So Long, Not Goodnight

Chapter Forty-Eight

The library was nearly empty as the glowing cinders of sunset flooded through the windows. Frank had already written down many notes on tracking spells and it was just like he had remembered reading in the cavern of the mausoleum in the life that felt so long ago when he knew it was only just a few yesterdays. He clicked out of the multiple windows he had opened back to the blurry logo of the desktop wallpaper. Frank stooped from his seat, hovering over the cheap, plastic chair feeling like there was something that he was missing. He sank back down and reopened the browser to the search engine, watching the blinking insertion point and knowing that there was something that he needed to remember when he remembered the article that Gerard showed him on their last trip here together. It's very reminiscent of the West Hudson Park murder. The clue from Kobell's statement, that was what he had wanted to look up. Frank typed in West Hudson P into the search bar when it autofilled with ark Murder Jersey. He tabbed over to include the missing piece he was about to type in himself and depressed the enter key.

The search engine revealed countless news articles from years ago and before even clicking on one of the links, Frank could tell it was going to be messy and bloody and deadly. Just like it always would be in this string of unsolved crimes in the state that was his home. The cursor of the mouse hovered over the link to the same news report from the other articles he and Gerard had read, clicking the hyperlink that directed him to the website. A picture of the dreary body of water with caution tape stringing around stakes stuck into it's surrounding bank the only brightness in the photo. Even the sun didn't want to be affiliated with this story. Butchered Teen Found Close to Home the title of the article was painted red headlining the article. Missing fifteen year old Bianca Lee was found in pieces yesterday morning and the identifying source wants to remain anonymous. Her body was strewn around the sandy embankment just below the lip of the bridge at West Hudson Park, coloring the sandy floor red with viscera. Police were dispatched directly to the scene to investigate and collected Bianca's remains: her torso with her head still attached, both arms that had been severed as well as both legs that had been separated mid-thigh, and her feet that were placed at the water's edge - her toenails still painted a vibrant yellow. Frank felt like he was reading a horror novel instead of a news story that had taken place just minutes from his hometown. The only missing piece to her body's puzzle was her left eye that had been scraped from it's socket. Detectives scoured the area and the perimeter only to be empty handed after their tireless search. Chief Inspector Kobell of the New Jersey State Police department has a theory for it's whereabouts. "He takes trophies from whoever he kills. Souvenirs of  the event that he can use to remember what he did. This is a man who is obsessed with the people whom he has robbed of their lives. Every day that goes by that he roams free is another crime as he is able to lurk and prey on his next inevitable victim."  

Frank sat back in his chair, staring in disbelief at the screen. Another body. Another dead. How many more? He searched a broadened term and scoured article after article of similar deaths within the vicinity. The death toll continued to rise with each click of the mouse, revealing more and more girls that crossed paths with Jake and found themselves dead at his hands. Mary Lucinti was strangled to death and missing her right ear. James Wersew was raped and sodomized with her throat cut clean through, her nipples cut from her breasts. M'Kayla Teech was found disemboweled with her intestines spun around in unnatural ways and stuffed back inside of her with a piece of her labia cut off. 

"Sir," a voice startled Frank as he jumped in his seat and twisted around to face the stern expression of the librarian. "We're closing in five minutes."

"Sorry," Frank closed out all the windows and gathered his notes sloppily. "I'm done. Sorry. Have a good night."

The lock latched as soon as he exited the building and sped walked towards the car, holding the loose papers against his chest. His shaky hands scraped against the jagged edges of the keys and found the fob, unlocking the car and nestling himself inside it's cabin. He folded the pages and stuffed them into the inner pocket of his jacket and took a deep breath before jamming the key into the ignition and gearing the car before it was even on. He had to find Gerard and come up with a better plan than to just confront Jake. They needed a better plan and the police. They couldn't do this just them. He omitted signaling and just autopiloted towards Ray's house. His foot pushed further and further down on the pedal. All he wanted was to see Gerard's face to balance him out and know that he was safe, just like he had promised.