Chapter Nine

"There's got to be something we can do," Vanessa said. "Besides, if Candace is on the screen, then where's Nancy?"

"That's a good question," Joe nodded.

"Mr. Drew," Frank asked calmly, "was there anything else in the email?"

Carson stared at the ground. He was ashamed of accusing Parker of kidnapping. And Vanessa was right. Where was Nancy? Carson looked up at Frank who was looking at him with concern. "Uh, yeah," he finally said. "There were attachments. I…I didn't look at them. I only clicked on the link."

"Can I see the phone, Parker?" Reluctantly, the young groom handed the phone to Frank who went back to look at the email. He noticed the time stamp and thought for a moment. "When did you come down here?"

"About a half hour ago," Parker answered. "Why?"

"Because it was sent about twenty minutes ago," Frank explained. "There's no way you could have sent it unless you were on your phone when you came down. You're innocent. The killer must have been counting on no one noticing the time stamp or just luck."

"I'm sorry, Parker," Carson replied solemnly. "I…I just wasn't thinking. I just want Nancy back as much as you want Candace back."

"I understand completely, Mr. Drew," Parker shook his head. "I would have thought the same thing. But why would someone want to frame me for this? I wouldn't do anything to harm Candace or Nancy. I wouldn't do any harm to anyone."

"We know that but any evidence against you could easily sway someone else," he explained, the lawyer in him coming out. Carson turned to Frank. "What was in the attachments?"

Frank clicked on one and the color drained from his face. He stared at the phone then bowed his head. Laura came up to him and gasped when she saw the photo that was on the phone. She looked to Carson who then grabbed his phone to look.

"Oh, God, no!" he cried as he plopped down onto the couch. Carson shook so badly that he dropped his phone, the others in the room wondering what he saw. Laura came over and sat down next to him. She rubbed his back as he sobbed. "It's too late."


"What is going on, Brady?" Chief Durham rasped into the phone. Fenton was near the nurse's station but could still hear the phone conversation. The Chief got quiet as he listened to Brady on the other line. When Durham noticed Fenton taking an interest he moved out of earshot.

It struck Fenton as odd that Brady was calling. The detective had been missing all day and it was looking like he was backing out from the way Durham was acting. The two men had just gotten done taking Jax's statement and the description of the man who attacked him. The strange thing was that none of them knew who the guy was though Durham had a feeling he knew him from somewhere. The police sketch artist had already left to take the description to the news media in the hopes that someone would come forward with information.

His phone chirped with a text message and he looked down at it. Not only was there a text but also a voicemail. Fenton decided to read the text first finding that it was from Laura. Seconds later he was on the phone talking to her.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Oh, Fenton!" she cried. Fenton was taken aback by how upset she sounded. "I'm so glad you finally answered me!"

"Why? What's happened?"

"Carson received an email that had a live feed of Candace!"

"What?!" Fenton cried. He got a dirty look from a nurse and he moved down the hall. "What's going on?"

"We…we don't really know but we're all scared here. It almost looks like she's in a box of some sort. And the email supposedly came from Parker but we figured out that he didn't send it. Someone hacked his email. Parker is beside himself and…and we saw a photo of Nancy. She looked dead!"

"Okay, I…I'll be there as soon as I can. I have to find Sam and then we'll be there soon."

"But, Fenton…" Laura started to say though he had already ended the call.

Fenton heard Sam call out his name. He turned to see his partner racing toward him with a uniformed officer. Fenton felt his phone vibrating again but he ignored it when he noticed the look on Sam's face.

"Of all the times you don't answer your phone!" huffed Sam.

"I was on the phone with Laura just now and I had it turned off while we were in with Jax." Fenton eyed him and the officer wondering what was up. "Is there something I should know?"

"Hell, yes, Fenton," he smiled nodding. Sam turned to the officer. "This is Officer Paul Carlisle of the Riverton Police Department. There was a hit-and-run this morning that he's investigating."

"Okay," he said raising an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with our case?"

"I'll show you," Sam quickly answered taking Fenton by the arm. "What did Laura want anyway?"

"She said that Carson got an email that had a link to a live feed of Candace," Fenton replied with a shake of his head. He explained everything Laura told him as they walked the hallway. "I'm afraid we don't have much time left. There were photos attached as well. Laura said they were of Nancy and she looked dead."

"She's not dead, Fenton," his partner shook his head. He stopped at a window to a recovery room where several beds were. Only two of the beds were occupied. Sam pointed to the far bed and Fenton took a deep breath. There was Nancy lying on the bed, her leg propped up on a mound of pillows. She looked worse for the wear but he was just thankful that he could see her breathing from where he was standing. Sam continued as the three looked on. "The doc said that they had surgery to repair her leg. It's got pins in it to help it heal. That's why she's in recovery. They literally just got out of surgery about fifteen minutes ago. From the moment she got to the hospital, no one knew who she was. That is until I met the guy who found her. He and his wife are still sitting in the waiting room just to see how she's doing. They were worried that the police wouldn't be able to find her family."

Fenton listened intently but thoughts were running through his mind. He knew he needed to call Laura back or at least answer his phone but the thought of Candace trapped in what looked like a box scared him. Where was she? Then suddenly another thought came into his mind and he turned to Officer Carlisle.

"Where was she found?" he asked.

"Near the crossroads outside town," Carlisle replied. "She was on the side closest to Riverton which is why they contacted us instead of Milford Point. They brought her here because it's the only trauma center in the area. Why?"

"You need to take us there…now."

"Fenton, what's going on?" Sam asked curious.

"If she was found in the middle of nowhere," Fenton explained turning toward him, "the more than likely…"

"Candace is out there too!"

"Exactly!" He turned back to Carlisle. "Do you mind showing us the way?"

"Not at all," the officer shrugged. "Anything to help find out who did this and to find the other girl."

"There you are!" Durham cried running up to them looking annoyed. "What the hell is going on?"

"We may know where Candace is, Chief!" cried Sam though Fenton looked at the man with intent.

"Well, then I'm coming with you," he nodded. "Let's go!"

Moments later, Sam was riding with Carlisle while Fenton rode with Durham. The two were silent for a while as they followed the other car but it wasn't long before Fenton finally asked what Durham was dreading he would ask.

"Where's Brady?"

Durham concentrated on the road, not wanting to answer the question but he knew he had to. Fenton would press until he got an answer anyway. The Chief took a deep breath then glanced over at him. "He had an emergency and needed the rest of the day off."

"Why?" Fenton was shocked to hear. Any normal job would fire someone for leaving a job as important as finding a missing person. "This wasn't important enough?"

"Look, Fenton, I'm sorry," Durham apologized. "Brady is one of my best but he…he has some problems. They're the reason why he left Colorado. He was a good cop there too. Lots of commendations, accolades. Then his ex-wife decided to move here and she took their four year old son without his permission. Brady followed her and asked me for a job so he could remain closer to his little boy. I knew his father from years ago so I had no problem in hiring him. Unfortunately, she found a new boyfriend who is very abusive. That's why Brady hasn't been seen all day. The new boyfriend beat the crap out of her and tried to do the same to the kid. She was able to call Brady and he went to help. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I didn't think it was anyone's business. I lied to you this morning when I said he was following up on a lead. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have assigned him to the case. I told you, Brady's a good kid. He just doesn't know how to juggle his home life and work just yet."

Fenton looked out the window. He hadn't expected that excuse about Brady but he believed the Chief. Durham came to a stop at the crossroads between Milford Point and Riverton. The hospital was in Springfield so they were coming in from a different direction. Officer Carlisle and Sam were waiting for them as Durham and Fenton walked over.

"This is where she was found," Carlisle pointed to a small area on the road. Fenton could see dark spots dotting the road and turned away knowing what they were from. "Darby Gillis came from Riverton." The officer pointed away from them. "He said she was just lying in the road so he had to stop to help."

"Are there any houses heading down towards Riverton?" Fenton asked, shielding his eyes to the sunlight. It was nearly three in the afternoon and time was ticking away.

"There's a couple," he shrugged. "Not many people live out here and if they do, most of them live closer to Milford Point."

"Yeah, there's the Hannigans, Logans, and Ratchets that I know of," Durham piped up. "Down towards Riverton, it's mainly the Boggs, and Old Man Chapman."

"You're right," Carlisle nodded. "We should be able to narrow it down between them all."

"Who's Old Man Chapman?" Sam inquired.

"He owns Chapman Funeral Home," Carlisle stated, "though he retired last year after his wife passed away. The man is about 75 and the nicest guy out there. Wouldn't hurt a fly. The people from Riverton always bring him food and help out around the house. He tried putting it on the market but not a lot of people want an old funeral home. Chapman and his wife never had kids so there was no one to take over the business that had been in his family for generations. Now he's just doing his best to keep the house from the developers who want a bunch of cookie cutter houses out here."

"Then that's where we need to start," Fenton announced.

"What? Why? I said Chapman's harmless."

"Yeah, and vulnerable," he pointed out. "The killer could have done anything to get into that house and it would be a perfect cover for him too. Plus, Laura said that Candace looked like she was in a box. Maybe it was a casket. About how far down the road is it?"

"I'm thinking about three quarters of a mile," Durham shrugged. "Maybe a mile."

"That sounds about right," Fenton said. "If Nancy got away, she would have gone down the road as far as she could get. The killer came after her with a car instead of on foot which more than likely took her by surprise. He took the pictures then left her here to die but he didn't count on a Good Samaritan to come along. Do a lot of people come out this way?"

"Not usually," Carlisle shook his head. "There's a couple other roads leading out of town but the one towards Milford Point is under construction. It's why Darby came out this way to go to work. It leads right into town."

"Then we have to make good on this and find Candace."

Durham turned down the long driveway that led to a large house that looked empty. There was a large three car garage off to the side and a large overhang that looked like the main entrance to the funeral home portion of the house.

"Where do you suggest we start?" Carlisle asked when the four men were standing outside.

"We don't have a warrant," Durham mumbled.

"Then we need to find a reason to enter," Fenton stated. He walked over to the garage and tried the side door which conveniently opened for him.

"Uh, that still won't stand in a court of law, Fenton," the Chief growled.

"And we have a lawyer to help us with that, Durham," he smirked. "Besides, I think we just found our evidence."

Durham, Carlisle, and Sam rushed over to see what Fenton found. A hearse was in the first spot while the second spot was empty. In the third spot was another car…with a broken windshield. The four walked over to it to examine the vehicle better. Fenton fumed when he saw the web of broken glass cascading across the windshield, imagining Nancy's body being thrown into it. There was also a large dent on the hood and a little bit of blood embedded in the glass. He just hoped that she lived to tell them who did it.

"Could Candace still be in the trunk?" suggested Sam looking at the others.

"I doubt it," Fenton shook his head, "but it probably wouldn't hurt to check to make sure." He went to the car door with a handkerchief to make sure not to ruin any fingerprints, opened it and found the trunk release. "Well?"

"No such luck," came Sam's voice, "but we might want someone to check out the trunk. There might be something back here that could lead us to the killer."

"Well, since we found reason to search the place," Durham replied gruffly, "let's go check out that house."

Fenton and Durham took the back while Sam and Carlisle took the front. As the Chief pounded on the door, Fenton took a look out in the lot. He noticed several tombstones in a small fenced in area at the far side of the yard and wondered if the Chapmans always buried their loved ones here instead of in a cemetery. Fenton turned back to the house just as Durham kicked open the door. The two searched the downstairs while Sam and Carlisle went upstairs. When they met in the kitchen twenty minutes later, their search turned up nothing though it did look like someone had been there recently.

"Is there anywhere else we could look?" Sam asked a little perturbed at the fact that they found nothing.

"There's the basement," Durham answered. "That's where the bulk of the business was. The morgue and embalming area are located there."

The Chief led the way to the basement, the smell of formaldehyde emanating strongly as they descended. As the lights came on, they knew they were in the right place. On one of the stainless steel tables was a party dress similar to the one Candace was wearing the night before. Next to it they found a large, empty garment bag but there was no other indication that Candace had been there.

The group split up to search the basement. Fenton came across the row of what looked like large filing cabinets. He and Sam exchanged grim looks before opening the first one. It was empty as was the second one. The third drawer they found something they didn't expect to find and called the others over.

"That's John Chapman, all right," Durham growled . "Poor man. May he rest in peace."

"I wonder how long he's been dead," Carlisle commented.

"Hard to tell with him being in a freezer for Lord knows how long," Fenton muttered. He took a closer look at the dead man then shook his head. "At least we know how it happened. There's a knife wound near his heart."

"Bastard," the Chief cried. "John Chapman didn't do anything to deserve this! When I get my hands on this monster, I'm gonna…"

"Hold it, Chief," he warned. "You don't want to say anything that you'll regret. The next question we should be asking is where Candace is. We're running out of time."

The four men walked out of the funeral home. There was no indication whether the killer was returning or who he even was. The house seemed to have been abandoned. As Fenton stepped out into the back yard again, his eyes turned to the small graveyard in the corner.

"The Chapman family graveyard," Carlisle said softly when he noticed Fenton's interest. "Every mortician who lived here is buried there with their wife. It doesn't look big but not all of the family is there. John Chapman didn't even have any siblings either so no one will come to collect his body. It's a shame too considering how many generations lived here."

Fenton nodded grimly then walked over to the fenced in area and looked at each tombstone. There was only one that was recent which read "Millicent Chapman." The date was from the previous year. As he was about to turn away, something caught Fenton's eye. There was an empty spot right next to Millicent but the grass looked different from the rest. He scanned the area and noticed a shovel nearby that looked as if it had been used recently. Dirt and grass covered the edges giving that indication. Fenton turned back to the small graveyard then went in to investigate the empty area. He immediately saw the reason as to why the grass looked different. It was sod that was recently planted. Fenton kicked at a corner and the sod folded up revealing recently churned dirt.

"Oh, my God."

"What did you find, Fenton?" Sam asked coming up to him. He was startled when Fenton began lifting the sod away.

"Go find some more shovels, Sam!" Fenton cried as he rushed over to the nearby shovel. Sam rushed into gear as the others did the same. Fenton didn't care about ruining fingerprints as he started to dig. All he cared about was getting to Candace which he had a bad feeling that she was the one who was recently buried.


Author's Note:

Hello, everyone! I hope your week has gone well. Thank you to everyone who read the previous chapter and a special thanks to those who left a review! Thank you so much for the awesome support! So, now we know more about Brady and why he left. I had originally thought he would be the bad guy but I have had enough stories about bad cops so I didn't want to go there. Besides, Brady is still a good guy and who knows what he'll do later. And we will find out more about what happened to Mrs. Stanton soon and return to the others as well. I know that Laura didn't get the chance to tell Fenton about Jasper but that's coming soon. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a great day and God bless!