One Last Step by Sarah Sutton (free e books to read TXT) 📗

“Can you walk us through exactly what you saw?” Tara finally asked.

The hiker’s face fell into a frown but he reluctantly recounted his story.

“I saw the droplets of blood on the trail first,” he started. “I thought someone was injured so I followed the footpath and then saw the crime scene…the marking on the tree and the pool of blood, and I called the cops.” He shook his head at the thought. “I was hoping the blood was maybe from an animal that got injured, but I saw the fire pit and I could still smell the smoke in the air, and I knew something wasn’t right.”

“And then you waited for the cops to arrive?” Tara asked.

 His face grew paler at her question because it wasn’t the scene that shook him the most.

He nodded. “And then that woman came out.” the man added. “She was hysterical. I’ve never heard someone cry like that. It was like she just knew.” His eyes were growing watery. “It was mother’s intuition or something. She started screaming how she couldn’t get in touch with them and they were already supposed to be home.”

His eyes darted to the road where a tan Subaru pulled up to the gate. A woman waved to him from the driver’s seat, which Tara assumed was his wife. Tara was almost ready to let him go, but had one more question for him.

“Did you see anyone else on the trail when you were hiking?”

But he only shook his head. “I hike pretty early, so I usually don’t see anyone.”

Tara thanked him. She knew that he didn’t have any more valuable information, and that their time was better spent interviewing the frantic mother, even though Tara felt a pit in her stomach at the thought.

Tara and Warren said their goodbyes to the hiker, got the address from the sheriff, and then were soon walking to the victims’ house.

***

A few minutes later Tara and Warren stood on the porch of the victims’ home. Tara knocked lightly and a woman quickly came to the door. Her hair a mess, and wearing a baggy T-shirt and jeans, it was clear she got dressed in a hurry. But her red swollen face revealed how long she had been crying and she stared at them in a daze of exhaustion.

Tara held up her badge. “I’m sorry to disturb you, ma’am. We were just hoping to speak to you.”

The woman sniffled before reaching into her pocket for a tissue and blowing her nose. “Yes, please come in,” she said as she held the door open for them with one hand. “My husband is in the other room.”

Tara and Warren both entered and followed the woman into her living room. The house was dimly lit but it was clear that it was only a result of the circumstances. All the curtains were pulled closed due to the swarm of reporters in the area.

The husband sat in a recliner in the neatly clean living room. The chair was fully erect, his feet on the ground. But he held his head in his hands, with a muffled sobbing emanating from between his fingers. The TV was on, but no one was watching it.

“Bill,” his wife said as they made their way into the room. “We have company.” She then motioned toward the couch, speaking to Tara and Warren. “Please take a seat.”

Tara and Warren both took a seat as the husband raised his head with a fiery glare.

“We’re sorry to bother you, sir. We just wanted to ask you a few questions,” Tara said.

“We already spoke to the officer that was here before,” the man responded.

“We understand, but we just want to make sure we have all the information we need.” She shifted closer to the edge of the couch. “I’m sorry, I know this has been a difficult day for both of you.”

The room fell silent as the man looked back down toward the floor. His wife sat on the edge of her seat, as she struggled to hold back the tears from her eyes.

“From what we understand, your daughters were on the trail last night?” Tara asked.

At her words, a tear rolled down the woman’s cheek, and pretty soon her whole body shook from the sobbing like a dam that finally broke. Her husband moved to the edge of his seat and reached for her hand. His touch steadied her and she then found the strength to speak.

“Yes, they left late afternoon yesterday. They weren’t going far,” she confirmed between sobs. “The trail is so close to our house. I thought it would be safe. They’re responsible girls.”

The crying then took hold of her again and she reached in her pocket for another tissue. “They were supposed to be back for breakfast and I can’t get in touch with them.” She curled her body over with her head in her hands as her own words stung her wounds.

“How old are your girls?” Tara asked.

The woman lifted her head up.“Twenty-one and seventeen. Here…” she replied as she got up from her seat and grabbed a picture frame sitting on a shelf above the TV. “This was them a couple months ago at Kelsey’s graduation. Kelsey’s my youngest. Anna is my older daughter.” She held the picture frame in her hands and smiled at it before handing it to Tara. Tara looked down at it. The youngest, Kelsey, stood proud wearing a blue graduation robe and cap. Her long jet-black hair fell perfectly straight past her shoulders. Her sister stood next to her with her arm around her waist smiling proudly at the camera as well, her hair short and curly, like her mother’s.

“Kelsey loves photography. She just got accepted to the School of Visual Arts,” the mother added before her words caused her to cry and Tara’s stomach twisted in a knot. These were two girls with their whole lives ahead of them.

“Do you know anyone who may have wanted to harm your girls?”

“No, not at all,”