It's A Thin Line

John sat looking at himself in the mirror, smiling as he pulled his boots on, music playing in the background matching his upbeat mood.

“So I got my boots on, got the right ‘mount of leather…” he sang to himself. All needed in his world was some love and tonight he was going to get it. Oh yes, there was a thin line between the dark side and the light side all right, he thought. Outwardly John was the epitome of the normal suburban middle-aged man. Divorced with two children, professionally employed average in appearance he lived alone in an average house in an average suburb, living his average life.

But sometimes he crossed that line between the light side and dark side. “It's not a struggle gotta rumble trying to find it,” sang the radio. Tonight John would go and find his piece of love, he had to try to find, if he had her it would be the only thing he would ever need, money fame and fortune would never compete.

“If I had you, life would be a party it'd be ecstasy…” John began to mentally plan exactly what he would do with his girl. The joy he would feel at having a girl of his own, a girl to play with and love.

“Yeah, if I had you
You y-y-y-y-you
You y-y-y-y-you
You y-y-y-y-you
If I had you…”

Snapping off the radio John stood up and smiled at his reflection in anticipation. Tonight was his night. He would finally have her.

….

“Hey May ready for tonight? Looks like a busy crowd,” May’s friend Maya said to her as May entered the dressing room of Star Girls. “I’m ready, but I hope it’s not a late night, I have so many assignments at the moment,” she replied. Sitting down at one of the mirrors that were lit all around with garish bulbs May examined her appearance. Youthful good looks stared back at her. She had sworn to herself that if she ever saw the look of the hardened look of a stripper looking back at her she would quit.

“May you’re on, let go girl get moving,” Ellie the manager of the girls bustled in to check everything was running smooth. “Ready Ellie,” replied May adjusting her skimpy costume. She hoped it would be a good night; her rent was due next week.

Walking out onto the stage Nex the DJ began to pump up the music. She was dancing to ‘For Your Entertainment,” which she thought most apt.

“So hot out of the box
Can we pick up the pace
Turn it up, heat it up
I need to be entertained”

The music began and she began to dance across the stage, entertaining the watching men with her slim body twisting around the pole.

Driving in his van towards the city’s night district John turned the radio up

“Push the limit, are you with it?
Baby don't be afraid
Imma hurt you real good baby”

The singer sang. John grinned to himself. Oh baby am I going to hurt you real good, I’m going to push your limits.

“Let's go it's my show, baby, do what I say
Don't trip off the glitz that I'm gonna display”

May swung around the pole, unaware across the city a man was coming for her. The music pounded, waitresses poured drinks while groups of young men on bucks night gawked and laughed and seasoned older customers assessed the dancers to see who they would like to buy private time with.

“I told you, Imma hold ya down until you're amazed
Give it to ya til you're screamin' my name”

Humming to himself John drove into the dark car park a few blocks from the strip club. Earlier in the week while checking out the area he had discovered many of the dancers parked here as the car park directly behind the club was for customers only.

Picking a dark corner he settled into wait, the radio his company.

“No escaping when I start
Once I'm in I own your heart
There's no way to ring the alarm
So hold on until it's over”

Shift finally over May was crossing the car park to her car when she felt someone grab her quickly and expertly from behind. Her fight instincts kicked in naturally but the person smothered her mouth with a smelly cloth that caused her to instantly droop and almost pass out. She felt the fight leave her body.

Dragging her swiftly to the van John laid her down and fastened her wrists and feet with ties and put duct tape over her mouth. Look down at her he sang softly to himself,

“Do you know what you got into
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do
'Cause it's about to get rough for you”

May felt herself slowly waking up. She felt so groggy and odd. Where was she? Why could she move? Her eyes felt crusted closed, she blinked to open them and began to panic desperately as she realized she was tied to a bed in a bare room, dressed in a short black dress.

“Hello May,” said John, entering the room. He had gone through he handbag and found her wallet and personal details.

May startled and stared at the man who was calmly standing over her. “Welcome to your new home, for now.”

Suddenly it all became clear to May. She was here for his entertainment.

….

Crying in pain thoughts swirled around May’s head. Slow it down she thought desperately, slow it down. What do you want from me, he brain screamed at the killer causing her such pain. Yeah I'm afraid, she thought, what do you want from me?

Trying to take her mind away from the situation she was in May thought how she had ended up where she was. There might have been a time when I would give myself away she thought sadly, thinking of the nights she had danced for leering men, but now she no longer didn’t give a damn. Now she cared. If she ever got out of here she would care for herself more. But now, she thought, here we are so what does he want from me? Will he kill me? This thought lingered in May’s mind as she drifted into unconsciousness…slow it down.

Across the city Detective Jack Simmonds sat down heavily at his desk. Another day in life, he thought. In his late fifties Jack was a classic career cop, having entered the force long before criminology degrees were needed and definitely when media training was not on the menu at the academy.

Jack sat back in his comfortable old chair and looked at the board of photos of missing young women he had tacked up. All of them aged under 25, all of them workers in adult industries, all with the same look – slim build, brown hair, attractive. Always brunettes. The first one he could find had disappeared over 15 years previously; the most recent was 6 months. Few had families that cared about them, typical victims of adult industries.

Investigations had gone nowhere and been mostly routine. Without family to push the investigations forward and with the victims not appealing to the media there was little interest in the department, and not even enough proof the cases were connected. But Jack was show they were and he was devoted to spending his own time as well as what work time he was allowed to solving the cases.

Just don't give up I'm working it out, he thought to himself as his eyes travelled over the missing girls.

“Jack, I have another one of those missing girl’s for you. Roommate reported her. She hasn’t been seen for two days now. Works at Star’s,” said his colleague, Peter, dropping a file on his desk.

Jack felt his heart sink. Another one. Picking up the file he opened it to the girl’s picture. Slim, dark hair, attractive. She fit the profile. His stared at her and swallowed hard. He was going to find this one before it was too late. Please don't give in he whispered to the picture. I won't let you down, this time.

Jack’s boss crossed the room to Jack’s desk. “Jack, I’m with on these girls now. I’m going to let you take the lead on this one. Jack’s headed shot up. He hadn’t taken a lead in a case for years, not since he had assigned mostly desk and grunt work duties ever since what he thought of as the incident. He breathed deeply, It messed me up, need a second to breathe.

Eleven years ago Jack had been a cop in the prime of his life and career. Swiftly climbing the ladder of success he had let nothing stand in the way of his goals of reaching the top. Until the kid.

Homicide had been called to the death of young girl in a house well known for drugs and violence in one of the less pleasant suburbs of the city. On the way Jack and his partner had been quiet. Attending the death of a child was one of the most unpleasant parts of their job.

Arriving at the scene Jack and his partner had found mess and chaos. The little girl was in lying in her filthy bedroom. Her father had accidentally suffocated her while holding his hand over her mouth as he raped her.

The father had tried to insist he had found her that way and when he realized he was going to be arrested he ran. Jack gave chase, a fit man then he quickly caught up and took him down and fight ensued as Jack attempted to cuff him. Enraged at the scene in the house Jack spared nothing in wrestling the offender into cuffs. But even when he was securely cuffed Jack couldn’t stop, continuing to beat the father until he partner rounded on the pair and pulled him off.

The father died three days later in hospital having never regained consciousness. There was an investigation; Jack argued the injuries the man sustained were during the scuffle. Without impartial witnesses and with the media strongly behind him praising him as a hero for taking care of such scum Jack was able to avoid expulsion from the force although he was relegated largely to desk duties and kept away from highlight cases.

Having lost everything he had worked so hard for in a one moment of anger Jack sunk into despair, becoming a cliché of a cop, drinking too much, ultimately losing his family and contact with own daughter. He lived for what bits of the job he had left.

But now here was a chance at redemption. Finally someone had listened to him about the missing girls. Energized, Jack began to gather a team around him.


“Just keep coming around...,” John sang to himself as he brought May. “What do you want from me?” May moaned. “Your soul,” John replied. “I’m a freak, I need you love and baby you’re doing it perfectly.”

May began to tug at her bonds again, desperately. “Oh there might have been a time, when I would let you slip away, but I wouldn’t even try,” John grinned at his captive. “Don’t you know there’s a thin line between the light side and dark side?”

At the station Jack had dug out his list of potential suspects. Tapping his number one suspect he began to speak. “John Parker is a fifty eight year old engineer who lives in Haledon. A white van was seen at the scene of one of the previous disappearances and after going through number plates I found a man fitting his description had been spotted at yet another kidnapping. I’d like to search his house and with a missing girl we can get a fast warrant. I’m working it out from there. Let’s go.”

Convinced she was to die in the room May’s mind was floating as her captor took his entertainment. Just don’t give up on me…just don’t give me up on me.

Arriving at the Parker home Jack and his team knocked on the door. After a long pause John came to the doors. “Can I help you?” he asked politely to the men assembled on his doorstep. “John Parker we have a warrant to search these premises,” said Jack brusquely. “And what do you want from me?” enquired John. “Read the warrant,” said Jack, shoving past him into the house.

Down the basement stairs in the room when the doorbell had rang May’s spirits had soared. She began to vigorously work her mouth trying to get the gag down. The gag slipped from her mouth. She opened her mouth and screamed “just don’t give up on me!”

Upstairs in the house Jack’s head snapped up. John froze. “Arrest him,” Jack yelled running down the hall looking towards the sound. Finding the stairs he ran down into the basement and flung upon the door.

Rushing over where May was tied to the bed drifting in and out of consciousness he quickly began to untie her, “Shhh, It’s alright, I won’t let you down your safe now, don’t give up, I worked it out.”

Looking up at her rescuer May sobbed, “Daddy, Daddy you found me, I’m so sorry I let you down.”

Jack held her tightly. “You didn’t let me down, I let you down. Just keep coming around baby…”