Broken Marilyns

AIMLESS

AIMLESS

If the hiker was right, the spot he found Julia was only about a thirty minute trek into the woods.  With the statement in hand, I left my car on the quiet road and took off.  I wasn’t an outdoorsy person, but I was good with directions – a rare skill for a woman.  Every larger tree I came across, I got excited and inspected it even though I was still a ways from where the hiker indicated he’d found Julia.  If someone wanted to kill, out here was the place to do it.  These woods weren’t the kind you think about when envisioning a leisurely nature walk.  The light between the trees made me think of forgotten things, and besides trees I didn’t see much else growing.  The dirt was thick with dead pine needles and the further I ventured, the more deafening the quiet began to get.

I was here, supposedly - the area on Bradley’s written report.  There was nothing here.  Trees, sure, but no foot trails and nothing that looked out of the ordinary.  Bradley was right - there wasn’t anything here, but why?  Julia said the hiker cut her loose from the tree but there were no ropes on the ground, no personal effects.  I sat down and began speed-reading through the report but saw nothing in there where the hiker mentioned seeing Julia tied up.  So many things weren’t adding up.

Exiting the woods, my anxiety loosened at the sight of civilization.  Turning to my left, my car slumped oddly.  Running up, I found two tires flat – someone had slashed them and I had a pretty good idea who. 

I decided to call Maddie to come to my rescue this time instead of Jack or Bradley; I didn’t want either of them to question why I was out in the woods.  Maddie brought her boyfriend along who quickly began to appraise the damage and get on the phone with a tow company.  I envied that – having a man around to pick up the slack and know exactly what to do. 

"Hey, how long has Bradley been an Officer here in Aldbrook?  I don't remember him,” I asked quietly while Maddie’s boyfriend bull-shitted with the tow truck driver.

"Ya know...I dunno," Maddie narrowed her eyes.  "He doesn't say much but he's...a part of the town.  Like a bush or something."  I should have laughed but I spaced out, thinking of Julia again.

"You okay?" her words rattled me back to the present.

"Yeah, sorry.  I had the weirdest dream last night and I can't shake it."

"Wet dream?" Maddie did her pursed-lip smile.

"No, you horn dog!" I was so glad I'd found a friend like her.  "It was about Julia.”

"Oh," Maddie nodded, trying her best to pretend I wasn't demented.  “You really have a hard-on for this girl, huh?”

“She’s good to go!” the tow truck driver hollered, breaking the awkwardness of the moment.  “Boy, you sure made someone angry.  I’d watch myself if I were you!”