It’s been seventy-two hours since Elenore went missing. I’m going stir-crazy. Her poor mom, Suzie, is feeling how I am. I’ve lost track of the amount of times Suzie has called, asking for news—any news. I had to stop taking her calls, and have some time for myself to think. When Pierce arrived on the scene, he saw how stirred up I was so he told me to go and chill.
I took off and got some food. Someone I am coming to care for is now missing. I need to be on this case even if it means I never sleep. The chance we have of finding her alive becomes less and less as the hours fly past. If it’s the serial killer who took Rebecca, then her body will show up maybe in the next three or four days. His modus operandi is usually one week. He keeps them captive before he obviously tires of them.
Those letters get me every time. Showing them to their families is another kick in the stomach. Well, except for with the last one Rebecca. Her parents couldn’t have cared less about her. They didn’t even cry when they received a copy of the letter. What heartless people.
I jump when my cell rings in my pocket.
“Blackwood,” I clip.
“It’s Suzie. Have you got any word yet?”
Sitting back in my swivel chair, my hand presses to my forehead. This is the sixth time today. “Mrs. Burrows, I’m sorry, but we’re pursuing every possible lead, every avenue of investigation.” I hear her sobbing, the poor woman.
“You’re obviously not doing enough if you haven’t found anything new.”
“We’re doing everything we can. We’ve asked people to come forward if they’ve seen anything, and we’ve obtained the security footage from the building that points to the front of the street. When I say we’re doing everything we can, I promise you we are.”
“I’m sorry. I know you are. I saved her once before, and it’s crushing me that I can’t do it again. I need to be doing something. Have you spoken to her friend? What’s his name… Lewis?”
That jerk isn’t answering his phone, and he hasn’t been at work.
“We’ve reached out to him, and we’re waiting to hear back,” I reply with acid in my tone. The guy really rubs me the wrong way. When inquiring about his friend Rebecca, he became so defensive. I’d inquired where he was when Rebecca went missing and his response was questionable, at the very least. Even Pierce questioned his responses.
“What?” he’d said. “So you’re going to pin her death on me? I was out of town on business. You can check with my office for details.”
I don’t know why he’d think we’d pin his friend’s murder on him, unless he is the serial killer we’ve been searching for.
Once I was back in the office, I carried out a search on him. What turned up was a little worrying. He has a rap sheet for violence. Looking at the list of charges he’s had laid against him over the years gives me the urge to pay him another visit.
“I don’t trust that boy, and by the tone of your voice, you don’t either.” Suzie’s words couldn’t be truer.
“I have to weigh everything up and hope something good comes from it. Do you happen to have a key for Elenore’s place? Maybe the perp was in her apartment at some time.”
“Oh, no…” she sobs. “I have one here. I’ll be awake for a while if you want to come and pick it up.”
I gather she’s not sleeping much either. “That would be great. I’ll come by soon and collect it.”
“I’ll be waiting,” she replies before hanging up, leaving me to my own thoughts once again.
It’s ten at night on the third night Elenore’s been gone. Why the hell can’t I help her? What can I do?
“Blackwood, what are you still doing here? I told you to go get some rest hours ago,” my captain snaps at me.
“Yes, sorry, sir. Got caught up. I’m going to collect a key to our latest victim’s apartment, then I’ll go there first thing in the morning.” Standing from my desk, I slide on my coat.
“All right, see you in the morning. Pierce will call you if something comes up.”
I nod, grabbing my keys, and I’m out the door, knowing I won’t be waiting until morning to go to her place.
When I arrive at Mrs. Burrows’ home, the porch light is on, and I see her silhouette moving around the house behind the curtains. I rap on the door and stand there waiting for her to answer. I hear her shuffling toward me.
Opening the door, she greets me with a sad smile, one I’ve seen plenty of times in this line of work. “Hello, Detective.” Even her tone is sad. This poor lady has lost her daughter, and here she is trying to remain strong.
“Hello, Mrs. Burrows.” She steps aside, allowing me to enter her cozy home. “How are you doing?” I ask while standing in the middle of the small living room. It’s full of old-fashioned furniture, and the kind of smell only elderly people’s homes seem to hold. It’s like a mixture of baby powder and lavender.
Mrs. Burrows gestures to the chair. “Can I get you a drink or anything?”
“No, thank you, Mrs. Burrows. I’m okay.”
“You can call me Suzie.”
I acknowledge her request, giving her a curt nod. My focus falls on the images in frames on the wall. They all look like Elenore.
“She’s a beautiful girl who had been dealt a bad hand.”
Her words catch me off guard. A bad hand?
Turning back toward her, I ask, “What do you mean?”
A smile touches her lips. “Detective, I adopted Elenore when her parents left her to fend for herself. But before it happened…” She pauses. Her bottom lip begins to quiver.
“I’m sorry, Suzie. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She waves her hand at me, stopping my apology. “Elenore was my neighbor. I’d watched and listened for years as those evil, vile people treated her like she was nothing but rubbish under their feet.” Her voice cracks, and tears brim her shining blue eyes. “You might have noticed her name became hers when she was seventeen. Before that, her name was Gertrude. Her parents were monsters and just wanted her there to be their slave.”
Rage wraps its way through me at the words I’m hearing. We are in the process of looking far back at the station, but no records have been discovered about her parents. How could a family do that? I guess it’s easy when I think about my own upbringing.
“How is that even possible?” I ask, the shock evident in my tone.
Suzie shrugs. “You tell me—you’re the law. Please, just find my daughter.” She takes my hand, giving it a light squeeze. “I can see that you care for my girl, so find her, for both our sakes. I need her.”
I’m not one who makes promises, because promises get broken all the time in this line of work. But this promise, I know I’ll keep.
“Mrs. Burrows, I will find Elenore. And when I do, that monster will pay,” I say with strength and determination.
“Thank you,” she replies.
“Suzie, can you give me her parents’ names? I only saw your details on there.”
“Sure. Their surname is Smith, John and Joanna. Not nice people. I’d called the police a few times, but they frightened the girl so much that she would tell them she was okay.”
Smith is such a popular name. Makes me wonder if it was even their real name. I need answers, and now.
“Something else… I changed her name when her parents thankfully left. She showed up one night and told me her parents were gone, so I let the police know and from there, I took Elenore in and adopted her. The police never found those monsters, which was fine by me because it meant I got the beautiful girl and was able to give her a great home. My only regret is I never moved, since I couldn’t afford to. Every time she visits me, she stops and stares at that house. Elenore sees only what she went through.”
I’m left speechless. I need to find her. The question is, where do I begin to look? Perhaps they’re jealous of who she turned out to be?
It’s got me thinking though, who is Elenore Burrows?