Jamal sighed in relief as I parked the car in the driveway. "Jamal, come take my keys." I commanded lowly. At his questioning look I added, "I plum forgot to stop at the sheriff's office to tell Darlene to ring up the auxiliary deputies. You can drive the car back into town can't ya?

"Mister McGregor you lost your mind?" He asked his eyes wide. He held up his dark hands in a placating gesture, "You do realize if any white man sees me driving your car they'd shoot me on sight!"

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." I murmured turning my gaze to the front porch where Dezzie's parents stood holding each other. The front door was open, the light behind them casting them in silhouette. "Forget it, get my bag from the trunk. You're my new deputy then." I growled. My frustration evident to Jamal who moved quickly to get the large battered leather bag.

I strode through the crowd, each man and woman making way for me. I felt as if I were Moses parting the seas.

I walked up to the couple on the porch. The woman was obviously distressed her eyes were wide and red rimmed, tears freely making their way down her cheeks. The man stood an inch or two above my impressive six foot two. His shoulders were tense with worry and his eyes were haunted. "Mr and Mrs. Brown, I'm Ian McGregor Jamal tells me your daughter is missing. May I come in and see her room?"

"Sheriff, thank you for coming. This way." Mr. Brown rasped, his voice cracking with emotion. His wife clung to him as he walked stiffly through the small house. It was spotlessly kept, if a little bare. He gestured to an open door at the end of a short hallway. "That's Dezzie's room." He closed his eyes as he spoke, trapping the tears behind his lids.

I walked into the small room. Noting the treadbear carpet and the sparseness of the room. A few dolls lay upon the floor and a pink quit was rumpled partially upon the bed, the rest pooled upon the floor. The bed sat against the window, the moonlight illuminating the crisp sundried sheets. I drew closer, to the window noting that the screen had been sliced wide open. Someone large had come in through the window. Small dark spots on the sheets drew my attention. Blood. I closed my eyes tightly, trying desperately to swallow back the rage bubbling inside me.  She wasnt much younger than Ava, what kind of sick fuck would hurt a child?

"Mr Brown, please try to remain calm. Can you remember what Dezzie was as wearing when yall put her to bed?" My voice wavered a bit and I cleared my throat to cover my emotions.

Mr Brown swallowed loudly. "A light pink nightdress. With lace at the bottom."

"Is her hair short or long? Braided?"

"Her hair is short, about to her shoulders and pinned up in a bun." Mrs. Brown said quietly as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Do you have a recent photo I can take?" I asked gently.

"You can have this one, it's about a year old..." Mr. Brown said, removing a sepia print from a frame on the wall in the hall.

I took it gingerly looking at the young smiling girl in the picture. I met their anguished gazes with my own. "I'm going to find your daughter. But I need you both to stay here, stay out of her room and remain calm. I will let you know as soon as i know anything."

Emotion swirled on their faces  from the house, jumping off the porch and jogging to the rear of te house where I made my way into the bushes beneath the child's window. Just as I feared there were footprints and several cigarette butts. The bastard had been watching her.