Thursday, August 17, 2017

Novel by the Numbers - Chapter 23

Broken Souls ... by Annay Dawson

Chapter 23

By four in the morning Jordan was standing next to her dad in the parking lot with her coat wrapped around her pink fuzzy pajamas and black and white polka-dotted rubber boots on her feet.  She looked like a sight but there was no moving her from this point.  He had tried to explain that they wouldn’t be able to send out the search teams until six, six-thirty, and she should go home till then, but she wouldn’t listen.
“At least go sit in my car and warm up,” she was about to protest until he held up his hand.  Another officer walked up, from the sheriff’s department now.  If Kari was out on state land it would involve all of them.  Jordan turned and walked away.  Sitting in the car was warmer but boring.  She watched as her Dad talked with the other officer.  They both turned and looked at her, and she knew that wasn’t good.  Her Dad said something then they both nodded and he walked over to her.  She got out of the car.
“Okay, what is it?” folding her arms in front of her to keep her warm she stared right at him.  He was proud of her in so many ways.  He had never raised her to shirk from a task and now was going to be no different.  She was ready for anything he was going to throw at her.
“She was new to the area right?” it was going to be different interviewing his daughter.  The other officer had volunteered to do it, but he knew Jordan would be more comfortable with him, even if he wasn't.
“Yes, she moved in only about two months ago, seven weeks to be exact,” her eyes drifted off as she tried to think.
“Who did she associate with?”  He tried not to think about the fact that he was questioning his daughter.  At least she wasn’t a person of interest, but she was one that may have an answer to what was happening.  
“As far as I know she hadn’t made many friends around here.  Kept to herself mostly,” Jordan was looking at her feet now trying not to think about what was happening, “besides our clients there weren’t many people she had gotten close to I don’t think.  We hung out some, but even I'm not sure of all of the details of why she moved here.  Her husband, no he was her fiancĂ©e, died over a year ago and that's what prompted the move,” and then she stopped and looked straight at her Dad.
“What is it hon?”  He could tell that she had thought about something, something important.
“She had started dating someone, but he couldn’t be,” stopping again.  Jordan knew that Holden was seeing Dr. McCoy for something, but she wasn’t sure what it was, couldn't tell her Dad if she had known.
“Who,” he asked gently.
“Holden Parker,” Jordan paused only a moment, “Addison Westlock’s brother.”
“How long have they been seeing each other?” she noticed that he was now taking notes.  It felt all too surreal. 
“Couple weeks, three or more maybe, hard to say,” Jordan was wondering just how much to say now.  Should she, could she, tell him about his visits to the doctor?  
“Why is that?”  she could tell that he was trying to be gentle but it wasn’t helping.  She now knew exactly what it was like to be on the other side.
“They met when she was hiking up here,” looking down again she tried to think, “but she never said when that first meeting was.  I don’t think it was long after she moved in though.  I'm not sure they dated to begin with though.  They seemed to have gotten pretty close recently.”
“What else do you know about their relationship?” he was trying to be gentle in his questioning but he needed to know.  He watched as Jordan pushed a strand of hair from her eyes.
“Captain Holmes?”  He turned to see another one of his officers approaching, “Can I talk with you a moment?”
“Jordy I’ll be right back,” and he walked away.  Jordan was now standing there by herself, thinking, and she could hear only a few of the words they were saying, not enough to put it all together.  It was only a few moments before he came back to her.
“Have you remembered anything else?” It was a loaded question but she answered it.
“Holden Parker was a client at the clinic,” and she looked over to the trailhead where they were focusing their attention now, “I don’t know for what, but he had a standing appointment with one of the doctors there.”  She figured that wasn’t compromising the clinic’s confidentiality.  
“Is there anything more you can tell me?” He knew that she had almost told him too much.
“They seemed to really be hitting it off," she thought back to their shopping trip, "Do you think he knows anything?”  Now it was the scared little girl that he saw in front of him.
“I don’t know, but I plan on talking with him as soon as the sun comes up.  Hopefully he can tell me something,” leaning in he kissed her on the cheek, “Now, back in the car and I’ll drive you home.  I’ll have one of the officers bring your car over later.”
“Dad, I’ll be fine,” but she didn’t move, “I think I’ll wait a bit though and then drive myself home.  Don’t want to waste anyone’s time.”  An hour later Jordan climbed into her car and went home.  Neither her dad or her discussed it but both knew she wasn't going to get any more sleep.  It was almost morning.  
Bill Holmes pulled into the driveway of Mrs. Westlake just as the sun broke the horizon.  He hated waking people up and worse, he hated the idea that in order to figure out what may have happened to Kari he needed to talk to Holden.  He still wanted to approach this as accidental but there were things that might lead him to believe that it wasn’t.  The officer had called him over to tell him about the footprints he casted at the beginning of the path before the searchers could get started in the morning.  All of this was just in case, but there were only two distinct set of prints.  He just couldn't shake the fact that the front of the car looked as if someone had hurriedly gone through her things.  The search this morning might help to answer some of these questions.  Maybe they would find nothing, but then that would leave more questions than it answered.  Before getting out of the car he stopped, took a sip of cold coffee, that and a twenty minute cat nap were all that was keeping him going.  For a moment he stopped and took a look at the sunrise as he made a silent wish.  
Addy was just pouring a cup of coffee.  It was quiet when Holden wasn’t around.  Even with him being gone just a day the whole atmosphere of the house had began to change again.  It was true that they had lived in the house most of the time without him.  He often came around but there had been months where he would be gone.  This time had been different, instead of being gone months he had been with them and they had gotten used to him being there.  Walking over to the window with the mug in hand she noticed the police car in the drive.  Her hands began to shake.  Carefully she set the cup down as she watched the officer get out of the car and walk toward the house.  The fact that he didn’t have a happy look on his face didn’t alleviate any of her fears.  Running for the door she flung it open before he had time to knock or ring the bell.  The last thing she wanted was for Mia to be woken up.  All the years Holden had spent in dangerous places and it could be right here at home that may have harmed him the most.
It didn’t surprised Bill when the door swung open to the house.  A lot of people got up early to get ready for work.  What did surprise him was the look on the woman’s face.  She was pale and all expression had been wiped away almost as if she was expecting bad news.
“Mrs. Westlake?” It was less of a question and more of a confirmation of who she was.
“Yes,” her voice weak and shaky. 
“Is your brother here?” and he could almost see the relief spread through her.  A strange reaction.
“No, he left for Baltimore yesterday,” she grabbed at the doorframe for support, the relief was that strong.
“Did he know Kari Jackson?”  Making sure to keep his eyes on her face for any type of reaction.
“Yes,” now she was just confused.
“How did he know her?”  His voice even and calm.
“They were dating,” turning her head slightly to one side she continued, “Is something wrong?”
“How long have they been dating?” He could hear someone else coming toward the door.
“Not very long,” Addy turned, “Mia go and get breakfast ready.”  There was a tiny voice that he could barely make out from the other side of the door, “I said go make breakfast, now.”
“Sorry to interrupt your morning,” Addy turned back and gave him her full attention now.  This time a more worried expression on it, “Do you know when was the last time they saw each other?”
“Is there a problem?” They stood in silence for a moment.  Realizing that he was waiting on her answer before she would get hers she chose to answer, “Night before last.  Now will you tell me what is going on.”
“Kari didn’t show up for work yesterday morning,” taking out his notebook he made a couple of notes, “Does Mr. Parker go to Douthat State Park?” 
“Yes, he likes to swim and hike up there,” she watched his eyebrow rise slightly almost imperceivable.  “Why?”
“Do you have a number we can reach him at?” Addy quickly gave him Holden’s number, “Thank you.”
“Can you tell me why you wanted to know about Holden going out to Douthat State Park?”  Addy folded her arms in front of her.

“Kari’s car was found in the parking lot for the trails there,” right now it was a missing person's case so he decided there was no harm in telling her.  He folded his notebook and put it in his pocket, “If you talk with your brother before I do please have him call us or come into the station,” he handed his card to her.  Addy started to feel a sense of cold seep through her as she took the card.  She didn’t move until the police car was well out of the driveway. 

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