Michelle stopped and leaned on me, looking to anyone who may be watching us, like she was fixing her shoe.
“What do you want to do?” she whispered.
“I want you to stop whispering.” I whispered
“Funny.”
“I don’t have a clue.”
She wriggled her finger inside her sneaker while continuing to lean on my shoulder.
“I think we should walk down the driveway to the back of the house.”
“Brilliant move detective.” When she looked up at me I laughed. “Okay, we’ll stroll down the driveway looking like two thieves in the night…let’s do that.”
“Don’t be a smartass.” She punched me in the arm. “It’s empty. See. No cars.”
She pointed towards the rear of the driveway.
“Okay, fine,” I acquiesced. She was, after all, was my fearless leader. “Wait, what exactly are we looking for?” I asked.
“The missing girl, right?” She hopped on one foot.
“You mean you don’t know? Don’t we have a plan?”
“Of course we…I have a plan.”
“And?” I crossed my arms, waiting patiently. “ This was your idea Shelle, you tell me what we are looking for.”
“The missing girl. Or anything that will nail that crazy fucker.” I cringed as she brought her hand up to her throat and ran her fingers over her raised scar.
“Okay, stop looking so nervous. Like you said, the street is empty and we know he’s at work…”
“Okay, okay.”
Michelle reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone along with a crumbled piece of paper. She put the phone to her ear and held the paper up, as if trying to match the address to what was written.
“Says this is the house. Let’s go round back, he said it’s round back.” She said a little too loud.
She put her phone back in her jeans pocket and pulled me along.
“Wow, that was smooth.” I laughed at her expression. “You’re so smooth…you are…you are!”
I was rewarded with another punch to my upper arm.
“Fuck, Shelle that hurt.”
“No where near as bad as my foot will when I kick you in your…” she shook her head, “just come on.” She pulled me along.
We walked down the cavernous driveway glancing sideways, looking up into the windows of number 1724 and house next door. Thankfully, there were no signs of anyone being home. Both houses appeared dark, and from what we could tell, it didn’t appear that there were any lights on.
I looked down and noticed the windows of ‘Pat’s’ house; the ones low to the ground—basement I guessed—were all painted black. The paint looked to be cracking and peeling in sections.
I shook involuntarily as a chill slowly crept up my spine, causing the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck to stand up.
“Shelle…I got a bad feeling,” I whispered.
“Stop whispering,” she said loudly.
Quite the mimic my little friend.
“No, I’m serious.” I said as I stepped over a puddle of water filling a tire rut in the driveway.
“I’m going to check the back door. Follow my lead if anyone shows up.”
“Seriously?” I pulled at her arm. “You’re fucking joking right now, right?”
“Just follow my lead.”
“God help me.” I was totally taken aback, “What the hell…okay…okay, we are insane to do this.”
Michelle climbed the wooden steps up to the small landing. I noticed there were stacks of yellowed newspapers bundled, lining the floor. She banged loudly on the door with her fist, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“What are you doing? Stop that!” I climbed up the steps behind her.
“No answer.” She turned to look at me.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.”
“Listen, I’m going to try the door, watch to see if anyone comes.”
“No… Fuck, Michelle, NO!”
She twisted the knob and it wouldn’t give.
She grabbed the knob with both hands and tugged, using her weight to yank on it.
“No one’s home.”
We both jumped and spun around to find an old man and woman standing in the neighboring backyard, behind their gate. I almost fainted.
“Yeah, we know.” Michelle answered them confidently, but I could see her hand shaking slightly.
“He’s done something to her,” the old woman said flatly.
“Excuse me?” Michelle asked.
“His mother, Ruthie, he’s done something to her, that no good bastard of a son.”
“Mind your own, Tess,” the husband scolded her.
“NO…been minding my own too long, he’s done something to her.”
“Ma’am, what do you mean…he’s done something to her.”
“Ruthie his mother, she was too fat to do much. Sweet woman, but she don’t answer the door when I knock. I know she had no other family. He’s done something to her,” Tess said without emotion. “There’s a basement window over there that’s broken. One of you thin young girls can squeeze through it. I would if I wasn’t so old.” She looked imploringly at her husband. “He’s done something to her.”
“I’m not saying nothing,” the old man said as he climbed his steps and disappeared into the house.
“Over on that side.” She lifted her frail hand and pointed.
Michelle was down the steps in a flash walking over to the opposite side of the house, disappearing as she rounded the corner.
I stood there not knowing what to do. If someone called the police right now we would be in deep shit; orange is not my color, and I hate jumpsuits.
“Grace…” Michelle stepped back into to the rear yard of the house and was waving her hands, gesturing me over.
I looked at Tess, the old woman, for her reaction.
“Go on honey. No one can see nothing. There’s nobody next door…visiting their son I think. I’ll stay here and wait for you.”
Without a word I walked to where Michelle had stood a minute ago and looked around the building just in time to see her slipping into the opened basement window.
Holy shit. I’m surrounded by two crazy women.
I ran back over to the rear of the house where Tess stood shaking her head.
I quickly climbed the steps and peered into the window of the door trying to see through the little opening of the dark, dirty curtain, covering the window. All I could make out in the darkness inside was the outline of a counter and some cabinets.
My heart was pounding in my chest and I was dizzy with adrenaline. I jiggled the knob again, nothing.
Fuck Shelle…where are you…
Suddenly, I thought this has got to be one of the stupidest ideas we have ever had…ever!
I walked back down the wooden stairs, and was walking back over to the side of the house where I last saw Michelle shimmy through the window, what seemed like an hour ago.
“Oh…” I heard Tess sigh and turned around.
Michelle stood at the opened rear door, her face pasty white…
“Shelle! What…what?” I ran back towards where she stood.
She shook her head, “Tess, call the police.” She looked at the old woman.
“What Shelle, what…what did you see?”
Tess quickly, surprisingly agile for a woman her age, walked up her steps and disappeared into the house.
“Grace…there is a dead woman, on the couch.” Michelle muttered, “and there is someone down in that basement. I heard moaning, I heard her.” She blinked back tears. “The smell was so bad, I just couldn’t. I didn’t want to go by myself…”
I stepped up to her and held her. She was shaking violently.
“Sit here,” I said as I pushed her down to sit on the steps. “I’ll be right back.”
I walked in the door and through the litter-strewn kitchen. It was cold as hell—freezing. I walked down the hall and peaked into the living a
rea, the sight of the dead woman on the sofa caused the bile to rise in my throat. The air conditioner was blasting at full strength. It had to be sixty degrees. I spotted a door slightly open and pulled it back, seeing it was the door to the basement. I flipped the switch on the wall…nothing. Pulling my cell out of my back pocket I opened the flashlight app, shining it down onto the worn wooden steps, and started down. I don’t know what got into me. I usually run in the opposite direction of anything remotely scary, but for some strange reason I was determined to press on.
Guess having a serial killer for a half-brother changes a person a bit.
When I got to the bottom of the steps, I proceeded to walk through a cleared path. It was like a valley surrounded by mounds of debris and old furniture. An old hospital bed lay on its side, a wheelchair missing the seat stood in front of it.
Looking up from the floor, I spotted a door at the back of the large cavernous space, near the opened window Michelle disappeared through. The smell emanating from this area in the basement, pulled at the bowels of my stomach, and I dry heaved. The odor so noxious, I nearly turned and ran back up the stairs. But I forced myself to breathe through my mouth, and walked towards the room in the back.
I took a deep breath and held it as I pulled the door. I was surprised at how easily it opened. Then I cautiously stepped inside looking left to right, waiting for something to jump out at me.
This was like a chamber of horrors, the likes I never thought I’d actually see. It was like something from an old horror movie. The room was dark and I could smell the mildew, and something else. I think it was a combination of urine, feces, and, vomit, maybe. It smelt almost like a hospital, where everyone was dead…for a long while. I cringed. Even when breathing through my mouth, the odor nearly knocked me down. The high, squat windows were all blackened, and the sunlight trying to push through the peeling paint, making the eerie space all the more frightening.
I lifted my phone and slowly began to sweep the light from left to the right. What I saw caused my legs to give way under me, and I slid right down to my knees. My phone skidded to the right of where I knelt, the strobe setting on the app triggered, and between flashes of light, I saw what looked very much like a torture chamber. There were sprays of what looked like dried blood, everywhere. The walls, and ceiling; there were even dried puddles on the floor.
I quickly grabbed my phone and managed to turn off the flashing, even though my hands were shaking uncontrollably. With some serious trepidation, I stood and looked in front of me. The first thing I spotted was a large metal table on wheels, covered in dark substance, almost black. It looked to be dried out, almost flaking. A pair of large handled scissors lay on top, coated in the same dried substance. Holy fuck, it is blood!
I gasped and almost bolted when I heard a moan. It was weak and pitiful. I turned my head in the direction of the sound and saw what looked like a hospital stretcher, but I couldn’t see anything else. I found an inner strength I didn’t know I possessed, and walked towards it, my legs shaking with the effort. I grabbed the wall next to me for support and straightened my body.
On the wall, under my hand, my fingers touched what felt like a light switch. I quickly flipped it and a dull light flickered on, illuminating the slender form on the stretcher. It was a woman, tiny and frail. She started to weakly roll her head side to side. Her painful moaning caused a violent shudder within me, which ran from my head to my feet. The agonizing sound was heartbreaking. I forced myself to walk over to the stretcher where she lay, all the while looking from side to side. I finally saw her.
Her hands, both fastened to the railing with duct tape and wire, were shaking spastically. Her right hand was missing fingers, two, I think.
“Oh my God. Oh my God.” I heard my own voice over and over again echoing.
She slowly opened her eyes and weakly looked up at me, her gaze unfocused. If she was frightened, the only indicator was the weak trembling of her hands as they shook against their bindings.
“Don’t, don’t be scared. We’re going to get you out of here. The police are on the way.” I reached out and held her hand. Her body was literally vibrating. She was weak but alive…barely.
She closed her fingers around my hand and held on with what little strength she had left. I took my other hand and brushed the dirty hair away from her face as I kept on reassuring her that help was coming. Her face pale and ashen was covered in layers of makeup. Black smudged streaks ran down her face, from her eyes to her ears. Her eyes, from what I could see of them, were bloodshot. She shook and her eyelashes fluttered.
“I’m not leaving you until the police get her.” I spoke slow and quietly.
She shook her head.
“I’m going to try to get this tape off your mouth. Don’t be scared. I’ll try not to hurt you.” I prayed I wouldn’t hurt her.
I peeled the tape slowly away from her mouth. It was stuck to her ears and her chin and wrapped around her hair. I wasn’t going to be able to get that off, I didn’t want to hurt or scare her anymore than she was already.
I felt her flinch.
“It’s okay… we’re going to get you out of here. You’re going to be okay. I’m here. I’m not leaving you.” I squeezed her hand gently. “What’s your name?”
She said something, but her voice too low, and I couldn’t hear what she said.
I leaned down closer to her mouth.
“Lily.” She breathed.
“Lily?” I looked into her eyes.
She nodded feebly.
“Hi Lily, my name is Grace. You’re going to be okay. We’re going get you out of here. He won’t hurt you again. We’re going get you out of here.”
I looked down at her and she closed her eyes. I couldn’t tell if she was resting or had passed out. I was hoping for the latter for her sake.
After what seemed like an eternity, I heard walking above me. Then feet, several pairs from what I could tell, where running through the house.
“Down here… hurry… we’re down here!” I shouted.
I heard voices.
“Please, down here…hurry.” I shouted.
All at once I heard a barrage of footsteps descending into the basement. The police arrived and swarmed into the tiny room. They rushed over to where I stood, holding Lily’s hand, and I could see the uncertainty in their eyes. They asked me to leave the room, but she held onto me and I refused to let her go. The EMT’s gave her an IV and put a needle into the plug…I assume it was a sedative of some kind because shortly thereafter, her grip loosened and she released me. They carried her up the stairs, out the backdoor, and into the waiting ambulance. I followed quickly behind them, as two officers continued to look through the debris scattered on the floor.
Once outside I spotted Michelle standing next to Tess and her husband, recounting what had occurred to the police.
“So you entered the house without permission?” the stern officer asked. I should say sergeant. He had three strips across his upper arm.
“Yes,” Michelle answered.
“Without permission?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes. Tess stood steadfast by her side.
“I’m gonna answer it the same way no matter how many times you ask it,” she said. I smiled…poor officer. “Yes. Yes,” she continued.
“I’m going to need you both to come with us.”
“Officer…Officer.” The sergeant turned to look at Tess.
“I told them it was my home and that I was locked out. I asked if they wouldn’t mind opening the door for me.” She smiled. “They were kind enough to help an old woman. Don’t punish them for that.” Tess’s husband put his arm around his wife and stuck his chest out with pride.
“This keeps getting better and better…I’m going to need a statement from you too, the both of you,” the sergeant said, looking between the patrol officer, that stood next to him, and the elderly couple.
“Yes officer,” Tess said as she hooked her arm though Michelle’s.
“Thank you dear. I knew he did something to her,” she said again.
Michelle squeezed her hand then looked at the police officer. “If we hadn’t, gone in there, that girl would be dead.”
“No matter how many times you tell me that I gonna tell you the same thing, I’m still gonna need you both to come with us,” he demanded in his no nonsense voice smirking. I wanted to warn him about butting heads with Michelle, but I didn’t…
“Whatever.” Michelle turned to Tess and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry about your friend, Tess.”
“I knew he did something to her,” she repeated.
The officer escorted Michelle and me to a police car, which had been pulled halfway into the driveway, and instructed us to take a seat in the back. Once we were both in, he closed the door. The back doors of cop cars are locked and can’t be opened from the inside; never thought I’d find out by being in one.
Crowds were starting to form on the street as the cops cordoning off the area with yellow crime tape. We both watched as they carried the stretcher with the body of the obese woman out of the house and into the second waiting ambulance. There wasn’t any urgency in getting her to a hospital. She was dead. I stared vacantly out the tinted side window, trying piece together the events that had transpired; it wasn’t an easy task.
“Well Nancy Drew, I think you may have earned that merit badge after all.”
Michelle just looked at me and smiled unconvincingly. Now that was a first, no sassy come back. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on the headrest.
Christ help us both when Cole and Dean find out about this…
Chapter 24
All I could think about was Lily and how she was doing. Was she alive? Did we find her in time? To veer my mind off of the horror of the unknown, I thought about Cole and how angry he was going to be with me. He had been going through hell the past few weeks, and definitely didn’t need me to add to his worries. I felt extremely guilty about that, but compared to the relief I felt that Lily was still alive, well, there just wasn’t any comparison.
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