Welcome! This story will eventually contain flashback scenes of SA. And themes of abuse throughout. I'll add a TRIGGER WARNING here, but I'll also add it before the respective chapter(s). Also, there will be an age difference (all LEGAL ages) between our main characters. If that's something you don't like/agree with, you've been informed.
Please feel free to review, follow, and favorite :) Much love.
Ben Jones stared out the window of the car as Tom Barnaby drove down the single lane road towards their destination. A missing girl had been reported, and blood was found near her house. Jones shook the tiredness from his shoulders. Tom gave him a look before they exited the car and headed to meet the girl's parents.
Jones expected them to be in a right state, and that is exactly how they were. The girl's mother sat wringing her hands and bouncing her leg anxiously. The father was leaning against the mantle, a cigarette burning up between his fingers.
"When did you last see your daughter?" Barnaby asked.
The mother licked her dry lips and spoke softly, "It was…it was last night before bed. I- I told Sophie goodnight,"
"And she was in her room? Everything seemed fine?" Jones was looking down at his notebook.
"Yes," her mother said quietly.
"Do you have a photo of your daughter?" Barnaby asked.
The father grabbed a framed photo off the mantle and passed it to Jones. He turned it over and took the picture from the frame. A brunette girl with startling blue eyes looked up at him. For some reason, the picture touched Ben. He prayed they found this girl. Soon.
"How old is your daughter?" Jones asked.
"She's twenty," the father said.
His voice and reply held an edge that both Tom and Ben picked up on, but couldn't quite discern.
"She doesn't look twenty in this photograph," Ben commented.
"That's from two years ago," her mother said.
It made sense. She was wearing a uniform, and it looked like a school photo.
"You don't have a more recent photo?" Tom asked.
"No. She stopped letting us take her picture a long time ago," her mother whispered. "The blood that was found?"
"Still waiting on the results," Tom reassured her.
Jones pocketed his notebook. "We'll need a list of her friends, and places she might have gone."
"She doesn't have friends that I know of. She goes to work, and comes straight home."
Her mother sounded so sure. It made Ben a little uncomfortable.
"Where does she work?" Tom asked.
"At the market across the street,"
Jones blanched but quickly recovered.
"Thank you both," Tom said as he stood.
He headed for the door and Jones followed closely behind. Once they were out of the house and safely out of earshot Jones said, "Those people. Something isn't right in that house,"
"Their daughter has just gone missing," Tom said. "But you're right. Something's not quite right. You head over to her work and see what you can find out. I'm going to talk to the neighbors,"
Jones nodded and headed across the street. The gray afternoon was quiet, save for the leaves rustling and blowing across the street. He flashed his credentials to the manager who instructed him on who he should talk with.
"Lucy Harding?" Jones asked.
"That's me," said a raven-haired girl of about seventeen.
"I want to talk to you about Miss Sophie Quinn,"
"What about her?"
"Your manager seems to think that the two of you are friends?"
Lucy cocked a hip. "Who are you?"
"Police," Jones showed her his creds.
She studied them intently for a second before relaxing. "Alright. Finally, someone taking her serious, huh?"
"Meaning?"
"Somebody, don't know who, but somebody, been beating up on her,"
"She was assaulted?"
"Yeah," Lucy said as she chewed her gum.
"She told you this?"
"Didn't have to. Came in here with a busted lip and bruises all over her arms to boot. Said she wrecked her bike,"
"Why didn't you believe her?" Jones asked, curiously.
"Listen, I know when someone's lying let's just say that,"
Jones sighed. "So, how was she normally?"
"Quiet," Lucy shook her head. "Seemed a bit, I dunno…sad. She's funny though. Real funny. She makes me laugh," Lucy stopped. "Wait…what is this about?"
Jones cleared his throat. "She hasn't been seen since yesterday. Her parents have filed a missing persons report."
"Maybe she ran away," Lucy shrugged. "I would if I still lived with my folks. And she's older than me,"
"Why does she still live with her parents? Do you know?"
"No idea. Asked her the same thing myself, but she never gave me a real answer," Lucy told him.
"Alright, well thank you for your help," he slipped her his card, "And if you think of anything else, give me a call."
I'm standing on a bridge
I'm waitin' in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound
Lyrics: Avril Lavigne.