She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet was the night
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars
February 22, 10:12 PM | The Forest of Twin Meadows
Joyce Josephson aimlessly wandered around the deep dark woods. The sun has long gone. The cold winds were blowing and the trees danced to the tune of sorrowful symphony. The towering pines loomed over her as she continued her odyssey to nowhere in this labyrinth of wood. Her hand clutched a heart-shaped locket that hung around her neck. Tears flooded her eyes and cheeks. Darkness reigned over the land and her heart, mind, and soul. The sound of leaves rumbling filled her mind. It was nature's own white noise, a signifier of something that is lost. The unbearable psychic pain caused her to stop. She opened the locket to see a picture of her and another young woman both smiling. It was a smile that knew nothing would ever go wrong. A promise of paradise. There was an inscription on the other side underneath the cover that read:
"Joan and Joyce. JoJo Forever."
Tears rained over the locket. She closed then firmly clutched it as she screamed in despair. And then, she ran across the woods. There was no sense, no direction. She just knew she had to run. Someplace other than where she is right now. Her mind was filled with the pain and despair of loss.
"Blue... velvet..."
She can feel the winds of the night as it blew across the forest from behind her back. As it touched her, she could hear the once serene voice of Joan, singing with a mysterious grace. She always considered Joan to be a beautiful human. Yet among her superlative physical attributes, the most beautiful of all of them was her voice. She was, of course, the little songstress of Twin Meadows.
"Bluer than velvet was the night..."
As if her soul was finally ascending, the winds swept away pushing forward into the unknown. Joyce could almost see that she was riding a magical chariot, carrying her to the heavens. Leaving everything behind even the trailing soft whispers of her voice, the final valediction from her. It was a sound that she will never hear again. Now there was nothing left for Joyce to hold on to but the memories of times long gone. Her legs never ceased to move. Every push of the muscle was imbued with the desire to chase. No matter how inevitable and impossible. Her relentless chase to nothingness has met its end when she found herself not advancing forward but falling downward.
Her body collided to the ground but she never felt pain. She didn't make an effort to rise and merely just lied down, with tears falling down as she grasped the locket.
She stayed there for a while, overwhelmed by the numbing pain of loss. Tuned out of the world, she didn't hear the sound of footsteps slowly approaching toward her. Joyce momentarily snapped from her stupor as the footsteps became too loud to ignore. She glanced up front, still lied down and still in tears, to see someone in front of her. She can't parse the details of the exact features but she can see that the mysterious person was a woman in a trench coat. This woman stared down at her with a blank face for some time. Then, she reached out her right hand to Joyce.
After a momentary hesitation, the young woman took her hand as she stood up from the ground. Joyce dusted off the dirt from her clothes as the mysterious woman continued to stare at her.
"It's the middle of the night. What are you doing here? There was a murder around these parts recently. It's dangerous for someone young such as you." The woman asked as she drew nearer Joyce to assist in dusting the dirt off her clothes. Even with her stern scolding, the stranger's tone was soft and considerate. Joyce, now temporarily sober from her grief, blushed in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I-uh just simply had to be myself this time. The forest is beautiful at night... and I need some time to think or something." She answered as she fidgets with hands in her back. Joyce knew it was a horrible answer, there was the tiniest feeling inside her that this woman knew somehow why she was crying.
"I see." The woman said as she turned her back from her and walked away. "Follow me, I'll walk you home right now."
The young girl, initially surprised by the offer, simply froze. She internally debated whether to follow this stranger or not. However, with all the conflicts of the mind, she sensed a connection with the stranger. The instinct of her heart tells her that the older woman was trustworthy. Thus, she soon followed her back, catching up to her side. Her right hand still grasped the locket as she walked with the mysterious woman into the darkness of the forest.
February 22, 8:01 AM | Twin Meadows Police Station
Joni was comfortably seated in the lobby of the Twin Meadows police station. Befitting of a sleepy town, the police station was small yet intimate, possessing a quaint peaceful atmosphere. A total contrast to the coldness of the Speedwagon Foundation headquarters. Even the sofas feel very comfortable, as Joni finds herself uncharacteristically slouching. The room itself is painted in warm colors. She can feel the wind coming from the front door of the station. With the wind caressing her, she closed her eyes momentarily.
She can hear the policemen come and go, sometimes making small talk with each other. It was evident that the police here are a tight-knit group. Joni continued to close her eyes as her consciousness dips into the world of sleep. For a moment, as if she can forget everything. However, as her mind was about to sink into sleep, she suddenly felt the sensation of a hand tapping her gently. She jolted out of her comfortable position. After a brief spell of slight annoyance, she glanced behind her to see the culprit.
Joni saw a man standing behind her. He was probably in his late 30s to early 40s. He wore a brown trench coat. His face was weary with noticeable eye bags beneath his eyes. His unkempt hair and beard signaled that he probably didn't sleep much last night. Like a true keeper of the law, the man flashed his ID card.
"Hello Ms. Joyner. I'm Detective Cabrera, the detective assigned to the case of Joan Johnston. Sorry for the wait, follow me."
Joni followed the detective down a hall until they entered a small conference room. She sat on the far side of the long table in the room, while the detective signaled one of the officers outside to get them coffee before he sat opposite to her.
"Good morning Detective, I'm happy that you managed to accommodate me even in your busy schedule." Joni started the conversation.
"It's not everyday that the FBI calls. Especially since this is probably the first serious crime in this quiet town in a long time." Detective Cabrera wistfully answered. "Not only that it's gonna be hard to find the culprit in this one. That's why I'm happy with whatever help we can get."
"I hope I can be of use to this case." She replied with a smile. "About that, is the autopsy done?"
"It should be by now. Although it's extremely likely that the cause is blunt force trauma. I saw her body myself and it was not pretty at all."
"I see." Joni answered then became silent as her recent dreams, which she suspected had something to do with the current case, came to mind once again. The screams obscured within the crashing of rain echoed throughout her mind. Her train of thought was interrupted when an officer went in bringing the requested two cups of coffee. After the officer left, they both sipped their coffee in silence. Joni was still bothered about the other dream of the man and the woman in the cabin. The detective, meanwhile, drank his much-needed coffee as the unpleasant images of the lifeless Joan Johnston flooded his mind.
"Are there any leads yet? Have you found a crime scene?" Joni asked breaking the silence.
"So far, we haven't found a possible site where she was killed. For all we know, she was simply killed in some unknown part of the forest or worse she was killed some other place and her body was disposed by the means of the river." The detective's face turned grim. "However, we will start the investigation on possible suspects by tracing Joan's last day and the people she was with. We can't start immediately since her parents are very distraught, so it's hard to ask questions."
She simply nodded in response as the gears of her mind began turning once more. The detective, in turn, stared intently at the woman. Cabrera felt an odd air around her. He made a mental note to research about her as soon as possible. After a few moments of thinking, Joni laid out a suggestion.
"Since we will know the time of her death, we can map the general area where the suspect can dump Joan. If we search those areas maybe we can find something."
The detective straightened himself and put his right hand on his chin as he thought about the idea. "I think it's a good idea. We can work out the specifics as soon as we get exact time. We can trace the path along the river. There has to be something because we will be needing every single piece of detail to find that monster."
Detective Cabrera's face darkened. The room was filled with a solemn silence as Joni looked upon the detective as he grabbed his cigarettes.
"Do you mind?" He asked not looking at her as he grabbed a lighter. Joni answered a mere 'No' as the detective lit up his cigarette.
"Today's the day everyone gets the news. This was kept under wraps yesterday. Only the parents and some others knew about this. But today we decided to let everyone know. It's gonna be a damn painful day for sure." He sighed as he continued to smoke for some time. Joni simply continued to stare at him with unreadable eyes.
"Isn't it weird that someone you see everyday simply just gone? I couldn't wrapped my head around it. Someone so young. Someone like her." The detective gazed at nothingness. The smell of cigarettes slowly filled the room. "Humans are just like smoke. Everyday we slowly fade into the abyss and we never notice until it's too late."
Detective Cabrera stared at the fading smoke until it dissipated, his eyes full of emptiness. He sighed with a sense of resolution as he threw his cigarette into a nearby trashcan.
"Sorry that was depressing. But then again, it's not everyday you get a murder right here, right?" The detective flashed an apologetic smile. Joni knew it was a gesture loaded with meaning she could never understand. As the detective was about to say something, there was a knock at the door. The detective called the person behind the door to come in. As the door opened, there came an officer carrying some documents.
"Here's the autopsy of Joan Johnston." The officer laid the folder on the table. "Also Henry just came back."
"Thanks, Brad. We'll begin the meeting later." Detective Cabrera flashed an approving smile. The officer nodded in recognition and quickly went out of the room.
"Perfect timing." The detective muttered as he goes through the document. "Cause of death: internal bleeding caused by blunt force trauma, time of death: around 4 in the morning of the 21st. Fucking nasty, ain't it?"
The detective promptly stood up, quickly grabbing the document and his coat from the hanger.
"Ms. Joyner, I think it's time to start our investigation. There's a long road ahead of us."
February 22, 8:52 AM | Twin Meadows Police Station
"How are the Johnston's?" Officer Brad asked with a bored tone.
"Not good at all." Officer Henry frowned. "Distraught does not even begin to describe it."
In the conference room, the two officers were seated beside each other, making small talk with a cup of coffee in their hands. The long table in the conference room was full of boxes filled with various documents on one side. On the other side, there was donuts and coffee for the snacks, the former which the two officers took advantage of. After a while, the door opened revealing Detective Cabrera with Joni Joyner trailing behind him.
The detective sat at the head of the table and Joni sat opposite of the two officers. The officers ceased their talk as the detective sipped a quick cup of coffee. After finishing, he sighed as he laid down the documents in his possession at the table.
"Good morning gentlemen." The detective nodded at each officer and they nodded in return. "Today we will begin our formal investigation into the murder of Joan Johnston. But before that I'd like you to meet someone. We will be accompanied by Ms. Joni Joyner, the FBI sent her as their representative."
Joni Joyner cordially extended her hand to the officers. The two, in turn, each accepted and shook it.
"The FBI recognizes the importance of this murder." Detective Cabrera continued. "I am still the commanding officer in this investigation, however, she has independent authority. She will be acting as an advisor, a second-in-command if you will."
"If there are no further inquiries, let us begin." The commanding officer of the investigation eyed his subordinates signaling to start. "Let's begin with you report on the autopsy, Brad."
Officer Brad grabbed the folder containing details of the autopsy and began to speak his piece with a steady tone. "First of all, Joan Johnston died at around 4 AM yesterday. The cause of death was internal bleeding due to blunt force trauma all over the body. A lot of her bones are shattered, her skull cracked. Sorts of that nasty stuff. The scenario paints that someone physically assaulted her pretty badly."
The officer continued. "Blunt force trauma is widespread. In homicides, it's caused by assaulting you up with their fists or feet or with a blunt weapon. Now the coroner notes that she was definitely punched to death by analyzing the trauma in her body. However, as I said before, some of Joan's bones are shattered, a lot of them are fractured including her skull. The suspect has to be an expert martial artist or at least a powerful puncher."
"Could it be that the suspect used brass knuckles or some kind of weighted glove?" Detective Cabrera asked with a curious tone.
"Brass knuckles, I doubt it. Those leave a noticeable impression on the body, and with the force of the punches? It would be fairly obvious, but we didn't see any marks that would indicate the case." Officer Brad explained. "The weighted glove theory is more possible, however, it is not surprising if the suspect used his bare fists."
Gears turned in Joni's mind with the revelation of the autopsy as her mind turned back to that dream. Flashes of a shadow relentlessly releasing a barrage of punches to the woman lying on the ground entered her mind, along with other scattered impressions of the hazy dream. She tried her best to remember as Brad continued to talk about the autopsy.
"Furthermore, she was tied in her wrists and around the elbow. Those parts left a deep impression which points to the fact that she was tied pretty hard during her time with the suspect. It leads me to believe that she was, in some form abducted and spent a few hours with the suspect." The officer continued as he showed pictures of Joan's arms. "And one last detail that I just noticed, we saw her body completely serene and clean in the river. However, that should not be the case because of all the damage she took. It means that the suspect took time to clean her before dumping her corpse into the river. The coroner notes that the body and wounds were clean very recently."
"It seems that our suspect's behavior is odd in many ways." The detective wryly noted.
"Almost like a serial killer, isn't it Detective?" For the first time, Joni joined the conversation as she interrupted with a quick remark. Sensing something, the detective replied with a questioning look.
"What are you implying?"
"The reasons that the FBI was involved were two-fold. First, this is a murder case that happened in this part of the state which has a miraculous low rate of similar crimes. Second, the preliminary details of this case lead me and my superiors to believe that the suspect of this murder is a serial killer we have been tracking for a while." Joni stood up to grab a folder inside her hung coat before going back to her seat. Then, she opened the folder and presented its contents in front of the three police officers.
"She was Alice Dela Cruz. Lived in a small town in Nevada called Las Llanuras. Her body was found in the same way as you did. The corpse floated down the local river, also covered in the same material and same method as Joan. It is a bizarre case itself." Joni turned a page before continuing. "The second one was Elizabeth Marmont. Spokane. Same thing, found floating in the Spokane River with the same coffin. The third one was Lovely Wales found dead in Okanogan River."
She reached out her folder to Detective Cabrera. After momentarily hesitating, he took it.
"It seems that our suspect has traveled all the way from Nevada to Washington and decided to stay here. But from what we have seen so far, it is undoubtedly the same suspect as the first three killings. Joan was the fourth." Joni continued her explanation. "And before you ask me, we know as much as you do when it comes to the killer except for the fact that whoever this person is, they have been doing it for a time. The killings happened in a time span of six months. Alice last December. Elizabeth last October. If this trend continues, the killer will strike again in April."
"I see. It complicates matters since by now he could be fleeing in some other part of the state. And the suspect took an odd trajectory if I'm being honest, from a single kill in Nevada to three killings in Washington. I think we need to discuss the other cases another time however." The detective paused in deep though, his hand on his chin. The two officers were also processing the recent revelations brought about by their visitor.
"I have a certain faith that the suspect will continue dilly-dallying around the same area." Joni answered resolutely as her eyes met with the detective's for some time. "I will offer what I know from the other cases."
The detective replied with a small smile and an appreciative nod before turning to Officer Brad. "Thank you also Brad for the report. We still have to wait for a few days for the full autopsy and the toxicology tests. I hope we find more details from them."
"I think it's time to move on to our second agenda for this meeting." The detective switched his attention to the other officer. "Henry, how's the talk with Johnstons?"
The officer opened a folder he brought with him which contained the transcript of the dialogue with the Johnstons. "I wanted to spare the details but I think I should tell you." Officer Henry continued with a frown in his face. "They are utterly inconsolable. From the moment I arrived and left, Ms. Molly was stuck in the same spot, most of the time simply staring into the pictures of Joan. Mr. Thomas seemed to fare better, at least outwardly, but he feels off. It's understandable though."
"I see." Detective Cabrera frowned as he taps his fingers on the table. "I'll visit them from time to time to inform them on the investigation, and just to check on them. What do they have to say about Joan's last day?"
"According to them, Joan Johnston was at a party at the Fletchers last night. Leaving for the party was the last time they ever saw her. The time she left was around 8 PM, February 20. Before that though, she tutored the kid of the Kawaguchis at around 5 PM and went home at around 6:30 PM. Of course, before that she was just at school." Henry explained as he skimmed through the pages of the transcript document.
"Anything else? Did they notice anything unusual about Joan's behavior that day?" The detective further inquired.
"Let me check." The young officer replied as he skimmed through the pages of the document. "Joan was a little edgy, so to speak, that day but they found nothing too apprehensive. Her parents noted that she had bad days recently, although they think it's just her being a teenager."
"Either they are correct or they didn't notice that something was very wrong." Joni interjected.
The detective turned to Joni for a while before facing the two officers.
"I agree that both are legitimate possibilities, so we should keep this information in mind." Detective Cabrera instructed. "Furthermore, I commend you for getting us this information. The next step is to build upon this information so I think we should visit the Kawaguchis and the Fletchers as soon as possible. The Fletchers especially. Also, ask if there is anything unusual about Joan's behavior. Henry and Brad, you two go to the Fletchers. Joni and I will visit the Kawaguchis."
With the detective's instructions received, Officer Henry responded with a smile and an eager nod while Officer Brad sternly nodded in affirmation.
"That's all for now. Let's gather once again later around 5 PM." The detective stood up and soon others followed and exited the conference room.
February 22, 9:51 AM | The Forest of Twin Meadows
The cold wind brushed her figure as Joni strolled deep into the forest outside Twin Meadows. After a long first day of the investigation, she decided to take refuge in the town's natural beauty by taking a long walk in its surrounding forest. The town of Twin Meadows is flanked by a deep forest. The town and the forest are further flanked by two mountains, situating the town in a valley. For this reason, Twin Meadows is geographically isolated from the rest of the state. This isolation allows the small town to permeate an otherworldly aura that captivates its visitors, Joni is no exception.
Even with its notorious isolation, Twin Meadows managed to take advantage of its natural beauty and become a local tourist spot which powered its local economy. There are a few mountain resorts in the mountains at the town's peripheries. The town's sleepy nature attracted a lot of retirees and rich people who can afford a vacation house, thus the elderly demographic has a larger proportion in Twin Meadows than even in other rural towns. There were also people who were captivated by the inherent isolation of the town which was obscured by nature itself. Yet even with a growing tourism economy, the mystical charm of the town still never ceased. Twin Meadows still felt like it belonged in another world.
The fatigue of her first day in town was washed away by the gentle winds of the forest. For the first time in a long while, Joni's body and mind been immersed with the abundant nature around. The whispers of the cold wind soothed her as her feet felt the heartbeat of the planet. She smiled as the incessant rumbling of leaves filled her ears. The sound put her in a spell of tranquility. A state of meditation. Everything is blank. Everything is new.
After a while, Joni suddenly heard another sound, snapping her from her dreamy reveries, like being suddenly drenched with cold water. The spell had been shattered. A far cry from the arrhythmic symphony of the trees, she can hear the perfect cadence of footsteps. The beat of the footsteps gets faster and faster. And as soon as it reached the peak, the sound abruptly disappeared. Now sober from her dreamy excursions, Joni hurried in the direction of the sound.
She arrived to see a young girl lying on the ground, the apparent source of the sound. She reckoned that the girl was a high school student. Sensing her arrival, the teenager turned, her gaze meeting Joni's eyes. There were tears running down her face. Her eyes were red. Somehow, Joni instinctively knew the meaning of those tears. Compelled by this empathetic unconscious revelation, she stretched her hand towards the girl. After a moment's hesitation, the girl carefully took it as Joni helped lift herself off the ground. The stranger dusted the dirt off her clothes, streaks of tears still present in her face, her eyes still mildly red. She tried to distract herself from her situation by fixing her disheveled hair, combing her hands through it.
"It's the middle of the night. What are you doing?" Joni suddenly spoke with a strong yet caring tone as she assisted in brushing the dirt off the young girl. "There was a murder around these parts recently. It's dangerous for someone young such as you."
Joni can see the young woman's face dyed red, now snapped from her crying stupor. The girl washed the remaining tears from her eyes with her hands.
"Sorry, I-uh just simply had to be myself this time. The forest is beautiful at night..." The girl, still mildly blushing, began to fidget with her hands on the back. "...and I need some time to think or something."
"I see." Joni replied blankly. She stared at the young girl once more before turning her back from her and walked. "Follow me, I'll walk you home right now."
The young girl didn't move for a moment. When Joni was about to call her, she dashed in her direction, soon catching up to her side. Their eyes directly met and entire feelings were conveyed unspoken. The two walked silently beside each other under the faint moonlight.
February 22, 10:45 AM | Twin Meadows
After a 30 minute walk or so, the two managed to reach the edges of the town proper. There was no one outside. No cars, no people. The soft echoes of the wind reigned the sleepy town. One could mistake for a ghost town. For Joni, who lived in New York, the absolute silence of the night was something new to her. New York was never asleep. At this time of the night in that towering city, the bustling sounds are the norm so much so that they became "silence" itself. However, Joni didn't dislike the emptiness. The emptiness of the town, of its people. It was a strange new sensation, but one that she did not mind.
After internalizing this new sensation, she slightly turned to see the trailing young girl. A far cry from the girl struck with grief and the girl embarrassed by an adult's scolding, she merely walked with an unreadable face as she surveyed the rustic houses of the town. Her eyes filled with a certain sense of longing. Joni turned forward again and continued to walk.
"She wore blue velvet... Bluer than velvet was the night..."
A voice dispelled the reigning silence. Joni turned her gaze behind her to see the source of the sound, the young girl singing softly.
"Softer than satin was the light... From the stars..."
The girl noticed the eyes of Joni and immediately stopped her song. She looked down, her face flushed with heat.
"Bobby Vinton's Blue Velvet, huh?" Joni commented with a slightly playful tone as she looked forward again. "I'm surprised you know such an old song."
Silence filled the air once again as they continued to walk. After a moment of mustering courage, the girl broke the silence.
"It's her favorite song. Well, it was."
Joni eyed her questioningly, but did not respond. Instead of averting her gaze, this time, the girl's hazel eyes met with the older woman's. Even without talking, their eyes spoke for themselves. Joni can see the psychic pain in the younger girl's eyes. In turn, she returned an empathetic gaze. The two then broke the staring match as they found themselves in an intersection. The girl stopped on her tracks.
"Here's fine. My house is just over there." The girl pointed at a nearby house on the street right of the two. There was a pause, and an uncomfortable silence. The younger woman was nervously fidgeting again as she mumbled.
"Thanks by the way."
After the exact moment she said those words, the girl soon dashed in the direction of her house. Joni wasn't able to reply and can only watch the retreating figure of the young woman. As she was running, the older woman widened her eyes as a shadowy figure appeared behind the girl's back. It was a hazy silhouette that took on a vaguely humanoid form, but Joni knew that her eyes did not deceive her. For a split-second, her face became grim. The shadow floated behind the girl as she ran in the direction of her home.
"It hasn't manifested yet." Joni solemnly remarked to herself. She soon pulled a folder under her coat and ran through its pages until she found the necessary page. It contained a picture of a young high school girl on the top right who looked like her recent companion. Opposite of the picture was the words "Joyce Josephson". Joni returned the folder inside her coat and made a mental note about her. She gazed once again at the direction of the girl's street. At a distance, she can see the girl, now on her porch, approaching the door of her house. The shadow behind her had already vanished.
To be continued...
Author's Notes: The chapter name is a reference to Blue Velvet, both the song and the film. The song is directly referenced in the chapter. I'm quite fond of Isabella Rossellini's version of the song in the film. In fact, the imagery of Joan singing the song always come back to Rossellini's version so if you want to imagine it, watch the clip of Isabella Rossellini's cover in Youtube. If you have opinions (good or bad), please comment below or DM me. If you have suggestions, feel free although it will depend if I actually followed it in some way, but it's gonna be fascinating hearing your thoughts. The next chapter will most probably be released the very late August or early September.