Inheriting Evil

by K S Logan

  He slithered over to her bureau and slowly pulled out the top drawer, all the while keeping an eye on her for any sign of movement. Jackpot. He found exactly what he was looking for...panties.

  Keaton took out a dark pair, he couldn’t see what color they were but secretly hoped they were red. He put them to his nose and inhaled Grace’s scent. He felt himself getting aroused and smelled them again, reveling in the thought of what he was doing; she didn’t know he was here, yet he was only feet away from her hot body. Stupid bitch. His erection grew.

  Keaton looked at the armchair by her bed and had a sudden epiphany; he could actually solve all their problems right now, his and his mother’s. He walked over to the chair and grabbed the puffy, over-sized cushion on top of it. He carried it over to the bed, his arousal even stronger in anticipation of what he was about to do. Keaton stood poised for a few moments and was just about to press the pillow to her face, readying himself for her struggle, when he heard a whisper from the doorway.

  “Keaton.”

  Jesus, it was Mother. He scowled at her, waved her away with his arm, and mouthed the words, “Get out.”

  She motioned strongly for him to come to her. She too was scowling in the dark.

  Grace stirred and changed her position, making Keaton duck down slightly, afraid she was waking. He shook his head at his mother but replaced the pillow and walked toward her in the doorway. He quietly closed the door behind them, and they walked swiftly to Morvin’s room.

  “Not tonight, Keaton, my dear. There is a better way.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  She’d been awake for hours after another restless night. Thankfully, as darkness finally began lifting in her room, Grace put on her robe and plodded tiredly to the kitchen. Morvin was already seated at the table, reading the paper. The dim light of another gloomy morning only added to the frigid atmosphere of the room. She could feel Morvin’s eyes on her, could sense Morvin judging her every movement as Grace stirred milk into her tea. She sat down across from Morvin, who was still staring at her over her reading glasses.

  After a sip of her hot tea, Grace cleared her throat.

  “I need to talk to you about Keaton,” Grace said.

  Morvin ignored her and went back to her newspaper.

  “Morvin, he’s in some serious trouble with money. I was physically threatened by an angry, dangerous man yesterday.”

  Morvin slowly looked over her glasses again and sneered.

  “Aunt Lena’s dead,” she said in a flat voice.

  “What?” Grace abruptly stood up and knocked over her cup. Tea spilled all over the table.

  “Jesus Christ, Grace. Look what you’ve done! Still a complete gimp, I see.” Morvin got up to get a dishrag.

  Grace thought back to the hundreds of times Morvin had used that word...gimp. All the memories of the torment, the years of abuse she had endured from her sister came rushing back. She felt seven years old again, small, insignificant, and stupid. “I’m sorry, it was just the shock. When did it happen?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” Morvin shrugged one shoulder. “Yesterday, I think.”

  “Yesterday? Why didn’t you tell me?” Grace’s voice was rising.

  Morvin threw the dishrag into the puddle of tea, splashing it all over Grace’s blouse. “I just did. Clean up your mess. My god, you really are an idiot, you’ll never change. How do you even function day to day without a brain? Be careful you don’t break that cup and go out and get me a new paper.” Morvin let out an exhausted sigh. “What’ll you do for your next act? Set fire to the house? Idiot.”

  Grace looked at the stain on her blouse and felt rage building inside her.

  “It was an accident, Morvin. Stop treating me like a child. I will not put up with it. I’m not a little girl anymore you can push around anytime you feel like it.” Grace began to sop up the spill.

  “My, oh my. Well, looky here. Little mousey thinks she has a voice,” Morvin mocked. “You know where the door is, princess. You don’t like it? Do us all a huge favor and leave!”

  Grace felt the familiar sting from her sister’s words and was about to impulsively react like a wounded child. Instead, she paused, took a breath, and fixed her shoulders. No, Grace, you can stand up to her. She moved closer to Morvin, getting right in her face.

  “Something very wrong has been going on around here, and I know you’re at the bottom of it all. I’m going to prove it, and you’re going to pay. You’re a sick woman, Morvin.” Grace was breathing heavily and shaking inside.

  Morvin’s face reddened. She looked like a bomb about to explode. Her face went tight, and her lips pulled back from her teeth. Then, suddenly, the muscles in her face relaxed, her shoulders softened.

  “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, Gracey,” she almost sang the words. “I mean, I know things have been difficult since you got back. We just need to calm down, sort some things out. And we’ve got a lot of arrangements to make.” She took the rag from Grace and finished wiping up the mess herself. “Maybe we should do that over dinner tonight. I’m making rice pudding for dessert. I remembered just this morning that used to be your favorite.” She looked at Grace with a cold, strange grin. “Oh, and don’t worry about the paper, I was nearly finished reading it anyway.”

  “Um...what? Dinner?” Grace said, taken aback by the abrupt change in Morvin’s personality. “I don’t think so.” No way will I trust anything you cook, thought Grace.

  “All right. I’ll leave the pudding in the fridge for you. You really must try it, though. Promise me?” She wrung out the rag in the sink and left it on the counter.

  “Have you come across my cell phone?” Grace asked. “I seem to have misplaced it.”

  She had barely finished her question when Morvin answered quickly, “No.”

  “And, has someone come around looking for me? A man, good-looking, around thirty?”

  “No.” Again with the abrupt, simple answer. Then, without another word, Morvin walked out of the kitchen.

  What the hell was that?

  Morvin just kept walking, slowly, straight-backed, all the way to the end of the hall. Then she stopped and stood there, doing nothing for at least a full minute, staring at the wall. Then she turned around and looked at Grace but said nothing. In the dark, shadowy hallway, she looked like a big, looming vulture.

  “Morvin?” Grace said. “Are you okay?”

  She stood there for another few long seconds. Grace felt chilled, unnerved. Then Morvin simply turned right and walked into one of the guest bedrooms.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Wow. What a scene.” Grace went up to her room after the strange confrontation with Morvin and laid down on her bed. Morvin had acted so queerly. Maybe there’s something seriously wrong with her. Besides being a sadistic, cruel psychopath.

  Grace tried to get some of the facts she had uncovered straight in her mind. It appeared that Morvin had used the water hemlock from her garden to poison and murder their mother. Why? Then, it seems, she used a poisonous chemical to kill their Aunt Lena because she found out. She had also learned that Keaton was in dangerous trouble with money lenders. Okay, Morvin would do anything for her son, right? So, maybe she wanted to be rid of Mother to free up the inheritance to help him out of his mess. Sick.

  She sat up on the side of the bed, slumped her shoulders and closed her eyes. It was all so bewildering, upsetting, and surreal. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze fell upon the old children’s book she had found in her mother’s room. She picked it up and opened the fragile cloth cover.

  It was in reasonably good condition inside, just some scattered light spotting and, of course, darkened endpapers. As she carefully flipped through a few pages, an envelope fell out and onto the floor. It was addressed to Grace’s flat in England. Inside was a doctor’s report with her name on it, the date was one week after her birth.

  ‘Our findings are that significant, possibly irreversible nerve damage ha
s occurred to the patient’s right shoulder. The injury seems to have been caused by the infant falling and by the mother, while attempting rescue, inadvertently stretched the shoulder, severely injuring the brachial plexus.’

  Wait a minute, she thought, I was told my arm was injured during birth. This has to be wrong. There was also an attached letter.

  Dear Grace:

  I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you all those years. I know now what your sister is capable of and am fearing for my own life. I believe your sister and Keaton are trying to kill me, and I need your help. I’ve always known Morvin caused the injury to your arm when you were just a week old. I lied to the doctors and to the family to protect her. Even your father didn’t know the truth until years later. She always had it in for you from the beginning. I guess it was jealousy after being the only child for ten years. I am so sorry about lying to you and never helping you. I don’t know why I always protected your sister. I hope you can forgive a stupid old woman and come to her rescue now. There’s so much you need to know. I’m frightened, Grace.

  I love you.

  Mother

  The letter was shaking in Grace’s hands. In fact, her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. She had no idea what to do with this information. She looked around the room blankly, shaking her head in disbelief. Grace jumped as the cell phone rang, bringing her out of her stupor.

  “Hello?” Grace’s voice was faint and crackly.

  “Grace? You sound weird. Are you okay?” It was Cameron.

  “Um, I’m fine,” Grace lied. “Just dealing with something at the moment. Things are really messed up around here.”

  “I’ve had a bad feeling lately, been worried about you. Why don’t you come over? Get away from that house.”

  Grace could use someone to talk to after finding this devastating discovery, and getting away from here sounded like a great idea.

  “Perfect timing, actually, Cameron. I could use a shoulder.” Grace smoothed her hair behind her ears.

  “Great. Come anytime. I’ll cook us a nice meal. Do us a wee favor lass and keep an eye out for Piper on your way over, will ye? I haven’t seen him since early this morning. I’ve just come back from calling him but no sign. Ach, he’s probably oot messing wi’ them rabbits again.” He gave a slight chuckle, but Grace could hear that he was getting worried.

  “I absolutely will. I’m sure Piper will show up soon, though. See you soon, Cameron, and thank you.”

  As Grace hung up, she noticed something strange on the bedroom wall opposite her bed. It was a hole the size of a coin.

  She tried to peek inside it but saw only blackness. She went into the adjoining guest room. The hole was directly located in the guest room’s closet. When she opened the closet door, her mouth nearly hit the floor. Inside was a blanket, a pillow, and a glass of water covered with plastic film wrap. Her missing cell phone was in there as well.

  Someone’s been watching me. In my room! She felt sick to her stomach, her mind was reeling. Her whole life was built on lies and deceit. She had to get the hell out of this madhouse!

  Grace grabbed her suitcase and began packing. There had to be a ‘Bed and Breakfast’ nearby. She’d had enough of this asylum.

  She wanted to confront Morvin about everything, but there was so much going on. She couldn’t wrap her head around it all. Morvin had possibly poisoned her mother and aunt, her mother was afraid for her life, and her disability was caused by her sister. On top of all that, someone’s been secretly watching her!

  She’d go talk to Cameron and tell him everything that was going on. She realized she’d really just met the man but he seemed nice, decent...kind. Grace had to trust someone, she needed help with all of this.

  Grace changed into her black dress pants and put on a pretty, light blouse. She washed her face, put on some makeup, and put up her hair. She checked herself in the mirror before heading out and thought she looked nice enough, presentable for sure. Was that enough? Should she put on something sexier? She was definitely attracted to Cameron. He had that adorable accent and a pretty great body too... Oh my god, Grace. Really? With everything that’s happening, you’re actually hot and bothered for some man you barely know? Get a grip, woman.

  She grabbed her bags and headed out the door but paused briefly in the hall. She went back to the mirror, let her hair down and tousled it a bit.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  “Pass it over, man.”

  “Okay, okay,” said Keaton. “Hold your gob a minute.”

  Keaton and his two friends were out driving around the town. They had been at an outdoor party most of the afternoon, but it had become windy and started raining. Most of the people left, and the party got boring. Empty booze bottles rolled and clashed together on the car floor as they raced through the wet country streets.

  “Pass it over,” insisted Matthew, who was Keaton’s oldest friend and possessed even less ambition. He had to practically yell over the blasting metal rock on the stereo, so he reached in front of Keaton’s face and ripped the joint out of his fingers. The hot ember landed on Keaton’s lap, and he started jumping all over the front seat. The driver, Gavin, laughed hysterically. He swerved the car and drove onto the shoulder. Beyond the shoulder was a long drop to the fast-flowing Blackmore River.

  They were fast approaching Cotter’s Bridge when they were jostled by an ugly bump under the 2003 Honda Accord.

  Gavin stopped the car. “What was that?” he asked his intoxicated mates.

  “I don’t know. Who cares? Probably just a badger or something. Let’s go.” Keaton batted out the ember on his crotch and was still giggling about it.

  Gavin got out and walked to the back of the car. He came running back to the passenger side, and as he swung open the door, Keaton fell out and onto the ground. Matthew, in the backseat, was beside himself with laughter. He got out and pointed down at Keaton, howling, and holding his stomach.

  Gavin wasn’t laughing. “We fuckin’ hit someone! We hit some guy. Get over here.”

  Keaton and Matthew looked at each other quizzically, their laughter subsiding. They flipped their hoods over their heads to shield the rain and followed.

  “Holy shit,” said Keaton. Behind the car, a man lay bleeding and moaning. His moans came out in a gurgle as his mouth was full of blood. Keaton looked closer at the man’s face. “Hey, I know this guy. He came snooping around the house the other day, looking for my aunt.”

  “Look at his leg, man,” said Gavin. “Gross.”

  “Oh, sick,” Keaton said. The man’s leg was severely twisted the wrong way, and there was bone protruding through his ripped pants around the knee area. Matthew wasn’t saying anything. He stood there with his hand over his mouth, eyes wide. Gavin checked for damage to his mum’s car.

  “Can’t see much damage on the car. What do we do? What are you looking for, Keats?”

  Keaton was scanning the sodden ground. He walked over to the edge of the road and picked up a sizable boulder with both hands. He held it up over his head, and, just before bringing it down hard, he said, “I can’t get caught with this shit. I’ll be seriously buggered. So will you guys.” He slammed the rock down on the wounded man’s head with all his strength. There was a loud crack and a wet, sickening crunch. The man was still gurgling lightly.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Keaton? We can call the cops and then just take off. They’ll never know who did it.” Gavin said. Matthew went back inside the car.

  “No way, man. I’m not risking jail time for this piece of shit. Look at him, he was gonna die anyway.” Keaton lifted the boulder and brought it down hard again on the dying man’s skull. This one finished the job.

  Keaton noticed a paper bag a few feet from where the man lay. He picked it up and pulled out a bottle of wine. Keaton unscrewed the cap and took a long swig. “Oh crap, poor taste in wine too, heh, heh.” He took one more big swallow and poured the rest on the man’s chest, then threw the bottle on the dead body. It bounced
off his stomach and rolled away.

  Keaton checked the man’s pockets and found a wallet. “Marcus James Foster,” he opened the billfold. “Woohoo, look at this. There’s gotta be at least two hundred pounds here. Let’s go party, man.”

  “You are seriously deranged. Give me that,” Gavin snatched the ID out of Keaton’s hand. “What kind of name is Marcus anyway? Sounds like a faggot.”

  “Help me get him over to the edge before a car comes,” said Keaton. He yelled over to Matthew. “Get over here, you pansy-ass and help.”

  They could hear Matthew puking into the dirt by the car and started laughing. “I guess it’s up to us, Gav.”

  They dragged the body by the arms to the edge of the cliff and rolled it over, sending it plunging down into the wet fogginess some hundred feet below. They were worried for a second as it looked like the body was going to stay on the bank. But gravity and momentum carried it successfully into the rapids and down the river.

  “Did you see him go?” asked Gavin. “I can’t see nothin’.”

  “Well, I definitely heard a splash. Yeah, yeah, he’s gone,” Keaton gave a mock salute. “Bon voyage, Marcus, you faggot.” The two young men had a good laugh at that and then walked back to the car. “Hey Matt, you pussy. Thanks a lot for your help.” He threw the ID card at him. “Get rid of this ASAP. At least you can do that much.”

  They got back in the car, and Gavin peeled out on the gravel, sending dirt and rocks flying out behind the tires.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  She had her hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it and get the hell out of this nightmare.

  “You’re leaving us?” Morvin asked, with a nasty smirk on her haggard face. Grace could barely see her looming silhouette through the darkness of the gloomy foyer.