Sins of Omission

By MJ Greenan

Two worlds are about to collide. One a young teenager with her whole life ahead of her, the other, a sadistic killer who'd been stalking her for weeks. Watching her every move, and waiting for the right moment to strike.
As the young girl makes her way home on a cold and quiet night, she is unaware of the stranger lurking nearby, He creeps from behind the shrubs off the sidewalk as she passes him: She will not be his first victim, nor will she be his last.
The young teenager stares ahead towards the porch light of her home. She is only moments away from a warm bed, She glides her feet along the path, blissfully ignorant of the killer moving closer behind her. But as she breathed a sigh of relief when realizing she was about to reach the end of her journey, she could not have known, it was to be her last

• Language: English
• Publisher: MJ Greenan
• Release date: Aug 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9780646975900

MJ Greenan

MJ Greenan has been writing stories; poetry, and music since the tender age of nine.Writing became her passion during her early years and continued into adulthood. After years of reading about criminal profiling,and serial killers, she decided to write crime fiction thrillers. When she's not writing, she spends most of her time on family and friends, while also focusing on her music.

Book preview

Chapter One

His eyes glared coldly as they fixated on the pretty brunette leaving the coffee house. Sitting in his car unnoticed across the street on an unusually busy Thursday evening; Waiting; Watching for the moment he knew she would leave. She waves to her friends through the broad shop window; one final goodbye. Placing her pink backpack over her shoulders, she sweeps the hair from her face, then buttons her blue velvet waist-length coat, before making her way along the well-lit main street to her house only two blocks away.

Walking briskly towards the turn into the quiet neighborhood, she is unaware of the stranger following close behind. He slows down before passing her, then moves ahead, glancing over his shoulder. As she makes the turn, he drives on ahead. With her head tilting downward to ward off the cold chill in the night air, she releases a soft yawn and rubs at her tired and weary eyes. Only minutes away from home, she steadies her pace, then rubs her hands together for warmth while silently scolding herself for forgetting the gloves her mother insisted she remember. With her hands buried deep into her pockets, she hopes her mother won't notice when she arrives home.

The car comes to a complete stop only meters away from the girls home. He takes a swig of whiskey; just enough to keep his nerve. Reaching down underneath the passenger seat, he removes a tire-iron and places it inside his long black over coat. After stepping from the car, he take a quick glance at his surroundings before walking around the opposite side of the car, and opens the right passenger door, leaving it slightly ajar, then steps off the sidewalk to hide in a shrub.

As she draws closer, his heart begins to race. Sweat drips from his brow while his breathing intensifies. No-one can see or hear him. No-one ever knew he'd been there before tonight, stalking and studying his prey. He knew her every move; Study with friends every Thursday after school, then retire to Coffee World, a popular hangout for students, before leaving for home at 8pm. Sometimes he would watch her undress from behind the bushes at the side of her house.

She sees the light from her front porch shining brightly in the distance. Her thoughts are focused on a warm bed; she senses a feeling of relief, while still knowing that another day of study awaited before she could finally relax with family and friends. With that on her mind, she slows her pace right down to check her watch; it's almost eight-thirty.

Taking practice air swings with the tyre-iron, he now realizes that he is moments away from fulfilling his dark and twisted fantasy. He hears the faint sound of shoes lightly pounding the pavement. Lights from the many homes begin to dim all around, with only the flickering of lights protruding from television sets remaining.

A dog barks from a nearby yard, causing him to peer through the shrub. Being careful not to bring attention to himself, he steps back into the bushes with his weapon held firmly in his grasp, then realizes that the dog was merely barking at the young girl's sudden presence. As she glides her feet along the sidewalk, the girl unknowingly steps closer to her fate. She nears her house with no notion of the menacing predator lurking just ahead. And as she reaches the end of her journey, the pretty teenager - popular - highly intelligent, with a bright future, could never have possibly known it was to be her last journey.

What thoughts ran through her mind as she walked. Did she think about the last few steps she had to take to reach her home, or was she thinking about the vacation she would soon be taking with her friends? Or perhaps she wondered about the dark colored car parked along the curb with the slightly opened door? Did she even notice the car? Or maybe she thought about the two teenage girls that recently vanished?

His breathing becomes more rapid; his heart pounding heavily at the realization she had finally arrived. She passes slowly by the car as he creeps up behind her. The weapon is raised high above his head. Quickly and swiftly, she is struck twice on the head; the second blow causing an audible cracking from the brute force. Her body slumps forward as he grabs her around the waist, dragging her to the car door. Using his foot to swing it open, he then throws her limp, unconscious body onto the back seat. Once inside, he reaches over her and strikes her head once more for assurance she would not wake; not yet.

He throws the bloodied tire-iron onto a blanket on the floor of the car, then closes the door. Taking a final look around, he moves to the front of the car and slides inside the front seat. He pulls away from the curb, and drives off into the night with his helpless victim in the back. With her life now in the clutches of a sadistic killer, her dreams would soon be over. And a seemingly quiet and safe town would soon have to face it's worst nightmare.

Chapter Two

The following Spring began peacefully in the small town of Leon New Hampshire. It's large mountain backdrop resembled a Nordic style setting when the snow fell upon the high peaks. But as the cold Winter snow faded, the flourish of people soon set about their daily duties with a new found ease. Among them was the local police chief Bernard Basden, who was better known to the town's people as Chief Bastard.

Basden was an intimidating leader of sorts. At sixty-two years of age, he was a former Korean war Colonel. Age did not stand against the six-foot-one 200 pound Chief; his fit and healthy life style kept him in good stead as a leader ready to confront and fight crime. But he had earned respect over the years, although his sharp tongue and abrupt nature deemed him non compassionate, he did keep HIS town clean and free of crime for many years, mostly due to his tough stance on law breakers; Humiliation was his favorite form of punishment.

Chief Basden arrived for duty dressed in his usual police attire; dark navy trousers with matching tie and a lighter blue buttoned up long sleeved shirt. He entered through the sliding glass doors of the police station, fidgeting with his badge.

'Morning deputy.' He said, passing Eddie Halt who was standing behind the counter in the lobby.

'Morning Chief.' Eddie responded with a delightful smile.

Eddie Halt was the Chief's second in line. At thirty-eight years of age, he was quite a smaller figure next to Basden. Halt more was demure, caring and understanding, but firm in his position.

Basden strolled behind the counter and into his office directly behind the counter. He paid no attention to the photographs of three missing girls pinned to a board on the otherwise bare a grey wall on his right. The pictures hung underneath a heading that simply stated Missing.

'Do you want your paper chief?' Eddie asked from the open door.

'Put it on my desk,' came the quick reply as he poured himself coffee from the percolator sitting on top of a small wooden cabinet next to his desk. Basden took a mouthful of coffee, then cringed suddenly.

'Damn it deputy!' He shrieked, 'this is stone cold.' He snatched the coffee pot and stormed out of the office and down a narrow corridor to a medium sized kitchenette, pouring it down the sink.

'Sorry about that chief.' Eddie said nervously, suddenly joining him as he rushed to fix another pot.

'Not half as sorry as I am.' Basden muttered, scurrying back to his office.

Eddie shrugged it off, then casually strolled over to his post, greeting fellow police as they moved about the station.

Basden slumped down into his brown leather swivel chair, then took a deep relaxing breath before picking up the newspaper from his desk. As he started to read, he became infuriated by the headline boldly stating FEARS STILL HELD FOR MISSING TEENS!

Rising quickly to his feet, he reached for his coat and hat hanging on a coat stand near the door, and folded the paper under his arm and stormed out of the office.

'Keep an eye on things deputy,' he told Eddie as he passed him on his way to the sliding doors.

'Is there a problem chief?' he asked curiously.

'That God damned ink loving bastard over at the paper has tested my patience for the last time,' he informed without turning back. 'It's about time I put an end to this.'

* * *

Arriving in the parking lot at the back of the newspaper office, he stepped from his car, slamming the door shut. With the paper firmly in his grip, Basden marched towards the glass door at the side of the building, where he barged through and confronted a young blonde haired and slim woman with reading glasses who jumped to her feet at the presence of the chief.

'Can I help you chief?' she queried nervously.

'Just get me the damn fool responsible for this crap!' He commanded, as he threw the paper onto her desk.

The person he knew was responsible for the article was a thirty-one year old former New York journalist by the name of Greg Jackson, who over heard the gruff and familiar voice of Basden from a back room. He entered the lobby from the corridor prepared for yet another round with the man he loved to provoke.

'Ah chief,' he said knowingly, smirking, 'I thought it was you. Perhaps it was that drill sergeant cologne that gave it away.'

'Don't give me your crap. I'm not in the mood for your petty New York sarcasm.' Basden replied.

'Well what DO you want? I'm a very busy man these days … or haven't you heard.' Greg offered

'I want you to stop printing these fables of yours and passing them off as major news.' Basden commanded, bringing attention to the headlines.

'Sorry chief, freedom of the press,' came Greg's flippant response, while standing defiantly with his arms pinned across his chest.

Basden was angered. 'You think you're so smart. Well let me tell you something,' he began, moving closer to Greg standing by the secretary's desk. 'This is MY town. And I'm not about to allow some upstart who thinks he's seen it all, destroy the good reputation Leon has built over the years, just so you can keep yourself in this so called job.' Basden warned, before stepping quickly to the front door. But Greg raced ahead of him, blocking his exit.

'I think it's time chief, that you understood that this IS a job. Not to mention one that I take seriously,' he said steadily running his fingers through his sandy blonde hair.

Basden scoffed. 'You call what you do a job?'

'You can think what you like chief, but the truth is that three young girls are missing, and I'm concerned … And so should you be.'

'Well I'm not.'

'How can you say that? You're suppose to be the chief of police.' Greg asked with confusion.

'It's easy. You open your mouth, and the words come out … Besides, they are only runaway, nothing more.' Basden smugly declared. 'And if you opened your eyes, you'd realize it too.'

There was a pause. 'So you don't consider it at all strange that three young women with the world at their feet, would suddenly decide to leave everything behind over night?'

'No.' Basden replied, unwavering in his opinion.

Greg was unresponsive as the two men faced each other like warriors preparing for battle. The chief waited impatiently for his opponent to step aside, but Greg remained defiant.

'Move away from the door.' Basden demanded sharply before finally pushing his way past him.

'Can you assure me that you will do what's necessary to find those girls?' Greg asked while trying to slow the chief's hasty exit.

'I don't have time for this,' Basden muttered, as he pressed forward with Greg following closely behind.

'These kind of girls don't just run away!' Greg shouted.

'Oh yeah? And how would you know?' Basden asked as he danced towards his patrol car, without lending more than a glance backwards.

'Haven't you ever wondered if something might have happened to them? Haven't I told you enough times that there could be a major cause for alarm? That they might even be dead?!' Greg persisted pleadingly.

'Yes you have,' Basden answered, 'but why don't you tell me again. My violin strings haven't quite frayed yet.' He remarked sarcastically, throwing his eyes and hands to the sky.

As the chief reached his car, he jumped inside, closing the door as Greg caught up.

'You know what chief? I talked to the parents of the girls -'

'That makes two of us.' Basden interjected while turning the key

'I'm really worried for them.' Greg confided, leaning his head down next to the chief's open window.

'I refuse to listen to your fairy tales,' Basden grumbled. 'Now if you don't mind …'

'You know chief? Fine. Have it your way.' Greg conceded, pushing himself back from the window. 'But don't expect me to stop trying to help find those kids. And if that means going over your head to do it ….'

Basden thrusted his head out of the window causing Greg to jump back. 'Now you listen to ME you pencil pushing pain in the Ass!' He shouted. His finger pointing directly at Greg, 'if I so much as see one more thing in the paper about those girls …. I'll see to it you never work another day in Leon, or any of the tri-counties, do you understand me?!'

Greg let it go, throwing his arms skywards in defeat, and stepped away from the car.

Basden sped off quickly, but turned at the end of the parking lot to stare back at Greg menacingly before leaving Greg's sight.

The handsome reporter scratched at his head, while gliding his feet along the pavement back to the building. But he knew only too well, that it this would not be his last encounter he would have with chief Bastard.

Chapter Three

Eddie was enjoying the comforts of the chief's office while he had been left in charge. Relaxing in Basden's chair, he pretended he was the boss for a day, and tried out some of his best impressions of the chief.

'Don't you have anything better to do?' He mumbled, pointing to no one. 'Don't make me tell you again.' Suddenly, Eddie was surprised by one of the officers standing in the doorway. The red haired officer cleared his throat, and seemed clearly amused by the deputy. Eddie stood quickly to his feet, feeling embarrassed at the officers presence.

'Yes?' he asked, blushing.

'Sorry deputy Halt,' the officer said with a grin, desperately refraining from laughing, 'but there's a woman named Meg Donahue here to see the chief.'

'The chief isn't here right now, but I will see her.' Eddie said

'That's if you're not too busy.' The officer said, forcing back his grin.

'Alright, alright, that's enough,' Eddie responded, still clearly embarrassed.

He stepped past the officer into the lobby where he saw the middle aged woman with the greying hair standing in the center. She turned to meet his gaze as he approached her.

'You needed to speak with the chief?' He enquired.

'Yes, is he here?' She asked, searching the lobby with her eyes.

'The chief isn't here right now, but you can speak with me if that's ok?'

She lowered her gaze and pushed back her pinch tight glasses over her nose.

'Thank you.' She replied

'Would you like to come into the office?' He asked, motioning her towards the brown wooden door. She nodded and walked inside with Eddie right behind her, pulling out a chair for her. 'Please take a seat.' He offered gently.

The fragile looking woman named Meg sat down slowly. She was known to a few people in the town for her charity work, and quiet demeanour. As she sat, she played anxiously with her blue floral sun dress, and seemed almost reluctant to speak.

'I don't really know why I came here, but I didn't know what else to do.' She explained, as she began to sob. Her soft spoken voice reaching a higher pitch. Eddie waited for her to explain why she came to the station, and as he was about to speak, a sudden sense of Deja vu started to unsettle his mind.

Meg pulled a lilac handkerchief from her small blue purse to wipe away the tears welling in her dark brown eyes.

'I read the newspaper this morning. It was all about those girls again.' She began, then suddenly noticed the clippings of the missing girls on the cork board in the office, and quickly turned to look away.

'Ma'am, would you like some water?' Eddie offered.

'No thank you,' Meg replied. 'I just want to know what's going on with these missing girls.'

'The chief thinks they're just cases of runways. Nothing to worry about.'

Meg was surprised. She looked at him confused. 'All three of them?' She asked

'That's what the chief believes ma'am.'

Eddie sat on the desk giving Meg a reassuring touch on her shoulder. 'I wouldn't worry about it ma'am.'

'But what if he's wrong? What if they didn't run away?' She asked with genuine concern.

Eddie stood from the desk and moved over to the missing girls pictures, glaring over them, as he placed his hands on his hips.

'I don't know ma'am.' He responded. 'But I know the chief would take it more seriously if he thought something was really wrong.' Eddie knew that was a lie. He knew it before the words came from his mouth that the chief did not have any concern for the missing girls.

Meg pulled a photo from her purse. 'I need to tell you something.' She said as Eddie turned to see the photo in Meg's hand. It was a picture of her seventeen year old daughter Cathy. She handed the picture to Eddie as he moved closer to her. Eddie took the photo and stared at it intensely. He went back over to the board and couldn't help but notice the striking similarities between all the pictures. They all had mid to dark brown hair, and were all the same age. He turned back to Meg, handing her the photo. She then slowly returned it with shaking hands back inside her purse.

'Why are you showing me this?' He asked curiously, although deep inside himself he knew what the answer was. This was becoming all too familiar.

'She didn't come home last night.' Meg sobbed.

Eddie looked deep into her eyes. Tears fell down the side of her face. She removed her glasses to wipe them away.

'Are you sure you wouldn't like a glass of water?' Eddie asked again. His stomach beginning to turn at the thought that something bad had in fact happened to these girls.

Meg nodded in acceptance, placing the photo of her daughter Cathy back into her purse, as Eddie poured the water from a jug from the desk, and handed it to her.

'I want to help you. I mean if Cathy didn't come home, there must have been a reason, right?'

As Meg sipped her water, Eddie was startled by the sound of the chief grilling an officer in the lobby, and quickly left the room to see what was going on.

'Is there something wrong?' Meg turned from her chair to ask, as Eddie moved to the door pressing his left ear against it to listen.

'The chief is back.' He said nervously.

Meg stood from the chair and placed her glass of water on the desk. 'I should be going then.' she said, rushing at Eddie and opening the door, forcing him behind it.

Eddie quickly stopped Meg, 'just wait a minute and you can tell the chief about Cathy.' He suggested.

As Basden moved towards the counter, Meg walked quietly towards the main sliding doors, seemingly nervous.

'Chief, you're back.' He stated.

'Very good deputy,' Basden sneered, 'good to see those observation classes paid off.' He remarked.

As Meg tried to exit the station, Basden caught sight of her as he turned briefly to look towards Eddie stepping towards Meg. 'Mrs Donahue?' he called, I didn't see you come in.'

Basden turned his gaze back to an officer standing near the counter, as Meg's head tilted towards the floor, then made her way gingerly towards the chief. She knew the chief had seen her as he arrived. She was nervous in his presence, not wanting to explain her concerns for her daughter. But seeing her hesitation, Eddie decided to speak up for her.

'Mrs Donahue's daughter Cathy didn't come home last night, and she's very worried about her.' He explained.

Meg began to sob softly, 'she was supposed to be home by ten-o'clock,' she confided.

Basden's eyes rolled in his head. His hands pressed against his hips. 'Maybe she stayed at a friend's,' he offered plainly.

'No, I called all her friends.' Meg protested with a shaking of her head.

There was an awkward pause. Then Meg finally searched the chief's blood shot blue eyes for a sign of concern, but they remained cold and unmoved. A mother's concern for her missing child did nothing to change the chief's stern demeanour.

The chief exhaled deeply as he dropped his eyes to his feet. 'I wouldn't worry too much. She probably decided to go with a friend somewhere and lost track of time.' he offered weakly. 'I'm sure she'll show up soon.'

'No.' Meg cried. 'She wouldn't go anywhere without calling me.'

Basden remained unmoved. 'Look Mrs Donahue, chances are she's at home right now waiting and wondering where YOU are.' He glided his feet over to Meg and placed his hand over Meg's back and gently began to walk her to the main doors. 'So my suggestion is to go home and relax, because there's really nothing we can do.' Basden said, with a wry smile as he looked into Meg's teary eyes.

Meg knew her daughter wouldn't deliberately stay out past her curfew. Cathy's friends had told Meg they saw her at nine pm after leaving the local movie theatre. Two of her friends had told Meg that Cathy had left for home to make sure she didn't miss curfew.

As she began to leave the station, she turned once again directed her gaze at Eddie. She reached back into her purse to remove her daughter's photo, and stretched her hand to Eddie's, who took the photo in his clutch.

She turned to walk away as Eddie turned to look over his shoulder to where Basden was still standing, unwavering from his opinion.

'You go on home now. She'll show up. They always do.' Basden stated before moving back into his office.

Meg looked into Eddie's eyes, 'please find her,' she pleaded quietly. 'She's all I have.'

Eddie's gaze was sympathetic. He leaned his head closer to her, 'I'll do whatever I can.' He assured her.

Meg nodded and slinked away from the police station. Eddie watched as she walked off. His pity was overwhelming. Meg Donahue was a frail woman who had lost her husband to cancer the previous year. She and Cathy both committed themselves to helping others through various charitable causes.

Eddie felt huge sadness inside, but felt obligated to approach the chief, even if reluctantly, he knew he couldn't just leave it like that. He moved towards chief's office and knocked lightly.

'Yes?' Basden called from behind the closed door.

Eddie opened the door, peering his head in, 'Can I see you for a minute sir?' He asked.

'Make it quick,' came the reply.

Basden was sitting in his chair in front of a small window that over-looked the mountain back drop.

'I was wondering if you were going to investigate this latest disappearance? I know we have to wait twenty-four-hours, but -'

'What for?' Basden interjected, while sorting through some items on his desk.

'I thought it might put Mrs Donahue's mind at rest if we at least showed some interest.'

Basden leaned back in his chair. 'Sit down deputy,' he said, motioning to the seat across from his.

Eddie closed the door behind him and sat down as the chief glanced at the pictures on the wall.

'Deputy … do you remember the Simmons case … about … five years ago?' He asked.

'The one with the baby?'

'That's the one.' Basden said smugly, nodding his head. 'Her parents had us searching day and night, night and day.' He promptly reminded his deputy. Basden leaned forward, 'Now her folks said the exact same things as all the others, didn't they. So I refuse to go to all that trouble and at the tax payers expense, just because another parent says their daughter wouldn't DO that.' Basden concluded with inverted quotes.

But Eddie wasn't so sure. 'I understand what you're saying sir,' he said while leaning forward, 'but I can't help but think -'

'Well you're not paid to THINK deputy. You're paid to take orders.' He cautioned, directing a pen at Eddie.

Eddie slumped his shoulders. 'Yes sir,' he agreed quietly.

'And I'm gonna give you an order right now.'

'Yes sir,' Eddie repeated, as he stood to his feet.

'Go into town, and get me a couple of those bagels I like, but none of that cream cheese stuff.'

Eddie nodded and moved away from the desk as the chief went back to sorting out his desk, looking one more time at the photos on the wall, then left the room to find officers standing about chatting away.

'What are you standing around for? Get back to work.' Eddie shouted as he walked towards the main doors.

Chapter Four

'What are you doing here so early?' Sondra Ross asked her daughter Taryn, as she entered through the door of her mother's florist shop in the main street of town.

'I have a free period.' The pretty brown haired girl replied.

'Are you still coming home for lunch?' Sondra asked, while arranging a bunch of flowers that were spread across the counter top.

'Not today.'

'Why not?'

'I have to study.'

'Taryn …'

'That's why I thought I'd call in now.' Taryn stepped towards her mother to give her a kiss on the cheek while throwing down her red backpack on the floor near the counter. She removed her yellow sweater and tied it around her waist.

Sondra was tall and attractive. She appeared more youthful than her forty-seven years would suggest. With her high cheek bones, and a slender figure, the two girls looked more like sisters than mother and daughter.

'It's hot in here.' Taryn complained, pulling at her jeans

'Really? I hadn't noticed.' Sondra responded, as she fixed a selection of white daisies with pink carnations into a silver wrapping, and tied it off with a while ribbon.

After cleaning away the counter, Sondra reached under it for her bottle of water. 'Why not study at the library after school?' She suggested, as she took a gulp of the water

'Because, I thought I would cook dinner tonight.'

'You want to cook dinner.' Sondra repeated, with a curious stare. 'This should be good.' She laughed.

'And why is that funny mother?'

'You can't cook.' Sondra remarked.

'I can do our Spring