by Ann Mullen
“That dog weighs a ton,” he said as he took off his coat, hung it on the rack by the door, and then headed toward the kitchen. “I need a drink.”
Once I was confident that Athena was comfortable, I turned and walked to the kitchen and joined the guys. They were seated at the table opposite each other with a bottle of bourbon and three shot glasses in front of them.
“I need one after a day like today,” I said as I sat down at the end of the table and downed the vile liquid. “Whew! That was nasty. May I have another, please?”
“It gets better after the first one,” Billy said, and let out a sigh of relief. “This has been one of the longest days. What else could possibly happen?” He looked up at Jonathan and said, “You need to call Lu Ann. She said she tried to call you, but your phone’s been off. What gives?”
“Nothing,” Jonathan replied. “I must have turned it off by mistake.”
I coughed. “That’s not likely.”
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at it. He held it up for us to see. “I told you that I must have turned it off, and I did. See?” He pushed the on button and it came to life, ringing immediately. “Excuse me for a second.” He got up from the table and walked down the hall toward the family room in the back of the house.
While he was gone, I used the opportunity to catch up on what I had missed and talk to Billy about my suspicions. “What happened while I was away?”
“Officer Whalen is in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. They’re not sure he’s going to make it. Taking a bullet in the gut is not good. I’ve been there.”
“I know you have,” I said. “I’m glad I wasn’t around.” I hesitated, thinking about how horrible it must have been for Ruth when he got shot. I tried not to think about it further. “Was Wayne the one who shot him?”
“Yes, he was.”
“Did they catch him?”
“No, they didn’t, but they will.”
“All their cars are gone. Where are they now?”
“Captain Waverly got a call from one of his guys and they all took off. He said something about the fugitive being spotted out by the road. They think the kid was trying to get back to his truck.”
“Oh, Lord. He’s still out there. I hate this.”
“I know you do. I do, too. I can’t believe we could be so inattentive. He never should’ve gotten away. We let our guard down.”
“It was my fault. I’m the one who absentmindedly left my gun lying around. I didn’t think he was a threat, and now someone paid for my mistake.” Tears filled my eyes. I was upset by the fact that someone was hurt and might possibly die because of my stupidity.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Billy said as he got up from the table and walked over to me. “Wayne Avery is a killer.” He put his arm around me. “I made a few calls while you were gone and then I did what I do best: investigate.”
“I don’t think investigating is what you do best… maybe second best.” I winked at him. He kissed my tears away as I wrapped my arms around him and cried more. “What did you find out?” Then a thought struck me. “Hold that thought. Have you heard from my mother?”
“Yes,” Billy replied. “And I have a story there to tell you, but that can wait. Let me tell you about this guy, Wayne, first.”
“But…”
“Your mother is fine. They made it home safely and everything is okay. Now, I want to tell you what I learned about Wayne Avery.”
Jonathan walked back in the room and said, “You found out that he’s psychotic and he killed his mother.”
“What?” I asked, stunned. I looked at Billy. “Is that true? Did he kill his own mother? I don’t believe it. Why would he do that? From the way he acted, he loved his parents.”
“They could never prove he was responsible, but the police believe he did it,” Billy said. “He probably confessed to his psychiatrist, but we’ll never know. Confidentiality—you know how that goes.”
“How… I thought his mother took a bunch of sleeping pills.”
“She did, but the medical examiner said she had bruising around her mouth which would lead one to believe that she might have been forced to take the pills, and since the father was in jail…”
“That’s conjecture,” I said. “She could’ve fallen on her face.”
“And I’m the Pope. Face it, Jesse. You just don’t want to believe he could do something so awful,” Jonathan said.
“He’s just a kid,” I said. “Kids aren’t supposed to kill their parents.”
“You’d be surprised how often that happens. People do some pretty bad things to each other. The worst part is that most killers don’t have any remorse about what they do. What I find so hard to believe is that a person can kill someone and then sit down at the dinner table and eat a meal as if nothing happened.”
“He did that?”
“That’s what they say. They think he was so distraught about his mother accusing his father of physical abuse and his father being arrested for it, that he flipped out and killed her. At least, that’s what they say.”
“Who said that?”
“I just talked with Cole.”
“I thought you were talking to Lu Ann.”
“I was, but then a call came in and it was Cole on the other end. He said he’s been trying to reach Billy, but your line is dead and Billy’s cell phone is off.”
As soon as the words were out of Jonathan’s mouth, my cell phone rang. I got up from the table and walked over to the coat rack to retrieve my phone. Cole James’ name appeared on the Caller ID.
“It’s Cole,” I said as I flipped open the phone and then watched as Billy went to the wall phone and picked up the receiver.
“The line’s dead,” he said. He had a concerned look on his face. “I’ll go outside and check it out.”
“No, don’t,” I said. “Wait a minute before you do.”
“Okay,” Billy replied as he hung the phone back up. He looked at Jonathan and then back to me. “I’m in no hurry to go out in the freezing cold.”
“Hello, Cole,” I said. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. It’s a bit hectic over here.”
“I guess it is,” Cole replied. “I’ve been trying to call Billy. Is he there?”
“Yes, he is. Hold on a minute.” I walked over to Billy and handed him the phone.
“What’s going on, Cole?” Billy asked as he took the cell phone. He did all the listening, speaking only when he said thank you, and then closed up the phone. He handed it back to me.
“What is it? What did Cole have to say?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I have nothing but time.” I looked at Jonathan and asked, “Is everything all right with you and Lu Ann?”
“She broke off the engagement with her boyfriend. She said she wanted to be alone, so I guess I’ll be staying here for the night if you don’t mind.”
“Give her the space she needs and everything will work out. I’m sure. And until then, you can stay here as long as you like.”
“I’ll stay here tonight, but I think I might take Greg up on his offer to bunk in with him after his girlfriend leaves in a couple of days. She’s going to stay until after Daniel’s funeral.”
Silence chilled the room. Billy got up, went over to the fireplace, and threw a couple of logs onto an already glowing bed of firewood.
“By then he’ll need someone around to help him get through the tough times.”
“What about Lu Ann?”
“She understands. Now that she has her claws dug in, she’s not worried about losing me.”
“You’re awful, Jonathan. Why do you talk that way when you know this is what you want?”
“Because I’m a man and we’re scumbags. It’s our way.”
“How true!” I snickered. “You finally see the light! All kidding aside. You and Lu Ann are going to be happy together. You just wait and see.” I looked at Billy and asked, “What did Greene County’s finest hav
e to say?”
“More than I cared to hear.” Billy tried to clear his throat, then had a coughing spasm.
“Are you all right, Billy?”
He held up his hand and waited for his coughing fit to pass.
I looked at Jonathan and then back to Billy. “How long has this been going on and how have you managed to hide it from me? Do you need to go back to the hospital?”
“I’m going to be fine.” Billy poured himself another shot of whiskey and downed it in one gulp. “Ah-h-h,” he said, dragging out his words. “That felt good.” His voice was raspy.
My concern was lessened by his apparent recovery from the hacking spell. “One more of those and I’m calling Dr. Bryant.”
“Doc said it would take a while, Jesse. You heard him. I’m going to be fine, as long as I don’t cough up my insides out onto the table.”
“That was just plain gross,” I said, gagging.
“Here,” Billy said as he poured another shot of whiskey and handed it to me. “This will wash down that nasty image.”
“Or bring it back up in the form of fried buffalo meat, or whatever that was I ate earlier. What was that meat Robert sent over? Was it chicken… or dog?”
Athena barked when I said the word dog, but then went back to a restful nap.
“Never mind. I don’t want to know. It tasted good. That’s all I can say. What about Cole’s phone call?”
Billy poured Jonathan another shot of whiskey.
“Are we going to get drunk tonight, or what?”
No one said anything as Billy poured more whiskey.
“I guess we are,” I said as I took my shot glass and turned it upside down. I slammed the glass on the table and waited for Billy to pour another one.
“This is your last one,” he said as he filled the tiny glass. “I know how you get when you drink. Next thing I know you’ll be outside running around in the snow… naked.”
“I want to see that!” Jonathan said.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to get me drunk,” I said to Billy, feeling like I was getting tipsy. “Am I slurring my words?”
“Not yet,” Billy said. “But you’re well on your way.”
“I haven’t had so much to drink that I don’t know when you’re trying to put me off. Now give. Tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out, and make it quick. My eyelids are getting heavy.”
“Wayne Avery lives in a new subdivision off Octonia Road in Stanardsville. His family moved there four years ago. When his parents died, he got the house, which is paid for.”
“How nice for him.”
“That explains why he called us from a house on Octonia Road. The house was close by, and he must have known the owners were on vacation,” Billy said.
“That’s typical of someone so young. What an idiot.”
“He turned eighteen in April. He went to William Monroe High School, but dropped out. He never did graduate like he claimed, and he hasn’t held a job or had contact with any of the few friends since then,” Jonathan added. “He has emotional problems. He’s been seeing a psychiatrist for over three years.”
“After three years you’d think he would’ve made some progress.”
“Not according to Cole. Sheriff Hudson has a file on the kid that is full of petty complaints. He’s done things like throw rocks at the neighbor’s kids, hurting one bad enough that the girl had to have stitches. Then he set a trash can on fire and almost burned down the woods behind another neighbor’s house. He hit a dog with a hammer. He shot a cat with a BB gun, and then the cat died. He borrowed his father’s car without permission one afternoon and used it to run over a family of ducks crossing the road. The first hit didn’t kill all of them, so he backed up the car and finished the job. A neighbor saw him and called the police.”
“He sounds like a real sicko. That’s how serial killers start out. They torture small animals and beat up on other kids. Wait a second. Isn’t Octonia Road over there by my mother?”
“Yes, it is,” Billy said. “But don’t get upset. He hasn’t returned to his house. Sheriff Hudson’s deputies are watching the place. The minute he returns, they’ll catch him.”
“Just like Captain Waverly and his men did a little while ago?”
“He won’t be out there for long. Trust me, `ge ya. They will catch him.”
“Let’s just hope they get him before he kills again.” I shook my head. “I just can’t believe that he’s a killer. He seems so…”
“Nice? Sweet?” Jonathan asked. “Serial killers prey on others’ kindness and their belief that nothing bad will happen to them. That’s their first mistake. Their second is that they let him in their house or car. That’s usually their last mistake.”
“He said he didn’t kill anyone. Someone else is the guilty party, but he couldn’t tell us, or that someone would kill him.”
“I think it’s a bunch of hogwash,” Billy said. “Until the police apprehend him or until he crosses my path again, we’d better go on alert. I’m going outside to see if the phone line has been cut. If it hasn’t, the storm must’ve knocked out the service, and it should be back up soon. Either way, I need to find out why the phone isn’t working. Jonathan, I want you to get on your cell phone and start making the calls.”
“But it’s so late,” I said. “Everyone’s probably in bed by now.”
“It’s never too late to wake up the family if we need to go on alert.”
Billy took me by the arm and said, “Come on, Sleeping Beauty. It’s time for you to go to bed.”
“I have to brush my teeth.”
The alcohol had taken effect, and brushing my teeth was all I could do before falling into bed. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow… and I had forgotten to tell Billy about my suspicions of someone hiding in the woods. That was a mistake I would later regret.
Chapter 16
No matter how tired you are, or how much alcohol you’ve consumed, you should never forget to tell someone something important, especially if it concerns the safety of your family. When I awoke at daybreak, the first thing on my mind was to tell Billy about my suspicions that someone was watching us. I rolled over in bed to see his side empty. As soon as I sat up, my head felt as if it was going to explode.
“I know better than to drink,” I said to myself. “What’s wrong with me?”
“You needed to chill out,” Billy said as he walked into the room carrying a glass of orange juice. “Here, drink this. It will make you feel better.”
“I think I’m going to need something more than a glass of juice to fix this headache.”
He held out his hand and offered me two aspirins.
“That might do the trick.” I took the aspirins, tossed them into my mouth and then gulped down the juice. “Ah, I’m already as good as new.”
“Why don’t you take a shower while I fix you some breakfast?”
I lifted the sheet and saw that I was naked. “I guess you undressed me last night. Thanks. I prefer not to sleep in my street clothes.”
“It was all my pleasure.” He smiled and then did that silly thing with his eyebrows as if he had been a bad, bad little boy.
“What am I going to do with you,” I joked. “You’re such a pervert.”
“That’s me,” Billy said, and then leaned over to kiss me.
I put my hand to my mouth and said, “Not before I brush my teeth. My breath smells like a rotten egg.”
“That’s pleasant.” He backed off. “I’ll wait until later.”
“What about the kids?” I asked. “Are they up? How’s Athena?”
Billy chuckled, and replied, “The kids have been up for a while. Jonathan’s in the kitchen watching them. He makes a good babysitter.”
“He’s hired.”
“I put Athena’s bowl of food and water by the fireplace so she wouldn’t have to walk all the way to the utility room. After she ate, I gave her another pill, and she went back to sleep. Thor’s
by her side, but the cat’s missing.”
“What do you mean? Where’s Spice Cat?”
“I don’t know. I can’t find him anywhere.”
“Do you think he might’ve gotten outside last night when the door was open?”
“Who knows? But don’t worry. I’ll go looking for him if he doesn’t come home soon.”
“I have to get up and find my cat.”
Billy sat down on the bed beside me and said, “Spice Cat will be okay. Cats have a way about them. If he was hurt, he’d meow loud enough for the whole world to hear. If he’s out running around, he’ll come back when he gets good and ready to. Don’t worry. He’ll come home. I’m sure he’s okay.”
“He better be.”
“He is, `ge ya. He’ll come home when he’s ready. Trust me. You need to get in the shower. We have many things to discuss.”
“Yes, we do. I think you have some explaining to do.”
“I will answer your questions, but first know that whatever I do, I do for the sake of my family.”
“You scare me when you talk like that,” I said as I grabbed the sheet and crawled out of bed. I wrapped it around me, but not until I was sure that Billy got an eyeful. I might not have the best body in the world, but Billy likes it, so I don’t hesitate to show it to him every chance I get. Maybe I’m the one who’s a pervert. I smiled as I headed to the bathroom.
“I can tell the conversation is going to be one-sided, with you being the one who’s doing all the talking,” I continued. “Are you going to lecture me? Because if you are, I can tell you right now that since you’re usually right, I’ll agree with whatever you have to say. I think. I’ll let you know when I get out of the shower.” I handed him the empty glass. “If you’d like to join me…”
“I do, but I can’t.” He got up from the bed and walked to the bedroom door. “I have things that must be done.”
Billy turned and left the room while I went in and turned on the shower.
Twenty minutes later, I was dressed in a clean pair of blue jeans with a T-shirt under my turtleneck sweater. My long hair was still wet, but I didn’t feel like blow drying it. Instead, I ran a brush through it and put it in a ponytail. I was ready to start the day. My headache had disappeared and I was in a somewhat cheerful mood. I don’t know why considering the past few days’ events, but I was. Maybe things were going to get better and the bad guys were going to jail.
