Page 29 of Little Girls Sleeping
Out of breath and anxious, her hands shaking slightly, she drove as far up the narrow road to the tree tunnel as she could without catapulting off the ledge. Cisco sat next to her, panting heavily in anticipation of what would happen next in the adventure.
Making sure she parked in an area where the ground was solid and no accidental passerby would see her, she exited the Jeep, lowering the windows four inches and leaving the dog behind. If there were any evidence left behind on the route to the grave, she wanted to make sure it wasn’t contaminated. High-pitched whines filled the silence of the forest. Cisco never wanted to be left out of the game.
Opening the Jeep’s back door, she retrieved a crowbar, a small shovel, and her cell phone. Her firearm remained snug in the holster on her side. She was taking nothing for granted, especially in an area that a killer might have used as his secret dumping ground.
As she shut the back door, Cisco was still whining in a desperate plea to join her.
“Sorry, Cisco,” she apologized.
Walking back through the tree tunnel, she retraced her steps exactly. She knew it was highly unlikely that there was anything worth processing, but she treated the scene as if everything mattered. It was difficult to ascertain whether anyone had visited the area recently, though there were moderately visible boot prints layered on top of each other. The person had walked around several times, making the prints impossible to identify.
Katie took out her cell phone and decided to document the area just as she had found it, taking photos in a sweeping motion. She didn’t want to call her uncle until she knew exactly what or who was buried. It might yet be the family dog, or some bizarre garbage ritual.
She took three careful steps and stopped before the outline of the grave. A prickly shudder took hold of her body as she realized that it was possible the killer had prepared his victim exactly where she stood now. She shook it off. Only one thing mattered.
Using her crowbar, she dug down in a small area until she hit something hard; she guessed it was some sort of box—wooden perhaps. The solid mass appeared to be buried eight inches deep. Rather shallow for a body. Her anticipation began to dwindle.
As she gently brushed away some of the dirt, she saw the box clearly. From the type of stain and the well-finished edges, it looked as if it were hand-crafted. She carefully began to pry away the nails that closed it.
One…
Two…
Three…
They were rather small, like the nails for hanging pictures. There was also a seal around the box, and from what she could see, it was airtight.
Strange.
She continued to pry out the nails, trying not to damage the box, making sure that she documented each step with photos. After about fifteen minutes, they were all out. She kneeled close, pressing her shins against the dirt, and paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. Then she gripped the lip area tightly and slowly raised the lid. There was no squeak or resistance. It came easily, smoothly, until it was finally open wide.
A familiar stench permeated the immediate air around her; a stench that could only be described as death.
It wasn’t just any box; it was a carefully hand-crafted coffin with a silk lining that looked hand-stitched. The contents mesmerized her, so that she couldn’t look at anything else; time slowed down and she forgot that she was sitting on a ledge in a forest. She couldn’t take her eyes away from the cute brown teddy bear with yellowish-brown glass eyes, or the bright-green ribbon that was tied perfectly around his neck.
Anywhere but here, the stuffed animal would represent happiness and safety.
Katie’s eyes grew wider and her mind began to process what she saw. The little girl was clutching the teddy bear tightly. She wore a pretty blue dress, perfectly ironed, hair brushed and smooth, and most of her dead skin was still attached to the bones. The decomposition was still in its early stages, which didn’t make any sense. From Katie’s calculations, the child must have been dead for four years, but she looked as if she had died only a few months ago.
Even though the body had decayed to some extent, it was obvious who the little girl was. Eyes closed, expression relaxed, with a slightly downward-turned mouth, she looked peaceful, like she was sleeping.
Katie flopped back on the ground in a sitting position and let out a breath. She couldn’t believe what she’d found. Barely able to tear her eyes away from the frozen girl’s face, she finally took a photograph to send to her uncle.
As she began to compose a text message, something colorful caught her eye: a piece of yellow ribbon partially buried in the loose dirt next to the casket. She gently picked at the area and realized with horror that there was another box next to the little girl’s coffin. Her curiosity urged her on, and she dug faster until she revealed a second coffin.
She sat back, trying to catch her breath, still staring at the graves.
Glancing at her cell phone screen, she saw that she had a weak signal. She pressed a recall button and waited. Tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them away with the back of her left hand. She was mad at herself for becoming emotional; she felt slightly unhinged. The gravity of what she had found weighed heavy upon her; she felt the raw emotion of loss and grief but mixed with relief. Together with her own painful memories, it left her exposed and vulnerable. She hated that feeling.
“Hello?” Her uncle answered after the third ring.
“Uncle Wayne?” Katie’s voice was barely audible.
“Katie, what’s wrong?”
“I… I found her. She’s right here.”
“Who? Who did you find?”
