Gone After the Wind

Chapter 10 : Strings

CARA LEAFED through the scattered files on her lap, perusing each preliminary report on Sandy Hupman's murder two days ago as Eric managed to drive silently beside her. The one-hour ride from the station up to the isolated paved highway of Mcford had provided Cara the right chance to chew some relevant information that Eric had forgotten to mention earlier in the de-briefing he did as they traveled on the south of Rosegold. While it had been instructive enough to just leave the files and read them sometime later, Cara didn't waste the opportunity. Reviewing it with utmost attention and care, she easily digested the facts that were stamped in the papers without flipping out.

As a detective who had been suspended and hadn't been in a cast for two months, her initial reaction would be the opposite of calmness. In her case, the worst could be anticipated, and the least acceptable response—that was inevitable for someone who had been experiencing severe trauma and consistent emotional crisis—would fit the situation. This newly opened murder case could be considered as a trigger, a very strong one, to be exact, that even if she made an attempt to resist, the result would go out unaffected. She would be in a total wreck, and her fears would just heighten until they consumed her will to go on.

But those foreseen scenarios in her head didn't become a reality she was experiencing as she peered at the crime scene photos showing nothing but the gruesomeness of the murder. Rather than fear and panic attacks, she was embraced by elation. She couldn't determine whether it was because she could carry her badge now without restriction or because she had just gained a new way to rebuild her career. Although it was such an unorthodox feeling to have, nothing was possible to push it away or even extinguish its fire within her.

Hands cold with utter excitement, she dropped the papers on her lap and filled her lungs with the chilling air slipping through the narrow gap she allowed to the car's window. She became too fancied at combing the details of the murder; it was now reaching the point that she had to neutralize her nerves to keep her bewildered self from attaining all the information at once.

Overwhelming herself would be the last thing she would want to witness today. She knew it would bring nothing but catastrophe. Not just to her mental stability but primarily to the whole future of this new adventure that she had made herself firmly tangled. The first moment she considered accepting the deal, she already recognized how high the stakes were and what practices she must do so she wouldn't lose any of it. And one of those was to stay inside the rational constitution of her mind.

Even if she had been confident enough to steer the direction of the case, she knew she would lose control of her body once her emotions went berserk. That's why as much as her mind craved for more information, she had no choice but to put the documents away from her sight.

Sighing heavily, she gazed out the window.

"It doesn't make any sense to me," she blurted out, putting an end to the two-hour painful battle of silence between them. "How come the rangers didn't notice the body in that oak tree? It was conspicuous enough to attract any attention. Nothing would add up if we compared their story to ME's report. The body had been there for three days, meaning they had all the time to discover it immediately. But why after three consecutive visits, none of them noticed a single thing?"

"We had the same observation about that," Eric said, moving the gearstick to the left as their vehicle prepared to turn for a sharp corner. "I already questioned each ranger stationed on that part of the forest. I verified if they all saw the same oak tree that morning. They confirmed and insisted that it wasn't different. The head ranger vouched for their story, and like us, he was also confused as hell."

"Do you doubt if they were all telling the truth, though?"

"Honestly, no," Eric answered with clear conviction in his voice. "It's hard to call it a tale when four people are already saying that it wasn't. Take note that all of them were highly skilled and trained, so I don't see any reason why they would lie in front of my face. Why, you think one of them revised the story?"

"Not entirely," Cara said, letting her mind unleash all the ideas that had been formed inside after carefully studying the reports. "I have a theory about the possible scenario that took place there, but I don't wanna cross out any field in this investigation nor the people that were involved. Not until we have the right path to take we can't label any of them as innocent."

"Theory, huh." Eric chuckled that didn't sound like an unconscious flee of glee. It sounded sad for some reason. "I missed hearing you say that line."

Cara blinked profusely, her eyebrows knitting in confusion as to what she should reply. While his comment delivered warm touches on her heart, she couldn't disregard the bitterness that she had felt instinctive. It made her come to a realization that those two months had been indeed long and painful. Not just to her and Alex but also to the only real friend she ever had in her life.

Grimacing, she shook away the guilt that was creeping behind her back.

"I'm not going to bite that bait," Cara replied. "There's another time to discuss that matter, Eric. Unfortunately, we're not in the right place and situation. Unless you badly wished to talk about some important thing besides that, then, I'm all ears."

Eric shook his head, his lips forming a thin, forced smile. "It's nothing serious, really. I'm just overwhelmed by the fact that you're here with me, sitting in the same car and on the way to re-invent a crime scene. Just like the good old days that I failed to treasure. How long has it been since we've done this? Two months, wasn't it? I had overcome all the negative thinking that you won't be able to come back anymore. It felt surreal that after all the chaos that had happened, you're now here, leading the investigation of one of the prominent cases we have in the field."

Cara let out a resigned chuckle. She gazed out the window, allowing herself to take pleasure in watching the wide stretch of grassland on either side of the highway. The landscape looked as though it was pulled out straight from a painting. Enchanting and perfectly calming. Although it was screaming with secludedness, Cara didn't fail to pluck out the positive side of watching it. Slowly, her tensed body started to cool down.

"That sounded too sentimental and sad as if I'm going to be on hiatus again after this."

"Just expressing what I currently feel. It's hard to keep it, you know. Especially if the situation badly requires me to voice it out," Eric answered, and Cara's mind instantly shut out all the words she could muster.

She didn't expect she'd be in a situation with Eric where her tongue would freeze like this. She could be chatty and all, but once the topic shifted into sentimental kinds of stuff that she recognized as one of her weaknesses, her train of thoughts would halt, and she'd found herself struggling to ace a reply.

Although Eric was known for being stoic and cold, he can engineer a way to channel his emotions without sounding awkward and apathetic. Cara, on the other hand, would take minutes to formulate. And sometimes, her choice of words turned out as offending and less appealing in the plainest way.

It might also be the reason why until now, Alex still treated her as though she was only a mere stranger in their house that if Cara didn't constantly remind her who she was in his life, he would never recognize her as one. The connection she could have been established by naming what she truly feels never existed between them. Because of that, Alex's mind was fed by the misconception that she never cared about him, while the truth is otherwise.

"How are things going with Alex, by the way?" Eric added. "Was he pissed off when you told him you'd be coming back?"

Cara shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Her eyebrows knitted. "He hasn't any single idea I'd be showing up in the station today."

"Wait, what? He doesn't know?"

"Didn't have the chance to tell him," Cara answered. "I only got my shits together this morning after I drove him to school. Whether or not I tell him ahead of time, his reaction won't change, though. He'd still hate me, that's for sure."

"Nah, I'll be the one who's going to suffer his wrath more than you," Eric replied. "That kid's hate for me was deep-rooted. He'll not have any second thoughts about blaming me for dragging you here. He'd think I had put a gun in your head so ."

"He's not that kind of kid," Cara contradicted. "He may be elusive and mean sometimes, but trust me when I say he's the purest youngster I know. He's a bit like me, you know. Too shy and afraid to express what's going on inside the head. It's a bit unbearable and irritating, but you wouldn't think any of it once he let you see his warm and soft side."

"Just like Marco, don't you think?" Eric commented absentmindedly that caught Cara off-guard.

For seconds, she was unable to speak as strings of memories started to loop around her brain. But her positive understanding of what Eric said had made her dodge the attack of the painful nostalgia. Nodding in agreement, the corner of her lips lifted into a small smile, her chest heaving with grief and delight.

"Just like Marco," she echoed, the sudden rush of emotions within had made her eyes welled in tears, and her chest heaved with immeasurable pain. Both happened uncontrollably. It was too strong that she could feel a panic attack happening soon. Fearing it might jeopardize their journey, she began filling her lungs with the fresh air seeping through the window. She clenched her fists and opened it again. She kept doing it until all her shaking nerves slowly turned back to normal.

Thankfully, the drilling temperature outside the car didn't fuel the poking stress she was experiencing. If anything, it made her feel much better. Eric must've sensed he blurted out a name that could bring many terrible memories; he immediately turned his full attention to her, worried-sick and unconsciously alarmed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Don't feel bad," Cara cut him off, pulling herself together. "It's normal to mention him. It's only been two months, after all. If the reality hasn't fully gotten over me, the people who witnessed it have also the same problem. It's fine, don't worry about it."

"No, it's not. I know his name triggered something, Cara. And if we continue this drive, it might get worse. What we're about to see there might enable you to remember what you saw two months ago." Eric sighed deeply. "Don't worry. We still have time to go back and postpone this until you're ready. We could continue this tomorrow or any day you want."

"Are you asking me to delay the essential part of my work just for this?" Cara retorted. "Try something more sensible to convince me, Eric. I'm not backing down just because of this shitful trauma."

"Tsk, still stubborn as ever," Eric mumbled, shaking his head. "Fine, then. Just don't hold me accountable if you happen to break down. I made a mistake, and that's enough for me to tell that you're still not ready. I didn't try my best to convince you because I know you're mind is made up. But don't forget that I warned you."

"Fair enough," Cara said; the tremor inside her body and mind had died down. And if she would look and examine herself more, she would be back in the right state. Eric's unintentional mention of Marco's name had indeed shaken her up, but to say the least, it wasn't strong enough to consume her energy.

Eric nodded, reluctantly, and their car's normal speed changed as he pressed his feet on the accelerator. "Just so you know, the crime scene has been already swept up. Chief Rico didn't want any curious eyes to feast on the crime scene anymore, so he used all their resources to clean and conceal it. The operation inside the forest park has been temporarily stopped, as well. So you won't see anything in there that wasn't in the reports."

"Not a problem. I just wanna see it with my own eyes. Pictures and reports aren't enough for me to go on."

Eric nodded, agreeing in silence before he turned the car to the right. Sharp and had a speed that would enable them to get there before afternoon falls. Cara watched the admirable landscape get eaten by dense woods again until it became only a memory. Unlike what they had already passed, the arrangement of trees and underbrushes there was jammed and confusing to see. It's a shame for someone to get lost in such an environment. There was no distinguishable trail that could be used as a landmark. Moreover, it looked like it hadn't yet been visited by humans, only ferocious and dangerous animals.

"Are we still required to enter the town?" Cara asked.

"Nope. The forest is at the back of the town and in front of this highway. We could spot it by just driving. We'll go through its back end so we wouldn't need to check in for security. I have called already about our visit, and they agreed to let us in."

Cara nodded. She felt a stab of anticipation puncturing her system like a sharp knife. She could sense it traveling all the way from her head to her toe. Despite having enough air to breathe and feel, her hands still got sticky from the automatic sweats coming out, and her breathing slightly intensified. Her stomach twisted as though two hands were gripping it from outside. Although all those signs could be identified as a panic attack, Cara knew in her head that what she truly feels is far from it. This is nothing compared to that.

It intensified, though, when the paved road switched onto a bumpy one, and Eric set aside the car near a large stag, ten meters away from the path existing between the brushy part of the forest. He turned off the ignition, and the car rattled until nothing could be heard except the faint singing of birds and their heavy breathing.

"You sure you're ready to do this?" Eric asked, letting go of the wheel.

"I'll be," Cara answered.

Eric climbed out of the car, and she followed him afterward. They entered the path silently. Eric was on the lead while Cara shuffled behind him, her eyes wandering around the forest. Like any typical forest park, the land houses a wide variety of trees, ranging from common ones to rare types. Exhibiting alongside its thick bent roots was a rich undergrowth that goes far beyond Cara's vision. The remnants of the snowstorm a few days ago were still obvious as the sunlight could not go deeper than usual.

A sudden rush of wind went through the whole forest, brushing the leaves above. Cara looked up, and she saw some horde of birds that had been disturbed by it. They flee in the neat and blue sky, their wings flapping hastily. The ambiance was indeed peaceful. Anywhere she looked lies a picturesque view of the forest. For nemophilus and adventurous people, this could be a great spot to explore. Cara couldn't imagine well that such a dreamy forest had been chosen to dispose a body.

"This is where she was found." Eric stopped walking when the large oak tree he's been pertaining to came into view.

Cara nodded. Following the line of his vision, she swallowed hard. Her heart pounded against her ribs as she stared up ahead. The image of Sandy Hupman from the crime scene photos flashed right before her eyes. Slowly, the tranquility of the atmosphere that she had just admired a while ago turned chilly and cold. Her spine tingled.

"We're in the right place," Cara said, breathing slowly. "I could feel it."

Eric fished out the folder from his brown-leather jacket. He walked near the tree, and one by one, he placed the photos on the rightful points. Then he backed away and turned expectantly to Cara.

Cara took that as a cue to get near and study the pictures closely. Although the body had been removed and the scene wasn't fresh anymore, Cara could still perceive it as though she was the first officer who responded there. Ideas then poured like an unstoppable rain. Every single one was logical enough to follow, but because it was too many, Cara wasn't sure whether which one should she entertain first.

"I see that many details from Rasco's case were present here," Cara remarked. "Same M.O and method. Stitches that were placed to connect the limbs again; polished skin; a wretched wig and a crimson dress that covered the most brutal wounds on the body. Same portion of cuts and artificial body parts. And a... burlap sack." Cara swallowed hard, and a flicker of Marco's lifeless body flashed through her mind.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked, and Cara trudged past the concern. She went closer to the spot and leaned over.

"She was already dead when she was brought here, wasn't she? He didn't care if the body had stiffened beforehand; he would still pose them like it was his obligation to do so. I take it that she was killed a day before; the s***h on her throat was the source, am I right?"

"Yeah," Eric said reluctantly; his worried eyes studied Cara for seconds before he jumped on the reports and leafed through them. "The oldest cut among the others, to be exact. The killer dismembered her body first before doing that final blow. All the trauma she received indicated that he had kept her for a while."

"One thing that he didn't do with Nelia," Cara observed and stepped backward, her eyes looking up to the tree. "Unlike Sandy, Nelia was only held for one day before he finished her off. The killing had been messy and extremely fast. He performed as what we might call his 'rituals' while she was still breathing, in the very same place where she was taken. We later learned that a severe type of paralyzing drug was used to shut off Nelia. But it had no long-time effect, so the pain was felt in every cut he administered. Did they find any foreign substance in Sandy's body that resembles to that drug?"

"Nope. Not a trace. She was, in every part, unbelievably clean. The only contents of her stomach were water and waste of the food that she had eaten on her last day."

"Maybe that's why he kept her. Why would he need to bother injecting that drug wherein he could do all those tortures freely and without limits. Treasuring the process meant only that he had been utterly patient, and he enjoyed it to such an extent that her body had become unrecognizable and inhuman. He took time and effort to transform her into something sinister like that." She swallowed hard. "He changed his strategy. He knew he wouldn't achieve the image he was portraying if he did the same process as he did before. He had learned a lot, Eric. And he's getting better at it. The insufficient confidence he had last time is now gone. He had become bold enough to showcase his work, and if given a chance, he'd do this again."

An eerie silence whipped around them as Cara's words echoed in the vastness of the forest. Only the faint murmur of the leaves and the gurgle of the nearby stream were the audible sounds hanging around the air. Eric's face went pale, and with the way his eyes rounded after Cara's declaration, he was downright shocked. His mouth opened, but then he closed it again. The struggle to find the right word's to utter was fairly visible in his posture.

Cara continued, though, unaffected by the fact that her partner was having a hard time keeping up with her line of thoughts. "All of the planning, effort, and risk he invested wasn't for just any fulfillment in his wretched mind. It was a clear indication of his attempt to show us something. Make us understand about the sense of his work. This is not a murderer who kills out of pleasure. The victims... they mean something to him. To us, they are normal housewives that thrive for a good future. But to him, they represent a far more essence."

"Is that why all the cuts were not placed randomly and without speed?" Eric asked.

"Yes," Cara answered and walked near the tree when something caught her eye. "He couldn't do that with Nelia. For one, his emotions were a great hindrance. It blinded his focus (one thing about having the first kill) to the extent that the message he wanted to convey became a blur. He managed to handle it quite well. That led him to success. He refrained himself from overdoing the torture this time."

Eyes squinting, she carried one foot to the lower branch of the tree and lifted herself up. She had been right to suspect that a distinguishable mark was rightful to be seen there. Roughly about three inches long and two inches wide, the indentation of the mark wasn't deep. It was scattered along with every branch erected on either side of the tree. None of it seemed intentional or accidentally made by animal's feet that might have resided there for a moment. Faded but distinctive enough to tell that it was made by a rope or a large string being pulled.

She allowed her fingertips to stroke it, and immediately after determining its origin, she jumped off and faced Eric, who was plainly confused as to what she's been up to.

"Eric, did the forensics find an inflicted rope or a string on the victim's back?" Cara asked, staring at her fingertips.

"I don't remember. Wait, let me see." Eric thumbed through the files again and pulled one paper. "Yes, it says here that they found two inches of thick strings punctured on the victim's back. All of it was cut precisely. It must've come from the fabric the victim was wearing—"

"No, it didn't come from the garments she forced the victim to wore," Cara said, her voice vibrating. "It was placed there for one purpose."

"For what?"

Cara swallowed hard and pointed to the branches; the hollow inside her grew large. "To hung her directly on this tree."