Chapter 5

The Jackson’s home had a feeling of order and well being. After what the women had just observed, they needed a place where they could find a modicum of peace.

Pastor Jackson hugged Deidre, who introduced him to Melissa and Judy, but after a few minutes of small talk, he had to leave to make his rounds. In the living room, they found a pot of hot coffee and a plate of cheese, crackers, and other snacks waiting for them. Deidre thought how lucky Naomi was to have parents who were so terrific.

Her mind returned to the day she had brought their daughter, Naomi, home after catching her using cocaine. She remembered how supportive her parents had been. She also remembered the boy they had caught with Naomi that day, Gerald Colter III, and how violently his father had reacted. She wondered what had happened to that young man.

The three of them plopped down into the living room chairs, each with a cup of coffee in their hands. Judy spoke first. “Deidre, you said you’re serving in a temporary position as a Silver Bay police officer. How long before the person you are replacing returns?”

“A week from today. Then I’m through. He’s a good man, and I’m confident he’ll do a good job. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering,” Judy answered, still deep in thought about the body she had so recently examined.

“Even though I’m not going to be on this case much longer, I’d like you to help me set up a plan of action. I wasn’t prepared for anything this severe when I agreed to fill in for six weeks,” Deidre said. “But before we begin with that, I think we should process our own feelings. I know I for one am so deeply upset with what we’ve seen I can hardly think of anything else. I’m angry, enraged that anyone could be so cruel. It brings back feelings for the need for revenge I experienced when John was murdered, and I don’t like it. Do you have the same thoughts, or am I the only one?”

Judy cleared her throat, and Deidre and Melissa waited for her to say something. Seconds slowly ticked by, and finally she was able to speak. “Last night, as I watched her frozen body relax and I could see the extent of her injuries, I wept. No one should ever experience what she went through. And, yes, I thought of doing the most despicable things to the person or persons who did this. Then, while I was waiting for more thawing and while I had a chance to process, I realized that an eye for an eye would accomplish nothing. In fact it would reduce me to the level of the perpetrators. I came to the revelation that the only way to rise above his or their level is to seek justice. The revenge will come at their own hands.”

After another long pause, Judy continued. “When we catch the parties involved, and we will, they’ll be prosecuted, and their freedom will be taken from them. Death of any kind would be too swift and complete. I think that to rot in prison for the rest of their lives would be a far more fitting punishment than even a slow death. That thought makes me more intent on doing a thorough job and catching whoever could possibly be this animalistic. That isn’t the right word. Even animals behave better than this.”

The three women sat silently staring at the floor, studying the carpet pattern. After a minute or so had passed, Deidre raised her head. “Melissa, you haven’t said a word since viewing the body. Your posture tells me there’s a lot going on in your mind. Can we help with anything?”

Tears rolled down Melissa’s cheeks, and she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. She tried to talk, but choked on her words. Deidre and Judy watched her swallow hard and clear her throat. “I’m not sure I can get the words out,” she struggled to say. “I have a daughter, Jessica, who’s fifteen years old.”

The two other women thought they knew what was coming next, but they were completely floored by Melissa’s next words.

“She always was a difficult child to deal with, especially after I divorced her father. It was not an amicable settlement, and I was awarded full custody of Jessica. Her father had visitation rights, but we never saw him after the decree. That hurt her more than I can possible imagine. As she became older, she was almost uncontrollable. Her mood swings became so erratic I took her to a child psychologist, but she balked at that idea every step of the way and, in the end, refused to cooperate.

“When she was eleven she ran away from home, and it took me four days to locate her. She was staying at a friend’s house in one of the suburbs. Her friend’s sixteen-year-old sister had been left in charge while their parents were on vacation.

“Six months later, we had words when she refused to see her therapist, and she ran away again. That time it took us a week to track her down. Once again she had moved in with a friend whose parents had little interest in what was going on in their child’s life.”

Melissa blew her nose, and tried to continue. Deidre sensed that there was more to the story.

“Over the next two years, Jessica’s behavior became a pattern of running away, followed by bouts of contrition and then depression. Still, she resisted treatment of any kind. Her psychologist recom­mended we take her to a psychiatrist so we could get a handle on her depression, but she refused to cooperate. Said she wasn’t nuts.

“Two years ago, when she was thirteen, she ran away for a final time. As hard as we have tried, we haven’t been able to find her. Every time I think of her, I have this image in my mind of her being on the streets alone and, inside, I die.”

Melissa’s face cracked into a contorted grimace somewhere between a failed attempt to choke back her tears and the desire to openly weep.

Stunned, Deidre and Judy stared at her. Then Deidre got out of her chair, knelt beside her friend and colleague, and placed her hand on Melissa’s knee. Looking into her red-rimmed eyes, Deidre said, “I can’t imagine the pain this has caused you, but you still have hope. We’re here for you when you need us, always remember that.”

“Thanks. I know you are. I appreciate your kindness, but this case is really disturbing me, more than can possibly be imagined. I’m afraid I’ll have a difficult time retaining any sense of objectivity.”

After several minutes of silent contemplation, Melissa stood.

“Excuse me a few minutes. There’s something I’ve decided to do.” She walked out of the room, and Deidre and Judy were left to discuss how they could help their friend, who they thought had gone to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Time dragged, and Melissa was gone almost twenty minutes. She was more in charge of her emotions when she returned to them.

“I’ve just gotten off the phone with the director of the BCA, my immediate boss. I told her what we’ve discovered and also told her about my dilemma, my feelings. I told her I was struggling with this case.”

“Did she have any suggestions?” Deidre wanted to know.

“At first she just listened to my story. Then we talked about what can be done. I told her you’d be finished with your assignment as of next week, Deidre, and I suggested you be hired by the BCA. It’d be on an as-needed basis, specifically to continue investigating what we have found. I explained your role in the seven-graves case and gave you my highest recommendation.”

Deidre was shocked. “I don’t know what to say. Maybe I should ask what her reaction was.”

“She remembered you from when you, Judy, and I worked together.” Melissa sort of laughed. “She remembered that you were the one who gave most of the interviews from the burial sites in the woods. In fact, she asked if you were the one who looked so ‘earthy’?”

In spite of the gravity of the situation, Deidre had to smile at that comment. “I know I said I could leave the case,” she told her friends, “but after seeing what we saw today, there is no way I can walk away from this horrendous murder. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, wondering what was happening. Okay, I’m in.”

“I think this is for the best. You know this area better than anyone from the Cities. You know the people, and you’re very good at what you do. Thanks for being willing to continue. The BCA will notify the county sheriff what your role will be. Do you think he’ll be all right with us taking most of the responsibility on this one? Do you know him?”

“We’re very close friends. You know him, too. Remember Jeff, Jeff DeAngelo, my deputy who was on the dig with us when we unearthed those seven graves. He was talked into running for sheriff after I resigned and won hands down. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have by my side than Jeff. He’ll be fine with the idea of my working the case, I know he will.”

Judy spoke up. “I have a little more work to do: collecting samples, taking a few more photos, and giving the body one more examination for anything I may have missed. I’ve arranged for transport to my lab at the Bureau where I can do a more thorough job. Deidre, I’ll have the report to you first thing next week, although the tox screen will take a little longer. For now, why don’t you and Melissa spend some time together while I finish up. It’s a long ride back to Minneapolis, but if we can get out of Two Harbors by five o’clock, we can make it home by eight-thirty or nine tonight.”

With that, Deidre and Melissa decided to go to a local restaurant, Blackwood’s Bar and Grill. The place had spacious booths that afforded privacy. They could drink coffee and talk while Judy went about her grizzly business.