There is something about darkness that bring out different things in different people. For some, it's a welcome. There's something soothing and comforting about pure, raw darkness, so black that you can't see a thing. For others, it's makes them scared as hell. Just the prospect of not being able to see makes them hyperventilate, sweat breaking out on their forehead, breath catching in their chest.
Jordan Cavanaugh was one of those people who take comfort in the dark. As she lay in her bed, nothing but dark surrounding her, it gave her time to think, time to contemplate what her life had become. She rolled over and looked at her alarm. 3:13 am in blinding red light stared back at her. She grumbled and rolled back onto her other side, listening intently for a voice from the room down the hall. Silence greeted her welcome ears.
It had been five years, five years and three days since she had last seen him. Five years that had changed her life forever.
XXXXXXXXXXGarret pulled his car up to the crime scene, shutting off the engine and picking up his coffee mug before getting out. The snow feel lightly around him, catching in his salt and pepper hair and falling down the back of his buisness suit. A group of people were standing by the docks, all crowded around something he couldn't see. He approached quietly, creeping up and joining the crowd, peering over the top of their heads to see what they were looking at.
A naked woman lay on the wood, her body mangled and blue from the ocean. She had long brown hair and large brown eyes which were staring openly into the sky above.
"A little respect here guys," Garret yelled to the onlookers. They wheeled around in surprise, not knowing Garret had arrived.
"Sorry Dr Macy," some of them mumbled as they turned around and walked away. Only one person remained by the body. Garret approached him cautiously.
"Nigel. Good you're already here. Who's the officer in charge?"
Nigel looked sadly up from the body and stared at Garret hard, not anwering his question.
"Nigel?" Garret prompted again.
Nigel turned his head in the direction Garret should look. He followed his gaze to the left and stared, hoping, wishing, that it was not the person that he knew beyond anything it was. The friendly face of Woody Hoyt stared back at him, his crystalline blue eyes booring into Garrets.
"Dr Macy," he started. Five years had not changed a single thing about him. "Long time no see."
He extended his hand for Garret and they shook, Garret's usual bland expression staring back at him.
"How are you Hoyt?" Garret asked. Nigel walked up to them and shook Woody's hand as well.
"I'm good. Really good. How is ... everybody?" he replied, a hesitant expression crossing his face.
"Jordan's fine," Garret answered seeing right through his question and turning his back on Woody and bending down to examine the body. "What have we got here?" Garret asked.
Woody pulled his notepad out of his pocket and flipped to his notes. "Jane Doe, caught in a fishers fishing net early this morning. Called dispatch on his radio and we met him here. Waiting on you for cause of death and ID. Nothing visably wrong with her."
Garret stood back up and pulled his gloved off with a snap. "I'll take her back to the morgue now. Woody you wanna come or pick it up later?"
"I'll meet you guys there. Just have to finished off a couple things here," he replied. With his usual smile, though Nigel and Garret both noticed it was rather hesitant, he walked off.
Garret turned to Nigel, a worried expression on his face. "I'll take the body. You call ahead and warn Jordan."
Nigel nodded in understanding before whipping out his cellphone and hitting speed dial three.
"Cavanaugh," Jordan answered her phone.
"Jordan it's Nigel. We have a situation."
"What's wrong?" her concerned tone replied.
"He's back."
"What! No, no. This can't be happening. What about ..." she began to panick.
"Don't worry luv. It'll all work out. Is she there right now?"
Nigel heard Jordan sniffle back a worry. "Ya."
"Alright he's on his way right now. Just play it cool," Nigel warned.
Jordan took deep, steadying breaths before answering. "Alright."
"Ok. I'll see you in ten minutes."
Nigel hung up his phone and sighed, worry overcoming him. 'Woody can't fine out about ... don't worry mate he won't. You're just gonna have to do some quick thinking," he thought to himself. He got into his car and rushed, hell-bent, back to the morgue.
XXXXXXXXXXUnfortunatly, both Woody, Nigel and Garret all arrived back at the same time, crowding together in the crypt and watching as Nigel took the girl's prints and scanned them. "This is going to take awhile. Why don't we go back to your office Dr M?" Nigel suggested.
Garret and Woody nodded and followed him down the hall, Nigel taking a couple detours to make sure they avoided Jordan. They finally walked into his office but Nigel stopped dead when he saw who was sitting on Garret's couch. Nigel and Garret exchanged a terrified look as Woody pushed past them, a huge smile on his face, and crouched beside the little girl.
She had long chestnut brown hair that fell in ringlettes at the ends and icy blue eyes. Woody noticed that she looked around four, five years old. "Hi sweetie who are you?" he asked in the same tone that all adults use with little kids.
"Emma," she replied cutely. "Who are you?"
Woody laughed at her forwardness. She reminded him instantly of ...
"Well Woodrow why don't we go see if those results are in yet," Nigel interupted. "Emma I have to borrow Detective Hoyt from you," he addressed the little girl.
Emma nodded her head, whisps of her dark hair falling into her eyes. Woody stood up and followed Garret and Nigel back to trace, both of which were exchanging sighs of relief.
"So who is she?" Woody prompted.
Garret and Nigel exchanged a glance. "My cousins daughter," Garret answered.
"Hhmmm ..." Woody replied. "She looks kind of like Jor..."
"Oh I think the results are in!" Nigel interupted again, walking over to the machine and sitting himself down, instantly rattling off the information to discourage Woody from bringing up the subject again.
"Addison LeDuke. Twenty seven years old, bartender down at Vilettos. Says here she has a brother in New Jersey, a sister in Queens, and another brother in Chicago. Not married and no kids. Lives in an apartment just a couple blocks from where she was found," Nigel said.
Woody nodded, scribbling down all the information to his notes as it came to him. "Great," he said when he finished. "I should get back to the precinct and relay all this to the boss. Thanks guys," he said with a smile as he turned and walked from the room. But at the frame he stopped, leaning against the door and staring back at them.
"Tell everyone I say hi," he said.
"I'll tell her," Garret replied.
XXXXXXXXXXRightyo...here's the first chapter. I'm sure you guys have figured out the secret but if not ... hurray for me on my hinting skills! Review please!