Butcher of the Bayou

Part 12

The atmosphere in my humble home felt suffocating, with Detective Cooper's presence looming over me like a dark cloud. I could practically feel his eyes boring into me, dissecting my every move and searching for any sign of weakness or vulnerability.

My heart pounded in my chest, a frantic rhythm echoing the turmoil raging within me.

"Fleur," he began, his voice low and measured, "There's something you need to know about your mother."

The mention of my mother sent a shiver down my spine, my thoughts immediately turning to her safety and well-being. I braced myself for whatever news the detective had to deliver, steeling myself against the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

Detective Cooper continued, his words hitting me like a sledgehammer. "A fisherman found a shawl caught on a branch near the swamp's edge. Do you recognize this?"

He pulled out the tattered blue shawl that my mother wore to wrap her head when she went out.

"How... how did this happen?" I stammered, my voice trembling with fear and disbelief. "And what are we going to do?"

Detective Cooper's probing gaze bore into mine, his eyes like twin beacons of scrutiny, peeling away the layers.

"Tell me, Fleur," he began, his voice a low rumble, "what do you remember about the day your father left Cypress?"

The question caught me off guard, dredging up memories I had long tried to bury beneath the murky waters of the bayou. I hesitated momentarily, the weight of the detective's scrutiny pressing down on me like a lead weight.

"I... I was just a child," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't remember much."

But Detective Cooper was relentless, his gaze unwavering as he pressed for answers. "Surely there's something you remember," he insisted, his tone rang with impatience. "A feeling, a moment, anything."

I closed my eyes, the memories flooding back like a torrential downpour, threatening to drown me in their wake. "I remember the sound of his truck pulling out of the driveway," I confessed, my voice barely audible over the din of my own thoughts. "And the emptiness that followed."

Detective Cooper's eyes softened, a flicker of sympathy passing across his features before he resumed his line of questioning. "And your mother," he pressed, his voice gentle but insistent. "How did she cope with his absence?"

The mention of my mother brought a pang of guilt to my chest, a reminder of the burden she had borne in the wake of my father's departure. "She did her best," I replied, my voice filled with regret. "But it wasn't easy. We struggled, financially and emotionally."

Detective Cooper nodded, "And yet, here you are," he remarked, "Stronger than ever despite the hardships you've faced."

I met his gaze head-on, a flicker of defiance burning brightly. "I've had to be," I declared. "For my mother, and myself."

This was a topic I rarely discussed, buried deep within the recesses of my mind like a long-forgotten relic. Yet here he was, prodding at the fragile seams of my past, unraveling memories I had long tried to suppress.

Could he suspect a connection between my father's departure and my mother's disappearance? It seemed far-fetched. A chill swept through me as I contemplated the implications of Detective Cooper's line of questioning.

"why you asking about my father?" I asked with way too much hostility riding in my voice. I gave a vulnerability away.

His smirk said it all. He thinks he has me cornered.

"Your father left Cypress under mysterious circumstances, vanishing without a trace and leaving behind a cloud of speculation."

" I wouldn't know; Mother never talked about why he left. I am curious where you got this information." I am sure to keep my voice even and calm, well as calm as I can under the circumstances.

Detective Cooper leaned back in his chair, his gaze piercing through me like a sharp blade. "Let's just say I have my sources," he replied cryptically, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

I bristled at his evasiveness, my frustration mounting with each passing moment. "And what exactly do you hope to find digging into my family's history?" I demanded, my voice filled with a mixture of anger and apprehension.

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening ever so slightly. "I'm just trying to piece together the puzzle, Fleur. And from what I can gather, your father's disappearance might be more connected to your mother's vanishing act than you realize."

"BULLSHIT!" I yelled. "I am sick of your lies and games. My mother is missing, she may be dead. I don't have any other family. So if you know something spit it out already or get the hell out of my house."

Detective Cooper leaned forward, his expression grave. " It's just a theory, Fleur. I have to check all the loose ends. Before I can cross them off my list."

I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach "What kind of theory?" I pressed, my voice trembling slightly despite my best efforts to remain composed.

He leaned back again, a calculating look in his eyes. "I think your father knew something, something that he couldn't risk anyone finding out. And I think that whatever he knew might have gotten your mother into trouble."

My mind reeled at his words, a thousand questions swirling in my head. Could it be possible that my father's disappearance was somehow connected to my mother's vanishing? And if so, what secrets did he take with him when he left Cypress all those years ago?

But before I could voice my thoughts, Detective Cooper's voice cut through the silence, pulling me back to the present. "I suggest you start talking, Fleur. Because if you don't, I'll find out the truth one way or another." Then he stood up the chair, scratching across the floor. He walked out of the house, in two long strides. I was left sitting there in shock.

I realized that I couldn't afford to back down. If there was even the slightest chance that my father's disappearance held the key to finding my mother, then I had to pursue it. And if Detective Cooper stood in my way, then I would have to outmaneuver him at every turn, using every tool at my disposal to uncover the truth and bring my mother home.