The Things We Bury

Chapter Four

Detective Savannah Shaw
Present Day

"I  found her—Ashley. She's back." The words rang through her, heart stopping in her chest.

A million words and questions bubbled in her throat but all she could get out was "Alive?"

Suddenly Savy was on the cusp of eighteen, grieving the loss of her friend because one stupid mistake. She glanced at the mirror, out of fear she had somehow traveled back in time. Yet, she saw herself in the present. Red hair cut into a blunt bob, bangs framing her heart shaped face. Her hazel eyes were misty, now more green than brown.

Charlie chuckled lightly, clearly he was already over this shock. "Yes, sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee."

Savannah let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I'll be there in ten. She might need to come in later, there's a lot we need to know."

"Yeah, I don't know if that's gonna happen."

"Why the hell not?" Surely Ashley wasn't still holding the argument from six years ago against her. Surely she still wasn't mad? Fear twisted Savy's gut up.

Charlie sighed, "Savy...she doesn't have any memory."

Fuck.

"Okay—I'll be there soon." Savy hung up and immediately grabbed her bag and badge off the table, tucking it into her suit jacket pocket. Her gun was securely on her hip, holstered. She realized she was shaking when she walked into Chief of Police, Timothy Hawkins office.

"Detective Shaw, how can I help you?" He placed his pen down. She had no idea what her face was saying but clearly he read the anxiety in it.

"She's alive, Tim, Charlie found Ashley."

There was a moment of silence; the calm before the storm. Tim's eyes grew misty; he was older, closer to the age of Savy's parents. He had just become Chief of Police the year Ashley disappeared, in many ways this case was personal to him.

He leaned back in his seat. "This stays quiet, I will contact the Texas Rangers alerting them to this once you have confirmed. We need to do this right, keep the circle tight until we know further details." He took a deep breath. "What did she say?"

"That's where this gets complicated sir—Charlie says she has no memory."

"Dammit!" Tim muttered, leaning further back into the desk chair. "Medical examinations, doctors, psychologists—shit I'll pay for freaking hypnosis."

Savy held her hands out, "Tim, we will figure this out. I'm going to interview her—wait can I?"

"You were never a suspect, Rangers cleared you to investigate it as a cold case. I see no reason to take you off, unless it becomes a problem."

"It won't sir."

"Good. Go and call me as soon as you can."

Savannah nodded and walked back into her small office to grab her coat off the back of the chair. Once she pulled it on, she picked her back back up and beelined for the parking lot. Outside, it was starting to mist; Shady Oaks never got snow just lost of very cold rain.

She clicked her keys, starting her truck remotely, in hopes the heater would warm up quicker. She climbed in, throwing her bag in the passenger seat before buckling up.

The ten minute drive to Charlie's house was silent. There was a constant humming in her ears, fingers gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. Finally she was turning down the dirt road, a pathway to many childhood memories. Charlie's grandparents would pick the three of them up, and the trio would spend the whole weekend outside, exploring and swimming.