Kayla’s
Chronicles:
Will Travel For Murder
Candy O’Donnell
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or means without the written permission of the author, except in cases of brief quotations. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 Candy O’Donnell
O’Donnell Publishing 2019
ISBN-13:
Book Cover and Interior: Candy O’Donnell
Chapter One
Kayla Decker stood motionless, almost breathless on the rocky river bank overlooking the great Mississippi River twisting through in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana. She could not help but hold her breath when her eyes found the spot she’d been searching for. A chilly breeze shot right through her, and when Kayla looked down at her attire, pink fluffy pajamas pants and an old white t-shirt stared back at her. Kayla didn’t feel embarrassed whatsoever when she observed two fishermen wearing hip waiters taking their chances along the rocky bank of this broad river.
The constant shifting waters were still muddied after the previous night's torrential downpour, and when Kayla set eyes on this large river, a shiver wavered through her when the image of a man in the shallows revealed itself. This bearded man’s misty eyes appeared vacant and remorseful. After staring at this man's form, Kayla felt death and confusion. Whatever took place along the bank of the river wasn't pleasant and did not end well for this man.
Startled from behind, Kayla unexpectedly heard two arguing voices, and when she turned around to see whose voices were quarreling, it was the same man as in the water and a woman. The woman had short, light brown hair and sparkling blue eyes and seemed to pull anyone to her who dared to gaze into those irises, and the man had brilliant truth-filled blue eyes. As their voices grew shriller, Kayla turned from them and noticed no one else could see them or hear what they were verbalizing. Kayla seemed to be the only one who could, and she was happy to know that.
Wet beads dripped down this man’s pale face, through his beard to his now damp clothing that clung to his stiff body. After glancing back at the semi-calm waters, no dead body was seen in the shallows. That was when Kayla knew these two were a deceased couple. Why they appeared on the shoreline seemed to have no obvious explanation as for their words echoed throughout Kayla’s head. After observing the two fishermen in the distance, and realizing they were not paying attention to anything, Kayla then asked the woman, “What happened?”
After the question dropped from Kayla’s mouth, she woke suddenly on her mattress with a smooth haired cat lying next to her. “I don’t even live in Louisiana, Muddles.” Kayla’s lips stuttered when her hand ran down the cat’s gray and white fur. After catching her breath from the dream, Kayla had not heard the alarm sound. It was time for Kayla to start another work day as shivers ran down her body when she thought about reliving that same dream over and over again.
Kayla flung her thick purple covers off and slipped both feet to the hardwood floor with an exhale. That was when Muddles carefully climbed out from under the blanket that had been draped over her. Kayla’s gaze dropped to the cat when Muddles began to stalk her hand with wildcat jade eyes. With a smile, Kayla leaned over her fluffy feline with her nose touching Muddles’ nose. “You are the best cat ever, Mud,” Kayla whispered near her ear, and she was careful not to wake her roommate in the room next door.
After stretching her arms overhead, and yawning like Muddles, Kayla slid both feet into slippers resting on the hardwood floor and walked to the bedroom door. That was when Kayla heard sobbing penetrating through the wall of the room next to hers. After slowly rotating the knob in her hand, she pulled it to her and opened the door. When the slab screeched on squeaky hinges, Kayla encountered a tall, pale male with short dark hair stomping over the hall rug runner, heading to the staircase.
Kayla’s mind reeled, and she recognized he was her roommate’s boyfriend. His face rarely appeared happy, and this time was no exception. After taking a few steps into the hall and moving to the bedroom door next door to hers, Kayla lightly rapped on the door. She ensured the boyfriend had already gone downstairs.
A voice within squeaked out, “Enter.” Kayla twisted the knob in her hand and pushed it open. There on the edge of the bed was her friend crying into a dark colored t-shirt her boyfriend often wore. It was old and tattered, she clutched it like a cherished personal item.
“Are you okay, Callie?” Kayla questioned when Muddles raced into the room where the sleek cat jumped onto the bed and sniffed around every pillow and blanket. After inspecting every aspect of it, Muddles hurried out the door.
“Stan and I broke up again, Kayla. What am I going to do with this guy?” Callie held the shirt closer to her face, and when her breath eluded her due to sniffles, Kayla went to her side and sat down where she attempted to console this heartbroken girl for the hundredth time.
“He does this often, Callie. You need to make a bold choice about Stan. Either stay and endure his indecisions or make the final decision for the two of you and actually find happiness with another guy. I’ve been watching you crawl through this chaos every few weeks, and it’s hurting me to the core to see you this unhappy.” Kayla jumped to her feet ready to leave the room when Callie grasped her hand and squeezed.
“I’m sorry, Kayla. I wish my heart knew what to do. I really love Stan, and he treats me so good when he’s not doing this to me. Why do guys break up with the love of their life?” She wiped falling tears on the wadded t-shirt in her hand. Callie then tossed it into the corner along with the rest of her dirty clothes.
“I’m going downstairs to feed Muddles and start coffee in the pot. Are you coming?” Kayla stopped walking, turned around and looked over her shoulder at Callie.
“Yeah, I will be down in a minute. Coffee sounds great.” Callie went to her purse to fetch her cell phone when it chirped.
Kayla shook her head just slow enough, so Callie didn’t catch it. Kayla’s feet carried her to the staircase where she headed down the wooden planks after seeing Muddles race around the corner downstairs and into the dining room. Kayla heard her run over the floor and into the kitchen where she is fed twice a day. As Kayla moved down each step and rounded the edge of the wall separating the entrance from the dining area, she ran face to face into Stan who had been standing there with arms crossed over his chest obviously waiting for someone to come down.
Muddles scampered past them and around the corner to the living room where she peeked around the edge of the sofa. Her green eyes widened when she saw the two of them staring at one another.
“You scared the crap out of me, Stan. What are you still doing here, and why are you hiding in the dining room?” Kayla scuttled her eyeballs over his. Inside her head, her voice screamed to get away from this guy. His mere presence upset her thoughts and all Kayla wanted was for him to leave. She always felt something wasn’t quite right with him, and right now was no exclusion when prickles roamed down her back.
“Here is Callie’s birthday present. Can you give it to her for me, please?” Stan set it on the table and scurried out the front door without even a glance back over his shoulder.
Kayla’s body quaked when he exited the house once the door closed. Stan always seemed to leave a stench in his wake. Her mind raced when she lifted the present, stared at it, and set the carefully wrapped present on the small, round dining table in
the center of the room. She then walked into the kitchen to start the coffee pot, and make breakfast, and she couldn’t forget to feed Muddles. Her yowls were loud and refused to be ignored. Kayla was not about to do such a thing with this cat wailing incessantly throughout the entire room.
Kayla reached into the cupboard near the fridge for a can of cat food that smelled of raw fish but smelled glorious to a ravenous cat. Her hand prudently opened the cat food can with the top pop lid, and she spooned out a heap into the ceramic bowl sitting on the floor in the kitchen next to the dishwasher. Kayla grinned when Muddles scampered to it and sat on her haunches with purrs exiting her mouth as she enjoyed the stinky meal before her.
“I’m glad you like it. It smells dreadful to a human.” Kayla placed the remainder cat food into the fridge for future feedings. “Okay, I need eggs, hash browns, bacon, and toast. How does that sound, Muddles?” Kayla quickly grabbed what she needed and set them on the counter with care. After taking out a pan and the butter, she began making breakfast.
“I don’t know about Muddles, but this breakfast sounds terrific to me. I’m starving.” Callie plodded into the dining room in red stocking feet and crooned over the delicately wrapped gift sitting on the table. “Is this from you, Kayla?” Her skips took her to Kayla where she hugged her tight. “Thank you for not forgetting about me on my birthday.” She beamed from ear to ear.
“No, your wayward ex-boyfriend, Stan left it for you. I hate to say it Callie, but he gave me the creeps today. I found him still in the house standing in the dining room waiting for me to come downstairs.” Kayla shuddered whenever the thought of him hit her. “What is wrong with him anyway?”
“He’s not that bad a guy, Kayla. Stan left this for me. How awesome. See, he really does love me.” Her hands ripped into the package and discovered it was a golden cross necklace. “I think it’s real gold, Kayla. What a beautiful gift, don’t you think?”
“Maybe he’s trying to tell you something, Callie.” Kayla snickered. After clutching her own cross necklace hanging around her neck, Kayla sighed relief that it was still there. “It might keep him at bay.”
“Oh, stop that, Kayla. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I just love that man. He’s so wonderful. I do love him.” Callie went to drape the necklace around her neck, and after failing miserably, she walked to Kayla and insisted she help her with it. After Kayla clasped it around her neck, Callie whispered, “Thanks,” she then hopped over the wooden floor and upstairs to who knows where.
Muddles looked up at Kayla with her tongue wrapping itself around her nose and mouth. She nodded and whispered, “You and me both, Muddles. She will never learn.” She went back to making breakfast.
After twenty minutes, it was finally ready. Kayla slapped a few pieces of bacon, a scoopful of hash browns, two eyes, and a slice of toast and headed to the dining room where she sat at the table contemplating whether she should tell Callie about the dream concerning the deceased man lying dead in the river. She shook her head across from Callie after she came back down and sat with her plate of food.
Kayla knew it was virtually impossible for her to be anywhere near New Orleans when she lived in Northern California. With regret, she cleared her throat and said, “I had another dream last night. This one has me flustered to no end, Callie.”
Callie stopped mid-bite and stared at her with eyes still shining over the gift Stan left for her. “What was it about?” Her fork shoved food into her mouth as she waited for Kayla’s response.
“I was standing on a riverbank overlooking the Mississippi River in New Orleans. It was a chilly day, and when I looked into the murky, shallow waters, the form of a dead man could be seen. He had a beard, it was red with a sprinkling of gray, and I saw a couple of fishermen standing on the rocks with their lines cast into the water. I was wearing my pajamas in the dream, Callie.”
“How, weird. Do you know who the man is or was?” Callie continued to eat as Kayla sat thinking about the dead guy in the river in another state many miles away. It was always odd for Kayla to explain. “Okay, go on. I’m listening.” Callie encouraged. “I want to hear more about this dead guy.”
“No, I have no idea who he is or was. These dreams are beginning to frustrate me, Callie. I found myself in a strange, unknown area not knowing who these people were. I’m not sure what to do with these dreams. They have become quite a challenge for me to decipher.” Kayla stabbed a hash brown potato, pushed it into her mouth and chewed.
Callie sipped from her glass of orange juice and swallowed hard. “I have no idea. Maybe you’re one of those dream detectives we watch on TV. They seem to find dead people all the time. You could be famous, Kayla.” Callie finished her meal, took her plate to the sink, and set it inside, leaving it there for someone else to deal with.
“Can you please rinse it off, and put it into the dishwasher?” Kayla continued to eat her breakfast when Callie hurried from the kitchen.
“I can’t! I have to get going! I will be late for work, Kayla. Thanks for breakfast.” Callie ran upstairs and into the bathroom.
“Yeah, and I can’t figure out who these dead people are either. They kept showing up in my dreams while I’m sleeping at night. I want to know what they want from me.” Kayla’s head shook, and her long, blond hair dangled down and into her plate. When she noticed egg yolk on it, Kayla proceeded to use her napkin to remove it. It wasn’t working. Luckily, Kayla still needed to shower and get moving.
With her meal finished, Kayla put both plates along with the silverware into the dishwasher, and she meticulously walked upstairs to her room where she undressed and jumped into the bathroom. Kayla waved bye to Callie who was running late beforehand, as usual, and she turned on the shower where she stepped in and waited for the hot water to spew out. Kayla showered and wrapped the towel around her body when she heard an odd noise coming from downstairs. Kayla went to the bathroom door and pulled it open. “Is anybody here?” She questioned with an elevated voice. No voice responded.
Kayla looked down and saw Muddles carrying one of her yellow socks, and when she saw Kayla, the chase was on, but the joke was on her, Kayla wasn’t about to run down a wayward stocking that cat decided to capture in her mouth and take off with. Kayla had plenty more where that came from. After pushing the bathroom door open all the way, she went back to the mirror and wiped it down with her towel.
This lengthy process of getting ready for work was upon her as Kayla took each step with caution and speed. After nearly tripping on the rug in the hall after crossing it from the bathroom to the bedroom, Kayla noticed the matching sock beneath it Muddles had the partner too. “Perhaps it was supposed to be hidden from prying eyes. Muddles!” Kayla called when she bent down to pick it up. She brought it into her bedroom and set it on the bed where Muddles eyed it.
Kayla dressed and made her way downstairs where she slipped shoes on her feet near the front door. A chill encased her, and when she went to see the origin of it, the back door was wide open for any stranger to waltz in and take whatever they desired. Kayla went to it, closed it, locked it, and turned back around to find Muddles still holding the sock tightly in her jaws. “You are too cute, cat. Have a good day with those socks, Muddles.” Kayla attempted to bend down and pet her, but Muddles ran up the stairs where she apparently had a stash of socks hidden somewhere Kayla didn’t know about. She snickered.
Kayla texted Callie wanting to know if she left the back door open. As she grabbed her keys and headed out, she told Muddles that she would see her later. After Kayla shut the front door and locked it, she was on her way to work down the road at the local antique store. Along the way, Kayla thought about the back door, and when Callie finally got back to her when she stood before her place of work, Callie didn’t leave it open either. Kayla planned to go back home at lunch to check on it.
After her hand pulled the door of the antique store to her, Kayla inhaled the scent of old books, dusty furniture, and the energy of the store. It was filled with every
aspect of any old building. Every single piece that came into the store had a vitality to it. Whether anyone knew it or not, inanimate objects have a live, conscious force within no one could explain. When Kayla stepped over the threshold, she noticed a new wooden chair inside the entrance, she then gave it a wide birth.
“It’s not going to hurt you, Kayla.” An older woman wore old fashioned glasses on a leash around her neck. Her hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head, and her attire was borrowed from the sixties.
“I know. It’s new, that’s all.” Kayla mumbled, and when she reached out to touch it, her fingertips felt hardwood and a soft cushioned red pillow resting on the hardened seat. It was just another piece of history that needed a new home, not unlike a puppy or kitten. Old pieces like this needed love too.
“It’s okay, Kayla.” The woman softened her tone. “We have the entire dining room set in the rear stockroom where this chair belongs.”
“Oh, I bet it will need to be cleaned by the end of the day, right, Tabitha.” Kayla half-smiled when she winded her way through the crowded store filled with tables, ceramic plates, and teapots created during long lost eras. An awry of furniture scattered throughout every part of the brick building ready to find new places to sit and collect dust too.
“If you can get started on it right away, that would be fantastic.” Tabitha waved Kayla on when a customer entered.
Kayla couldn’t understand why anyone could walk in and desire every piece within. Every month, she brought something home to cherish. Each antique she took home seemed to have good bones to it, and she rarely brought anything home that felt off-centered or off-balance, except once. Those are items everyone held at bay. They most definitely had something dreadful attached to them, and Kayla wasn’t about to take any chances like that again. It was a small table, and she couldn’t sleep for a week until she returned it, and felt free of its curse.
Kayla's Chronicles- Will Travel For Murder Page 1
