The Name Game

The cold night air filled her lungs and her chest ached as she ran. She looked up at the partly clouded sky and was relieved that it hadn't snowed yet. It would make it easier to make her way. She wrapped the thin coat around her shoulders and pushed on. She had to keep going. She had to get away and find help before he awoke and realized that she was missing. She didn't know how long he would sleep this time. With any luck it would be a few hours. As long as it wouldn't snow and as long as she could make it back to the road there was hope. Hope for her and the others.

She looked ahead through the underbrush and trees, trying to find the road. It had to be nearby. They hadn't driven that far into the woods. That she knew. How long they had been driving out of the city and in which direction that she didn't know. She gazed into the woods behind her. She couldn't see anything moving. Her pale face turned forward once more, surveying the area, searching for signs of the road. If she could just stay on this path, if he would just sleep for a few hours, if she could just find the road. She had to make it out of these woods to tell them everything, bring them here. She had to find Woody.

One Month Earlier

"Hey Woody, don't suppose you have any coffee on you?" Woody glanced up with smiling eyes at the brunette as he flashed a large grin. Jordan crouched down next to him, her bag already open and gloves in her hand. The detective always enjoyed starting his day this way. Of course he didn't exactly enjoy the standing-over-a-fresh-dead-body part, but he always enjoyed seeing the attractive doctor first thing in the morning.

"Sorry Jordan, I seem to be fresh out" he replied. Jordan just shook her head and sighed.

"Nothing like a lack of coffee and a body to start your day. So who do we have here?" she asked as she carefully looked over the delicate body of the young woman laid perfectly before her.

"One Paula Andreas. She was found about an hour ago by one of park rangers after they received an anonymous call to search this area." He replied looking over his notes and gesturing toward the woman. "She had her ID laid in her hand in plain view. We'll run it for prints to see if we can find anything." He stood up and watched Jordan as she examined the woman. The woman had been laid carefully on her back, arms folded over her chest, her sandy hair pulled back in a loose braid which was carefully laid to rest on her shoulder.

"Well, whoever did this they wanted us to find her like this. Rigor hasn't fully set and she is barely even cool. I would say that she's been here only a few hours, maybe less." She reached for the young woman's frail hands. "Several defensive marks, some scratches on her arms. Looks like rope marks around her neck. I'll have to get her back to the morgue," Jordan said looking up, "but I would say that she was strangled and then her body dumped here. The killer may have even been the one to place that call in." She gingerly placed the woman's hand back on her chest.

"Hey Woody, did take a look at this." She stood up holding up a white piece of paper. "This was her shirt sleeve." She unfolded it and handed it to Woody. His forehead wrinkled studying the writing in it carefully.

"She was Small.' What is that supposed to mean?" He said aloud, looking into the distance.

Jordan gave him a crooked smile. "How should I know, you're the detective."