Bound by Shadows

Chapter 9

Jocelyn stepped out of the steamy bathroom connected to her room. She lifted her hand and rubbed at the fluffy towel wrapped around her damp hair. A soft sigh escaped her lips on an exhale. A hot shower and clean hair almost made her feel human again.

She shuffled her feet and came to stand in front of the long mirror that had been mounted on the wall. The reflection that looked back at her was just as depressing as she felt today.

She was five foot five inches of pure exhaustion. Dark bags made her baby blue eyes look like stormy seas. Her once radiant smile was now a mere wisp of a memory, replaced by weary lines etched on her face, making her look older than her twenty-seven years. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She wasn’t even thirty and already felt like she had passed her prime.

The hot shower had left her skin flushed. Rolf never liked to bathe in water that hot. The thought floated into her mind like an unwanted, pesky mosquito. He always complained that he could feel his skin peeling off. But since he always wanted to shower with her, Jocelyn had adjusted to bathing in lukewarm water. Compromise, it’s what love was all about, she told herself through every shower with her husband.

Now a sad smile tugged her lips. Rolf was gone and she could bath all the hot water in the world. It brought her no joy. She would have chosen to cling to his company, even if it meant bathing in ice-cold water.

Refusing to look at her reflection anymore, her eyes darted around the master bedroom, brightly lit by the sun streaming through the open windows.

There wasn’t much to the room. She hadn’t really changed anything in the last two years. The double bed took up most of the space. A gray carpet covered the floor, which matched the curtains and the single-seat couch she had placed next to the window. A tiny table was pressed against the wall on the other side, with a chair concealed beneath it. The small chest of drawers in a faded chalk-gray color made the bedside table with a single lamp on it.

If she closed her eyes, she could almost picture Rolf laying on the bed watching her with a smile. It brought fresh tears to her eyes and sparked rage in her blood. Jocelyn turned away from the room and walked toward the walk-in closet.

With a gentle push, she slid aside the clothes hanging inside the closet, revealing the hidden secrets that lay there. Her heart quickened as she gazed at the wall hidden behind her clothes.

The surface was covered in a patchwork of newspaper cuttings, photographs, and handwritten notes. It was an investigation board with the pins and arrows pointing at leads she had thought would finally lead them to the top dog.

Her eyes traced the evidence, each piece a reminder of the night that had changed her life forever - the night of the attack. For the past two years, she had been relentlessly searching for answers, for the truth that seemed just out of her grasp. Every lead she followed had brought her closer, or at least she hoped so. Frustratingly, the answers still eluded her.

Carefully, she reached for the piece of tape and pulled off the slip of paper with the phone number she had gotten from Zan. This was her latest lead. As she removed the tape from the paper, she felt a surge of hope mingled with the weight of the past that burdened her shoulders.

The notes and photographs on the wall represented countless hours of investigation and research. Sleepless nights and dangerous escapades. Each piece held a fragment of the puzzle, but putting them all together seemed an impossible task. Yet, Jocelyn was determined to persevere, to uncover the truth behind that fateful night.

Her eyes locked onto a photograph of her family tapped at the very top. It had been taken before the attack. It was a bittersweet memory, a stark contrast to the darkness that had followed. Her smile was bright as she stared at Diane and Daphne carrying the boys. Priscilla was also laughing with her arms around Terence, who was making a funny face. Rolf stood behind her with his arms around her. He had his head lowered as though smelling her hair. The picture was a constant reminder of what she had lost and what she was fighting to protect.

As she continued to stare at the wall, her mind was flooded with memories and emotions. The pain of that night resurfaced, but so did her unwavering resolve. She couldn’t give up, not when she was so close to discovering the truth.

With a determined breath, Jocelyn turned away from the wall, her eyes filled with renewed purpose. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and then left the walk-in closet.

Minutes later, Jocelyn sat on the edge of her bed fully dressed, clutching her phone tightly in her hand. It was time to make one of the calls she had been dreading but knew she must make. She took a deep breath and dialed the number of the detective assigned to the case.

As the phone rang, her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing her nervousness. Finally, a gruff voice of a middle-aged man with a bad habit of strong liquor answered on the other end. “Detective Fleming speaking.”

“Detective,” Jocelyn said, trying to keep her voice steady. “It’s Jocelyn Meskill again.”

“Ah, yes. Ms. Meskill,” he said, sounding like he had just rolled his eyes. “How can I help you today?”

Really? Jocelyn thought in frustration, but fought to keep it out of her tone. “I was wondering if you had a chance to check out the place I mentioned a few days ago,” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant and not at all irritated by the man’s lack of professionalism.

“Oh, yes. The warehouse address. Well, we did check it out,” the detective reported. “But there was nothing suspicious at the location. It seemed like a dead end and certainly not connected to your husband’s and brother’s murder.”

Jocelyn’s heart sank, disappointment gnawing at her insides like acid. She had hoped that this lead would finally bring some answers. The location of the abandoned warehouse hadn’t been easy to find. And although the place looked abandoned, Jocelyn was sure she had seen fresh tire marks that showed something was happening there. “Are you sure? Maybe there was something you missed?”

The heavy pause on the line made Jocelyn cringe. She didn’t want to offend the man. Even though she felt he wasn’t doing his job properly. Hell, at this point, she didn’t believe he was doing his job at all. But still, that was an opinion she had to keep to herself.

The distinct sound of an exasperated sigh reached her ears before the man responded, “We’re thorough in our investigations, Ms. Meskill. I’m afraid there was nothing there. Now, can you tell me again where you got that address?”

Alarm bells went off in her head. She knew she had to be careful with her response. She couldn’t reveal the true source of the address, not without risking her own safety and the safety of those she loved. And possibly getting jailed for tampering and trespassing. “Um, well, I found it in my husband’s things,” she lied, her voice wavering slightly.

“Your husband’s things?” the detective hummed doubtfully. “And you hadn’t mentioned this before?”

Jocelyn’s heart raced as she thought of how to explain. “It’s an old notebook of his, filled with random notes and addresses. I didn’t think it was relevant at first, but then I saw that address and thought it might be connected to the case.” It was almost scary how fast the lie formed and fell from her lips.

But the detective didn’t seem entirely convinced. If the extended silence was any indication. However, for some reason, he didn’t press her further on the matter. “Alright, I see. Well, thank you for bringing it to our attention. If you find anything else, don’t hesitate to call.”

“I will,” Jocelyn replied, feeling a mixture of relief and guilt. She knew she was bending the truth, but she couldn’t risk revealing some of the dangerous things she and her sisters had dived into in their search for justice.

As they said their goodbyes, Jocelyn felt a knot of tension in her stomach quadruple. She knew she had to be cautious, to protect herself and her family. The investigation had become more complex and treacherous than she could have ever imagined, and lying to the detective was a necessary evil to keep them all safe.

With a heavy heart, Jocelyn ended the call and placed her phone down on the bed. She was determined to continue her search for the truth, even if it meant navigating a web of deceit and danger. As she looked out the window, the afternoon sun reminded her that time was not on her side and the day was far from over.

She had promised to pass by the hospital this afternoon. But first, she had to make sure her boys were okay, and the farm was running smoothly. Just because her heart was heavy with grief didn’t mean the world had stopped moving and she had to move and pretend she was living, too.

Soon, the answers she sought would come to light. What would happen after? She had no idea, but that wasn’t going to stop her.