by Amy Storm
There was a pause and the man coughed hard. After a few seconds, he caught his breath. “There were too many, Father. I tried. I really tried, but my health isn’t what it used to be, and there were just so many of them. The crematory machine broke down from me trying to catch up, and we couldn’t afford to fix it after my hospital bill. Besides, all those families didn’t have their loved ones with them like they thought. After that, I figured what was the point? I had excavation equipment on our farm, so I dug a mass grave and dumped the bodies. We’ve fixed our burners now and we are doing everything by the book, but it’s too late for those families who have no idea their loved ones are buried on my farm. Sometimes, I think I can hear voices and whispers when I lie in bed at night, like they’re coming for me.”
Olivia felt sick to her stomach. Her parents had not been cremated, but she couldn’t help but think of those poor families who had no idea. The thought of those people unceremoniously dumped into a mass grave without a proper burial, without any dignity, infuriated her. They deserved better than that. She couldn’t walk away with that information weighing heavy on her conscience.
She had a flashback of her parents’ funeral. She was only eighteen and was thrust into adulthood. She had to make their final arrangements. Olivia wiped the tears from her eyes and gathered her supplies. She threw them into the cleaning closet and snuck out the side door to wait in her car. She wanted to follow the man hoping he would lead her to the farm where all the restless souls waited to be set free.
***
He was visibly upset and shaking as he walked out into the parking lot.
Olivia followed in behind his car keeping her distance, but she did manage to memorize his license plate as they waited at a stoplight. Once the light changed, she allowed a few cars to get between them. She didn’t want him to know she was following him, and she knew she didn’t want a confrontation either. He sounded paranoid and unstable during the confession.
She followed him a good distance outside of the city. It was obvious he had been trying to cover his tracks by picking the church, which was so far from where he was going. He must've heard about the church on the news and waited for the publicity to die down before making the decision to confess. His gold sedan pulled into a driveway up ahead. She looked around and gripped the steering wheel. She was in the middle of nowhere in a place she was unfamiliar with. She had always been a city girl and never felt the urge to explore less urban areas. The city was her comfort zone, not pastures and open fields or whatever this was.
She drove past the driveway as his feet disappeared behind the lowering garage door. She slowed down knowing he couldn’t see her, and that’s when she saw the backhoe parked near a dirt road about one hundred yards away from his house. An uneasiness spread over her causing her to shiver, raising the tiny hairs on her arms. She was sure that was the machine he used for his mass burial of all those lost souls. Against her better judgement, she turned onto the long bumpy road. She flipped open her purse making sure her firearm was accessible should she need it. She would make damn sure he didn’t use the machine to bury her alongside all the others.
Her gut told her to turn around, but her heart wouldn’t let her. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting to find, but continued down the road spitting rocks out as her tires rolled along. Her heart pounded faster and faster, determined to overcome the logic of facing the reality of not knowing what she was going to find. She didn’t know if anyone else was involved.
Damn, she had not thought this through. It was getting dark and the sunlight was escaping faster than she had anticipated. She was used to the artificial light of the city tricking her into believing the sun had not gone down yet, but here in the middle of nowhere, sundown meant an entirely different thing. A lump formed in her throat forcing her to swallow hard. Like it or not, she had to get the hell out of there now. She couldn’t use her headlights without drawing attention to her being there trespassing, so she had to make her way back down the long road in the twilight that was left.
She sighed feeling relief when the paved road came into view ahead of her. The man from the confessional jumped out in front of her car and pounded his fists on the hood. He must have been hiding behind the tall brush flanking the gravel road. He placed his palms flat on the hood staring at her, daring her to make a move. Her right hand flew to her purse and she wrapped her fingers around the familiar steel pistol. She slid the safety off as she dragged the pistol along with her purse into her lap. She had a few options at this point, but none of them seemed to be optimal so she went with her standard lost damsel in distress routine. She flipped on her headlights to blind him enough that he couldn’t get a good look at her.
“What are you doing here?” he yelled with such force and contempt his spittle hit her windshield. He squinted his eyes trying to shield them from the bright lights.
“Is this twenty Dawkins Road?” Olivia asked. She had remembered passing the road on the way.
“No, that’s a few roads over.”
“Thanks, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
He reached behind his back and began walking towards the driver’s side.
Olivia didn’t stick around to find out what he was reaching for. As soon as he cleared the front of her car, she shoved her right foot down on the gas pedal and sped out of there as fast as the ton of steel would move. She left him with his arms in the air covering his face from the flying rocks and dirt she left in her wake. She relaxed her grip on her gun and threw the safety back on as soon as she had left a good distance between her and the man. She glanced in her rearview mirror to make sure he didn't follow her. It would've taken him a while to get back to the house and into the garage. Besides, she had hit one hundred miles per hour once her tires hit the pavement. She made sure to take a few side roads to throw him off her trail if he was crazy enough to come after her.
Olivia arrived home in record-breaking time. She glanced back over her shoulder as she unlocked her door, but she didn’t see anything or anyone unusual. Once inside, she locked the door and laid her gun down on her desk. According to the property records she found for the man’s address, the house belonged to Edward and Lilly Norton. The property taxes hadn’t been paid in three years.
She picked up the phone and called one of her buddies who was a detective. “Hi, Jed. I have a lead for you to track down.”
“Olivia, why can’t you ever call just to ask how I’ve been or to agree to go out with me?”
“Unless you’ve had a sex change and expensive, really good plastic surgery, I’m never going out with you. And maybe not even then.”
He chuckled. “Okay, okay. No need to be rude. What do you have for me?”
“There’s a guy and his wife who buried bodies on their property instead of cremating them like the families requested. I went out there tonight and he still has the equipment behind his house that he used.”
“Dammit, Olivia, I’ve told you about going off on these pursuits by yourself. You’re going to get into a situation where you either end up dead or wish you were after someone catches you.”
She sighed. “I know. Sometimes the law needs a swift kick in the ass by my boot. This guy may have gotten away with this if I didn’t intervene to speed things up. Just do what you can to look into it. They’re already late on their taxes and there’s a power line right of way that runs alongside their property. Anyone who went out there inspecting the power line could spot his equipment and the signs of digging, so unless he has a permit, which we both know he doesn’t, you should be able to come up with a plausible cause for a warrant.”
“See, there you go throwing around words like that knowing how much they turn me on. How am I ever supposed to give up pursuing you when you keep teasing me?”
“Jed, I’m serious.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Jed. Goodbye.”
Olivia didn’t sleep a wink that night. She laid on her side facing h
er bedroom door with her gun within arm’s reach on the night stand. The chances were pretty much nil that Edward could find her, but she knew enough to not become too complacent.
***
A few weeks later, the news broke, and it made the national news also. The Nortons were arrested, and the families were made aware of the unfortunate discovery of what happened. It broke her heart to see some of them speak out about how it made them feel. She felt a wave of relief and calm come over her knowing that he was going to face justice for what he had done.
Chapter Seven
She arrived at the church parking lot around one o’clock in the afternoon and spotted Reverend Higgins smoking a cigarette around the corner. She never saw a priest partake in any defiant behavior before. He inhaled twice and used the bottom of his shoe to put out the cigarette before throwing it into the dumpster. Olivia knew what was going through his mind. After all, Edward Norton had confessed his crime to him and he had been sworn to secrecy. Reverend Higgins probably felt a little relief, but at the same time he probably wondered how the authorities found out about Mr. Norton. He sprayed his mouth with breath freshener and went back into the church through one of the side doors. She wondered what other secrets he was hiding, like maybe being inappropriate with some of the children.
Olivia entered through the front and walked straight to the closet to pick up her cleaning supplies. She overheard a small child giggling behind the door, which should have been locked. Olivia put her ear up to the door and listened, but the laughter stopped. Instead, she heard a male voice, “Don’t tell anyone what happened here. This is our little secret.”
She heard movement like they were coming towards the door. Olivia backed away and slid into an empty room across the hall where she could crack the door enough to see who came out. It wasn’t Reverend Higgins. It was Bruno with a young girl with blond pigtails who looked to be about five or six years old. Olivia had managed to snap a quick photo of the two of them as they came out. The young girl ran the other direction as fast as she could away from Bruno. Olivia had no idea what happened behind the storage closet door. She heard laughter, nothing that sounded alarming, but the fact that Bruno was in the closet with the little girl didn’t sit right with her. It didn’t seem appropriate, and what was the secret that he had been discussing? She would have to keep a closer watch on him.
Once Bruno was out of sight, Olivia went into the storage closet and closed the door behind her. She glanced around looking for anything out of the ordinary. There was a snowman puppet on top of a mop in the closet. She took a picture. Yes, it was odd and strange, but she needed more before making any accusations.
***
After church, Olivia headed home for a shower and to change into one of her more normal outfits. She applied makeup and headed to a lingerie shop downtown looking for a few sexy thongs and silk bras. In the heat of the moment, quite a few had been stretched or ripped beyond any chance of recovery.
She glanced down at the hours on the door as she entered. It was only open for another thirty minutes, but she didn’t plan on spending that much time just to pick out a few more sets that would more than likely end in the same fate as the ones before. The shop was empty. Either no one found it appealing or they knew the hours better than Olivia.
She came across a shimmering, silky cream-colored matching bra and thong combo. There was a tap on her shoulder. Olivia turned around to find a stunning young woman behind her with red hair that fell in long loose spirals and dreamy hazel eyes with a sexy smile to die for.
“Do you need help finding anything?” the woman asked.
Olivia smiled back and her eyes zoned in on the young woman’s candy red lips. “Thanks. I’m just browsing.”
“My name is Kerry. Let me know if I can be of any assistance.”
Olivia picked up on the vibe emanating from the way Kerry moved in closer and twisted one of the loose strands of her hair around her finger. Olivia wanted nothing more than to have the woman wrapped around her. “Thanks, Kerry.”
Kerry ran her hand over top of the silk set Olivia was holding. Olivia swallowed hard feeling the silk material ply and bend with the movement of the woman’s nimble fingers.
“This would look great on you, especially with your olive skin tone.”
Olivia held up the set in front of her. “You think so?”
“Definitely.”
Kerry slipped her fingers inside the bra to check the tag, brushing against Olivia’s stiff nipples in the process. Olivia worked hard to restrain herself. Kerry stepped back and pushed Olivia’s hand down so she could get a look at Olivia’s breasts.
“Well, the bad news is that bra is not going to fit you. Let me see if we have a bigger size.” She turned to the rack to look for more sizes.
Olivia’s eyes roamed over the curve of Kerry’s ass in the tight black mid thigh mini dress.
“I’m sorry, we don’t have your size, but I can order it if you’d like.”
“No, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Olivia was ready to go home and jump in a cold shower.
“Wait, I just know you would love it. Why don’t you let me try it on for you? It won’t look as good on me with my pale complexion, but at least it will give you an idea.”
Olivia watched as Kerry ran her fingers over her own milky white skin above her breasts. “Well, if you don’t mind.”
Kerry checked her watch. “Just give me a second.” She walked toward the front door. “I’m the only one working and it’s almost closing time anyway.” The lock clicked and she flipped the open sign around. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving it unlocked with no one out front to keep an eye on things.”
“I know what you mean. Are you sure about this? I could come back another time so you can close shop and get out of here.”
Kerry winked at Olivia and nodded towards the dressing room. “It’s the least I can do. My job is to make you happy. Follow me.” Olivia followed hypnotized by the swaying of Kerry’s hips. “Have a seat in the chair. I’ll be right out.”
Kerry pulled the black curtain closed to change. Olivia watched the black dress fall to the floor beneath the curtain covering the black high heels. The muscles in Kerry’s calves twitched as she balanced on one foot and then the other to untangle the dress from around her feet. A minute later, Kerry pulled back the curtain wearing the bra Olivia had been holding minutes earlier.
Olivia’s gaze zoned in on Kerry’s breasts and flat abdomen before lowering her eyes to Kerry’s panties and thighs. She wanted to push Kerry back and join her behind the curtain. Olivia shifted in the chair as the ache between her thighs intensified. The bra she had picked out was more sheer than she had thought, allowing her to see Kerry’s breasts behind it. The bra did little to hide Kerry’s nipples causing Olivia to dig her nails into the chair.
Kerry placed her hands on her hips and smiled. “Come closer and get a better look. Don’t be shy.”
Olivia knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t stop herself. She stood up and walked the few steps toward Kerry. Olivia made eye contact with her, and Kerry didn’t flinch or turn away. It felt as if she was inviting Olivia to touch her. Kerry’s eyes were a mesmerizing hazel color, but as she got closer Olivia could tell Kerry had contacts. They were close enough for Olivia to feel Kerry’s breath against her face, but Kerry didn’t back away. Olivia ran her tongue across her bottom lip wondering what those candy red lips would taste like.
“Turn around so I can take it all in.” Kerry’s body was amazing. Olivia moved closer to Kerry as she completed her spin. “Mmm, very nice. Very sexy.”
“How soon would you want it?”
“Want or need? I’m thinking I need it right now.” Olivia placed her hands on Kerry’s hips weaving her fingers underneath the thin elastic waistband covering them.
“I think I can arrange that.”
Olivia bent over to remove her heels and felt Kerry unzipping the back of her dress. Gentle hands pushed the dress from her
shoulders and guided it past her hips and down to the floor. Kerry ran her hands up Olivia’s calves, her thighs, and hips not stopping until she cupped Olivia’s breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra, not with this dress. Without hesitation, Kerry rolled Olivia’s nipples between her fingertips while she ran her lips and the tip of her nose across the back of Olivia’s neck.
Olivia leaned back and wrapped her arm behind Kerry’s head nudging her lips towards her’s. Right before their lips met, Kerry pulled away teasing Olivia.
“Have you done this before?” Olivia asked.
“Which part? Having sex in the dressing room or having sex with a woman?”
“Both.”
“I’ve never had sex here before, but I’ve had sex with women. Why do you think I work in a lingerie shop?”
Olivia pulled Kerry in again this time not giving her a chance to break away before she kissed her hard. A sigh escaped from her parted lips as Kerry slipped her tongue inside and palmed her breasts with a firmer grasp. After catching her breath, Olivia turned and kissed Kerry again. With one shove, Kerry had Olivia sitting on the small bench inside the changing room. Kerry kneeled on the carpet in front of Olivia and ran her tongue over Olivia’s right nipple as she squeezed the left one between her fingertips. The wall behind Olivia supported her as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Kerry’s hair felt smooth like silk against her fingers running through it. A moment later she felt Kerry’s hand caressing her over her panties.
“Is your boss going to show up for closing?” Olivia asked.
“Sometimes she does to go through the receipts and make the deposit.”
“Should we stop?”
“Do you want me to stop?” Kerry looked up at Olivia and arched her eyebrow.
Olivia raked her nails over Kerry’s back. “No, but I don’t want you to lose your job over this.”
“Don’t worry about it. If she shows up, she can join in. Trust me, you wouldn’t be disappointed.”
