Free Run by Becky Johnson Page B

girls over a span of 30 years. Only once in 1984 did he abduct and kill two girls. Witnesses recalled seeing a tall man. All of the girls were abducted in crowded places. They were all dumped in public places. He must have a vehicle like a van or SUV where he could easily transport a body. Someone must have seen something. I needed to look through all the cases again.
    At 9 :00 I was in the motel. After taking my fur kids out, I followed my nightly routine times ten. I checked every window. I checked the door bolt. I dragged a chair in front of the door. I did everything I could to fortify my position. I didn’t think anyone could get in without me knowing. I put my pepper spray around my wrist and the hunting knife I had bought and not used in my pocket. Once I felt secure, I started pulling out my files and setting up what I knew so far.
    I looked back at my timeline. I checked each file to make sure I had copied every bit of information I had onto my timeline. The timeline went from the first murder in the early 80s until the last most recent murder. I had pictures of each victim on a white board. Under the picture I had whatever details I could get about the case --the age of the victim, where they went missing, any witnesses and what they saw. I started back at the first case and began working my way through. Anything I could find on any victim I put on the timeline. Things that witnesses saw that seemed completely random … went on the board.
    Three hours later I had everything I could think of up on that whiteboard. Every little detail. In five cases, witnesses noted a tall man speaking with or in the area of the victims before they disappeared. In four cases, the victims were seen talking to a woman. One witness saw a red van parked by the site where the body was dumped. The majority of the cases had no witnesses.
    I had written everything down . I had searched through every file and nothing seemed to make sense. Nothing helped. Nothing told me who I was dealing with. I already knew I was dealing with a monster.
    I went to bed frustrated. I went to bed convinced I had nothing.
    _____
    It was cold and dark. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t see where I was. I was terrified.
    “Charlotte, Charlotte help me.” A faint whisper, barely heard.
    “ Who is it … Who’s there?”
    “ You know who it is Charlotte.”
    Suddenly I could see them, all of them. All of my girls sitting around me. Forever young with ancient eyes. Emily sat right in front of me. She smiled.
    “ You haven’t given up. I knew you wouldn’t.”
    “ Emily, I can’t figure it out. I’ve tried, but … I don’t know who it is.”
    “You are close , closer than you think.”
    “ Who is he?”
    “ That won’t answer all of your questions.”
    “ What do you mean?”
    A noise from above quieted all conversation.
    “It’s time to get up now … she’s coming.”
    “Who ? Who? Emily?” My girls faded … they drifted away.
    “ Wait, wait, Emily …”
    A noise from outside woke me.
    I sat straight up in bed, heart pounding, instantly aware, instantly awake. One thought was in my mind.
    She.

    Chapter 13: April 5, 3:23am - April 6, 9:50 am
    I didn’t know if the dream was just a dream or if it was a warning, but I got moving. By 4:00 I was in my car and heading away from the motel.
    My mind was racing. She … who was she? What did that mean? I knew the killer was a man. A man had attacked me. Was a woman involved? How? Did the dream mean anything or was it just my subconscious playing tricks on me.
    I needed to think. I needed to find some way to put all of the pieces together. I wanted to get further away. If the dream was telling me something, then I needed to move. I knew he was after me. There also was a she. A she that I needed to find. A she that was somehow involved and helping the killer.
    ____
    An hour later I was parked in a crowded parking lot. I pulled out my files. There were four cases where a woman was seen. Was she