The Runaway Slave Part 1

Chapter 16

Stranks had received the evidence Adam had discovered, and he was happy this was all coming together and making much better sense.

Detective Mains walked into Stranks' office and sat down with his mug of black coffee, to hear about what Stranks had found.

"You asked for proof. You got it." Stranks said, and leaned back in his chair.

"A cell phone and a piece of paper. Wow." Mains said sarcastically.

"Look at them." Stranks growled.

Mains moved closer, and read the note. It was clear this was a threat message, but it had no indication from who could of sent it.

"No signiture, no actual sign that Paul could of written this." Mains said and laughed at Stranks' attempt.

"Hold your horses! The message clearly says that she didn't pay any attention to him, so that obviously means that she was probably with somebody else, and he knew about it."

"True, so your guess is that Paul sent the note, she got scared and that is why she is now missing?" Mains detected.

"Its an obvious move to make." Stranks said with a smile.

"..and the phone?" Mains questioned.

"He sent text's to her. I was also informed that there are harrassed photo's on this chunk of metal."

"What's your plan?" Mains asked with a crooked brow.

"Well, if we needed more evidence than a piece of scrap paper. We have dispatched messages and images of her being abused. So even if Paul doesn't get locked up for causing her disappearance, he will still be put away for domestic abuse." Stranks explained, and now he felt on top of the world.

"That also explains why the parents never actually knew what went on between Paul and Grace." Mains then nodded with understanding knowledge.

"I believe we have just solved the last piece of the puzzle." and they grinned at one another.

*            *            *            *

Betsy was casually washing up Paul's dirty bowl he left on the table, and as she proceeded her cleaning duties, her mind was in deep thought to a loving memory she shared with Grace.

It was a hot summer's day, and Grace had been begging for weeks to go down the seaside, lick an ice cream and build sandcastles. So, when Betsy finally okayed this idea, Grace jumped for joy and tried on her swimming costume.

Grace must of been about 10 years old when this scene happened, so Betsy made sure that she was lotioned up and her sunglasses were glued to her face. Luckily, Grace had no care for appearance at that age, all she cared about was what sweet treat was to enter her mouth.

Betsy then revisited the dream, to when she saw Grace splashing around in the shallow waves, and laughing hysterically. It made Betsy smile. She remembered when Grace scurried up to her mother who was lounging on the stone wall, in her glimmering red and blue swim suit.

Soon the colours became more realistic, and made Betsy drifted from her dream, and gazed out of the window to see red and blue flashing lights of a police car.

She dashed to the front door, and she'd guessed that Paul had to take a trip back to the cage of doom.

"Can I help you officer?" Betsy asked, but already knew what they were there for.

"Yes ma'am. Is Paul Olderton here?" The uniformed man asked.

"Yes, he is just upstairs." Betsy informed with a smile of delight plastered on her face.

"May I?" and Betsy moved to the side to crack the door open a little more for them to handcuff Paul and throw him into the backseat of their car.

Soon Paul was hauled down the staircase and yelling he was innocent. I think every person who witnessed the sight of Paul exiting the house, rolled their eyes up in disbelief on his utter lies.

When the drama was over, Betsy wedged the door closed and Adam ran over to weep into eachother's arms.