Chapter 3

"Ben?" Sara asked frighten.

Blood poured from a large wound on his chest. Sara turned slightly, she thought she might throw up but instead another dead body greeted her. "Nick? Oh, god. No. No!"

"Yes." Sara turned towards the voice but he was to quick for her. He slammed her body onto the ground holding her legs and arms down.

"No, please no."

"You probably never stick you nose where it doesn't belong ever again, will you Sara?"

"No, I won't I promise."

"Sorry, I just don't quite believe you." Derek said as he tore her skirt and began to rape her.

"No. No. No." But no one heard her screams.

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Detective Josh Leads and Detective Maggie Benson stare at Sara. She lay still in her hospital bed. A thin sheet covers her body. Her face is bruised and her nose is broken.

"How awful. The poor girl." Maggie comments.

"Triple Assault. This should be a fun case."

"You forget rape."

"Ya. This is going to get ugly I can see it now."

"And no leads."

"None. We don't even have names for the two men. But the girl's name is Sara. Sara Cummings. Her parents and sister were notified. The nurse said she would take care of everything else.

"Then let's go find this bastard."

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It was the worst phone call a parent could get. Your daughter was raped, we don't know if she'll live.

Joan and Hank certainly weren't prepared for it and now as they sat in the hospital waiting room with Meg and Casey fear tugged at their hearts. The last thing either of them wanted was to see either of their daughters in pain.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cummings?"

"Yes." Hank says, "How's my daughter? Can we see her?"

"Yes. You can go see her now. We've moved her to a private room."

The nurse leads them to Sara's room.

"Oh, god. My poor baby."

"Joan. Please we have to be strong. For Sara."

"Your right." Joan walks over towards the bed and clasps he daughter's hand. "Hi, Sara. Sweetheart, It's mom. Dad, Meg, and Casey are all here too. You have too wake up, honey. We love and need you."

Joan let's go over Sara's hand and Casey walks over towards the bed. He looks down at Sara's face. Tears form in his eyes but he refuses too cry in front of the Cummings.

"We'll leave you here, Casey. She'll listen to you." Joan, Hank, and Meg leave.

"Sara, sweetie it's time for you to wake up. Sara, please, I love you. I need you to wake up so I can make everything up to you. Please, Sara."

But Sara didn't wake up.

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"What's this, Tess?" Tim asked holding the picture of Tess and Derek up.

"What do you think it is? It's a picture."

"Of you and Ben?"

"Yes."

"When was this taken."

"Not to long ago. I'm going to give it to Maria."

"I'll bet. I was wondering. If this is you and Ben why does the back say, 'To My Tessie I'll love you always Love Derek?'

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Why is Ben acting so weird? Maria asks herself. She walks up the stairs and is about to knock on Tess's door but stops when she hears Tim's voice.

Shocked by Tim's words and the revaluation that she's been making love to Derek and not Ben was just too much.

Maria walks slowly down the hall towards the stairs, distracted she doesn't see Benjy's truck laying carelessly on the top step goes to walk down the stairs and trips on the toy her body tumbles down the stairs and her head hits the stoop.

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"Are you Sara Cummings's parents."

"Yes, yes we are." Joan says.

"I'm Detective Maggie Benson and this is Detective Josh Leads. We have some questions for you."

"We'll do anything to help you put the bastard that did this to our daughter in jail."

"Good. Do you know the man in this photo?" Benson asks.

"Yes, that's my other daughter ex-fiancée Ben Evans. Why?" Hank asks.

"His body and was also found at the crime scene. He was stabbed in the chest. We believe that Sara saw his attacker and was going to kill her to keep her quiet."

"But. How Ben's in Sunset Beach."

"Are you positive?" Leads asks.

"Well, no, but just call him. I'm sure he's there. His office number is 555-5484."

Meg, who went to get coffee returns and sees the detectives. "Hello, I'm Meg. Sara's sister."

"Yes, We understand that you were engaged t this man." Benson holds up Ben's photograph.

"Yes, we were."

"His body and another young man's were found at the same place as Sara's. We believe the two are connected."

"But how? Ben's at The Deep. I just called him."

"Meg I love you."

"Then why are you with Maria?"

"Please Ben just leave."

"That's what I would like to know." Hank says growing impatient.

"I know why. The person I just didn't talk to wasn't Ben. It was Derek."