Searching for Sera Read online

  “Did you respond to a call over on Balsam Lane yesterday?”

  "Ya, that was me."

  “Is there anything you can tell me about it?”

  "Sure. The call came in as a juvenile female being chased through the woods by an unknown male. I arrived on the scene and spoke to the juvenile and her mother. The juvenile couldn't give much of a description on the guy, other than he was white. He followed her through the woods while she walked home. He walked behind her for a while, and every time she turned to look at him, he was staring at her. She got so scared that she started to run. At one point she looked back and saw the man running after her. She screamed as loud as she could and ran the rest of the way home. I checked the area, walked the path in the woods, but didn't find anyone. I tried to contact some of the neighbors, but no one answered."

  “How old is the juvenile?” I asked.

  “She’s 16,” Chris paused momentarily, before continuing. “I’ll tell you one thing. Whoever chased her, scared the crap out of her. She was shaking like a leaf when I talked to her.”

  “Would you mind if I followed up on it?”

  I knew I didn’t need his permission, but I wanted to show him respect, so I asked.

  “Go for it. I’m swamped as it is,” Chris said, a sense of relief in his voice.

  I thanked Chris for the information and asked him to email me a copy of the report when he finished it.

  I made it to my office and checked the department's database for prior contacts with the juvenile and her mother. No results. I then checked for previous calls in the area, but didn't find any similar to what had been reported. At this point, I reached out to the juvenile's mother.

  The phone rang a few times before a soft-spoken woman answered. I introduced myself and explained the reason for my call. During our conversation, the woman summarized the incident involving her daughter. She didn't have many details, adding that her daughter was very distraught. She had tried to get information out of her, but was unsuccessful.

  She said her daughter wouldn't make up a story, especially as serious as this one. And she was worried about what happened and was scared the male might return to the area.

  “Have you noticed anyone or anything suspicious in your neighborhood over the last few days?” I asked.

  The woman thought for a moment, before answering.

  “Yes. I remember seeing a white SUV parked down the street from my house. Actually, I saw the SUV on two separate occasions, over the last two days.”

  “Can you tell me about it?”

  “The SUV caught my eye because it had Michigan plates and all of the windows were darkly tinted.”

  “Did you ever see anyone in or around the vehicle?”

  “No, I never saw anyone. I saw the vehicle on Monday, around lunchtime. I remember because I was leaving the house to go run errands. The next time I saw the vehicle was Tuesday morning. It was parked in a different spot, towards the end of the cul de sac.”

  “Was the vehicle still parked there yesterday?"

  The woman thought for a few seconds.

  “I’m not sure,” she answered.

  The SUV piqued my interest, and I asked if I could speak with her daughter. The woman agreed and said her daughter would be home from school around 3:30 p.m. I confirmed her address and said I would be there later in the afternoon.

  The rest of the day was relatively quiet. I checked the department’s database for vehicles bearing Michigan plates. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any belonging to a white SUV. I drove around the area of the juvenile’s house, looking for the SUV. I checked around the schools and parks, but didn’t find it. After burning gas and accomplishing nothing, I looked at my watch. It was past 3:30 p.m. and I assumed the juvenile was home.

  I arrived at the juvenile’s house around 3:45 p.m. The house was situated in a new subdivision. The area contained a few other houses and numerous vacant lots. I could tell by the surrounding area the subdivision was in the process of being developed. There were partially framed structures, parcels with nothing more than a foundation, and other lots containing construction equipment and conex boxes.

  On the west side of the subdivision, there was an open field. It was bordered by towering oaks and sycamore trees. The trees stretched around the edges of the field for about 200 yards. The field was littered with overgrown weeds and other plant life. Even though it wasn't finished, I could see the developers vision. I could tell it would eventually be a nice neighborhood.

  I made my way to the front door of the juvenile's residence and knocked. An attractive middle-aged female opened the door. Her hair was nicely styled and the diamonds hanging from her ears shined brightly. Her clothes fit her figure perfectly, as if they were specifically tailored to her measurements. Her eyes sparkled and were an exotic shade of blue. Her skin was delicate, creamy and white. The aroma of her perfume found its way to my nostrils. The scent was pleasing and erotic.

  “You must be Detective Rivers. Please come in,” she said in a kind tone.

  I recognized her voice from our earlier conversation on the phone.

  “Yes ma’am, but please call me John,” I said, as I extended my hand.

  “I’m Norma Richardson, thank you for coming over,” she replied, as she shook it.

  “Of course. It is my pleasure to meet you.”

  I stepped through the doorway into the foyer of the home. The house was large and beautiful. In the center of the room there was a massive staircase. It had custom wood carpentry and elaborate rock work designed into the frame and banisters. The house had high vaulted ceilings with exposed dark wooden beams. The beams stretched as far as the eye could see. The walls were covered in elegant paintings of wildlife and beautiful family portraits. Fine oriental rugs stretched across the immaculate white marble floor.

  I looked to my right and saw a large living room containing expensive leather sofas. In the center of the room was a beautiful handcrafted coffee table. The table was made of rich mahogany and had elaborate wrought iron legs. It looked magnificent and certainly cost a pretty penny.

  I continued to look around the room, surveying my surroundings. Positioned on one of the luxurious sofas was a teenage girl. The girl was dressed in designer clothes and had brilliant blonde hair. Her complexion was soft, with just enough makeup to accent her face. She appeared nervous and wasn’t making eye contact with me.

  “Hi there, I’m Detective Rivers. Are you Tori?”

  “Yes sir,” she answered, in a soft voice.

  “I was hoping to talk to you a little bit about what happened yesterday. Would that be alright with you?” Tori nodded her head yes, but still didn’t make eye contact.

  Norma escorted me into the room, and I took a seat near Tori. The leather couch was soft and made a rustling sound as I sat down. I positioned myself at the edge of the sofa and turned my body towards Tori. I sensed that she was distant and upset. I could tell she wasn’t sure about speaking with me. It was obvious that she was still shaken about the incident. I knew she probably didn’t want to talk about it, but I needed to try.

  “Tori, that's a great name. Is that a nickname?” I asked her, looking to build a rapport.

  She looked up at me and smiled.

  “Yes, it’s short for Victoria.”

  I engaged Tori in conversation and told her I had a niece named Victoria. I told her a funny story about my niece, hoping it would break the ice. I then asked about her high school and the types of hobbies she enjoyed. Tori told me she loved soccer, running track and watching videos on YouTube. On days with good weather, she would spend time running or hiking trails with her friends.

  After a couple of minutes, I could see that she was feeling more comfortable. I decided I would keep the small-talk going for a while, just to make sure.

  I told her about my daughters and how they did track and soccer, but for a different high school. I told her my daughters' names and asked if she had ever played against either of them. Tori got exc
ited and smiled. She knew both of them, mentioning how kind they were. She recalled an incident from a track meet last year. One of my daughters had gone out of the way to encourage and cheer for Tori. I felt proud and couldn't help but smile.

  I could see she was ready to talk, so I eased into my questions.

  “I want to find the man who chased you. Would you be willing to talk about what happened?”

  Tori nodded her head, indicating yes.

  “Can you tell me about yesterday?”

  "I walk the same route home every day after school. I take a path that cuts through the woods, over on Kellems Lane. After getting into the woods a little way, I noticed a man standing about fifty feet off the main trail."

  “Mmm Hmm,” I hummed, showing her I was listening.

  “I didn't think much of it, cuz I see people on the trail all the time. But just as a precaution, I kept looking in his direction. That way I could keep track of what he was doing.”

  “That's smart,” I said.

  “The man was staring at me. Not like a typical stare, but almost like he was glaring at me. It felt like he was watching my every step. I got scared, so I looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. I didn't see anyone, so I knew I was alone. I wanted to gain some distance from him, so I started walking faster. After I walked past him, I felt relieved. I knew I had about 200 yards to go before I would make it to my street.”

  I could see Tori was scared as she thought about the incident.

  “What happened next?”

  “After about 10 seconds of walking, I looked over my shoulder. I saw the man walking behind me. He was still just staring at me. I was terrified, so I took off running. I turned around and saw him chasing me. I ran as fast as I could and made it to my street. When I got close to my house, I screamed for my mom.”

  Norma interrupted.

  “I heard Tori scream, so I went outside to see what was wrong. She was crying and told me what happened. I looked around the neighborhood and out towards the woods, but I didn't see anyone. I took Tori inside the house, and I called the police.”

  Tori had tears welling up in her eyes after her mother spoke. I tried to comfort her.

  "You got away. You're safe now. There is nothing to be afraid of."

  Tori smiled, fighting back her tears.

  I smiled back at her.

  “That guy had no idea he was trying to chase a track star,” I said, in a playful manner.

  Tori giggled, feeling slightly better.

  “Can you tell me what the man looked like?”

  “I don’t know... it happened so fast,” Tori answered, as she broke eye contact.

  "Would you be willing to try a memory recall exercise?"

  Tori seemed curious and asked how the exercise worked. I explained the technique to her, and she agreed to try. I reminded her that she was safe and that nothing was going to happen to her. She took a deep breath and nodded her head.

  I had her sit back in her seat and I instructed her to close her eyes. I asked her to think back to the moment when she first saw the man. I asked her to describe what she noticed about him.

  Tori's eyelids fluttered, and her head jerked side to side.

  “His eyes.”

  She spoke softly.

  “They are cold and empty.”

  “What color are they?” I asked

  “They're brown,” she answered.

  “How about his hair?”

  “I couldn't see it. He was wearing a hoodie.” She paused momentarily.

  “It was a black hoodie,” she added.

  “Did he have any facial hair?”

  Her eyelids continued to flutter as she thought.

  "Yes, he had a goatee. It was thick and dark."

  “How old do you think he was?”

  “He was about forty years old.”

  “What color were his pants?”

  “He had on blue jeans. They were baggy and scrunched up by his shoes.”

  “Did you notice anything else about the man?”

  “He had a black backpack. It was laying on the ground by his feet.”

  “How tall do you think he was?”

  “I’m not sure, maybe 6 feet tall. He looked kinda muscular and thick.”

  “What happened next?”

  "I walked past him, and he just stared at me. I tried to distance myself from him, so I walked faster. After a few steps, I could hear leaves crunching behind me, so I looked back."

  Her voice got a little louder, and she squirmed in her seat.

  “He’s following me! Now he's running towards me!”

  I noticed tears seeping out of the corners of her eyes. She was scared, unknowingly moving into a defensive posture.

  Tori started to yell.

  “He’s chasing me!"

  Her breathing was hard. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were squeezed shut. She began crying out loud and suddenly stopped talking. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. She looked around quickly, before focusing on me.

  “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to cry. I’m just really scared.”

  “There's no need to apologize. We don't have to talk about it anymore,” I said.

  “I don’t really remember anything else about him.”

  “You did amazing,” I said, as I patted her knee.

  Tori wiped her tears, which were now dripping down her face. Norma put her arms around her and comforted her, as only a mother could.

  Seeing a child in pain always pulled at my heartstrings. To see their innocence stripped away by a monster, made my blood boil. Knowing that he had changed Tori's life, made me angry. I knew she would never be able to walk through those woods again. Even when she got older, she would always think about the time when she was chased.

  I had one more question and asked her if she could try to answer it.

  Tori gathered herself, then nodded her head.

  “Would you recognize the man if you saw him again?”

  She cleared her throat, as she wiped her tears.

  “I will remember his face for as long as I live,” she stated, in an assertive manner.

  Her confidence gave me hope. It energized me, giving me the desire to find the piece of shit that chased her.

  I explained that I was going to search for the man and do everything I could to find him. Tori and Norma both smiled, feeling relieved. I suggested that Tori not walk home from school for the next few days.

  “I have already made arrangements to have her picked up for the next couple of weeks,” Norma replied.

  I got up from the sofa and thanked Tori for her help. I made my way to the front door, and Norma followed.

  “I will let you know if I develop any leads,” I said.

  I handed Norma one of my business cards.

  “Call me if you need anything. I have my phone on me 24 hours a day.”

  Norma thanked me for my help and wished me luck.

  ◆◆◆

  After leaving the house, I drove to the wooded area, where the incident had taken place. I parked my car, and I got out. I looked around momentarily and then walked to the entrance of the woods.

  The area was a park-like setting, which made it nice and quiet. There was a paved trail running through it that joggers and cyclists probably used. Inside the woods, there was a narrow stream that meandered next to the path. The sound of the water cascading over the rocks echoed off of the trees.

  I studied the area and noticed it was very secluded. Even though there was a street by the entrance, there was nothing but silence once you walked a short distance into the woods.

  As I walked the path, I hoped something or someone would catch my eye. I recalled the description of the man that Tori provided. A white male adult, about six feet tall, forty years old, brown eyes, a goatee, with a black hoodie and blue jeans. Unfortunately, I didn't see anyone matching that description. In fact, I didn't see anyone at all.

  I made it to a point on the path that had a nice bench. I too
k advantage of it and sat down. I looked back at where I had walked from, and I could see a portion of the street. I could see my car and several other parked cars nearby. The street was quiet and didn't have much traffic to speak of.

  I scanned the area a little more thoroughly. I noticed there were a lot of weeds on the edges of the woods. The weeds were tall, which would block anyone from seeing into the woods. I could see Tori’s street on the far side of the woods. There were a couple of houses by her street, but they looked far away.

  This was a very vulnerable place, I thought to myself. I could see why the man had picked this spot. If he caught someone in here alone, there was little chance of anyone seeing the attack.

  While sitting on the bench, I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out my cigarettes and lighter. I placed a cigarette in between my lips and lit it. I inhaled deeply, held it momentarily, and then exhaled. The smoke emerged from my mouth, slowly dancing up towards the sky.

  I stared at the trees, listening to the water flow. I sat there not thinking about anything in particular. I could hear the birds chirping and the breeze whistling through the leaves. My mind was at ease and I enjoyed the peace.

  Chapter 2

  I Remember You

  It was almost dark by the time I made it back to my car. The time had gotten away from me, after getting lost in my thoughts of nothingness. My day was almost over, and it was time to go home to my family.

  On my way home I stopped for some coffee. I needed a little pick-me-up to get me through the night. While waiting for my coffee, I checked my emails. I saw one from the watch commander. I opened the message and read it quietly to myself. It said all of the patrol officers were briefed on the white SUV bearing Michigan plates. They would be looking for it and would call me if it was located.

  “Grande mocha for John,” the barista called out over the crowded shop.

  I grabbed my drink, thanked the barista and left her a tip. I sipped on my mocha, which filled my stomach with joy. I could taste the delicious chocolate and a hint of whipped cream with every sip. The drink was delightful, and it brought a smile to my face.

  I drove onto the freeway and started heading out of town. While I was driving, I came up with a list of things I needed to do tomorrow. I cracked my window and lit a cigarette. Smoking during my commute always helped to pass the time.