by PJ Fernor
“That’s sweet of you to say.”
“Go do what you do best, Allie Down.”
“You mean mess things up and make things worse?”
“That’s one way to put it,” Ben said.
“Goodbye, Ben,” I said.
I held my cellphone tight and took a deep breath.
The shower water was still running.
I wondered when the last time Wendy was able to take a real shower.
It hurt my heart.
The heart was replaced by anger.
No matter what happened, I was at least one step closer to finding The One.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Wendy came out of the bathroom with a towel, drying her hair, a smile on her face.
Lo had come home in the meantime and I told her about Wendy.
I said she was someone in need of help and that she wasn’t staying for long.
I knew the risks of putting Lo in this situation, but a part of me felt like I had no choice.
“Thank you for that,” Wendy said.
“No need,” I said. “I’ll order something to eat too. You can stay the night. I would prefer if you did. Get a good rest here and then we can figure out what to do in the morning. I told you I’m going to help you and I mean it.”
“Why? Why help me?”
“You deserve it,” I said. “Even if you think you don’t. This case has taken a toll on me. If you know about me already, you know about my niece. That she was kidnapped and almost lost for good. I won’t stop until I find The One. And if there’s anything else you can tell me about him…”
Wendy shook her head. “I only met him once. I was rejected.”
“Rejected?”
“Someone was picking out girls,” Wendy said as she swallowed hard. “I wasn’t wanted. That hurt.”
“Maybe it was for the better,” I said. “Look where you are now. And, hey, please don’t mention The One near my niece.”
“Of course,” Wendy said. “I won’t do-”
The apartment door opened and Wendy tensed up.
“Hey, Allie,” Miss Kesslier’s voice called out. “I brought you… oh… my apologies. Lo has a friend over.”
“No,” I said. “This is Wendy. She’s not friends with Lo.”
“How old are you?” Miss Kesslier asked.
“Nineteen,” Wendy said.
“You look so young. And so pretty.”
“Wendy, this is my neighbor,” I said. “She’s basically family by now. I wish we could knock the wall down between our apartments.” I looked at Miss Kesslier. “Wendy is helping with a case.”
“Oh,” Miss Kesslier said. “Then I better leave. I was just bringing over some meatloaf I cooked. I figured you would be working long hours and not want to cook.”
“I was going to order pizza,” I said.
“Meatloaf sounds good,” Wendy said. “I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time.”
“Are you undercover?” Miss Kesslier asked. Then she touched her mouth. “Oh, why would I ask that? You couldn’t answer me if you wanted to. Let me heat this up and I’ll get out of your hair.”
Miss Kesslier shuffled into the kitchen.
I looked at Wendy and smiled. “Neighbors.”
“Do you mind if I sit?” Wendy asked.
“Couch is yours,” I said.
I went into the kitchen where Miss Kesslier apologized for barging in.
I touched her shoulders. “It’s fine. Just… I need some time with Wendy to talk.”
“Of course,” Miss Kesslier said. “I’ll be gone in a few minutes.”
“Thank you for cooking,” I said. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t. But I want to. I’m helping solve murders.”
Miss Kesslier shooed me out of the kitchen and then made three plates of food.
She insisted on serving us and then walked to Lo’s room to give her a plate too.
When she was gone, Wendy and I ate in silence.
Lo eventually emerged from her bedroom and froze when she saw Wendy.
“Hey,” Lo said.
“Hey, girl,” Wendy said.
“I’m going put my plate in the dishwasher and go back to my room,” Lo said.
“That’s fine,” I said.
“No,” Wendy said. “Come sit down with us. I want to talk to you.”
I looked at Wendy.
She winked.
Lo inched closer to us but had her guard way up.
“What are you, fifteen? Sixteen?” Wendy asked.
“About that,” Lo said, still guarded.
“I’m only a few years older than you,” Wendy said. “You do good in school?”
“For the most part,” Lo said.
“Keep that up. When I was your age, I started to lose myself. And I never found myself again. I’m nineteen, Lo. I live on the streets. Your aunt is helping me tonight only because I can help her with her case.”
Lo looked at me.
I tightened my lips and nodded.
“Lo, sit down,” Wendy said.
She patted the couch and Lo came to her.
“I know how confusing it is to be a teenager,” Wendy said. “Boys. Girls. Situations. Grades. Teachers. Family. It’s a lot to take on.”
“It kind of is,” Lo said. “Among other things in my life. My mom died.”
“So did mine,” Wendy said.
“Really?” Lo asked.
“Yeah. She got sick when I was eight.”
“My mom died in a car accident,” Lo said.
Wendy reached for Lo’s hand. “I’m sorry about that. It sucks. Can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“Don’t end up like me. I’m scared all the time, Lo. I’m lost all the time. Tonight might be the only night for a long time that I get a real meal to eat.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Lo said.
“I’m not. It’s what I caused for myself. Just don’t do the same dumb crap I did. Don’t fall in love with a boy. Don’t let the girls bother you. Get through school. Any passing grade is a good grade.” Wendy leaned toward Lo. “No matter what your aunt says.”
Wendy smiled.
Lo looked at me and smiled too.
“But get good grades anyway,” I said.
“I like your rings,” Lo said to Wendy.
Wendy had a ring on every finger.
“You like this one?” Wendy asked, pointing to a dark blue, half-moon shaped gem.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” Lo said.
Wendy grabbed the ring and slid it off her finger. “Take it.”
“No,” Lo said.
“Take it, Lo.”
“I can’t…”
“Yes, you can,” Wendy said. “Take the ring and promise me you’ll do good. You’ll get through anything that happens. No matter how hard it is. How bad it is. Just keep fighting. Never let yourself stop, okay?”
“Okay,” Lo said. “I promise.”
Lo curled her hand around the ring and smiled big.
“I’m being serious though,” Wendy said. “I better not find out you’re failing tests and kissing boys, okay?”
Lo giggled and her cheeks turned red.
She slowly stood up. “I’m going back to my room.”
“Keep that ring safe,” Wendy said.
“Thank you,” Lo said. She took a couple steps and stopped. “Hey, Wendy. I don’t know your situation. I think you’re really pretty. And I think whatever is going on, you can make it right. I believe in people. Good people. I get that from my aunt.”
Lo looked at me and grinned.
I nodded to her.
She went to her bedroom and I looked at Wendy.
“What was that for?” I asked.
“I know the story,” Wendy said. “Everything that happened with you and her. I can’t imagine what she’s gone through. And truthfully, when I was her age, I wish someone older would have said something to me. Not someone old. No
t that you’re old…”
“But I am old to her,” I said.
“Right. I’m nineteen. I’m still cool. Even though I don’t feel it.”
“I think you’re really cool,” I said.
Wendy laughed. “You’re too old to be saying the word cool.”
“I’ll kick you out if you call me old again,” I said.
“How about laced with time?”
I smiled. Then I reached for Wendy’s hand. “We need to keep talking about The One now.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
I pushed Wendy as far as I could.
She wasn’t lying to me, and she wasn’t hiding anything from me.
All she said about The One was all she knew.
She looked to be two seconds away from crying. Normally I didn’t mind making someone cry. Not if it helped with getting information.
I thought about what Wendy had done for Lo and I eased back.
I got her a bottle of water and changed the subject.
My eyes moved to the rings on her fingers.
On the right thumb there was a discolored lizard ring.
I reached and touched it.
“Does it have a story?” I asked.
“The ring?”
“Yeah.”
“They all do,” she said. “They’re all I have.”
“I can get that ring back from Lo,” I said. “What you said was good enough.”
“No. I want her to have it. When I look at my finger and see the ring gone, it’ll remind me of her. And you.”
“Can you tell me about that lizard ring?”
“It was a gift,” Wendy said. She smiled right away. “It was from a guy.”
“That’s why you’re smiling,” I said. “That makes me uneasy. Lo has a… a boyfriend.”
“Ut-oh,” Wendy said. “Is he cute?”
“He’s a troublemaker.”
“Of course he is,” Wendy said. “Lo is a good girl. Her aunt is a detective. It’s only natural she would want to date a bad boy.”
“Don’t even say it like that,” I said. “Truthfully, the more I get to know Trevor, the more I understand about him. He’s not all that bad. And I’m pretty sure I have him very afraid of me.”
Wendy laughed. “That’s good.”
“Tell me about the guy who gave you this ring,” I said.
“Rich. He was a year older than me. And that was a big deal. I was in eighth grade and he was a freshman in high school. He went to a different building and everything. So it was huge when a boy like that liked a girl like me.”
“Did you love him?”
“With all my heart,” Wendy said. “And I know, I get it, young love, right? This was real. I believe in real love. No matter the age. I would have married Rich. I would have followed him anywhere. I kind of did. Which is why I’m here right now.”
“He was a troubled soul?”
“Big time. The bad stuff used to be cool. I used to think it was sexy. Who wouldn’t, right?”
My mind danced right back to Tommy.
I had once been like Wendy.
Falling for the bad boy who was a year older than me.
I remembered when Tommy got his first car.
He was sixteen with a noisy car and nowhere to go. And I was fifteen, sitting in the passenger seat, the envy of many other girls.
“What happened, Wendy?” I asked.
“Like I told you, I followed anywhere he went,” she said. “And he went dark. Really fast. The fun and the fights and the partying became something else.”
“Drugs.”
Wendy nodded. “I didn’t want to abandon him. I knew what that felt like. I had a bad home life. There wasn’t much to it, but what was there was rough. I thought between Rich and I we could save each other. But that didn’t happen. He kept getting worse. I kept going with him. Before I knew it, I was… I was enjoying that stuff with him. Not as much though. I was able to pull back when I needed to. He couldn’t help himself. And one day… that was it. He died.”
“Oh, Wendy,” I said.
I hugged her and she began to cry.
My heart ached for her.
She came from a broken home and got tied up with a guy with a drug problem. The guy died and she was left all alone.
In other words, she was the exact kind of girl The One preyed on.
“I’m so sorry for all you’ve gone through,” I whispered. “But I’m going to protect you now. There are places you can go. Programs to get into. There is so much help out there, Wendy.” I broke the hug and looked at her. “Do you understand?”
“I want to believe you,” she said. “But I heard that before.”
“From who?”
“Another cop.”
“Which one?”
“Officer Preens,” she said.
The color left my face. “Preens?”
“Yeah. He said he could help. Then he just took off. So, I’m not very giving of my trust.”
Preens.
He was the cop I had been bumping into when I was trying to help the girls under the bridge. I never liked the guy. I always thought he seemed shady.
I took a mental note of what Wendy had said.
“I’m not Preens,” I said. “I know Preens. He’s a loser. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Do you understand?”
Wendy nodded. “Okay. I believe you then. Whatever you want me to do. I’ll tell anyone anything. As long as you’re with me.”
“I’ll be right by your side, Wendy,” I said. “I’ll always check up on you. You will never have to sleep on the streets or worry about a hot meal again. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Wendy, did Preens ever talk about The One?”
“I don’t remember,” she said. “It was a long time ago. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I said. “We’ll talk again in the morning. Let’s get some sleep.”
Wendy nodded. “Are you sure I can stay?”
“More than sure.”
I stood up and Wendy grabbed my hand. “Allie. Detective…”
“Allie is fine,” I said.
Wendy blushed. “Thank you. For everything. And talking to me… I never get to talk about Rich. And you didn’t judge me. You didn’t jump down my throat.”
“I never would,” I said. “You loved him. You were young and trying to help. When did he… pass?”
“Two years ago,” Wendy said.
To me Wendy was just a baby. Just like Lo. They were all babies. Kids. Too young for this kind of stuff to happen in their lives.
I leaned down and kissed the top of Wendy’s head.
“Get some rest,” I said. “We’ll talk in the morning. Just wait until you eat one of Miss Kesslier’s cinnamon rolls.”
“I can’t wait,” Wendy said.
I turned out the lights and checked on Lo. She was in bed, staring at her phone, wearing the ring Wendy gave her.
I went to my bedroom and sat down on my bed and sighed.
There was a lot of work to do.
On both cases.
Catching The One.
Catching the person cutting off people’s hands.
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.
One thing I knew no matter what…
Nothing was going to stop me from getting to the truth.
Chapter Fifty-Five
There are three hands in the freezer now.
And it feels good.
He feels really good about that.
In fact, he slept a little better last night. And he was happier at work.
People even began noticing.
They pointed to him and asked for a dumb joke.
He pointed back…
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side.
Everyone laughed at his jokes.
Work was upbeat and he felt… lighter.
Floating.
So much so that he doesn’t pay attention to the letters
that have piled up on the table at home.
They don’t matter so much anymore.
He’s found a way to heal himself.
That’s all that matters.
Healing.
There was something about that third hand…
The man was bigger than him. The man was stronger.
But he got the sneak attack.
A rock to the head, then holding the man’s head in the lake water.
It was so thrilling.
But the real thrill was still in taking the hand.
There are just too many hands in that kitchen…
To him that’s not possible now.
Once one freezer fills up, he’ll go to another.
The thought of actually filling a freezer with hands excites him.
In fact, tonight he’s wide awake again, but for a different reason.
He wants to do it again.
He wants to take another hand.
It feels risky to do, but he feels too good to let the feeling pass him by.
He changes from his color coordinated pajamas to black jeans and a black sweatshirt. The air is cold tonight. It’s cold every night now.
He loves the way the seasons change.
As he begins to drive around, he realizes he has no plan.
There’s no target in mind.
But that’s part of the thrill.
He parks his car outside a park and begins to walk.
He chooses a different park than before, just to be safe.
The crisp air hits him hard.
He shivers but smiles.
Worst case, he gets a nice, cold walk before going home.
Best case…
He stops walking.
He shakes his head.
Maybe killing someone is wrong. Maybe cutting off someone’s hand is wrong.
If that’s so, why do people keep practically falling into his lap?
He can’t believe what he’s looking at.
There’s a woman in a black skirt and a puffy jacket, asleep on the park bench.
She’s slumped forward, about to fall off the bench.
He comes to her rescue and gently moves her down to one side.
He shakes her.
“Wake up,” he says. “Wake up right now.”
The woman doesn’t stir.
He presses his fingers to her neck.
She has a pulse.
She’s either drunk or high.
She’s completely passed out.
