confused.
“ Please… I really need to
step outside.” Clear tried to keep the urgency out of her voice.
Mrs. Johnson led her to a back patio and Clear sat in a patio
chair. “Thank you.”
“ Why are you here?” Mrs.
Johnson asked.
Clear sighed. She wasn’t sure what she
should tell this woman, but figured that since she was not here
representing the Chicago police force, then confidentiality was not
of her concern. “Honestly? The other officer, Grant, is the father
of the other girl who went missing. He and I have been working
together out west and when he got the call about her missing he
begged me to come and help. I… well… I am able to give him insights
that help him to catch the bad guys.”
“ You look very ill. Let me
get you a glass of water.” She patted Clear on the hand and started
heading back inside. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered through
a choked up throat, then slipped through the door.
Clear felt like she was going to burst
into flames. She put her hand to her forehead and pressed her icy
fingers to her burning eye sockets. She tried to focus on taking
deep cleansing breaths and tried to empty her mind.
“ So did you get any
insights?” Detective Bryce challenged. Clear squeezed her eyes shut
even tighter and bit back the sarcasm dripping from her
tongue.
“ I did indeed. What is
your problem?” she hissed.
“ What makes you think
there is a problem?” he asked, shrugging innocently. But there was
a dark shadow in his eyes. She did not know if he was looking for a
fight, but if he didn’t back off she didn’t know how much longer
she could contain it. She tried to stifle the laugh, but could not
contain the smirk that crossed her lips.
“ What, you think you know
something about me clever little profiler girl? Lay it on!” he
growled.
So that was it. He was challenging her
position. He not only felt threatened by Grant’s presence, but was
also threatened by her presence as well. Hmm… good to
know.
“ I don’t think it is
really appropriate right now,” she hissed, nodding toward the
screen door that was open. She pressed her fingers to her temples
and squeezed, pushing back against the migraine already building.
“Besides, I think we will have plenty of time to deal with your
issues later,” she growled.
Bryce rolled his eyes and turned to go
back inside. Mrs. Johnson bustled out with a cool glass of water
and handed it to Clear, then sat down in a chair next to her and
began plucking subconsciously at her robe again. Clear put the
glass to her head, rubbing the cool surface across her eyes. She
took a careful sip and sighed.
“ Thank you very much,” she
nodded to Mrs. Johnson.
Mrs. Johnson nodded gently. “Thank
you,” she whispered.
“ I haven’t done anything…
yet.” Clear muttered, feeling the woman’s emotions flowing over
her. It hurt, like being stabbed with a million little
needles.
“ Oh, but you have, just by
being here. I… I haven’t been the same… not since Donna…
disappeared.” There was venom in her voice on the last word. “You
know, I dropped out of college when I got pregnant and since then…
well, she was my career. She was my life. Then she was gone and
they were saying that she.. that she left on purpose…” Her voice
broke and tears streamed freely down her face. “I could only think
that… I had failed!! I mean, I didn’t see it coming… I thought we
were really… close… and she was my best friend. To have the person
you love more than anything… but she didn’t. You are saying she
didn’t run away. She didn’t leave me!” She smiled up at Clear and
shook her head. “Her father blamed me. Then when I couldn’t accept
it… he left. But he was wrong. They were all wrong. I was right.
She didn’t run away, right?”
“ I.. I wish I could tell
you for sure, but I don’t think so. I don’t know enough.” Clear
sighed, knowing how much it was going to crush this woman when she
found out her
“ Please… I really need to
step outside.” Clear tried to keep the urgency out of her voice.
Mrs. Johnson led her to a back patio and Clear sat in a patio
chair. “Thank you.”
“ Why are you here?” Mrs.
Johnson asked.
Clear sighed. She wasn’t sure what she
should tell this woman, but figured that since she was not here
representing the Chicago police force, then confidentiality was not
of her concern. “Honestly? The other officer, Grant, is the father
of the other girl who went missing. He and I have been working
together out west and when he got the call about her missing he
begged me to come and help. I… well… I am able to give him insights
that help him to catch the bad guys.”
“ You look very ill. Let me
get you a glass of water.” She patted Clear on the hand and started
heading back inside. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered through
a choked up throat, then slipped through the door.
Clear felt like she was going to burst
into flames. She put her hand to her forehead and pressed her icy
fingers to her burning eye sockets. She tried to focus on taking
deep cleansing breaths and tried to empty her mind.
“ So did you get any
insights?” Detective Bryce challenged. Clear squeezed her eyes shut
even tighter and bit back the sarcasm dripping from her
tongue.
“ I did indeed. What is
your problem?” she hissed.
“ What makes you think
there is a problem?” he asked, shrugging innocently. But there was
a dark shadow in his eyes. She did not know if he was looking for a
fight, but if he didn’t back off she didn’t know how much longer
she could contain it. She tried to stifle the laugh, but could not
contain the smirk that crossed her lips.
“ What, you think you know
something about me clever little profiler girl? Lay it on!” he
growled.
So that was it. He was challenging her
position. He not only felt threatened by Grant’s presence, but was
also threatened by her presence as well. Hmm… good to
know.
“ I don’t think it is
really appropriate right now,” she hissed, nodding toward the
screen door that was open. She pressed her fingers to her temples
and squeezed, pushing back against the migraine already building.
“Besides, I think we will have plenty of time to deal with your
issues later,” she growled.
Bryce rolled his eyes and turned to go
back inside. Mrs. Johnson bustled out with a cool glass of water
and handed it to Clear, then sat down in a chair next to her and
began plucking subconsciously at her robe again. Clear put the
glass to her head, rubbing the cool surface across her eyes. She
took a careful sip and sighed.
“ Thank you very much,” she
nodded to Mrs. Johnson.
Mrs. Johnson nodded gently. “Thank
you,” she whispered.
“ I haven’t done anything…
yet.” Clear muttered, feeling the woman’s emotions flowing over
her. It hurt, like being stabbed with a million little
needles.
“ Oh, but you have, just by
being here. I… I haven’t been the same… not since Donna…
disappeared.” There was venom in her voice on the last word. “You
know, I dropped out of college when I got pregnant and since then…
well, she was my career. She was my life. Then she was gone and
they were saying that she.. that she left on purpose…” Her voice
broke and tears streamed freely down her face. “I could only think
that… I had failed!! I mean, I didn’t see it coming… I thought we
were really… close… and she was my best friend. To have the person
you love more than anything… but she didn’t. You are saying she
didn’t run away. She didn’t leave me!” She smiled up at Clear and
shook her head. “Her father blamed me. Then when I couldn’t accept
it… he left. But he was wrong. They were all wrong. I was right.
She didn’t run away, right?”
“ I.. I wish I could tell
you for sure, but I don’t think so. I don’t know enough.” Clear
sighed, knowing how much it was going to crush this woman when she
found out her
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