Twisted Retribution

by Donna Arp Weitzman

  Sarah felt a shiver. “Why do you say that, doctor?”

  “Because men usually use knives that kill big animals and cut cleaner than these wounds,” he explained. “These were like a small kitchen serrated knife that a lady would use to cut up a steak or pork chop.”

  “I see. Anything else?” Sarah was trying to remain calm. This doctor could be a problem.

  “Nope, just a horrendous crime, “ he said. “Why would anyone want to kill the good reverend?”

  “Doc, I wish I knew,” Sarah said and turned to leave before adding, “May I come back if I need to?”

  The doctor nodded.

  When she got back to her office, she checked in with her boss.

  “Anything interesting yet?” he asked. “You know Sarah, we could both get big promotions and raises if this murder is solved.”

  “Nothing yet. I will stay on it,” Sarah assured him.

  “Keep me informed.”

  “I will,” she again promised her supervisor.

  ***

  About mid-afternoon that Sunday, Pete had moved to the living room couch to watch sports. When Sarah finally got home, he peered at her strangely, as if he’d never seen her before.

  “What’s Olivia doing?” Sarah asked to deflect Pete’s curious gaze.

  “She’s pretty upset,” Pete said. “People have been calling the house about the reverend’s death all day.”

  Pete stared at Sarah inquisitively. “Can we talk now?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Sarah said and sat down beside her husband.

  Pete gestured for Sarah’s hand. The change in Pete Sears was astonishing to Sarah. All she’d ever known from her husband was hateful remarks and blows from his fist. Intimidation and hurt were his hallmarks.

  Once again, Sarah put her trust in God. If God had spoken to Pete, then Sarah must believe in her husband, she told herself. She remembered her bible and the wisdom of God. “What God joins together, no man must put asunder.” Sarah had relied on this truth for twenty years.

  Sarah sat down next to Pete. She needed to tell him what had happened, beginning with Henry Lee Lucas. She wasn’t sure if she’d leave out the sex, but she would detail her interactions with the killer.

  “Pete, a lot of things have happened. Please listen to me before you say or do anything, okay?” she began. Her old fears regarding her husband crept into Sarah’s mind, and she hoped God would remain with Pete while she told her horrific story.

  Like many married couples, the years had familiarized the two people. Although sorrow and pain had gripped the Sears household for decades, Pete was now a changed man. He had feared death just a few days before and knew little about God. But Pete now chose to believe Sarah’s God had given him another chance. So he decided he would remain quiet and show his wife patience, the best he knew how.

  “Pete, I need to tell you about the man who tried to kill you. I believe he is a serial killer, and he found out where we lived,” Sarah said.

  “But why us?” Pete asked, curious as to why a stranger would target his family.

  Sarah reminded him she’d been on the killer’s trail. She continued her story, leaving out her brief sexual encounters with Henry. Pete Sears was now a kinder, gentler man, but his wife having sex with a depraved killer would be too much for him to bear. Sarah would never tell anyone of her demented tryst with the felon. Only she and God would know. If Henry tried singing to the authorities, she’d refute his story, assured no one would ever suspect her, the dedicated police lady. She’d just paint Henry as a crazy man, which she suspected would be totally accurate.

  Sarah took a breath and spun more of her tale. “I was driving by the baseball field last week and saw a strange car. We had received a crime sheet at the office showing Lucas’ picture. No one knew he was in town. I stopped to get a closer look at the car, and I was sure it was him driving. But he pulled away before I could arrest him.”

  Pete seemed to be following so far.

  Sarah continued, “Anyway, I drove to the office, and he followed me. I was scared. He drove right on my back bumper, trying to intimidate me, and he did! I pulled in, and he just sat in his car staring at me. I hurried into the building and told Zach to send out a notice to the other counties letting them know we’d seen Lucas in Nocona. The next time I saw this man, he was on our porch.”

  Sarah paused before she lied, “He probably was after me instead. I’m so sorry, Pete. This was not right. You took the knife he intended for me.”

  Pete didn’t move. It was evident to Sarah that he believed every word. She had never lied to Pete before. Her heart was beating rapidly, but she knew her husband would never suspect his wife of infidelity. Sarah reached toward Pete and squeezed his hand.

  “Where do you think he is now?” Pete asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Sarah answered, trying to think fast. “I bet he’s left town since he stabbed you. He knows the police will be looking for him.”

  Sarah knew this also wasn’t true. Her office hadn’t sent notices about Lucas to anyone. She planned to find him and kill him herself. God’s world would be safer if the devil’s demon was destroyed. Sarah was sure God needed her help.

  Pete seemed drained and laid back on his pillows.

  “Pete, there’s something else I need to tell you,” she said.

  Sarah knew she needed to confess to killing Reverend Thomas. She assumed Olivia was hysterical by now and wouldn’t keep the secret about her pregnancy for long, even though she’d trusted her mother to tell Pete in due time.

  Sarah would never tell Olivia that she had murdered the reverend, but she felt she could tell Pete. She trusted her gut and her prayers because God was telling her to include Pete on her murder. After all, Henry had to pay for his sins one way or another. If she hadn’t done it, Pete would have killed him for what he did to Olivia.

  “Pete, you know Olivia went to the hospital because she was hemorrhaging from the abortion,” she began.

  Pete was staring at Sarah, hatred in his eyes.

  Sarah worried about what he would do.

  “Pete, it was Reverend Thomas.”

  “What are you talking about? Are you crazy?” Pete was close to shouting, shaking violently.

  Sarah continued. “Reverend Thomas was giving our daughter drugs in return for sexual favors. He raped our daughter, along with others. If they got pregnant, he performed the abortions.”

  “Stop,” Pete shouted at Sarah. “Nooooo!”

  Her husband’s voice bellowed like the calves she’d seen castrated in feedlots. He was like a wounded animal. His eyes glassed over and he tried to stand but fell back on the sofa, defeated. His only daughter molested by a preacher and then butchered like a cow.

  “I’ll kill him,” he yelled out.

  “Shhhh,” Sarah whispered, pointing toward Olivia’s door upstairs. “I already have,” she said bluntly.

  “What?” he stammered. “You did what?”

  “I killed the reverend Saturday in his office.”

  Once again, Sarah was calm and resolute.

  Dumbfounded, Pete could no longer speak. He stared at his wife, realizing his earlier fears were valid. She was a murderer.

  “Pete, I knew you’d kill him if you got the chance,” Sarah told him. “And I didn’t want blood on your hands. I’m the one who investigated his death, Pete. I believe the community will think it was Henry Lee Lucas who did this.”

  Pete could not look away from this woman, someone he’d lived with for two decades. A meek, shy, insecure woman who never fought back when her husband abused her. He wondered what had snapped inside her. Was the need to protect their child so great that Sarah could kill someone? Someone she had considered a godly man? Had he never really known Sarah Sears?

  “How did you kill him?” Pete wanted to know. Again, Sarah quieted Pete, putting her finger gently over his lips.

  “I stabbed him. I made an appointment with him, went to his office, reached to hug him, and killed him w
ith my sharpest, longest kitchen knife. Don’t worry. I cleaned it and put it back in our kitchen.”

  Vomit welled in Pete’s throat.

  “Pete, I also castrated him,” Sarah admitted.

  Pete began to throw up on the white cotton pillowcase. Sarah went to the kitchen and brought back a cold towel, rubbing his face. He was bent forward but straightened up when Sarah touched him.

  “I need to go up and see my daughter,” he demanded.

  “Not now, Pete.”

  “Does she know about you and him?”

  “No, and I’m not going to tell her,” Sarah said firmly. “I’d like you to keep our secret.”

  “What if someone finds out?” Pete asked. He was scared.

  “They won’t. I can handle that part,” Sarah told him. Pete knew his wife was a capable woman.

  “Can I trust you as my husband and in front of God?” Sarah was trying to read Pete as she asked the question. He hesitated, thinking of his mortality, again reaffirming to himself that God had saved him from a murderer for a reason.

  Pete instinctively knew his wife did what she thought best for her family. This mother could not bear the thought of a robed monster molesting children, including friends of their daughter. The picture in her mind of her own minister forcing her only child to commit sick acts against her will was far too much for Sarah Sears. His wife had to do something. For this, he could and he would forgive her.

  Pete reached for Sarah’s hand. “I don’t want to know any more. Is our daughter going to be okay?”

  “Yes,” Sarah answered and breathed a sigh of relief. “Except I believe she may be hooked on the drugs he provided her. I’m not sure, but I suspect that.”

  Sarah sounded very sad, and Pete now wept softly.

  ***

  They sat in silence, motionless, until they heard loud noises from Olivia’s room that sounded like someone sobbing.

  “Olivia, are you okay?” Sarah called as she went upstairs to check on her.

  “I didn’t want him dead!” the girl moaned.

  Olivia was becoming frantic. “Why did someone have to kill him?” she screamed.

  “Reverend Thomas was a child molester, honey,” Sarah reasoned. “Anyone who hurts a child hurts God. To send him to hell was God’s way. This was the work of God!”

  “You’re crazy, you bitch! I hate you! Get out!” the girl screamed. “Get out!”

  Sarah tried to comfort her child, attempting a hug. She pushed Sarah away and repeated, “I said, get out!”

  Sarah stood her ground. “Olivia, he hurt you,” she said softly. “And I suspect he raped your friend Amber too.”

  “Where will I get my shit now?” Olivia seethed. Sarah suddenly realized her daughter was a drug addict, panicked by the thought of losing her source. Sarah needed to talk to Pete about what to do now, so she left their daughter’s room, and Olivia slammed the door behind her.

  Sarah walked down the stairs, tears clouding her eyes. She would help her daughter overcome her demons. With Reverend Thomas gone, Sarah would have to oversee Olivia getting clean. She knew her task would be difficult, but with God’s help, they would both survive.

  Minutes went by with the only sound in the Sears household coming from the small clock on the shabby mantle. It had been a wedding present from friends of Sarah’s parents. She always loved the familiar ticking.

  “Pete,” Sarah began, “we need to take care of Olivia and get her off drugs. And I need to find Henry Lee Lucas. I need to do both right away.” Sarah knew this was God’s will.

  Silence fell on the couple once again. Pete saw Sarah as an equal now. She was no longer his servant but a partner, a determined policewoman. He knew he could not talk her out of tracking down a killer who’d almost killed him. So as a husband and a partner, he vowed that he must help his wife. Pete Sears would be the killer and Sarah, the accomplice.

  ***

  With an approximate population of 105,000 people, Wichita Falls, Texas, is about 50 miles west of tiny Nocona. Another 50 miles west is the 12,000-person town of Vernon, Texas. Either of these western communities dwarfed Sarah’s hometown. Residents of Nocona can drive south to the Dallas Fort Worth area in about the same time as going west. Any Noconan who moves to these larger Red River locales will rarely see his former Nocona friends except to visit family on Christmas holidays and Easter Sunday.

  Sarah’s Aunt Sadie was her mother’s half-sister who moved to the Vernon area many decades ago with her now deceased husband to work on a West Texas ranch. Childless, Sadie remained in her country home when her Ralph died of emphysema. She would occasionally write Sarah’s mother, always asking for Sarah or her sister to visit.

  “Be sure to come and stay awhile,” she’d typically add to the letter’s postscript.

  The Nocona clan often discussed going to Vernon but only once could Sarah remember driving the three hours to Sadie’s house. A family disagreement had ensued about how far the ranch really was with Sarah’s father complaining, “I don’t know, but it was a hell of a drive!”

  Sarah liked her distant aunt and had always hoped to go again to see her, yet never got the chance after becoming Mrs. Sears.

  Aunt Sadie had recently sent a short note that successfully reached Sarah, although it was addressed using Sarah’s maiden name. Sarah suspected her aunt might be suffering from slight dementia. But overall, the letter was sweet and inviting.

  Considering how to get Olivia away from her “druggy” addicted friends, Aunt Sadie’s ranch popped into Sarah’s mind. Although Sarah hated to admit it, Olivia was often a bitchy, spoiled brat. But she could be sweet when she wanted to be. Sarah wanted to get her daughter away from Nocona and protect her from as much hateful gossip and bad influence as she could manage. Sarah considered if perhaps Olivia could finish her school year in this rural environment in Wilbarger County, Texas.

  Her aunt would love having the company, and Olivia would be forced to be drug-free under Aunt Sadie’s watchful eye. Sarah never considered she might be naive about the availability of controlled substances even in Vernon, but anything would be better than Nocona for Olivia.

  Pete would need to be consulted before she contacted her relative. Sarah needed his approval and support. Sarah and Pete were partners on the Reverend Thomas situation, and now would be partners on his daughter’s recovery too.

  Olivia was headstrong and would likely throw a huge fit when they proposed the plan. Spending a few months in a lonely house miles from nowhere without adequate television reception would not suit the teen. Sarah needed to act quickly while Olivia was recovering from her injuries.

  Still in shock, Pete appeared to listen to Sarah’s suggestion, but hardly communicated a response. Pete was typically quick to make decisions, and Sarah had never overridden anything he dictated. However, Pete was weak and preoccupied.

  “Whatever you think,” he said at last. “But you tell her.” Pete never liked conflict with his baby girl.

  “I will, but Pete, I need you to stand behind me on this. Olivia will have a hissy! If you feel like making the trip, I think we should take her tomorrow. I can call Aunt Sadie right now. She’s always home.”

  Pete glanced at his wife, nodding his head. She worried Pete was sliding back in his shell.

  But Pete was busy silently plotting Henry Lee Lucas’ death.

  ***

  Pete Sears had grown up with guns of all kinds in his home and in the homes of his friends. When he won a marksmanship award in military basic training school, he was quite proud and his old man complimented him. Decades later, Pete could still hit a buck’s neck hundreds of yards from a deer stand. Shooting accuracy came easily to Pete.

  Sarah dreaded confrontation also but knew this was the best for her daughter. She felt certain God had guided Aunt Sadie to write that letter when she did. A sign from God was not to be ignored.

  “Olivia, open the door. We need to talk,” Sarah told her daughter after talking to Pete.

 
“Go away!” the girl shouted.

  “Olivia, you must open the door! Your dad and I need to tell you something.”

  Her daughter’s curiosity made her unlock the deadbolt. Sarah entered. “Where’s Daddy?” Olivia asked.

  “He is resting, as should you,” Sarah scolded.

  “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

  “No,” Sarah said, trying to force a smile. “I want you to go to Vernon, Texas, and stay with my aunt for a while.”

  “What the hell?” Olivia screeched. “Where is Vernon?”

  “Two or three hours west of here. And don’t curse.”

  Olivia was furious, raising her voice and screaming, “You’re crazier than I thought. I’m not leaving. All my friends are here!”

  “No, Olivia, that’s what you’re doing,” Sarah said firmly. “You’re going away for a while. Get out the clothes you’d like to take, and include enough for school.”

  “Go fuck yourself!” The wild child was livid.

  Sarah had a plan for Olivia. Nurse Betty had given Sarah five or six sleeping pills in case Pete couldn’t rest. A soft drink would be just fine to dissolve one for her daughter that night. Olivia would be so groggy by morning they’d have no trouble loading her into the car for the trip to Vernon.

  “Hello, Aunt Sadie?” Sarah said into the phone receiver. After a short conversation, all was agreed. They would leave in the morning.

  ***

  The bedside clock buzzed, awaking Sarah at 5:30 to give her plenty of time to pack a few of Olivia’s clothes and get Pete situated in the car. Sarah would drive to Vernon and deposit Olivia to stay with Aunt Sadie. If Olivia tried to run away, Sarah would have her admitted to the girls home in Dallas. At least this would serve as Sarah’s threat to her daughter.

  Sarah would have to share Olivia’s past with Aunt Sadie and make sure the older woman could manage her daughter a few months. Sarah had work to do. She had a killer to kill.

  Pete was awake on the sofa when Sarah descended the stairs. “You’re awake,” Sarah said, startled.