mutilation?
It didn't fit the profile of this specific murder. His heart just wanted to believe that the perpetrator stayed behind bars. It would ease his aching heart.
He drummed his fingers on the steering as he drove into the driveway leading up to Suzie's cottage. No lights twinkled so as to greet him. Night was closing in. He got off his car and walked up to the oak door calling out to Suzie but the cottage looked quiet. Her car was still parked on the side of the cottage, so she must have been home. Frank had a chilling sensation creep up his spine. He kept pounding her door but still, there didn't seem to be anyone there. She hadn't answered to his call. He turned the handle and the door swung open. Her keys lay on the kitchen counter, a feeling of abandonment rent the air. The cottage was deserted. A dirty teacup still sat on the counter unwashed. A quick survey around the cottage and Frank knew Suzie was not there. The cottage felt cold and eerie. Just as he was about to step out his gaze caught on her cellphone lying on the side table next to the Television. His investigative intuition went into overdrive. He quickly made a sweep outside the cottage. It was empty. His heart began beating wildly, something was dreadfully wrong. He began calling a few acquaintances checking if anyone had seen Suzie, no one had. Alarmed, Frank called detective Matthews, the man in charge of Suzanne's parent’s case. They had kept up a friendship through his daughter's trial.
“Matthew here.” he answered.
“Detective, I'm out at Suzie Edwards place. I think you need to come out here. She appears to be missing. I'm deeply concerned.”
A silence on the other end. “Detective, are you there?” asked Frank.
“I'm here Frank, I'll be over shortly.” he answer ringing off. Twenty minutes later, Frank watched the police vehicle make its way up the long pathway grinding to a halt behind his blue Ford. Detective Mathews and his partner jumped off the car and approached him.
Frank caught them up on Suzie's no show for the special service and that Lizzie and him had last seen her a week ago. All the calls to her bounced and their mutual friends revealed that no one had heard or seen Suzie in over a week either. The 3 men agreed to head down to the police station and trigger a search and rescue operation as soon as possible. Detective Matthew and partner did a quick sweep of the house to piece together this incomplete puzzle before agreeing that this was indeed a missing persons case. Finding Suzanne Edwards was going to be Rosewood Creek Police Department’s number one priority. Worried exchanged looks passed over all three men as they quickly made their way back to the station. A call through alerted all men at the station on the ugly situation unfolding. “Craig is still in custody so what the bloody hell is going on?” shouted their captain. Every man and trained dogs were deployed to the cottage, as high powered torches and pickup trucks combed the forest next to the cottage. This part of Rosewood Creek was unkempt, there was uneven terrain where only the dogs and men on foot could access. It may take days to comb the area and the areas adjacent to Rosewood. The media had a field day highlighting the murders and inquisitive and curious visitors had flocked to the Rosewood Creek and Hanover. As the hype died down, they’d left the little towns going back to whatever they had come from.
The search continued.
- Chapter 18 -
High up in the cabin, Suzie sat on the floor of the tiny room. Jeremy Cole had untied her hands and feet on that second morning that he’d taken her. She thought about the long bladed knife that he’d ran down her cheek, a warning of what was to come if she attempted to escape.
He’d twisted her hands behind her back as he slowly walked her outside to show where she was. Miles and miles of forest and slay, rough terrain was all that she could see. Her heart had fallen. There was nothing but forest everywhere. She looked about in awe. She had no idea where she was. He had then locked her in the tiny room at the back of the cabin, it had a little bathroom attached to it. She’d been locked in there every morning, Jeremy would bring her a tray with cereal and coffee, smiling at her in that strange way, a single white rose lay next to it.
“I’ve waited a long time for this.” He pulled a chair, rested his arms on the backrest and stared at her hungrily. “You’ve always been the one, Suzanne. Countless others fooled me with their deceitful smiles and fake promises. But you’re not like any of them. They deserved to rot.”
Suzie stared at him with utter shock. A deadly feeling dangled within the pits of her stomach as she pulled her knees closer to her chest. She tried to be strong but the tears piled up against each other. In front of her sat the monster who destroyed her life. Oh how she wished to turn back time and see things for what they truly were.
“Come now, Suzanne. Don’t be like that. We’ll have a wonderful life together, I pro-.”
“Burn in hell!” she interrupted. “I hope you die miserably, you piece of filth!” Jeremy Cole’s eyes widened in dismay. He jumped off the chair, hands dropped to his side, he took a step back looking down at her in confusion. “What are you saying? This isn’t you! You’re better than this Suzanne. Why are you acting like a disgusting whore? Tell me wh-”
“Shut up! I hate you! You took everything away from me. Melly…My parents. How could you?!” Blood rushed to her face as the words escaped her lips with absolute anger. Fear faded into hatred. It engulfed her and ripped her fear to pieces. In this moment she cared less of what would happen to her. The only thing she saw was the demon that stood before her.
“I took away the muck under your footing, Suzanne. They did nothing but hold you back. I met your parents on many occasions. I tried my best to see a glimmer of hope in them but they disappointed me. They had to go. I did it for you!” Jeremy paced the room, his eyes searched the cabin floors like a mad man. His breathing rose with each step and the growl in his voice grew as each second ticked away. “Don’t get me started on that Bitch! Oh, I had so much fun torturing that useless excuse for a human being. Melissa didn’t deserve to live. I did you a favor and here you are treating me like I’m dirt! And for what? That whore? How ironic, she tried to ‘seduce’ me for a passing grade. I gave that bitch what she wanted and then approved her passing…to the next world!”
It suddenly dawned on her that she was dealing with a lunatic. He showed no remorse, no humanity. The only thing emanating from him was madness. She knew her best shot of making it through this was to play along but the hatred and anger she was feeling guided her to a dangerous space. When surrounded by darkness even Suzie couldn’t resist it’s tempting embrace.
“I will never be yours! I would rather die, you bastard.” She shouted. Her stare gradually disintegrated into a cold and disgusted one. She let free her legs, placed her hands onto the ground and spat at his feet. Jeremy was boiling with rage. He halted, clenched his fist and bit so hard on his bottom lip that it began to bleed. “So be it.” His words echoed with a strange tone of pernicious acceptance.
“You’re the worst of them all. To have tricked me with your fake pureness. I feel like a complete fool. I am going to gut you, Suzie! I give you my word.”
“I don’t care.” But she really did. Had she made a mistake? Was he really going to kill her? He turned around, walked out the room slamming the door shut. For the next few days, he said not a word to Suzie. She received no food and no rose until late one night. He slipped in a tray, this time with a red rose and note that read, “I forgive you”.
Jeremy stood outside in the dark, looking up at the stars he thought about what was his next best move. Never had he loved someone as much as he did Suzanne. He wasn’t one for questioning himself but she frazzled him. Drowning in his own thoughts for the future he dug his hands into the tight jeans and decided that this place was just too toxic. This place reminded her too much of the unnecessary drama that plagued her life. It was the only explanation for her outburst. She just needed a fresh start, with him, somewhere without any familiar faces.
He was going to leave town for good, with Suzanne. She had to be the one, the soul mate he dreamt off. Tom
orrow at dawn, he’d withdraw all the cash in his savings, pick up some clothes and supplies along with his secret stash of souvenirs from the filth he disposed the world off and Rosewood Creek would see the last of Jeremy and the soon to be Suzanne Cole.
The next morning Suzie awoke to the sound of bustling from the next room. She heard a door slam shut, the pickup truck starting up a minute later before speeding away. Suzie assumed that he’d probably be going back to the university to resume his duties.
She gazed out the grimy sticky windows. It had been nailed shut from outside. Suzie knew that her fate had been sealed. Every night before their vile encounter, with that tray of food and that single rose he’d sit and watch her eat, telling her about his day, the plans he had for their future and ludicrous dreams. Suzie remained stubbornly silent, her mind racing she’d escape the first chance she hot. This thought stilling her heart, giving her the briefest hope but on the eleventh day of being taken Suzie felt the optimism drain away.
Her futile situation was slowly sinking in. No one would