Family Secrets (Editing)

14| Friends?

*Unedited*

"Mister Norman, I'm calling back in regards to the address you gave yesterday." Detective Rose stated and waited for the man's answer to continue.

"Actually the address was for a primary school that shut down recently due to a lack of funds." Again the man asked what it had to do with his family. Rose sighed, he hadn't slept much since this case came in.

"Mr Norman we found Mr Stone." He heard the hope in the man's voice and then he quickly added. "Dead." He would have cracked a laugh if he wasn't so tired.

"If you could come by the station later I will provide you with all the information you need. For example we also found a lead on Steven Callum he works at a gas station."

The chief signaling him caused Rose to pause his conversation. "I'm sorry Mr Norman but something has popped up." Saying his goodbyes he headed over to the elder man.

"Chief?" He asked and the man signaled for him to meet him in his office. "A 9-1-1 call came in this morning from a runner. A body was found on the river." The chief informed him and Rose nodded.

"Chance and Violet are already there but the way he was found seems familiar." Rose quirked an eyebrow. "A doll was killed like that recently." He clarified only to make Rose more confused.

"The Smith case." Chief Burton deadpanned. "Hand ripped off and eyes gouged out." Rose stated putting the pieces together. "I'm heading over chief." He said halfway through the door.

He hoped it was the breakthrough he needed. Mr Norman was not the kind of person he needed breathing down his neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob was engrossed in his work when an email came in from an address he didn't recognize. Opening it he clicked on the attachment only to see a year book picture.

He instantly recognized two things. Someone's face was scratched out and Marley was actually smiling in the shot. The message attached was: Guess which one I am.

Pulling at his hair he was only left to scream. Seriously couldn't this person just go away? This narrowed the search down but it could also be another red herring.

Was it that this person wanted to be acknowledged? How do you think like a psychopath? Picking his phone up he dialed Marley's number.

He was relieved when she picked up. "Hey." She answered casually. "Hey." His voice was softer than he intended. "How are you guys?" Thinking about it he would much rather be home with them.

He had a few projects here had to oversee however and he couldn't work from home forever even if he was the boss. "Fine, your sister is here with even more gifts. I told her she didn't need to when he was so young but you know her."

He smiled. He knew his sister indeed. "I will be home early." He informed her thinking better than to tell her about the email now. He would get some of his tech people on it.

He would tell her after she had enjoyed her day without the reminder of a certain attention seeking stalker. "I will see you then." He could hear the smile in her voice and he was glad she had gave them a chance.

"Bye Mars." He waited for her to hang up. Sighing he brushed the email aside for the time being working through some contracts.

The sooner he finished this the sooner he could go to the station and then home. He wondered what Rose had for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't looking good Rose mused. There goes his lead. He looked down at the lifeless body of Steven Callum. Hopefully there was a lead on the hotdog guy and it wasn't the dead man before him.

Steven being dead meant that there was someone else out there pulling strings. He needed a cigarette. He had no idea what the psycho doing this was after and he had no idea who the culprit was.

Mr Norman was not going to be pleased. Blowing the smoke out his mouth he scratched his head. What would he do now? There was Scarlett Walker's brother that they couldn't seem to find.

Hopefully he wasn't dead. It was the first stalker scenario in this town where there were too bodies found mere hours apart. Taking another drag he felt his chest expand and he released the smoke slowly.

"Bag him." He nodded towards his colleagues and walked towards his car. He needed a shower and maybe a drink of coffee before interacting with the Norman son.

Somewhat refreshed the detective watched Jacob come through the precinct doors. He sipped his coffee and tried calming himself down.

He understood how hopeless the man must truly feel. Cameras were found in his house he didn't put there which had him pointing fingers at the staff he tasked with protecting his family.

"Good day." Jacob acknowledged the man who gestured for him to occupy the seat before his desk. "On the phone you said you had a lead." The detective took another sip of his coffee.

"We had a lead but a body was found by the river today." Hissing Jacob sighed leaning back into the hard chair. "I'm sorry." The detective started to say but Jacob held a hand up for him to pause.

"I got an email today from someone, Scarlett Walker." He said and Rose stared at him as if he was dumb. From what he heard his girlfriend was there when she died and they had all gone to the funeral.

"She emailed you from the dead?" He asked jokingly. "If that's logical to you." Jacob nodded in response. "I say someone is using her information." Opening the email he passed his phone over to the detective.

Sighing Rose took a look at it. "So is this person saying he or she is in this picture?" He asked puzzled. Did this person want to be found? Then why go through killing these people? Was this some kind of a game?

"I don't know but it's a lead. It's up to you for the next twenty-four hours detective." Jacob smiled without any real cheer. "Two persons are dead and we don't know why or what this man is really after."

Sighing Rose nodded understanding. "What are you going to do on your own?" He asked the man. "Protect my family." It was a simple statement and Jacob walked out of the precinct mentally chanting it.