Finding Scarlet Read online

  The first victim, Megan Turner, was found on the fourth of July. I was at my parent’s annual barbeque when the news broke. I knew my dad had wanted to go to help out. Before he retired, he would have been the one called out to the crime scene, but he had retired from the police force, two years earlier. He was shot trying to stop a robbery, while off duty. The bullet shattered his knee and ended his career. I knew it was hard for him, but he didn’t let on.

  I was on duty seven weeks later when Natalie Carson was found, I was the one who responded to the 911 call. Some kids had found her dumped on a mountain-bike track. Both girls had been raped then shot at point blank range in the head.

  Six weeks later, I had just come off shift and was driving to my folk’s house, when I saw a car pulled over at the side of the road. I didn’t really pay much attention until I heard the gunshot. I had already passed it by then, I saw the shape of a person standing at the back of the car in the rear-view mirror. I quickly swung my car around.

  When the driver saw me coming, he quickly jumped in and sped away. My first instinct was to give chase, but something told me to stop. That’s when I found Scarlet. She was barely breathing.

  “Could she give a description?” My dad asked, looking at me hopefully and pulling me from my thoughts.

  “She doesn’t even remember her own name,” I told him as I slid into a seat at the kitchen table.

  “Oh, that poor girl,” my mother said as she set a plate of meat loaf and vegetables down in front of me. “Hasn’t anyone come forward to identify her yet?”

  “No one,” I replied as I picked up the gravy boat from the table and poured some over my dinner.

  “I can’t imagine you or your sisters being missing for over four weeks, and not searching for you,” my mom said as she sat across the table from me. “If anything happened to one of my babies, I don’t know what I would do.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t have family,” Dad said, as he refilled his coffee cup. “Maybe there is no one to come looking for her. One of the other girls had no family. Maybe she doesn’t either.”

  “Actually, we found Laura Green’s father,” I told him, not looking up from my plate. “He is a fisherman in Maine. He just docked last night and saw the news report. He came down today and positively identified her.”

  “The poor man,” Mom sighed as she stood up. “Oliver, I will make up a bag for this girl. You know, toiletries and such. I bought new pyjamas for Caitlin, but I think they should do that poor girl. You can take them it to her when you go back. She must be so terrified not being able to remember anything.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said and smiled gratefully at her. I tried not to look as disappointed as I felt. What I was disappointed about, I had no idea. I didn’t know the girl before the accident, to her I will end up being just the first cop in a long line of police Detectives she will have to deal with over the coming weeks.

  That night, when I found her, I had held her in my arms and whispered to her to stay with me, but the truth was, I believed she was going to die. I just wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. I thought of my two sisters as I held her in my arms and prayed, they would never know the fear and loneliness this girl must have felt in what I believed were the last few minutes of her life. I also thought about Clea, and that was hard for me.

  I stayed with her in the ambulance, feeling she needed me, I’m not sure why.

  I waited in the hospital while she was in surgery. I sat and I thought that if only I had stopped when I first spotted the car, this girl would not have been shot.

  When she came out of surgery, they said they didn’t know if she would make it through the night, and if she did pull through this, they didn’t know how much damage was done to her brain. The fact she was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.

  I found myself back beside her bed the following evening. I felt drawn to her, like I was the only one she had looking out for her.

  When Hannah Jones was found a week later, my first instinct was to go and check on Scarlet. The last victim, Laura Green, was found in the same spot at Scarlet was, less than two weeks after Hannah.

  I was afraid this scumbag would come back and finish Scarlet off, which is why I spent so much time at the hospital. There was a police officer posted outside her door, but I needed to be sure she was okay.

  When she opened her eyes and looked at me, my heart raced in my chest. She was awake, she had survived. If I was honest, part of me hoped she would have known I was there. When she looked at me, I thought for a moment that she knew who I was, but she remembered nothing.

  “Are you okay, Son?” My dad asked me, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “I am,” I sighed. “I’m just tired. I wish they would catch a break in this case. I suppose I was a little disappointed that Scarlet remembered nothing. I really thought…”

  “You like her,” my dad said, surprising me.

  “What?” I asked. “No, I mean, I guess I feel somewhat responsible for her, but that’s it.”

  “Just be careful, Son,” he said, knowingly. “I know what it’s like to confuse your feelings of wanting to protect someone with something else, something more. Just remember…she is a victim. She needs support, she doesn’t need her life any more complicated than that right now.”

  Before I could protest any further, my mom walked back into the kitchen, carrying a small overnight bag.

  “Here you go, Oliver,” she said as she sat it down on the chair next to me, then kissed me on the top of my head. “If she needs anything else, let me know. She is someone’s daughter.”

  It was almost ten when I kissed my mom goodnight and headed for home.

  “Keep me posted if there are any developments on the case,” my dad called after me as I walked down the pathway to my Dodge Durango and opened the door. I waved back at him and smiled to myself as I climbed inside. He may be retired, but he would always have the heart of a detective.

  As I drove home, I thought about Scarlet. I was thinking how scared she must have been feeling. I couldn’t imagine not knowing who I was, much less, feeling like I had no one in this world that cared for me.

  I looked over at the bag on my passenger seat that my mom had packed for Scarlet and I realised, she isn’t alone in this world, there are people that care for her.

  Fifteen minutes later, I found myself standing outside Scarlet’s hospital room.

  This is beyond crazy, I thought to myself. Can anyone else say stalker?

  “Hi Olly,” the officer on the night shift said when he looked up and saw me standing there.

  “Hi Joe,” I said, relieved I remembered his name. I don’t really know too many of the rookies, but Joe was one I had worked with a few times and he was a good kid. “Everything been quiet here?”

  “Yeah, pretty much.” He nodded. “You’re late tonight.”

  “Yeah, I guess I am,” I replied and smiled. “I won’t be here too long.”

  I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. When I popped my head around the door, I was a little relieved that Scarlet was sound asleep.

  I walked further into the room and sat the bag my mom had packed, down on her nightstand and slipped off my jacket, before I took the seat next to the bed. I decided I was only going to stay for a short while. She looked different with all the tubes removed, and though there was still some bruising, she was even more beautiful now.

  As I sat there and watched her sleep, I realised I had missed her. I missed sitting and talking to her, even though our conversations were always one-sided.

  What the fuck is wrong with you, Caldwell? I scolded myself in my head. I thought of what my dad had said. I was thrown that he had seen straight through me. I wondered if he was right, was I developing feelings for this girl who was lying in front of me?

  I had tried to convince myself that I was simply concerned for her, because I had found her, I felt somehow responsible for her. But if I was honest, I knew in my heart it was more than that. There was
something about her that had gotten under my skin.

  I needed to snap the hell out of it. This girl was a victim and I was nothing more than a stranger to her. I may be the man that found her, but that was just details. In reality, I was nothing to her.

  I decided the best thing to do for both me and Scarlet, was to let her get on with her life. She needed time to heal and find herself again. Me hanging around was just a reminder of the worst thing imaginable that had happened to her.

  I stood up and slipped my jacket back on. With one last look at Scarlet, I turned and headed for the door.

  “Please don’t leave,” Scarlet whispered, stopping me in my tracks. I turned back to her; she was watching me through half closed eyes.

  “I thought you were asleep,” I said walking back towards her.

  “I was,” she replied, her voice still croaky from the breathing tube. “Please don’t leave me alone. Stay with me until I fall back asleep.”

  “Sure,” I said, a little surprised by her request. I took the seat next to her bed as she tried to make herself comfortable again. She smiled at me before she closed her eyes once more and a comfortable silence fell between us.

  “The nurse, Jaime,” she said suddenly without opening her eyes. “She told me you sat with me every night for the past four weeks.”

  “I…I guess I thought that no one should be left alone,” I replied, not sure of what else to say. “I wanted you to know, that there was someone who cared enough if you pulled through or not.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, as once again silence fell between us. I sat and listened to her breathing and remembered how I prayed for her to keep breathing that night on the side of the road.

  “Has no one come looking for me?” She asked, still not opening her eyes.

  “No,” I said, wishing I could give her the answer she wanted. “So far we have had no response from our appeal.”

  “I see,” she replied, and I could hear the sadness in her voice. My heart went out to her. I thought about what my mom had said about me and my sisters. I had no doubt, if anything happened to one of us, my parents would move heaven and earth to find us and bring us home.

  “That doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone out there looking for you, Scarlet,” I quickly reassured her. “It just means, we are not looking in the right places.”

  Once more the silence fell between us.

  “Detective Caldwell,” she whispered.

  “Please,” I said pulling my chair a little closer to her bed. “Call me Oliver.”

  “Oliver,” she said as she finally opened her warm chocolate eyes and met mine. She had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. She gave me a nervous smile then continued. “Will you hold my hand?”

  “Sure,” I said surprised by her request. I reached out and slid my hand into hers as she quickly gripped it tightly. She closed her eyes again and soon her breathing became slower and shallow. I knew she was asleep.

  I tried to slip my hand from hers, but she just gripped it tighter. I sat back in the chair and watched her as she slept, her hand still holding mine firmly.

  My eyes grew tired and heavy. I fought the sleep for as long as I could, but eventually sleep became too hard to resist and I drifted off.

  Chapter 3

  Scarlet

  I woke with a start the next morning, feeling confused and disorientated. I had the worst headache imaginable. As I slowly opened my eyes, I remembered where I was and what had happened to me.

  It wasn’t just a bad dream, I thought to myself miserably.

  The room was still cloaked in shadows, as the morning sun slowly began to filter in through the cracks in the blind. It was still very early.

  Then I felt something move next to me and I stilled in complete terror. I held my breath as I turned slowly and was surprised to find Detective Caldwell asleep, with his head resting on the edge of my bed. He was still holding my hand. I released the breath I was holding, slowly. I didn’t want to wake him, he looked so peaceful sleeping.

  I lay there watching him sleep and smiled to myself. I didn’t know the first thing about this man, but yet, something about him made me feel safe. I took in every line and crease on his face. He was gorgeous. He had the most perfect lips I had ever seen. Not that I remembered any other lips that I had seen! He had a strong jawline that made him look manly and determined. His eyelashes were insanely long and simply gorgeous.

  I remembered his piercing green eyes and how he looked at me the first time he spoke to me. They looked sad, disappointed almost.

  Pity, I thought to myself, feeling irritated. Was he here because he pitied me?

  He released a soft sigh while he slept, and the briefest smile danced on his lips. He was dreaming. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was dreaming about.

  Without thinking, I reached up and gently ran the tips of my fingers across his thick, soft hair, as he sighed again.

  “SCARLET!” He exclaimed as he bolted up suddenly in his chair. He seemed confused for a moment, but then he realised where he was. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before they slowly met mine and I could see the pink beneath his skin, as he flushed with embarrassment.

  Was he dreaming about me? I wondered to myself, but I didn’t ask.

  “Scarlet,” he said once again, looking at me with concern. “Are you okay?”

  “My head hurts,” I replied honestly. “But I guess I am okay. Well, as okay as I can be with having amnesia.” I laughed nervously. “I can’t believe you stayed all night.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he stood up and straightened his clothes. He didn’t make eye contact with me. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep the way I did.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry, Detective…eh, Oliver,” I replied feeling a little confused by his reaction. I pushed myself up a little in the bed. I sensed he was a little angry he had wasted the entire night with me. “I am grateful you did. I’m finding all this very overwhelming. I don’t know who anyone is. I don’t even know who I am. I know you found me that night, and you saved me. You make me feel safe.”

  He smiled at me and for a moment his eyes lingered on mine. My breathing quickened and my heart pounded rapidly in my chest.

  What the hell is wrong with you? I scolded myself in my mind. You’re lying in a hospital bed with amnesia, after someone shot you in the freaking head, now is not the time for this shit.

  “I should get going,” he said as he took his coat from the end of my bed. “My mom sent you in some fresh pyjamas and some toiletries. They are in the bag on your nightstand.”

  I looked over and saw a small overnight bag sitting on my nightstand. I was surprised someone would do something like that for a total stranger.

  “Thank you so much,” I said turning back to Oliver as he slipped on his jacket.

  “It was my mom who sent it in,” Oliver replied and smiled. “It’s the mother in her taking over. I have two sisters and I guess she thinks, well, what if….” He trailed off without finishing.

  “What if I was one of your sisters,” I said, finishing his sentence for him. It made me wonder about my mom and dad. I wondered if they were looking for me. Did I have brothers and sisters? Did someone love me?

  “I am sure someone is out there looking for you, Scarlet,” Oliver said as if he knew what I was thinking. I looked down at my hand and noticed there was no wedding ring.

  “Well at least I know I wasn’t married,” I said with a half-hearted laugh, trying to keep things light. “I guess that’s more than I knew about myself five minutes ago.

  “Scarlet,” Oliver said as he sat down on the edge of my bed and took my hands. “I promise you; I will do everything in my power to find out who you are. If you have family, we will find them. We will do whatever it takes to bring your memory back.”

  “And what if we can’t?” I asked. “What if the reason no one has come to look for me, is because I am alone in this world? What if none of my memories come back?”

&nbs
p; “Then you will make new ones, Scarlet,” Oliver said with a smile. “And you will be okay. You are a fighter; that much I do know. You have survived the unimaginable and you’re still fighting.”

  “I’m scared.” I whispered trying desperately not to cry.

  “Don’t be,” he replied, as he gently squeezed my hand. “I am here, and I will let nothing happen to you.”

  Before I could reply, the door to my room opened and Jaime appeared. She had a big smile on her face that widened when she spotted Oliver.

  “How are you doing this morning?” She asked brightly, as she walked further into the room and pulled open the blinds. She turned and she looked at both Oliver and I with a big grin on her face. “Good Morning, Olly.”

  “Good morning, Jaime,” Oliver said as he quickly stood up.

  “How did you sleep last night?” Jaime asked, turning her attention to me as she picked up my chart.

  “Okay, I guess,” I replied as I stole a quick glance at Oliver. He looked uncomfortable. “My head is pounding.”

  “I will get you some pain relief,” Jaime replied as she took hold of my wrist and checked my pulse.

  “I should be going,” Oliver said, suddenly sounding a little disconnected and cold.

  “Okay,” I replied, unsure of what else I should say. “And thanks again, for everything.”

  “My pleasure,” he replied with a nod. He said goodbye to Jaime, then turned and headed for the door.

  “So, he came back,” Jaime said as she popped her stethoscope in her ears and reached up to loosen my hospital gown.

  “He did,” I replied but didn’t elaborate. I looked over at the bag on my nightstand and smiled. Jaime listened to my heart, then checked my eyes before she picked up my chart again. “Do you think I can have a shower today?”

  “I can ask the doctor,” Jaime replied brightly. “But I don’t see why not.”

  “Oliver brought me some fresh pyjamas to change into,” I explained and couldn’t help but smile.