The Ex Killer Series

by Bridget Bundy

  Janea appeared on Tanie’s side of the car after the trunk was closed. She handed Tanie two envelopes. One was white and the other was brown and thicker.

  Janea ordered, “Give the white one to Angela.” Janea walked towards the back of the garage. Tanie handed me the white envelope, and I waited to see if Tanie would open hers first. She simply started the car, and we left out of there.

  Once back on the main road, I went ahead and opened my envelope. I had to see what I got. Inside was a crisp, new fifty dollar bill. Well, it was better than nothing. The rent was paid, and I could live without the threat of being homeless.

  Tanie asked, “You good?”

  “I’m good. What you got planned later on?”

  “A bath and bed. We can hang out tomorrow if you want.”

  “That’s cool.”

  The first thing I noticed when Tanie drove into the parking lot of my apartment was people standing on my porch. This wasn’t right because people in this neighborhood don’t stand on any random porch. Tanie noticed this, as well, and thought it was strange. Tanie parked one row back from the curb because the rest of the spots were taken. I immediately got out of the car. There isn’t anything any one of them wants in or outside of my apartment.

  I yelled at everyone that were standing on and around my porch, “Get off my fucking porch! Get the hell away from my apartment!” I knew who they were, nosy ass neighbors that look down their noses at me all the time.

  I went inside. Pritchard, his brother Patrick, and an unknown lady were in the living room. Pritchard was sitting on the sofa, and his two visitors stood on each side of the sofa. His eyes were red, and his nose was runny. I stopped wondering what was going on. To my surprise, Tanie was right beside me. She must have known what was wrong because she immediately grabbed my hand and arm. What did she know that I didn’t know?

  I turned to Pritchard and asked, “What?” My heart started beating like crazy.

  His voice was shaky. “Andrea is gone.”

  I stared at him knowing full well what he meant. He came from behind the coffee table I guess wanting to hug me. He was crazy as hell. I walked out before he could reach me and Tanie was close behind. The crowd outside had grown, and I was pissed even more. I wanted to get as far away from that place as possible. If that meant the next country, another planet if at all possible, I was on my way. Tanie stopped me before we got passed her car, and she told me to get in. It took a minute for me to process what she said. I looked back at the people staring at me like I was crazy. I got into Tanie’s car, and gave everyone the middle finger before I got in. Damn them all to hell! Nobody out there ever cared about me, Olivia, or Andrea. We had the hardest time after our mom died, and none of those bastards helped us. NOT ONE! They stood around, feeling so bad for us, gave us ‘sorry for your loss’ cards. None of that crap helped us at all, and now with Andrea gone, I wasn’t about to stay around and let them feel bad for me again. They can stick all that so-called caring bull where the sun doesn’t shine. They didn’t mean it, and I didn’t need it.

  By the time, we arrived at Tanie’s apartment, I was in tears. I sat in her car letting the tears soak my cheeks. Tanie was at my side the entire time.

  SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2009

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  I slept in my clothes, and I felt tied down and uncomfortable. I slept for over twelve hours, but felt like I only slept for five minutes. I was still very tired. I rolled over on my back and there were those fish stickers and blue bubbles again. I laughed. I felt sad, but the laughter came so easily. It didn’t stay long. The smile faded to a blank expression, and I decided it was time for me to get up and clean up. Laying on my back in my day old funk wasn’t going to make me feel better.

  When I was halfway into my shower, Tanie poked her head in. She asked me if I was alright, and I told her I was okay. Not quite where I want to be when it came to how I felt, but I was alive. Tanie remarked, “There is someone here to see you. It’s the new sheriff.”

  I moved the shower curtain to look at her and asked, “The same dude we ran into at the restaurant?”

  “The same dude!”

  I asked, “Why is he here?”

  “I guess because of your sister. He’s sitting in the living room waiting to talk to you.”

  I decided to cut my shower short, and I got dressed in a t-shirt and tights. I made sure my hair didn’t look like a mess before I went out into the living room. Tanie was standing not too far away from him. He was standing, as well, holding his hat. His gray uniform was wrinkle free, with a crisp fold line down the front of each pant leg. Even his shirt had neat folds perfectly lined with the middle of his breast pockets. His shoes were shiny black, and his utility belt had everything he needed to indicate he was a police officer. A gun, a baton, a flash light, a black notepad, and some other contraption I’ve never seen before. His name tag read Smithe.

  He approached me with an open hand and said, “Angela, my name is Sheriff Oscar Smithe. I am the Sheriff for the county.”

  He didn’t recognize us from the restaurant. I thought for sure he would remember the trouble we caused, but he stood tall and as pleasant as he wanted to be. I shook his hand looking at Tanie, and she had a weird, fake smile on her face. She looked like she was constipated.

  Sheriff Smithe began, “I am here to speak with you about Andrea.”

  “Why?” I didn’t understand the point of talking about her. She was gone. The Sheriff before him didn’t care about the death of other people. He paid nobody a visit, except for the people that mattered to him.

  “I wanted to talk to you about the circumstances behind her death and to see if you need anything from the Sheriff Department.”

  I looked over at Tanie thinking about what he said, ‘circumstances behind her death.’ What other circumstances is there other than too much alcohol and drugs?

  Sheriff Smithe continued, “Why don’t we have a seat? Please.”

  Tanie and I sat down on the sofa, and Sheriff Smithe sat down in the arm chair.

  He made sure he was facing me entirely when he spoke, “First, I want to give you my personal condolences on the loss of your sister. The Sheriff Department is here to help and to support your family any way we possibly can. I also wanted to give you an update on the young man that hit her. I don’t want to get you upset, but I wanted you to know that he didn’t do it intentionally.”

  What was he talking about? I asked him, “The young man that hit her?”

  “Mr. Porter didn’t tell to you?”

  “No.” I answered.

  Sheriff Smithe nodded and said, “Alright, well, I’ll just explain from the beginning. Andrea was walking in the middle of the road intoxicated, and a young man didn’t see her when he rounded the corner. He hit her, but she got up right away. He tried to take her to the urgent care clinic, but your sister refused. She went home, and she died, more than likely from injuries she received from the accident. We’ll know more hopefully when the autopsy is done. She’s been taken to Montgomery.”

  I stared him, soaking in what he said.

  “Angela, do you have questions for me? I will do the best I can to answer you.”

  Tanie cleared her throat to get Sheriff Smithe’s attention and she asked him, “The guy that hit Andrea, did he tell you all this? Did he tell you he hit Andrea and that she refused medical treatment?”

  “Yes. Matter of fact, he came directly to my office and reported what happened after he left her. I sent a deputy over to Andrea’s apartment to ensure she was alright, and when we arrived, she was laying on the floor in the kitchen. An ambulance was called. They tried their very best to revive her.”

  “I seriously doubt that.” I remarked. The Sheriff Department has never done anything to help my family or anyone in that neighborhood, and an ambulance trying to help my sister sounded crazy. The people in Covington Point were the pit of the county and nobody cared that much about us.

  The Sheriff said trying to defend th
e guy and totally missing my point, “He did come by the Sheriff Department and reported what he did. He came straight over to our office, Angela.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” I remarked. I had to ask. “Why are you here anyway? The Sheriff Department has never made visits to families before. You guys don’t care.”

  Sheriff Smithe said with a serious tone, “I’m not Sheriff Temulla, and the Sheriff Department does care and will continue to care as long as I work here.”

  I didn’t believe what he said. I asked, “What is the guy’s name that hit my sister?”

  “I would prefer to keep his name anonymous right now until the investigation is completed.”

  “You believe his story, Sheriff Smithe?” I asked him out of curiosity.

  “I do, and I am hoping the investigation will clear everything up. I will keep you updated.”

  I looked at Tanie.

  Sheriff Smithe continued as he reached in his breast pocket, “Angela, here is my business card. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me. The coroner’s office will contact you. They will need to know who will be handling the funeral arrangements.”

  I smiled and took his card. I looked at the front and back. He walked out with a nod to both of us. Tanie and I remained on the sofa. I set the card on the coffee table. Hopefully, I won’t have any questions and hopefully, that would be the last time we ever spoke.

  There was one thing Sheriff Smithe said that stuck with me, though. The coroner’s office will need to know who will be handling the funeral. There was a big problem with that one. Andrea didn’t have life insurance, and I didn’t have any money. And as for Pritchard handling all the arrangements and paying for everything, that wasn’t going to happen, either. He was as broke as I was. If no one can pay for her burial, what would happen to Andrea’s body? That was my major question.

  “Can I see that business card?” Tanie asked.

  “Sure. If anyone else wants to talk to me about Andrea, I’m not interested. They can talk to Pritchard.” I got up and went back to the guest bedroom. I wanted to be alone. I wanted silence.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  Tanie fixed me lunch later on that afternoon. She set the table for two, and she made pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs with cheese. It smelled really good, and it brought me out of the guest bedroom. I was starving. She was pouring orange juice when I stepped into the dining area.

  “It smells really good.”

  “I made them from scratch. My mother’s recipe, the best pancakes in the universe. I’m not trying to brag or anything, but it’s true.”

  I laughed. I was glad to have her as my best friend. What would I do if she wasn’t around? We sat down and started eating. The orange juice was sweet, the eggs and cheese were scrumptiously cheesy. I love cheese. The pancakes tasted like cakes with the warm syrup, and the bacon was just right. Tanie outdid herself.

  I felt a need to open up to her. I said, “I don’t have enough money to bury Andrea.”

  Tanie stopped chewing and looked up at me. “She didn’t have life insurance?”

  “No.” I answered.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to wait until the coroner’s office contact me or Pritchard, and I’ll find out what my options are then.”

  “They’ll probably call you today or tomorrow. It doesn’t take them long.”

  I nodded agreeing with what she said.

  She smiled at me, the kind of smile that indicated everything will be fine. This was just a rough spell that will work out with time, I hoped. Honestly, I wished it was like already a couple of months ahead of time. I didn’t have to deal with the grief as much. My life would be more normal than an upheaval of emotions and chaos.

  Tanie and I cleaned the kitchen after eating breakfast. If I was going to stay at her apartment, I wasn’t going to be a lazy guest, that’s for sure. I was going to do everything I possibly could to keep her apartment clean and in order. Tanie was a neat person. Everything in her apartment had a place and a purpose, at least for her. I made sure I didn’t disrupt that order, just as if I wasn’t there.

  SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2009

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  The amount of gratitude I have for Tanie cannot be measured. I believed she saved me from humiliation at my apartment. Several phone calls came in from yesterday to today. I only took three of them. One call was from Milton, which Tanie was shocked I talked to him. I talked to Miss Geraldine, the lady that hired me at the nursing home, and of course, Dr. Jameson. She was really heartbroken over Andrea. The condolences were taken to heart from them because I knew they meant it, but that’s all I talked to. Others were simply told I wasn’t there or I didn’t want to talk. I know those people had nasty opinions about me. Maybe, I was a thoughtless bitch, but I was that way for a reason.

  Pritchard showed up at Tanie’s apartment late that afternoon. He looked pitiful, like someone had punched him in the gut. I opened the door for him, and he came in slowly. Tanie came out of the kitchen with a wine cooler to her lips, and when she saw him, she quickly hid the bottle behind her back. Neither one of us was old enough to drink.

  Pritchard didn’t move further inside even after I offered him a seat. I didn’t want to be totally rude to him because I knew he did love Andrea, and he was hurting.

  Tanie said to Pritchard, “Hey, how’s it going?”

  “I’m doing alright. Thank you, Tanie. I hope I’m not bothering you two, but I really needed to speak with you, Angela. It’s kind of important.” His forehead had little beads of sweat. His eyes were still red. Pritchard looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

  I said, “I’m not busy. You sure you don’t want to sit down.”

  “I’m positive. I thank you, though.” Pritchard seemed to back up more to the door.

  Before he could start, Tanie asked, “Pritchard, how about something to drink? I know you’re thirsty.”

  “I’m fine, thank you.”

  Tanie strolled to the balcony to give us a little privacy.

  “Angela, I got a phone call from the funeral home here in town. They have Andrea, and they are asking for the immediate family to come down and get the arrangements started. We also have to take care of the insurance policy in order to pay for the funeral.”

  “Andrea didn’t have life insurance, Pritchard. You know that.”

  His voice was docile as he spoke, “Well, I wasn’t sure because she might have told you where her policy was and not tell me.”

  Just like that I was aggravated. I remarked to him, “You weren’t sure? There is no confusion. She didn’t have a life insurance policy.”

  “Well, that is a problem.”

  “I know it is.”

  “I don’t have money and neither does my family. They’re asking for 10,000 dollars and I don’t even have ten dollars to my name.”

  “You’re telling me this like I’m supposed to have a solution to this problem. I don’t have one. If the funeral home calls back, you tell them she doesn’t have a policy and we can’t afford to bury her. It’s just that simple.”

  “But we have to try to do something for Andrea.”

  My heart was racing from anger. I crossed my arms over my chest and said, “There isn’t anything I can do.”

  Pritchard moved slightly to open the front door. He was clearly angry at me and said, “Even when she’s dead, you just do nothing.”

  “Whatever.” That was the only thing I could come up with.

  “Whatever?”

  “Yea, whatever! That’s what I said!” I yelled back at him.

  “You are cold hearted, Angela.” Pritchard said in a mean, low voice.

  I yelled, “And you are a leaching bastard!”

  Pritchard stared me down and I looked right back at him. He decided it was time to leave, and he went out the door leaving it wide open. I watched him get into his car and drive away. I know he was mad, but I didn’t care. I tried to be nice, but with him,
it was just impossible. I closed the door. I’ll deal with him later, but not here in Tanie’s apartment.

  Tanie was standing in the door to the balcony when she remarked, “That went really well.”

  “I thought so, too.” I cleared my throat and took the rest of her wine cooler. I gulped half the bottle down in one upturn, and I said, “I think we should get drunk.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re kind of peaked right now, and alcohol might not be a good mixture.”

  “Alcohol is exactly what I need.” I went to the kitchen, and I opened two more wine coolers. I gave Tanie one, and I held on to the other. I started drinking it like water.

  “What is the purpose of you getting drunk now? It’s not going to make you feel any better.”

  I stated, “I’m pissed off right now.”

  “Okay.”

  “All of the men that I have dated and that sorry ass that is staying in my apartment are stupid! Every single one of them! The only reason why my life is so damn crazy and out of control is because of them.”

  Tanie swallowed some of her wine cooler instead of making a comment.

  I continued, “Tomorrow is a brand new day. He thinks I’m cold hearted now. I’ll show him. Pritchard is going to get a wake-up call tomorrow morning. You better believe it, and Alex thinks that since he’s in Atlanta, his ass can hide from me. His first mistake was lying to me. He thinks because I’m here and he’s there, he won’t have to answer to me. He’s going to get a fucking wake up call, too.” I have never been so angry in all my life. It was so powerful that it hurt my chest.

  It was time to take care of the things that bothered me the most. I had a plan for Pritchard, and he wasn’t going to like it one bit. And I definitely was going to see Alex again. If he thought he was done with me, he was sadly mistaken.