Forgetting Jane

by C. J. Warrant

  Eli held himself steady. “Deputy, I want you to drop that knife and gun,” he said loudly.

  The long jagged scars all over Tom’s body gave clues to his horrific life.

  “Well, it’s about fucking time you showed up, Chief. I barely contained my enthusiasm, having your whore all to myself.” Tom grabbed Jane by the hair and pulled her up to his side. He took the barrel of his forty-five and scratched his bloody cheek.

  “Drop it, Tom.” Eli tried to stay calm.

  “Okay. I’ll drop my gun.” Tom turned and whipped it toward the house. “See? I’m listening. Besides, the gun’s empty.” He licked the corner of his mouth and grinned.

  “Step back from her, Tom. It’s between you and me.”

  The deputy pointed the knife at Jane’s neck. “Make me,” he said in a low growl, taking the tip and nicking her skin. A small drop of blood seeped out.

  “I don’t want to shoot you, but I’ll kill you where you stand if you mark her again,” Eli countered as he took a step closer.

  “You better halt your ass right there, Chief.” He drew the knife to Jane’s jugular, then dragged it down to her chest, leaving behind a red line.

  With his gun trained on Tom, Eli spoke evenly. “It’s too late. The State police knows what you and Henley have been doing all these years. Torturing and killing innocent women.”

  “You have no fucking clue, Chief Eli. Chief. Ha! You’re not fit for that title. I should have gotten that job. Then none of this bullshit would have happened. I’d be king of the world,” he said, waving the knife in the air, then quickly pointed it back to Jane. “Henley was a crotchety old fool. He thought he was God. He thought he was my teacher, but I’m the one who taught him. I’m the God.” Tom chuckled. “But I got to give him credit. He told the Mayor to enact you before I killed him. I should have done it sooner—then this wouldn’t have been an issue.”

  “Why did you kill him? Was he going to rat you out?”

  With his right arm locked around Jane, Tom lowered the knife, with the point digging into his leg. “He had no right telling me what I can or cannot do. Henley got what he deserved. He turned all righteous on me. Too bad I didn’t make him suffer more.”

  Out of the corner of Eli’s eye, Holmes and his men pulled up and had surrounded the house. One of the officers hid in the bush behind Tom, not twenty feet away, ready to bring him down.

  Tom brought up the knife to his forehead. Blood dripped from the tip onto Jane’s shoulder and chest. He swayed, then righted himself. “You know this is not my fault,” Tom said low enough that only Eli and Jane heard him.

  “What are you talking about?” Eli took another step closer. “You killed all those women.”

  “I’m not stupid. Tell those FBI fuckers to stay back or the bitch will die. I don’t care.” Tom had the knife to Jane’s chest. She winced as he twisted the blade and the tip pierced her skin. Jane cried out in pain. “I told you, tell them to back off.”

  “Keep back,” Eli shouted. “Tom, you said I don’t know. Tell me.”

  Tom straightened up. Stone cold eyes directed at him. “My poor bitch of a mother ruined me. She wanted me to cut out the welts my grandfather gave her from the night before she died. But she made me take it too far and…she died and left me to my grandfather.” He dragged the tip of the knife down Jane’s arm, to her fingers and back up to her chest. “Do you know my grandfather showed me the way to righteousness by punishment? I didn’t want to learn, but I had to…endure.” Tom paused to wipe the corner of his eyes with the back of his hand. “He also taught me that all women were whores. They had to be beaten to learn abstinence.” Tom laughed. “I remember Grandfather would come into my mother’s room. He’d fuck her, then beat her for his sins—You can’t hide. I know you’re there.” He called back toward the bush and turned back to Eli.

  “Tom, don’t do this,” Eli said, his finger sitting on the trigger. “We can work something out.”

  “Do you want to see how it feels to watch your whore be killed right in front of your eyes? I did. My grandfather taught me no mercy.”

  “Deputy, put down the knife and we can talk,” Holmes shouted. He stepped out from behind the house. He walked up beside Eli and stopped. “Put down the knife and let Jane Doe go.”

  “Her name isn’t Jane Doe, asshole—and I don’t have nothing to say to you,” Tom spat out.

  “What about me, Tom?” Eli inched forward another step. “I’m here. You want the job? You can have it.”

  Tom’s face lost all expression. “If you take another step Eli, I’ll pluck her heart out.” He then looked at her. “Poor Christina. She already lost a lot of blood from her foot.” He shook her like a rag doll and gave her a kiss on her temples. “I can see why you keep her close. She tastes yummy.”

  “Christina? Is that what Jane’s real name is?” Eli mouthed to Jane, “Are you ok?”

  She gave a slight nod. Paler than usual, but she was alive.

  “Don’t you want to know why I did this, Eli?” Tom asked in a sweet tone. The way he trailed the tip of the knife up and down Jane’s skin was a contradiction to his delivery.

  Eli had one chance to get to Jane. Since there were many guns trained on Tom, he lowered his weapon and took a large step. “Yes, I do. But you need to put down the knife.”

  “Don’t tell me what I need to do!” Tom pointed the knife straight at her neck.

  “All right. I’m listening, please don’t hurt her,” Eli said, dropping the gun.

  “I did this because…I can.” Tom chuckled.

  “How long had you and Henley been doing this?” Holmes interrupted.

  “Forever,” he whispered, looking down at Jane.

  Eli didn’t like the way the deputy said that. He took another step closer and hoping what he’d say next would drag Tom’s attention back to him. “I know why Henley left me in charge. He always told me in private that he didn’t trust you.”

  Tom’s head snapped up and took a step toward Eli. “Trust? He had no clue what trust was. You want to know why I killed him? Because the bastard told me I had to stop. He said I’d get caught.” Tom spat. “I shot the bastard with his own gun. And no one found out.”

  “Until now,” Eli countered. He glanced down on Jane. Her eyes were closed.

  “Until now,” Tom laughed. “Do you know how many women I’ve had over the years? Lots and lots. From all over the world. I’m that good. I would have never got caught.”

  “Why don’t you put the knife down?” Holmes asked as he sidestepped to Eli’s left.

  Tom ignored the officer’s question. “Since it’s a day of confessions. You know the first person I had the pleasure of killing was my cousin Jane. How ironic, ha? She was thirteen. Hardly a woman, but…” Tom shuddered and loosened his grip on Jane. He closed his eyes for only a second. “Jane whined constantly. She was visiting my grandfather. I had to teach her a lesson of obedience, like my grandfather had taught me. But do you know what? I really didn’t mean to kill her. I got so caught up that I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Tom. It’s over. Drop the knife,” Eli said evenly. He was a few feet from them, but Jane wasn’t out of danger yet.

  “I can still see her, you know. She haunts me, but I don’t give a fuck. She can’t hurt me,” Tom whispered, and then shouted, “You can’t hurt me, bitch!”

  “Oh yes, she can,” Harold screeched out as he raced out from the other side of the woods. “Jane’s here for you, Tom.”

  Harold was knocked down by one of the officers. The rifle in his hands went off, which bit off the brittle wood siding of the colonial house. He was quickly grabbed and dragged back to safety.

  Tom wrenched Jane around her middle and pulled her off her feet. The tip of the knife dug into Jane’s neck. “Don’t come any closer!”

  “I want to take him alive,” Holmes shouted at his team.

  Jane’s eyes popped open. Even from a distance, her eyes were as black as onyx. Her face held no emotion. E
li knew this wasn’t going to end well. The little girl had taken over her body.

  “Tom, you can’t do this,” Jane said, but her voice was different, childlike.

  Tom released Jane and spun her around.

  The deputy’s face turned ashen. He stumbled back from her, waving the knife between them. “You stay away from me. You’re dead.” Eyes wide, fear now etched around his gaping mouth. Tom tripped, almost dropping the knife, but quickly gained his balance.

  Jane tilted her head. “Did you miss me, cousin?”

  He shifted the knife into his other hand. He extended the point to her. “I…I—“

  “Yes, Tommy.” Jane smiled. The wind picked up like a mini tornado. Blasts of snow, dirt and decayed leaves slurred around them. “Yes, it’s me, Janie,” she said, taking a step closer to him.

  Eli wanted to lunge forward and grab her but she stepped out of reach. Jane was still within arm’s reach of Tom’s knife.

  “Why, Tommy?” Her voice gargled out.

  “I’m sorry. Grandfather made me do it,” Tom replied as he took another step back from her. He trembled. “Get away from me!”

  “Tommy, why? I loved you.”

  Tom shook his head, shrieked out and lunged toward her with the knife.

  Eli swore his heart stopped. He reacted without thought. He rolled over, grabbed his gun and shot. Right before the tip touched Jane’s skin, two bullets hit Tom. One was his.

  His aim was true and went straight to Tom’s head, while the other was from Holmes, which hit the deputy’s wrist. The knife dropped, and so did Tom.

  Jane collapsed too, hitting the ground hard. Eli raced over to her side, took off his jacket and covered her with it. His voice cracked when he spoke. “You’re safe now, Jane. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

  Eli stared down at the shallow cut along her skin. The small gash would heal, but she’d have the inner scars for the rest of her life. He wrapped his arms around Jane and held her tight.

  “Elias?”

  “I’m here,” Eli said. He held Jane tighter.

  “I-I can’t breathe.”

  Eli choked out a laugh. “Sorry. The paramedics will be here shortly. Just hang on.” When he lifted her up and carried her to the truck, he noticed Jane’s foot. “Damn.” He placed her in the driver side, ran to the back and got a blanket and a towel.

  He covered her up in the wool blanket and wrapped the towel tight around her foot to stop the bleeding.

  A deluge of emotions overpowered Eli’s controlled demeanor. There was so much to say, but not there.

  “Elias.” Jane’s voice was weak, like her body.

  “Everything is going to be all right now,” Eli whispered.

  “I know,” she uttered, then burst into tears.

  Chapter Forty

  April 4th

  Six months later

  Christina stood at the edge of Beaver Lake, looking out over the calm clear water. She watched the rush of the spring wind scatter the crisp leaves of winter over the expanse. The once yellowed grass showed heavy promise of green at the roots. Time for rebirth.

  How could someone mar such a beautiful place?

  She tried to ignore the small flags sticking out of the ground where the state police and FBI had found bodies. But they were too hard to forget. A slight chill ran down her spine. She could have been one of them. Christina remembered the desperation she had felt in Tom’s basement—what he did to Caroline was unforgivable. He was a monster.

  Her dark blonde hair whipped in her eyes; Christina controlled the strands by pushing them around her ears but she couldn’t stop the tears. She came here to reflect, heal and say goodbye.

  Christina sent out a prayer of thanks to Jane Proster, the first victim. Without her, she might not have survived. Without her, the killings would have gone on.

  Wiping her tears away, Christina would never forget the people who were involved, dead and alive. Her nightmares robbed her of her sleep at first, but day by day had eased off —with the help of Elias. He made her forget. She looked back at the truck, where he sat on top of the hood, watching her with a smile.

  Christina had to laugh. In these past six months, how her life had changed drastically. The sad truth was, her life began when she was found half-buried in the ground. Strange, but she couldn’t imagine going back to her old life. Eli was a big part of that.

  Christina couldn’t imagine her life without him. He was the pillar she leaned on when she was about to fall. He gave her the reason to stand strong and fight back. She loved him for that.

  Ripples in the water turned Christina’s thoughts back to the girl in the yellow dress. They found Jane’s remains only a few feet from where she stood, along the water’s edge, just past the tall reeds and cattails.

  Christina took the crisp air into her lungs and walked over to where Jane’s post stuck out. “I will always remember you. Thank you, Jane,” she said, sniffling back the tears.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the little girl in her yellow sundress. She stood a few feet from her. She smiled with such tenderness, mouthed “thank you,” and then disappeared.

  Tears rushed down. Christina sensed happiness, closure. She laughed and cried at the same time.

  Christina looked back at Elias. She could tell he was antsy to get moving. He kept adjusting his Giant’s cap.

  Through all this, a miracle of love was found. She sent out one last prayer, turned and headed back to her future.

  ***

  Eli slid off the hood and watched Christina walk back to him. She needed closure and so did he. During the last few months, he helped locate several bodies in the surrounding areas.

  After the Feds excavated nearly twenty-nine bodies around Beaver Lake, all locals. Calling those families was the hardest thing Eli had to do.

  Most of the bones and decayed fragments were old and untraceable, but they’d been found and a proper burial was set for them.

  The FBI traced back a few of the old unsolved murders cases that had the common links. It went as far west as California and as far south to Florida. Over forty-five more possible murders connected to either Henley or Tom, but without solid proof, no one knew for sure.

  Going through the house, they found Caroline’s body. It was a shame that she died. They also found shredded clothes, shoes and a few personal belongings that linked to the victims. Hundreds of boxes of black hair dye linked to the murders too. He never understood why Tom dyed the victims’ hair. Maybe the color reminded him of his mother, but Eli would never know. No one would.

  And why serial killers like Tom and Henley escaped the world without notice until absolute carnage happened. Nonetheless, the killing spree was finally over. People could move on, especially him.

  He stepped down from the chief’s position and Officer Tyler Ryan was elected in his place. The mayor was elated with the results. Poor Ryan.

  Eli helped hire three more qualified officers and then settled a few more issues that the mayor had brought up. He forewarned the new chief to keep a level head when it came to Mayor Daniels, but that might be asking too much of even a patient man.

  Eli had finally sold the farmhouse. Beth and Tyler, who were expecting twins in the coming November, bought it. The house needed new happy memories, and he was glad to let it go for half the market value.

  With encouragement from Christina, he contacted the Half Moon police department. He was able to get his job back with probationary measures, which was fine by him.

  Magda recovered fully and her resolution to retire soon after made him happy. Her decision to visit her home in Georgia came as a surprise but Eli thought it was about time. She told him, that life was too short to hold on to old ghosts. It was time to live. So true to those words.

  Eli was in full agreement. All he needed was his Christina.

  Christina smiled as she reached the truck. He drew her in his arms and kissed her soundly. “Are you ready to go?” he asked, taking advantage of another kiss.
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  “Yes.” She smiled back and touched his cheek. “Are you?”

  Without saying a word, he led her to the passenger side of the truck and opened it.

  Once she got in, Eli closed her door and walked back to the driver’s side. He slammed his door shut, put the truck into drive and looked over at Christina. “I’m ready now.”

  He turned the truck around and never looked back.

  About the Author:

  CJ Warrant is an Award Winning Author for dark romantic suspense and thrillers that pulls at your heart, makes you shiver with fear, and hope for a happy ending. A lover of coffee, baking and family, but not in that order—She’s a wife, a loving mother of three and a cosmetologist by trade. Drawing her experiences from her Korean Italian heritage and growing up as an Army brat, her stories stir in dark plots with addictive flawed characters you will fall in love with.

  Visit CJ on the web at www.cjwarrant.com

  Acknowledgements:

  The respect and admiration I have for these people will always be in my heart. The support they have given me throughout my journey, I will truly be thankful for.

  I want to thank first and foremost to the Aphrodite Writers. Without all your wise words, encouragements and crazy antics, I wouldn’t be where I am today. To my Grammar Guru and sister from another mother, India Powers, you give me the power of words and a kick in the ass when I surely need it.

  To Cici Edward, you took me into your fold, accepted me as I am, and gave me the courage to be true to who I am as a writer.

  I would like to also thank the wonderful Lynn Hartzer for helping me with my query.

  To my first chapter, Chicago-North RWA, I thank you for giving me the foundation of the craft, and friendships I will keep forever. To Windy City RWA, thank you for all the generous support and camaraderie I’m surrounded with.

  I also want to thank my wonderful uncle, Raymond Rose, who has given me valued information into the world of law enforcement. To my kick-ass beta readers, Debbie Genc and Lori Neely, you ladies rock! And to my eighth grade English teacher, Mr. D., who had given me the inspiration and courage to dream this dream.