My Final Chapter
Chapter 3 – Lost
For lack of a better lead, Doctor and Sky went to Scotland Yard to look into the disappearances. The detectives were wary but one well-placed phone call to a certain para-military scientific taskforce meant that they had run of the place. The lead detective on the case was Beth Latimer, a tall brunette with a soft but serious voice. She led them to a spare room with all the evidence that she'd collected. "This is all I've managed to put together since I was assigned to the case last week." She said as dropped the second of three evidence boxes on the table.
"You've obviously been slacking," the Doctor shared a look with Sky. "For shame detective."
"Yes well," Beth put the final box down. "This is just the preliminary evidence gathering. I haven't really narrowed down what's important and what's not. What I can tell you is that the hiker, Jeremy Lane, was not the first victim."
"What makes you say that?" Sky questioned. "I mean I know other people have gone missing but what's the connection?"
"It's a flimsy one I'll admit but look," Beth opened several case files and laid them out. "The range of victims spans age, gender, race, orientation, everything but they all have one thing in common. They were kidnapped in areas that had no video surveillance of any kind."
"Quite a feat for London," Sky remarked.
"Exactly." Beth insisted. "What are the odds that we have several different kidnappers with intimate knowledge of the London security system?"
"Slim at best. What did the rest of them say?" Sky asked jerking her head towards the door and the other officers.
"Circumstantial," Beth scoffed. "So I tracked down the locations and noticed something else. A water fountain at each abduction site."
"Well wouldn't that make these crimes of opportunity?" the Doctor queried.
"That's what the yard thinks but I don't agree sir," Beth said. "There's something not right with those fountains. I can't put my finger on it but something is off. I sent the water off to be tested but the results haven't come back yet."
"Let me know when they do," the Doctor picked a file and flicked through it. "Taken at irregular intervals…no bodies recovered…"
"Could you excuse us for a moment detective?" Sky flashed the cop a smile and she nodded and left. The door closed behind her and Sky moved closer to the Doctor. "I think I know what's wrong with the fountains."
"So do I," the Doctor continued to peruse the files. "But who would have had the ability?"
"That's the scarier part," Sky blew out a breath. "On top of that, how do they play into the abductions? Seems like a lot of effort for a basic lure."
"If nothing else, I believe we've found your purpose here," the Doctor snapped a folder shut.
"Yeah no kidding," Sky took out her diary and weighed it in her hand. "But where does mom figure into this? She's not even here."
"That is a complication." The Doctor agreed. "And wherever your mother goes, guns ensue."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Sky smirked.
The Doctor gave his daughter a withering look, "Way too much of her in you."
"It's only fair, you have Jenny," Sky took out a DVD from another box. "What's this?" She strode over to the door and called out to Detective Latimer. "Pardon me detective, if you would…" Beth came back in and Sky showed her the DVD, "what's on here?"
"CCTV footage from near an abduction site." Beth retrieved her laptop and set it up. "I wasn't sure how to bring this up. My supervisor thinks I'm reading too far into it but there is something odd."
"How odd?" the Doctor asked.
"Just on the irking side of peculiar," Beth put the DVD in and hit play. It was a video of bustling street with most of the screen taken up by the road but part of the sidewalk was visible. "See there is one of the victims, Mary Campbell. She moves just offscreen for a minute then…THERE!" Beth paused the video, pointing to the very edge of the screen. "Do you see that light?" She replayed the last few seconds and indeed there was a brief glow of something.
"What's there?" Sky squinted. "Another road?"
"Just a dead end alley, no shops, no floodlights, no space for cars, nothing except a water fountain." Beth looked them both in the eye, "And there are no witnesses. Not a single person even turned their heads."
"Perception fillers," Sky murmured, sharing a significant look with the Doctor.
"Sorry what?" Beth frowned.
"Nothing detective, just that's more to this than meets the eye," Sky closed the laptop. "The Doctor and I will take stroll out to this fountain, see what we can see. Please keep us informed of any new evidence."
"Of course," Detective Latimer shook their hands and they left, an ominous feeling in their hearts.
Elsewhere…
"Please…please…no more…" another man begged brokenly from the floor. "My lord please…mercy!"
The shadow man loomed over him, "No."
A/N: Happy 2020 everyone! I'm so sorry for disappearing on all of you but I think my life has reasonably even out enough that I can return to regular uploading. You should be getting updates at least once a month. I wish you all the best in the coming year and remember I adore all of you. ENJOY! R&R PLZ!