by Liz Bradford
On the way home, they stopped and picked up a movie and take out from Becca’s favorite Chinese restaurant. After they ate, the three piled on the couch with Callie in the middle to watch the movie that Callie had picked out. Becca and Callie snuggled close, but Jared hung off to the side for a bit until Callie reached over and pulled him closer. Jared rested his arm along the back of the couch behind them. It was a funny movie, and it felt so good to laugh. The case weighed heavily on Becca, and today was just what she needed, a distraction, a beautiful distraction. As they watched, Becca felt something tickle the back of her neck. She scratched her neck and then smoothed her hair out. Then there it was again. This time she was a little quicker and caught Jared’s hand. She tossed him a glare that was more flirtatious than annoyed. Becca was torn between a desire to keep holding Jared’s hand and a reflex to pull her hand away quickly. Instead she chose a path somewhere down the middle of the two and slowly pulled her hand away leaving his hand on her shoulder.
Callie’s head was now in her lap, so Becca scooted a little closer to Jared, and he brought his arm down onto her shoulders and rested his hand on her far shoulder.
In response to Becca’s movement, Callie shifted and stretched her legs out across Jared. Becca played with Callie’s long hair as they watched the rest of the movie and then some of the bonus features. By the end of the extras, Callie was sound asleep.
“She’s out,” Becca whispered to Jared.
“Yeah, she is. Want me to carry her to bed?”
“That would be great! Glad I had her put her pajama’s on before the movie.”
“Definitely a good call. Apparently, we wore her out today,” Jared said as he gingerly lifted the girl into his arms.
Becca kissed Callie and whispered, “Good night, Callie; I love you,” before Jared took her upstairs.
As she waited for Jared to come back downstairs, Becca sat and processed the week. Her entire world had been tossed upside down this week. It was all so fast. Jared popped back into her life, discovered Callie, and now was putting his arm around her as they watched a movie as a family. She was torn between being ecstatic and terrified. Were they a family? Could they be a family? Is that what she wanted? More than anything. But at the same time, she was petrified, leaving her insides in a jumbled mess.
Jared came back in the room and collapsed on the couch next to her, not noticing the pensive look she was sure was on her face. Sighing he said, “Callie’s not the only one worn out from today. I had a great time. Thank you so much for including me, Becca.” He looked over at her and noticed her expression. “Is everything okay?”
She smiled softly. Briefly ignoring his question, she replied, “I had a great time too. Thanks for joining us.” She paused and felt his eyes watching her, waiting. She looked at the floor thinking about what she needed to say. “Jared,” she finally looked at him and pulling her legs up onto the couch turned her body to face him, “What are we doing?”
“What do you mean?” He sat a little more upright and turned towards her.
“I mean, with us. You haven’t even been in town for a week, but we act like we are a happy little family. That’s not a bad thing; that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just…” She searched for the right word. What was she trying to say?
“Scared?”
“Petrified. But I guess I feel confused, too. My emotions are so conflicting, and I can’t get my mind around it. I totally want to go back to the way things were, but I know it’s not that simple. We’ve been apart for over five and a half years. I don’t even know where you were for all those years. I still feel like I know you so well, but I also know we’ve both changed dramatically.”
“I know what you mean. I feel the same way. We were doing so well before it all happened. But then I had to go and screw things up. I guess we should take things slowly, get to know each other again and see where it takes us. I’ll be honest; I want you back in my life and not just at work. I spent the last five years yearning for you. Every girl I met got compared to you. I couldn’t get past what we had to have anything serious with anyone else. I knew if I ever found you again, I would do everything in my power to win you back. So, Becca, I’ll be up front with you. That is my goal, to win your heart again. No matter how long it takes. You take the time you need, but I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave you alone again.”
Becca’s heart swelled, and as tears formed in her eyes, a smile stretched across her face. While it was going to take a bit for her to fully trust him with her heart, she still loved him. Five years couldn’t take that away. “I look forward to being won back,” she said with a shy smile. He blushed a little as he smiled at her. “So where have you been over the last five and a half years? Chicago, right?”
“That’s right. I tried sticking around San Diego after everything, hoping you would come back, but I couldn’t stay there, not without you and Carl. So, I headed up to Seattle where a college buddy lived. After spending another solid month more drunk than sober, I got my wits together and joined the police force there, but only stayed there for just under a year. That’s when I headed to Chicago. Since I already had so many years under my belt I went for and made detective quickly. Moved around to different precincts and departments, but eventually settled in homicide a little over two years ago. That’s where I met my former partner Chad Bennett. He was the one that introduced me to Christ. At first, I couldn’t believe it, my partner was a Bible-thumper, but he was different. He wasn’t as jaded as most cops. He had hope. So, I started asking him about what made him different. It took a little while, but I eventually accepted his invite to church and came to realize that only God could fill the void in my life. I hate that it took losing you and Carl for me to accept that truth. But I guess sometimes you have to be at your lowest before you let God pick you up.”
Becca nodded in understanding.
“Well, that’s the super quick version anyway.”
“So, why did you decide to move here?”
“Well, after I became a Christian, Chad encouraged me to make amends with Caleb. Man, did that take a huge dose of humility.”
She chuckled at the image that came to mind. “I bet. I can imagine it now. ‘Hey, bro. Remember how much I used to make fun of you for your wacky, superstitious beliefs? Well, I know it’s been like eight years since I talked to you but…’” she said in her best “guy” voice.
“Pretty much,” Jared laughed. “I had been so mean to him, cutting my brother completely out of my life. But we started talking. I couldn’t believe how forgiving he was, even came out to Chicago a few times to hang out and get to know each other again. But then about a month ago he mentioned that a friend of his who works at the police department said they were looking for a few detectives with experience as there were some retirees. By chance, were you that friend?”
“I did tell him we were hiring, but I didn’t say detectives. I suppose Adam or Captain Baker could have said something to him, too.”
“That’s crazy. Well, I couldn’t believe I had stayed at the last place as long as I had. Wasn’t itching to leave this time, like I had in the past, but I still knew something wasn’t quite right. Spent hours praying about the possibility before I even applied, and there is no doubt in my mind that God was leading me here.”
“I’m glad He did. But wait when did you interview?”
“I interviewed via Skype. Apparently, Captain Baker and Caleb are good enough friends that Caleb’s word meant something. And I guess that was enough to get me a job.”
“Nice. Those two do go shooting on a regular basis.” Becca paused as she hesitated to ask the next question that came to her mind. “So, I’m not sure how much I really want to venture down this next line of questioning, but I feel like I need to know…”
Jared gave her a confused look, but encouraged her to continue, “Ask me anything you want. I want to be an open book to you. No secrets.”
“Did you date anyone over the last few ye
ars? I know you said the memory of me kept you from getting serious, but you tried?”
“I did date a few women. But yeah, nothing long term at all.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. Why was she going to ask the next question? Did she really want the answer? “Were you… intimate with anyone?”
His face dropped, and he closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. Becca knew the answer before he even spoke. “Yes. I’m sorry, Becca. If I had known I would find you…”
“Jared, you don’t have to apologize.” They hadn’t touched throughout this entire conversation, but Becca knew now that she needed to reach out and touch him, to reassure him, so she gently reached over and touched his arm and then reached up and stroked the side of his face. He reached up and took her hand. Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed her palm and then drew her hand to his chest. He held it there for several moments before dropping his hands that were still holding her hand to his lap. She reached her other hand over and rested it on top of his. They sat in silence for minutes, neither knowing what to say next.
Jared finally broke the silence. “Becca, tell me more about your last five and a half years. Did you date much?”
“No, I didn’t. Everyone was always trying to set me up, but it was pointless. Constantly comparing your dates to your last boyfriend really doesn’t bode well for a second date. I went on a slew of first dates, but never seconds… until Caleb. He’s the only one I ever went on more than one date with. Only one I kissed too.”
“You kissed my brother?”
“Yeah, but in my defense, I had no idea he was your brother.”
“True.”
“Plus, I cut him off mid-kiss because all I could think about was you.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Okay, well, tell me what your life has been like? Have you been here in Hazel Hill the entire time? When did you make detective? I want to know it all, Becca.”
“Yes, Hazel Hill is where Amy and Tom had moved.”
“No wonder I couldn’t find you in North Dakota. It was North Carolina.”
She laughed. “That would make a difference. I came here and lived with them for quite a while. I found a job as a rent-a-cop down at the mall, doing basic security. They put me on screen duty when I was too pregnant to do anything else, so it worked out well. About a year and a half after Callie was born, I went searching for you. Tried to find you, but I had no idea where to look at all. Once I couldn’t find you I applied for the police force here. Decided I wanted to be a detective right away, but the Captain wanted me to put a little time back under my belt as a uniform since I had been out of the game for two and a half years. But a year later I made detective.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks.”
“When did you come to know the Lord, Becca?”
“Almost a year after I moved here, so Callie was an itty-bitty, Amy and Tom’s neighbor invited us all to join her for Christmas Eve service at her church. She is the sweetest little old lady you will ever meet, so it was impossible to tell her no. Well, church wasn’t at all what any of us thought it would be like. So, we went back a few times over the next few months. Amy and I got connected with a group of moms there and started attending their playgroup, which was a Bible study too. It was there that both of us gave our lives over to Christ. Tom made his decision about a month later.”
“It is so awesome that God got a hold of both of us while we were apart and brought us to Himself.”
“Yeah, it is. Now that we have found each other again, I almost wonder if it needed to be this way. Because before we thought we were invincible, that we didn’t need anyone but each other. Having you stripped away from me did help me see that the hole in my heart was way bigger than you could fill.”
“Exactly.” They sat there holding hands, basking in the work God had done in their lives.
Monday morning Jared and Becca were in the conference room waiting for Jamison and Miller. The conference room had become the command center for this case. The map now had strings and pictures attached. But rather than focusing on the case Jared watched as Becca paced back and forth across the room in front of him.
“Ugh, where are they?”
“Becca, it’s barely eight o’clock. Give them a few minutes. Why are you so antsy today?”
“I don’t know. But I want to get moving on this.”
She was more agitated than he expected, especially after a relaxing weekend. Jared got out of his seat and walked up behind her as she finished her lap on the far side of the room where there were no windows for people to see them. She turned just as he approached her, and she ran right into his chest. Flustered she swatted him in the chest and tried to get around him, but he wouldn’t let her. He firmly placed his hands on her shoulders and then slid them down onto her upper arms.
“Becca.” Her name brought her gaze up to his. “You need to chill out.” She took a deep breath, but he didn’t let her go. Slowly he felt her relax. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, but just as his lips were leaving her head he heard the door open behind him. Drat!
“Oh, sorry, guys, we can come back later!” Jamison teased as Jared turned around. But Jamison and Miller, who was behind him, just went and sat at the table. “So, what’s the plan for today, boss?” Adam asked Becca.
“Well, let’s go scope out as many places these ladies frequented as we can. We take the list that we made Friday and split it up. Go to the places where multiple victims went first and go down from there. Spend time at each of these places, look for anything suspicious, talk to the people you see. Show people the ladies’ pictures, see if anyone knew them and if they saw anyone suspicious talking to them or watching them. That’s our task until all of these places have been canvased. I’m going to pull as many other detectives in on this as I can. Let’s meet back here at 5:00 to compare notes.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Miller said.
They split the list between Jamison and Miller, Jared and Becca, and two other detective teams. It was a long day on their feet in grocery stores, laundromats, talking to employees and random patrons. It was a very long day that produced absolutely nothing.
Becca walked to her desk Tuesday morning, exhausted. Her feet and back were achy. Definitely not as young as I used to be… She laughed at herself. Her eyes met Jared’s. One look at him told her they needed to pursue a different angle today.
“Good morning,” she said to him as she set her Starbucks on her desk.
“Mornin’, Becks,” he replied and took a sip of his Starbucks. She chuckled at him. He never got Starbucks on his own accord, so she knew he was sending her a message that they needed to take it easy today, if possible, especially since yesterday had been so long and fruitless.
“Let’s go chat with Jamison and Miller and make a plan for today. I was thinking we should work from the office a bit today.” She watched a smile emerge from Jared’s lips.
They found the other two detectives, and all made their way back to the conference room. “Let’s just talk about the case right now. See if we can come up with any new angles from which to approach this.”
They opened all the files and spread them out across the conference table. All four of them stared at the murder board and the files in silence for a good five minutes until Jared finally spoke, “What about trying to figure out how he is inflicting the injuries we see on the victims?”
Becca answered, “Sounds like a good line of thinking. Forensics hasn’t told us anything definitive other than that the bruises couldn’t have been caused by a traditional beating with fists and feet.”
“Well,” Adam said as he stood up and left the room.
The three detectives all looked at each other. Becca lifted her palms to the ceiling. She had no idea what Adam was up to.
A moment later he opened the door again and pulled in another rolling white board. He kept talking as if he hadn’t just left the others confu
sed, “Let’s make a list.” He situated the board in the room and opened a marker and wrote “POSSIBLE INSTRUMENTS OF TORTURE” in all caps across the top of the board. Then poised himself to write their ideas.
Becca gave the first idea, “Well, one of the bruises on Tonya reminded me of a bruise I got when I was hit with a pitch while playing softball in high school.”
“Okay, so softball.” Adam wrote “SOFTBALL” on the board.
Rick said, “Sizes varied, so couldn’t have only been softballs.”
Adam turned to the board and added “BASEBALL, GOLF BALL, ETC.”
“But some of the bruises had cuts that couldn’t have resulted from being hit with balls.”
Adam put a large X across that list.
Rick spoke up, “What do we know about the injuries? Maybe we should start there.”
Adam drew a box on the side of the board and wrote “FACTS.”
Jared stopped rubbing his hands together and grabbed a folder off the table and glanced through it. “The ME’s report says that the bruises on Crystal ranged from one-half inch to eight inches across.”
“Really?” Becca said, “I remember Tonya’s were a bit smaller. Michelle’s were less defined because of the medication she took.”
Adam wrote the measurements on the board. “What else?”
Rick said, “Some of the injuries were a few days old, meaning they were inflicted soon after he took each woman. And others were only an hour old at time of death. And the rest were spread throughout the time they were missing.”