Ghost In The Dark

Laid To Rest

BLAKE'S P.O.V.
My day usually started with the morning songs from the birds that always seemed to fly by my window but this time it started with my phone ringing from a number I wasn't expecting this early in the morning.

Nate: Hey good morning

ME: Hey, morning

N: Sorry for calling so early. I wanted to ask if there was any lead with the CCTV footage

ME: Uhn no, nothing yet

N: Alright, I'll be coming in a little late today

ME: Okay

N: Alright, keep me posted

And then he hung up. Should I deem it strange that he called early in the morning to ask about the CCTV footage, well it wouldn't be the first time though neither is it something new so there's no need to overthink it.

I got up from bed and thankfully I wasn't feeling the usual splitting headache I normally  got most mornings. Seems today is going to be a really good day.

I hopped into the shower and turned it on. I flinched a little from the sudden artic cold water that blasted out but slowly adjusted the valve and now I had a perfect blend of hot and cold mixed together and pouring down on me.

I got out of the shower, dried myself with my huge grey towel. I don't know why I got such a huge towel, cause I could legit wrap myself and Chris in it and there would still be space for one more person.

My phone buzzed just as I finished dressing up and it was a text from Christina. I was just thinking about her and boom she texts me. What are the odds of that?

C: Hey you, I thought I'd send you a morning text to check up on you. I was actually thinking of you and I couldn't help but smile. I hope you're okay. See you soon

I stared at the text and it honestly made my day. I doubt that there is anything that could actually ruin my day right now. I feel like I should text her back just so she'll know I saw the text. Yeah I'll do that

ME: Hey babe. I was actually thinking about you too and then you sent me a text and now. I can't stop smiling. My face hurts. I'll see you soon

After this whole Ghost investigation is over I'm going to ask her to marry me and then follow Marina and Nate's lead and take her out of the county. No point wasting our lives here when the world out there is rapidly evolving and there are a lot of things that we would do together. Making memories is the purpose of many relationships.

I tucked my phone away into my pocket, rolled the sleeves of my black shirt and I went downstairs to make a little breakfast for myself because breakfast as they say is the most important meal of the day and I don't plan on skipping mine

Its either I make pancakes or go for a bowl of cereal and I don't plan on getting my self dirty in the name of pancakes and besides Chris makes the best pancakes so  cereal it is. I poured myself a bowl of cereal, added sugar and a lot of milk. The cereal was basically swimming in the bowl and I laughed at the sight
After stuffing my face with cereal, I washed the bowl and set it aside to dry and then straight out the door.

I drove up to the parking lot of the station, parked my car turned it off and hopped out. I was about to step into the station before I heard someone call my name from behind

"Oh Its you, good morning" I said to Heather

"Morning detective" She said as she walked up to me "You seem to be in a really good mood today"

Was it that obvious? I patted my cheeks

"Oh" I chuckled "I guess I woke up on the right side of the bed today"

I opened the door allowing her to enter first

"Thank you. I guess chivalry isn't dead" She smiled at me as she walked into the building

"Well chivalry begins at home" I said as I walked in behind her
"Don't you mean charity?" She turned to look at me

"Same difference" I said smiling

We walked down to the conference room, It should be called a general meeting area though but because we have a huge table there and chairs surrounding it, its a conference room

"Time to get some work done" She said as she set her bag down on one of the chairs

"Time to catch a ghost" I said

I picked up the file containing the copies of the pictures and files pertaining to the case and spread them out on the table.

We stared at the images in front of us still trying to connect dots that weren't there but we had hopes that something would seem to make sense eventually.

"There's something strange though" She said as she took a step away from the table

"What's that?" I asked looking at her

"This is everything we have" She said waving her hands over the table

"Yeah. Well that's everything we've been able to gather so far" I said pointing to the pictures

"Yeah and don't you find it strange that there hasn't been another murder since the last two" She said taking a step towards the table "Like I'm glad and all that Ghost hasn't killed anyone after the last two but why has he gone silent"

Now that she mentioned it there really hasn't been anyone missing nor a murder case and I'm beginning to wonder why. What angle exactly is Ghost playing at? What was the purpose of killing these two and then not doing anything else

"Is he waiting for when our guards are down before he strikes again?" She said placing her hands on the table as she glanced over the pictures

"Then we'd better catch up to him before he strikes again" I said
It's easier said than done trying to catch a figure without a face or a voice. A psychotic figure that takes torture and murder to another non remorseful level

"Do you suspect anyone?" She said not looking up at me

"Do I suspect anyone?" I muttered to myself

"Ghost is someone that knows you and I'm sure you would know him too" She said

Someone I know? I've always looked at it from the angle of someone who knew me but never from that perspective. Someone I knew?

"I'm pretty sure if we connected the patterns we would have something concrete leading to our killer" She added as she turned to look at me

A knock on the door interrupted our little brain storm

"Hey guys" Nate said as he walked into the room

"Hey Nate" Heather said as she turned to look at him with a smile plastered on her face

"What did I miss?" He said

He walked up to heather and gave her a hug after shaking my hand. I stood watching as he embraced her lightly but my mind wasn't even here. I stood there thinking about who Ghost could possibly be and the only person I could think of was standing in front of me smiling.

It couldn't be him but you can tell that since this whole investigation started Nate has being acting a bit off and suspicious.

"Everything alright?" Nate asked turning to look at me
"Uhm yeah" I said walking up to the table to take another look at the images.

It couldn't be him so there's no reason to suspect him

"So what were you two talking about?" Nate asked

"We were just wondering what angle Ghost was playing at since he hasn't made a move yet" Heather said looking over the pictures

"Let's catch him before he does" Nate said as he picked up Anna's photo

We talked on length amongst ourselves trying to pick out Ghost's motive and we could only come up with the fact that he was just a sick and twisted person who just enjoyed killing. My phone buzzed in my pocket before I stepped outside to answer the call. It was from an unknown number

ME: Hello

Unknown Caller: Hello, is this Detective Hunter?

ME: Yes, speaking

Unknown Caller: It's Kate

ME: Oh, Is everything alright?

KATE: Yeah... I'm calling about Mrs Parker

ME: Is anything wrong with her?

KATE: Oh no, she's fine. She just got discharged this morning. She asked me to call you and let you know

ME: Alright. I'm glad she's doing alright.  Say hi to her for me

KATE: Well she also asked if you would like to be there for Allison's funeral. It's later this afternoon

Nothing hurts more to a parent than losing a child so young and I can understand why she would want to bury her daughter so soon.

KATE: Hello? are you there?

ME: Oh yeah I am. I'll be there

KATE: We'll be laying her to rest to the cemetery by 2pm

ME: Alright. Thanks for letting me know

KATE: Goodbye detective.

And she hung up the call afterwards leaving me with a heavy and torn heart as a tear trickled down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away before sliding my phone back into my front pocket and walking casually back into the conference room

"Who was it?" Nate asked as I closed the door behind me

"It was Kate. Allison's friend" I said walking up to the table

"What did she need?" Heather asked as we made eye contact

"Oh nothing, she just called to tell me that Mrs Parker was discharged from the hospital this morning and they were going to bury Allison later this afternoon" I said

I could feel the atmosphere and the general mood in the room drop as I told about the burial arrangements.

"Don't you think it would be better if she waited a while before laying her child to rest?" Nate asked "You know considering her condition" He added looking around the room

"The sooner she does the easier it would be for her to grieve" Heather said

"Grieving never gets easier" Nate mumbled

Heather turned to look at Nate who had his head down as he looked at the ground with sad eyes and I could only wonder if Nate has ever lost anyone. They both stood there consoling each other silently as I stood on the other side of the table and watched
"Anyways" Nate sighed "Let's get back to work"

We ended up re-reviewing the pictures

"Yeah" Heather said as she picked up the picture of Mr Peterson bounded to the edge of his bed as he sat on the pool of his own blood before handing it to me

"You've been staring at that picture" Nate said looking over my shoulder

"I've been pondering on something for a while now" I said staring at the various corners in the room

"And what would that be?" Heather asked

"Mr Peterson was enraged that she was the cause of his wife's death and she was going to take her place" I said placing the picture down "In other words he became obsessed with her and then ended up raping her"

"What are you saying?" Nate asked with confusion in his voice

"When you're obsessed over something, what do you do?" I asked looking at the both of them

"You protect it and watch it closely" Heather said raising one of her eyebrows

"You don't think-

"He installed a camera in her room?" I heard a voice say from behind

I turned around to see Chris standing behind me

"Hey Chris, how long have you been standing there?" I asked as she walked closer to the table

"Long enough to see the point you were trying to make" She said "And he might have some way he watches the videos if there is a camera in the room"

"And with that camera maybe, just maybe we can catch Ghost on footage" I added

"Its possible. We'll need to check it out though" Heather said as she picked up another photo from the table that was taken from another angle

"You and Nate should go to his house and look around Anna's room. If I'm right" I paused to look at the picture "There should be a camera in her room"

Soon after, Nate and Heather left the station as they drove down to the residence of Mr Peterson in hopes of getting a new lead on catching Ghost
.
"Why didn't you go with them?" Chris asked as we walked towards the entrance of the station

"I have somewhere else I need to be now" I said as we walked through the main glass door leading outside the station "Wanna come with me"

She looked at me and nodded her head. The drive down to the cemetery was rather quiet as I explained to her the reason we were going there

We got to the cemetery and walked through the small black gate, down the red brick road and past the small building by the side.

"That should be them" Chris said pointing to a small number of people, all on black standing in front of an open grave.

"Yeah" I said as we walked towards the crowd

We stood at the back and watched as the pastor said a few words of prayer to the family of the deceased and on Allison