Time Does Not Always Heal
Chapter 4
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Laura finally found Lewis wondering the woods nearby. "Anything?" she questioned him hopefully.
Winded Lewis mopped his brow, "Nothing. Not a damn sign of him." The two worried friends turned to walk defeated back to James' house in hopes to find any answers to their lost friend's whereabouts.
The nosy neighbor still sat at the window looking at Laura and Lewis as they slowly walked to the house. Her dog barked continuously. Lewis glanced up and shook his head sadly, "She sits there judging. Why didn't she see more than the direction he went. Old bat!" Lewis mumble. "Search the house, Laura. I'm going to question her, maybe she might have some answers." Lewis leaped the short hedge fence separating the yards and up the back steps of the nosy neighbor's house. The poodle darted in between his leg and through the doggie door. Lewis knock hard on the door, hard enough to jar the windows.
The elderly woman opened the window and shouted down to Lewis, "Go away, you've upset Percy." Lewis could see the old woman holding the still barking dog, Percy.
"I'm Inspector Lewis from Thames Valley Police, I need to talk to you," He pleaded with her. His neck hurting having to look up trying to convince her to let him.
Mrs. O'Malley sat stroking her precious Percy, scowling at the Inspector, "I have nothing else to tell you. Now GO away or I will call the police."
Lewis rolled his eye and silently cursed, "Ma'am, I am the police. Now PLEASE open this door before I break it down." He grabbed the door handle and shook it violently.
Laura was up stairs in James' bedroom. The linens were laying on the floor beside the bed in a crumple mess. The pillows were on the floor toss in the night by the haunted man, Laura thought. She was turning to leave the room when she heard loud voices outside the window.
"Robbie," Laura saw Lewis shaking the door of the neighbor. Laura leaned out the window, "Lewis!" she shouted "Up here!"
Coming to his senses, Lewis looked at his hands strangling the door handle. He looked up to Laura than to the frightened old lady. "Sorry," he apologized, then he stepped over the hedge fence and rushed into the house seeking Laura.
"What? What did you find?," Lewis questioned Laura as his eyes roamed the messy room. The same room they were in last night.
"Nothing. Breaking into that old lady's house is no way to find James" she scolded.
He sighed in resignation realizing how stupid he acted. "Have you found anything?," he questioned. Laura shook her head.
They searched together. The bathroom was in a similar mess as the bedroom. Wet towels lay discarded on the floor. The trash can held empty bottles of sleeping pills, an empty scotch bottle sat on the edge of the tub. The bath tub was filled with now cold water. Laura reached into the tub to drain the water. "Agghhh!" Laura gasped and quickly pulled her hand from the water. Blood slowly pooled in her palm. Lewis grabbed a towel and placed over her hand. "Something's in the water," she pointed a shaky hand to the tub.
"Are you all right," he asked as he slowly moved his hands through the murky cold water. He held up a broken bottle he pulled from the water showing Laura. He then reached in to drain the water, only he found another sharp object. This time Lewis pulled a folded straight razor from the bath water. Horror and fear filled their hearts.
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