Past Unveiling

by Audrey Walker

  “You stupid child!” the Butcher’s voice shouted at the back. “When I get my hands on you, I am going to kill you!”

  “Promise!” Robin whispered.

  The flash of memory faded from Robin’s mind, and her heart started to race. What was all that about and what did that mean? What more had she forgotten about that basement?

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Andrews!” Robin called, trying to catch up to him. He walked on faster, and Robin had to run to grab his arm.

  “Oh, Detective Matthews,” he said. “I didn’t hear you.”

  Robin knew he was lying. He had been avoiding her ever since she re-joined the task force.

  “Look, Andrews, I know you are avoiding me,” she said. “And I know why. I am sorry about the incident at the Butcher’s house. I didn’t mean to hold you hostage. I just needed to get away, and I didn’t think and–.”

  “It’s alright, Detective,” he said. “You don’t have to explain yourself.”

  “No, I do,” Robin said. “Andrews, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “I really look up to you, Detective Matthews,” he said. “I always have. You have always been one of my role models. I hoped to be as good as you someday. I must admit I am a bit shy, and a bit gutless. This case especially is much more than I imagined. I came here because I love mystery and crime, but seeing it laid out in front of me – it’s horrible. I never thought humans could be this cruel!”

  Robin looked at the man in front of her, and for the first time, she truly saw him. She saw an officer who had recently become a Detective and was slowly realizing that he had bitten off more than he could chew. She saw a young Detective who had probably been feeling less of a man because he couldn’t stomach all the blood and death. He probably had no one to talk to about this, being too ashamed to reveal the weakness within him.

  “Andrews, listen to me,” she said. “I know how you feel. I know how horrible it all seems when you start out, and to be honest, it never gets easier. As time passes on, you only see the worst of the worst, and you will stop being shocked at how deplorable humans are. You might become numb to it like us, but it won’t ever truly leave you. And I want you to know all these feelings; they don’t make you any less of a Detective. What you feel, it’s not something to be ashamed of. Everyone feels it, but no one has the guts to talk about it. I know how overwhelming this all is for you. If you ever need to talk, I am there for you, okay?”

  Andrews nodded, putting forth a small smile on his face. Robin patted him on the back and walked away, feeling relieved. She had felt guilty about Andrews for the past few days, and she felt good having talked it out.

  “Hey, Matthews,” Burke called out. “We got the boyfriend for interrogation. What do you think about the girl’s statement?”

  “I would like to know for sure who the boyfriend is,” Robin said. “The friend thinks she knows, but it could be someone else. I guess we will find out.”

  They walked into the interrogation room, and Burke barked the introductions before sitting in front of the boy. Adrian gave a cocky smile and said, “Can I ask why you called me here?”

  He was an arrogant jerk. Robin could tell instantly. The son of one of the local businessmen, he was a handsome little brat. He had money, looks, and probably lots of friends and imagined himself the king of the world.

  “Were you dating Kaila at the time she passed away?” Robin asked.

  “Tch,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I date many girls. I don’t remember who is who.”

  “Really?” Burke asked, narrowing his eyes at him. “Were you dating her or not?”

  “Why? Did someone tell you we were?” Adrian asked. “Everyone wants a piece of me.”

  “You know, if you are the boyfriend,” Burke said softly, “that makes you our prime suspect.”

  “Woah!” Adrian said, instantly sitting up. “I didn’t know this was that serious. I thought she was one of the Executioner’s victims!”

  “Talk!” Burke snapped.

  “It wasn’t me, man!” he said. “I mean, at one point, we were. A few months back, we were a thing. Her father disapproved, so we kept it hushed up. Then things started changing. She met some other guy, I could tell. She started pushing me away and slowly slipped out of the picture.”

  “What guy?” Robin asked.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Someone shady enough that Kaila kept him hidden from everyone. Maybe an older man, or that’s the impression I got from her conversations. She dropped hints whenever she was high, but she was careful not to say too much even then. Apparently, she was in love with him, but she knew that her father would never agree, so she just hid him. She said once her father was re-elected, she was going to bring it all out into the open. That’s it! That’s all I know.”

  “Did you send the taxi to pick her up?” Burke asked.

  “No, I didn’t!” he said. “I already told you guys that I didn’t see her that night! She never came to me! Look, if this is serious, then I am not going to speak any more! I want my lawyer here!”

  Robin exchanged a look with Burke, who sighed.

  “This crap just keeps getting deeper and deeper,” he groaned as they walked out of there.

  “I know,” Robin said. “It’s like quicksand, and the more we stir things up, the worse it gets.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  She looked at his green eyes, filled with desperation and hope at the same time. His hands clutched hers tightly as if begging her not to let go.

  “Do you love me?” he whispered.

  “Of course, I do,” Robin whispered, smiling at the child.

  He smiled at her, his face filling with relief and happiness.

  “Okay,” he said and then let her hand go.

  Robin woke up with a gasp, her body shivering in the cold winter night. The nightmares were back, and they had come back with a vengeance. She thought she was doing better ever since therapy started with Dr. Rosemond, but things were getting worse again. Robin couldn’t sleep even for half an hour without nightmares plaguing her. She lay there panting, her eyes closed.

  “I like playing games with you,” the child giggled.

  “And I like playing with you, too,” Robin said, smiling at him warmly.

  “I am glad you are here, Robin,” he said, looking away. “It’s like I have my Mama back.”

  “Do you really miss her?” Robin asked.

  “A lot,” he said. “I have been so lonely without her.”

  “It’s alright, I am here now,” Robin said, stroking his hair.

  “And you will always be here?” he asked. “You won’t leave me?”

  “Of course, I won’t leave you,” she said. “When we get out of here, I will take you to all the places I keep telling you about. The candy shop, the parks, and all the other places!”

  “Wow,” he whispered, his eyes bright with amazement.

  Robin couldn’t help but smile as she looked at him. He had changed so much in the last five months. He had changed. Here was this broken kid who tortured animals for amusement. Now he was filled with love again. It surprised her how little it took to fight the evil born within him. In the end, all it took was love. She wondered what else would be right in the world if everyone was just kinder and loving.

  Robin gasped, the memory flashing before her eyes. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to remember.

  The kid stood before her, covered in blood.

  “I did this for you,” he whispered, his eyes wide with fear. “I did it for you, Robin. You have to see the birds outside.”

  “What did you do?” Robin whispered, horrified.

  “I did it for you,” he said. “Say Hi to Abby for me.”

  Robin sat up, her head aching. What was that? A memory? What had happened down there? Why was there so much blood? Was that a memory, or just another nightmare?

  She walked out of her room, heading to the kitchen downstairs to get a drink of water.
She walked into the kitchen and then froze, noticing a dark silhouette lurking in the corner.

  “Jim?” she whispered.

  “It’s me,” he whispered. “I couldn’t sleep, so I just came for some milk.”

  “Jim, are you okay?” she asked, slowly walking toward him.

  He turned around to face her, his body shaking.

  “I see him everywhere,” he gasped. “I hear his voice all the time. I don’t even know what he looks like, but I see him! A demon! A horrible monster! He has my Abby!”

  “Jim, it’s okay,” Robin said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Everything will be okay. Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to Abby!”

  “He will never leave me!” Jim said.

  “Jim, snap out of it!” Robin said, shaking him. “You can’t act like this. You need to pull yourself together! Abby needs you right now! You know how much she depends on you. And right now, you need to be there for her! And you can’t help her if you are like this! I know how traumatized you are. I know how much you worry about Abby and how hard all of this is for you! But you need to get a hold of yourself! For Abby! For your Baby!”

  He looked at her, his face unreadable.

  “But he is everywhere, Robin,” he whispered. “I see him outside our house every night.”

  “What are you talking about?” Robin whispered.

  Silence reigned between them as Jim just looked at her. The kitchen was dark, and the only source of light was the moonlight that entered through the window. She could only see half of Jim’s face, and he looked horrified. He just pointed toward the window, and Robin turned to look toward it.

  “Jim, tell me what you mean,” she insisted.

  “I can’t sleep,” he said. “So, I come down here, so I don’t disturb Abby. And every night when I look out of the window, I see him there, looking at me. That dark shadow of a monster is always there. Always watching us.”

  “You’re seeing things,” Robin said. “Look, Jim, I am seeing a therapist. Maybe he can help you. Maybe he can make things better for you, okay? I will give you his details, but I really think you should get back to Abby now. Just try and get some sleep, okay?”

  “How can I sleep when he is out there watching us all?” he whispered.

  “Just do it for Abby,” Robin said. “She needs you, Jim. Abby really needs your support and love right now. After all, she has been through. She knows that you are suffering, and it’s worrying her. Why don’t you go get some rest, and we will discuss this in detail tomorrow?”

  He sighed and then stood up shakily.

  “He is there,” Jim said. “He is always watching us. We can’t escape him. Never.”

  He scuffled away, and Robin stood there watching him walk away. She waited until he had climbed the stairs, and she heard his bedroom door closing before turning around. She slowly made her way toward the window and slightly parted the curtain.

  There he was. A dark silhouette, standing at the other side of the street, staring at their house. Jim was right.

  He was watching them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Detective Matthews,” Andrews said, quickly making his way toward her.

  “Andrews, just call me Robin or Matthews,” she said. “I told you that ten times already.”

  “Alright, so I did as you said and looked at the CCTV footage outside your sister’s house,” he said. “But I couldn’t find anything. The camera doesn’t work. It has been out of order for the last few weeks.”

  “I see,” Robin said. “Alright, thank you. Just don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

  “Of course,” he said, smiling at her. “I understand.”

  Robin got lost in her thoughts again when Andrews’ voice interrupted her again.

  “Hey, isn’t this the Blackwell crest?” he asked.

  “Sorry, what?” Robin asked.

  “The necklace around your neck,” he said, pointing to the necklace the Executioner had sent to her. “That’s the Blackwell family crest.”

  Robin took one look at it and then instantly sat up.

  “Why don’t you tell me more about this crest?” she asked.

  “I don’t know much about it,” he said. “All I know is that they are one of the ancient families belonging to the town of Ravensville. I only know about it because my grandmother lived in that town, and I would sometimes visit her. I didn’t know you were a Blackwell family member. I heard they all died.”

  “I am not,” Robin said, forcing a smile. “This was a gift.”

  “Oh, alright,” he said. “I will be going then?”

  “Yes, thank you for your help, Andrews,” she said.

  Andrews walked away, and Kyle’s voice echoed behind her.

  “He is smitten with you,” he announced.

  “He is not!” Robin protested. “The poor kid just needed someone to show him some damn kindness.”

  She looked at Kyle, who gave her a dry smile. He looked better than before. At least he had shaved and taken a shower and was concentrating on work.

  “So, how are you doing?” she asked.

  “Same,” he said. “But there is a serial killer on the loose, and someone deliberately killed the Mayor’s daughter. We have too much work on our hands to slack off.”

  “What about Danvers?” she asked.

  “I am not giving up,” he said firmly. “I will find the evidence I need against him someday. But until then, I am going to work my ass off catching the murderers that I can catch, starting with this copycat and then the Executioner.”

  “Good to have you back, Kyle,” Robin said.

  He nodded, but Robin had a feeling that it will be quite some time before he will be normal again.

  __

  “Hello?” Robin shouted. “Hello, is anyone in here?”

  “I’m coming!” an angry voice shouted. The door was pulled open, and a tiny, white-haired woman stood there.

  “What?” she snapped.

  “I am Detective Matthews, and this Detective Grange,” Robin said. “Can I ask you a few questions about your tenant on the top floor?”

  “Why you ask me?” she asked.

  “Because you are the landlady of this building, correct?” Robin said.

  The woman glared at her and swung the door all the way open.

  “Come!” she ordered.

  They followed her in, and she pointed toward an uncomfortable-looking chair.

  Robin sat down while Kyle continued to stand. The room stunk of mothballs and sour milk, and Robin tried not to let her expression show how she felt about the room. It was overcrowded, stuffy, and suffocating. Robin didn’t know how this woman continued living here.

  “What you want to know?” she barked, speaking in her broken English.

  “Mrs. Cartwright,” Kyle said. “You immigrated here, I believe?”

  “It’s all legal!” she said angrily. “You, cops! Always looking for poor people like me. It’s all legal, you hear me!”

  “That’s not why we are here,” Robin said. “He was just trying to get a bit of background information on you, that’s all. But no worries, can you tell us about your tenant?”

  “The one who got killed?” she snapped. “In my building! A murder! It ruins a business! Who will want to come here now, tell me? Who will want to come to a place where someone die? Who will live here? I didn’t like him when I first saw him. Still, I thought I will give him room. He always paid rent on time, too. What a shame this is. Loss of good tenant.”

  “Did you know about his taxi?” Robin asked.

  “Eh, it was stolen,” she said. “We all knew it. He steal car and make money taking people one place to another. Shady people. He was mixed with the wrong sort. Took money and helped all these shady people.”

  “Do you perhaps know about a girl he picked up recently?” Kyle asked.

  The old woman shook her head, muttering to herself. “Shame! Shame!”

  “Alright, then can you tell us about a
ny recent visitors he had?” Kyle asked. “Like on the day he was murdered?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t spend all day looking out window. I am busy.”

  “I know, but maybe you accidentally heard or saw something?” Robin asked pacifyingly. “It happens, you know.”

  The old woman looked at her for a minute and then said, “I saw a man coming here. I remembered because he came here with guard and big car. He was tall, handsome, dark hair. He came late at night when everyone asleep. But I was up. When you are old, sleep never comes. I was looking at the moon when I saw the man. He go up to his room, I know because I look, and after a while he come down.”

  “When was this?” Kyle asked.

  “Two day before murder,” she said.

  Kyle exchanged a look with Robin and then reached into his pocket. He withdrew his phone and started to scroll. Robin looked at him questioningly, wondering what he was up to.

  “Was it this man?” he asked, showing her a picture on his phone.

  “Yes!” the woman examined. “It was him. I am sure.”

  Robin glanced at the picture and then froze. No. It couldn’t be, could it?

  The picture in front of her was Danvers.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “So, Danvers visited the taxi driver exactly two days before the murder,” Burke said thoughtfully. “You suspect that he hired the driver to pick up the victim from her friend’s house? But why?”

  “Because they were dating,” Robin said. “IT finally managed to hack into her phone. We have access to all her messages and calls. Those two were dating. Apparently, Danvers has been in town for the last few months, but he had been careful to keep it a secret. Evidently, another party was interested in the land he is using for his mall. He came in secret and covertly bought the property before the other party could find out. They met at some club and started dating, and Kaila was completely enamored with him. She thought he was the one. On the day of the murder, he asked her to meet him. They made the whole plan together. He said he would hire a taxi for her, and she was to come and meet him at some apartment.”