It Begins With A Woman

By Patricia Mason

He could be your next-door neighbor, the guy that bags your groceries, or the clerk at the gas station. You don't know who he is or where he will be...she didn't.

Women are coming up missing and it's up to two detectives to find out where t

• Language: English
• Publisher: APA
• Release date: Oct 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088093726

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It Begins With A Woman

By

Patricia Mason

Copyright © 2023 by – Patricia Mason– All Rights Reserved.

It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

About the Author

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

Dedication

I dedicate this book in memory of my parents, Clay and Eva Shumate, who taught me what hard work and dedication can accomplish.

Also, to the memory of my cats Tigger and Pirate who were always by my side and expressed their unconditional love.

Acknowledgment

I would not be where I am today without my buddy bear, Karen. Your encouragement to write pushed me to keep going and never give up. You are missed but I know you are in a much better place.

Thank you to my assistants, Loki, and Stormy, for your support and for making me take breaks because you wanted to be fed. Your purrs kept me going from beginning to end.

About the Author

Patricia Mason grew up in Lafayette, Indiana, where she resided for 58 years. She currently resides in Locust Grove, Virginia, with her two assistants, Loki, a tortoiseshell cat, and Stormy, a Blue Russian cat, but she will always be a Hoosier at heart.

For over 18 years, she was employed as a graduate program coordinator at Purdue University. She resigned from Purdue in 2014 to care for her parents. Sadly, both her mother and father have passed away. While attending Southern New Hampshire University, Patricia was inducted into The National Society of Leadership and Success.

When she is not writing, Patricia enjoys creating new recipes, being outdoors, and listening to music.

For more information on Patricia Mason and her writing, go to: https://wordsbypatriciamason.com.

Chapter 1

Life means nothing to me; I just exist. I tried to keep track of the days, and then I stopped caring when it became clear to me that no one was going to rescue me. I’m still breathing, and my heart is still pumping, but my soul has died. He doesn’t stand out in a crowd; he blends in and doesn’t draw attention. He could be your next-door neighbor or the guy who sacks your groceries. He could be watching and waiting for you now; you won’t know he’s there, I didn’t.

****

Another woman was missing, April Murphy, Caucasian, twenty-six years old, five feet five inches tall, 120 pounds, brown hair, and brown eyes. A gas station attendant last saw April yesterday in her white Century Hyundai Accent at the gas station on 7th Street. I picked up the picture of April and stared at it. Her roommate had said that April would have been on her way to work at the Quick Silver Diner, where she was a waitress. The diner is only three blocks from the gas station. She hadn’t shown up for work, and there was no sign of her or her car. Her roommate and parents insisted that April would not have left town without telling them. With no security cameras at the gas station or diner, there was no way of knowing if April left the gas station alone or if she had made it to the diner.

It’s June, and April Murphy was the ninth woman to come up missing since last September. Someone is taking women in broad daylight, and there is no sign of the women or their cars, and there is never a security camera or witness.

Looking over at the man sitting at his desk across from mine, I decided it was time for a drink. There was no one I trusted more than my partner, Jake Tylend. Jake had been in the police force for 15 years. Why are you staring at me? Jake asked.

I’m not staring; I’m trying to get your attention, I told him.

Honey, you always have my attention, he said with his sexy crooked grin.

Tylend, I’ve got two words for you, ‘sexual harassment’, I said.

Laughing, he said, You know I just do it because it bugs the hell out of you.

I could use a drink. Are you up for one? I asked.

Lightning Strikers? he asked.

Is there any other place? I asked him.

Lightning Strikers was the local bar and grill that everyone at the police station frequented; it was a tradition and only a block away from the station. The bar is named Lightning Strikers after the nickname for police officers because they use Tasers.

Jake insisted on taking his car the short distance to Lightning Strikers and parking it in front of the bar so he could leave from there and not have to walk back to the police station’s parking lot. I knew the real reason he wanted to park in front of Lightning Strikers was to show off his new black Porsche.

When we entered the gregarious bar with its warm dark walnut interior, everyone began greeting us. The grey-haired man behind the bar was watching us as we entered. I made my way over to the bar and leaned over it to kiss the man on the cheek.

Hi, Dad, how’s it going? I asked.

My day just got a lot better when you came through the door, Dad said.

Jake sat down on the bar stool next to me, You’re a smooth talker; I’m going to have to take notes from you, Jake told Dad.

I had my Dad’s personality, but with my creamy complexion, shoulder-length auburn hair, smoky hazel eyes, five feet seven inches, and 130-pound frame, I was a dead ringer for my mother. When I was growing up, I always admired the officers who came to the bar and wore their uniforms with pride. It was their influence that made me want to join the police force. It was no surprise to my family when I joined the force when I was twenty-one years old and became a detective four years later. Now at 28, I never regretted my decision.

I walked around to the other side of the bar to get myself and Jake a beer. My father and four officers gathered around us, asking about the missing girl’s case. The last thing Jake and I wanted to do was talk about the case. We knew everyone would be asking if we had made any progress on the case, and all we could say was that there were no leads.

****

I could hear him coming; my blood would run cold at the sound of his footsteps. I made my mind leave my body, trying to numb myself before he came through the door. No matter what I did, it didn’t change anything. I was still in a cage with leg shackles on me. I used to feel claustrophobic in this cage, but my nine-foot by nine-foot cell soon became my new home.

Walking into the cage, he stood before me; I could see the evil in his eyes. I was dead inside, so it didn’t matter what he did to me anymore; I merely existed. He kept my left handcuffed to the wall of the cage, and it was numb from not being able to move it. Pulling out the knife he kept in a holder on his belt, he waved it in front of me as a warning to do what he wanted or die. The muscles in my free arm stretched beyond their limit as he cuffed my right hand to the metal loop above my head. Unlocking the cuff on my other hand, he raised it to another metal loop above my head. Sometimes the pain was too much, it wasn’t always the physical pain, but the mental pain could be just as bad. Turning around, he went back outside the cage. A dirt floor and grey-painted cinder block walls told me that I might be in a basement. Outside the cage was a staircase with a door at the top. There was also a door behind the cage; he went through it and left me hanging. When he came back, he was dragging a woman, handcuffed and in shackles.

He cuffed her to the cage bars to the left of me. After he finished with my new roommate, he turned his attention back to me and placed a metal bar between my ankles to spread my legs. I grimaced in pain and tried to control my breathing.

I was ready for death, it didn’t scare me, but I didn’t want to die at his hands. Holstering his knife, he pulled my head back by my hair. His breath smelled like a trash can. I closed my eyes, trying to make my mind go to another place other than where I was. Closing my eyes was a mistake; he slapped me hard across my face, forcing me to open my eyes. The result of his slap pleased him so much that he slapped me again, this time blood escaped my mouth.

When he finished, he stepped back, laughing, and looked at me. Screaming wouldn’t do any good; I had screamed until I passed out when he first brought me down here, but no one ever came to help me. I never really believed in Hell until now. Now I know Hell does exist, and I’m in it.

****

All I wanted to do was open a bottle of wine, light candles, and soak in a bathtub of warm water. I grabbed my jacket and told Jake I called a cab and was heading home. He offered to take me home so I wouldn’t have to pay for a cab, but I told him to stay and enjoy himself.

I know what you’re going to do. You’re going to go home, pour yourself a glass of wine, and start pouring over the case files, he said.

You think you know me, don’t you? Well, you don’t know me, I sighed and rubbed my temples; he did know me. I hated that he knew me so well. I was going to go over the case files because I knew there was something we had to be missing.

Resting his hand on my shoulder, he told me, Let me take you home; you can pour yourself some wine and pop me open a beer, and I’ll help you go over the files.

No, thank you, I’m going to go over them while I lie in a warm bath, I replied.

I don’t have a problem with that; we can go over the files in the bathtub, he offered.

Richardson, a fellow detective, was passing by and heard what Jake said.

What is this? Do I detect a little romantic interlude between two detectives? Richardson laughed.

What you heard was me leaving, getting into a cab, and going home — alone, I told them and turned to leave.

Kait, come on, let me come home with you and help you go over the soap, I mean files, Jake said, smirking.

Officers who were close enough to overhear began laughing.

Tylend, why don’t you find one of your many admirers and have bathtub fun with them? I’m not interested, I told him and turned to leave the bar.

One of the officers yelled out, Don’t let her treat you like that. Show her who is boss. The whole bar joined in clapping and whistling. What got into Jake, I don’t know, except he was probably trying to save face in front of the audience he had before him. He suddenly grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. With a gasp, I started pounding on his back and yelling for him to put me down immediately. I screamed at my father to call the police, which only made the bar crowd laugh louder. Jake swatted me on my rump and told me to hold still as he walked out of the bar with me over his shoulder. When we were outside, he put me down.

Are you insane? I asked him. I am your partner, and I deserve the respect of my partner and everyone else on the force. What you just did is not okay, and right now, I’m not sure I want to be your partner. What has gotten into you? I said, stopping to take a breath.

Taking a step closer to me, he tucked my hair behind my ear, Maybe I’m tired of playing games with you. I know there is something between us, and I am insane because, for the past four years, you have been driving me crazy.

My cab pulled up to the curb, and I jumped into it. Jake had blindsided me with his words. Maybe I had felt something for him, but I had just decided it was admiration because he was admired by everyone on the force and had such a stellar record as a detective. I never let my feelings cross the line. He was my partner, and a professional relationship was all we could ever have. Besides, everyone knew Jake was not the type to settle down in one relationship. He had a new girlfriend every other weekend.

When flashing lights and a siren came up behind the cab, the cab driver slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road.

Were you speeding? I asked the cab driver.

No, ma’am, I don’t know why I’m getting pulled over, the cab driver replied, looking worried.

I’m a detective with the police department. Stay in the cab, and I’ll take care of this, I showed the cab driver my badge. The cab driver nodded his head in agreement. As I stepped out of the cab, someone came up behind me, forcing me down onto the trunk of the cab.

I’m Detective Kaitlinn Jacobs. My badge is in my hand, I said. Can you tell me why you pulled this cab over? I felt the person behind me cuffing my hands, and I asked, What are you doing? I told you I’m a detective.

Sorry, ma’am, but we give no special treatment to detectives; you’re coming with me for questioning, the person cuffing my hands told me.

Recognizing the voice, I almost smiled, but then remembered I was furious, Jake, I know it’s you. If you value your life, you will uncuff me now.

Helping me to stand up, he turned me to face him.

Why is it your mission tonight to make my life a living hell? Can’t you just go home or go find a bimbo to keep your bed warm? I hissed between my teeth, seething with anger.

Bimbo? He laughed as he pushed me toward his car.

Hey! Am I free to go? The confused cab driver asked.

Jake waved his hand at the cab driver as a sign to go on. Everything is fine here, and you can go. Don’t worry, I’ve got her cuffed, and she’ll be getting what she deserves. He pushed me into the back seat of his car and slammed the door. Climbing into the driver’s seat, he took off, passing the cab.

Managing to sit up, I told him, Jake Tylend! What in the hell has gotten into you? Are you insane? I could have you arrested and put away; this is kidnapping.

Laughing, he glanced into his review mirror at me and kept driving.

You’re nuts, you’re crazy. How many drinks did you have tonight? I asked him.

I didn’t even finish the first one, Jake looked into his review mirror again at me.

Quit staring at me. Keep your eyes on the road before you kill us, I told him.

You want to capture me; you have been planning this from day one, he told me as he kept his eyes on the road.

Okay, now I know you’re nuts. What did you do with my partner? You know the no-nonsense, nose to the grindstone, doesn’t smile Jake. Where is he? Because the current Jake is about to get his head knocked off and get his ass thrown in jail, I told him.

Relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride. We are almost home, he said.

"No, correction, either you are almost home, or I’m almost home, but ‘we’ are not almost home," I told him.

You ran away from me, he said.

I didn’t run away from you; I got into a cab so that I could go home. Why don’t you go home? I asked him.

Because you and I have unfinished business, and I’m tired of playing games, he told me, looking into the review mirror. Jake’s cell phone rang. Tylend, no, she’s with me, I’ll tell her, and we will be there in ten minutes, he said.

We’ll be where in ten minutes? I asked.

Another woman has gone missing, the same story. It was daylight the last time anyone saw her, and her car was gone, Jake said.

Will you get me out of these cuffs before I go all Hulk on you and rip them in two? I told him.

Jake laughed. Go all Hulk on me. Where did that come from? I’d like to see you rip those cuffs in half.

We pulled up to the missing woman’s parents’ house, where she was last seen. There were three police cars, two detective cars, and the Captain’s car, all parked in front of the house. The Captain being here wasn’t a good sign. As Jake got out of the car, Captain Bilson walked up to him. I couldn’t wait to hear how Jake was going to handle the Captain finding me handcuffed in Jake’s back seat.

Captain, we came as soon as I got the call. What’s the situation? Jake asked Captain Bilson.

The Captain looked around. Where’s Jacobs? I thought she would be with you or right behind you.

Well, she is kind of both, with me and behind me, Jake told him.

Tylend, what are you talking about, where is Jacobs? I don’t have time to play games, Captain Bilson said, losing his patience.

I had a little surprise for Detective Tylend. I walked up and joined the Captain and Jake, and said, I’m right here, Captain. Jake looked at me with confusion and shock. He had no idea how I had gotten out of the cuffs.

The Captain filled us in on the new missing woman. Jake and I looked around the yard and driveway of the missing woman’s parents’ home. The woman’s parents last saw their daughter walk out the front door of their home to get in her car and leave to meet a friend. The woman’s parents didn’t see her leave but received a call from their daughter’s friend who told them their daughter had never shown up. The officers who had gotten there before us found no evidence. The woman was gone, and her car was gone; no one had heard or seen anything. While Jake spoke to the Captain, I grabbed a flashlight out of Jake’s car to look around where the woman’s car had been. Something caught my eye, and it was a cigarette butt; maybe it stood out to me because the filter was orange and black checkered, an unusual filter for a cigarette. I called one of the officers over. Hey, Mike, can you bring me a pair of gloves and a bag? I found something.

Jake walked over to where I stood. What did you find?

I don’t know, maybe nothing, but look at this cigarette butt, I held up the small plastic bag that held the cigarette butt.

A cigarette butt, so what? Do the woman’s parents smoke, or does she? He asked.

I don’t know. Let’s go ask them, I said.

We walked to the front door of the house; the Captain was inside, trying to console the parents. Seeing us at the front doorway, Captain Bilson motioned for us to come in. He introduced us to the missing woman’s parents and then asked if we had found anything. I held up the bag with the cigarette butt in it. Captain Bilson asked the parents if they smoked or if their daughter smoked. The parents told him they didn’t smoke, and neither did their daughter. They said they knew no one who would have been smoking on their property or who smoked a cigarette with a black and orange checkered filter. Jake and I excused ourselves and told the Captain we were heading back to the station to see if Jilly could track down where someone could purchase the cigarette with an orange and black filter. As we walked back to Jake’s car, he asked me how I had gotten out of the cuffs. I told him it was a trade secret. What I didn’t tell him was one of the officers saw me in Jake’s back seat, let me out, and took the cuffs off. The officer said he wouldn’t say a word, but it cost me babysitting for the officer so he and his wife could have a night out.

After we dropped off the cigarette butt to Jilly at the lab, Jake dropped me off at my apartment before he headed home. He hadn’t been gone more than five minutes when I had to call him on his cell phone.

Someone’s been here or may still be here, I whispered.

Someone is in your apartment. Get out, now, leave the apartment, and go down to the street; I’m only about five minutes away, Jake said.

I hear something in the bedroom, I whispered into the phone.

Kaitlinn, get out now! Jake yelled into the phone. Kaitlinn, are you there?

No! Stop that! I shouted and dropped my phone.

A few minutes later I heard Jake running down the hall and yelling my name, trying to locate me. When he reached my bedroom, he saw me face down on the bed grasping the spread and repeatedly saying no with a tiger-striped cat lying next to my face, licking my nose.

I sat up looked at what was licking my face, and said, Cat, don’t think that licking my face is an acceptable apology. What you did was wrong and inexcusable, and anyway, you shouldn’t have been in here. An open window is not an invitation to enter someone’s apartment when they are not home, and I saw the broken vase in the living room. Just look at my Nana’s bed cover. You clawed it to shreds! I grabbed the cat and hugged it to my chest as I kissed the top of the cat’s head, and said, You know if you weren’t so cute, I would arrest you. Besides all the damage you did, you scared me to death. I looked over at Jake standing in the doorway, and I could tell he was not happy.

My partner calls me, sounds distressed, and tells me she thinks there is someone in her apartment. I high-tail it back to my partner’s apartment, run up the stairs two at a time, and what do I find but my partner not being held captive or in a scuffle with some psycho, no, I find my partner lying on a bed crying and talking to a cat. Do you want to explain to me what happened, or should I interrogate the cat? Jake asked.

I burst out laughing at the thought of Jake interrogating the cat. Having enough, the cat hissed at Jake and then jumped out of the open bedroom window and onto a tree’s limb. Holstering his gun, Jake walked toward me, and my smile faded as he descended upon me, looking like a tiger stocking its prey. He crawled on top of the bed toward me as I tried to maneuver backward away from him.

Everything was fine. It’s just that the cat shredded the bed cover my grandmother made me, I tried explaining to him.

Do you know how scared I was that something was going to happen to you before I got here? He said as he leaned down toward me until his nose almost touched mine.

I dropped my phone when I saw what the cat had done, and I guess I forgot to pick up the phone and let you know that I was okay, I wasn’t sure what to say. With Jake so close, my mind was fogging up.

The phone went dead, and all I could think was that something had happened to you, Jake said.

I thought you would have known that I can take care of myself, I told him.

Kait, you have no idea what I think. He leaned forward and kissed me. His kiss began as a soft, gentle kiss but then burned to a deeper, more passionate kiss that took my breath away. My head was spinning out of control. I knew this was wrong and it had to stop. Detectives don’t kiss their partners.

Jake stopped and pulled away. Sitting up, I glanced over at him trying to think of something to say that would lessen the uncomfortable situation.

I’m sorry, I never meant for that to happen. It was a stupid mistake, he said.

I turned away from him, refusing to let him see the hurt in my eyes. Stupid mistake, is that what I am? You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet, I told him. Even though I knew it was wrong and had to stop, I still didn’t like being called a ‘stupid mistake’.

Kait, you’ve got it all wrong, he said.

No, I think I have it all right, I told him as I retreated like a coward to the bathroom and closed the door.

I heard Jake getting off the bed, then slamming his fist against the wall and slamming the front door as he left.

I watched from my bedroom window as the taillights of his car disappeared around the corner.

Chapter 2

I couldn’t feel my arms anymore. He usually uncuffed my hands when he was finished with me, but this time, he didn’t, and he didn’t come back. The young woman he had added to the cage was still huddled in the corner. It was hard to tell her age,