Finding Scarlet

by Holly C. Webb

  As I reached the front of the cars, I could see Lieutenant Parker talking to one of the patrol officers. When he saw me walking towards him, he gave me a nod to indicate where the body was. As I walked carefully towards the remains, I could feel the anger thunder through my body.

  “Hey Olly,” Mike Wagner, the M.E. said as I reached the body.

  “Hi Mike,” I replied as I crouched down next to him. “What have we got?”

  “It’s the same scumbag for sure,” Mike sighed. “But he is escalating. From the bruising on the body, he beat her to a bloody pulp before he killed her.”

  “Was she sexually assaulted?” I asked, looking at the broken body of this young girl lying in front of me and I felt sick. The level of violence this girl had suffered was mind numbing. My mind went to Scarlet and I wished more than anything, I was with her right there and then. I knew from her face she was upset about what had happened. I knew she was feeling guilty that she survived when all the others hadn’t. This was something we needed to talk about more, but for now, I needed to concentrate on the job at hand.

  “It appears so,” Mike confirmed. “I will know more once I get her back to autopsy, but I can tell you, he shot her twice in the head. I guess he was not taking any chances this time.”

  I knew he was referring to the fact that Scarlet had survived, and despite all the odds being against her, she pulled through the coma and was making a good recovery.

  “Olly, we need to catch this bastard soon,” Mike said as we both stood back up. “This has gone on long enough.”

  “I agree,” I sighed. I looked up and saw Lieutenant Parker walking towards us.

  “What have we got?” He asked as he reached me and Mike.

  “There is no doubt,” Mike replied. “It’s the same perp. I am sure of it.”

  “Christ,” Lieutenant Parker sighed.

  “Are they the ones that found her?” I asked, nodding towards the two girls still standing next to one of the patrol cars.

  “Yeah,” he replied. “They were on their way home from dinner. The blonde girl felt unwell and they stopped for her to be sick.”

  “Damn,” I said, knowing her vomit maybe have contaminated any evidence that might have been at the scene. “How close did she get?”

  “She said not too close,” Lieutenant Parker replied. “But I will let the CSI team know. They have both agreed to come in to give us a full statement, and the girl that was sick said she would give us a DNA sample for comparison.”

  “I will go have a quick chat with them,” I said, giving them both a nod before I carefully made my way back up to the road.

  “Ladies,” I said as I approached the two girls slowly. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my badge. They both looked up at me and I could see they were both still very upset. “I’m Detective Caldwell. I understand you discovered the remains.”

  “I did,” the blonde girl replied. “She was just lying there.”

  “Did you see any other cars in the area?” I asked, but I was not holding my breath. “Anyone hanging around maybe.”

  “No…” the other girl replied but then stopped. She looked at her friend.

  “What is it?” I asked hopefully.

  “I don’t think it’s anything,” she replied. “But we stopped at a gas station about fifteen minutes before we stopped here. Chloe was not feeling too good, she had gotten sick, so we stopped to get her a bottle of water. There was this guy, he was kinda cute.”

  “Okay,” I said trying to keep calm. I just wanted to know what they knew. “What about him?”

  “He was filthy.” The girl replied. “He didn’t go into the gas station. He pulled up at the service area and he washed his boots off with the water hose. He washed his hands too.”

  “Okay,” I said hoping for a little more.

  “What struck me as strange was, he put on gloves and wiped the hose off after he was finished cleaning himself off. I was using the other hose to clean off my car where Chloe had splashed vomit, I had my back to him the whole time, but I could see him in the reflection on my window.”

  “Did you get a good look at him?” I asked, hopefully.

  “It was dark,” she shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “If we got you together with a sketch artist,” I asked hopefully, desperate for a break in the case. “Do you think you could give us a description?”

  “I could try,” she shrugged.

  “That would be great,” I said with a smile, before I turned to the patrol officer standing with us. “Can you take the girls to the station? Make sure someone brings them their car for when they are finished. Get them to a sketch artist before they give their statement. I want her to give a description while it’s still fresh in her mind.”

  I nodded at the girls, then turned and headed back to my car quickly, as the rain began to fall once again. Once I was inside, I pulled out my phone and called my dad. It had become something of a habit now.

  “Hey, Dad,” I said when I heard his voice on the other end of the line.

  “Hey, Son,” he replied, and I knew from the tone of his voice, he knew why I had called. “It’s happened again, hasn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” I sighed and wiped the tiredness from my eyes. “Dad, I don’t know what to do. This psycho is out there, and we are no nearer to catching him. I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to keep Scarlet safe. I am afraid he will go to the hospital when I am not there and finish her off. She is no threat as long as her memory doesn’t come back, but I don’t see him waiting for that to happen. This girl tonight…God, he beat her to a bloody pulp. There was so much anger. How long before he turns that anger to Scarlet?”

  “Well there is an officer posted outside her room,” he replied trying to reassure me. “She is safe at the hospital.”

  “And what about when she comes home?” I sighed. “Dad, I am scared that I won’t be able to protect her.”

  “What can I do to help?” He asked me and I could hear the determination in his voice.

  “She is due to be released in a few days,” I began to explain. “She has nowhere to go. I would take her to my place, but she will be alone when I am at work.”

  “Say no more,” he said. “I will arrange everything.”

  “Dad, are you sure?” I said. I felt a mixture of guilt and relief. I didn’t really want to drag my parents into this, but I had no other option.

  “Son,” my dad said in a tone I knew all too well. “You are the closest thing she has to family right now, so that makes her our family too.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” I said, as the relief washed over me.

  “Drop by tomorrow,” he told me. “We can work out the details.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. “I will talk to you then.”

  When I hung up, I slipped my keys into the ignition and started the car. Wasting no time, I turned the car around and headed back to the hospital.

  When I reached Scarlet’s floor, I expected it to be quiet as it was after eleven pm, but there was a lot of activity outside her room. I picked up my pace as once again as fear gripped me.

  As I reached the room, Jaime emerged which made me panic even more, as she was heading home when I left earlier.

  “Olly,” she said when she saw me.

  “What’s happened?” I asked looking past her and I felt a little relieved when I saw Scarlet fast asleep in the bed.

  “Okay, don’t panic,” she said and instantly I felt my heart racing. “She is okay. She had some sort of a seizure. We took her for a brain scan, and everything appeared to be normal.”

  “Then what caused the seizure?” I asked, feeling like a complete dick. I knew she was upset about the call and the night’s events; I should never have left her.”

  “We can’t be one hundred percent sure,” Jaime replied. “But we believe it was an epileptic seizure. We will run some tests tomorrow.”

  “And this is from the shooting?” I asked, thinking it was a stupid question. />
  “There is no way of knowing if this is something new, or if this is something she always had,” she replied honestly.

  “Can I see her?” I asked but there was no way I was taking no for an answer.

  “Sure,” she replied with a smile. “She is asleep, these seizures can really wipe you out so she could be sleep for hours.”

  “I just want to sit with her,” I replied. Jaime smiled and stepped out of my way. I quietly walked into the room and sat in the seat next to her bed. I reached out and took her hand.

  As I watched her sleep, I thought about the latest victim. Of how completely terrified she must have been in the minutes before she died. I wondered how Scarlet felt before she was shot. I knew she would have been scared, most likely terrified, but at what point do you go from not wanting to die, to wishing the nightmare would just end.

  Maybe she didn’t ever feel that, she didn’t ever stop fighting. Maybe that’s what kept her alive.

  This girl simply amazed me. Her courage, her inner strength and her fighting spirit. It astounded me.

  I thought about earlier and how we almost kissed. I have never wanted anything more, yet at the same time, felt so terrified. My eyes fell to her lips as she slept, and I longed to kiss her. I wanted to hold her in my arms and protect her.

  She moved suddenly and released a small cry from deep inside her. She was dreaming again, and it wasn’t good.

  I needed to hold her. I stood up and slipped off my jacket and my shoes then walked around the bed. As slowly and quietly as I could, as not to wake her, I climbed up on the bed behind her.

  I carefully slipped my arms around her and pulled her into my embrace. I breathed her in and smiled as she released a small, contented sigh, and cuddled into me more.

  I closed my eyes and softly stroked the soft skin on her arms. Slowly I drifted off to sleep.

  In my dream, it was a warm summer’s night and she was lying next to me, looking up at the stars in a big field. I slipped my hand into her hand and she turned to me and smiled.

  I reached up and softly brushed her cheek with the tips on my fingers.

  “I love you,” I whispered, and she smiled.

  “I love you too,” she replied. Then she leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. It was the most perfect kiss I ever had. She pulled back and smiled as her eyes stared into mine as she softly traced across my lips with her fingers.

  I woke suddenly with a start and was surprised to come face to face with her perfect chocolate coloured eyes. She smiled at me just as she had in my dream.

  “Hi,” she whispered.

  “Hi,” I replied. Without even thinking, I leaned forward and softly kissed her on the lips. I stopped and pulled back slightly, waiting for her reaction. She smiled and moved, bringing her lips against mine. Her lips were as soft and perfect as I had imagined they would be.

  I could hold back no longer. I drew her closer to me and kissed her harder. Finally, after all these weeks, I was kissing the woman I love.

  Chapter 9

  Scarlet

  The kiss was everything I had imagined, and more. As our lips parted, he smiled at me and stared deeply into my eyes.

  “I have been wanting to do that for so long,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead against mine. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I have been run over by a steamroller.” I replied, feeling confused. I remember him leaving and being there with Jaime. Now he was back and asleep beside me. “What happened?”

  “You had a seizure,” Oliver said, as he brushed my hair back from my face. “Jamie said they are still running some tests, but you are going to be okay, I promise.”

  I smiled and tried not to let him see just how worried I was. A seizure couldn’t be a good thing, surely. What the hell is wrong with me and how much more can I take?

  He kissed me again softly on the lips.

  “I am sorry for leaving you earlier,” he said, unsure if he should even go there. “If I could have stayed…”

  “It was him again, wasn’t it?” I said in a tiny voice, my eyes searched his. Suddenly the tears danced in my eyes and a tiny sob escaped from deep inside me. “Did…did she suffer?”

  “Scarlet, please don’t…” Oliver begged.

  “Stupid question,” I sniffed. “Oliver, what if he comes back for me?”

  “I promise I will not let that happen,” He said pulling me closer to him. He softly kissed my forehead.

  “How can you stop him?” I whispered as the tears stung my eyes. “If he wants to get me, he can.”

  “You are safe here,” he reassured me. “The officer won’t be moving from that door while you are here.”

  “And what about when I am not here?” I asked, trying not to think that far ahead. After all, I knew I had nowhere to go once I was released from here.

  “Actually,” he said pulling back a little and looked at me. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I have been thinking about when you leave here…”

  “Oliver,” I sighed and sat up in the bed. “I told you already. This is not your problem. I am not your problem…”

  “I know you are not my problem,” He said sitting up next to me. “You are not a problem, period. Still, we have to think about when you get out of here. You need to go somewhere.”

  “I will worry about it when the time comes,” I replied, feeling a little defensive but I didn’t know why.

  “Scarlet, why do you do that?” He asked with a deep sigh.

  “Do what?” I replied looking at him in confusion.

  “Every time someone tries to help you,” he said holding my eyes with his. “You put up this wall. Stop shutting me out.”

  “I…I don’t,” I replied, feeling a little hurt even though I knew he wasn’t totally wrong. “I don’t mean to. It’s just…it’s hard. I feel so pathetic and useless.”

  “You are neither,” Oliver replied.

  “Yes, I am,” I sighed bitterly. “Some guy shot me in the head and left me for dead. I must have seen him, and I am the only one that can stop him, but I can’t remember. If my stupid brain would just work, I could help you catch him. I could have stopped him and saved that girl.”

  “Scarlet,” Oliver said taking hold of my two hands. “You are too hard on yourself. You have been through so much. What happened to that girl is not your fault.”

  “Then why does it feel like it is?” I said as suddenly, a sob escaped from my mouth. “You have to stop him, and I don’t mean for me. You need to stop this from happening to any other girl.”

  “I promise you, I will,” Oliver said giving me a pleading look. “But you have to stop blaming yourself, and you have to stop pushing me away. Please, let me help you.”

  “Okay,” I nodded and tried my best to smile through my tears.

  Oliver told me about his parents offer to have me go stay with them. I was surprised that they would be so kind. Then again, they raised Oliver. I was nervous about going to live with strangers. Then it occurred to me, even if they were my family, they would still be strangers.

  I looked up at Oliver and realised, right at that moment, he was the only one I cared about in this whole world.

  I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes. Over the last few days, I had become used to having Oliver around. I felt comfortable with him.

  “Do you know the girl’s name?” I asked quietly, as we lay there in the dark room.

  “She hasn’t been identified yet,” he replied. “But she will be, they all have. Well…”

  “All except me,” I said knowing he wouldn’t finish his sentence.

  “Except for you,” he repeated and kissed me on the head.

  I didn’t reply for a few minutes. I just thought of the other girls that had died, they had families, loved ones that were devastated at their loss.

  I appeared to have no one in this world that cared if I lived or died, yet I made it. It just seemed so unfair.

  “What are you thinking?�
�� Oliver whispered.

  “I was thinking just how unfair all this seems,” I said, and I could feel him take a sharp intake of breath, but he didn’t speak. I continued. “They had families, people that cared enough to notice they were missing. I have been in this hospital almost six weeks and no one cared enough to notice I was gone. It just doesn’t seem fair.”

  “Hey,” he said suddenly, turning me on to my back so I was looking up into his face. “I care. I would care if you were gone. Don’t you ever forget that. It doesn’t matter to me who or what you were before that night. What matters to me is who you are now. Who the girl is I have fallen in love with?”

  “You…you love me?” I stuttered, surprised by his revelation.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” he whispered as he lowered his lips closer to mine. I could feel his breath on me and my whole body came alive. “Scarlet whatever your past was, I want to be your future.”

  “I want that too,” I breathed. He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to mine as my heart raced faster and faster. This time his kiss was filled with so much passion, it made my head spin.

  Oliver slipped his arms around me and drew me closer to him. I gasped as I felt his erection against my stomach. I was excited, nervous even, but I wasn’t scared. I wanted him. I wanted him to want me.

  His kiss grew deeper and I could feel his whole body tremble. I reached up and ran my fingers through his soft wavy hair and I pulled him closer to me before kissing him, like there was no one in this world for me but him because there really was no one in this world for me but him.

  In a moment of boldness, I reached down, grabbed the buckle on his belt and slowly undid it.

  “Scarlet,” Oliver said as he breathlessly pulled his mouth from mine. “I have never wanted anything more than I want you right now, but I don’t want it like this.”

  “I…I’m sorry,” I stuttered again, feeling my face burn with embarrassment. “I thought…”