Megan’s Gift 

Today was the funeral for her younger sister, Madison or Maddy as she was called. Janet was sitting with her father in the chapel of the funeral home. The minister was reading from the Bible and saying that we should be happy for Madison who was now with Jesus in Heaven, in the bosom of God’s love.

Janet, appalled at this sentimental platitude got up and walked quickly from the chapel. She knew if she stayed she would scream, “God is a fraud!” How could any God allow a sweet, innocent child like Maddy to be brutally raped and stabbed.

Maddy had been so beautiful and happy and full of love. She guessed that was why someone was able to take her away from her friends. Maddy trusted everyone. She was eighteen and had the body of a woman but the mind of a much younger child.

What had the police told her father? Oh yes, Maddy had gone to the show with her boyfriend and another couple from the Group Home. Her boyfriend was eating his popcorn and couldn’t hold her hand so she got mad and left. The boyfriend didn’t get worried until the end of the movie when she hadn’t returned. According to him and the other couple Maddy always went away like that when she was angry. He had assumed she had gone to the washroom. They reported her missing to the manager and all washrooms and theatres were searched without finding any trace of her. When they got back to the Group Home the police were called.

The next morning her body had been found in the park by a woman jogging with her dog. It was actually her dog who sniffed out the body where it had been stuffed under a bush. So far, the police had no clues. Whoever did this egregious thing had been very careful and left no DNA or other evidence at the scene. It was clear from the lack of blood around the body that Maddy had been killed somewhere else and dumped under the bush where she was found. The police had scoured the park but did not find the place where the brutal murder had been committed. Without knowing where she died there was little chance that the murderer would ever be caught.