The Colour Of Shadows

The Pit - Part 9

Already my feelings of unease were creeping back and I began to wish George and I had gone about this together, as a team.

I tried to shrug off my anxiety and go about my work, making my way to where I remembered seeing a diner as we drove in.

It was a pretty small place, beaten down looking from outside and with one of those “Open” signs I mentioned on the door.

I pushed against it and found myself quite surprised that it was locked.
I tried tapping on the glass and calling out, but got no reply.

I had turned and began to walk away when I looked back over my shoulder, It was only then that I got an answer.

A woman who must have been in her mid-forties to fifties, pale as a white-washed wall and with a few bald patches amongst her wiry auburn hair came into the main store from a back door and looked to me looking in through the window.

There had been some light in her face at first, but as soon as she saw me it swiftly flickered out and by the time she opened the door it was an out-right grimace.

I faced the store front once again and raised my hand to keep her attention, let her know I'd seen her and knew she had seen me.

She crossed the diner with all the excitement of an inmate heading for the chair, she reached out and unlocked the door, gave it a tug and it swung inward sending the bell above jingling.

‘Can I help you, Mister?’ I had been guessing that this town was a pretty poor place to live from the lack of activity on the streets and the complexion of everyone I’d come across, but being able to see this woman confirmed it to me.
Her blouse hung from her shoulders as if it were still resting on its hanger, her stick thin arms protruding from the sleeves ended with hands that were more bone than flesh.

I'd seen starving and under fed people before, back during the war and in my mind, this was a place where money for food was scarce and the people were clearly malnourished and struggling to get by.

‘Well, I hope so Ma’am’ I said reaching into my jacket pocket and pulling out my notebook and pencil ‘I’m detective Henry Scott. I’m looking for a woman and a young girl who went missing not far from here, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions that might help us out.’

She looked down at me for a few seconds as if I’d just started talking French.

‘I suppose I can.’ She said begrudgingly.

‘Thank you, we really appreciate it.’ I pulled the picture of the family I’d been given out of my notebook and held it up. ‘These are the two we’re looking for, do you recognize any of the people in this picture?’

She glanced at it for about half a second before shaking her head.

‘Right… Well, have you seen anything unusual? Any automobiles come through lately that you didn’t recognize?’

‘Mister, does this look like a town that gets many visitors?’

I looked down the deserted street ‘I can’t say that it does, Ma’am.’ I conceded.

‘Then I’ll stop you there and let you know you’re wasting your time, you’re not gonna find anything here, just darkness and dust.’

‘I’m sorry, Ma’am, I’m just-‘

‘Get out of here, Detective, You’re wasting everyone’s time. Especially your own.’

And with that she stepped back inside, closed and locked the door and went back about her business.