Duskwood Mysteries

Part 44

Jade's POV

Things were finally starting to look up. I woke up and freshened up. As I walked out of the bathroom, I jumped like a jack in the box, "Jesus Jake, a little warning please." He was standing in the room, probably waiting for me. "You said first thing in the morning, and I am sorry, I did knock but you didn't answer, I guess I now know why." He said sheepishly. "I know what I said.. Did you even sleep?" I asked, knowing very well he hadn't. He shook his head, "Not even a bit. I was too anxious." "Oh God Jake, why didn't you tell me right then?" I asked. "You were probably asleep. And I didn't want to disturb you." He said. "Jake you are an idiot. You already know so why ask?" I said. "I just want to hear you say it." He said. "Ok fine. Jake your apology is accepted, and I forgive you." I said. He walked up to me and put his arms around me, "Thank you. That was a torture, by the way." "You deserved it," I said firmly even though my heart was beating out of my chest. "I absolutely agree with you." He said looking intensely into my eyes. "So. Anything else?" I said quietly. He smiled, "I missed you. You have no idea how much." I smiled back, "I missed you too." He closed the distance between us and kissed me. And that's when I realized how much I really missed him and how much I wanted to be with him and how I could never be mad at him for long.

That was until a knock on the door jolted us apart as Richy yelled, "Jade?" "I am so going to kill that bastard," Jake growled. "Yes? Come in." I said. He walked in surprised to see Jake but he said, "Breakfast. Remember with Johnson?" "Shoot I forgot." I said slamming my forehead. "Let me call him and cancel. I can say I am still exhausted." "You think he will buy it?" Richy asked. "I hope so. I don't think we can meet him and keep playing dumb." Richy nodded. I picked up my phone and called Johnson. I told him I wasn't that well and wouldn't be able to make it for breakfast. He begrudgingly accepted the excuse. He asked if I wanted to join him back home as he was leaving in the noon. I told him I was planning to stay a few days with Richy and asked him to continue without me. We spoke a bit about the insurance claim for the house and the repairs that needed to be done. I told him I would get to it as soon as I get back home. As I hung up, I saw Jake giving Richy the death stare, "You couldn't wait could you?" "Excuse me? I knocked. All you had to do was to tell me to go away and I would be on my way. Plus, you haven't met Johnson, you have no idea what a delight he is." Richy said sarcastically. Not again.

"Guys, Johnson is on his way back home, so we are good there. How about we put the time to good use?" I said walking towards the living room. We took our seats at the table. "So, about Jenny's accident, based on your dad's notes, he had a doubt that it wasn't an accident at all. Because of the crime scene discrepancies." Jake said. "Yeah, but the other medical examiner said that it could be because of the weather." Richy retorted. "True but then it still seems weird. Take a look at this transcript. It mentions that Madruga didn't see Jenny walk across the road." Jake said. "So, she was already down on the road?" I asked. "Seems like it. But then at the time no one looked into it because he already said he ran her over. Plus remember the mark on her wrist?" Jake asked. "Yeah from the emerald bracelet." Richy said. "But that's not possible right. She stopped wearing it as per Iris. But now it seems like she did wear it, but then Iris said it wasn't in her house. So Madruga removed it?" I asked. "Why? Because he was hard for cash and then he confessed to the crime? That doesn't add up." Richy said. "What if Madruga was with Jennifer before the accident and probably did something to her and then staged her death as an accident? And maybe that's what Hannah saw?" I asked. "Could be. But then if Madruga is the culprit for doing something to Jenny and Hannah was the witness to it, then who kidnapped Hannah?" Richy asked. "Madruga's family?" I said. "Why? I mean it's not like Madruga is a free man now? He is in jail. He confessed to the crime. Yes, it can possibly increase his sentence but then all this is too elaborate to be done by someone 10 years later. And then why did Hannah meet Madruga? We are assuming Madruga gave her the name of his lawyer. If he is guilty then I don't think Hannah would meet him and ask for his lawyer's information." Richy said. "Also, your dad had that alley covered. He had thought that maybe Madruga was lying but he checked his story. Madruga was doing deliveries all around the state. Your dad checked all timestamps for the deliveries. Madruga was running behind on his schedule from his workplace, that is atleast 10 hours away from Duskwood. So, he was in a hurry to get to Duskwood. He couldn't be in Duskwood before the time of the accident." Jake said. "So that's it? Madruga did run over Jenny and there is no foul play, and we are grasping at straws?" I asked.

Jake sat there silently. "Whats up Romeo? Do you have anything to add?" Richy asked. "I don't know. I had an idea actually looking at Jennifer and Amy," he said putting their pictures on the table. "See something similar?" he asked. "Yeah, they both have green eyes and dark hair. So what?" Richy asked. Jake set another set of pages on the table, "These women went missing too. All are similar in age as Jennifer and Amy. And they all have the same features, green eyes and dark hair." We looked through the pages. The women were from all over the place. "Jake where are these women now?" I asked. "They all went missing, never to be found." Jake said. "And you think they are all related?" Richy asked. "I don't know for sure. But, there is a chance that they are related." Jake said. "How many women, Jake?" I asked, not really wanting to know. "Seventeen if we include Amy and Jennifer." Jake said. "So, you are telling me that there is a psycho who is offing women, and no one connected this?" Richy said. "Well, they can't because they just look similar and are of the same age. Plus, for the police, these women are just missing. If we go by this theory, then Jennifer was one of the victims of this "killer" and maybe Hannah saw this happening?" Jake said. "Ok if that's true, why did she ask Iris if Jenny knew Madruga?" I asked. "I don't know that." Jake said. "Ok guys are we seriously saying that there is a serial killer on the lose? Couldn't this just be a huge coincidence?" Richy asked. "Why do you say so?" Jake asked. "Because I want it to be a one off incident and not some psychotic killer. Jake, do you realize what this could mean? For Hannah?" Richy asked. "Hannah is not dead, if that's what you are asking? She isn't his type." Jake said gritting his teeth. "Really? That's going to stop him from killing the witness to his crimes?" Richy snapped. Jake slumped in his chair, "I need it to be that way." Richy and me looked at each other. Chances of this were slim, but the fact that we hadn't found Hannah's body meant we had some hope. "Let's say that this is a serial killer, then now what? Where do we go from here?" Richy asked.

"Didn't Hannah also call the police chief on the day of the disappearance? Do you think she told him about her doubts?" I asked. "It's not like we can call him and ask. It will just raise more questions." Richy said. Jake said, "I was looking into Jenny's case trying to find a clue to who might have killed her but there isn't anything in the notes. I have gone through all the evidence, recordings and I have nothing. Absolutely nothing to give us any clue about who might have killed her." We sat quietly with all the new revelations. A serial killer was a scary thing to consider, but right now we didn't have any other clue. I tried to think about any case that Dad worked on regarding serial killers. It was too dark for me but I remember dad working on a case where a husband was accused of killing his wife. And dad had proved it was the working of a serial killer that was in that city and not the husband. "Maybe we are looking at the wrong case, Jake," I said. Jake and Richy looked at me. "What do you mean?" Jake asked. "Okay Jenny maybe a victim, but her death was staged. Maybe we go for someone whose death wasn't staged. We need to look at Amy." I said. Jake looked at me, "You are a genius, Jade. Of course. We have a recent victim and I think Amy's case can help us figure out the killer's identity." "And how are we going to do that? Perform an autopsy on her body ourselves, because we are so talented?" Richy said sarcastically. "We just need the forensic report," I said. "And Jake can just get it by getting into the system," Richy said brightly. "No I can't," Jake said quietly. "Why not?" I asked. "I don't know if it is because of the case, but the reports are not online. I guess they are working offline." Jake said. "What? Why would they do that?" Richy asked. "Probably to keep things under the wraps until they have things figured out. There has been a lot of media interest in the case." Jake said.

"So, we just go there and get it," I said. "Like steal it?" Richy asked. "That's not a bad idea." Jake said. "I didn't mean steal it," I said narrowing my eyes. "You want to ask them nicely? I don't think that will work." Jake said. I closed my eyes, "I can't do this." "You don't have to. Richy will do it." Jake said. "Excuse me? Since when am I the resident thief?" Richy snapped. "Take one for the team?" Jake suggested. "I did. By stabbing myself and going to jail. How about you do something for a change?" Richy said. "You know what guys, I think I can do it," I said. "No way. You are not leaving this place," Jake said. "What? Why?" I asked. He went silent. "Ok lets not argue. I'll go. I am anyways in hot water and we need this done as quick as possible," Richy said after a while. "I'll join you," I said. "That's not a good idea," Richy said. "What is happening? Why are you both so dead set against me going?" I asked. They both looked at each other. Richy finally said, "You are his type." I flinched. "Same age, same features," Jake added. "He tried before, he may try again" "Ok stop both of you. Think of it this way. Richy can't do this alone. What if he gets caught? I have to go with him" I said. Jake sighed, "Jade, please try to understand." "Jake stop talking to me as if I'm bait. Richy is going to be there. I will be fine. Richy you are the tie breaker" I said firmly. Richy looked at me with a pained expression. Finally, he sighed, "Alright I side with Jade. Let's go."