Wright In Danger

Chapter Twenty

As Loraine soothed the distraught woman, she asked her name. "Maple. I'm sorry for being such a mess. Coming across a body..." Shivering, she clasped a hand over her mouth. Loraine sincerely hoped she wasn't about to be sick. Though she was in shock and that was understandable. "It's going to be okay, Maple. Detective Beau will take care of this." Of that she was certain. "I'm sure he will. When I saw the hair, I thought of the kidnapped woman. Allison. I couldn't hold back my scream." Hugging her arms to herself, Loraine wouldn't have been able to either. 

The sound of approaching sirens had Loraine swallowing hard. As much as she wanted to refute the possibility of the body being Allison, her gut instinct told her otherwise. It wasn't long before a stream of vehicles drove through the gate. Watching them, it was easy to tell the chief apart from the others. He was no small figure. He headed in their direction. She belatedly wondered if Beau had told him why they were together tonight. Even if he didn't the chief was no simple minded man. He would easily figure it out. She found that him knowing didn't make her uncomfortable. 

Coming up to them, concern was etched in his features. Looking from Maple trembling in Loraine's arms to Loraine, a silent conversation passed between them. Releasing herself from Maple, she went in search of Beau. He wasn't all that far. The coroner was getting themselves situated. She waited for Beau to notice her. When he did, he excused himself from the scene before making his way to her. Stopping in front of her the expression he wore confirmed what she hadn't wanted to be true. Anxiety clenched her stomach. Closing her eyes she told herself to breathe. 

The terror she'd seen in Allison's blue eyes that morning resurfaced in her mind. Causing tears to spill down her cheeks. When she opened them again, Beau looked at her with a mixture of anguish, anger and determination. She felt concern with the latter two. Yet at the moment she didn't have words to address them. Swallowing, he answered her question before she managed to speak. "There's blood in her hair. My guess is she endured blunt for trauma to the head. Not saying that was how she died. The coroner will look over her body and note everything they see and take the temperature to give us a time of death. 

My big question right now is how the kidnapper dumped her body without having been seen. It was a good question and it made her deeply uncomfortable. These were the type of things he had to consider in his line of work, no matter how unpleasant. Hugging her arms to herself, they didn't speak for a moment. Her mind turned towards Colson. How devastated he was going to be upon hearing the news. "He'll be informed as soon as her body is taken away," Beau assured. It seized her then. How their town had been turned on its head in  so few days.

The night wasn't cold but that didn't stop a shiver from working its way through her. Beau noticed and she understood his hesitation. She would be fine. It was just shock. This hadn't been at all how their night should have ended. "Will the chief ask Maple to go into the station?" This shifted his eyes in their direction. "Most likely he will. Not that she has to go in. She wold fare better tonight having someone to talk with though." She thought about that. About how she'd yet to get in touch with a therapist herself. 

Telling herself she would get to it soon, her attention was nabbed by Ina, her attention focused on the gate. Shifting her own, her eyes widened at the sight of Colson. "Beau!" Turning his head, he took off to intercept. She was close on his heels. Beau stopped him short with hands on his chest. It was as if he wasn't there with how focused Colson was on getting past him. "I need to see her. It is her, isn't it?" he demanded. Trying to remove Beau's hands was to no effect.

"Colson. I need you to stop. I can only talk to you when you do," Beau emphasized. It took a moment but he did go still, eyes fixed past him. "Tell me everything." Even when Loraine came to stand at Beau's side, his eyes remained fixed past. "A woman was paying her respects to a loved one when she came across the body. When she screamed Loraine and I came to check it out. I'm sorry to inform you, Colson. It is Allison." The words penetrated, taking his eyes slowly from the scene. "Take me to her," he said, his voice hoarse with pain. 

Loraine knew Beau wouldn't do that. With Ina here she would revel in his misery. Even at this moment she was probably talking into the camera telling everyone that Allison's brother had arrived. The thought had her blood going hot. The woman was a real piece of work. When Beau didn't say anything, Colson demanded again to see her. "I can't do that. The coroner is still working and I don't want you on camera. So please, stay here with Loraine. I need to go talk with the chief." At this he finally acknowledged Loraine. 

"I can do without a babysitter. No doubt you'll sic the chief on me if I try to take off, I'll stay put." She tried not to be offended by his words as it was in part his grief talking. Beau nodded before taking off. "How did you hear of this?" she asked. Clairview grapevine worked fast, so it was only fitting that she would be curious. "My nosy next door neighbor came banging on my door. Telling me there was a commotion at the cemetery. That the cops and ambulance were on their way over. To say my interest was peaked would be an understatement." 

"I'm sorry for your loss. Allison was a sweet girl. She didn't deserve this. They'll find who did this to her. They will, Colson." His jaw ticked as he let out a hard exhale. "I know you believe that. Being close to the detective the way you are. It's not so easy for me though. Since she was taken there was no lead. Still isn't and now she's dead. So you'll have to excuse me for being skeptical." He was right. There was no refuting that. "Then I'll have to hold enough belief that whoever is behind this will be apprehended for the both of us."

The chief came over to them a short time later. Loraine could practically feel Colson's anger rolling off of him as he met the chief's gaze. "I take it you're sorry for my loss as well? You're detective hasn't been doing so great in finding a lead. Anything you want to say to that?" His accusatory tone had Loraine flinching. The chief's expression was unreadable. "Mr. Wright, the detective is a dedicated man. I trust him. Not every case goes as smoothly as we'd like. There's still more questions and will get the answers. I need you to come to the station with me. We need to talk."

Loraine was worried he was going to refuse. The way he was staring daggers she wouldn't put it past him. Shifting his eyes to the scene, she did as well. They were loading Allison's body into the van. He sighed. "I'll go. Will I be able to see her tomorrow?" The chief nodded. "I'll make the call to let them know you'll be there in the morning. You'll also want to get on making funeral arrangements." At this, Colson's face went pale under the light. "Right. The funeral."

The two of them headed for the chief's car as Beau came to stand beside her. "He's angry with me. I'm angry with myself, honestly. I should of had a lead by now. I don't know what piece of this I'm missing though." This was going to eat at him. Was already eating at him. It pained her. "Hey. You'll figure this out. You have the entire force to lean on and me. I'm here for you too." Taking his hands in hers, his eyes dropped to them. His thumbs brushed over her hands. "Thank you. You should call June to come get you. I need to hang back and make sure everyone clears out."

She knew he wasn't dismissing her. Besides, she really did want to go home. Once she told June what had happened, she knew she would be right over. "Are you sure you don't need me to stay?" If he changed his mind, she would absolutely stay at his side. He lifted her hands, placing a kiss to them. "I'll be fine. Make that call to June. When I'm through here, I'll stop by to give you a proper goodbye. Okay?" She nodded, as she reached for her cell.