The Haunting

by Garcia, Nicole

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. You're an exotic dancer. Do you actually expect people to believe you take all your clothes off, dancing and teasing men without having sex with them? Get real Ms. Sloane. You are diluting yourself. You're nothing but a slut. A whore. And a disgusting excuse for a woman."

  Jace interjected. "Where the fuck were you Scott? I thought I locked you in the study."

  Scott never made eye contact with Jace. His head was down. He looked afraid. Afraid to move or speak. Maybe he was afraid of Sanders. He was holding a gun.

  "Well, Mr, Dalton I can explain that too. You see, I let Scott out this morning. Only because he did me a favor by letting me in last night."

  Jace squinted. "What do you mean he let you in last night? You've been here in the house the whole time?"

  "Oh yes. Scott here, let me in through the kitchen."

  Kelly interrupted. "Wait! That was you I saw prowling around the house, wasn't it?"

  "No. That must have been one of the technicians trying to fix the technical problems that caused the cameras to stop filming. I was already in the house, hiding in the dumbwaiter. Scott raised me up to the second floor where I had a little discussion with Felicia. It seems Felicia had seen me hiding in the shadows and threatened to tell everyone I was in the house. So, I made her an offer. I would supply her with some heroine in order to keep her quiet."

  "You sick fuck!" Scott screamed but never looks up at any of them.

  Sanders pointed the gun at him. "You shut up boy. Remember what happened to you the last time you crossed me."

  Kelly was on the verge of tears. What kind of man does this to human beings? "You are a sick fuck! You overdosed her and she died. You killed her!"

  "I didn't kill her. I merely gave her what she wanted."

  Jace shook his head in disbelief. "So, you're telling me you killed Lance and Amber too?"

  "Well, look who just woke up and joined the party. Yes, Mr. Dalton. I murdered them all. You know it was quite easy I might say. All of you were at each other's throats so I took full advantage of that. When the cameras are turned back on this morning one of you will be the winner and the rest will be dead. A sad horrible death caused by a case of paranormal activity. So, who’s it going to be? Who will be the last to be killed? You Mr. Dalton? You Ms.Sloane?"

  Kelly pointed to Scott. "What about him? Aren't you going to kill him too?"

  Sanders malicious laughter echoed throughout the house. "Don't be absurd. I'm not going to kill my own son. We'll just have to fake his death and get him a new identity again."

  Scott glared at Sanders. "You're not my father!"

  Alec bolted over to Scott and pressed the barrel of the gun against his head pushing him onto his knees. "I'm not going to say it again Junior. So, shut the fuck up or you will suffer the consequences."

  Jace moved closer to Kelly then shifted in Scott's direction. "Scott, what do you mean he's not your father?"

  Sanders clicked his tongue at Jace."Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mr. Dalton you don't pay much attention to details do you? Even when they are right there in front of you." Sanders continued. "You know you really should have paid more attention to that history lesson I gave in the studio yesterday. You see I’ve had Scott ever since he was a little boy."

  Jace interjected. "What do you mean had?"

  "You see Mr. Dalton, Scott here was playing around the ground of this house when he was just a boy. It so happens that he saw something he shouldn't have. I was dragging the body of the landscaper at the time into the trunk of my car. Scott, well, his name wasn't Scott then, but I told him he would have to live with me or else I was going to kill his parents."

  Kelly was bewildered. She was at an utter loss for words. "You mean you kidnapped him? Weren't his parents looking for him?"

  "Of course they were, but it's very easy to disappear when you have money. We changed his name and had fake adoption papers made up and voila, instant son."

  "Why? Why did you kill those other people?" Kelly's thoughts were whirling around in her head making her dizzy. Why would someone harm innocent people?

  "That landscaper was a drunk who beat his wife. And those appraisers were crooks. They never had any intention of selling the items here in their auction. They were fakes. They all had to be dealt with. So, you see Ms. Sloane I was doing the world a favor by getting rid of them. Society doesn't need people like them walking around."

  "But, wait. What about the couple who lived here? The Waverly's. Mrs. Waverly went insane because of what happened in this house." Kelly recalled the woman's name. "Um, Caroline." If this house isn't cursed or haunted what happened to her?"

  "Oh Ms. Sloane, you are just as clueless as Mr. Dalton here. You my dear should have paid more attention to the story I was telling yesterday. If Mr. Dalton hadn't interrupted me, I would have told you about the Waverly's son. Well, John Waverly's son. See, John Waverly had a son with his first wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth had committed suicide when their son was about say ten or eleven. John then remarried a woman named Caroline. Are we all following so far?"

  Kelly nodded and was starting to feel weak in the knees. Her head was spinning listening to the story Alec was telling them. She continued to try and comprehend why it was important to go into detail about the couple. Why didn't he just come right out with it?

  "Good. Shall I continue? Okay. Caroline was a wretched woman. A tramp. A whore. A home wrecker." Sanders became louder. Almost shouting every word that came out of his mouth like hateful daggers. "She was the reason why my mother killed herself. She was my father's secretary, she lured him into her clutches with her enchanting ways until he couldn't resist her any longer. He stayed out more and more until finally my mother found out about the affair. She was so heartbroken she killed herself that same night. I had to sit at the funeral watching the body of my lifeless mother as she was lowered into her grave. That bitch Caroline had the nerve to show up and offer her condolences to our family when it was her fault. My father moved that bitch in the very next day and I was going to make sure she paid for what she did to my family. I was the one who drove her insane. Slamming doors all day. Hiding in the walls whispering to her. Telling her to kill herself like the wife before her had. It took many years for it all to sink in enough to where she couldn't take it anymore and my father had to put her away in a mental institution. My father was depressed after that, he had a heart attack not long after. That bastard got exactly what he deserved for what he did to my mother.

  "So, you see it is my calling to make the world a better place by getting rid of people like this."

  Kelly thought for a moment. “But, what about Amber. Amber wasn't a bad woman. Her boyfriend was the one who took advantage of her. Why not go after him."

  "The real Amber McCarty was a victim yes. That heap on the floor is not the real Amber. She stole Amber's identity in order to be on the show. That woman is Catherine Bates. A con artist. Nothing more than a common thief. I had her checked out and allowed her on the show so she would get everything she had coming to her. So, with all that said, there's still the matter of the show's winner. Well, who's it going to be? One of you must die because no one can leave this house. Think of the winnings as hush money."

  "There's no fucking way I'm going home without the money. Shoot her!" Jace moved beside Sanders and pointed.

  Kelly was shocked. "What? Jace what are you saying? What about last night?" How could he do this to her? How could he do this after the time they spent together the night before? Maybe she was blind. Too blinded to see who he really was. A conniving, greedy, and hateful human being.

  "I'm saying I'm not leaving this house without my prize money. Last night was fun, but I don't want to be with a whore. Sanders shoot that bitch!"

  Kelly screamed. "Jace, no!"

  Jace grabbed the gun away from Sanders. "If you're not going to shoot her, I will." Jace pointed the gun at Kelly and pulled the trigger.

  The bullet pierced her flesh and she fell to the floor in a heap.
She writhed on the floor for a few seconds then laid there completely still. Blood pouring from her wound. Before her world went dark all she could think of was Jace. How could he have done this to her? How could he sell her out like that for money after she poured her heart out to him?

  Chapter Eleven

  Jace turned to Sanders and handed him the gun back. "Here, she's dead. Now, give me my fucking money!"

  Alec smiled. "I didn't think you had that in you. I thought you were just a common street thug with a weak mind. Good for you. Well, I guess I should head back to the studio before everyone gets there. Scott will hook the cameras back up and disappear. I’ll come back with the film crew in an hour or so."

  Jace stopped Sanders and pushed him back. "Where do you think you're going? I said give me my fucking money!"

  "I don't have that money on me. The network will give that to you. I'm just the host and producer. Besides how would it look if I were here with you when the cameras came back on? It would look like I helped you kill these people when you clearly did it on your own."

  "What the fuck are you talking about Sanders? I didn't kill these people, you did!"

  "That's true, but who will believe you when they see you here all alone on video and your prints on this gun." Sanders threw the gun next to Kelly.

  "Your prints are on it to. Or have you forgotten?"

  "Dear Mr. Dalton, you still don't get it do you. I am way too smart to for that." Sanders lifted his hand for Jace to see. He peeled off the small clear plastic adhesives he had strategically placed over his fingertips. He wiggled his fingers at Jace giggling like a little school girl.

  "You son of a bitch! You let me take the gun from your hand without a fight because you knew I would shoot her. "

  "Now, you finally get it Mr. Dalton. Well, I shall be going now. Don't want to keep my fans waiting."

  Jace smiled inside knowing what was going to be on the other side of that front door as Sanders opened it.

  Sanders stood frozen in the doorway as police cars lined the street in front of the house. Officers with their guns pointing at him. He swirled around, no words coming out of his mouth.

  Jace walked over to him and reach in his back pocket. He pulled out the cell phone he snuck in the house the day before and wiggled it in his face. On the screen were the numbers nine one one. A number he had on speed dial because of his ailing mother. "You see Mr. Sanders, I'm not just a common street thug with a weak mind. I'm a smart man. A lot smarter than you. I'm a man with a good heart. I'm a man of my word and I do believe that I said I would break your jaw if you disrespected me again, so..." Without warning Jace punched Sanders in the face sending him careening backward onto the porch.

  The officers picked Sanders off the floor and handcuffed him. Jace slammed the phone shut and ran over to Kelly yelling. "Someone help please. Get a stretcher over here."

  Jace glanced over Kelly's limp body. He was only supposed to shoot her in the side. He didn't want to hurt her, but he felt it was necessary in order to catch Sanders. Was his aim that far off? He looked at her wound, the bullet had just scraped her skin. He rubbed her face and watched as her eyes fluttered open. "Kelly wake up. I'm so sorry baby. Please forgive me. I had no choice."

  Kelly opened her eyes and began shaking her head frantically. "No, no, no. Get away from me."

  Jace was heartbroken. She had passed out from the pain and the sheer reality of the situation. She never heard the police taking Sanders away, or what Jace had said. "It's okay, everything is going to be okay now. I promise."

  The emergency medical technicians loaded her up onto a stretcher and put her in an ambulance to be taken to the nearest hospital. Jace wanted to go with her, but the police said he had to stay and give his statement.

  He recounted everything that had happened from the time he called the network until now. He looked over at Scott speaking with another officer and felt a sense of satisfaction. He knew Scott would never be the same again, but at least he wouldn't have to live in fear anymore. That alone made Jace proud. He finally did something good with his life. Too bad he didn't win the money. He could have done so much with it. He would have to go work on the streets for Cesar again. His mother needed the care and he would do whatever it took to make her more comfortable.

  There was only one thing left to do before he went back home. He had to go see Kelly at the hospital. He needed to know if she was okay.

  Jace arrived at the hospital a few hours after he finished his interview with the police. He walked up to the nurse’s desk and asked where Kelly Sloane's room was. She was asleep so he stood in the doorway for a few minutes just watching how peaceful she looked. The nurse had informed him Kelly received a mild sedative for the pain and would be asleep for some time.

  He quietly strolled over to the bed and sat in the chair next to her placing his jacket on the arm. He took her hand in his. He placed a soft kiss on her palm and gently put it down. "I'm so sorry Kelly. I know you can't hear me right now, but I wanted to come by and let you know Sanders will be going to jail for a very long time. I'm so sorry I did this to you. It seems I am always apologizing for hurting you. I said I wouldn't let anything happen to you and look at you. I'm the one who caused this. I guess I'm not a man of my word. I'm just a coward. I didn't even have the courage to say how I really feel about you."

  "I guess it doesn't matter now does it? You'll probably never want to see me again after this and I don't blame you. Before I go I wanted to let you know that last night was the most amazing time of my life. I have never felt so much love in my heart as I had being with you. I wish things had been different, but you deserve someone so much better than me. I love you Kelly."

  He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead then went into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. When he finished he picked up his coat and looked at her for the last time. He would never be the same without her, but leaving was the only decent thing he could do for her.

  Jace thought about Kelly the whole bus ride home. He thought about the first time they officially met. It wasn't the greatest memory, but that was soon replaced by the thought of her hands gently gliding all over him. Her mouth all over him, and her tongue could drive a man insane. His cock began to get hard and he desperately tried to push it down. How was he ever going to cope with thinking about her all the time? She was permanently embedded in his memory.

  It was late by the time he got home. Evan and his mother were fast asleep in their beds so he didn't bother to wake them.

  The next morning when he woke he explained everything that had happened in the two days he was gone. Evan never said a word or interrupted him. He stood still the whole time with his mouth wide open.

  A week later they both sat and ate dinner not saying a word. They mostly played with the food on their plate moving it from one side to another. Cesar had asked Jace for some help with a problem that needed to go away. With his mother getting worse he'd had no choice but to say yes.

  Jace finally put his fork down and picked up his jacket from the sofa. "Evan have you seen my keys? I can't find them anywhere. I could have sworn I put them in my pocket." He put his coat on and patted down each of his pockets. He then reached into the inside pocket and felt a piece of paper. "What the hell is this?"

  He pulled out the small folded paper and opened it. This couldn't be real. His eyes were playing tricks on him. There was no way he was seeing what was in front of him.

  "Jace, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost. Oh, sorry. Wrong choice of words. Well, what is it?"

  Jace held out the paper to his brother. Maybe he was wrong. He had to be.

  When he saw Evan's expression he knew what he saw as real. "Jace, this is a check for one million dollars and it's not written out to anyone. Is this a game? 'Cause if it is, it’s not funny at all."

  "This isn't a game. Oh don't know where that came from. Wait, look at the name on top. Who's it from?

  "It's from a Samuel Powers."

 
; "I know that name, but from where? Wait a minute. Evan, do you still have the newspaper from last week with the article about Alec Sanders?"

  "Yeah, it's on my desk let me get it." Evan came back into the living room and handed the paper over to Jace.

  Jace thumbed through a few pages and stopped at the article about Sanders. He mumbled to himself for a few seconds then read a sentence out loud for his brother to hear. "Journalist Benjamin Reynolds asked Mr. Samuel Powers, the owner of The Supernatural Network, what his intentions were for the show and the integrity of the company. Samuel Powers' reply was this. "Our hearts go out to the families of Felicia Wright, Lance Smith, and Catherine Bates We are currently working closely with the police in their investigation and will do anything we can to expedite this matter in order to put Alec Sanders behind bars."

  "Why would he give you a million dollars if there was no winner on the show?"

  "He didn't give it to me."

  "Well, then where did it come from?"

  Jace thought back to the week before and wondered how on earth that check could have possibly gotten into his coat pocket. Then it dawned on him. There was only one person who could have done it.

  Jace snatched the check out of Evan's hand and ran out the door. He hopped on the bus and headed for the Hits n' Tits strip club.

  When he got there he searched around for Kelly, but she was nowhere to be seen. He picked out one of the dancers at the bar and asked where Kelly was.

  At first, she didn't want to tell him anything afraid he was a stalker trying to hurt Kelly. When he told her his name, she was more than happy to tell him what Kelly's address was.

  Jace waited for the bus to go back uptown. It felt as if it were taking forever before it finally came. While he sat there riding the thought of seeing Kelly again played over and over in his head. What was he going to say to her? Oh, he knew exactly what he was going to say. He was going to tell her to keep the check, and why she put it in his pocket to begin with when it was given to her. There was no way he could accept it, no matter how desperate he was.