I was a detective, key word was I left the force after I had a traumatic accident that left me in a hospital bed and a serial rapist behind bars. Now I spend every day looking over my shoulder with a taser in my purse to protect myself because every time I shut my eyes I hear his breathing, his laugh, and feel the knife he stabbed into my abdomen after he finished with me. My family treats me like I'm made of glass. Like I will break if they say the wrong thing. My ex-boyfriend left because he couldn't handle the nightmares or the scars left all over my body due to the incident. The only person I have left that doesn't  treat me any differently lives in Bristol Virginia. My best friend Erica we have been friends since we were five years old. She knows about the accident because she flew all the way to California where I live when it happened. But now she’s gone missing so it’s up to me and the pretty cute P.I.  her mom hired to find her.

One Big Mystery

 I arrive just past two, once off the plane I immediately go and grab my suitcase not wanting to waste anymore time. I then head outside and get on a shuttle to the nearest car rental place. Due to Bristol being so small I get stuck in a town 75 miles North of Bristol due to them not having a rental place. 


 Once I finally get to the car rental place, I go in and wait patiently for the guy at the counter to finish filling out his paperwork. Once he finally leaves I head up to the counter. I rent a four door Toyota for the year. I don't believe I'll need it that long but it's better to be safe than sorry. After I finish the paperwork I pay then head out and put my suitcase in the car. 


 Then I get in and plug the address into the GPS. It will be a forty five minute drive which makes me want to beat my hands against the steering wheel. I instead breathe deeply then grab my purse which I removed from my carryon while waiting for the guy to finish his paperwork. I quickly take my meds they were prescribed to help with the flashbacks. Then I grab my gun quickly, slipping into the back of my jeans and covering it with my shirt. It’s an old habit from my undercover days. I think almost smiling but then something pulls at my memory something I don’t wish to remember. Thinking fast I distract my mind by reversing out of the rental car place and beginning towards my destination. It takes an hour and half which I spend listening to random pop songs that I don't know and tapping my hands on the steering wheel in anticipation of arriving. 


 Once the hour and a half is up I pull past a sign that reads Welcome to Bristol. Which makes the smallest smile grace my lips, as I pull through the small town I look around marveling at its beauty. There is a simple general store, a town hall with strong concrete pillars holding it up, and a few other scattered shops throughout. I keep driving straight until I get to the Police Station where I turn left and continue till I reach a suburish looking area. I pull through till I stop in front of Erica’s house which she lives in with her mom. It is a small but very modern style house with a wrap around porch, and vaulted ceiling which gives it a very homey feel. 


 Slowly I turn the car off, take a breath, then immediately get out of the car and get my suitcase and purse. I walk towards the house going up the small staircase which leads up onto the porch. I am just about to ring the bell when the door opens with a whoosh, and I am enveloped in a bone crushing hug. I let go of my suitcase then delicately hug her back . She is so much thinner than she was last time I saw her. 


 When she pulls back she says “Jade I can’t thank you enough for coming, the P.I. is in her room working but so far he has nothing,” as Erica’s mom explains this to me I see tears rising into her eyes which breaks my heart in a way which I can not express for the life of me. 


 I nod then say “No problem, I'm always here for you.” With that said I take her hand and grab my suitcase taking the hint she leads me inside. I however don’t allow myself to look around, preferring to focus on the job at hand. We stop in the living room, she sits down with a flop looking exhausted. I lean my suitcase against the end of the couch where she is sitting then I sit next to her. I then have her explain everything that happened the day she disappeared. Then continuing on that subject I have her tell me what she was wearing that day. Once I have completed all that I pull out my phone and fill all the information into my notes app. It is easy to keep all the facts straight when I write them down. Then I have her point me towards her room. I walk towards it, and put my hand on the door knob but pause as I hear quiet curse words being spoken and the sound of feet pacing on the floor.


Chapter Three/ A small town in Virginia