The Dark Places by R. Whitfield (novel24 TXT) 📕

call first and decided on Parker. As she punched the number into her cell, she told herself that her choice had nothing to do with the fact that she was ridiculously attracted to him, but that he was the most likely out of the two to answer her call and actually listen.

It only rang once before he answered. “Rhodes,” he said abruptly.

She could hear the roar of traffic in the background. “Detective, it’s Madison,” she replied, trying to sound casual.

“What do you want, Madison? This isn’t a good time,” he said gruffly.

She could hear the tension in his voice. “I have information that you and Surin are going to want to hear.” She waited for his response.

“Speak then,” he said.

She crinkled her nose. Parker wasn’t usually this abrupt. “No,” she said and clasped her hand over her mouth. What are you thinking, Maddy?

“No?” he replied, curiosity piquing. “Look, I have somewhere to be, and it’s urgent. I’m not interested in playing games with you, Madison,” he said, his tone turning dangerous.

“Is it about the case?” she asked.

“What?” he replied.

“Where you need to be urgently,” she added and waited.

After a few seconds, he answered. “Yes, I think it might be.” He couldn’t mask the worry in his voice.

“Pick me up, I’m coming with you, and I’ll fill you in on the way.”

She immediately hung up the phone without waiting for his reply. Throwing on a jacket and grabbing her bag, she ran out the front door, slamming it behind her. Please turn up, she thought, as the elevator dinged to let her know she had reached the ground floor. She walked out the front of her building and sat on the bus stop bench. Please give me a shot, she thought and looked down the road, waiting and praying for his car to come into view.

34

Surin was cold, freezing in fact. “What the fu—” she mumbled and tried to turn her head to locate the source of the frigid air. It took a few seconds for her to register her nakedness and the inky blackness enveloping her body. Instinct told her to sit up, but as she attempted to, a loud clang followed by a sharp pain in both her wrists rendered her immobile.

“Hello?” she said, her voice barely a whisper. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to clear her mind. What the hell is going on, she thought. Her tongue felt heavy and thick, and as she attempted to lick her lips, the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Panic started to snake its way through her limbs, and a crushing, suffocating fear overtook her. She started frantically pulling and yanking her body in all directions, screaming until her voice was hoarse and her throat ached. Stop it, stop it this instant, she told her herself. Pull yourself together and think!

Closing her eyes, she attempted to calm her racing heart, breathe in, two, three, four; breathe out, two, three, four. The tears that had been threatening to explode started running silently down her cheeks. Trying to remember how she ended up in this predicament was like looking back down a long road shrouded in fog. “Come on!” she screamed, “think!” Closing her eyes again, she took a deep breath and tried to retrace her steps.

Parker left, roast dinner with Mum and Dad, the necklace… then nothing. A sob forced its way out of her mouth. “Surin, stop,” she said, but her voice was weak. “Try again,” she scolded and squeezed her eyes shut so tightly they hurt. Parker left, dinner with Mum and Dad, the necklace, saying to goodbye to Wendy, her eyes flew open. “Oh my God!” she screamed, as the memories flooded back quicker than she could handle.

“You remember then?” a deep voice said from behind her.

Surin frantically tried to turn her head towards the sound. “You tricked me,” she sobbed, as a wave of nausea passed over her. “God, what did you give me!” she added, swallowing a mouthful of bile.

“So clever,” he mumbled, and she cringed as his hand caressed her cheek.

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” she screamed but knew she was wasting her breath. “Please, what do you want?” she asked as she heard him move around to the front of her.

“Tsk-tsk now, Surin,” he said, clicking his tongue. “I didn’t pick you to be the begging type.”

Surin clamped her teeth down on her tongue to stop herself giving him the satisfaction of her cries. His breath was hot on her neck as he bent to whisper in her ear. She turned away.

“Although I have had the pleasure of seeing you beg before.”

Her eyes flew open. In that instant, the temperature in the tiny black room felt like it had plummeted ten degrees.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, in a calm manner that she did not feel.

“Oh, I think you do,” he replied. “So young, so beautiful, such a tease.” He laughed quietly. “I know you remember,” he said, running his hand over her breasts. “In the woods?” he continued as she started to cry quietly. “So many dark places.”

***

1998, Town of North East, Cheltenham County, Maryland

 

“Surin, wait up,” Eamon called out playfully and jogged up behind her, catching her hand in his. “What’s the rush?” he added with a cheeky grin.

Surin turned and flashed a smile. “No rush,” she lied, “it’s getting dark, that’s all.” She continued to walk at pace as the shadows from the surrounding woods grew longer.

Eamon chuckled. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

Surin snorted. “Afraid?” She turned to face him, taking in his beautiful blue eyes. “You must have me confused with your other girlfriends,” she teased. “The ones that need to cling to your huge biceps when they walk through the dark forest on their own.”

He laughed. “There