Aftermath

Chapter Sixty Four

An hour later Erin wanted to reach though the phone and kiss Mouse.

"What do you have Mouse," Jay asked answering the phone.

"It took some serious digging but I got you something. She doesn't seem to have any driver's license, credit cards or even a utility bill in her name in any state.  Neither did this Samantha girl."

"They were probably worried this Mike asshole would track them down," Jay interjected.

"I figured, so then I ran every combination of their names through every database and search engine I could find. I also scanned that picture into the facial recognition database and you'll never believe what I got a hit off of. I mean it's so off the beaten path... I really had to dig..."

"Okay Mouse I get it, you're a genius just tell me what you found," Jay said impatiently.

"There's a place called Seaside Art Gallery in North Carolina, in the Outer Banks. They run an art contest every year and encourage local artist to submit works of art. The winner gets their picture posted in the newsletter and on their website. Our girl won almost seven years ago. She changed her name but that's her face. Jay there's no way this isn't her," Mouse said with confidence.

"Send me the photo," Jay ordered.

"Already on it," Mouse replied. "You should see her art man. It's really good."

"Mouse," Jay barked getting his friend back on track. Jay's patience was wearing thin having listened to Karli's sob story. He wanted nothing more than to lock the woman up for her part in destroying Shelby's life. But they couldn't do that yet. Not until they found Shelby. He just wanted to move on to the next clue and find Erin's sister. He needed to end all of this for Erin. He needed to give Lily the loving family she deserved.

"Yeah sorry. I searched their database. They required all artist to provide a mailing address on their registration form," Mouse explained.

"You've got an address for her?"

"Not her no but the Samantha girl yes. She changed her last name too and they must have been posing as sisters. I checked and it seems like she's still there, its a place called Outer Banks Adventures," Mouse explained. 

"Text me the info, we've got a rental car, if we leave now we should be there by dinner time," Jay said, looking at his watch.

"Will do."

"Pack up," he said to Erin as he hung up the phone. "We're heading out, I'll fill you in on the way." Jay didn't want to risk sharing what he learned from Mouse in front of Karli. 

When Erin left to grab their belongings from their room Jay took Karli by the arm and reminded her of what would happen to her if she told anyone they'd been there. But she didn't need the threat of jail time, she knew Mike would kill her before the cops could come and arrest her if she opened her mouth.

/

"She can't get away with her part in everything," Erin said, breaking the silence as they drove out of town. Erin's distain for the woman was evident in her voice.

"She won't," Jay agreed. "Let's just find Shelby first then when we know who all the players are Voight can coordinate with the local sheriff.  I just can't believe Shelby didn't go to the cops when she finally left, and why she didn't try to leave sooner."

"She would have been terrified," Erin said looking at the pictures of Shelby in her lap again. "At first of Mike and his abuse. Our father was violent too. Shelby would cry and shake whenever he got going. She was shy and easily intimidated. And then as she got older she was probably scared of the world. They kept her so isolated she probably believed she couldn't survive outside that place. You heard Karli, she was convinced Shelby didn't even remember life before the motel."

"She remembered," Jay said, concentrating on the road ahead.

"What? How can you know that babe?"

"She changed her name when they moved to North Carolina," Jay said, glancing across at Erin as he drove.

Erin looked at him waiting for him to elaborate, instead he handed her his phone. "Open the last picture Mouse sent me. It's from the local art gallery. They posted the name and picture of the winning artist."

Erin opened the text message and clicked on the picture. Shelby's face stared up at her, a spark of happiness in her eyes the other photos had been missing. Printed across the bottom was her name: Virginia Lindsay.

Erin's hand flew over her mouth. 

"That's no coincidence Erin," Jay said, squeezing her leg. "She remembers."

/

Jay felt like hours had passed since he'd shown Erin the picture Mouse sent him. They hadn't said much in that time, both lost in their thoughts. He couldn't imagine everything that was going though her head but he was filled with a overwhelming need to get to Outer Banks, he was thankful the interstate wasn't busy as he drove a little too fast up the coast.

"I keep wondering how she's going to react when she sees me. I mean we know she remembers now, but it's been almost seven years since she ran away and there's no sign she tried to find me. Maybe she doesn't want to see me," Erin finally broke the silence.

"I don't know Erin but we can reunite her with her daughter. I'm sure she will be happy about that," Jay tried to sound positive.

"Yeah," Erin said looking back out the window. "I hope so."

It was mid evening when they navigated their way down the narrow two lane highway through the Outer Banks community Shelby lived in. The winter sun was setting fast but Erin took in the picturesque houses build to take in the ocean view.

"Quite a different lifestyle here, wonder what one of these baby's rents for in the summer," Jay mused.

Erin shook her head, "Probably way more than a couple of Chicago cops can afford. Besides I thought you were all rustic Wisconsin cabin not fancy beach house mansion," Erin teased.

"I could get use to laying on a deck looking at a view like that," Jay said, pointing at the small waves crashing on the sandy beach.

"Well I guess that's one small positive in all this," Erin said sardonically. "At lease Shelby doesn't have to deal with Chicago winters."

The parking lot of Outer Banks Adventures was empty and the business had been closed for several hours, operating on shorter hours during the winter. But there was an external set of stairs leading to a second floor and lights were shining in the windows.

"Think there's an apartment up there?" Erin asked.

"I do actually, would make sense if Samantha lived up here and used this as her address," Jay deducted.

Samantha cautiously opened the door when they knocked. "Can I help you?" She asked suspiciously.

Jay pulled out his badge. "We're detectives Halstead and Lindsay from Chicago. We were hoping you'd be able to help us locate this girl," Jay explained showing her the picture Mouse had sent him.

Samantha looked at the picture, eyes going wide then up at Jay and Erin. Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed in shock. "You're her! It wasn't all a fantasy! You really do exist," Samantha exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. "Wait, why are you here? What happened to Virginia? Where is she? Oh god please tell me I wasn't right!"