Haunted Love

by Jessica Frances

  I stare back over the file I left at my desk the other day. There isn’t much in here, and since Eric hadn’t finished the case before his accident, there isn’t much I can do.

  I stare at the grainy images of who I assume is Gerald Rumple and four different women. He doesn’t appear to have a type, as three are short, while one is tall; two are heavily built, the other two slender. Moreover, although the quality of the photo isn’t great and it is dark, I can tell two of the women are brunettes, one blonde, and one redhead.

  “Do you think he was drugging these women and hurting them?” Thea’s voice startles me.

  I look up at where she sits on the edge of my desk, her arms open as she leans down towards me so she can get a better view of what I am looking at. My breath catches in my throat for a moment. I’m surprised to find myself wishing Thea would lean over farther so I can kiss her sweet lips, perhaps even wrap my arms around her and pull her onto my lap.

  I stare at her lips for a moment longer, lost in that image. I imagine the taste of her that will seduce me as I open her mouth to me and dominate her, consume her until she can think of nothing other than what my mouth is doing to her and what she wants the rest of me to do to her body.

  It is difficult to drag myself away from the fantasy, and I find my erection growing uncomfortably until I have to adjust myself.

  At the return to the real world, I notice Thea is frowning at me, her arms crossed over in front of her.

  “Don’t waste your time thinking up a lie, Aiden. I don’t need to hear whatever story you’re trying to make up in your head. I want to know what you truly think.”

  I laugh a little at that, only causing her frown to turn into a full blown glare.

  I quickly glance around me, checking that there is no one around to see me talking to myself, and then look Thea squarely in the eyes so she knows I’m telling her the truth.

  “If you want me to be honest, then I wasn’t stalling to make up a lie to tell you. I got distracted by your lips and what I want to do to them. And, if I’m going to keep the honesty going, the way you’re crossing your arms over your chest is only pushing your tits together and making it harder for me to concentrate.”

  I manage to embarrass her.

  “Aiden!” She quickly drops her arms to her sides, her face reddening, but a small smile plays at her lips. Much better than the frown she wore before.

  “And my answer to your previous question is yes, I think there is a good chance that Gerald Rumple was coercing these women with either drugs or perhaps threats. That bartender didn’t paint a pretty picture of him, and the fact that there are two missing person reports on two known women he left with is troubling. It is always possible it is a coincidence.” I pause to shrug, my eyes dropping back down to the photos and finding one of an old style, small cabin.

  It has endless shrubs surrounding either side, and in the distance, there appears to be a river. There are no fences, only a dirt road leading up to the house, and the windows at the front have been boarded up. It’s no wonder Eric couldn’t get any clean photos of what was going on in the small house.

  “This place he had is about a two hour drive from here. We could take a look, but with Gerald dead for the past two years, I’m not sure there will be much point.”

  “Maybe we can find something on Lara to see if she left him or stayed.”

  “The place might not even be there anymore, or it could be empty or resold to new owners,” I warn, not overly looking forward to a two hour drive in peak traffic.

  “We won’t know unless we take a look…” Her hands wrap around my arm, and she tugs, trying to get me to stand.

  “Fine, but if this ends up being some wild goose chase, you owe me one.” I try to appear stern, but when she slides her hand down my arm until her fingers link with mine, I find myself too giddy.

  Since when in the hell have I ever felt giddy? When did that word even enter my vocabulary?

  ***

  It takes me eight wrong turns and giving in to asking the internet where in the hell I am before we find the place. Gerald’s cabin isn’t on a map anywhere; there isn’t a proper street that belongs to what Eric has written down. He thankfully wrote down a couple of directions on how to get there, but they were vague, and the shops he based the beginning of his directions on no longer exist. The two hour drive takes close to two and a half.

  I’m frustrated by the time we come upon the cabin, and it only gets worse as we find the place crumbling and clearly long ago abandoned. This definitely is a wild goose chase.

  I don’t feel it is safe to go into the small dwelling, which I’m pretty sure is one strong breeze away from completely collapsing, but Thea points out that she can go in with no problem.

  Logically, I understand Thea can’t get hurt like I could. I recall the bullet she took for me that didn’t harm her; however, my heart pounds painfully in my chest as I wait to see her come back out. Thankfully, she is only in the small shack for a few minutes.

  “There isn’t anything in there that I can see. Just mundane things that are all rotting away. There are no photos, and no sign that Lara was ever here.” She sounds disappointed, and I feel bad that she didn’t get the answers she wanted.

  In the grand scheme of things, Lara Stafford doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t have any relevance to Thea’s case, and finding out what happened to the woman won’t give Thea any closure for herself. Although, I fear this might be a victory she was hoping to win in the meantime as we wait for justice for her own case.

  “It doesn’t have to be a waste coming here I suppose. Could we take a look at the creek over there?” Thea’s eyes plead with me.

  I hold back saying what I want, which is a definite no. On the other hand, we have already been here longer than I planned and will unlikely make it back home before dinner, so what does another few minutes matter?

  “Fine, but just for a little while. I want to be back on the road before I forget how the hell to get out of this place.” I watch her jump up and down on the spot as I finish and can’t help rolling my eyes at her enthusiasm. “It’s just a creek, Thea.”

  “I love the water. Every summer, I would spend so much time at the beach. My two favorite things are swimming and cooking. I’ve done plenty of cooking, but I haven’t been to the water once since I died.”

  “You can’t swim in there. I don’t know what is in that water or if it’s even sanitary.”

  “You don’t want me to skinny dip with you in there?” she teases me, winking when my mouth drops open.

  As much as the idea of Thea naked and wet appeals to me, I don’t relish the idea of another public rendezvous where I look like a serious creep—even given the fact that there doesn’t appear to be anyone close to this area. Not to mention, we’re also just outside a place where some awful horrors most likely happened.

  “I’m just kidding. I only want to listen to the water for a little while. I find it peaceful.” Thea rushes ahead of me on her way to the creek.

  I guess there is easily a hundred feet of open area between the rotting cabin and the creek. The open blue sky above and the tall trees in the distance make the view picturesque. However, watching Thea racing across the open field appeals much more to me. There is beauty in her innocence and passion, something that calls to me that has nothing to do with her outer beauty.

  I begin to follow her at a jog, but when I see her stumble to a stop, I know something isn’t right. I run faster, making it to her side, fearful there is something wrong with her. What if she is leaving me? What if her time has come?

  “Is that what I…? Is that a…?” She sounds faint.

  I follow her outstretched finger and see what stopped her dead in her tracks.

  There is the beginning of a skull imbedded in the ground, a human skull.

  A body is buried here.

  Fuck!

  ***

  “So, you’re saying you only came out here because of the Bell case? I don�
��t understand.” My captain is scratching his head at me, and I don’t blame him. I have no easy answer to explain how I came upon the graveyard of a serial killer.

  Yes, a serial killer.

  Forensics have been out here for hours. So far, they have uncovered over thirty bodies, and they have scanned the ground and found there are at least fifty more. There hasn’t been time to establish any sort of timeline; however, I overheard one of the forensic guys say that all the bodies that have been unearthed so far have been deceased for over ten years, with one suspected of being buried for over thirty.

  “I was just going over Th—” I stop myself from saying Thea’s name to Jones, knowing he already thinks I’m too close to her case. “Bell’s father’s files. I had a hunch the killer was after one of them. This one doesn’t make sense, though. It was unsolved, and the file had nothing in there that suggested this. Just a woman named Lara Stafford who hired Bell’s dad to investigate her fiancé to see if he was cheating on her. Bell’s parents were in a car accident before he could finish the case.”

  “So, what made you check this place out?”

  “I was checking off all the names on the files, seeing where they were now and if there was any motive to want to keep what Bell’s dad had on them quiet. Gerald Rumple died two years ago, but the woman in the file disappeared…” I trail off, realizing there most definitely is no happy ending for her now. She is likely one of the bodies buried here.

  I glance at Thea, watching the shock that is still glued to her face. She hasn’t said a word since we found the skull, and I called it in. With every single body that has been discovered, she has turned paler. If this wasn’t a completely serious and most definitely not a joke appropriate moment, I might have made a comment about her being as pale as a ghost.

  I get back to answering the captain. “Eric Bell documented that Gerald brought the women he was cheating with back here. He had the names of a couple of the women, who also went missing, and I thought it was worth checking the cabin out. I didn’t expect to find the bodies. The best I hoped for was some information on Stafford and what happened to her.”

  “Do you think this has something to do with the Bell murder?”

  “I don’t see how it would. Gerald Rumple has no living relatives, his final year was spent in a coma after a car accident, and the nurse I spoke to said he had no visitors the entire time. I don’t see how this could connect back to Bell or why someone would want this to remain hidden. The cabin appears to have been unused for several years.”

  Jones nods his head at me, his mind clearly a million miles away as he mulls over my words.

  “I don’t know whether to call you a lucky bastard for falling into this and setting up your career for life or call you a genius for being so anal about checking every angle on a case, no matter how much it seems like it will be a dead end.”

  “I’ll take genius, sir,” I joke, earning a chuckle from the big man.

  “Fine, I’ll give you that one. I was going to put you back on rotation to take the next case that comes up tomorrow, but the paperwork attached to this one is going to be huge. Identifying the bodies is going to be a headache, but soon, a lot of families are going to get some closure and can give their loved ones a proper burial. That is as good of an outcome as can happen in this situation. The bastard might not be around to pay for what he did, but his victims will be able to go to their final resting place where their families can properly mourn them.”

  I nod, seeing a bit more color return to Thea’s face. The captain might not realize it, but he’s making Thea feel better about what she’s witnessed.

  “A case this big and a body count like this is likely to mean bodies from across state lines, which also means the f.b.i will be involved. That is a headache in of itself, so how about you leave? This will make a good press release and maybe win back some faith from the public, but I’ll deal with them for now. You’ve earned at least a couple days off. Besides, the forensics will take a while to start coming through, and I know how much you hate press conferences and the media.”

  “Thanks, sir.” Even I hear the obvious relief in my voice.

  “I’ll call you in when we have something.”

  I nod, grateful to be allowed to leave. Despite sleeping once I left the precinct this morning after arresting the gas station owner, I didn’t get anywhere near enough.

  I get in my car then rub my eyes wearily.

  “Are you going to be okay to drive home?” Thea asks me softly, the first words I have heard from her in hours.

  “Yeah. Are you okay with what just happened?”

  “I … not really. I never expected … I can’t believe he was such a monster. I hoped Lara got away. I figured he was abusive, but I didn’t imagine he would be a killer. She didn’t make it out, did she?” Thea’s voice is shaking by the end.

  I pull her into my lap, her legs resting over her seat as she leans her head against my chest and cries, her body shaking in my arms.

  “There are people out there who are evil; you know that better than anyone. I wish you didn’t, though. I wish I met you before you were taken from this world and stopped you from being hurt. I wish I could have saved you from what happened and from what you just found out today.”

  “I wish I met you earlier, too,” she whispers as her tears stain my shirt and her body shivers.

  My cell ringing startles us both. I ignore it, thankful when the annoying ringtone ends. Unfortunately, it only starts up again. When it rings a third time after I ignore it, Thea moves away from my chest, looking up at me.

  “You should get that.”

  “It’s not important right now.” I tighten my grip around her.

  “Someone calling at midnight isn’t trying to get a hold of you just for a chat. It could be serious.”

  I sigh, knowing she is probably right yet also knowing, the last time I called someone back this late because Thea talked me into it, I ended up having dinner at Mom’s house.

  I left my cell in my car after Jones arrived, having received several calls from other detectives I work with wanting to know the scoop on what I had discovered. When I manage to grab it without disturbing Thea too much, I see I have eight missed calls from Max, and it begins ringing for a ninth time in my hands.

  “Hey, what’s—?”

  “It’s Grandma. She had a suspected heart attack. You need to get down here now.” Max sounds stressed.

  I think my own heart stops in my chest. “Got it. I’m on my way. Which hospital?”

  Thea shuffles away from me with concern and worry settling over her features.

  I listen to Max tell me she’s at California Hospital Medical Center as I hurriedly start the car. Then I hang up on Max, immediately putting my foot down and angrily weaving my way around the cars and vans that have taken over the area. Artificial light has the place looking as though it is the middle of the day, but as soon as we move away from the clutter of vehicles, darkness encompasses us, and I flip on my high beams to ensure I don’t hit a ditch.

  “Aiden, what is wrong?”

  Thea is still shaking, and she’s whiter than even before. I quickly realize she has taken my silence and haste as meaning something has happened to Flynn.

  “My grandma is in the hospital. They think she suffered a heart attack.”

  Thea gasps, her hand immediately covering my closest hand to her, which is gripping the steering wheel to the point where I’m surprised the stupid thing hasn’t broken in my grip.

  “Is she okay?”

  “Max didn’t sound good.”

  We take the rest of the drive in silence while I break several road rules along the way.

  ***

  When we enter the too bright waiting room, Max is pacing the length of the room while a woman sits in a seat nearby, speaking to him and trying to coax him to sit with her. I assume this is Abby, but I don’t have time to take in the woman who has a stronghold on my brother’s heart.

  “Abou
t time!” Max snaps at me, his glare narrowing in on me.

  “Max, you only just called him a—”

  “I got here as soon as I could,” I cut Abby—if it is her—off, not needing her to get in a fight with Max over me.

  “Let me guess, you just had to finish working on whatever fucking case you’re on!” Max snaps, storming up to me yet stopping a few feet from me, his hands fisting at his sides.

  “I’m not going to fight with you right now. How is she?” I try to bury my anger that wants to lash out at him, just like he is doing to me.

  “Like you even give a—”

  “Max!” Possible Abby snaps, grabbing his arm and squeezing tightly before answering me. “She is stable. Your mom is visiting with her now. She’s been asking for you, though.”

  I nod my thanks to her, watching as her grip doesn’t loosen over Max. I can tell he’s calming down.

  “She’s going to be okay,” Thea whispers to me, her own hand gripping mine. While I feel support from her touch, it is disheartening to know no one can see her. I can’t even hug her without looking like I’m crazy.

  Maybe I am crazy—crazy for wanting more from this, more than I can ever have.

  “Aiden?” Mom’s almost squeal distracts me from my heartache, and then her arms wrap tightly around me. I think she tries to suffocate me. The most I can manage is to try to remember that it is my mother attacking me while resisting the urge to put my police defense training into action and pin her to the ground while cuffed in three seconds flat.

  “Gloria, why don’t you come and sit with me while the boys go see if Grandma is up for a visit?” Abby—this has to be her—says softly.

  Soon, Mom loosens her arms, and I am able to breathe again. She is sobbing loudly, though, and I feel uncomfortable leaving her.