Black Jack: A nail biting, hair-raising thriller (Jack Ryder Book 4) (4 page)

A
pril
1990

It took them a few weeks to get all their stuff packed and arranged everything about the move. Kimberly and Joseph Milligan were as excited about this big move as they had been when they expected their only child, Rosa.

This was a new beginning for them and just what they needed. As they drove up the small street in the historic downtown of Savannah, Kimberly was breath taken with the beauty of the town.

“I didn’t know anything like this existed,” she said. “ I mean I have seen it on TV and all, but that doesn’t compare to real life at all. These houses are stunning, and the trees, wow, I can’t stop staring at them, what’s all that grey stuff hanging from them?”

“They call it Spanish Moss,” Joseph said and took a turn right into another little square surrounded by the most exquisite of houses. Two, three some of them even four stories, all with porches and balconies, and entrances elevated from the street, from back when there were no cars and the streets filled with horse excrements. At least that’s what Joseph had explained to Kimberly.

“Ah so that’s Spanish Moss. Wow. It makes the street look really creepy.”

“We’re here!” Joseph said and stopped the car.

Kimberly looked out her window. The house was placed on one of Savannah’s famed squares, this one a small park shaded by live oaks with crossing paths leading to the surrounding streets, and benches on all sides of a flowerbed. It was so pretty.

“Is this it? No. It can’t be!”

Joseph whistled and nodded. “It’s the address all right.”

Their house was a red-brick mansion, with balconies surrounding it everywhere. It had green shutters framing all the tall windows. It had a pair of curved staircases with wrought-iron rails leading to each side of the front porch. High columns supported the balcony on top.

“But it’s the most gorgeous one of them all!” Kimberly almost yelled.

“It sure is.”

“Is this our house, mommy?” Rosa said from the back.

“I guess so,” Kimberly said. She spotted a man waiting by the end of the stairs leading to the front door. And what a front door that was!

“That must be that lawyer-guy that called me. I asked him to meet us here so we can sign the papers and take over the house right away,” she said and jumped out of the car. Joseph and Rosa followed her closely.

“Whoa. This house has four stores, mommy.”

Kimberly chortled and decided to not correct her. Instead she walked up the stairs where a smiling man with a brown briefcase waited. He presented himself once again as Jonas Anderson, attorney-at-law in Savannah, and Kimberly shook his hand.

“Is this really it?” she asked smiling from ear to ear. “Are you sure?”

The attorney chuckled lightly. “Yes, ma’am. This most certainly is.”

“Wow,” she said and looked up at the many balconies above. Kimberly had grown up living in a small apartment and had been living in one herself up until now.

“I can’t believe it,” she said.

Jonas Anderson lifted the key and dangled it in front of her. “Here are the keys to your new home.”

Kimberly grabbed them and looked at her husband. “This is finally it, babe. We finally have a house we can call our own.”

“There is off course the paperwork that…” the attorney said, but Kimberly wasn’t listening anymore, she took the key and put it in the lock, turned it and opened the double doors fully and dramatically.

“Wuaaav,” her daughter exclaimed as they stepped inside into the giant hall that seemed big enough to fit their entire apartment complex where they lived before.

Kimberly walked across the marble floors till she reached the stairwells. With a cautious finger, she touched the railing that twisted its way up to the next floors. Then she turned and looked at her family, tears springing to her eyes while she - with arms wide open - exclaimed:

“Welcome home.”

M
ay
2016

We ended the night with a late dinner at one of the restaurants at the harbor. The food was very good and we enjoyed having a little time together for once. Shannon eased up a little after calling Sarah who told us that Tyler was sleeping heavily and all the other kids, except Emily had gone to bed too, exhausted from playing outside all afternoon.

I reminded myself to buy something nice for Sarah as thanks for all her help. I knew Shannon paid her well, but still. It was very nice of her to help us out like this and give us this night out.

We took a stroll on the boardwalk by the water and went into a few of the souvenir shops till we found some strange small statue to give her. I thought it was very ugly, but Shannon called it art and I decided she knew best.

As we walked outside again, ugly statue hidden in the bag, we decided to go down to the water and keep walking. I wasn’t quite ready to go back home yet. I wanted to make the most of the night even if I was exhausted. I hadn’t been up this late in three months.

“What a lovely night, don’t you think?” Shannon said with a sigh as we watched the moon set above the water, causing it to glitter. Big ships were docked and the sound of the water hitting against them, were calming to me.

I put my arm around her and kissed her. I felt emotional and very happy at this moment.

“Yes,” I said.

“Right now everything is perfect, isn’t it?” Shannon asked.

“It sure is.”

We stared at the gorgeous moon and water in front of us for a few minutes, when a sound made me turn my head to our right.

“What is it?” Shannon asked.

“There is someone there,” I said and let go of her. I took a couple of steps towards the figure. Someone was sitting on the dock, legs dangling over the edge.

“It’s a little girl,” I said to Shannon. “What’s a little girl doing out here this late?”

“Maybe her parents went into one of the shops and will be right out,” Shannon said and turned to look at the souvenir shops behind us.

I approached the girl. She had her back turned at me and was staring out over the water.

“Jack we should be getting back,” Shannon said. “It’s getting late.”

“I’ll be right there. I just need to make sure she’s all right. I don’t like that she is sitting this close to the water. If she falls in she won’t be able to get back up.”

I walked up to her and kneeled down next to her when I heard that she was singing. I recognized the song immediately as Willie Nelson’s Blackjack County Chain, and I chimed in. I never would have done that before I met Shannon, but she had gotten me confident about singing and even told me I wasn’t completely tone deaf, as I had always believed I was. I enjoyed music and singing and it was a side of me Shannon had cultivated.

The girl stopped and looked up at me. In the weak light from the moon I could tell she was young. Not as young as the twins and Angela but only a few years older.

“That’s quite a song for such a small girl to sing,” I said.

The girl stared at me for a long time, then her eyes left me and returned to the water.

“The Doctor used to sing it,” she answered.

“The Doctor? Who’s that?”

The girl didn’t answer.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m not allowed to talk to strangers.”

“Of course not. Good answer. Where are your parents?”

“I don’t have any.”

My heart sank. “Really? Then are you just here all by yourself, then?”

She looked at me. “No. Of course not.”

“So who’s here with you? The Doctor?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said.

“Where is he?”

The girl looked at me again. She was biting her lip. “He…he just went for a walk. Will be right back, he said.”

“Jack?” Shannon called from behind. “Can we go now? I want to get back to Tyler and I am getting cold.”

“One second,” I yelled back. I didn’t like to leave this little girl out here all alone. I didn’t buy the story of the doctor and his walk one bit. Something was off here. “Do you know I am a police officer?” I said. “My name is Jack.”

The girl turned her head towards me again. I reached out my hand so we could shake, but she left it hanging.

“I’m Betsy Sue,” she said.

M
ay
2016

“So tell me Betsy Sue. I notice you’re not wearing any shoes. Where do you live?”

“Around.”

“I bet,” I said. “Do you know your address?”

She shook her head without looking at me. I could hear Shannon sigh behind me. I felt torn. I could just get up and leave her, that seemed like what she wanted, but something told me not to, my gut told me it was a bad idea.

“A phone number?”

Head shaking again.

“Jaaack, come on!”

“I’ll be right there.”

“You should go, you know,” Betsy Sue said. “Don’t want to keep a lady waiting.”

“You’re right,” I said with a light chuckle. And then it struck me. This girl knew country music. “Say do you know Shannon King?”

The girl turned her head and looked straight at me. “Yes. She’s my favorite singer!”

Bingo!

“Well that is her. But don’t tell anyone,” I said putting my pointer over my lips.

“That is Shannon King?” The girl turned her head and looked back at Shannon standing underneath a streetlamp wearing her big hat.

“Yes. And she’s my girlfriend. We’re going to get married here in Savannah next Saturday.”

“Lucky you.”

I snickered. “Thanks. Say would you like to meet her?”

Even if it was dark and the only light came from the moon, I could still see the girl’s eyes become big and wide.

“I am guessing that’s a yes,” I said.

I got up on my feet and reached out my hand. She grabbed it in hers and let me pull her up. We walked towards Shannon who looked confused at me, then smiled when she saw the girl.

“Shannon, meet Betsy Sue, she’s your biggest fan.”

“Well hello there, Betsy Sue,” Shannon said and reached out her hand. Betsy Sue looked at it and embraced Shannon in a big hug instead. Shannon laughed startled.

“Say are you hungry?” I asked.

Shannon gave me a look. I knew we had to get back but I had to find out where this girl lived so I could get her home. The harbor was almost empty except for one bum sleeping it off on a bench. This was no place for a little girl. I was guessing she had run off from home and it was vital for me to get her back. These streets were hardly safe for such a small girl at night.

“We can’t leave her here,” I said.

“Of course not,” Shannon said.

“Let’s grab a burger somewhere,” I said. “I am sure we can find somewhere that is open. Do you like burgers?”

The girl looked puzzled. “I don’t know,” she said.

“You don’t know?” I said laughing and looked at Shannon. “All little girls like burgers!”

“Okay.”

I pondered over her answer, then Shannon grabbed her hand in hers and we walked till we found a diner that was open. I ordered a burger and fries for the girl, the burger to be plain, with only cheese, like my kids always wanted.

“And loads of ketchup,” I said to the waitress. ‘And coffee for us.”

“Not me,” Shannon said. “I can’t sleep if I drink coffee this close to bedtime.”

“Then just for me,” I said. “And a soda for the girl. What do you like?”

Betsy Sue stared at me, then shrugged.

“We have Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Lemonade, iced tea,” the waitress said.

“Do you have water?”

“Sure thing, sweetie pie,” she said and winked at Betsy Sue.

“So Betsy Sue. We need to find out where you live,” I said as soon as the food had arrived.

Betsy Sue just stared at it like she wondered how to attack it. It was nothing like the reaction I had expected. My kids were always throwing themselves at their food when it was served.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Shannon asked and hugged her hand in hers.

“Yes. But…”

“But what?” Shannon asked gently.

The girl’s eyes hit the edge of the table. “Usually we have to wait.”

“Wait for what?” I asked thinking this was the strangest child I had ever met. In the light from the diner she looked so pale I couldn’t believe it. Her skin was almost see-through, like paper and I could see all the veins underneath it. She looked suddenly a lot younger than I had initially thought she was. It was just that the way she spoke and acted make her seem older.

“Maybe you’re used to saying a prayer before you eat?” Shannon asked. “We always did that at my house.”

“Nope. Never at my house,” I said. “But we can say one if you like. Would you like that?”

The girl nodded. We closed our eyes and held hands while Shannon led us all into the prayer she grew up with.

“Amen,” she ended.

When I opened my eyes, I realized Betsy Sue hadn’t closed hers at all. She was staring at us.

“No prayer?” I asked. “Then what do you usually wait for before you can eat at your house?”

Betsy Sue’s eyes met mine as I sipped my coffee. There was something in them, something in that look that caused a chill to run down my back. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was really wrong with this little girl.

“The ghosts.”

I almost choked on my coffee and some of it spurted out. I wiped it off from the table with my napkin. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you say ghosts?” Shannon asked.

The girl nodded.

“You have to wait for the ghosts to do what?”

“To sit with us,” she answered. “Once they’re there, we can all eat.”

I took another sip of my coffee, then said, “Well let’s just say the ghosts are here right now, sitting at the end of the table so you can eat, alright?”

The girl shrugged. “Okay.” Then she finally picked up her burger and took a bite. She never put it down again. Soon she was eating so fast I was beginning to worry she might choke.

“You sure were hungry,” I said as the burger disappeared and soon after the fries went the same way. “So tell me. What were you doing at the harbor?”

The girl swallowed a bite. “Looking at the water.”

“Yes, I know you were looking out over the water, but were you waiting for someone? Why were you there?”

“I wanted to see the ocean.”

“Yeah, all right, but I mean…you have seen the ocean before, right?”

The girl shook her head with food in her mouth. I had never seen a little girl devour a burger and fries this fast. Not even my own twins. They usually made it a little more than half way, and then gave up. I was beginning to wonder when this little girl had eaten last.

“How can you never have seen the ocean when living in Savannah?” I asked.

The girl shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Maybe she’s not from here after all, maybe she is just visiting” Shannon said, then addressed Betsy Sue again. “Did you come here by car or airplane?”

The girl stared at Shannon like she had no clue what she was talking about.

“I don’t know.”

Could she be mentally challenged? I started to wonder. Maybe she had run off from some institution somewhere. There was something in the way she spoke, like she had speech impairment as well.

“What do you want to do?” Shannon asked as we paid for the food and my coffee.

“It’s late,” I said while putting down a tip. “Let’s bring her back to our place, then I’ll make some calls to my colleagues around here and ask if anyone is missing a little girl. We’ve got to find out where she came from.”