The Murders of Cozy Hollow

Chapter 16 - The Shy Girl

Three days passed by and no Chrissy Swanson. Those who'd spent hours in the hot weather searching for her were dejected. Chrissy's parents took to the media to plead for their daughter's safe return. Their prayers had yet to be answered. Rex and Willow felt awful. Could they have done anything to prevent her abduction? Probably not, but both kids felt some guilt. Even worse, they felt as if they could easily be next. Rex and Willow made a pact to stick together. The public pool had been closed down for the week. Most parents made their kids stay home, especially after the Cozy Hollow Sheriff's Department held a press conference to announce the discovery of the remains of the Hill sisters and Amanda George. The girls had gone missing over forty years ago. While a major breakthrough in the cold case and giving some closure to the living family members of the murdered girls, the find only created more fear and uncertainty in the community.

Ed had Sheriff Ross's full support to do whatever it took to find the killer or killers. His first instinct was to go back to the exact spot where the girls who went missing chronically after the Hill sisters and Amanda George had disappeared. Was the old killer playing a game? Was it his or her final opus? If so, should he play along? He decided to wait. He wanted to do some more homework. Ed still had his natural suspicions about Thaddeus Beaumont still being alive, but could an elderly man in his eighties really be running around the forest orchestrating such crimes? There was something else that didn't fit in Ed's mind. Men who murdered their entire families did not typically go on to become serial killers. It simply didn't fit the profile of family annihilation.

***

Rex knocked on Willow's door around ten o'clock that morning. She greeted him with a hug while wearing a long white  tee shirt that accentuated her tan legs. Rex was falling in love but he assumed he'd landed firmly in the friend zone. Willow's mother had gone into town and her father was attending to his medical practice. She did not want to be alone in the house with Skullman running around out there. It was the first time Rex had been inside Willow's house. It was very colonial and decorated with impeccable taste. There did not seem to be one thing out of place, which was in sharp contrast to Rex's house. The Stone house was stark and borderline messy at times.

"Would you like some lemonade?" asked Willow.

"Sure," said Rex as he sat down on the living room couch.

Rex loved looking at all the framed pictures of Willow and her family. He particularly liked the photos of Willow as an adorable little girl. And her cheerleading pictures. The move was worth it just to get to know her, he thought to himself.

"Here you go," said Willow, handing him the tall glass.

Rex watched as she sat beside him and her tee shirt rode up high on her thighs.

"Thanks, how did you sleep last night?"

"Better, but not great. You?"

"It's weird, for some reason I sleep like a rock in our new house. Even with everything going on."

"Well, you have three brothers, a big dog and a dad with a gun. I'd probably sleep better over there too."

"Maybe we could have a sleepover?"

"I'd be down with that."

"I'll work on my dad and you work on your folks."

"Okay. Where do you think Chrissy is right now? It's been four days."

"I don't know."

"Do you think there's any chance she's still alive?"

"I hate to say it, but probably not."

"I feel horrible. She was so nice. We weren't super close friends but I'd known her most of my life. She was so cute but kinda a bookworm who never got in trouble. I can't believe we were talking to her one minute and the next minute she was gone. I could be next. Or Abby or Ally."