The Dark Places

gunmetal-grey slacks and a button-up white blouse; her hair pulled back into a loose plait. She looked over at him nervously.
“Sleep OK?” he asked casually.
Oh God, she thought, embarrassment flushing her cheeks. “I did actually,” she replied, lying. “You?” She sat down and turned to face him.
“Yes, thanks.” He turned his chair away to continue working.
“Right,” she replied. “Parker?” She sighed as he spun around again to face her. “It can’t be like this. I’m so sorry for…” She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was paying them any attention. “Last night… I usually have more self-control,” she whispered. “But if we can’t make this work,” she stressed, waving her hands back and forth in between them, “you will have to be reassigned. It’s gone weird. I knew it was a mistake.” She put her head in her hands. “What the hell were we thinking,” she murmured, shaking her head.
“Pretty sure we weren’t thinking at all, Surin,” Parker replied gently with a grin. “We are adults, yes, I like you, but you being my partner is better than nothing, it’s enough for me. We can make this work. It won’t be weird, OK?”
“OK,” she replied, looking up. “But the minute it is, we need to go our separate ways. Agreed?” she stated and held her hand out.
“Agreed,” Parker replied, taking her hand in a firm shake, ignoring the feelings that stirred when he touched her skin.
“Where are we on Isabelle Lacross?” she added, switching into work mode so quickly that Parker was momentarily lost.
“Oh, um, yeah,” he quickly replied and grabbed the file off his desk, handing it to her. “We need to talk to her parents and roommate. She was missing for five days. Someone knows something,” he added.
“Right then, let’s do that first up today, then I want to go back and see Vector.” She stood, reaching behind her chair for her jacket.
“We are going to be OK, Surin,” Parker said quietly, gathering his notepad and car keys.
“Let’s hope so,” she replied with a sad smile.
***
Bethany Lacross had arrived from Atlanta that morning to identify Isabelle’s remains and was staying at the Cresthyme Hotel next to the airport. When Surin and Parker arrived, she was stuffed into an oversized sofa cradling a box of tissues, her eyes red-rimmed.
“Mrs Lacross, I’m Detective Elliott, and this is my partner, Detective Rhodes.” Surin introduced them quietly, flashing her badge.
“We are both so sorry for your loss.”
Bethany bowed her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I didn’t think it was possible for someone to cry this much,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Every time I think that there couldn’t possibly be any more tears, I picture Izzy dancing, or laughing or singing, and then they come. It’s quite amazing, really.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with a discarded tissue.
“Tell me about her,” Surin asked gently.
Her eyes instantly lit up. “I know you probably hear this a lot, but my Izzy was so special.” She smiled. “Smart as they come, top of her class at UMB, got offered a job in the city at a prestigious law firm right after graduation. She was beautiful inside and out; she had so many friends.”
“Boyfriend?” Parker asked.
“Not for a while,” she replied. “Her ex, Christian, went to college with her. They only broke up because he got a job in Boston. They were both realistic about the prospects of long-distance relationships.” She smiled. “She had Gadreel, that’s her cat. Her cat, her friends, her job and me. Doesn’t sound like much I know, but she was happy.” The tears started again, and she ignored them as they dripped off her face onto the suede material of the sofa.
“Sounds like all anyone could want, actually,” Surin said with a smile.
Bethany looked up and gently clasped Surin’s hands. “Thank you.”
“I have to ask you some hard questions now, Mrs Lacross, I’m sorry, I know this isn’t easy.”
“Ask what you have to, Detective. I want this person found.” Bethany straightened her back and nodded.
“I know that you and Isabelle talked over Skype frequently, do you know if she was on any internet dating or hook-up sites?”
“No, she worked sixty-hour weeks, she had no time for any of that,” she stated.
“Did she mention anyone following her? Anyone that may be threatening her?” Surin continued.
“No, and she would have told me, she told me everything. When I last spoke to her, she was happy, looking forward to the weekend. She was going to brunch with some college friends and relaxing at home. I was planning on flying up next month to surprise her for her birthday. I just… this just can’t be real.”
Surin gave her a moment to compose herself. “Thanks for your time, we will do all we can for Isabelle, I promise.” She stood and unconsciously smoothed the front of her pants. “We’ll get you her things as soon as possible. I’ll drop them to you myself.”
“Thank you, Detectives, you have been very kind.”
As Parker and Surin walked to the door, they could still hear Bethany talking more to herself than anyone.
“She had so much more to do; she had so much time, I just can’t comprehend who would do this to her? She would never have hurt a fly.”
***
Walking back to the car, Parker scribbled relentlessly into his notebook.
“What in the world do you put in that thing?” Surin asked, turning around, she squinted at him through the morning sun.
“I can’t wrap my head around how he is choosing them,” Parker replied absentmindedly.
“Well, if we had that answer, Rhodes, I guess we would have our man.” Surin walked over to the driver’s side, and he tossed her the keys.
As she drove off from the hotel towards the morgue, he continued.
“Besides the obvious connection, dark