Suffer II (3 page)

After the sale of her deceased husband’s company, Kate’s personal wealth exceeded eighty million. She founded a private security and investigation firm with Grey, Chief, and her younger sister Abby as employees. It allowed Grey to resign his position as an FBI agent and Chief to retire early from the police department. The only member of the team who wasn’t an employee was Evan. (He relinquished the daily task of running his company to his management staff, but remained active at a distance.)

As civilians, Grey and Chief had fewer restrictions and more freedom to investigate than they did as law enforcement officers. While pursuing the men responsible for destroying Kate’s family, Grey and Chief had their hands tied by their chains of command. She removed those chains by offering them full-time positions in her new business.

Two four-wheel-drive SUVs were waiting for Kate and Grey after their chartered jet landed at Houma-Terrebonne airport in southern Louisiana. It was a forty-five mile drive to Karla’s home south of Boudreaux. On their way down, most of the road they traveled was flanked by Cypress trees standing in shallow, black water. As each mile passed under their tires, they seemed to be going back in time.

It was late afternoon when they arrived at their destination. When they stepped out of their vehicles, they were enveloped in a blanket of hot, sticky air and the pungent smell of low tide in the bayou.

Most of the houses at the end of the earth were dilapidated and weathered. Tin roofs were browning from the rust, and broken windows were replaced with plywood or plastic sheets. Many had old cars in varying stages of decay under trees and tiny front lawns that resembled a graveyard for children’s toys. These were in stark contrast to the large plantation-style homes with pristine lawns they drove past north of town.

Kate and Grey stood at the end of the walkway and surveyed the house that looked out of place. It was elegant in its simplicity. It was a small, perfect square. Sunlight was gleaming off its tin roof, and the hunter green trim was a perfect match with the beige siding. Handcrafted hurricane shutters were varnished to bring out the natural grain of the wood. A single row of flowers in a bed without weeds seemed to encircle the entire home. It separated the house from a manicured lawn and a picket fence the same color as the trim.

“Is Karla a carpenter?” asked Grey, admiring the scene.

“I don’t think so,” said Kate. “She does keep a beautiful home compared to the others.”

They both noticed the silhouette of a woman moving slowly across the porch. As they walked to the bottom of the steps, the screen door opened, revealing a bright, contagious smile. Kate saw her with a cane and reached up to hold the door open.

“You must be Ms. Kate and Mr. Grey,” said Karla, motioning for them to come inside.

“Yes, ma’am, we are,” said Grey.

“Come in, come in,” said Karla. “I’m so glad to see you both. It’s awful hot out today, so let’s go inside and sit. I’ve got some iced tea waiting for the both of you.”

“Thank you,” said Kate. “That sounds wonderful.”

After Grey closed the door behind them, he turned and was greeted by Emily. She was everywhere in the small living room, but the first photo he saw was a large senior portrait hanging over the floral couch. Her long dark hair framed a round face with flawless skin, but it was her eyes that held his. They were mesmerizing.

“That’s my baby girl,” said Karla, noticing Grey’s stare. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

“She is,” said Grey. “The only photos I’ve seen were from court records. They didn’t do her justice, Mrs. Pierce. Not even close.”

“Please, everybody around here calls me Ms. Karla. And you meant to say her mugshots.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Grey. “Her mugshots.”

“I know more than you think I do,” said Karla, turning for the kitchen.

“Please, Ms. Karla, let me help you,” said Grey, walking up behind her.

“Such a gentleman,” said Karla, turning to Kate.

“My knight in shining armor.”

Grey found the glasses and pitcher of tea with ease in the tiny kitchen. He placed them on a serving tray and returned to the living room as Karla was sitting down beside Kate on the couch. The entire room was the size of Kate’s walk-in closet, but Karla’s home was in perfect order and immaculate.

“I’m in love with this house,” said Kate. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Oh, child, I feel like the old woman who lived in a shoe,” said Karla, accepting a glass from Grey. “But I’m thankful I have this place. I had a lot of help from some boys that grew up with Emily. They fixed this place up for me and still take care of the yard every week.”

“Did Emily grow up in this house?” asked Grey.

With his first question, he knew he had struck a chord. Karla lowered her eyes and Kate reached over, patting her hand. At that moment, he knew Kate already understood why it affected her. Once again, he was an outsider looking in.

“Grey, Emily’s room is through that door and to the left,” said Kate. “She hasn’t used it in a while, but most of her things are still in there from when she did. I thought maybe you could start in there while Karla and I get to know each other better.”

“Of course,” said Grey, glaring at Kate and then reaching for his glass. “Can I take this? It’s delicious.”

“I’m sorry,” said Kate after Grey left the room. “I didn’t tell him much about our conversation.”

“He didn’t seem happy about that,” said Karla.

“Trust me, I’ll be paying for that later.”

“So he doesn’t know about her journals?”

“No,” said Kate. “It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t told him very much about her. I want him to get to know her in a different way. You’ll be helping me learn about your daughter. Your daughter will be helping him.”

“I should’ve read them,” said Karla. “Maybe there was something in there that could’ve warned me she was in more trouble than she led on.”

“Are you kidding me?” said Kate, smiling. “You should get a parenting award for not reading them. No teenage girl on the planet wants a nosey mother reading her journal. But if there is anything on those pages that can help us, he’ll find it. He’s very good at what he does.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” said Karla, taking Kate’s hand. “Nobody seems to care that she’s gone. Nobody wants to help me besides Tyler, but even he doesn’t know what to do anymore.”

“We care,” said Kate, squeezing her hand. “We care very much. We also know what to do and how to do it. We’re going to find out what happened to your daughter. I can promise you that.”

Grey stood at the foot of Emily’s bed and scanned the room before he moved any objects. As with the rest of the house, it was in perfect order. He wanted to make sure everything would be back in its place when he finished.

As soon as he walked in, he realized he was standing in the room of a young teenager, not a young adult. He knew Emily was twenty and hadn’t lived in her mother’s home for years, but it was like time had stood still from her days in high school. Grey knew there were two possible reasons for the room to be frozen in time. Either her mother decorated it recently to remember better days, or it was the point where Emily’s life had changed drastically.

It wasn’t the room of a junkie prostitute. There were stuffed animals leaning against the pillows of a bed that was ready for military inspection. Clothes were pressed on hangers and folded in neat stacks in the drawers. There were rows of glitter nail polish and flavored lip gloss on the dresser. Only a small opening remained on the vanity as photos of smiling teenage friends were tucked into every inch of the mirror’s frame. All of the colors were pastel, from the light purple walls to the pink curtains covering the single window in the room.

After his initial sweep, he started digging deeper into spaces most parents overlooked. He checked for false bottoms in the drawers and jewelry boxes. He removed the vent covers and checked the underside of the bed for openings in the thin material covering the bottom. Satisfied there were no secret compartments to discover, he stepped into the tiny closet. Under a stack of sweaters, he found two thick journals. Heart-shaped locks were the only security measures, which he defeated with a paper clip.

Grey turned to shed more light on the pages. As with everything else in the room, they were in perfect order. Her penmanship was neat and each entry was preceded by a date. The books were big, and he knew he didn’t have enough time to read them cover to cover in her room. He didn’t concern himself with the first entry of the journal. He was more interested in her last.

He opened the second journal to her final entry. After reading the pages, he closed it and sat on the corner of her bed. He was hoping for an answer as to why she stopped on that date and didn’t write another word. The answer didn’t come. More questions did.

“That’s when I knew my little girl was going to be famous,” said Karla, smiling at Grey when he walked back into the living room. “I just knew someday I’d see her face in a movie or hear her voice on the radio. She had no fear and would break into a song or dance in the middle of the grocery store. And I’m talking about when she was five.”

Karla flipped through pages of a photo album as she spoke. Grey and Kate could tell she was looking for a specific picture of Emily. Her face lit up when she found it. She held it up and pointed at her young daughter standing on a makeshift stage next to a pool. She was wearing a powder blue princess gown, bright yellow rain boots, and a Dr. Seuss hat. Her head was tilted back with her eyes closed and her mouth wide open.

“Her daddy built her that stage at our first house,” said Karla. “He adored his little bug. That’s what he called her. Little Bug.”

“Is she singing?” asked Grey, leaning in closer to the photo.

“Lord, honey, yes,” said Karla, handing Grey the photo album. “Singing her heart out was the only way she knew how to do it. That child memorized every single Disney song ever created. Her and her daddy would drive all over Louisiana looking for videos. But in that photo, she’s singing What a Wonderful World.”

“She’s singing Louis Armstrong.” said Grey, laughing. “How old is she in that picture? Four?”

“Oh, no,” said Karla. “She was almost seven in that photo. Emily was a tiny little thing. She’s singing that song because it was my favorite. I started singing it to her when she was a few weeks old. It was our song, you know.”

“It’s a great song,” said Kate, looking over at Grey. “I sang it to Caleb all the time. He loved it too.”

Grey looked at Kate then dropped his eyes back down to Emily. It was the moment when he began to realize that there was a bond – a connection – between Karla and Kate that he’d never fully understand. They were mothers who lost their children to monsters.

“Ms. Karla,” said Grey, bringing her out of her fond memory and back to her cold reality. “I found these journals in Emily’s room. Did you know about them?”

“I did. She wrote in them almost every day, but I never read them. I swear.”

“There’s a lot to read here, and I need to take my time,” said Grey. “Would it be okay if I took them with me for a few days? I promise you I’ll return them as soon as I finish.”

“Of course,” said Karla, looking at them with tired eyes. “Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you. I did read her last entry, though. Ms. Karla, who’s Tyler?”

Dawson kicked the football with every ounce of strength in his twelve-year-old leg. His little brother, Tyler, could only watch as the ball sailed over his head, bounced in the street, and then disappeared over the privacy fence. Their family had moved to Boudreaux a week earlier, so they had no idea who owned the house that captured their ball.

Tyler was two years younger, and much shorter, than his brother. He stood by as Dawson grabbed the top of the wooden fence and pulled himself up to look into the backyard. As soon as his head popped over the top, all he saw was a mouth full of teeth flying at him. He released his grip, fell on his back, and kicked himself away from the fence. Tyler was nowhere to be seen. As soon as he heard the ferocious barking, he left his brother for dead.

“You’re such a chickenshit,” said Dawson, finding his brother back in their front yard, leaning over with his hands on his knees.

“I thought that thing was coming through the fence,” said Tyler, catching his breath.

“We gotta get Daddy’s ball back,” said Dawson. “He’ll kill us if we lose it.”

“How we gonna do that?”

“I’ll throw you over the fence,” said Dawson. “While the dog’s chewing on your face, I’ll get the ball.”

“That’s not a good plan.”

“Come on, stupid. Let’s go get it.”

The brothers walked up to the front door of the house with the beast in the backyard. Dawson rang the bell and waited. Ten seconds was far too long for a kid to do nothing, so he rang again. The door opened.

“Well, hello there,” said the woman, drying her hands with a dishtowel. “Can I help you boys?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Dawson, being brave and taking a step closer. “I’m Dawson and this is my brother, Tyler. We accidently kicked our football into your backyard. I was hoping we could get it back. It’s my daddy’s ball from when he played in college.”

“So, that’s what all that commotion was about. Yes, come on in. My name is Karla Pierce. I’ll have my daughter come help you boys out.”

Dawson and Tyler’s eyes grew wide when they walked inside the home. It was much bigger than theirs, and everything inside was clean and new. The ceilings were high, and everything on the tables and walls looked shiny and expensive. They stood at the bottom of the stairs as Karla yelled up for her daughter.

“Emily,” said Karla, as the ten-year-old girl bounced down to the last step, “this is Dawson and Tyler. Could you take them into the backyard to find their ball?”

Them
!

“Um, ma’am,” said Dawson. “If it’s okay with you, we’ll wait here.”

“Kasey won’t bite you,” said Emily, sensing their fear. “She’s a sweet dog as long as you’re not trying to climb over our fence.”

“I take it you boys live around here,” said Karla.

“Yes, ma’am,” said Dawson. “We live in the last house on the other side of the road. It’s a lot smaller than this one.”

“Oh, yes,” said Karla. “You just moved in last week. I remember the truck. Tell your folks I’ll be coming by tomorrow to welcome them to the neighborhood.”

“Yes, ma’am, I will. My mama will like that. She’s been sick lately, and she doesn’t have any friends here yet.”

“Then I’ll bring her something guaranteed to make her feel better.”

Emily walked the boys to the back door. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Kasey waiting on the other side of the glass. Tyler swore he saw blood dripping from its fangs.

“Hey, pretty girl,” said Emily, kneeling down to Kasey and giving her a hug.

When she stood, Kasey walked up to Dawson and put her nose in his crotch. Tyler had never seen his brother’s eyes so big or his body so rigid. Before he could leave his brother for dead – again – Kasey turned her attention to him.

“That’s how she says hello to new people,” said Emily.

When the terror of losing their manhood while still in their childhood passed, they became immediate friends with Kasey. “Is he one of those pit bulls?” asked Tyler.

“No,
she
is a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Hound.”

“A catawhat?” asked Dawson.

“A Louisiana…Catahoula…Leopard…Hound.”

“He’s a hound dog?” asked Tyler.

“No,
she
is not,” said Emily. “Not all dogs are boys. Just call her Kasey, okay?”

“Sure.”

After a few minutes of petting Kasey and getting their faces licked, they followed Emily into the backyard. Once again, their eyes grew wide. It was a wonderland.

In the middle of the massive yard was the biggest in-ground pool they had ever seen. A water spout in the deep end shot a geyser ten feet into the air. Everywhere they looked were splashes of color from flower beds along the perimeter of the fence.

A small pool house to their right had an extended tin roof. It covered a hidden seating area concealed by tall, flowering bushes. Tucked in the back left corner of the yard was a large playhouse built on a platform five feet off the ground. The only way to get inside was from the ladder that disappeared up into the middle of the floor.

On the wide concrete skirt that surrounded the pool, there was a small raised stage on the other side of the water. It came complete with a red curtain and lights that hung from a metal pipe frame. Plastic folding chairs were in a rack beside the stage. The boys had forgotten why they were there until Emily walked up to them with a football.

“I got it!”

“Thank you,” said Dawson.

“Can we go swimming?” asked Tyler, staring at the pool, having no interest in the football.

“Sure, I guess,” said Emily. “Let me ask my mom if it’s okay.”

With permission granted and a short list of rules from Karla, the boys kicked off their shoes, shed their shirts, and jumped in the water before Emily reached the backdoor. She returned a few minutes later wearing a fluorescent orange swimsuit adorned with bright purple flowers and pink goggles.

When Emily’s father, Hank, arrived home from work, it had been three hours since the boys’ feet had stepped on dry land. Having a pool to themselves was something the brothers hadn’t enjoyed since the green plastic turtle when they were toddlers. If it were up to them, they would’ve stayed wet until the sun went down.

“Honey,” said Hank, taking a sip from his drink while standing at the back door.

“Yes, dear,” asked Karla, lowering the flame on the stove.

“Go get my shotgun. There are two boys in our pool with your daughter.”

“Oh, stop it,” said Karla. “They just moved into the house at the end of the street. They’re both very sweet and polite.”

“They all start out that way,” said Hank, opening the back door.

He grabbed three towels off the patio table and headed for the pool. Kasey was the first to notice and darted toward him. Emily did the same when she saw her dog take off running.

“Hey, Little Bug,” said Hank, wrapping Emily up in a towel like a burrito and then giving her a tight squeeze. “I heard your ferocious guard dog earned her pay today.”

“She did, Daddy, but they weren’t burglars. Just boys.”

“Like I said, she earned her pay,” said Hank, turning his attention to the frolicking in the pool. “You two tadpoles have names?”

“Yes, sir, I’m Dawson, and this is my little brother, Tyler. Ms. Karla said it was okay if we went swimming.”

“Either one of you try to kiss my baby girl?” asked Hank, narrowing his eyes and tapping his palm with a fist.

“Daddy!”

“He did,” said Dawson, pointing at his astounded brother.

“No, sir, I did not! I swear!”

“All right, come on out of there, boy. Looks like you and I are gonna have to fight.”

“Dawson! Tell him the truth!”

“Daddy, stop it,” said Emily, pulling an arm out of the burrito and putting it on her hip. “Nobody tried to kiss me.”

“Okay, then,” said Hank, winking at Dawson. “I’ll let it go this time. You boys need to head on home. We’re about to have supper.”

Tyler splashed his brother in the face as he made his way to the stairs. He walked up to Emily’s father and held out his hand. Hank could see the boy was nervous.

“My dad told me whenever I meet the man of the house I’m supposed to look him in the eye and shake his hand.”

“He told you to do it, not say it,” said Dawson, walking up behind him.

“Your dad is right,” said Hank, shaking their hands. “You tell him his neighbor Hank is looking forward to meeting him.”

“Yes, sir,” said Dawson.

“Why are you so small?” said Hank, looking at Tyler.

“Because I’m ten?”

“That makes sense,” said Hank, handing him a towel. He turned to watch Emily walk inside before he started speaking again. “Did you boys have fun in the pool today?”

“We did, thank you very much, sir. It was great.” said Dawson.

“Well, since my wife loves to feed every stray cat and kid in the neighborhood, and you two looked like you were enjoying my pool, I’m guessing you both want to come back, right?”

“Yes, sir, that would be awesome!” said Tyler.

“Okay, man to man here. You two have to make me a promise that you can never break. Understand me?”

“We do,” said Dawson. “Our mama always says you have to keep your promises or nobody will respect you.”

“That’s the truth, son. So you know how serious this is.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, you two are always welcome in my home and can be friends with my daughter. But you both have to promise me you’ll always look out for her. Do you know what that means?”

“We do,” said Dawson. “It means we protect her.”

“It does, boys. And not just here at this house. Your promise to me means anywhere. If you’re at school and you see someone trying to hurt her, you be men and help her out. So, we have a deal?”

“Yes, sir, we do.”

“Before you leave, go inside and thank Ms. Karla for letting you go swimming. She really loves hugs, so give her one.”

Hank sat at the patio table to finish his drink before dinner. Looking over at the stage that hadn’t been used in months, he sighed. His baby was getting bigger and more beautiful every day. He vowed to build an army of boys that would make the same promise as Dawson and Tyler. For the first time since her birth, Hank felt like he was starting to lose his little bug to the big world.

“Those two are adorable,” said Karla, coming out to join her husband. “They both came inside, thanked me, and gave me hugs. You know how I love hugs.”

“I do,” said Hank, reaching out for her and pulling her down on his lap.

“Emily didn’t seem too pleased with you when she came inside,” said Karla, raising her brow. “She’s taking her bath now.”

“Aw, I just gave those boys a little tease,” said Hank.

“You asked if they tried to kiss her,” said Karla, pinching his arm.

“You should have seen them,” said Hank, chuckling. “I asked and Dawson didn’t miss a beat. He pointed right at his little brother and gave him up. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.”

“They’re nice boys, Hank. They’re very polite and respectful. It wasn’t too long ago Emily was the one trying to make new friends in a new place. It’s hard, you know.”

“I do, honey. But it’s my job as a father to scare the crap out of every boy that comes around. Fear keeps them honest.”

“Just don’t push too hard. She may end up resenting you for that.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Have I told you how beautiful you are today?” said Hank, tightening his grip around his wife.

“No, sir, you haven’t.”

“You are, sweetheart. You are beautiful.”