The Ackerman Thrillers Boxset: 1-6

by Ethan Cross

  “As you wish, my dear Magd–”

  She pressed a finger over his lips. “I shoulda never told you. Come on, kids.” She took the children by the hands and led them toward the door.

  He chuckled. “I think it’s a beautiful name.”

  She didn’t acknowledge him.

  *

  Marcus ascended the stairs with slow, deliberate steps. It had been a long time since he’d been on a real date, or at least one where he cared about the outcome. He had forgotten about the butterflies. He knew that most people felt the winged creatures swirl in their guts during moments of anxious anticipation, but his butterflies seemed to have razorblade wings.

  He heard footsteps and looked up, but the face that greeted him was not the one he expected. Andrew Garrison, the local realtor, smiled as he approached. “Hello. Marcus, right?”

  He had met Garrison when he picked up the keys to the ranch. They had been cordial, but there was something in the man’s eyes that didn’t sit well with him; an intensity that shouldn’t have been there. Sandy blonde hair topped Garrison’s head, and he possessed a trim athletic build.

  Good-looking guy. He felt a twinge of jealousy and a hint of suspicion to find Garrison coming down Maggie’s stairs, but he dismissed the emotions. He had neither the right nor the reason to feel either one.

  “That’s right.”

  “I heard about what happened last night. Don’t worry about them. When I first moved here, Glenn gave me a hard time too. But most of the people around here aren’t like him.”

  “You’re not from here?”

  “No, I’ve only been here a couple months. It’s a nice place to live. My commission checks aren’t quite what they were in the city, but the cost of living is so much lower that it evens out.”

  As they met on the stairs, Marcus fought the urge to take up more than his fair share of the stairwell. He recognized the feeling as the instinct to establish dominancy, an impulse left over from man’s more primitive days. He always tried to overcome such urges and gave Garrison three quarters of the path.

  “Excuse me. Have a nice night,” Garrison said, squeezing past.

  He nodded and continued to ascend. He knocked on Maggie’s door, and she called for him to come in. He entered, and her voice greeted him from down the hall. “Have a seat. I’ll be out in a sec.”

  He moved toward the couch but examined the apartment as he did so. As he gazed around the room, he tried not to focus his analytical spotlight upon her, but he couldn’t help it. His cop instincts were too strong, and he recognized that there was something off. It took him a moment to put his finger on it, but then he realized. It wasn’t what was there, but what was absent.

  He peered into the kitchen and down the hallway and found more of the same. There wasn’t an actual photo in sight. No family portraits. No captured memories of cookouts or sunny days at the beach. Tasteful decor filled the space, but there was something cold and distant about it.

  He also noted the absence of dust. Upon a cursory examination, he reasoned that every corner of Maggie’s dwelling would stand up to the white glove test. More than that, every picture and grouping was in precise symmetric arrangement. Not a single picture hung askew. Everything seemed in perfect balance.

  It didn’t tell him much. He hadn’t even seen the whole apartment, but it was still a piece to the puzzle that he filed away in his memory banks. Every investigation had its pieces.

  He closed his eyes and chastised himself. This isn’t an investigation. You’re not a cop. Switch off.

  When he opened his eyes, he jumped back in surprise. Two young children stood a foot in front of him. They gazed up with wide, curious eyes. Maggie’s kids?

  “Have you seen the Mama Load?” the little boy said.

  He blinked in rapid succession. “I … I don’t think so.”

  “Me neither, but I really want to go. My Grandpa said that he would take me.”

  With apprehension, Marcus said, “What’s the Mama Load?”

  “You know, where Davy Crockett killed the bear when he was only three.”

  He laughed, but the little boy didn’t seem to find it humorous. “You mean The Alamo.”

  “That’s what I said. The Mama Load.”

  He knelt down and stuck out his hand. “I’m Marcus. What’re your names?”

  The little boy shook his hand as if they had just concluded a business deal. “I’m Alex, and that’s my little sister, Abigail. Do you know why sharks can’t sleep?”

  “Well … I …”

  *

  Maggie washed her hands again.

  She had been ready for the date for quite some time, but she wanted to conduct a little experiment with Marcus. Kids always seemed to be a great judge of character, and a man’s reactions to them could provide substantial insight into his personality.

  She checked the time. Five minutes had passed since she’d sent in the troops, so she reasoned that Marcus should have been sufficiently flustered.

  As she approached the living room, she didn’t hear the patter of rambunctious feet or the howling of the two hyperactive kids. All was quiet. She peered around the corner and found Marcus on the couch with the two children on his lap.

  The kids listened with rapt attention while Marcus spoke in a strange, throaty voice. His impression reminded her more of Yoda than a Sesame Street character, but she gave him an A+ for effort.

  “I, lovable, furry old Grover, am the monster at the end of this book. And you were so SCARED! I told you and told you there was nothing to be afraid of … Oh, I am so embarrassed. The End.”

  “Again!”

  “Okay, one more time.”

  “All right, kids,” Maggie said. “It’s time to head back downstairs.”

  “But we want to stay with you and Marcus.”

  She cocked a sideways grin at him. “Sorry, kids. Marcus is all mine tonight.”

  As they stood and exited, he said, “Yours?”

  “Goodness, no. Our chef for the evening is babysitting his grandkids, so I offered to watch them while he worked.”

  “Oh.”

  “Relieved or disappointed?”

  He seemed to ponder her question. “A little of both, I guess.”

  *

  As they ate, Maggie stared into Marcus’s eyes and noticed an anomaly. “Your eyes are different colors.”

  “Yeah, most people don’t notice. My eyes are kinda gray-green, but the right one is half brown. It’s called sectoral heterochromia.”

  “Is that some kind of disorder? Nothing contagious, I hope?”

  He laughed. “It can be related to certain syndromes, but I don’t think I have any of them. It can also be a sign that you had a twin you absorbed in the womb. They call it chimerism. In that case, I could actually have multiple sets of DNA in different body parts. I don’t think I have that either. I also read once that some believe it to be a sign that you’re descended from Swedish royalty, or something like that. I think I’m just a dude with a funny-colored eye.”

  “I told you that you were an odd man.”

  “I didn’t dispute it. What about you? You have any oddities?”

  She straightened her silverware and folded her napkin into a perfectly symmetrical square. “No, I’m completely normal.”

  He grinned. “Nobody’s completely normal.”

  “I am.”

  “Really. You’re not mildly obsessive compulsive?”

  She started to open her mouth but stopped. After a moment, she said, “What makes you say that?”

  “I pay attention. Your apartment is impeccably clean—not a single picture or decoration is out of place. Every grouping is perfectly balanced. When you eat, you cut every bite into the same size. You make sure that the silverware you’re not using is in perfect alignment. You folded your napkin into a square. And when you put the sweetener into your tea, you made sure that the markings on the two packets lined up before you opened them. You even put one back because it was
longer than the other packet.”

  She felt naked before him. She started to say something, decided against it, and stared down at the table.

  He reached across and laid a hand over hers. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting the world to be in order and make sense.”

  “But my compulsions don’t make any sense. They’re irrational. I don’t have a good reason for doing them. I just feel like that’s the way things should be done. Most people don’t notice, so I try to hide it. It makes me feel like a freak.”

  “Does it make sense to you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do all the things that you do make sense to you? We each see the world through different eyes. We all have our nuances … our little tics. I’ll give you an example. I always sit facing any points of ingress. I always know what’s behind me. When I walk into a room, the first thing I do is scan it to find the entrances and exits. I consider what could be used as a weapon in this space. I play out in my mind what I would do if someone walked in the door with a gun. Where’s the best place to take cover? What’s the best route to flank an armed assailant who just entered? And other things. Who in the room could pose a threat? Who’s potentially armed? What’s here that’s out of place? What’s missing? All that runs through my head every time I enter a room. Some people call that cop instincts or training. I call it paranoia.”

  Marcus squeezed her hand, and she met his gaze. “I don’t have a good reason to do all that,” he said. “Nobody’s after me. I don’t have any enemies. Even back in New York, I was never in a restaurant that somebody shot up. Maybe one day it’ll save my life, but probably not. Odds are that I’ll never be in that situation. But I can’t help but run through it. It’s just my nature.”

  Her face brightened. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being stranger than me.”

  They laughed together, and the butterflies in her stomach finally found a perch. After they finished, she cleaned up and offered to take him on a tour of Asherton. The town was small, and the tour didn’t last long. She tried to live in the moment and stay focused on enjoying the evening, but her mind kept wandering. She couldn’t help but play out the events that would soon take place. “How about I introduce you to your neighbor? She’s a wonderful lady.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  She drove out of town in the direction of Maureen Hill’s home. After a moment on the road, Marcus said, “Where do you work at, Maggie? Obviously, you help out at the bar where we met, but do you have a day job? And what’s Maggie short for, by the way?”

  She ignored the second question. “I work at Garrison Realty.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  She noticed something in his voice. Realization? Relief? She wondered about the reaction for a second but continued, “I’m just doing that until I finish my psychology degree. Believe it or not, I used to be one of my father’s deputies, but … that didn’t work out. I’ve considered staying within law enforcement, though. Maybe even applying to the FBI.”

  “I don’t want to overstep the second-date rules here, but you and your father seem to have a bit of a strained relationship.”

  “You could say that. My father is a good man, but he … well, like you said, he has his nuances. What about your parents?”

  A pained look fell over him, and she immediately regretted the question. “They died when I was young. Lots of great memories, though. You haven’t answered my question about your name.”

  “And I’m not going to.”

  “Oh, come on. Now I have to know. What is it? Marjorie? Margaret? Marigold?”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “I tell you what, I’ll tell you my middle name. Believe me, yours can’t be any worse than mine. And I’ve never told anyone other than the IRS.”

  She bit her lip and thought for a moment. “My name is Magdalania.”

  He laughed, and she shot him a withering glance.

  “I’ve never heard that one before.”

  “Shut up.”

  “It’s very pretty.”

  “Shut up.”

  “All right, you listen to my middle name and see if you can keep from laughing. My given name is Marcus Aurelius Williams.”

  She tried to keep a straight face. She clenched her lips shut and forced the corners of her mouth from rising, but she couldn’t contain it. The laughter burst from her.

  “What’d I tell you? It’s hard to top that one.”

  “That is pretty bad,” she said, between chuckles. She looked over at his smiling face and gazed into his strangely colored eyes. She had never felt quite the same way around anyone, even though they couldn’t have met under worse circumstances.

  She pulled into Maureen Hill’s driveway and shut off the car. “Ready to meet your neighbor?”

  7

  Seeing it up close for the first time, Maureen Hill’s two-story white house seemed vaguely familiar to Marcus, but he couldn’t pinpoint the origins of the memory. He reasoned that he had probably seen a hundred homes just like it over the course of his lifetime. He looked over at Maggie. The waning sunlight shone through her blonde hair, framing her in radiance and painting her as an ethereal being descending from a realm of light.

  “Hold on a sec,” he said, as she was about to exit the vehicle.

  “What is it?”

  “Come closer. You’ve got something in your hair.”

  He reached out and brushed away a strand of golden hair. He let his fingertips continue down the side of her face and travel along her jaw line to the bottom of her chin. He gently guided her mouth toward his.

  Their lips touched. He restrained the kiss at first, but it increased in intensity with every second of contact.

  His hand moved to the back of her head. He felt her hands slide across his chest.

  He couldn’t decide whether the sudden warmth in the vehicle originated from the summer sun pouring in through the windows, or if her touch was melting him from the inside out.

  After a moment, they separated, and she said, “There really wasn’t anything in my hair, was there?”

  “Afraid not,” he said in a whisper.

  “You use that little maneuver on all the ladies?”

  “Not for a long time.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad you broke it out of retirement.” After a moment, she cleared her throat and said, “Maureen’s probably watching us through the window—like the characters from one of her romance books just stepped off the page.”

  He chuckled. “Guess you better introduce me. Although I don’t think I could live up to the hero in a romance novel.”

  She patted him on the shoulder. “With a little tutelage, we’ll get you there.”

  They exited the car and walked up Maureen’s front steps. He knew that the woman had lived alone since her husband’s passing but received occasional visits from her children and grandchildren. Maggie had described her as the kind of person who, if you were sick or having a bad day, would concoct some sweet confection to bring a smile to your face and make you forget your troubles.

  Maggie pressed the doorbell. They waited a moment, but no one came to greet them. She pressed the doorbell again. Nothing.

  “That’s strange.”

  “What?”

  “She just doesn’t leave very often. Even when she sees her kids, they usually come to her.”

  “Maybe she had to get groceries?”

  Maggie shook her head. “She pays a kid from town to deliver them to her. I even told her that we might stop by today, and she never mentioned anything about being gone.”

  He could see the onset of fear in her eyes. He knew that it was probably his own paranoia, but his thoughts turned to Ackerman. He knocked, but with no better results. He reached out and grasped the doorknob. He twisted, and the door swung inward on its own inertia.

  “HELLO?” Maggie called out but received no response.

  “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. You
get back in the car and drive halfway down the lane. You should be able to see anyone coming from all directions. Lock the doors and keep a sharp eye out. I’ll check the house. She’s probably upstairs taking a nap or something, but better safe than sorry. If I’m not back out in five minutes or you see anything strange, you get out of here. Call your father on the way.”

  “Why don’t we just call him now?”

  “Listen. Maybe it’s just a stupid macho guy thing, but I’m not going to call in the cops because someone didn’t answer their door. I’ll check things out, and if anything’s out of place, we’ll go from there.”

  “But what if—”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “If something’s wrong, you’ll need backup.”

  “You’re right, I will. That’s why you need to be ready to call your father.”

  She let out a deep sigh. “Be careful.”

  He walked her back to the car, returned to the front door, and stepped through the entryway. He scanned his surroundings and couldn’t help but notice the spotless condition of the hardwood floors, even in front of the main entrance. The floor was clear of debris and dust of any kind. He checked his shoes. A layer of dirt caked the soles.

  He listened for a moment. Like a black hole waiting to consume the universe, the house exuded an eerie calm. The two-story farmhouse—which only a few moments earlier seemed to be a place of happiness, a place where grandchildren played in the backyard and freshly baked apple pies cooled on open window sills—now seemed to be a place of darkness; an ominous vortex pregnant with malignant secrets.

  A voice in the back of his mind told him that something horrible awaited him, but a louder and more compelling voice told him to move forward. At that moment, he wished that he could let someone else reveal the house’s secrets, but that was something he couldn’t do. There could be someone in trouble here, and he had to do everything in his power to help. He wondered how much simpler his life would be if he could just walk away. “Hello?”

  There was no sound.

  He called out again, louder this time. “HELLO, IS ANYONE HOME?”