” Surin sat back in her chair and waited.

  “There were three of them,” Kealy whispered, her eyes growing wide. “I-I thought they were my friends.” Tears began to stream down her swollen cheeks. “You can’t tell my dad! This is all my fault,” she yelled and buried her head in her arms.

  Surin watched the girl weep. Her life was never going to be the same.

  “This is not your fault, Kealy, not for one second,” she said quietly, giving her arm a gentle squeeze.

  “Yes, it is!” she replied. “I got in the car with them! I didn’t say anything when they missed the turnoff to my house, or when they gave me some wine. I just sat there, thinking I must be pretty cool getting to hang out with these guys.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Then Clint put his hand on my leg, I didn’t move, not an inch. I haven’t even really held hands with a guy before, so it kinda freaked me out. He moved his away after a while, and I breathed, thinking that wasn’t so bad.”

  “Where were you all?” Surin asked casually.

  “We hung out for a bit at someone’s house, kinda like a party, I guess. After a while, everyone else left, and it was just them and me. I asked Pete to drop me home. I knew it was way past my curfew and my dad would be fuming, and then they said it was time for a private party. I didn’t understand, but Jensen just told me to relax, that they really liked me, that I was pretty and smart and much better to talk to than girls their age. I tried to stand up, and Pete grabbed my shoulder. I looked at him, and he smiled, not a nice smile, a scary smile that I had never seen before. I knew then that I was in big trouble. I begged them to leave me alone, told them that I was a virgin, and they said, ‘we know’ and started laughing. Clint kept going on about how I was always flirting with them, wearing short skirts and trying to get their attention, and that now I had it, I was whinging about it like a little girl.”

  Kealy took a sip of her water. Surin sat back, trying not to show the rage she was feeling, secretly hoping not to hear another word about this poor child’s night.

  “Then they took turns,” Kealy stated, no emotion registered in her voice. “Once they had me pinned down and my clothes off, I kind of just laid there. I was thinking about this treehouse we have in the backyard and how the pink curtains my mum sewed for me needed to be washed. That’s when Jensen hit me pretty hard in the face because I wasn’t looking at him. Clint and Pete were not happy about that. ‘Don’t mark her, you fucking idiot!’ Clint yelled. I was thinking, mark me? You’re raping me, you fucking idiot. Sorry, I’m not really allowed to curse, but these were the weird things that were going through my head.

  “Once they were done, they told me to get dressed. None of them looked at me; no one helped me. They just stood there and waited. I was so scared, and there was, you know, blood and stuff all down my legs.” Kealy glanced at Parker, embarrassed. “My undies were ripped, but I still put them on. They dropped me off at the park near my home. It was raining, and they just pulled over and waited for me to get out. No one spoke to me or even looked at me.”

  Surin waited for her to continue.

  She looked up with new animation in her eyes. “I used to love that park. Before my mum died, she used to take me there every day on the way home from school and spin me around on the wheel. I used to lie down and let my head fall back and watch the clouds fly past above me. Now I’m not sure I’ll ever go there again,” she whispered.

  “I stood there in the park, for hours. It was raining so hard, but I couldn’t really feel it, is that strange?” she asked, not really waiting for an answer. “I couldn’t go home. I just kept thinking I can never go home!” Reality hit Kealy again. “Oh my God, my dad, he will disown me!” Her composure faltered, and she began sobbing loudly. “Everyone is going to call me names. I am going to be a freak after this!”

  Surin watched the poor girl baring her soul. She was right about one thing — her life would never be the same. She waited for the cries to soften before she continued.

  “Kealy, honey,” she said, gently touching her forearm, “the paramedics who picked you up said they received a call from someone telling them you were in the park. Do you know who that would have been?”

  Kelly sniffed and wiped her nose on the blanket. “Probably my brother, Seth,” she replied.

  “Your brother? Why would he call an ambulance for you?” Surin asked, reaching for the girl’s hand.

  Kealy looked at Surin, her brow furrowed like she wasn’t sure what she had been asked.

  “Because he was there,” she replied and looked away.

  ***

  Parker was getting his third coffee of the day when Surin entered the kitchen. “You want?” he gestured towards the machine, holding up a pod.

  “Honestly, I think if I have another one today, my heart will give out,” Surin sighed.

  “Uniforms just picked up our three eighteen-year-old rapists and one abhorrent big brother. His side? Wait for it, you’re gonna love this — he didn’t want his mates to think he was a wimp, and I quote ‘sex is sex, right?’”. Parker said as he shook his head. “Anyway, Kealy’s dad came and picked her up. He seemed terrified.”

  Surin sighed. “The DA is going to get the brother charged as an accessory. All in all, a really shitty way to start the week,” She reached up and pinched her nose at the temple.

  Parker watched her visibly re-group and straighten her spine.

  “Right,” she announced, reopening her eyes, “I have a billion reports to write.”

  As she turned to leave Parker said, “That case you have, on the DL, mind if I do some poking around?”

  Surin looked at him, surprised. “Of co
urse not. I wasn’t sure you were totally convinced?”

  Parker smiled and took a sip of his coffee. “I’m not yet,” he replied.

  Surin grinned back. Parker was smarter than she gave him credit for. He could already see the patterns, and it irritated him the same way cases like this irritate her. It’s the reason she was so good at what she did. Maybe having a partner might be the first step in getting a break, a fresh set of eyes, a new approach.

  “Let me know if you dig anything up,” she said and walked back to her desk.

  Parker watched her leave. She walked with her back straight and her head held high. After coming to the precinct with her this morning, seeing the respect the other officers have for her, he kind of felt privileged to be partnered alongside her. The way she handled herself at the crime scene, the gentle but not condescending way she dealt with Dennis, and the empathy she showed victims, all attitude aside, Surin Elliott was a brilliant detective. It was for these reasons Parker decided to trust her instincts on the serial case. He got the feeling that she wasn’t wrong very often.

  10

  Lucy eyed the man over the top of the menu again — so handsome, but in a subtle way. Deep, rich hazel eyes that seemed to sparkle with excitement when he looked at her, slightly wavy hair, cut neat and reasonably short but still long enough to see how thick it was, and her favourite part, big toned forearms. He obviously kept himself fit, which she liked. Lucy took superb care of herself; she ran ten kilometres twice a week and did yoga every other day. A man who takes pride in his appearance appealed to her.

  “Everything looks so great,” she said, flashing him what she hoped was a dazzling smile.

  “That’s what I thought,” he replied. “I hope you don’t mind that it’s a vegetarian place. I guess I should have asked before making the reservation.” He looked away sheepishly.

  Lucy laughed out loud — it was a delightful sound. “Actually, I am a vegetarian. I was beginning to think you did your research on me,” she joked.

  He laughed as well, a rich deep laugh that resonated with Lucy, lower and warmer than she expected. She felt the blush creep up her neck.

  “What is it?” he asked, clearly noticing her embarrassment.

  She fidgeted with her napkin. “I just, well, I just didn’t expect to meet anyone like you. That sounds cheesy, I realise that, but seriously I feel like I have known you for longer than just two weeks.” She looked down at the table, trying to hide her flaming red cheeks.

  He reached out and touched her hand gently. She looked up, and he smiled. “Lucy, I feel like I have been waiting for you my entire life.”

  11

  “Elliott, Jesus, Elliott, wake up for fuck’s sake.” Surin opened her eyes and stretched out lazily like a cat.

  “Morning, Parker,” she mumbled and smiled. Wait. What! “Parker! What the fuck are you doing in my house! In my bedroom!” Suddenly, she felt very aware of her see-through white Calvin Klein singlet and reached down to try to wrap her comforter around her body in an attempt to regain what was left of her dignity.

  “Relax!” He laughed and backed away from the bed, hands up in mock surrender. “I have been ringing and paging and ringing. I knocked on the door for ten minutes and still no answer.”

  “And you are in here how?” she screamed, realising she sounded a tad neurotic.

  “What time did you get home last night?” he asked, changing the subject and throwing her off balance.

  “What? Umm, I don’t really remember, around three a.m., I guess.” She sat up. “Yes, it was because my insane neighbour still had infomercials blaring on her TV.”

  Surin reached up to rub her eyes awake when she noticed a streak of black running down her hand. Great, she thought, I’m sitting here half-naked, sporting hair like an escaped mental patient, and I now have mascara running down my face. Could this possibly be any more embarrassing?

  At that moment, she caught Parker’s eye. He was staring at the opposite side of her white queen-size bed — the side that was currently occupied by a large stuffed yellow Minion. He looked at her, his mouth twitching, trying very hard to hold himself together.

  “Right!” she yelled. “Get out!”

  He left the room in a hurry, calling down the hallway. “Have a shower, I’ll wait here, and we have a scene so move it.”

  Surin threw her sheets back and got out of bed, cursing under her breath. As she entered her en suite, she suddenly turned and shouted out to Parker, “Despicable Me is a really good movie!” Then slammed the door, trying to ignore the roar of laughter that was echoing down the hall.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Surin finally appeared. Parker looked up from the newspaper he was reading and studied her. She had tied her hair back in a slick low bun. On anyone else this would look matronly, but Surin pulled the look off with ease. She had put on black tailored suit pants, heeled ankle boots and an ocean-blue Ralph Lauren polo. Match that with her shoulder holster sporting a Glock 22, and in his eyes, she looked as sexy as a woman could get.

  “I have a coffee for you.” He gestured towards her kitchen bench where an impossibly large Starbucks cappuccino stood. Surin tried to ignore him, but the pull of coffee was overwhelming.

  “Thanks.” She groaned and took a sip, her eyes rolling back with pleasure. They had been working together for two months now, and Parker had come to realise that the quicker Surin Elliott got coffee, the safer everyone was.

  “What have we got?” she asked, snatching the paper from him and adding, “I thought you didn’t have time to read the news?” She eyed him sarcastically.

  He smirked and lounged right back into her kitchen chair, lifting the front two legs slightly off the floor. “DB,” he said, and paused for dramatic effect. Surin put her hands on her hips, waiting for him to continue. “Fits the description,” he added and then watched as her face lit up, adrenalin and caffeine surging through her bloodstream and hitting her all at once.

  “Why didn’t you wake me sooner!” she yelled, grabbing his car keys and heading quickly to the door.

  Parker stood smiling and followed, handing her a cinnamon roll on the way out. She took the pastry and turned to face him.

  “You never told me how you got into my place, Parker,” she said before spinning and striding towards his car.

  “And I never will,” he answered with a grin.

  Surin rolled her eyes, threw him the keys and got in the passenger seat.

  “Right, tell me everything you know so far,” she demanded, biting down on the roll to hold it in place while she used her free hands to get out a notebook and pen.

  Parker started up the engine and cruised off down the street.

  ***

  “Her name is Isabelle Lacross,” the uniform stated, looking slightly paler than usual. “Twenty-five. Worked at a law firm in the city. Single. Lived alone with her cat.” He flipped the page in his small notebook, hands shaking slightly. “Reported missing by her mum a week ago, they talk nearly every night on Skype, but Isabelle hadn’t gone online for five days.” The rookie shifted from foot to foot, clearly eager to leave.

  “Righto,” Surin replied without looking up, “you’re right to leave the scene, but I need you to hang out front and make sure the media doesn’t get any closer, got it?” she asked, her eyes still focused closely on the ground. The officer looked from her to Parker, who then looked up, sensing his discomfort.

  “You okay?” Parker asked.

  “Yes, sir,” he stuttered and turned away to leave, stumbling slightly on the uneven ground.

  “Miller!” Surin yelled after him.

  “Yes, ma’am?” he replied and turned around as she jogged over to catch up.

  “Your first dead body?” she asked casually, resting her hand on his arm for a moment.

  “Yeah,” he said, casting his eyes to the ground.

  “Well, thanks, you looked after her real well. Her folks will appreciate it, and I’ll make sure they know what you did for h
er, OK?”

  The rookie looked up and smiled politely. “What exactly did I do?”

  Surin smiled back. “You maintained the integrity of the scene, you called for backup, ensured no other officers trampled through here, and no media hounds got sneaky pictures on their iPhones. Your adherence to procedure may seem trivial, but trust me, not everyone abides by it. Your quick thinking may help us catch who did this. So, as I was saying,” she continued, “good work!”

  The young man looked at Surin, processing what he had just heard. “Thanks, Detective.” He smiled.

  “It’s Elliott,” Surin replied.

  “I know,” he said with a grin.

  Surin reached into her pocket and handed the young cop her card. “Give me a call in a few days, and I’ll let you know how we’re going on the case. If you’re like me, my first dead body, I wanted to know that someone was doing all they could to catch the perp. This one will stay with you, even after the next hundred, hers is the face you’ll remember.” She smiled apologetically, then slapped him on the back and walked back to Parker. The young cop stood there, staring at the card long after she had walked away. He tapped it a few times with his index finger and put it in his top pocket. With that, he turned and walked to the edge of the road to control the swelling number of onlookers.

  Surin returned, stood back beside Parker and expertly put on the latex gloves he held out to her.

  “That was nice,” he said absentmindedly.

  “What?” she replied, looking away.

  “What you just did for that rookie.” He waited for her response.

  “Well, we all had our first, didn’t we? I was lucky; the first detective I met changed my life. I just wanted that kid not to have nightmares tonight,” she replied. Then changing the subject and putting her game face on, she looked up at Parker. “You ready, Rhodes?”