Next chapter - as promised.
Chapter Seventeen
Miranda had settled back into vampire life quickly. She had to beg, plead, scream and whine but she finally got Mick to include her in his case of the child abductor. He had put the case off with all the craziness of Miranda's condition but with her back to normal, she had forced him to return to the case.
"Do you have any leads?" Miranda asked, appearing beside him as he sat at his office chair.
"No."
"Any new missing girls?" Miranda asked.
"Since we first learned about it, three more have been taken."
"Any bodies?"
"Not one," Mick said, turning to look at her.
Miranda was staring out the window. "That could be a good thing. Well, kinda."
"It could mean they're alive yes," Mick said, tugging on her arm. He pulled her down onto his lap.
"So, do you think we could go after this guy?"
Mick looked at her, cocking his head to the side. "Do you want to kill him, Miranda?"
"Is it wrong if I do?"
"It's not wrong to want to," Mick said, running his hand over her hair. "It is however wrong to actually do it."
"I want this guy to stop preying on children" Miranda sighed.
"I have an appointment to visit with the first little girl's mother," Mick said, "If you want to come."
Miranda smiled. "Of course."
"We have to go then," Mick said. "I'll call Josef and have him pick up Zoe here so she's not alone."
The drive took twenty minutes. The family lived in a quaint suburb. Miranda slipped her shades on as Mick opened her door for her. She smiled at him. "Aren't you sweet."
"I try," Mick said, shut the door behind her.
Miranda laughed, giving him a playfully shove as they walked to the door. He knocked. It took a moment before a small woman opened the door. She had blonde hair, pulled back in a messy pony tail. She looked rather ragged.
"Mrs. Marshall?" Mick asked, holding out his badge. "I'm Mick St. John. I called yesterday."
Mrs. Marshall nodded. "Yes, I remember."
"I hope you don't mind, I brought my wife along," Mick said, thinking they really needed to get her a PI license.
"No, it's fine," Mrs. Marshall said, opening the door more. "Please come in."
The two followed Mrs. Marshall into her living room. Mick sat on the loveseat, with Miranda next to him, their legs just touching. Mrs. Marshall sat across from them in one of the chairs. "What did you want to know?"
"Is there anything you could tell that the police haven't necessary release? Anything that could help us?" Mick asked.
Mrs. Marshall shrugged. "I don't know." She relayed all that she knew, but it gave them nothing new.
"Mrs. Marshall, may I take a look around?" Mick asked.
"No, go ahead," Mrs. Marshall said. She wiped her eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears.
"Where is your daughter's room?" Mick asked.
"Upstairs, last door on the right."
"Thank you," Mick ran up the stairs.
Miranda looked after him. She hoped he could scent something. "Where exactly was she taken?" Miranda asked, turning to look back at Mrs. Marshall.
"At the corner," Mrs. Marshall pointed vaguely and Miranda looked over her shoulder. "We were watching her. She made it to the corner and…" Mrs. Marshall was cut off by a new wave of tears.
"We will do our best to find your daughter," Miranda vowed.
"The police told us that she was probably dead," Mrs. Marshall cried. "Do you have any idea how that feels?"
Miranda nodded. "Some, yes."
"I can't stop thinking that some man has my baby."
"We'll find her," Miranda whispered.
Mrs. Marshall looked up. "You have children?"
Miranda nodded, hearing Mick coming down. "One daughter. She just turned seven."
"Christy would have been eight next month," Mrs. Marshall said, looking up as Mick came back into the room.
"I'm so sorry," Mick whispered.
"I pray you never feel this pain, Ms. St. John."
"Miranda, please," Miranda whispered.
"May I ask, what is her name?" Mrs. Marshall asked.
"Zoe," Mick said, grabbing Miranda's hand.
"Pretty name," Mrs. Marshall said.
"I hope we can help you," Mick said, pulling Miranda to her feet.
"Thank you," Mrs. Marshall walked them to the door.
They walked slowly to the car. "Could you find her scent?" Miranda asked, looking down at the corner.
Mick nodded. "Yeah, I would know it."
Miranda nodded; slowly she walked to the corner. Mick followed her confused. "Where are you going?"
"She was taken right here," Miranda whispered, kneeling down at the corner.
Mick looked down at her, his shadow falling over her. She turned, looking up at him, squinting. "Can you smell anything?"
"It vanishes," Mick said, knowing it would hurt Miranda but it was the truth.