The Phantom Ritual (DCI Morgan Chester: Case One)

Chapter Five

Morgan placed the knife carefully down on a cardboard box beside the front door. She turned and grabbed Stefan by the collar of his jacket, pulling him inside. He flinched when he saw the fury boil in her eyes as she pinned him against the now-closed door.

"What do you mean you think something has happened to her?" she hissed at him like a viper.

"She called me crying, begging for me to come and find you and said it was urgent. Before she could tell me where she was, the phone cut out. I've tried to call her, but it keeps ringing out." He stammered.

Morgan puffed air through her nose and let go of him. He sighed in relief as he straightened out his jacket that crumpled from her grip.

"Has the tracker on her phone been activated?" she asked, and Stefan shook his head. "You are a fucking idiot." She spat at him.

"I did not think it was necessary. Do you know how much trackers cost?"

"She has an iPhone; it has a free tracking service called Find My Phone!" she pushed past him to march into the front room.

Stefan followed her like a lost puppy and watched as she retrieved her mobile phone from the coffee table.

"I know her last punter was in the area." He tried to reason with her.

"Did you think to check the punter's last location? Possibly retrace her steps?"

"I am not that stupid, detective. His usual spot is The Stable's Market."

"No, you are stupid enough to not activate the tracker on your girl's phone, even after I specifically told you to keep a close eye on them!" she bellowed, and Stefan backed away from her in case she struck him. "I am going to take a wild guess and say that you did not go into the market to find her?

"Hell no. That market is creepy in the daytime. Imagine what it would be like at night." He shuddered at the thought.

Morgan balled her fists. She was close to storming over to him and knocking some sense into his thick skull.

"Stop acting like a pussy. You are coming with me to search every inch of that market until we find Olivia." She ordered.

Stefan's phone vibrates violently in the inside pocket of his jacket. His hands fumbled inside the pocket until he felt the cold glass screen. He saw the caller ID and sighed before answering.

"Olivia! Oh, thank the Lord, are you okay?" he paused as she screamed down the phone to him. "Woah, slow down. I cannot understand you." He looked up at Morgan. "Yes, I am with her right now. I will pass you to her."

He hesitantly extended his arm towards her. She snapped the phone out of his shaking hand and put it to her ear.

"Olivia?" Morgan responded.

"Detective, please....please...help me." Her distressed voice came to Morgan's ears. Something terrible had happened to her.

"Olivia, I need you to focus. Can you confirm if you are in The Stables Market?" Morgan questioned as she paced the kitchen.

"Yes, I am in the market. Detective, I am so scared."

"Where in the market are you? Can you pick out anything specific?" She pleaded for more information about where she was.

The Stables Market is a dense place filled with many stalls and shops. If Olivia's injuries were severe, they would be quickly running out of time.

"I can see some shops, and I remember there was a statue of a skinny woman," Olivia trailed off and gasped sharply. "We've been attacked."

"Is there somebody else there with you? Do you know if they are breathing?" Morgan bit her lip as she waited for a response.