Dangerous & Deadly- The Nick Myers Series

by Tanya R. Taylor

  “Who the hell are you talking about, Frank?”

  “Victor Emerson, the so-called serial killer. He’s my twin brother,” he replied. “We’re not identical twins, but we are twins.”

  “How do you know he’s your brother?” Annie asked.

  “For years, I’ve collected data concerning my biological family – who they are, where they lived, where they moved to. I keep clippings and notes beneath the rug, right here.” He showed her.

  “You actually killed all those people and framed your own brother to take the rap?” Annie asked, bewildered.

  “He deserves much worse,” Frank said. “Our mother gave me up for adoption and kept him. We’re twins. Why did she keep just one of us? I have another sister too; she didn’t give her away either. Because my biological siblings stayed with our mother, they got to live a good life - have nice families, college degrees - everything. All my life, I wiggled in quick sand just to get by; you know that! Nothing I tried to do ever worked. My brother turned out to be something; I turned out to be nothing and it’s all because of that woman!” He said with an evil glare.

  “You tried to kill Ray; didn’t you?” Annie asked flat out.

  “I tried to protect you, Annie. He’s no good for you,” Frank replied.

  “How can you possibly be the judge of that?!”

  “Because you’re my sister and I’m the only man in this world who truly loves you. You must know that by now. That’s why I had to kill Tom.”

  Annie covered her mouth with both hands. “You killed Tom?” She said almost in a whisper.

  “He was sleeping around on you, Annie.”

  She backed away toward the door, tears now streaming down her face. “You’re sick, Frank; really, really sick. I’m calling the cops. You’re not my brother. You’re a cold-blooded murderer!”

  Frank rushed at her, grabbed her by the arms and shook her violently. “Don’t you ever say that, you hear! Never! You’ll always be my sister. I love you more than anyone, Annie.” He rubbed his face against hers, then pulled her over to the bed. He retrieved the rope from his duffle bag, untangled it using one hand and his teeth, and tossed Annie onto the mattress – face down.

  “I can see you’re gonna be a problem,” he said, tying her hands behind her back. “I hate to do this to you, but I can’t allow you to foil my plan. I’m not quite finished, you see. There’s one more thing I have to do. I’m about to give my dear sister, Betty, a fatal heart attack this time.” He turned Annie over and tied her ankles together.

  “Frank, don’t!” She pleaded. “You don’t have to get revenge like this. You’re only destroying yourself!”

  “You know there’s no advice I treasure more than yours, Big Sis, but this time I’ll have to pass.”

  He pressed a piece of duct tape firmly across Annie’s mouth, then kissed her on the forehead. Afterwards, he grabbed his blood-stained duffle bag from the foot of the bed and headed out the door. Annie lay helpless and stiff with terror.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  The boys had set out early to grab a few needed items from the grocery store. When they left, Betty was sitting at the dining-room table in her nightgown, sipping decaffeinated coffee and reading the morning newspaper. Lisa, exhausted from the night before, was still asleep.

  “No more coffee for you,” said Rosy after noticing Betty’s empty cup.

  “No more coffee, Rosy,” Betty conceded with a disappointing smile. She knew that with an elevated blood pressure she would have to limit the amount of caffeine she consumed. “I’m going up for a shower now.”

  “Madam have no plans of leaving the house today, does she?”

  “No, she doesn’t,” Betty got up from the table realizing that her housekeeper was also monitoring the amount of rest she got.

  As the water ran vigorously into the bathtub, Betty selected her underwear from the drawer. There were two things she relished most every morning: A cup of coffee and a hot, steamy bath. She was beginning to feel like herself again in spite of everything and had started meditating in order to clear her mind of negative thoughts.

  After a long soak in the bubbly water, she stood up and reached for her robe. Then in the bedroom, she sat in front of the round, silver-framed mirror and started brushing her hair. On the fourth stroke, she froze. The startling image in the mirror chilled her spine. Before she could utter a single word, the man swung an arm over her head as in a choke hold and firmly held the blade of a knife against her throat. Slowly, he forced her to her feet, the weapon still in place. Betty's breath hissed through her teeth, her blood pounding in her ears.

  “We can do this as quickly or as slowly as you wish. It’s up to you,” Frank said evenly.

  Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Aunt Bee…” went the soft voice behind it.

  Betty was now in panic mode as her attacker quickly covered her mouth with his hand. He could surely hear her heart thumping inside her chest.

  The knob turned slowly, the door opened, and Lisa started inside. The stranger’s face startled her, but his voice brought her to a complete halt.

  “Hi, Lisa,” Frank said quietly. “Come in and shut the door.”

  Instinctively, Lisa heeded the intruder’s demands. “Who are you? What are you doing?” She asked, fearful for her aunt’s safety.

  “It’s David - alive and in person,” he smiled. “Except that David is an imaginary twenty-five year-old who has to care for his ailing mother, and I’m Frank Keller, a forty-one year-old who wished he could have taken care of his - only in a different way than you might imagine.”

  Stunned by the revelation, Lisa backed away slowly.

  “Move another inch and she’s dead.” Frank’s voice was so controlled, so cold and so even that his deadly intent was clear.

  He looked at Betty. “I’m going to move my hand now. If you scream, I will cut your throat so deeply, your niece here will have nightmares to last her a lifetime.”

  “Please let her go,” Betty cried. “She has nothing to do with this.”

  “I like Lisa. I won’t hurt her…” Frank smirked as he shifted the pointed blade against Betty’s back, “…but I would hurt you.”

  “Leave her alone!” Lisa shouted.

  “Why are you doing this?” Betty asked.

  “I think you already know the answer to that question,” Frank said.

  “What is he talking about, Aunt Bee?” Lisa looked at her aunt, bemused.

  “I’ll give you anything - anything you want. Just don’t hurt us!” Betty muttered between clenched teeth, as Frank did not slacken his grip on her.

  “I want revenge. Now, let’s go!” He yanked her toward the door and the three of them slowly descended the stairway into the living room.

  To Betty’s relief, Rosy had not been harmed. She was downstairs dusting the center table, completely unaware of what was happening upstairs. Amidst her evanescent allayment, Betty wondered how long Frank might have been inside the house without drawing anyone’s attention and also why he had spared the housekeeper – another possible witness against him if they happened to make it out alive. Her answer would soon come.

  “Don’t move, Rosy,” Frank warned.

  Jolted by terror, Rosy dropped the furniture polish and started to scream. Betty shook her head slightly to warn her to be quiet and she immediately conceded.

  “Smart girl,” Frank said to Betty. “Now we just have to wait for the rest of the family to get here. I’m very patient,” he smiled with an evil glare in his eyes.

  Rosy looked on in terror; Lisa in tears. Suddenly, they all heard a car pull up and Frank quickly dragged Betty to the window with him. He looked outside. “Great! Now everyone’s here. Anyone makes a sound and old Betty here gets her throat cut.”

  They heard keys jingling, then one being inserted into the doorknob. Seconds later, the front door opened and Joe and Tim stepped into the nightmare. Tim, who entered first, was dumbfounded.

  “Come on in,” Frank insiste
d calmly.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Joe demanded. “Get your filthy hands off of her!”

  “Calm down, honey. I’m all right,” Betty said softly.

  “Who the hell are you? What do you want with us?” Joe asked.

  “I’m about to get what I want any moment now,” Frank looked at Betty. “Go ahead. Tell them who I am!” He slackened his grip on her neck slightly.

  Betty hesitated for a moment, then finally said: “This man is… my brother.”

  Everyone was speechless. The silence ensued for what seemed like minutes.

  “I never knew you and Dad had another brother,” Lisa eventually found her voice.

  “Your dad doesn’t know either,” Betty unloaded another bombshell.

  “But you did, didn’t you?” Frank poked her from behind with the pointed edge of the knife.

  “Yes, I did,” she flinched in pain. Joe looked on nervously, desperately wishing he could get his wife away from the knife-wielding maniac. “But how could you possibly know that?” Betty asked Frank.

  “Our old Aunt Freda spilled the beans. May she rest in peace,” he said.

  “Oh, no! You killed her; didn’t you?” Betty exclaimed.

  Frank's wide smile was the embodiment of evil.

  “But she was the one who tried to convince our mother not to give you up,” Betty explained. “Freda didn’t have any children of her own and she begged Mother to just allow her to take care of you, but she refused. She said she would rather a stranger have you than her own sister because she believed that Freda hated her and would have eventually turned you against her. I never understood why our mother separated her own twins, other than the fact that she was struggling financially as a single mom. She was later diagnosed with postpartum depression and never seemed to get better.” Frank stood silently, wanting her to continue. “Mother made me promise from day one not to speak a word of what had happened and to not try and find you when I got older because she didn’t want anyone intruding in your life. She thought it would be better that way. If it’s any consolation to you, she died ten years later a very, very sad woman.” Betty wanted to grab him and shake him fiercely. “You were the reason our mother and Freda stopped speaking all those years. Didn’t Freda tell you that before you butchered her like a pig?”

  “Sure, she did,” Frank answered casually, “but she could have done more, you know. She could have stopped her demented sister somehow. It makes her no better than she was. All my life I suffered because my own mother didn’t want me and no other family member tried to find me. I grew up feeling unloved, unwanted and like a total reject, while you people lived it up!” His voice heightened angrily, then, as if a light-bulb had been switched on inside his head, he appraised the room with the dazed look of euphoria. His eyes were glassy and impenetrable. “I had a great time ripping those people apart – all the while thinking of my precious family and making our dear brother, Victor, take the blame. It gave me a rush like you’d never believe! I was in control – total control, and when I saw the look of fear in their eyes, I knew I was somebody then. I was powerful. I had their lives in my hands.”

  “You set up my dad!” Tim charged. “I’m gonna break your frigging neck!”

  Joe had to restrain him. “No, Tim! That’s what he wants.”

  “Smart husband you’ve got, sis,” Frank said before positioning the knife under Betty's left ear, its serrated blade against the soft skin of her neck. He raised his elbow, that evil smile smothering his face all the while. Joe pleaded with him to let Betty go while the others looked on tearfully. Frank did not allow anyone to get near him, knowing that by the time they took to rush him from the distance they stood at, he would have easily given Betty’s throat a deep, clean cut, severing the jugular vein. This was better than sex to him, better than money. He was finally getting the revenge he had craved for years. No one’s tears nor pleading moved him. He was determined to accomplish his mission. Then suddenly, the shrill of approaching sirens wiped the eerie smile off his face. He heard cars screeching to abrupt halts outside the house. Impulsively, he pulled Betty closer.

  “Everyone stay put,” he said backing away toward the sliding door.

  “There’s no sense in making things any worse than they already are,” Joe said, his voice shaking. “Please just let her go.”

  Frank kept backing away. He could see at least a dozen police officers outside, holding their weapons at the ready.

  “Frank Keller, this is The Los Angeles Police Department. Step outside with your hands up!” An amplified voice sounded. “Step outside with your hands up and you will not be harmed.”

  Frank's eyes darted wildly. Though his instincts were relative to those of a trapped animal, his human nature still craved revenge and he meant to have it. He positioned Betty ahead of him. His arm still firmly around her neck, they both stepped outside. He relished the idea of having an even wider audience now. Joe and Tim moved in cautiously behind them; Joe was certain he could take him at just the right crack.

  This is the moment Frank had been waiting for – the moment which would be indented into the minds of all those Betty loved until the day they died. He pressed. The cops saw blood. Slowly, he approached them and with a broad smile, he moved to finish the job with one clean slice, when suddenly, the butt of a semi-automatic crashed down on top of his head and he dropped like a stone.

  Joe, Rosy, and the kids ran to Betty’s aid as Annie Keller looked on blankly from a squad car. Two officers immediately dragged Frank to his feet. His head bloody, he was handcuffed and led away. Nick Myers and Lou Riley stood together as he passed.

  “Detective Myers,” Frank said weakly, “I hope I’ve been of assistance to you.” He wore the sick smile again.

  “Braxton…” Nick stared at him as he passed.

  TWENTY-NINE

  STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

  One week later

  Victor, no longer imprisoned – having all charges against him dropped - was escorted down the corridor after the weighty gate slid shut behind them. Their footsteps echoed loudly.

  “He’s in there waiting for you,” the guard said at the door. “He’s chained like a wild beast so you don’t have a thing to worry about. I’ll be right outside this door if you need me.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be fine,” Victor replied before stepping inside the room. For a moment he just stood there, looking at the stranger he had come to see – a slight reflection of himself. “Why’d you do it?” He asked, refusing to sit with him.

  Frank sat with his hands stretched across the desk, fingers intertwined. “Why? Didn’t our sister tell you, Brother?” He returned callously. “How’s her throat, by the way?”

  Victor did not entertain Frank with an answer.

  “I always knew about you,” Frank went on. “Your life was my life. I just didn’t have your family, your career, your money, your big house in the suburbs, fancy cars. I never had any of those things. Maybe it’s because I never had the self-esteem to make anything out of myself, and guess whose fault that is…”

  “It’s nobody’s fault but your own,” Victor replied. “You are what you are because you chose to wallow in self-pity instead of getting up off your ass and going after what you wanted in life. Instead, you blame everyone else for your misfortunes. You had a choice and you made it, but those people you killed, didn’t choose to die.”

  “It was all for you, Brother,” Frank said indifferently.

  “But why me? I didn’t ruin your life.”

  Frank looked him dead in the eyes. “You and your family represent the person who did. For each of those people I killed, each part of them I severed was symbolic of the broken pieces in my life. You think I did it all for fun?” He stared intensely into Victor’s eyes. “Absolutely not! Everything I did served a purpose. I was sending a message.”

  “You’re crazy. This is a waste of time,” Victor shook his head and turned to leave.

  “I’m really sorry p
oor Molly had to get herself involved in this dreadful situation by merely marrying you,” Frank added. “But as the saying goes: The innocent suffer for the guilty. Know what I mean?”

  Victor stopped suddenly in his tracks and again faced his brother. “What are you saying?”

  “Oh, I can see you’re definitely in the dark, my brother.” Frank saw the dread in Victor’s eyes and enjoyed it. “I have one thing to say to you. Everything isn’t always as it appears to be. Sometimes things are never what they seem. Molly’s death was no accident. You see, I knew her usual route home. She was driving alone that night, remember? That very night marked the beginning of it all for me - of my vengeance against you and your precious family. I waited near the cluster of trees by that dangerous curb – you know the one I’m talking about - and as I spotted her approaching headlights with that bright blue sticker on the front bumper, I just ran out into the road in front of her. As she shifted to avoid hitting me, she lost control of the wheel and slammed into the tree. I heard that almost every bone in her beautiful body was broken. Is that true, Brother?”

  Feeling every fiber of his being ignited with rage as flashbacks of Molly’s battered body consumed his mind, Victor leapt at Frank with such force that with a loud thump they both landed onto the floor. He was on top of Frank who was hopelessly pinned in the chair. Victor clasped his hands around Frank’s neck and began squeezing with all his might. By the time the guard managed to barge inside and pull him off, Frank was already turning pale.

  “I’m gonna kill you, you bastard!” Victor yelled, struggling to get at him a second time. “You rot in hell! You hear me?!”

  Frank held his throat, gasping for air and intermittently looking up at the man he had learned to despise – his own flesh and blood. “I’m already there,” he whispered.