Haunted in the Night

Chapter Seven- Part One

Chapter Seven.
“I hate this, having no leads, it makes me think...” Bob trailed off but Claire didn’t say anything, she waited patiently for him to finish.
“It makes me feel like we’ll never solve this case, that we’ll never find the missing people" he sighed frustratingly, his shoulders heaving forward in a slump.
“We have to keep trying" it was all Claire could think of to say, she had no other reply for his remark.
“Do you think we have a chance of finding them? And if we do you think there’s a chance they might still be alive?” he asked her, hope in his eyes and voice and Claire felt the weight of the world on her shoulders as she thought on how she could reply to that sort of question.
“I’m not sure, we haven’t recovered any bodies so that is a good sign but also this case has been ongoing for 17 years, the likelihood of a kidnapper keeping his victims alive for that long is slim” she had to say it, she had to be realistic, all her life she had hoped that her parents were out there still alive but a part of her also wished that they were dead, because 10 years of captivity, of the torture it would be, she wouldn’t wish that on her worst enemy.
“I might go home for a bit, I need to lay down, are you going to be alright? Do you want a lift home?” he asked her and she looked at him kindly, he did look worn out, bags under his eyes, his face more pale than it had been earlier, all the stress was really taking it out of him.
“I’m alright, I was thinking of going to my parents shop, see if we missed anything there and I might take to the owners of the surrounding shops" she replied and he nodded before smiling at her.
“Give me a call later when you make it home?” he asked, she assured him that she would be giving him a smile and a nod of the head.
Once he was gone she sighed, she wasn’t sure on how to act around him now that she was questioning him, that she could even be suspecting him, she tried to tell herself that being the Chief of Police makes it important for him to know everybody in town but the fact the he had a relationship with one of the victims himself? She couldn’t think of what to say about that yet.
For the time being she just pushed it to the back of her mind, swearing to just keep an eye on him and his behaviour.
It was just a few short blocks down to the main shops, the first one she entered was a plumbing place, run by a elderly man with his son, she had questioned them about the day of Helena’s disappearance but they hadn’t seen any changes in her.
However the shop on the left side of Claire’s parents hardware store, where Helena had worked the lady who worked there had noticed something, it was a nice little flower and antique shop.
“Yes actually, She had been acting erratic that day, I was out the front putting out fresh flowers when she arrived, I said good morning to her, like I do every morning, and normally we have a little friendly chat but on that day she just mumbled a hi, fumbled with the lock and then quickly rushed in, and she didn’t stay long either, maybe an hour before she left that nice boy Chad to mind the store" the red haired woman told Claire.
The name on the woman’s name tag read Lily, she was the owner and only worker here, she was a short lady, just a bit taller then Claire and she had chocolate brown eyes with slight freckles over her small nose.
“Okay thank you very much" Claire said before she went to turn to leave but was stopped when the woman called out to her.
“Wait" she startled Claire who turned and looked at her with surprise and the woman blushed from embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you but your Claire aren’t you?” Lily asked and watched as Claire tensed up at the fact that this woman knew who she was, even though she knew the whole town did, she didn’t like to be called up upon it.
“Yes" she replied hesitantly as she waited for the woman to speak again.
“I heard you had come back, your helping Bob with the case right?” Lily asked and Claire replied this time only with a nod.
“Here, this flower used to be your favourite" Lily said as she grabbed a bunch of pink petunias and handed them to Claire.
“Oh thank you, how much?” Claire asked but Lily shook her head.
“No charge, you always brightened my day when you would come over to say good morning to me and help me tend to my flowers, I remember Helena used to come here with you and teach you about all the different kinds, just see them as a I wish you all the luck with you case charm I suppose" Lily replied and Claire smiled at the kindness.
“Thank you, have a good day Lily" Claire said as she left the store, looking down at the beautiful flowers, smelling them.
She was grateful that Lily hadn’t brought up Claire’s parents, she easily could have but rather she tried to brighten Claire’s day by giving her what she had remembered to be Claire’s favourite flower, little did Lily know, it was still Claire’s favourite.
Claire then turned and looked up at her parents old shop, she felt more nervous now about going in there, before she had Bob with her but now she was all alone.
She fiddled with the key that was in her pocket, the spare she had brought all the way with her from her grandparents house, she had kept it locked in a jewellery box for years, never opening it, never looking at it, it had hurt too much to do so, and when she had to unlock that box and take it out that day, the fear had almost been paralyzing.
She sighed, knowing that she couldn’t put it off forever and slowly she pulled out the brass key, put it in the lock and turned it, opened the door, closed her eyes and stepped inside.
She closed the door and locked it behind her, turning around to see the store was just as it had been a few days ago, clean and tidy, nothing out of place.
Slowly she began walking to the office, taking it all in, the smell, the surroundings, the memories it held, everything.
The office was the same, a brown wooden desk to the left in the corner, with a old computer on it and stacks of paperwork, to the right there was a big printer and...
Claire gasped, her old desk was still here, it was a small pink flower table, with small pink chairs, she had used to sit in here and colour and draw and pretend that she was working when her father had been in here sorting through the paperwork or completing new orders and stock, even after all these years Helena had kept it here.
She found no new clues though, she sifted through the paperwork, hoping that Helena had written something down but nothing, just normal stock take and such, suddenly the front door clicked unlocked and Claire froze, half holding up papers, trying to keep the paper from making noise as she listened to the door slowly open and footsteps as the person came inside.
She waited, knowing that she should probably either hide or go out to see who it was, but she was frozen, thoughts running through her head, what if it’s the kidnapper coming for her? Even though she didn’t get a letter, but then she asked herself how the kidnapper could have a key? But the answer to that was simple, Helena’s key.
“Whoa what are you doing in here?” a man asked as he appeared in the doorway and was startled to see her standing there.
But Claire recognised him, from her first day here, it was the man who worked for Helena.
“You’re Chad right?” Claire asked and he relaxed when he saw that it was Claire.
“Claire, I’m sorry, I thought you were an intruder, where’s Chief Bob?” he asked looking around expecting to see the older man with her.
“I came on my own, I just wanted to talk to the surrounding stores and see if Helena had left anything behind" she explained to him before slumping her shoulders and sighed disappointingly.
“I take it from your reaction you didn’t find anything of much use?” he asked pointing to the papers still in her hands and she blushed before quickly putting them back where she had gotten them from.
“No, but it was still worth a try" she replied looking down awkwardly, not sure on what to say.
“Those are nice flowers" he complimented as he pointed to them tucked into her elbow and she looked up to him and smiled.
“Yes they are, there my favourite, the lovely lady next door gave them to me" she replied and he smiled, knowing of whom she was speaking of.
“Yes Lily is a lovely lady, we should put them in water, I have a vase you can use" he told her before he walked off and she followed him to the front desk of the shop where a vase was sitting, he grabbed it, and she assumed that he went to the little sink that was in the back with the restroom,.
A few moments later he came back, she handed him the flowers and he placed them in the clear glass long, square vase before placing it on the bench.
“Thanks" she said as he arranged them in there nicely.
“You don’t remember me do you?” he asked her suddenly and she gasped surprised.
She knew him? When she had met him she did slightly recognise him but she couldn’t place it properly.
“I used to come here and help out your dad when I was just a lad, I always liked this place, plus I started working here for Helena when I was 16, it’s sort of like a second home to me" he told her and she focused hard, trying to recall the memories, she could vaguely remember him.
“I suppose I was always off with the fairies a lot back then" she admitted and he laughed, nodding in agreement, his blond hair swaying slightly as his blue eyes sparkled.
“You know I was wondering what you were planning to do with the place, you know if Helena isn’t found" he spoke each word slowly, pain entering his eyes at even the thought of never seeing Helena again.
“Uh, I hadn’t thought about that, I have just been focusing mainly on trying to figure out what’s been going on here" she said, taking a minute to look around the shop to try and consider what to do with the place if Helena is truly gone.
“I’d like to buy it" Chad spoke loudly and suddenly at her and she looked at him surprised, not expecting that big bold statement.
“What?” Claire asked, trying to make sure that she heard him right.
“I would like to buy the place" he said slower this time, making sure not to rush his statement.
“It really means that much to you?” she asked and he nodded, appreciation and affection appearing on his face as he looked around at the place.
“I know that your parents and Helena had always planned for you to take over the place and I would be more than happy to continue working here under your management but if your not staying then I would like to buy the place from you" he told her and her heart felt heavy in her chest, it was all just so sudden and overwhelming.
“Can I have a few days to think it over?” she asked, getting a smile from him.
“Of course, I don’t want you to jump into anything that you might regret later" he replied, Claire smiling at his kindness and consideration.
“Can I ask, are you any closer to finding the kidnapper?” he asked, hope filling his demeanour.
“Uh" she didn’t want to disappoint him, however by her hesitation he still got his answer.
“Oh" he looked down, disappointment written all over his face.
“I’m not giving up, I’ll stay here as long as it takes, even if it means I never leave, or become a criminal profiler" she declared and he looked at her shocked.
“You really mean that? But why would you give up your new life?” he asked confused, she had been gone for so long and everybody thought that she would never come back, everyone except Helena of course.
“It’s not really a new life though is it? Even there I’m still haunted by this place, by my memories, this town, what happens here, it’s a part of who I am, it’s why I want to become a criminal profiler, to solve the mysteries and save the victims, to give the families some answers, that’s what they need when these things happen" she explained to him, her voice shaking slightly.
“Is that what you want? Answers?” Chad asked, and she shifted her body weight feeling awkward, she hadn’t told anybody this before, not her grandmother or grandfather, no one but yet for some reason she felt like she could talk to Chad, that he’d understand and not judge her in any way, like the rest of this town would.
“Yes, honestly I wish for more than that, I want to find my parents and everybody else alive but... I also...” she didn’t know how to say it or if she even should.