Time: October 9th 2004…2:13 PM
Place: Redbridge High

Growing up I had my fair share of bad friends just like anyone, but these kids? These kids are a bit much. A group of kids sitting at a picnic table eating their lunches. As soon as we told them what had happened to their friend Rose they immediately started saying stuff like “She had it coming.” and “About time”. None of them wanted to give us a direct answer. It was irritating. “Listen, we want to find Rose, her parents are worried and you should be too.” One of them laughed at that.

A tall boy who wore the school uniform and a backward hat with the word cool embroidered on it, the irony I suppose. “Fine, if you really want to find her, rumor has it that she would hang out at Johnny's Restaurant with the Crane Gang.” A blond haired girl with pigtails jumped in. “ People say she's dating the boss for money!” They all laughed.

I hope this girl gets better friends when we find her. Truly. Benny tried to say something but I cut him off and shook my head. “They obviously don't want to help so don't waste your breath, besides, we have what we need.” We walked away back towards my car. “Honestly, whose friend goes missing and they say they deserved it?” Benny shoved his pen and notepad in his pocket after writing in it. I sighed “Bad friends Benny, bad friends.”

Time: October 9th 2004…2:55 PM
Place: Johnny’s Restaurant

We walked inside and I threw my cigarette in the trash as a waitress greeted us. “Nice to meet you gentlemen! How may I help you today?” She seemed way too giddy and cheerful. “Just a table for the two of us please.” I spoke and looked around, nothing seemed to be off and everyone seemed to be doing their own thing. Well, other than the obvious table of men wearing black business suits. The place had a dark wood floor and red tiles on the ceiling.

Johnny’s was pretty popular during the week. Probably because parents didnt have to worry about their kids when they were at school. We followed our waitress to a booth and took a seat, she walked away to assist another table leaving just me and Benny. Ben talks in a low whisper as to not let others hear us. “So, our missing girl has ties to one of the most notorious and dangerous gangs in London, her so-called friends hate her, she was apparently dating the boss of said gang for his money?” He points at his notes with his pen. I nodded and placed my blue lighter on the table. “Wanna know what's worse? The fact that said boss is in this restaurant right now.” I nod my head to the left to a table near the window that sits a large fat man and a few other people. All dressed in suits. 

Ben’s eyes grow with shock. “You sure that's him? How do you know?” The waitress from earlier shows up again. “Sorry for the wait, can I get you gentlemen started on anything?” I picked up the menu and quickly scanned over it and cleared my throat. “Yeah I'll have a cup of coffee and the pasta, and my friend here will have a tall glass of sweet tea and some chicken wings.” I set the menu down and the waitress hurries off with our order, “Really? We are ordering food when our potential culprit is right there? Also, chicken wings? I'm not a child, Robbie.”

I shush him “everything falls into place at some point Benny, as for how I know that's the crane gang leader because he has a tattoo of a crane on his right arm. Also because that man is Buck Crane. He’s a wealthy man who sits around on his ass all day. I've been spying on him for years now.” Benny looked at me as I glared at the fat man who laughed as he talked to the men next to him.

I felt his soft hand rest on top of mine. Snapping me back into reality. “You alright? Last time I heard you talk about him you were a drunk mess.” Right, I had gotten drunk one night and Benny found me in my crappy apartment surrounded by bottles. I cried to him about how I wished Buck was dead for what he had done. That was the only time I had ever cried in front of him. “Yeah I'm fine.” What a lie that was, how could I be fine knowing I'm in the same room as the man who killed my older sister and my mother? At twelve years old, I swore I would get my revenge, the whole reason I became a detective. I looked over at the table and saw Buck staring straight at me.

He remembered me. I could tell by the sinister glint in his eyes. Not good. REALLY not good. I got up and waved for Ben to come with me and made my way to the bathrooms and shut the door behind us. With buck near the entrance, I knew we wouldn't be able to go that way. “What's going on?” Ben questioned. I didn't answer, I had to find a way out. I knew we had limited time here. The staff door, why was there a staff door in the bathrooms? “You can still pick locks right?” I glanced at Ben then I realized that I was holding his hand in mine. I let go and he made his way to the door. I paced back and forth in thought, how long till they realized we skipped? How long till he comes for me? How long till he comes for Benny?

My mind was racing. I heard a sigh from Benny as he failed, he grabbed a new bobby pin and tried again. I didn't even know why he had so many bobby pins. It didn't take too long for a small clink sound that made me stop as Ben swung open the door to reveal a staircase spiraling downwards “this isn't an exit?” Ben tried to peek down the dark staircase “No but it probably leads to one. Most usually do.” I started down the stairs that led us down to a dark basement.

Ben reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small flashlight, one of those keychain ones that he won from an arcade a while back. He surveyed the room with the light taking the lead. The small light didn't reveal much. I stopped and reached into my pocket for my lighter, crap, I didn't grab it, it's still on the table upstairs. Whatever. I'll just buy a new one. I heard Ben yell and high pitched scream and the sound of something hitting the floor.

I ran over and saw Benny sitting on the cold concrete floor with his eyes wide and his mouth agape. “Ben?! Benny! What's wrong?!” I kneeled by his side. He then shakily pointed at something the flashlight was shining at and let out a number of whines and muttered words. Quickly I turned my head and saw it. There, hanging on a metal hook, was a male body. I was going to be sick. Most of the skin on the body was either gone or decaying, He had been down here for a while. A few of his fingers were missing and his teeth seemed to have been ripped out. His face was all distorted and maggots crawled in and out of skin. Eating away at him. Flies buzzed and hummed past us. The room smelt awful, worse than cow manure. I could smell a bit of rust and copper. My eyes watered as I gagged. I covered my mouth with my hand.

Tap Tap Tap, The sound of heavy footsteps hitting a concrete ground. I grabbed the small flashlight and dragged Ben behind a bunch of boxes and turned off the flashlight. I held my hand over his mouth and steadied my breathing. I didn’t even want to breathe right now anyways. Just in time because three silhouettes appeared from the hallway. A pale, skinny arm, that could probably be confused for a metal pole, reached up and pulled on a string attached to a light bulb. There they were, buck, and two of his henchmen. Ben latched onto my arm in fear. As the light showed all the other people hanging on hooks. There had to be at least ten, maybe twelve? All hanging by hooks and all in different states. Some missing a limb, some missing multiple limbs, some fresh, some old, god, I wanted to vomit. It was terrible.

The skinny and lean henchman spoke “See boss? no one down here. Well. living anyways.” They joked and laughed. Buck looked around, slowly moving his head, his dull, perhaps lifeless, gray eyes stared at our spot for far too long before turning his head again. “Oh my god.” Ben whispered, muffled by my hand, so quiet I almost didn't hear him. “Robert, I'm going to be sick, look over in the far corner.” I put my hand over his mouth so he’d be less loud again.

I slowly turned my head to not alert someone. Hanging on one of the metal hooks was a female, I couldn't tell who she was from all the blood on her body and a missing leg but on her arm, was a bracelet. A bracelet with a thick pink string and a small golden bird charm. Rose Woods.