Old Windows

Solved

* Next Day

Claire didn't sleep at all that night. Tossing, turning, and occasionally waking up screaming from nightmares of seeing Elise's corpse. But once it hit 4 am, she gave up and started her dismal day.

The time came for her to go into work and the anticipation of finding out if they've heard anything was eating her alive. She bursted open the doors and charged for her boss.

"Have you heard anything yet?" she asked.

"My God Claire are you okay?" her boss asked slowly raising from his seat.

"What?"

"Yours eyes are almost black and your face is white."

"I didn't sleep much last night. Have you heard anything?"

"Unfortunately no. But you're welcome to go with them today."

She gave a half smile and thanked him. As soon as the investigators gathered everything, she was out the door. First, they drove to her house and had the dog pick up her scent. They walked for a couple hours but nothing lead them to her car or to anywhere reasonable she could've gone.

Just before Claire and the group were losing hope by the minute, they dog lead them to the cliff.

"Now why would she have gone over here?" Claire asked.

"I'm not sure. This dog has been in the business for a long long time, his senses are top tier. Don't doubt him."

The men took 15 minutes to search around but the dog wouldn't relent from the edge of the cliff.

"Come back here! You're gonna fall in!" one of the men called to the dog as he walked over to collect him and put him back into the car.

He took a quick glance over the cliff and noticed something emerging from the water.

"What the hell?" he questioned to himself.

He took his binoculars out from his side and looked closer.

"What is it?" Claire asked.

"What color car did Elise drive?" he asked, keeping an eye on the car.

"Blue. It's smaller car."

The man turned to his partner, "Call the chief down here."

The other one nodded and got his phone out.

"Wait, what? What happened?" Claire stomped over, "Let me see."

She snatched the binoculars out of his hands and took a look for herself. Her eyes focused in and immediately her heart sank. Claire recognized that little blue car anywhere.

"F*ck, f*ck, f*ck."

She threw them down and got into the man's face, "GET THEM DOWN HERE RIGHT F*CKING NOW!" she screamed.

"That's what we're doing Claire!"

-

Once the chief confirmed this was an investigation, he called in a crew to come and lift the car from the water. Claire watched the water spill from the windows and slowly be set down on the cliff. The forensic team gathered around the car and looked for her body.

They all stopped once one of them looked in the backseat.

"Chief?" one of them called.

"What!?" Claire exclaimed.

The chief walked over and looked inside the window. His face dropped and he looked up at Claire. She released her fingers from her mouth and ran over once she saw his expression. She pushed them out of the way and found her. Elise laying down on the water drenched seats with old duck tape slowly detaching from her mouth. Her body was bloated from the water and she saw her arms tied behind her back.

Claire covered her mouth and a small wail escaped her.

"Get her out," she started shakily, "GET HER OUT OF THERE SHE CAN'T BREATHE!" Claire ripped open the car door while water poured out all over their shoes and the men removed her from the back seat and lied her on the ground since Claire was eager to look upon her closely.

Claire grabbed the sides of her face and moved her gently onto her back.

"You probably shouldn't touch her-" one of the forensic men attempted to pick Claire up by her shoulders.

"Don't you f*cking touch me!" she yelled as she trashed his hands off her.

"Claire they need to do an autopsy! We can't touch her without gloves at this point!" her boss advised her.

The men escorted her back into the police car, "Be careful with her! Don't hurt her, she's dying! You sons of b*tches let me f*cking go!" she wailed.

One of the men sat with her in the car to make sure she didn't leave. They made her watch as the forensic team drove her away in their car and towed Elise's car behind them.

"Where are they taking her?" she asked frantically.

"Observation at their building. Look at me Claire," he demanded.

Claire's deeply sunken in and red and purple tear stained eyes looked in his, "She's in good hands. I promise. They won't hurt her. They're gonna help her, and you."

She had soft and hot tears rolling down her face, and the man brought her into his chest and let her whimper.

-

Claire's boss allowed her to go home early, there was nothing within Claire anymore. An empty shell of a woman only containing a void of emptiness and numb emotions. She returned home and as always, Mort was already calling. She picked up but didn't say a word.

"Claire? You there?"

"Mmhmm."

"What's wrong?"

"They found Elise. At the bottom of the f*cking ocean."

Mort's heart stopped, "What'd they do with her?"

"Took her for observation and an autopsy."

And once again, Mort's life was at risk. He knew he needed to do something before Claire connected the dots.

"I'm so sorry, Claire. I don't even know what to say."

"Can I ask a huge favor Mort?"

"What's up?"

"What if I stayed with you for a while? I don't think I could handle living alone in my house."

Mort formulated a precise plan with in those words, "Of course, my love."

Claire smiled into the phone and thanked him.

Once her bags were packed, she sped over and was impatient to be smothered in comfort. She knocked on the door and saw Mort ready to embrace her with open arms.

"Welcome home," he held her tight.

Letting go of the hug, he let her put her bags away and locked the front door behind her.