Discombobulate

Chapter Thirty-Seven

By one in the afternoon, Denise was back home with Dupe. She had two new doors installed. The front door and part of the glass sliding door had been replaced.

The handyman that Sheriff Winston sent did an excellent job. The front door was thicker and had a better locking mechanism. Now, she could bolt the deadlock and the lock built into the doorknob.

She was still cautious about the sliding glass door. However, there was nothing she could do about it. If she needed to, she could nail a piece of plywood over it. It'd be cheaper than replacing the sliding doors. That was another project for another day.

Dupe had been shut in her room for a few hours. She didn't want to risk him running outside while the handyman and his crew replaced the doors. While they were working, she shut herself in the bathroom and called Andy.

They talked about the recent update in her case. Andy mentioned she was scouting apartments for the two of them. Denise continued to feel conflicted about moving. She hadn't told Andy yet and she didn't know if she ever would.

Denise sat in her kitchen and started pulling things out of the book bag. She needed to update her camera and send a few videos to herself via email. The last thing she pulled out was Jennifer's journal.

She paused forgetting she shoved it in there. She hadn't thought about it since last night. That's when it all clicked into place. She flipped the journal open and started scanning the pages. Her eyes moved back and forth until she came to her sister's last entry. She read it one more time just to be sure.

Grant had brown hair. Her mom warned Jennifer he knew people in powerful places. They found short brown hair on her mom's robe. The case had turned cold up until Sheriff Winston came to town. There had to be a connection somewhere.

Denise threw a sweatshirt on and headed to her new door. The journal sat tucked under her arm. She grabbed her keys and wallet before she left the cabin.

Sheriff Winston was out of commission today. She had already bothered him enough. Besides, Brimington was celebrating Halloween today. Tonight, kids would be trick or treating.

He already informed her he was going out to find a costume. He had plans to be a pirate, but he waited until the last minute. He mentioned he was going to Spirit Halloween and then he was going to try to find candy to pass out.

Plus, he was helping set up at the fire station. Every year, they put on the Brimington Halloween Bash. Parents could come with their kids to the fire station and hang out.

For two dollars, you could be served a hot dog or hamburger, a bag of chips, a drink, and a cookie. Denise had been there once with Jennifer. Jennifer had begged her to get out of her room and do something fun with her.

Kids could get tickets for twenty-five cents each or they could get a wristband for five dollars. Every activity cost so many tickets. From bouncy houses, matchbox car racing, and a bean bag toss; some activities resulted in candy while others provided a simple thrill.

When Denise went with Jennifer, she saw a kid trying his luck at a chicken flinging game. A rubber chicken went into a wooden slingshot. The goal was to launch it into a big pot at the end of the table. The adult running the activity wasn't paying attention.

The kid let go of the handle and it flew. The thick wooden handle slammed into his pointed chin. The smile left his face and he squeezed his eyes shut in pain. The kid couldn't have been much older than ten. He opened his mouth and let out a wail.

Luckily, paramedics were there. Denise and Jennifer stood a few feet away and watched the paramedics check him out. By that point, his mom had shown up. Crocodile tears slid down his face.