"I assume you heard it all, taped it."
He nodded. She had done her job well.
"Give me one hour after that you can publish your story."
"I need more time. You heard what she said. There's more. Don't let another reporter publish this."
He nodded. There was no need to alarm the media what they couldn't make up themselves Reuters would provide in. It wasn't anything personal. He wanted to solve this case, both cases if there was more than one and after that give up on his job. There was a life, a better one waiting for him. He saved enough, would receive a small pension and let the crimes rest. Someone else had to solve them and deal with the corruptcy.
"You like to discuss what we have so far?"
"What about my job?"
"What about it?"
"You intend to get me fired", her voice sounded bitter.
"Why should I get you fired? I am a police officer not the chief of the newspaper. Write what you need or want to write as long as you understand the responsibilities are yours. I'm not sure if you can open eyes but who knows you might."
"You mean with that fake message you made me publish."
She felt the anger boiling inside of her.
"At times we do what we need to do and you my dear have your story. You better stop threatening and manipulate people. You proved you can be human as well."
His smile and the tone he used made her feel better.
"Anything to make you happy, chief, " she said while she sat down again.
"Sure you won't hurt a certain colleague if you start brainstorming with me instead."
He checked his watch. "He can be here any minute, we better be fast. We both heard what she told. First thought?"
"Lying bitch. Quilty."
He nodded and wrote it down.
"Pedophile or pedophiles.."
"Agree. No foster parenting but fulfilling needs. Question: who's needs and are they still in touch?"
"They are. If they were not they will again after one of them read the news you published."
"Mr. Gordon the former chief inspector of this office is a pedophile, one doing great businesses with help of his wife."
"What went wrong?"
"The child, her only child. He was different and suddenly gone."
"The disappeared girl?"
"She was a mistake. He took care of the mistake and gave her to someone. One of his friends or customers or...."
"Or what?"
"Someone tried to keep her save, save her. She wasn't harmed."
"For so many years?"
She shrugged. People did the strangest things. Other these cases were related. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon both played a huge role.
"Jim?"
"Coincidence. His sister left him with the child. She showed up on his doorstep. She knew he would raise her, people accepted the little one as one of his creations from an earlier life. Artists get away with it."
"We better find the father. The father and the lost son."
He shove the report of the pathologist towards her.
"I think we found him. It's 'the scream'." He pointed at the 4th victim described. She read the words, didn't understand each word and read again.
"He was alive, he died in that wall while he was alive and..."
He nodded. "Indeed, he died recently. Not long before we found Jim."
"...she killed him, her own son?"
"I'm not sure. You saw the latest news about the house? Look at this picture."
The photo of the basement of the monsterhouse was clear enough to recognize the person who stood there. Stood with his eyes closed. He came for a reason, knew who had been cut out of that specific piece of wall. A man, young man became the victim of the one who was as tall as he was. A young man that had done something he needed to be killed for.
"The scream... He should be heard."
"Let me walk you to your car and call me if you are home."
"Can you borrow me a computer, an office? I have a bad feeling about this story. I want to write it down now and keep it safe before.."
"We both think the same, can solve this but you understand the danger?" He whispered in her ear as he opened the door to the office at the end of the hallway.
"Close it from the inside and work as fast as you can."
While she worked on her article he added some notes to the file. His suspect could be here any minute. Quickly he ordered some food online. It was with tea in his hand and a clean desk he waited for Ben. They hadn't spoken to each other for a day. Time to lay the cards on the table, close the book and leave this all behind him.
Prompt: make you happy
It only takes five more days and NaNoWriMo (the National Novel Writing Month) will start. If you like to join sign up atthe site.
This morning I thought I knew what I would write about but by now.... With my other novels I never knew what my story would look like I just wrote. I guessthis time I do the same. It's how freewriters work. No notes, no plans or schedules, the story will develop while writing.
Patiently waiting for another 😂