Julie looked past her reflection and out the window that was behind her. The wind was blowing, and the leaves were swirling around. She squinted into the mirror trying to make out a blurry figure standing under the tree in her yard and, as her vision cleared, she saw someone dressed in black, wearing a mask and holding a small shining knife in their hand. Julie spun around to look out the window and not through the reflection. As her body whirled around a leather gloved hand grabbed her arm, and she stood nose to nose with the black masked serial killer.
Julie gasped and sat straight up in bed looking around feverishly. She was alone, and it was just a dream. Julie looked at the clock, and it read six in the evening, she must have dozed off when she got home from work. It was Halloween just like her dream, except Kait wasn’t there yet with her costume. Julie laid her head back on the pillow and allowed her heart to stop beating so fast. She thought about the dream, but it quickly began to recede from memory. The front door open and closed and she pulled herself out of bed assuming it was Kait with their costumes.
“Hey sleepyhead,” Kait said as she struggled through the bedroom door carrying two garment bags, a tote bag, and a makeup case. “You really need to start sleeping at night.”
“Yea,” Julie scoffed. “Why did you bring so much makeup when I’m going to be wearing a mask all night?”
“Oh,” Kait said surprised as she looked down at the case. “I didn’t even think of that. Good call, it’ll save us at least an hour, and since we are already running late, I can use that time to do my hair.”
“What about my mop,” Julie asked as she blew long blonde strands from her face. “It has a mind of its own today.”
“Yes,” Kait answered reaching into the tote. “That’s why you are wearing a wig. I figured you’d want to be much unnoticed and with your blonde hair and five foot ten stature it's hard not to know who you are. Now, pull your hair back in a little bun, change into these, and I’ll be back in a sec to help you into your dress.”
Kait tossed Julie a bag with panties and a bra in it and Julie’s stomach fluttered a bit since they resembled the pair in her dream, or at least she thought they did. She changed quickly and stood in front of the mirror but refusing to glance at the reflection of her yard behind her. Julie was so freaked out that her hands were shaking and she couldn’t take the suspense one more minute, so she closed her eyes and slowly began turning around. When she didn’t feel the cold leather glove grasping her arm, she opened her eyes and found nothing but gray skies and blowing leaves. Julie let out a breath of relief.
“Hey,” Kait said suddenly from the door.
“Shit!” Julie jumped at the sound of Kait’s unexpected voice.
“Wow Julie,” Kait said shaking her head and opening one of the garment bags. “This case is really getting to you. Look, it's Halloween, we are going to an awesome party, and you never know you may just meet your future wife.”
Julie scoffed at Kait and took the dress from her hands. She stepped into the gown and the cool silky material pressed against her curves. Kait zipped up the back but told Julie to wait just a second before she turned to look in the mirror. She opened a black satin box that she had put on Julie’s bed when she walked in and pulled a sparkling black mask from it. The cover resembled the one the Phantom wore in Phantom of the Opera except it was softer and made of black silk and sequins.
Kait tied the mask tightly around Julie’s head and wrapped the ribbon around her bun. She then walked over, picked up the wig and pulled it tightly over Julie’s head. After a few flicks and pulls on the hair, Kait stood back with an expressionless face. Julie turned around and stared at herself in the mirror, not recognizing the woman in the reflection. The dress was black with a corset style top that was flooded with the black sequence. The bottom of the dress was straight and silky and landed just below the bottoms of her feet, the perfect length once she put her heels on. Julie’s wig was a black bob, and the bangs were pinned to the side to avoid them covering the mask. No one would recognize her, she didn’t even recognize herself.
“Wow,” Kait said from behind her. “You look so beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Julie said with an air of disbelief. “At least no one will recognize me.”
Kait did her hair in flowing tendrils and put on her dress, which was flirtier than Julies and fit Kait’s personality perfectly. The girls gave themselves one last look in the mirror and headed outside. Julie pulled a black shawl around her shoulders to fight the cold Massachusetts air, and they jumped into Tommy’s car which he had parked out front while he impatiently waited for the girls.
When they pulled up to the conference building, Julie watched as men in tuxedos and woman in beautiful gowns with brilliant masks sauntered towards the door. They parked and began to walk in, their tickets in their hands. Kait winked at Julie as she dropped her keys in Julie’s purse, something she always did since Kait hated carrying a purse. Everyone looked fantastic, and Julie was impressed at how well her small town cleaned up.
Once inside Tommy made a b-line for the bar and Julie and Kait stood next to the front door admiring the Gothic decor that the club had designed for the event. Every other event in town was usually decorated with balloons and streamers, but Bushwick always made the Halloween event look like something from a Los Angeles nightclub.
Kait smiled at Julie and walked over to Tommy’s side. Julie figured she might as well wander around. There were several different areas where you could play carnival style games and as Julie walked through the crowd something shimmering in the corner caught her eye. She turned towards the reflecting light, and her eyes met a woman that momentarily sent Julie’s mind into confusion. She was petite but curvy and wore a black sequined gown that touched the floor. Her mask covered her entire face, and black feathers shot upward from the top right. The mysterious woman’s dark hair was pulled back tightly, and curls fell around her shoulders.
The woman nodded at Julie and, feeling confident behind her mask and wig, Julie grabbed two glasses of champagne from a nearby server’s tray and walked towards the masked beauty. She smiled at the woman and handed her a glass of bubbly, their eyes not breaking contact for a moment. The woman thanked her and carefully took a sip through the black masked lips.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice was a whisper that sent chills down Julie’s spine. “I never was much of a party girl, but I can’t refuse a drink from a beautiful woman.”
“And I can’t help but offer a drink to a beautiful woman,” Julie replied.
“It’s strange isn’t it?” the beauty asked.
“What’s that?” Julie asked.
“It’s strange how a mask and a beautiful dress will turn any girl into a confident woman,” the beauty replied looking around at all of the women asking men to dance.
“Ah,” Julie replied. “Well, I would be lying if I didn’t admit my confidence is a little higher. In the real world, I would never have walked over to you so quickly, in fact, I probably wouldn’t have come tonight at all.”
“I’m glad you did,” the beauty said quickly. “Come tonight that is. And approached me.”
“So,” Julie said slightly uncomfortable. “If we aren't allowed to reveal who we are, what do we converse about?”
“That's a good question,” the beauty said thoughtfully. “How about dreams. Wishes. If we had a secret life, what would it be?”
“Gosh,” Julie replied as she led the beauty towards the terrace entrance. “If I had a secret life I think I would be a writer. I love to write. I’d live in a small oceanside village and produce amazing pieces of writing but never tell anyone who I was. I would enjoy my fame and money in private.”
“Hmm,” the beauty responded. “I would live on an island. I would walk around in a bathing suit all day and drink rum from a coconut. I would do something meaningless as a job just to make money for my adventures. We take our work so seriously in this life, and it sometimes stifles who we really are.”
“I
couldn’t agree more,” Julie said as she clinked her glass with the woman. “Sometimes we let our jobs become our lives. We miss out on things like conversations with beautiful women in masks.”
The masked beauty looked down, and Julie imagined a beautiful, shy smile underneath. The woman cheered with her glass once more, and as Julie took a sip, she noticed Kait and Tommy across the room and they seemed to be arguing. Julie turned her attention back to the masked beauty to avoid being nosey or drawing attention to them. The two women continued their conversation discussing books and then movies. Julie felt as if she was on a blind date that would always be blind.
Kait approached the two woman and smiled gently, only half of her mouth showing. She excused herself and pulled Julie to the side. Julie looked at Kait and could tell she was crying from the smears of mascara beginning to emerge from under her mask. Kait whispered into Julie’s ear.
“I am going to go home,” Kait murmured. “I’m not feeling well. Have fun okay?”
Julie nodded not wanting to set Kait into any more despair than she already was and watched as she made her way back through the crowd. Julie turned her attention back to the masked beauty who was looking upwards towards the sky. There was a surge in Julie’s stomach, and her knees felt a little weak as she walked towards the mystery woman.
“I wish it weren’t cloudy,” the woman said still looking up. “I love clear nights and especially on Halloween.”
“Me too,” Julie replied following her gaze upward to the dark sky. “We are going to miss all the witches flying across the moon tonight.”
The two women laughed and sat down at a table in the corner. The night went by quickly as the women discussed all levels of things, skirting around anything that may give away their identity. It was refreshing being able to have a real discussion with someone without the details of who they were getting in the way.
As the night began to wear down, the crowd grew smaller, and Julie looked around wishing there was more time; she wasn’t ready to turn into a pumpkin yet. She glanced down at her bag and pulled her phone out, making sure Kait hadn’t tried to contact her in her despair, but there were no missed calls or messages. Julie stood up, not ready to end the evening but knowing she had to cut it off at some point. She stuck out her hand to help the masked beauty from her chair and tripped causing the two of them to press tightly together. The woman’s hand ran up Julie’s leg and continued around her bottom and up to the small of the back. The two women stood pressed against each other ecstasy escaping their masks with each exhale of breath.
“Oh my God,” a woman in the distance screamed. “Help someone help.”
Julie shook herself from the intoxicating connection with the masked beauty and walked through the doors. She saw a large group of people in a circle around someone, but the only thing she could see was a lifeless hand laying on the ground. Julie looked closer, and a knot jumped into her throat and forgetting the rules of the party she threw off her mask and wig and ran towards the group.
“Watch out,” she exclaimed. “I work for the Sheriff’s office.”
Several people called out Julie’s name when they realized who she was and Julie knelt down next to the body. The woman was young and her eyes, still open, were set in stone, still gazing in the same direction they were when her heart stopped beating. The etchings over the woman’s body sent chills through Julie, and she knew this woman had been dead for at least a few hours. Julie took her shawl from her shoulders and laid it over the woman’s naked body and pulled the cell phone from her purse.
“Hello 911?” she said calmly realizing there was no longer any reason to rush. “This is Julie the County Coroner; there is another body. Please send the Sheriff.”
Everyone was silent, and the lights had been turned on. Julie gave directions to the host of the event to have everyone ushered into the other conference room until they could all be questioned. She then looked up, trying to find the masked beauty she was so enthralled with just moments ago but she didn’t see her anywhere. The police were already on the scene, and Julie walked over to the terrace and looked out. Below her staring up was the masked beauty. She paused for a moment and then disappeared around the corner.
"Julie,” Kait’s voice startled Julie.
“What are you doing here?” Julie said confused. “You left hours ago.”
“I know,” Kait said as if she were scolding herself. “I’m an idiot, and I left my keys in your purse, so I just went and got some coffee and waited in the parking lot for you. When I heard the screams, I ran in to make sure you were okay. What are you looking at?”
“Oh,” Julie shook the masked woman from her mind and looked at Kait sympathetically. “Here, you can sleep at my house if you want. I saw you and Tommy arguing.”
“Thank you,” Kait said as she kissed Julie on the cheek. “You are the best.”
Julie led Kait to the door and had the police let her out since she wasn’t there for the incident and walked back over to the body where the Sheriff now was. He stood shaking his head and flashes from the crime scene photographer blinded Julie for a moment. She looked up at the terrace window and noticed the clouds begin to part, giving way to the bright illuminating Halloween moon.
The killer was here, Julie let the masked woman get away, and even her best friend was having a bad night. Julie wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered from the thought that the serial killer was so close, and she couldn’t help but wonder why her masked beauty had run off so quickly. Julie looked down at the body which was now covered with a white sheet, only her hand peeking out from the edge. Carved in the woman’s delicate palm was the number 13.
Chapter Four
The Sheriff’s office was abuzz with all the commotion from Halloween and Julie was nervously waiting for the Sheriff to return to the office. After everyone was ushered into another conference room, Julie assisted with the search and found another romance novel neatly tucked above the door about fifteen feet from where the body was. The problem with all of it was that Julie couldn’t figure out how the killer got the body in without anyone noticing.
Sheriff Bartlett entered the office and sat down at his desk. Julie waited patiently to address him until he was finished putting away a hundred files he had lugged in with him. When he was finished, he took in a deep breath and looked at Julie.
“Well,” he said. “The cat’s out of the bag. The whole town is terrified, and the mayor is taking major heat for not letting the public know sooner. We need to find this sick bastard and soon or the whole town is going to start shooting everything that moves.”
“I understand,” Julie said with confusion on how she plays into this whole scene. “What can I do to help?”
“Well, I’m glad you asked,” Sheriff Bartlett said as he handed her a full file. “This is all the information on all six cases. I feel like you have earned the right to help out.”
“That’s awesome,” Julie beamed. “Thank you so much.”
“Yea,” the Sheriff replied. “But don’t get in the way and anything you find you bring straight back to me. Oh, and we figured out how the body got there unnoticed.”
“How?” Julie sat back in her seat and listened intently.
“We looked at these pictures taken by the staff,” he said as he handed the pictures to Julie.
“Oh,” Julie said cutting off the Sheriff. “That black table, it wasn’t there when the body was discovered. Someone hid the body under there and when they staff started moving stuff the body was found.”
“You should have been a detective,” Sheriff Bartlett said smiling.
“Okay well I am going to stop by Lydia’s desk and get the other detective’s numbers and then head back to my office,” Julie said as she picked up her bag.
“Lydia called out. Just grab the cards as you leave the station,” Sheriff Bartlett said, picking up the ringing phone on his desk.
Julie looked at Lydia’s empty desk and wondered why Lydia would call o
ut on a day like this. It’s seemed strange to Julie that every time there was a murder Lydia would be gone for several days afterward. She shook the thought from her mind since there were bigger things to worry about, besides even if Lydia did have something to do with the murders Julie would never get close enough to find out.
The day was long, and Julie’s eyes began to hurt having gone over pictures of the bodies and crime scenes at least fifteen times. She pulled out the sheet that listed the highlighted passages from each book and began comparing them to the victims and what their lives were like. None of it made any sense to Julie all the girls were single and either working or college students. Julie sighed and put the paper down as Kait tapped on her office door.
“Hey,” Julie said. “I didn’t want to wake you this morning. You doing okay?”
“Yea,” Kait replied. “Much better today. Thanks for everything.”
“No problem,” Julie said looking down at several scrapes across Kait’s arm. “What happened to you? Get in a fight with a werewolf last night?”
“Oh,” Kait said pulling her sleeve down. “I just tripped and fell in a bush. You know how clumsy I am. Anyways, I am going to go grab some coffee; you want some?”
“Um,” Julie was about to respond when the morgue doors opened, and Sheriff Bartlett bulldozed back towards Julie’s office.
“Julie,” the Sheriff said breathlessly. “Detective Jones is heading out to try to find some info on the first victim and her life, see if there are any secrets. I want you to go along, you are better at talking with people, Jones is a little gruff.”
One Little Letter_A Bad Boy, Second Chance Romance Page 59
