Chapter 24

Todd Purcell zipped up his pants as he exited the room. With a grunt and a shrug he made his way to the kitchen to get a beer. Always good after a little pleasure.
He stopped short when he sensed him. He hadn’t seen him yet but Todd could always tell when he was there. His heart beat faster and his palms started to sweat. Todd called him the Man. Truth was he didn’t know his name but he knew he answered to him.
“How was she?” He asked from darkness of the living room.
“Louder then the others. That ones a screamer but we’ll break her. We always do.” Todd tried to keep his voice light, to keep the tremor out of it but it was impossible when he was around. This was the one man that Todd both feared and admired.
“What about the others?” It was more of an accusation then a question. Todd knew he would have to answer for his actions but had hoped that killing Jonathan would have been enough. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“That was Jonathan’s mess. I took care of him.”
“I know. It’s all over the news. Your incompetence is not encouraging.” The Man was close enough to see now. The faint light of the kitchen was absorbed by his black eyes. Did this Man even have a soul?
“It wasn’t me. Jonathan…” He held up his hand and Todd stopped his words.
“I know who it was but I paid you for five girls. Now you only have two. I expect you to make up the difference. And you only have one week to do it. I am not leaving the country without all the girls I need.”
“Two? What about Jessica?” Todd’s palms were sweaty again. This wasn’t part of his deal. Where would he find three more girls on such short notice?
“Let’s just say that she didn’t work for me and her family will pay the price.” He moved back his jacket and Todd didn’t miss the gun in his belt. “The price was for five girls and I will have them or you will meet Jonathan’s fate.”
“What about the other girl?” Todd asked.
“Which one?”
“Kayla. When do I get to break her?” Todd licked his lips. Of all the girls she was the youngest and most beautiful. He yearned to feel her soft skin.
“She is mine and she is off-limits. Take the other one but do not touch her.”
Todd held up his hands, “Fine, fine! I get the idea.” Todd shrugged and grabbed his beer out of the refrigerator. He took a swig and looked back at The Man. Why was he still here? He only showed up when he wanted something and yet he hadn’t said anything. Todd eyed the Man’s gun again and his heart began to pound. Was he here to kill him?
The Man grinned, “Don’t worry Todd, I’m not here to kill you. I, do, however need you to do something for me.”
He handed Todd a list of names. These would be the other three girls they needed. The Man gave explicit instructions that these girls were not to be taken in the same way as the others. They already had enough trouble with the FBI especially Agent Zimmerman.
“You will get this done or you will meet the same fate as your friend Jonathan,” The Man patted his gun and left Todd alone in the apartment. Making appointments for Julia’s suitors would have to wait. He had a lot more work to do and not a lot of time to do it in if he valued his own life.

Ashley held on to Nate’s hand and let him bring her to her feet. She leaned against the tree and looked around her. The woods, the lake. Something just wasn’t right. Something had been wrong with Jessica.
“Something’s wrong,” Ashley said.
“What do you mean?” Nate asked.
“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about Jessica. Something isn’t right.” Ashley began walking towards the lake and towards Jessica. “I need to see the body.”
“The medical examiner isn’t here yet and you need to clear the scene. I can’t let you…”
“Nate, you called me here to help. My gift may be to talk with children but I am a trained Forensic Psychologist and you need my opinion. I wasn’t wrong about the other things, I’m not wrong now.”
Nate sighed but allowed Ashley to come with him to examine the body when Dr. Brekken showed up. Ashley said little as they waited. She kept her eyes averted from the tiny form that still lay covered by the lake. She could tell by the gray color of Jessica’s hands that she had been there for a while.
Ashley looked the girl up and down. Despite her grayish tone Ashley could see old bruising. Her wrists and ankles appeared to have rope marks around them. She had been bound. Some of her wounds looked fresh but some looked old. Ashley crouched down to get a better look. Tree limbs covered most of the body. Her tank top was covered in mud but Ashley thought it used to be yellow. A bright color for a beautiful child. Child, who did this to you? Ashley raised her hand to lift away a branch from across Jessica’s legs.
“Don’t touch the body,” An officer chided from behind her.
Ashley held up her hand in acknowledgement. She hadn’t been around long but she knew enough not to touch things. Without the branch it was obvious that Jessica’s pants were torn and hanging on by a thread. Blood pooled around her groin area, soaking into the dirt. “She didn’t wash up here, she was placed there.”
“It’s a bad body dump if I ever saw one,” Nate said.
“I don’t think anyone was trying to hide her. Remember, someone sent me here. It had to be for a reason.” Ashley pointed to marks on Jessica’s shoulders and legs, “Do you see these marks, Nate? These are old wounds. This is a deep scar underneath her arm that doesn’t look like it healed properly.”
“How can you tell?” Nate asked.
“See how wide the scar is? It looks like there was gaping skin open in this area. If it had received proper treatment it would have been healed in a straight line, or at least a jagged one. This looks untouched…”
“Good observation Ms. Parks,” a female voice came from behind Ashley. She stood to see the medical examiner, Dr. Brekken walking towards them. Her short brown hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and she wore dark rimmed eyeglasses that made her look like a TV nerd. But the freckles on her face gave her such a girlish look that one would know the glasses were only there to accentuate her intelligence.
Ashley stepped out of the doctor’s way and let her get to work. Crime scene technicians took photographs of every move that was made. This tiny girl was being reduced to a sum of photographs and whatever her family remembered of her. At least what was left of her family which as far as Ashley knew only included her father. Twelve years reduced to a nightmare ending. Maybe it was better that Aidan’s life ended so young. Better to avoid the real pain of this horrible life.
“She was pregnant,” Dr. Brekken’s words cut through Ashley’s tirade against life.
“What?” At least four voices around Ashley asked the same question.
“Tell-tale bump right here,” Kelly pointed to Jessica’s abdomen. How Ashley had missed it she wasn’t sure given the clinginess of the girl’s clothes.
“She’s only been missing for four weeks…” Nate said.
“Then this was from before the kidnapping. I’d say she’s between three and four months along.”
“She was only twelve,” Ashley bit back the tears that threatened to overflow. How could it be worse? Nate grabbed Ashley’s shoulders and attempted to turn her away from the scene but Ashley dug her rubber soled heels into the ground. She wished she’d had her stilettos, those would stick better. When Ashley didn’t move, Nate let her go but his eyes relayed the message that they would discuss the topic later.
“What was the cause of death?” Nate asked turning his attention back to Kelly.
“Strangulation. Looks like with a belt around the neck. If I had to guess I’d say a man’s belt but we’ll know more once I get her back to autopsy.”
“Same COD as the other victims,” Eric said.
“True,” Kelly replied, “But if I remember correctly, Dr. Folek told me those girls were strangled by hand, this girl was strangled by a belt. More forethought, less anger. I believe you have more then one killer.”
“Was she raped?” It was Nate again asking the question that everyone wanted to know the answer too but didn’t want to ask.
“I can’t tell that here, I need to get her back. Dr. Folek and I will perform the autopsy and I’ll get you results as quickly as I can.”
One of Kelly’s assistants had rolled the black gurney down between the houses and the trees and back to the pseudo lake. After Jessica was loaded onto the gurney and zipped into the black bag that covered her face, Ashley finally felt free to leave the area. Nate followed without a word, making no attempt to hide his protective stance. If someone was going to get to her, he would have to go through him.
Despite her desire to be self-sufficient, Ashley didn’t mind Nate next to her. She didn’t mind his protective nature.
The kiss.
Ashley had just discovered a dead body after a voice on the phone told her where to go and all Ashley could think about was Nate’s kiss. She hadn’t really noticed him before… No, that was a lie. She’d always noticed Nate but she never thought that he wanted anything to do with her. Sure they’d flirted in college but when Donnie came along Nate never said a word. He was in their wedding. He called and visited when Aidan was born. He never said a word. Had she missed it or just chosen to ignore it?
Ashley walked with Nate through the backyard and into the front. Unlike the other girls Ashley felt no evil here. No terror. No fear. Jessica hadn’t been killed here, only dumped.
The once quiet cul-de-sac now bustled with police cars, ambulances and fire trucks. Officers were working everywhere, canvassing the neighborhood and taping off the scene. Horrible yellow tape already covered the yard Ashley had exited. With nothing better to do two paramedics rushed Ashley and walked her to their bus leaving Nate standing alone in the driveway.
“I’m fine, really.” Ashley pushed the paramedics back.
“Are you injured ma’am?” One of them asked.
“No, seriously I’m fine. I need to help Agent Zimmerman, please let me go.” Ashley pushed to stand. Her world swam around her but she stood still lest the paramedics decide she needed to go to the hospital for some reason.
“Wait there Ms. Parks. I have some questions for you.” Ashley recognized Nate’s Lieutenant, Annabeth Porter and sighed.
“Yes, Ms. Porter?”
“How did you find Jessica’s body?” Annabeth’s black hair was slicked back into a bun and away from her dark face. Her brown eyes had a tint of purple around them and her large lips were colored soft lavender. Ashley thought it looked nice on her.
“I was jogging when my phone rang. I answered it…”
“Do you know who called you?”
“No, I didn’t recognize the voice or the number.”
“And yet you did what he said,” Annabeth’s tone was no less then demeaning.
“He told me that if I didn’t listen he would kill Officer Easton.”
“And yet Officer Easton is dead. How do I know you didn’t shoot him and then find this little girl?”
“I didn’t kill anybody.”
“But maybe you’re working for someone who did…” Ashley knew Annabeth had to ask these questions but they were still painful to hear.
“I have no idea…”
“Then why are we always coming back to you? What’s your connection?” If only Annabeth knew how much Ashley wanted to know the same thing.