“You should wait out here,” he announced then hurried after Devon.
Ross stepped onto the porch as Devon pushed open the slightly creaking door.
“Devon, don’t go in without me,” Ross whispered, but she ignored him and entered the house.
He groaned and attempted to walk on the less rotted boards that creaked and groaned beneath his feet. He ended up running across the porch as if running over hot coals. Ross entered the farmhouse hallway and immediately looked up the creepy steps that were partially rotted and missing. He grimaced then placed his hand on Devon’s arm.
“I should probably go first,” he announced then hesitated and pushed Devon along the hallway while hiding behind her.
Devon was too nervous even to realize Ross was using her as a shield. She peered into the first room they reached, which would have been the old sitting room. There were a few pieces of old furniture that were probably home to a dozen or more rats. The furniture was mostly chewed through with stuffing scattered around the floor. Devon was about to turn toward the room across the hall when she spotted something in the far corner of the room. She uncertainly entered the sitting room and approached what looked suspiciously like a body on the floor with a sheet covering it. Ross saw what she was staring at and clutched her arm.
“Maybe we should call Sheriff Carter,” Ross suggested in a whisper.
Devon ignored him and continued her slow approach toward the sheet covered object. She reached out with a trembling hand and had to focus so she wouldn’t react to Ross squeezing her arm, nearly cutting off her circulation. She grasped a corner of the sheet and pulled it off while jumping back a step and colliding with Ross. Ross cried out, causing Devon to scream as well. Both stared at the old grandfather clock lying on the floor. Devon and Ross finally exhaled and managed a tiny, nervous laugh. They practically hugged each other then returned to the hallway. Devon indicated the room with the closed door on the other side of the hall, which logically would have been the dining room. Devon attempted to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She eyed Ross suspiciously.
“Why would the door be locked?”
“It’s probably just stuck,” he informed her. “It’s a sliding door. I wouldn’t doubt the wood is just warped or rotted.”
Ross gently pushed her aside and pulled on the sliding door. Something snapped, and the door slid open with a thunderous crack, nearly falling off its track. They peered into the room and immediately focused their attention on the old dining room table. The old table contained a large pool of partially dried blood in the center. The wood was freshly splintered in the middle of the table caused by either a sword or ax. Blood had seeped through the cracks and collected into a pool on the floor beneath the table. Ross and Devon stared with shock at the large amount of blood that also streaked over the side of the table, as if something or someone had been pulled from it. Apart from blood spatters, there wasn’t any other trace of blood on the floor. Whatever had been killed was placed on a tarp or blanket to keep from leaving a trail of blood.
“Ivy,” Devon gasped with horror and cast a frightened look at Ross.
Ross couldn’t take his eyes off the blood and appeared unable to speak.
“How in the world did you guys find me?” a female voice asked from behind them.
Ross and Devon screamed in unison while spinning around. They stared at Ivy, who stood in the hallway clutching her large purse. Ivy screamed when they screamed.
“What’s going on?” Candice cried out from the front door.
Ross, Devon, and Ivy all screamed and spun toward the door. When they screamed, Candice screamed. Everyone took deep breaths and attempted to calm down. Ivy’s mother ran toward the dining room and hugged her daughter.
“Oh, Ivy. I was so worried!”
She returned the hug and sighed. “Well, you can relax,” Ivy huffed and pulled away while frowning. “The bastard never showed.”
“Who?” her mother demanded.
“Burt Danson,” she replied and made a face. “Apparently, he’s been playing the casting couch game with his potential actresses.”
“I can’t believe you’d come out here by yourself to meet that snake,” Devon suddenly cried out. “And after Jamie was murdered. What if he’s the one who killed her?”
“I know it was stupid.”
“Aren’t we all forgetting something rather important?” Ross remarked while raising his brows.
Once they looked at him, he indicated the large pool of dried blood on the dining room table as if he were giving away a new car. Candice and Ivy saw the blood and cried out with horror.
“Holy hell,” Ivy cried out. “What happened?”
“We thought you were killed,” Devon informed her.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Ross announced and grabbed Ivy’s arm. “We’ll call Sheriff Carter from Ivy’s house.”
Ross practically pulled Ivy from the house. As they hurried off the porch, something sharp stuck Ross in the side. He cried out and looked at Ivy’s large bag. A tiny kitten climbed his shirt.
“What the hell--?” he cried out and removed the kitten and its sharp claws from his side.
He stared at the kitten with surprise then looked back at Ivy. She grimaced slightly and opened her bag.
“Just put it back with the others,” she announced.
Ross looked into her bag and saw three more kittens and their momma cat. Ross groaned and returned the kitten to her bag. As they headed toward the car and jeep, Ross hesitated and stared at the barn.
“Hey,” he announced with surprise. “I think there’s someone in the barn.”
The three women turned toward the barn with surprise but didn’t see anything except darkness beyond the partially open doors.
Candice grabbed Ivy’s arm and tugged on her. “I don’t care what’s in there,” she cried out. “Let’s get out of here.”
Devon followed Ivy to her jeep while Ross jumped into the back seat. Devon paused by the jeep door and looked back at the barn. The barn door gently swayed in the breeze, and she swore she saw something move within the darkness.
“He’s right,” Devon remarked nervously. “There’s someone in the barn.”
“Do you suppose it’s Burt?” Ivy asked.
“I don’t want to stick around to find out,” her mother announced from her own car door. “Let’s get out of here.”
“We should check,” Devon insisted without taking her eyes off the partially open barn door.
“You are not going into that barn,” Ivy’s mother cried out.
“We won’t,” Devon announced and glanced at the frantic woman. “We’ll just drive up to it, give the doors a gentle nudge, and see who runs out.”
“You’re insane,” Candice exploded then drew a deep breath and attempted to remain calm. “Just keep the car doors locked.”
Candice jumped into her car while the others got into Ivy’s jeep. Ivy started her jeep then drove toward the barn, gently pushing the big doors inward with the front bumper. The headlights from the jeep lit up the interior of the old barn. They saw Paula Jarred hanging by her neck from the barn rafters while her chalky white body swayed in the breeze. Her midsection was completely hollowed from a large slice starting at her sternum running down to her groin. Her insides lay in a heap on the dirt floor beneath her feet. Devon, Ivy, and Ross all screamed when they saw the savagely murdered woman.
Ivy continued to scream as she threw the shifter into reverse and floored the pedal. The jeep flew backward from the barn. There was a sudden jolt and a distinct crash. Ross was cast across the back seat. All three sat immobile a moment. Ivy and Devon uncertainly looked behind them. Ross pulled himself onto the seat and looked out the rear window. The front of Mrs. Jennings’ car was smashed. Ross nervously waved at her from the back seat of the jeep.
Chapter Thirty-one
Later that afternoon, Devon sat silently in the sheriff’s office while watching him casually route through papers
on his moderately cluttered desk. Although a lot of people in town thought he was just a dumb, hick cop, Devon knew he was a problem solver. He always seemed to be jotting notes in his little notebook. She was pretty sure he was taking names to kick some asses in the future. His large frame and muscle mass was enough to intimidate even if others didn’t think he was exceptionally bright. He finally leaned on his desk and met her gaze.
“Do you have a ride home?”
“Well, I came here with Ivy, so I assume she’s taking me and Ross home,” Devon replied then eyed him when he didn’t initially respond.
He managed a tiny smile. “We have a few additional questions for Ivy,” Sheriff Carter replied. “She’s going to be detained a little while.”
“Detained?” Devon suddenly asked and sat forward with a look of concern. “You mean arrested?”
“Nope,” he casually replied and played with his pen while appearing almost bored. “Just detained.”
As she stared at the sheriff, she was beginning to think she may have been wrong. Maybe he was just a clueless idiot.
“She didn’t kill Paula,” Devon firmly insisted. “You know she didn’t.”
“I didn’t say she did,” he announced then cocked his head slightly while eyeing her suspiciously. “Why would you assume I thought she had?”
Devon shifted in her chair while frowning. “Because you’re naturally suspicious, and she was at the crime scene before we found Paula in the barn.”
Sheriff Carter maintained his emotionless stare, but she swore she saw a hint of a smile at what he perceived to be a compliment.
“I’d have to be pretty stupid to think Ivy killed Paula before you arrived at the farmhouse,” Sheriff Carter announced. “It was obvious Paula had been dead a few days already.” He gave her a curious look. “What time did you leave Ivy on Saturday night?”
“It was about twelve-thirty, but she was drunk nearly to the point of passing out, and I had her jeep,” Devon informed him. “She couldn’t have gone anywhere even if she wanted to.”
“I have to follow up on every possible lead,” Sheriff Carter informed her. “Jamie and Tamara were Ivy’s only real competition for that acting job. Witnesses said Paula was bragging that she had the job after her earlier audition in the back seat of Burt’s sedan.”
“What about Burt?” Devon demanded. “Couldn’t he be killing off the women he’s been promising this job? According to Marlene and Ivy, he’s the one who lured them to that farmhouse.”
“No, Devon,” Sheriff Carter announced in a calm tone. “Someone claiming to be Burt Danson called and lured them to that farmhouse. Ivy confessed she wasn’t sure it was actually Burt’s voice on the phone.”
She practically lunged forward. “Well, what about Karl? Jamie broke up with him a few days earlier. He must have been pissed at her,” Devon exploded. “He could have been the one making phone calls and luring women to their deaths. Maybe Paula overheard something that got her killed.”
“We’re still looking for Karl. His roommate said he’d talked about taking off for a while after he’d lost his job with Larry’s Construction,” he announced then shifted in his chair. “Burt Danson doesn’t have an alibi for Jamie’s murder, but there weren’t any phone calls made to the bank or the diner from his cell phone or the phone in his hotel room. Although we haven’t ruled him out, his motive for actually killing women he auditioned would be hazy.” He hesitated a moment while staring at her then raised his brows. “As a more interesting theory; we suspect one of the applicants may be cutting out the competition. Permanent like.”
Devon was starting to feel overwhelmed by his questions and strange offering of information regarding the case. She wasn’t sure if he was attempting to get her to confess something that would put Ivy in a bad light, or if he was just incompetent as most of the town suspected. She didn’t believe he was incompetent, so she had to assume he was fishing for some reason and using her as the dangling worm on the hook.
“If that’s the case, Tamara hated both women,” Devon insisted in a defensive tone. “She’d be a more likely suspect than Ivy. Jamie and Paula were her friends back in high school. Tamara’s sudden disappearance could just be part of her plan to frame someone else and generate sympathy. This town loves a good victim.”
There was an awkward silence as the sheriff stared at her. He drew a deep breath. “Honestly, I’m not counting on finding Tamara alive.”
She stared at him a moment as her mouth fell open with surprise. Devon immediately fidgeted and her defensiveness returned. “Ivy was called to that farmhouse. She’d received a phone call from a man the same as Jamie had,” Devon informed him as her anxiety increased. “You know damned well she could have been the next intended victim.”
“I’m not ruling that out either.”
Devon was becoming frustrated with his line of questioning. It was possible that Sheriff Carter was after something, but she was certain he was enjoying watching her squirm.
“Why am I here, Sheriff Carter?” she finally demanded, becoming impatient.
He studied her a moment while remaining completely relaxed and showed little emotion. “Why?” he asked almost mocking her. “Because you know all the key players in this tale of murder and your mind is as sharp as a razor’s edge.” He leaned back in his chair while studying her. “I knew if I pissed you off just enough, you’d confirm or shoot down my theories.” His mocking smile returned. “Do you honestly think there’s anyone in this office who’s smart enough to give me that sort of feedback? They’re all one-trick ponies around here.”
She stared at him with surprise. “You just wanted to bounce ideas off me?” Devon practically gasped then shook her head. “Why didn’t you just ask?”
He suddenly snorted a laugh. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about your family,” Sheriff Carter announced almost humored, “it’s that you’re all a bunch of level-headed thinkers who are good at keeping your mouths shut. Light the fuse, and you’re a bunch of powder kegs waiting to explode. I appreciate your insights into the murders. I’ll be in touch.”
Devon stared at him in disbelief that she’d been played. He toyed with her emotions so she’d rattle off every theory regarding the murders. She wasn’t sure if she respected him more for his devious mind or if she wanted to scream and punch him in the face. Why did she suddenly feel like her father?
§
Devon entered the diner a little while later with an annoyed look on her face. She waved at Marlene and looked for an empty table, but the diner was pretty full. Brant sat alone in a booth toward the back of the diner. Devon smiled more naturally and approached his table. She paused before Brant’s booth and stared at him while he read the paper.
“Good evening.”
Brant peered over his paper, appeared surprised to see her, folded his paper, and slid out of the booth while offering a sympathetic smile.
“Devon,” he announced timidly. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing much better,” she insisted. “It’s been a rough day, but at least Sheriff Carter is letting Ivy go. I’m the first to admit that he’s smarter than most people think, but sometimes he can be a real idiot.” She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. “I’d rather not talk about the murders anymore today.”
“Fair enough,” he announced while nodding then indicated the vacant seat across from him. “Care to join me for dinner?”
“I’d love to.”
She joined him at the table then fidgeted slightly while reliving the events of her traumatic day. She attempted to push those thoughts from her mind.
“So did the zombies survive?”
“Yes, they’ll live to frighten another day. Though I’m afraid the sets will need some major repairs,” he informed her with a defeated sigh. “But I did buy a generator. No more power outages. It should keep the new sump pump working if there’s another storm.”
“I could come back to the museum with you and help clean up,”
Devon offered.
“I really appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I have to attend a party at Tyler’s beach house tonight,” Brant announced then frowned. “He insisted.”
“Oh,” she groaned with disappointment.
“At least someone’s enthusiastic about their work,” Brant teased then studied her expression. “Wouldn’t you rather spend a quiet evening at home?”
“Not particularly. My parents are going to grill me all night about what happened today at the farmhouse,” she informed him. “I need to escape for a while. Honestly, I feel like I want to run away.”
“You could always come with me to Tyler’s party at his beach house,” he joked then chuckled in his throat. “That might make you appreciate being interrogated by your parents.”
She enthusiastically sat forward while staring at him. “Is that an actual offer?”
Brant was slightly surprised by the question then offered a sincere smile. “If you really want to go, but don’t get too excited,” he remarked. “Business parties are typically boring.”
Her expression suddenly dropped. “Oh, that has the sound of formal wear,” she remarked then frowned with defeat. “I don’t even own a dress.”
“The wardrobe closet at the museum is full of dresses,” he informed her then hesitated. He seemed to drift off a moment as if in another world then looked back at her and offered a pleasant smile. “I’m sure you could find something suitable in there if you really want to come along.”
She only took a moment to consider the thought then grinned with enthusiasm. “I’d love to,” she announced suddenly feeling relieved. “Take me away from this awful place, Dr. Sheffield.”
He chuckled at the comment. “Consider it done.”
Chapter Thirty-two
The two-story beach house was nestled against the sand and appeared to be worth millions. It contained large windows and multi-tiered decks on the beachfront side. The beach was secluded, indicating Tyler owned most of the surrounding land as well. The house was well lit both inside and out for another lavish party. Wealthy couples socialized on the multi-level deck and within the large living room. Classical music could be heard even on the beach. Brant and Devon entered the house filled with neatly dressed men and women who were drinking fancy cocktails and socializing.
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