Today's Promises by S.R. Grey

inquire.
    “No body and no evidence equal no case, I’m afraid.” The detective peers at me, kindness in his blue eyes. “Think about making a statement, okay? Think of it as a backup plan, if nothing else.”
    I know people, including this man, only want to see me receive the justice I deserve. But the thought of making an official statement and, worse yet, having to testify in court—telling my story to complete strangers—is something I prefer to avoid.
    “I don’t know,” I whisper. “Maybe.”
    “Hey,” Flynn says, jumping to my defense. “Can she think about it for a while?”
    “Yes, of course. Let’s see what comes from the excavation before any decisions have to be made.”
    “Can’t you just excavate the whole place?” I ask. “Like, why not tear down the house, dig up all the fields, check everywhere for the body of that girl?”
    “I wish we could.” Detective Silver’s tone is apologetic. “But without probable cause, there’s no way a judge will ever approve something as extreme as that. The cost factor alone is prohibitive. That’s why I needed you to come to the property today. Now, because of your assistance, I can justify a more thorough search. At least, one of this old barn. But beyond that…”
    “We’re fucked,” Flynn finishes for him.

Flynn
     
    D ays pass, and the next thing I know it’s been a whole week since our search of the barn.
    Even so, Jaynie and I hear nothing from Detective Silver. There are no updates at all regarding the excavation. And that’s frustrating as hell.
    Fed up with waiting, one afternoon when work lets out early, I decide to go up to the Lowry property and check on shit for myself. Since I don’t have a car, though, that involves giving Crick a call to ask him for a helping hand.
    “Whatcha up to, kid?” my old friend inquires when I hit him up.
    “Not much,” I reply. “How’s shit with you?”
    We proceed to shoot the breeze for a minute or two, until I finally get around to asking, “Hey, any chance you have time to drive me up to the old Lowry property today?”
    “You just can’t stay away from that place, can you, my friend?” Crick replies. I envision him shaking his head, perplexed by my fascination with a home that brought me so much misery.
    “It’s not that,” I insist. “I just need to, uh, check on something.”
    Crick agrees to help. The best part is he doesn’t ask questions; he just picks me up out at the jobsite and drives me up to the old Lowry homestead.
    We actually don’t do much talking at all on the way there. We’re comfortable enough with one another to handle the silence. Plus, with all I’ve got on my mind, I’m good with keeping the chatter to a minimum.
    When we reach our destination, I hop out of Crick’s truck. Striding to the front gate, I shade my eyes from the glare of the setting sun.
    Through the wire fence, I peer down at my once-upon-a-time home. “And a crappy home it was,” I murmur, feeling like the world is against us, once more.
    But then I spy heavy construction equipment, parked up by the house, and my mood is lifted. “Thank Christ,” I mumble.
    Shit, I still have so many trust issues. Even though I truly believe he’s a good guy, a part of me didn’t fully believe Detective Silver. Especially since I haven’t heard from him since the day we were up here. That’s why I felt so compelled to come back today, to see if he’d kept his word.
    Once I’m back in the truck, Crick, sensing my better mood, finally gets around to asking me why I was so amped to come up to the Lowry property today. Since I trust Crick—he’s one of the few people I do trust besides Jaynie—I quietly share with him the details of the missing girl case.
    Leaning back as I finish my tale, Crick lets out a low whistle. “Shit,” he says, rubbing his forehead with his hand. “I used to hear the rumors about what was going on up at this place. You know, all the child labor shit and whatnot.”
    He