Vanished
By Gemini-M
Chapter 6
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Author's Note: Thank you to the faithful readers who have left such wonderful reviews: phi4858, Sirus183, Elisa and Nans. Hope that you will all enjoy the rest of my story, and there are a few more surprises ahead in this little adventure. Also a million thanks to my beta reader, Jaccione. Thanks and Enjoy.
"It is impossible to go through life without trust. That is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself." Graham Greene.
Outside Mr. Raines' home
Terminating the conversation with Sam, Miss Parker closed her cell phone slowly and stared silently at the darkness that engulfed the house of her former boss and tormentor. The events of the past twelve hours had sent her world into a state of total chaos. First, Sydney had mysteriously disappeared from the Centre without explanation, and so far they had not found a single clue to his whereabouts. Next, the two people who they thought were involved in Sydney's disappearance had been conveniently eliminated. So now they were back to square one. The only positive outcome of this whole situation was that Sam had managed to capture Jarod, but even that good fortune could easily change, knowing how Jarod always found a way to escape and ridicule her.
Nervously and unaware of her passenger's scrutinizing gaze, Miss Parker began taping her fingers on the steering wheel as her hidden emotions betrayed her and forced her to confront this new predicament. 'Why had her stomach turned into knots when Sam had informed her about Jarod's injuries?' Parker thought confused. 'She should care less about what could happen to that annoying and conceited Lab Rat, and yet she just could not erase the thoughts of his condition or what her life would be like without his constant interventions, his constant mocking and his constant reminders to seek the truth to their past.' Parker shook her head trying to dislodge these unsettling thoughts from her mind, but undeniably they pointed to the one truth she didn't want to admit. 'Jarod was and always had been her constant. No matter how many times she had pushed him away or rejected him. He always came back. Even though, she had not seen it until now or simply chose to ignore it, Jarod still was that faithful friend from her childhood.' Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "He never abandoned me." Parker murmured to herself.
"Did you say something Miss Parker?" Broots' voice jolted her from her reverie.
"What?" Parker answered disoriented. "No, nothing." Avoiding Broots' eyes, Parker quickly started the car and sped away.
"Miss Parker, where are we going?" Broots asked cautiously, while he held on for dear life to the handle of his door. "Did something happen?"
"To my house, but first we have to stop by the pharmacy."
"The pharmacy?" Broots said surprised.
"Yes, we are going to need some pain killers and medical supplies." Parker answered emotionless.
"Medical supplies?" Broots asked with interest. "Who's hurt?"
"Jarod."
"What happened Miss Parker?" Broots voiced was now filled with concern. "Is he hurt bad?"
"Why are you so worried about the Lab Rat anyways?" Parker said coldly.
"Sorry Miss Parker, I...I know you don't like the guy but..." Broots raised his hand in defense when the woman next to him shot daggers with her look. "and...and you have plenty of reasons, but he's really not a bad guy you know. Plus he's trying to help us find Sydney."
"Oh Great, first I had to endure Sydney's mothering, and now you want to start a fan club for the Lab Rat." Parker said annoyed. "Did the genius finally get into your head as well?"
"OH No Miss Parker, is not like that, it's just that...I owe Jarod." Broots remained quiet for a moment, building up his courage to explain his reasons. "Jarod helped me get my little girl back."
Miss Parker was baffled by Broots' revelation. Parker stared straight ahead at the road not wanting to show her shock to the man sitting next to her. 'She just couldn't figure out Jarod. Why would he help the same people who pursued him relentlessly and had kept him locked up most of his life? He was truly an enigma and in a strange way that's what made him so special.'
After a few minutes of silence, Parker asked, "So what did Boy-Wonder do to obtain your allegiance?"
"Jarod sent some information about my ex-wife's gambling to the court during the custody trial, and that helped me get Debbie back." Broots continued with apprehension. "Miss Parker, I know my job is to help you capture him, but it doesn't mean I have to like it, or that I have to agree with all the things the Centre has done to him and others."
"I know Broots, but now our main concern is to find Sydney." Parker shot back, quickly changing the subject.
A few minutes later they arrived at a local pharmacy in Blue Cove. Parker exited her car and rushed into the store with Broots at her heels. Within half an hour they were out of the pharmacy with all the needed supplies and back on the road en route to Miss Parker's house.
Miss Parker's home
It was 7:00p.m. by the time Miss Parker and Broots arrived at her home. As she pulled into her driveway, Parker could see the black Centre sedan parked at the curve. Just before stepping out of her car, Parker turned towards her techie, her ice-queen mask back in place, and said "Broots get the supplies, I need to talk to Sam."
Without any question, Broots grabbed the bag of supplies at his feet and stepped out of the little sports car. Walking rapidly towards the steps that lead to the porch, Broots looked around nervously as he remembered Jarod's words, "Mr. Broots, You and Miss Parker are in grave danger." He hated to be out here in the open. He felt like a sitting duck in a shooting gallery. Just a few yards away, he could see Miss Parker talking to Sam, but there was no sign of Jarod. He quickly climbed the steps to the porch and stood by the door waiting for the others to come. "Come on Miss Parker." Broots mumbled under his breath. His imagination was just running wild, and he already could see a sniper in the bushes pointing his riffle at them. Unable to stay put any longer, Broots dropped the plastic bag by the door and walked hurriedly down the steps toward Miss Parker and Sam.
Miss Parker looked into the back seat, but it was too dark. All she could see was a body stretched out on its side.
"Is he awake?" Parker asked dryly.
"He was moving around a little," Sam lean forward and looked into the backseat. "but I think he's still kind of spaced out from the bump on the head."
"Okay, get him out of there." Parker ordered.
"Yes ma' am!" Sam replied firmly and opened the back door.
Immediately, Sam reached in and tapped Jarod on the leg. "Jarod wake-up, come on."
Jarod blinked and struggled to sit up, but his disorientation and dizziness forced him back down again. The voice that called to him sounded muffled, but he started to recognize it. It was Miss Parker's sweeper, Sam. He knew that he had to think of something fast to get away from this gorilla before the others came, but it was not going to be easy in his present condition. He would only have one chance.
When Sam reached in again and grabbed his handcuffs to pull him out, Jarod gathered all his remaining strength and kicked the man in the groin as hard as he could.
Groaning in excruciating pain the sweeper flew back crashing into Broots. The momentum sent both men to the ground in a mass of tangled bodies. Infuriated by the spectacle, Miss Parker rolled her eyes and drew her gun from her holster, ready to handle the situation.
Unaware of Miss Parker's presence, Jarod stumbled out of the car ready to take flight. When he turned around, he came face to face with his huntress pointing her 9mm at his heart. Jarod was too stunned to even move and all he could do was stare at Miss Parker angrily. She had not changed much since their last meeting on that damned island, and seeing her again just helped reopen a bleeding wound.
"Looks like the chase is over Jarod." Parker said with an icy smile. "Well this is a surprise; the great pretender is rendered speechless."
Parker slowly approached the tall man, stopping only a couple of feet away. She shuddered at the sight before her. The pretender was gasping for breath and his face was ashen with shock. There were scratches on his face, a visible contusion on his stubble covered chin and he had a bandage on the left side of his forehead. His face and hair looked about the same as the last time she saw him on the Island of Carthis, but there was something different and frightening about him. Jarod's face had a look of anguish and defeat. Suddenly a flash of lighting brought a painful memory back to life. The images began to play in her mind, like a movie. She was back on that cursed island, kneeling in a dark and desolate cemetery while the freezing rain poured down on her and blended with her tears. She had just discovered the evil legacy of the Parker family and who she was. All of the sudden Jarod was standing next to her. He was soaking wet and his hair was already plastered to his face. Jarod looked down at her with concern and asked, "Miss Parker, are you alright? What's wrong?" Once again, Jarod was there at her side supporting her during another difficult moment in her life.
"I hope you're ready to kill me this time, because I'm not going back to the Centre." Jarod shot back furiously, jolting her out of her reverie.
Parker was surprised by Jarod's angry outburst, but the pain in his eyes betrayed his words. The same pain and sadness she had seen in her friend's eyes so many years ago, but ignored. Maybe this time she would not look away.
"Well, that's up to you Jarod." Parker said harshly.
Before Miss Parker was able to react, Sam was back on his feet and launching at the cuffed man. Jarod suddenly realized that kicking the burly sweeper in the groin was a big mistake. The huge man wanted to settle the score, and from the fire in his eyes, he was ready to rip off the pretender's head. In the confusion, Miss Parker was pushed aside and landed on her butt on the lawn. Jarod was able to block Sam's first blow to his face, but hindered by the cuffs and his injuries, he was unable to stop the following punch to his side. Jarod gasped in pain as he fell against the parked car and finally crumbled to the ground, twisted in agony. Just before his world faded into darkness, he heard Miss Parker's angry voice and those beautiful legs moving towards him and the form that stood above him.
"SAM, STOP!" Parker shouted. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
"Sorry Miss Parker, I wasn't thinking." Sam said embarrassed. "It will not happen again."
"IT BETTER NOT!" Parker said fuming. "Right now, I need Jarod in one piece and thinking straight to help us find Sydney." Parker took a deep breath to calm herself and then continued in a murderous tone, "When this is over I don't care if you two tear each other to pieces, but for now HANDS OFF, UNDERSTOOD?"
"Yes ma' am." Sam replied obediently but very surprised at Miss Parker's reaction.
Parker looked down at the unconscious man and then over at Broots who was still sitting on the lawn with his mouth agape. "Are you planning to sit there all night and look at the stars or are you going to come here and help Sam?"
"OH Yes Miss Parker, I'm sorry." Broots said and jumped to his feet.
Without delay, both men carried the unconscious pretender into the house before any of the neighbors reported the disturbance. Once inside the house, Parker ordered Sam and Broots to put Jarod in the guest room and handcuff him to the bed post.
While the men were taking Jarod to the guest room, Parker rushed to her den and got her laptop. When she returned to the living room, Broots was there waiting for her.
Parker handed the laptop to the techie as she clear an area on the coffee table for Broots to work. "Here, get to work. Go to the Centre's mainframe and see if you can find something on Sydney."
"Okay Miss Parker, but I checked this morning and I couldn't find anything." Broots rubbed his balding head nervously. "Miss Parker do you think Sydney is still alive?"
Parker looked at Broots sharply, but immediately softened her demeanor. She hated to admit this, but that thought had crossed her mind numerous times today. "Lets hope so." She finally said her voice low and filled with concern. Then Parker looked at Broots questionably and asked, "Where's Sam?"
"He's standing guard outside the room where we put Jarod." Broots answered as he began to type frantically on the laptop.
"Call me if you find something." Parker removed her jacket and threw it on the back of the couch. "I'm going to make some coffee." Parker sighed tiredly as she walked towards the kitchen. "It's going to be a long night."
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In a state of half consciousness, Jarod could hear his own moaning. Slowly his eyes fluttered open, he raised his head slightly and started to scan the surroundings nervously. The room was almost in total darkness, except for the faint light of a small lamp. At first he could not remember how he got there or where he was, but a photo on the night table brought back the events of the past few hours. "Miss Parker's home." Jarod hissed to himself as he dropped his head back down on the pillow. He felt wretched and the pain on his side had worsened to a point that the mere act of breathing made it almost unbearable. Cautiously, he tried to raise himself up on his elbows, but painfully discovered he was cuffed to the bed post. The awkward movement put more strain on his sore ribs and caused him to cry out in pain.
At the sound of Jarod's groan, Sam rushed into the room and turned on the room light. The sudden brightness made the pretender shield his eyes with his free arm, while his eyes adjusted to the assaulting glare. When Sam's face came into focus, both men stared at each other angrily for a few minutes in a deadly silence. Struggling and biting down against the pain Jarod managed to sit up, without taking his eyes away from the menacing sweeper.
"Are you here to finish the job for Miss Parker?" Jarod hissed at the sweeper.
"Unfortunately not, Lab Rat." Sam spat angrily. "Today is your lucky day. Miss Parker needs you in one piece; otherwise, you would be pushing up daisies like Lyle and Mr. Raines."
"WHAT?" Jarod gasped. "MR. RAINES IS DEAD ALSO?"
"Yeah, Dead as a door nail." Sam replied with a smirk.
Jarod just sat stunned for a few minutes. He still could not believe the fact that Mr. Raines and Lyle were really dead. "This is not good." Jarod murmured softly. "He's eliminating all the top players and that means Miss Parker is next."
"What are you mumbling about?" Sam asked annoyed. "You're beginning to sound like Angelo."
"Sam Listen carefully!" Jarod said with a concerned look on his face. "You need to get Miss Parker and Broots away from here. Whoever killed Raines and Lyle is planning to kill them too."
"How do you know this?" Sam shot back suspiciously. "For all we know, you might be the killer. As a matter of fact, you are the number one suspect in Miss Parker's list."
"WHAT?" Jarod growled in pain and held his side, while gasping for breath. Sam's revelation had shocked him, causing him to jerk in anger. "Why...would...Miss Parker...think...that...I...Killed...them?"
"Because they kept you locked-up for over thirty years, they've used you, they've tortured you and they tried to kill your family." Miss Parker said with spite as she entered the room. "Jarod, everyone has a breaking point, and I believe you have reached yours. IT WAS TIME FOR RETRIBUTION."
"NO MISS PARKER, YOU'RE WRONG." Jarod's eyes held her for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was low and shaking, "Miss Parker, you know I could never kill them...they held the secret to my past." Jarod closed his eyes and leaned back against the head board defeated. He was trying to remain calm, but he just couldn't stop the uncontrollable trembling from the cold, pain and shock.
"Sam leave us alone, and go see if Broots found something about Sydney." Parker said over her shoulder as she stared blankly at the shaken pretender.
"Are you sure Miss Parker?"
"Yes, Go. I'll be fine."
Trying to remain calm, Parker walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside. She stared into the darkness for a few minutes in order to slow down her breathing, but it was useless. She felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She didn't even want to look at him. She was not ready to confront him after what happened back on that damn island. 'This is ridiculous.' Parker scolded herself inwardly. 'I'm in control here and I'm not going to allow him to do this to me again.'
When she finally turned to look at Jarod, he was deep in thought. 'He's probably simming a plan of escape.' Parker thought as she stared angrily at the pretender and decided to make her move. Without warning, she stalked towards the bed making Jarod jerk in surprise and moaned in pain. He was still shivering miserably, but she quickly looked away and ignored him. She reached into the night table and grabbed her cigarettes and a lighter. After she lit the cigarette she began pacing the room casually.
Jarod looked at her in shock. He thought that maybe she would at least ask about his injuries or how he felt, but she would not even look at him. In the past six years she had threatened to shoot him many times and he knew she could have done that on numerous occasions, but deep inside he always believed that she would not harm him intentionally. Maybe he was wrong after all.
"OKAY JAROD, TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Parker growled as her eyes bore into him. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SYDNEY'S DISAPPEARANCE?"
"Miss Parker, I only know what Broots told me and what..." Jarod stopped himself. He was not about to reveal his source inside the Centre. With all the new developments, the Centre might be in its final hours, but his friend was still trapped in the pits of that Hell.
"WHAT?" Parker shouted.
Jarod blinked and covered his eyes with his free hand as a wave of dizziness and pain overwhelmed him. "Wait, give me a minute." Jarod murmured softly.
"Are you alright?" Parker asked almost inaudibly.
Jarod ran his hand through his wet and tousled hair and slowly reopened his eyes. When his eyes met Parkers, to his surprise, her eyes held a look of concern, but she quickly diverted her gaze.
"It's my head. It feels like it's going to explode." He said with a weak smile. "Then I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round."
"Do you want something for the pain?" Parker asked avoiding his eyes.
"Not now, let me finish telling you what I've discovered." Jarod pulled against the cuffs on his left wrist accidentally and growled in pain again. Holding his side tightly with his free arm he took in a few slow breaths and then continued. "Someone was blackmailing Lyle. This person was threatening to send information to the Triumvirate about Lyle's dealings with the Yakuza and other notorious organizations, plus informing the authorities about Lyle's cannibalistic activities and the possible connection to all those unsolved murders of Asian women." Jarod said with disgust.
"But why did they take Sydney?" Parker asked confused.
"They are using him as bait." Jarod replied in a dangerous voice.
"They?" Parker replied.
"Yes, one person alone could not carry out this plan." Jarod was silent for a moment. "Miss Parker, whoever is behind this is eliminating all the top players. It's not a matter of blackmail anymore."
"I don't understand." Parker frowned.
"Miss Parker with Raines and Lyle gone...you might be next on the list." Jarod looked at Parker with concern.
Slowly in a daze, Parker lowered herself at the foot of the bed and sat there motionless. Jarod's revelation had made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight. Jarod was probably right. Since the beginning of this ordeal, her inner sense had been giving her warnings, but she just refused to listen. Maybe if she had listened, Sydney would be safe now.
"Miss Parker, are you alright?" Jarod leaned forward cautiously trying to reach her hand.
Parker leapt off the bed and moved out of his reach. She didn't want Jarod to see her vulnerable. She had to be strong and she was not going to allow him to manipulate her emotions like he had done in the past. When she looked at him again, her face had turned serious. "Tell me Jarod, why were you at Lyle's apartment when the explosion occurred?"
Jarod sighed tiredly and reclined his head back against the headboard. "I received an e-mail about a meeting between Lyle and the blackmailer in a warehouse outside of Dover."
"So you know who's behind this?" Parker asked hopefully.
"No, due to the bad weather, I arrived at the meeting a little late." Jarod stopped and rubbed his eyes again. "I didn't have enough time to get into a good position to observe the meeting." Jarod yanked the cuffs in frustration. "I couldn't see the face of the man meeting with Lyle."
"DID YOU HEAR ANY OF THE EXCHANGE, WAS THIS GUY ALONE, DO YOU THINK THIS PERSON IS SOMEONE FROM THE CENTRE, THINK JAROD!" Parker demanded almost in a panic.
"NO, I DON'T KNOW!" Jarod shouted back. "But there was something very familiar about this guy." Jarod said thoughtfully and remained silent for a moment as if watching the event all over again in his mind.
"JAROD!" Parker snapped at the distracted pretender. "What else happened in the meeting?"
"Lyle gave the man a folder and he received a briefcase in return."
"What do you think was in the folder Lyle exchanged?" Parker whispered.
"I don't know Miss Parker." Jarod rubbed his eyes trying to stay focused. He was still shaking pretty badly and the pain in his head made it difficult to think. "Parker, I tried to follow the other guy, but I think Lyle was instructed to wait a while before leaving. So, I was stuck there." Jarod said with a tone of defeat.
"So you decided to follow Lyle Instead." Parker finished for him.
"Yes, I was going to try to get some information from him, but...You know the rest." Jarod said as he stared into her eyes. All of the sudden he started to sneeze and the jerking of his body made him groan in pain once again. "Damn it" Jarod hissed as he put pressure on his ribs and closed his eyes tightly.
Jarod's face was contorted in pain as he tried to find a comfortable position within the limitations of the restraint. Parker glanced at him with concern, but immediately looked away again. "Am I doing the right thing?" Parker murmured to herself feeling totally lost, but in the back of her mind, her inner sense was telling her to Trust him. She had seen the pain and concern in his eyes, and deep in her heart she knew that Jarod would never hurt her or Sydney. Now they both wanted the same thing, to save Sydney. Maybe it was time to accept his help and have a truce, at least until Sydney was back safe. Once again she heard her inner sense, Trust him. To her relief, there was a knock at the door, taking her attention away from the man in agony and her dilemma.
"Come in." Parker called.
"Miss Parker, is everything alright?" Sam asked from the doorway. "I heard some shouting."
"Everything is fine Sam." Parker answer dryly. "Did Broots find anything?"
"No ma' am, nothing yet." Sam answered and frowned when he looked towards themoaning pretender on the bed. "Miss Parker can I get something for you or...Jarod?"
"No Thanks Sam."
As soon as Sam left the room, Parker came to a decision. Without any explanation, she headed for the door and said over her shoulder, "Don't move. I'll be right back."
Jarod just lifted his head from the pillow and commented sarcastically, "Don't worry, I'm having too much fun to leave you now."
"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying your stay Jarod." Parker shot back and exited the room.
Parker rushed past the living room without even looking at the two stunned men sitting there. Once in the kitchen, she immediately headed for the coffee pot and served herself a cup of the warm liquid. She closed her eyes and savored its reviving aroma with all her senses. After refilling her cup again, she grabbed the plastic bag with the medical supplies and a bottle of water. Upon reentering the living room, Parker took her jacket from the couch and approached Broots, who was engrossed in his search of the Centre's mainframe.
"Anything yet Broots?"
"Not much Miss Parker. All I got so far is an e-mail from my friend Wincky. You know the guy with the facial tic that works down in the infirmary."
"Sorry we haven't had the pleasure." Parker looked at Broots frustrated. "Well, what did you friend say?"
"Oh yes, Wincky said that early today, around 7:30a.m., there was some kind of disturbance down in the infirmary. They had a lock-down and Mr. Lyle was down there shouting orders to the doctors and nurses." Broots punched a few more keys and then pointed toward the screen. "Look at this Miss Parker, the Centre's helicopter flight log shows a transport from the Centre to an unspecified location at 7:40a.m."
"I knew that Bastard was behind Sydney's disappearance." Parker said fuming, and then she patted Broots' shoulder and said, "Good Job Broots, keep looking."
As Miss Parker entered the hallway towards the guest room, Sam followed her and asked with concern, "Miss Parker are you sure that it's safe for you to be in the room alone with Jarod?"
"Don't worry Sam, I can handle him." Parker smiled and walked back to the room.
In a huff, Sam entered the living room and started pacing nervously. He didn't like what Miss Parker was doing. Jarod was a dangerous man and he would do anything to regain his freedom. If something happened to Miss Parker, he could never forgive himself.
"What's wrong with you?" Broots asked curiously.
"I don't like the idea of Miss Parker being in there alone with the Lab Rat." Sam replied angrily.
Broots snickered and when Sam glared back he continued, "Don't worry Sam, Miss Parker can take care of herself, plus Jarod would never harm her."
"I'm not so sure of that." Sam said with distrust.
"Broots looked at Sam and smiled, "At first, I didn't trust Jarod either, but lately I've started to see the real picture."
"Broots, what are you talking about?" Sam shot back with a quizzical look.
"Jarod would never hurt Miss Parker, in fact he would willingly risk his life for her and he has done that in the past."
"You're telling me that those two have a thing for each other?" Sam asked in shock.
"What was her reaction when you told her about Jarod being hurt in the explosion?" Broots stared expectantly at the confused sweeper.
"I really don't know, but she was silent for a moment."
"Sam I was sitting next to her in the car and I saw her face. She looked pretty shocked and concern." Broots whispered.
"I'll be damned! No wonder the Lab Rat remained free all these years." Sam scratched his head and thought for a moment. "That's why she almost ripped my head off when I clobbered Jarod outside."
"Well my friend, if I were you I would listen to her warning about HANDS OFF." Broots said as he raised his eyebrows and nodded at Sam.
After a few minutes of silence, Sam looked at Broots seriously and asked, "Do you think Jarod killed Mr. Raines and Lyle?"
"No, I don't think so." Broots answered quickly without hesitation. "Jarod is not a cold blooded killer."
With a look of repugnance Sam locked eyes with Broots and said, "Well let me tell you something, with the atrocities that I have seen those two monsters inflict upon Jarod and others at the Centre. It's motive enough, and if I were Jarod, I would have killed those two bastards a long time ago."
Broots felt nauseous after hearing Sam's remark. He nodded in agreement and returned his attention back to the screen in front of him and his search for their missing friend.
"This is weird." Broots frowned.
"What?" Sam quickly crossed the room and stood next to Broots, his attention instantly on the computer screen. "Did you find something on the Doc?"
"I don't know yet, but there is a new message in Sydney's e-mail. It was sent to him about an hour ago."
"Well, open it up Broots, maybe it's some news about the Doctor." Impatiently, Sam slapped the techie on the shoulder to make his point.
"OUCH!...Okay...okay, I'm hurrying." Broots complained as he rubbed his shoulder while waiting for Sydney's personal mail to open. "Okay, here it is."
"What is it?"
"I don't understand." Broots scratched his balding head puzzled. "It's a newspaper article about a young woman that was killed in a car accident early today. It says that the police are investigating the accident and they suspect foul play. There is a picture but no name. She was beautiful." When Broots glanced at Sam, his eyes were fixated onthe photograph.
"Sam do you know who she is?"
"I'm not sure Broots, but she looks very familiar."
"Maybe Miss Parker knows who she is." Broots said hopefully.
Sam's suspicious nature immediately told him this was no accident. There was something very wrong with this picture, and this woman's death was probably another missing piece of a very twisted puzzle. He looked at the face of his nervous friend and said almost inaudibly, "I don't know Broots, but I have a real bad feeling about this."
TBC