The Ex Killer Series

by Bridget Bundy

  Alex Westing Murder Suspect Arrested

  Reporting, Devion Schulz

  The Atlanta Informative

  Hannah Crayson has been arrested and indicted in the murder of Alex Westing, her longtime boyfriend of several years. Police Investigators in Atlanta says that Crayson and Westing got into an argument in their apartment, and she shot him with a .22, which has not been found to this day. Crayson will not reveal where she hid the weapon, but police is still searching. Crayson has publicly denied killing her boyfriend, and she believes his own family is involved. Crayson has sought out the exclusive Hollywood lawyer, Byron Krolle, for representation. A statement made from Krolle says that there is no conclusive evidence proving Crayson killed Alex Westing, and the State Attorneys will have a difficult time with their case. Krolle is so confident in this case that he has guaranteed his client will be exonerated of all charges when it is over, and she will be able to have her baby outside of prison. The Westing Family was asked for a statement. They have not answered any requests.

  Alex was going to be a father! I bet that’s what he was trying to tell me before I shot him. I wonder how far along Hannah was. Why did Alex take me through all those emotions if he knew we weren’t going anywhere in the relationship? He should have just stuck with Hannah, paid completely attention to her. I thought back to when she walked in on me and Alex. Why wasn’t she upset? It didn’t make sense. Well, it’s too late for an explanation now. I wasn’t going to find out the truth in this lifetime or ever.

  Nate spoke to Evanna as she came up to the second floor. I closed the screen and faced her with a smile. She asked, “Angela, have you eaten yet?”

  “No,” I answered.

  “You feel like a burger? We can go to the Wisp Whiskey.”

  We set out for lunch. I sure did enjoy her company, with the little bit of time we did spend together. When we got to the diner, we found a booth near the window. Evanna was talking about her day at work yesterday, and how she had to deal with a couple of customers that accused her of ordering the wrong book and then overcharging them for the books. Evanna admitted to ordering the wrong book, and she started laughing because the lady was so mean in the first place.

  Evanna asked, “So, how is it going at Beth’s house?”

  “She’s hardly around.” I wasn’t going to tell her about Dillon, but I changed my mind. “She’s gone for a couple of days, and I have to watch out for Dillon.”

  Evanna nodded and asked, “Has he tried anything yet?”

  “Once, but I pulled a knife on him and he backed off. This was before she left, though.”

  “I hope you didn’t tell her. She might blame you like she blamed her old roommate.”

  “Dillon has tried something with her roommate?”

  Evanna looked around and took a sip of her soda. She cleared her throat, leaned in, and stated, “Dillon is a very dangerous person, Angela. He’ll prey on anyone he thinks he can get an upper hand on.”

  “I was told that he has abused Beth’s brother and someone else. Is it true?”

  “Yes,” Evanna had a serious look, a disapproving look.

  “Who is the second person?” I asked.

  “Beth roommate’s son.”

  “Really?” This was a shock. Beth didn’t tell me her old roommate had a child. She simply said that she was a troublemaker.

  “Beth’s roommate use to work for Brandon, just like you. Her name was Justine, and she had a son a little older than Walter. When she was at work, Dillon would watch him sometimes. Daycare is expensive and Justine could not afford it. So, Beth volunteered her boyfriend. One day Justine goes home early because she wasn’t feeling well, and she walks in on Dillon. He almost killed her when she was trying to defend her son. It makes me sick to my stomach to even talk about it. Justine tried to press charges but Beth threatened to put her out if she called the police. Justine left Wisp to protect her son. After a few days, she finally called me and told me what happened.”

  “Did you tell Brandon?”

  “Yes, I did, and Brandon lit into Dillon, but he couldn’t really do anything else. Without Justine’s son to verify the abuse, Brandon couldn’t really report what Dillon did. He didn’t have proof, and the Burkett family would back up Dillon in a heartbeat.”

  I shook my head disgusted with the whole thing. I said, “That’s why they don’t get along.”

  “Brandon cannot stand his brother. He hates that he could not do anything to help Justine.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “I don’t know, Angela. I spoke to her almost a year ago, and she was in Charlotte then. I’m sure she’s moved on.”

  “It really pisses me off that Beth protects Dillon instead of her own brother.”

  “She thinks believing in God will make everything she does right. She is delusional. We used to be friends, but after what happened to Justine, I stopped talking to her. I can’t even look her in the face, Angela.”

  What an awakening. Beth lied to me. The ultimate victim in this whole charade is Walter, and everyone around him was allowing a prowler to do whatever he wanted. That’s all I know, Shannon better do the right thing. She better not let Dillon watch that boy ever again.

  Evanna and I returned to work after lunch. I thanked her for being so honest with me. I’m glad I knew the truth. I now know that Beth is just as guilty as Dillon. I know Brandon tried hard, but he couldn’t do much. I was going to protect Walter. I was going to do all I could.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  After work, I went to the house mostly to freshen up, and I wanted to leave as soon as possible. I was going to see Ms. Emma and spend time with her. Then I planned on going to the beach. I would call Brandon and tell him to meet me there. I was only going to be in the house for an hour at the most.

  When I went inside, the phone was ringing. Shannon was on the phone. It sounded like she had a lot of people over at her house or maybe the television was too loud.

  I had to say hello a couple of times before she finally said, “Hi, Angela, um...is Beth there?”

  “No, Shannon, she’s out of town for a couple of days.”

  She sounded infuriated when she asked, “Where did she go? She didn’t tell me she was leaving town!”

  “She’s training for a new job, but she didn’t tell me where.”

  Shannon started fussing.

  “I can watch Walter if you need a babysitter. I don’t mind, Shannon.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d agree to it. I really don’t have anyone else.”

  “I will be glad to watch him. When are you bringing him over?”

  Shannon happily said, “Right now if you don’t mind.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you then.” I hung up the phone and jumped in the shower. I was in and out in no time because if I knew Shannon, she’d be over in any minute.

  I put popcorn in the microwave, and by the time it was done popping, Shannon was bringing him inside, holding his hand. Walter saw I was making popcorn, and he ran directly over to me and started jumping for joy.

  “Walter, calm down. I have to put the butter on the popcorn, and we’ll sit and watch cartoons.”

  Shannon was nervous as she said, “Angela, I really appreciate you watching him.”

  “No problem.”

  “Walter, can you go sit down while Angela and I speak alone.”

  “But Mom, I want popcorn!”

  I gave Walter the bowl without the butter, anyway, and I told him to go turn on the television. He ran off with the bowl spilling some of the popcorn. I smiled thinking how silly he was.

  Shannon walked into the kitchen more and said, “I hope you don’t think I’m a bad mother.”

  Was she seeking my forgiveness? Was this her way of trying to fix the wrong? I wasn’t the way. I asked, “Are you doing right by Walter?”

  “Angela, I’m doing the best I can.”

  “And do you think that’s good enough? If you’re not going to protect your son, who will? You
think he can on his own? You think Dillon will stop if you just close your eyes?”

  Shannon looked down at the floor.

  “He’s a baby, Shannon. He’s just a baby! Why do you allow it?”

  She covered her face, and she started crying. She sobbed, “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

  “You need to ask yourself if you’re a bad mother. I think you know the answer.” I was about to walk out of the kitchen but stopped and added, “I have to be somewhere later. So, you’ll need to pick up Walter in a couple of hours.”

  I wasn’t going to hug her or comfort her. Damn that! I sat down with Walter, and he was already digging into the popcorn. Shannon sneaked out the front door without saying a word. Figures, maybe she was ashamed. She should be ashamed.

  The cartoons were hilarious actually. We were laughing and spilling popcorn all over the sofa. I didn’t realize that some cartoons could be so funny. After an hour of watching nonstop animated silliness, I stood up intending on using the bathroom. I was surprised to see Dillon standing behind the sofa. My heart fell. He scared me so bad. He gave me a look like he was going to devour me. My hands were shaking. I thought about the gun under my mattress, but Walter was in the house. I had to handle this differently. I had to keep Walter safe. Running to get the gun wasn’t going to do it. That meant Walter would be in a panic, and Dillon might have the upper hand. Walter noticed I hadn’t move since I stood up, and he twisted around in the direction I was looking. The moment he eyed Dillon, he ducked in the sofa. What can I do to keep both of us safe? If he was willing to hurt Justine, he won’t have any apprehension about hurting me. I had to think quickly on my feet because he was there for a reason. He was there for me, and if he had his way, he’ll be after Walter, too.

  I took in a deep breath and smiled. I posed with my hands on my hip and asked in a sexy tone of voice, “What took you so long?”

  The look on his face spoke of disbelief. A look of confusion replaced his sinister grin. He asked, “What did you say?”

  “I’ve been waiting for you.” I was shaking like crazy. I had to calm down. Breathe. I can do this. I can get me and Walter out of this. Just breathe confidence.

  “You have?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “I didn’t think...”

  “Walter, baby, go outside and play in the backyard for a little bit. I’ll come and get you.” I helped him off the sofa, and his eyes spoke of horror and fear. “It’s okay, Walter.”

  He whispered, “I’m scared, Angela.”

  I kneeled down in front of him and whispered, “I promise everything will be okay. You wait outside for me. I’ll be right out.”

  Walter started walking for the kitchen, and then he bust out into a full blown sprint. Okay, now Walter was safe for the moment. Dillon didn’t even look at Walter when he ran passed, which is good, which is what I wanted.

  I came around the sofa and went straight to him. I made sure my breasts touched him, and I moved my hands around to his back. He started touching my arm and my neck. I was terrified. I wanted to throw up. He made my skin crawl. I have to make him believe that I wanted him. I made sure I had eye contact with him, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. He pulled me closer, pulling up my skirt and feeling me up. He was just absolutely disgusting. I could not stand him touching me, but I had to do this.

  I backed away a little and asked, “You want me, right?”

  “I want to taste every part of you.”

  “We can make a night of just you and me.”

  “I can definitely do that.”

  “How about tomorrow night?”

  “I want you now.”

  “Dillon, I can’t do anything with Walter here. We need privacy. Why don’t you get a hotel room in Threshold tomorrow, and I’ll meet you there.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “We can do whatever you want without interruptions from anyone. You know, Beth told me something about you.”

  He grabbed my butt ignoring what I said. He nearly had my panties off. I wanted to kick and punch him, but I didn’t stop him. I backed away before he could touch me between my legs.

  “She told me that you were the best in bed. She said that you make her scream all night long. I want to scream like that. I want to know what you feel like.”

  He stared at me, speechless. He heard what I said that time.

  I continued, “So, tomorrow, you and I, one hotel room, and you can bring whatever toys you want. I’ll bring my own toys, too.” He’s not going to like my toys at all.

  “We can do this right now.” He reached for me again, but I grabbed his hands.

  I said, “No, not with Walter here. If you wait until tomorrow, I’ll do everything you want, Dillon, and I mean everything and anything. You like it rough? We’ll do it rough. You want it kinky? I’ll do that to you all day, and you can do that to me. If we do that here, your brother might show up and ruin the fun. I want uninterrupted time with you.”

  He was convinced, and he nodded seeing my point of view. He said, “Alright.”

  “Get a room at the Threshold Inn. Leave a key in your truck. I’ll see you around two o’clock. I only work for four hours in the morning, and we’ll have the afternoon to ourselves before Beth gets home.”

  “You’re not playing with me, are you?” He asked.

  I kissed him, giving him tongue as an answer. He accepted so easily. I gave him one more tender kiss and said, “Tomorrow, Dillon, I’ll see you in Threshold.”

  He slowly backed away and started out the front door. I ran to the bathroom, and I heaved my guts. He made me absolutely sick to my stomach. I rinsed my face with water, and I brushed my teeth. I scrubbed so hard until my gums bleed. Thank God, he was gone. Walter and I were safe. I rushed to the backyard, and Walter was standing in the middle of the yard looking at me. He had tears in his eyes. I got down on my knees with arms open, and he rushed over to me. I patted his back to calm him down.

  I made Walter stand square in front of me, and I said to him, “Walter, I want you to listen to me and listen to me good. You never have to worry about Dillon again.”

  “I’m afraid of him, Angela.”

  “Baby, you don’t have to be anymore. Today will be the last day you ever see him again. I promise.”

  “I take promises really seriously.”

  I smiled. “I know you do, and have I ever broken a promise to you?”

  “Not ever, Angela!”

  “That’s right, and I won’t start now. I know he’s been hurting you, Walter, and I’m here to make sure it won’t happen again.”

  “You’ll protect me, Angela?”

  “Yes, I will. Yes, I will.”

  Just seeing his sad face made my heart hurt. I cried with him. I was in pain with him. He didn’t deserve the agony. Why hadn’t his family protected him? Why?

  This was going to be done tomorrow. Since no one was willing to take care of Dillon, I will. One thing is for sure, everything is going to change. I had to be ready. I was willing to risk everything for Walter’s safety. I was willing to risk my life if that meant he could live in peace.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  When the house was empty, I had a chance to truly reflect on my past. My mother died of cancer when I was a sophomore in high school. That was the beginning. If she was alive today, I wouldn’t be where I am now. It’s not her fault, I know. I have never blamed my mother for my mistakes. Then there was Jason. I killed Jason because he was abusive towards me, and he slept with my sister. I killed Alex because he was just a liar, and he played games with my feelings. He led me on, made me feel like I was everything, when the truth was I was nothing to him. I’m still pissed off at him. I wished I never met Alex Westing.

  And then there is Lawrence Clark, Ms. Emma’s husband. I buried this dead man in her back yard instead of calling the police. I must be out of my mind, but I liked Ms. Emma. I didn’t want her to get in trouble. I didn’t see any other choice. He should have been nicer to her.

/>   Now, I was faced with another predicament: Dillon Burkett. The bottom line is, I was going to kill him, or he was going to kill me. One of us wasn’t going to walk out of that hotel room tomorrow. I don’t know about him, but I had nothing to live for. I’ve made my life into a hell that was meant to go nowhere.

  I resolved right then and there I was going to die young. My life will not end easily. It was going to be painful, and no one in the world would miss me, not Olivia, Tanie, Ms. Emma, Brandon, Evanna, or Beth. I was in a sad state of mind, but it was a real state of mind.

  I was drawn out of my thinking with Brandon clearing his throat. I was so glad to see him. I pushed off the bed, and I went to hug him. I just wanted him to hold me. I did like him. I was learning to love him. He was proving to be a good friend. It’s too bad that our friendship wasn’t going any further. It was really too bad.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Brandon took me to his house. It was two stories and light beige in color. The entire first floor had cherry hard wood floors, and the furniture was huge and comfortable. His house was immaculate. He gave me a tour of every beautiful room. I loved it. It was very much his personality with the brown leather furniture, and the shelves full of books in every room. Heavy curtains decorated each window, making each room dark.

  Brandon made lasagna and a spring salad. The dining room table was lit with candles, and he even had jazz music playing. The atmosphere was perfect considering the past two days and the day to come. He even provided red wine. I thought that was funny considering I was underage, and he knew I was. But he was only trying to please me.

  We sat together at the table, and we ate dinner like two civil human beings. The one thing that entered my mind was the fact that I couldn’t believe Brandon was interested in me. I can see him dating someone like Evanna or even the crazy lady that was flirting with him when I first came to the bookstore. He was a very clean cut, white guy who supposed to be dating some pretty blonde hair white girl. Both of them were supposed to come from a prominent, rich family, and they are supposed to have connections to important people. But yet and still, here I am, some unknown black woman. I was poor, barely a penny to my name, no hope of a future, and I was in this man’s house having a romantic dinner listening to jazz music. Honestly, it was just hilarious. I didn’t belong. I wasn’t meant to be a part of his future despite what he thinks.