Trapped Without You

The Only Evidence

Lockwood was the first to come out of his room after taking his so-called ‘nap’ it was basically just him laying in the dark tossing and turning in bed. As soon as he got out of his room he pounded on George’s door.

“Wake up. Time to get to work!” He shouted, then he descended down the stairs, skipping every other step, he then marched into the kitchen where the journal lay on the table. It had become dark out now, no trace of sunlight in the sky, before opening Lucy’s journal Lockwood made his way to the phone and called Scotland yard for an update on Lucy’s case, he expected what they had to say but it still made his heart sink.

“Any luck finding her?” George asked as he stumbled into the kitchen, still wearing his pajamas.

“No,” Lockwood said dully. “They emptied Mr. Wright’s basement of Visitors then searched his property and the area around it but found nothing. They did, however, find drops of blood on the walls and floor. Said it looked as though she put up a hell of a fight but was pushed into the wall where she was knocked unconscious.”

“That’s our Lucy, never giving up. Bet she’s puttin’ up a really good fight as we speak.” George said as he grabbed a bag of potato crisps. Lockwood nodded as he sat at the table and grimly opened Lucy’s journal to the next entry.
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Today was pretty uneventful, I slept late because I had a hard night last night. Nightmares again, the usual. After I woke up I pretty much just wander around the house wishing we had a case. George, of course, spent his day at the Archives researching our new case. Today would have been the perfect day to confront Lockwood but of course, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, I actually found myself avoiding him, ugh I hate this.
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Lockwood flipped the page to the next entry.
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I saw that young boy outside my window this morning, he was watching the house, when he saw me staring at him he flashed me this big smile and waved then walked off as if nothing had happened, I’ve never seen this boy a day in my life before this week now it seems he's every where I look, perhaps I’m just getting paranoid. I have to remember to tell George and Lockwood when I get the chance but for now, I desperately need a warm shower.

Before I go though I should also say that I noticed something even more strange, there was a black car that drove past the house at least three times last night, I couldn't tell what car it was for the life of me but it was unmistakable. There was a giant dent on the right side car door, it was extremely rusty, looked like someone stole it from a junkyard of some sorts, I only noticed it because of the awfully loud sounds it made I wonder if Lockwood and George heard it too.
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“That’s something isn’t it!” Lockwood shouted. “Let’s call Barnes.” He sprang to his feet, George grabbed his arm.

“Lockwood as much as I wish that was the clue we needed, that’s not going to help much, we need more than just a creepy car. Maybe it would have helped if she had written down the license plate but there's not much here to help.”

“You’re right as usual. Tomorrow we should question the neighbors to see if they saw the car and that boy.”

“Agreed.” George crunched a potato crisp. “I am curious though, as to what this thing that Lucy so desperately wants to tell you is.”

“We could read previous entry’s maybe those will tell us, but first we need to read these ones. Two more to go, I pray these last ones have vital information.” Lockwood sat back down in front of the book.
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That boy followed George, Lockwood, and I as we went on a walk through town today.
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Lockwood’s heart sank as he read aloud to George.
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Of course, when I said something about it, George had to go and make it look like I was going crazy and Lockwood shrugged it off but he was there in the crowd, didn’t even try to disguise himself, I’m going to try to sketch his face from memory.
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Below the writing was a small ruff-sketch, the boy had small lips in the form of a tight straight face, his nose was abnormally large and had what looked to be a small scar on the bridge of his nose, his eyes were small like his lips and they had a piercing stare, above his eyes were crazy large eyebrows that were starting to form into a unibrow. His hair was thin and fell over his forehead in a greasy uncombed wave.

“Not the best looking kid ever, not the best drawing ever either.” George noted after a few moments of studying the picture, Lockwood gave him a sideways glance.

“You’re not exactly eye candy, George.”

“Hey, now’s not the time for insults.” Lockwood rolled his eyes.

“In the morning we’ll show the neighbors this drawing and ask if they’ve seen him at all. Now, next entry.”
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Ugh. Tomorrow we go on our new case, I don’t want to leave the house though, I saw that boy again! He was talking to the driver of that beat up car, the two must be connected somehow I just don’t understand the connection or why I keep seeing them around, what the bloody hell do they want from us, they haven’t confronted us or done anything to harm us yet. They’ve only been following us but that’s still stalking and still illegal!

But what is there for me to do, I can’t just tell Lockwood that I don’t want to go to work, even if I tried I wouldn’t be able to resist the enthusiasm in his eyes, it’s so hard to think when he flashes me that smile of his. I tried to tell him about what I’ve been seeing but every time I speak to him he just smiles at me and tells me that everything is going to be okay, every time he uses those magic words I can’t help but believe that everything will be fine but then I see those people again and feel like something bad is going to happen, very soon.
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“That’s the last entry.” Lockwood sighed and sat back in his chair and closed the journal. “That was not nearly as much information as I thought it would be, how are we going to find her.”

“There is always the neighbors, they may have seen the boy or the car, maybe one of them caught the license plate number, then we’ll find her in no time.” George stood and patted Lockwood’s shoulder. “Come now Lockwood, we’ll find her soon enough. Once she’s home we’ll never let her out of our sight again, and we’ll listen to everything she has to say and take her seriously. Things will be back to normal soon.” Lockwood looked down, he had slowly become paler and paler in the hours that Lucy had first gone missing, he now looked like a malnourished ghost of a child.

“Why did it have to be her, why not one of us. I know she’s a strong girl but I hate to think what’s being done to her, why would they want her in the first place?” George squeezed Lockwood’s shoulder.

“We will solve this mystery, that is, after all, what we are best at isn’t it.” Lockwood looked up at George, his face looked a shade more human now, especially with the pinpricks of tears forming in his eyes.

“Inspiring words George, thank you.” With that George patted Lockwood on the head and tottered off to the bathroom to take a bath, Lockwood glanced down at the journal in front of him. Maybe, he thought to himself, maybe if I read all of this, from beginning to end, then maybe I’ll find some hidden clue to who this mysterious boy is.