Weeping Willows: A Thrilling Mystery Novella (Dark Desires Book 1) (3 page)

She felt this incredible wave of pain and hate
engulf her, the two emotions mixed in a crushing turmoil. She felt
so alone, besides her parents and Melly, she had no-one. She was
now alone, all alone.

On arriving at the station, Suzie called Melissa's
dad and mum. Uncle Frank and Aunt Lizzie arrived shortly. They were
the closest thing to any real family she had left. Dad had a
brother and sister in New Zealand and mum had been an only child.
They had never really kept up, just an occasional postcard at
Christmas, with a few visits over the years. The station was abuzz
with police going about their business. A drunken man bawled at one
officer as he was led to lock-up, swearing and cussing as he was
taken away.

Suzie was asked to wait for a few
minutes. A tall burly policeman stepped out of one of the offices.
Suzie was weeping in the arms of Aunt Lizzie, the shock of what was
happening sinking in. Uncle Frank patted her hand consolingly and
with his soft voice said,
“There, there my
dear. It's going to be okay. We're here for you.”

Aunt Lizzie stroked her hair and tried to brush the
stream of tears flowing down her cheeks as she tried desperately to
stifle her own tears. Suzie reluctantly pulled away as the officer
cleared his throat. He introduced himself as Detective Matthews and
asked them to follow him to the mortuary.

The click of shoes echoed on the cold tiled floor as
they were led through a cold empty corridor, metal cabinets lined
the wall behind the double steel doors. Sergeant Matthews pushed
open the doors as he led them through. He pulled out the drawer and
lifted the white sheets. Suzie slowly stepped forward swallowing
the hard lump lodged in her throat and stared at the lifeless
faces. Their faces were a blush white and so still, they looked
like they were in a deep sleep but the deep wounds, scratches and
dark blue bruised lining their faces was an indication that this
was not so.

She nodded at Detective Matthews as Uncle Frank and
Aunt Lizzie whisked her away. An investigation was now open on the
death of her parents. Their lives had been cruelly snatched away.
From that timeous moment on everything had just become a blur. She
vaguely remembered Melly's parents telling her that she should
spend the next few days with them in Rosewood creek. Uncle Frank
kept reassuring her that she needn't worry, he would take care of
everything even in the funeral arrangements. Suzie felt so
overwhelmed at their kindness and grateful for having them in her
life at this crucial time. The truth was that her brain felt like
it had literally shut down.

- Chapter 8 -

The earth smelt fresh, a mixture
of soil and dampness permeating through the air. A steady light
drizzle continued, a few rows of vehicles lined the pavements
opposite the cemetery. A few varsity friends and close friends of
her parents stood together around the grave site with Suzie and the
Franks. The priest voiced the final words of “
The Lord is my Shepard.”

Their caskets were lowered and finally laid to rest.
Suzie placed the blood red roses on the caskets of her parents as
tears rolled down her cheeks. She brushed them away with gloved
hands, praying for their peace knowing that they would be received
in heaven where they belong. Sobbing, Uncle Frank and Aunt Lizzie
led her away from the grave site. She felt totally spent. The
feeling of desolation, a second skin. For now she felt relieved at
the support of Melly's parents and her heart went out to them for
all that they had done for her. She admired their strength knowing
full well that the uncertainty of Melly's disappearance still
plagued them. They wanted and needed their daughter home. The fear
of the unknown choking their every moment, the fear of what may
be.

Leaving the cemetery, Suzie thanked them profusely
for everything telling them she would never forget it. She told
them that she appreciated their kindness but she needed to go back
to her cottage, she needed time to mourn and grieve her loss. They
both said that they understood and would come visit regularly. She
thanked them as she left.

The man had stood at the back of the gathering. He
felt secure in his anonymity. It was a funeral after all. This gave
him a chance to be closer to the girl, to observe. He stared at her
pale face and tear filled gaze. Her brown eyes watery pools. She
looked so beautiful. He wished he could gather her into his arm and
tell her it would all be okay. He was doing all this just for her.
He convinced himself that in time she would understand why he had
to do what he did. It had all been for her.

He watched silently, she had such grace and poise
pulling herself together as she thanked everyone who had attended
the funeral. A couple had stood just before him, he thought of
touching her little hands as she greeted but on afterthought he
pulled away. Stepping away, he walked briskly to his car. This was
not the time. Their moment needed to be special, not surrounded by
these inconsequential strangers. He would wait, he was accustomed
to doing that. Patience was definitely his virtue.

- Chapter 9 -

The stream gurgled in the early morning. Birds
whistled their melodious tunes. The man picked up his axe and
struck at the wood. Beads of sweat glistening on his arms and his
back as he swung the axe to and fro in a rhythm chopping at the
firewood. He calmed the troubled thoughts. It was now two months
and there had been no word.

He missed her so much! He had told Emma, his sister,
what had happened and was surprised that for once she appeared to
be understanding. She'd told him to take as much time as he needed.
If being on the farm gave him some semblance of sanity, then Craig
could skip this semester considering the severity of the situation.
He knew that it looked bad. He and Melissa had been fighting a lot
recently and many people at campus knew of this. Her
flirtatiousness was no secret. He knew it was harmless and Melly
was impulsive and she'd fought constantly, accusing him of becoming
too clingy and possessive.

He had lied to the authorities and to Suzie, telling
them that they had been quarrelling about a silly movie. The
argument had erupted over Melly's flirtatiousness and Craig was
ready to take their relationship to the next step but Melly had
laughed at him. She said that Craig was being hasty and that she
wasn't ready to commit to one man. She loved her freedom too much.
Sure, she liked Craig but it was still early days. Craig in his
frustration had accused Melly of cheating, he knew that this was
not true but he had wanted to hurt her like she had hurt him in
trivializing their relationship, she in turn had become furious and
had forced Craig to stop the car as they were on their way to
Rosewood Creek's movie theater. She had screamed at him ranting and
raving at what an idiot he was, telling him that she wouldn't speak
to him ever again. They were over! He had called out to her to get
back into the car but she had stomped away on the quiet road. In
his anger and against better judgment Craig had driven away in the
opposite direction to the guest house that he lodged at, pride
preventing him from chasing after her.

The last he saw of Melly was her angry back as she
marched off. The guilt he now felt at leaving her in the middle of
nowhere gnawing at his insides. It was all consuming. He should
have driven back to find her. Instead he'd left her, alone on a
deserted road. He felt a deep seated sense of blame and believing
that he was responsible for whatever had happened to Melissa.

He wished that Melly would suddenly pitch up telling
everyone that she'd went off with a friend to the city of London
but deep in his heart Craig knew that something awfully dreadful
had happened to Melly, the love of his life. He had wanted to hate
her for mocking their relationship but he'd always know that his
feelings were not reciprocated.

Melissa had commitment issues.

The aroma of baking bread brought Craig out of his
deep reverie, Emma had been up at dawn attending to the chores that
were required to running a farm. She loved it, claiming it was
rewarding and made her life feel so purposeful.

Since their parents had died while they were quite
young, Emma had taken the role of much older sister-cum-mother to
Craig. He'd been born when Emma was 12 years old and 7 years later
when their parents had been killed in a tragic airplane crash Emma
had become Craig's legal guardian. She'd been the solid rock that
he could lean on through all the trying challenging times,
especially when his anger and rage had consumed him making him lose
sense of reality. The killing of innocent little farm animals, when
Emma had found out she hurriedly sought professional help for
Craig. He'd spent many long years in his childhood with his
therapist, slowly coming to terms with the festering wound in his
heart. Emma was the best sister ever, she stood by him through it
all, as protective as any mum could be.

Craig put down the axe, carrying the pile of wood
inside and setting it down near the hearth. Breakfast was already
set at the table. Freshly baked bread, scrambled eggs, sizzling
aromatic coffee, all prepared over the old fashioned coal store.
Emma was setting plates, telling Craig to wash up and join her.
Sitting across from Emma at the old polished mahogany table Craig
discussed with her his part played in what had happened to Mel.
Brother and sister both agreed that the police should not learn
about his troubled past. Emma reassured him that Dr. Lenard was
very discreet. They both knew that if the police dug too deep into
Craig's past, he could be considered a suspect in her
disappearance. Talk about his past coming back to haunt it – this
time with disastrous consequences. It needed to remain buried where
it belonged.

That was Emma's decisive sentiment.

- Chapter 10 -

The winter had turned nasty. Its icy fingers curling
around the little town of Rosewood Creek and Hanover law bordered
just outside the city of London. People who loved Solitude opted to
live in these sleepy towns with their scattered farms and cottages
miles apart from each other in exchange for the quick pace of the
bustling city of central London. Rosewood composed of the usual
eternal stores, the bank, a city hall, the famous courthouse built
in the 1800 still stood firmly through the sands of time. Little
children walked the streets happily playing ball on the sidewalks,
their rosy cheeks smiling happily. A man parked his car and pulling
the collar of his tweed coat tighter around his neck and walked up
to the general store.

He'd decided to buy what he needed from old Adam. He
inwardly smirked thinking how clever he'd been. As he walked his
thick boots made large imprints on the cold hard snow as he trudged
into the store. A rope, some toiletries, a few blankets, etc. and
he was quickly on his way with his purchases.

He placed the purchases on his backseat of the truck
as he drove off out of the little town. Rosewood faded into the
distance. He was going up to the cabin in the woods. He'd lay low
for a while as he orchestrated his next move.

The sound of sirens blaring loudly as the squad of
police vehicles in blue and white sped wildly up the uneven track.
The Icy wind whistled loudly as police descended on the farmhouse.
Emma and Craig exchanged knowing looks, horrified that their worst
nightmare had just began. The policemen rushed the farmhouse and
immediately arrested Craig for the charge of murder of Melissa.
They had uncovered Craig's past and believed that he had kidnapped
Melly. Craig kept shouting that he was innocent and he loved her
but it fell on deaf ears as he was forcefully taken away. Emma
shrieked at her brother not to worry. She'd get him the best lawyer
in town. Craig's face wore a shattered look as he gazed at his
sister helplessly through the window and he was whisked away. That
image would haunt Emma forever.

A few miles away the man stood at the cabin window
staring out into the blackness. He stroked his beard and thought
pensively at this brilliance. A steely glint in his eyes, he
thought how easy it was and he smiled at himself. He knew that the
boy would be picked up just about now. He'd followed him to the
farmhouse in the past. It was quite isolated, not as the cabin was.
He'd done a background check on the boy. He would make the perfect
fall guy, his past would definitely ensure that. He walked away
from the window and threw a log into the fire, the crackling wood
creating a warm ambiance. He reveled in the thought that he and the
girl would be together very soon. It was destiny. His very own
destiny.

- Chapter 11 -

Suzie could feel the bitter
coldness soak her feet as she ran in the mist. The smell of old
cold stone filling her nostrils as she tripped and slipped on the
green moss and rocks. The mist had enveloped her. A sharp stinging
pain in her knee, the wet stickiness and the droplets of red on the
cold white snow telling her that she'd injured herself. She
grimaced and rose slowly, up ahead she could hear Melly calling out
to her. Suzie began running on the old bridge near the riverbed,
Melissa needed her, and she could hear her getting closer. As she
approached the figure near the edge of the bank, near the old
abandoned mill, she saw her, the blond figure with her back facing
her. She called out,
“Melly, Melly, I'm
here!”
she shouted breathlessly. She
reached out her hand to touch Melly's shoulder when the figure
turned with a wide lifeless blank stare in the pool of her irises.
Streaks of blood running down her cheeks. Suzie cringed her hands
in mid-air, a blood curling scream tearing at her throat as she
jerked awake. Her pajamas's were soaked in cold sweat. It had been
a nightmare, one of the worst kind ever. She clutched at the bed
covers trying to relax her racing heart. It was the
3
^rd
nightmare this week. Ever since her parent’s death and
Melly's disappearance, she had been having recurring nightmares.
They plagued her. Her bedroom was still and dark. She reached over
to the night table switching on her lamp. The warmth of the light
adding a touch of security, she gently pushed away the covers and
got out of bed, reaching into the drawer she pulled out a fresh
clean nightgown, pulling of the sweat drenched gown, she put the
clean one on and padded bare-feet to the kitchen. A warm glass of
milk with honey would soothe her frayed nerves. These nightmares
were taking its toll. They left her exhausted. Suzie stood at the
lounge window sipping her warm milk gazing out into the darkness.
Her hand tightening on the glass as she squinted peering into the
darkness.
“Is that a figure near the
willow tree at the end of the driveway?”
she asked herself. She blinked hard looking again. It was
just the shadows. Suzie shook her head and reassured herself that
her imagination was playing tricks on her with everything going on,
this was no surprise.