Flashback (Kendra Michaels #11)

“From Bill?”

“From Bill, from my other former colleagues, from everyone. How could I not? It’s an impressive story. You were blind for the first twenty years of your life, and after you gained your sight thanks to a surgical procedure, you still had all those other senses you’d improved during your years as a sightless person.”

“You do know my story,” Kendra said. “But I honestly don’t think my senses are better than anyone else’s. Like all blind people, I just learned to pay attention to what my senses of hearing, smell, touch, and taste told me about the world. It’s not something I’d ever forget how to do just because I’m fortunate enough to see now.”

Paula nodded. “But from what I understand, you’re now also extremely observant about things you see.”

“I guess that’s because sight is such a wonderful gift to me. I don’t take anything I see for granted, so I’m constantly absorbing and processing whatever passes in front of me.” Kendra shrugged. “Again, I think it’s a natural response.”

“Interesting,” Paula said. “I suppose all this is what makes you such an amazing investigator. I know the FBI has tried to get you to join their ranks, and I’m sure the SDPD would love to have you on their payroll.”

Kendra laughed. “Depends on who you talk to. A few people there would be happy never to see me again.”

“Only the insecure ones,” Bill said. “There’s a reason why Kendra is brought in to consult on the tough cases. Which is why I wanted you two to speak.”

Kendra turned back toward Paula. “But you said you were retired. Are you a private investigator now?”

Paula rolled her eyes. “Lord, no. When I say I’m retired, I’m most definitely retired.”

“So what’s this about?”

Paula took a deep breath before launching into it. “You probably would have been a teenager at the time… But have you heard of the Bayside Strangler?”

Kendra thought for a moment. “Sounds familiar, but I honestly don’t have any real memory of that.”

“You’re not alone. It was fifteen years ago, and most people have forgotten about it. The Bayside Strangler was a serial killer who murdered five women in a four-month period, all just south of downtown San Diego. Not all of them were near the bay, but the name stuck.”

“The case was unsolved?”

“Yes, unfortunately. It was my case, and I eventually led the task force.”

“Ah. Needless to say, you’ve never forgotten.”

The years of pain were suddenly etched on Paula’s face. “No, never. Not for a single day.”

“I can imagine.”

“Anyway, the FBI had just started to get involved when the murders stopped. The profilers thought the killer might have moved, gone to prison for something else, or died himself. It’s rare that a serial killer can just stop and lead a normal life for the rest of his days. We continued to investigate, of course, but the case just went cold. The task force was disbanded, and we moved on to other things.”

Kendra could see that it still pained Paula to talk about the case. “Most investigators I’ve known have at least one unsolved case that haunts them years later.”

“It’s true. This was definitely one of mine. But the thing that has really stayed with me all these years is the daughters of the second victim, Alyssa Morgan. I was with them when their mother’s body was found. Alyssa was a single parent, and she’d done a wonderful job with those girls. They were nine and eleven when their mother was taken from them. They were smart and beautiful. Their aunt raised them as her own, but sometime during their high school years, they started asking more and more questions about what happened to their mother. I got calls from them almost weekly, and I tried explaining to them there was no place for us to go in the case. Eventually I realized they were investigating the case themselves. It consumed them, especially the older girl, Chloe. They each graduated from college, but over the years, a lot of their free time has been spent working on the case. It got worse in the past month or two. They were obsessed. According to their aunt, they were convinced they were onto something, but they wouldn’t say what. Then, a week ago yesterday, both girls disappeared.”

Kendra raised her eyebrows. “By disappeared, you mean…”

“It’s as if someone snapped their fingers and made them vanish. Their cars, purses, wallets, and phones were at their homes. There’s absolutely no sign of anything wrong at either of their places. They’re just gone.”

Kendra stepped closer to her. “The police have talked to family members and friends?”

“Of course. They didn’t talk about going on a trip or doing anything out of the usual. They both had jobs and co-workers who were expecting to see them. Their financials were untouched, no credit card or banking activity whatsoever.”

“That’s not encouraging.”

“No, it isn’t. And I guess I’m feeling some responsibility. All those years I told those women there was nothing that can be done, that all the leads had been exhausted… They felt they had no choice but to take matters into their own hands, and now they’ve gone missing.”

Bill put his hand on Paula’s arm. “You did what you could. You can’t blame yourself.” He turned back to Kendra. “I told Paula I’d make an introduction and let her tell you her story. No obligation, of course. But it’s a story I thought you should hear.”

Kendra nodded. “I’m flattered that you think I can help, but the police have far more resources for a case like this. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”