Page 2 of Kept in the Dark

As a little girl, she had grown up hearing horror stories of people who were never seen again because they climbed into a stranger’s vehicle. She could see it now: “Hitchhiking Gone Wrong: convicted murderer released after serving thirteen years, killed by serial killer.”

Would she be his next victim?

Sara laughed to herself. How ironic it would be for her to serve her sentence for murder only to be murdered on the day she was released.

But her need for retribution was far greater than the fear she felt.

Hell, she had nothing more to lose, anyway. And there’s a special word for when you have nothing left to lose:

Freedom.

And unfortunately for everyone else, Sara was now free.

With that, she climbed into the truck.

June 23, 2011

7:32 pm

Trey Harbor hated being on call, but unfortunately it came with the territory. Being the Chief of Police of a small town like Auburndale, Florida wasn’t difficult or overwhelming. It was simply mundane. There was hardly any crime and, if there was, it was small-town issues being blown into big-city proportions.

His days consisted of speeding tickets, expired tags, and connecting with the community. However, a more exciting day included getting a call about kids playing ding-dong-ditch or some new form of tag in an old cow pasture that hasn’t had a cow inhabit it since the early 90’s.

To say his job was rather uneventful was an understatement, something he never thought he’d say. His younger self would be both impressed and shocked by Trey’s career choice. He had always expected to end up in jail by the time he was twenty, but life was full of surprises.

Trey smiled when he thought about his teenage years. He had made a name for himself as the town prankster, the local rebel, Auburndale's very own bad-boy. Something he still found rather amusing.

He spent many days doing exactly what he was now paid to stop others from doing. He had been known to graffiti old bridges, play pranks on unsuspecting neighbors, and run wildly around the city. And one couldn’t forget the many fights he’d been in or the time he almost caught a felony charge for running through the orange groves.

Needless to say, he found trouble and trouble found him; a match made in hell for his poor mother.

Now he was the Chief of Police. How he pulled that off he didn’t know.

Yes, most days were filled with mundane tasks of keeping the city in order. Today, however, had been anything but quiet.

Trey walked toward the crime scene tape that warned passersby not to enter the residence. He lifted it above his head and crouched underneath, making his way toward the other officers that were inside.

It was an old mobile home that had seen better days. The missing shingles and the overgrown grass were the least of the owner’s worries. He swatted at a bee that had ventured from the hive that hung from the corner of the roof.

What initially started as a wellness check quickly turned into a missing persons report and possible homicide.

From what Trey gathered about the alleged victim, Nicole House had been working at the local pizza joint since it opened, first as a waitress and now as a manager. From all accounts, she was great at her job. Miss House was known to make her customers and staff feel welcomed, heard, and cared for. She was never late to her shifts and had only called in sick a handful of days over the years. So, when she didn’t show up for work and no one could get a hold of her, the assistant manager requested a wellness check.

Trey had expected the woman to be playing hooky, maybe nursing a hangover, or pushing a one night stand out the front door. Instead, he was shocked to find her home in complete disarray. Pictures had fallen from the walls, an end table had been knocked over, and knick-knacks had become shards of glass that glistened in the now-setting sun.

Then there was the blood pooling on the kitchen floor along with the spatter that covered the cabinets and ceiling.

There had definitely been a struggle, but there was no sign of Nicole.

Though Trey heard good things about the woman, he didn’t know her personally. He was, however, familiar with her son. Ryan House and Trey Harbor had a unique history, one plagued with fist fights and death threats.

The last time Trey threatened to kill Ryan was thirteen years ago.

Trey had been at the Strawberry Festival with Hailey Gallagher, unaware they had been split up in the crowd. As one of the top fairs in the country, the festival brought thousands of people to the small town of Plant City. And, unfortunately for Trey, they had gone on one of the busiest nights.

After a few minutes of mindlessly wandering, Trey had finally found Hailey standing near the Ferris Wheel. His heart had plummeted as he saw Ryan gripping Hailey’s forearm as he whispered something to her. Her entire body had tensed, and her eyes rounded as she tried to pull away.

Ryan’s grip had only tightened. He had attempted to drag Hailey away, her shouts of protest falling on deaf ears as the crowd either didn’t notice or purposefully ignored her, not wanting to get involved. Trey had heard her soft cries across the sea of people, and he took off after them, a guttural instinct pushing him to protect her. Rage overtook him and a brawl had ensued as he pummeled Ryan to the ground.

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