And Then She Was Gone(62)

They walked into the park. It was a popular spot for runners, skateboarders, and walkers, and paved, lighted paths zigzagged throughout. “Stacy would have had three main routes to go,” Jack said. “I don’t think she’d take the big loop around the edge.”

“Why not? She might have gone anywhere if she was just taking a break, like you said.”

“True. But if she was heading home,” said Jack, “then she’d take the middle path on the right. That’d be the best route to her house. Besides, it goes past bench thirteen, and if we’re assuming she was killed near where we found her, then that’s got to be the path she took.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Chandler.

Hamilton Park wasn’t as deserted as Jack thought it would be. As they walked, they saw a few homeless people, some sleeping on benches, others walking around.

Then headlights appeared in the distance, on the loop road that circled the park.

“The park’s closed to traffic,” Jack said. “It must be cops.”

“Aunt Haddie told me they’re increasing park patrols. Just remember to stay far below the radar. The last thing we need is a cop asking us what the hell we’re doing,” Chandler muttered.

As the headlights faded away, the park was quiet. Earlier, the sound of cars from the street had provided a comforting background noise, but now all they heard were crickets and their own footsteps. The air was warm and still. The leaves in the trees hung frozen, without even the slightest breeze to move them. It was as if they were trespassing in the darkness and something wasn’t happy about them being there.

Up ahead, leaning against a light pole, was a woman smoking a cigarette. “Hi, boys,” she purred as they approached. The tone of her voice, the five-inch heels, the Dolly Parton wig, micro skirt, and skintight top—it all left no doubt as to her profession.

Jack kept his eyes down. As the son of a prostitute, he’d spent his formative years reared by them. Most people would look at a prostitute and see nothing more than a hooker; Jack would see that too… but he’d also see the girl who’d read him Green Eggs and Ham. The disconnect made him uncomfortable. Sometimes the prostitutes—when they were sober—had been caring and nice to him, but most of the time, they’d steal from their own mother to get a fix. Even now, many of their faces still haunted Jack’s dreams.

And this woman was bringing back feelings that he wanted to stay forgotten.

“You want some action?” She strolled away from the pole. “I’ll consider a group discount.”

“No,” Jack said curtly. The disgusting offer made his skin crawl.

“How ’bout a dollar then?” She followed them. “Just a couple of bucks so I can get a burger?”

Jack knew not to give her money. Her pimp could be nearby, or she was just trying to get him to take out his wallet. But when he glanced at her, he noticed her black eye. She had tried to cover it with makeup, but hadn’t been entirely successful. She was only a few years older than Jack. Or maybe she was younger than him. It was hard to tell.

Jack pulled two dollars from his wallet and set them down on a bench without stopping. “Here you go.”

The woman snatched the money off the bench and strolled away without a word. Chandler looked as though he wanted to say something, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

As they neared the center of the park, they heard the fountain. Up ahead, the moon’s faint light reflected off the water spraying into the air.

“We’re almost to thirteen, I think,” Jack said as they passed another bench. This one had a homeless man sleeping on it. Two full trash bags sat on the ground next to him. His hand rested on them both, guarding them even as he slept.

Without warning, the man opened one eye and watched them suspiciously. As if passing a junkyard with an unchained dog, Jack and Chandler both moved to the far side of the path and quietly walked by.

“Glad you brought the flashlight.” Chandler pointed to the ominous darkness that lay ahead of them. The streetlight that should have lit this area was out. Jack flicked on the flashlight and shone the beam up the pole. The light’s broken shards of glass were silhouetted against the night sky.

Jack peered around at the darkness. “If I was going to ambush someone, this would be the place. No one would see you. You’d only be visible for a minute when you got to the top of the hill.”

“That sounds like something a predator would do. Do you know if she was raped?”

“They don’t know.”

“Are you sure you want to do this for a living? I don’t know if I could handle it every day.”