Within the Shadows by J.D MCG (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

Dixon, no idea who Esther is and the more we poke, the less they talk,' said Sarah.

'I think I might have an idea who our mysterious Esther is?' Ethan piped up.

'Then please inform us, DC Robinson,' Barnes asked.

'I searched for any other people who booked into the hospital with certain qualities that matched the symptoms of D.I.D and also things that match our Esther and got a match. Her name is Jenny Reynolds. She was admitted a few months ago because of post-traumatic stress and self-harming and was under the watchful eye of...'

'Natalie Dixon?' Ally guessed.

'Correct, DI Miller,' he replied.

'Have you got an address?' Jacob asked.

'Yeah, I'll send it to you now.'

Jacob and Ally made their way out of the station as Ethan sent them the address of Jenny Reynolds. Sarah and Brian re-entered the interview room with gleaming smiles.

'Sorry to keep you waiting, Felicity. We really need to talk with Ruth again,' Sarah began.

'I have no control over when she takes hold.'

'The thing is, she holds information on our latest suspect and we need her to tell us where she is and what she plans to do,' explained Sarah.

'I don't hold the power to bring her forward, only she can do that. She comes and goes as she pleases,' she cried, nervous and scared of being imprisoned.

'Felicity, we need you to try to bring her out. I know you're scared but this could really help us.'

Felicity sat quietly, tears dripping down her cheeks, knowing that Ruth didn't want to show herself. No matter what was to happen at this moment, she knew she'd be locked up for the rest of her life.

Ally parked outside of Jenny's apartment building. Jacob's stomach rumbled as it hit 1.30 pm. The thought of food made his stomach groan louder, alerting Ally that he was hungry.

'We'll get some lunch after this,' she said.

'I was hoping you didn't hear that,' he laughed.

The pair of them jumped out of the car and walked towards the building entrance. There was an intercom with the names of the residents on it.

'Think we've come to the right place. Look,' Ally said, pointing to Jenny's name on the buzzer.

'We need to find another way in,' Jacob told her. 'The element of surprise.'

'I think you're right,' Ally replied, trying to think of another way inside.

Minutes passed before someone left the building, opening the door. Ally showed them her police badge before the woman let her inside the building.

'Do you remember what floor she lives on?'

'Yes, the second, apartment two,' Jacob answered.

They thought about taking the elevator but decided it might be quicker to take the stairs. As they reached the second floor, Ally peered around the corner to make sure the hallway was empty before they moved on to Jenny's apartment.

'Apartment two,' she announced quietly for Jacob.

Jacob knocked three times before announcing they were police. After waiting a few seconds, there was still no answer. Jacob tried pushing the door handle downwards, hoping for it to be unlocked, and when the door opened, his facial appearance showed how shocked he was.

'Usually, people lock their doors,' he whispered as they entered.

Jenny Reynolds’ apartment was elegant and was as top of the range as they come. Ally started glancing around to find anything they could use in evidence, while Jacob's eyes caught a glimpse of a few photos hanging on the walls. A feeling of familiarity hit Jacob as he stared at what he believed to be their suspect. His eyes were diverted to a photo of Jenny with Ella Morgan.

'Ally, come check this out,' he grabbed her attention.

'What is it? What's wrong?'

Jacob continued staring as he couldn't believe what his brain was telling him.

'I've seen Jenny before,' he informed her. 'She was the friend of Ella Morgan.'

'One of the victims from our last case? The one with...'

Jacob stopped her and announced the one name he hated hearing. 'Lily.'

'Do you think there's a connection?' she asked.

'I don't know. I hope not. I put this Lily situation to bed. I don't want her ruining my life any further.'

Ally continued taking a look around the apartment, while Jacob took a photo of the pictures hanging on the wall and sent them to Barnes. Not five minutes passed before Barnes phoned him.

'Am I seeing this right?' he asked.

'You are, boss,' Jacob answered.

'Is there a connection between these two cases?'

'We don't know yet, sir.'

'Okay, call me if you find anything.'

Jacob ended the call and continued searching the apartment for anything that could help them locate Jenny. Time passed and more theories spun around in Jacob's mind. Is the death of Ella what caused her to have post-traumatic stress and made her self harm? Something wasn't adding upright.

'Something's not right,' he spoke up. 'Jenny was shaken up when she found out her friend had died. I don't believe it was an act. I also believe it's the reason for her having post-traumatic stress. But for her to go and be a part of all of this, no way.'

They moved on to the bedroom as they continued to discuss Jenny's personality and the facts when Jacob discovered a little black zipped wallet. They both watched in anticipation as he unzipped it, revealing needles inside.

'As a police officer, Jacob, we go by the facts and here we have needles and empty vials inside. If we send this off for testing and it's a match, we have our suspect. We have our Esther,' Ally told him.

Moments later, teams of uniformed officers showed up on the scene, digging through drawers and cupboards. Barnes turned up to help not long after the officers arrived. Ally's phone began to buzz, while she read through notebooks at Jenny's kitchen counter. It was an unknown number.