Skeletons in the Closet

Chapter 21

While I was definitely new to this whole "amateur detective" game, I did have one thing going for me: friends in the right places.

Being a single mom all these years, my mom was something resembling overprotective, but that did manage to garner her a friendship that has lasted most of her life: detective Brian Foulkrod of the Bathurst Police Department.

Mom had met detective Foulkrod when I was about five or six. They weren't best friends by any means; I can probably count the number of times I've seen him throughout the years on both hands and still have fingers left over. But whenever there was something mom needed, she knew he could be counted on.

And I knew that if I was going to find my attacker, if I was going to stop this maniac before he hurt anyone else, that I would need help. Determination would only take you so far if you didn't know what to do and detective Foulkrod would definitely be more of an expert than I could ever hope to be.

Working my way up the steps leading to the entrance of the Bathurst PD, I felt an unfamiliar nervousness. It wasn't about speaking with him; I'm comfortable enough dealing with people that I don't get anxious in situations like that. I couldn't quite pinpoint what I was feeling, but nervousness fluttered in my abdomen. I focused on breathing steadily as I made my way through the front doors, trying to focus my mind.

After checking in with the officer at the front desk, I took a seat in the adjacent waiting area. I sat in the uncomfortable chair, somewhat fidgety. Why was I so anxious?

I didn't have long to tangle with my thoughts before detective Foulkrod strolled in.

As he came out to greet me, he forced a smile across his lips. I could tell that smiling was not a natural thing for him, that he had to make a conscious effort to come across as a bit more friendly than he was used to. It didn't surprise me that a seasoned veteran detective would carry an intensity that needed to be checked.

"Good morning, Miss Vade," he said, extending his hand.

I shook it, giving him a polite nod and enough of a smile to be somewhat disarming. I felt as though matching his intensity would be a futile exercise for me despite my vigor for this case and finding its resolution.

He gestured toward his office and followed behind me as I entered. I took a seat across from his desk as he closed the door and made his way to the other side. He sat down, smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt and hunched forward over his desk, hands clasped together.

"So, Miss Vade. What is it I can do for you this morning?"

"Detective Foulkrod..."

"Please, call me Brian. I've known your mother for years and can't have her daughter being so formal with me," he said, a slight grin creasing his lips. He wasn't great at displaying warmth, but at least he was trying.

"Brian," I continued, "as you know, I managed to..." I trailed off, the words escaping me. "...escape a bad situation recently."

He nodded.

"While I'm certainly appreciative and fortunate to have escaped that situation relatively intact, I don't want this to just be a story in my past. I want to take advantage of that fortune and put it to some good use."

The look that washed over his face was plain as day: he went from a moment of confusion to nearly instant recognition of where the conversation was heading. I could see that he was not on board before he ever said a word.

"I know, I know," I said, holding my hand up to stop his dispute. "You're going to tell me how this isn't a good idea and how I should just count myself lucky and move on."