Confession

by Gary Whitmore

  “Like I’ve said a million times before, it’s just a bunch of old Army stuff in there. No toys. Now, why don't I tell you a new story!” he offered with a wide grin.

  Michael's eyes lit up with joy and ran over to them. He sat down on the floor.

  Allan placed Nancy on the floor next to Michael.

  “Okay, this is the story of Prince Luna from the planet Neileon. The story starts off with six young animals that lived and were best friends at the Kennedy Space Center. They lived an hour from this house. There was a gator, skunk, rabbit, bob cat, a snake and a poodle that loved watching all the rocket launches,” he told them.

  “What were their names?” Michael curiously asked.

  “Well, the gator was named Wally. The skunk was named Stinker.”

  Michael and Nancy snickered.

  “The snake was named Slither, the Bob Cat was named Putty, and the Rabbit was named Bugsy.”

  “Just like Bugs Bunny,” Nancy called out.

  “Yes, just like Bugs Bunny. Let me see, oh yeah, and the poodle was named Touché,” he added. “Then one day, Prince Luna flew his space ship to Earth but was shot down by some mean Aliens from his home planet. His spaceship crashed landed down at the Kennedy Space Center one night.”

  “Did he die?” Nancy asked being concerned.

  “Oh no, he was found by the six animals friends who called themselves the Dreamers.”

  “Whew! I’m glad,” Michael said while he wiped his forehead being relieved.

  “Why are they called the Dreamers?” Nancy curiously asked.

  “Well, because they dreamed of being Astronauts and going on adventures in space.”

  “I’m a space dreamer!” Michael called out while he puffed out his chest.

  Allan and Becky chuckled.

  “See Dad, you should write kids books instead of books about murder,” Becky praised Allan.

  “With my thirty years of Army criminal investigative experience, I write what I know. It comforts me.”

  Becky rolled her eyes then she got up from the chair. “What ever. I'm going to change then go jogging. Then we'll head out after I take a shower.”

  Allan continued with the story while Becky grabbed her gym bag and headed to the bathroom to change.

  An hour passed and Allan finished his story about Prince Luna and the Space Dreamers.

  He went back to work on his new manuscript.

  Becky returned from jogging was taking a shower.

  Michael and Nancy sat on the floor and watched another Disney cartoon while Becky finished her shower and dried her hair.

  A few minutes later, Becky entered the den.

  “How was the story?” she asked Michael and Nancy.

  “It was great!” Michael replied with a huge grin.

  “Good,” she said then looked at Allan. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah, just let me save my Word file and shut down the computer.”

  Thirty minutes later, Becky drove them in her Toyota Sienna mini-van to the Heavenly Peace Cemetery in Orlando.

  “I still don’t understand why you choose this cemetery instead of one closer to home,” she said while she drove her van into the entrance of the Cemetery.

  “This one felt right to me,” Allan responded then coughed a little and cringed sharp pain shot through his chest.

  Becky rolled her eyes while she pulled into the cemetery parking lot. Sometimes she never understood Alan’s way of thinking but knew she could not change his stubborn mind.

  After she parked the Sienna, Becky removed a hand trowel and a pot of Daisies they bought at Lowes.

  They walked through the cemetery and stopped by a headstone.

  “Beverly Stein, Loving and Caring Mother. Born June 18, 1938, Died February 8, 2001” was carved in the white Granite headstone.

  Becky knelt down at the headstone and removed the dead Daisies. She used the trowel and planted the new Daisies.

  “I don't remember Grandma that much,” Michael said while he stared at the headstone.

  “You were around five years old when she died. But she sure loved you and would always kiss your cheeks,” Becky replied with a warm smile while she dropped the Daisies into the hole.

  Allan walked away twenty feet and lit up a Lucky strike cigarette, as he could never fight off the addiction.

  “Did she love and kiss me?” Nancy asked.

  Becky frowned when she saw Allan while he smoked. “Of course. She loved you very much and I can imagine she’s blowing you kisses from heaven, right now,” Becky said while she scooped up some nearby dirt to seal up the flowers.

  Nancy blew kisses at the sky. “I love you grandma,” she said and blew some more kisses.

  Michael rolled his eyes thinking his sister was goofy.

  Allan saw Nancy blowing kisses at the sky and smiled then took another drag on his cigarette. Then Allan went into a bad coughing fit and turned beat red. He coughed so hard he coughed up blood that dripped down his chin. Then he looked concerned and dropped to his knees and vomited. There was lots of blood involved.

  Michael and Nancy moved away at the sight of the bloody barf in the grass.

  Becky rushed over and got Allan to his feet. “We’re going to the emergency room,” she said then rushed him through the cemetery.

  Nancy and Michael lagged behind afraid Allan might vomit at any given second.

  Becky drove Allan to the Florida Hospital in east Orlando. During the drive Allan had a few more coughing fits. Nancy and Michael cringed in the back seat afraid he would vomit again.

  At the hospital, they ran a bunch of tests and released Allan the next morning. Becky picked him up and drove him straight home.

  On Friday morning, Becky drove Allan to his doctor’s office to hear the results of the tests.

  Allan, Becky, and her husband Marty waited in the doctor’s office.

  Dr. Alicia Kennedy entered the office with a folder in hand. She looked serious while she walked over and sat down behind her desk. She opened up the folder and looked at the test results again. She paused while she glanced at everybody’s waiting eyes. “Allan, I'm afraid your tests indicate you have lung cancer and it's stage four. You also have cirrhosis of the liver,” she said and hated these moments.

  Becky's eyes welled up and Marty comforted her.

  “What does this mean, Doctor Kennedy?” Becky asked and feared the news would not be good.

  “It's terminal. I would estimate that Allan has about eight to twelve months. We could try some treatments but there’s no guarantee it will go into remission.”

  Becky sobbed and Marty comforted her. “Let’s get started right away,” she said between sobs.

  Allan looked shocked, as he knew everybody was going to die but he thought he had at least twenty more years to live. Then he accepted his fate of having a year at the most. “No! I don’t want any treatments. Just let it run its course,” Allan said looking serious.

  “Dad, it’s worth trying,” Becky pleaded.

  “She’s right dad,” Marty added.

  “No!” Allan said with a firm tone and got up and walked out of the doctor’s office.

  Becky sobbed in her hands.

  “I can prescribe something to relieve any pain he will endure,” Dr. Kennedy offered.

  Becky nodded in agreement while she blew her nose into a Kleenex.

  A week later, Allan sat in his fishing boat with his brother Billy in Lake Tohopekaliga near St. Cloud. Becky accepted Allan’s opportunity to tell his brother about his condition. They quietly sat with their fishing lines in the water. Allan just broke the terrible news to his brother.

  “It can't be possible!” Billy said while his eyes welled up knowing his big brother would be dead in months.

  “I can't stop it Billy.”

  Billy looked extremely concerned. “I’m so glad you burned our secret years ago. That was smart.”

  Allan looked caught. “Well, about that. I never burned it. But don’t worry I
have it in a safe location. You can trust me little brother, nobody will find it at least while we’re alive,” Allan said and looked confident.

  Billy glared furiously at Allan and wanted to smack the crap out of him. “Where is it? I can’t take any chances!” he screamed. He screamed so loud that nearby boaters looked over at their direction to see what was brewing.

  Allan opened his mouth to respond but suddenly went into a huge coughing fit and his face turned beat red. He coughed to hard that blood ran out of his mouth and dripped down his chin. He rushed over to the side of the boat and vomited into the lake. When he was finished, he looked at Billy and looked scared. He passed out and fell to the bottom of the boat.

  Billy started up the engine and raced the boat off toward the dock.

  Later that night, Allan lay in a room at the St. Cloud Regional Medial center. He was asleep in his bed. Becky sat in a chair by his bedside and held his hand. She silently prayed that he would not die tonight.

  The room door opened and Billy stepped inside the room.

  Becky jumped up furious out of her chair the second she saw him. “Get out!” she screamed at Billy who stood at the door.

  “But, he’s my brother,” Billy pleaded.

  “Nurse!” Becky screamed.

  Billy rushed out the door at the same time the nurse entered.

  She rushed over concerned something happened with Allan. “Something wrong?”

  “I don't want that man who just left to step one foot inside this room. His name is Billy Stein,” Becky replied and looked furious.

  “Yes ma-am,” the nurse said while she looked Allan over to make sure he was stable.

  The nurse was satisfied Allan was stable so she walked out the room.

  Becky sat back down and stroked Allan's arm.

  A month passed and Allan looked thinner while the cancer was taking over his body. He watched TV from his lazy boy chair in his den.

  “Grandpa!” Nancy cried out while ran into the den and jumped on his lap.

  Allan cringed in pain. “Be careful sweetie. Grandpa's not as strong as he use to be.”

  Nancy gave Allan a hug. “I’m sorry grandpa.”

  Allan picked up his remote and changed to the Disney channel.

  Nancy rested her head on Allan's chest and watched a cartoon.

  Becky entered with Michael, who was dressed in his soccer uniform. “Dad, will you be okay with Nancy while I take Michael to his soccer game?”

  “We’ll be fine. I’m feeling really good today,” he replied then kissed Nancy on the top of her head.

  Becky walked over and gave Allan a kiss on his forehead. “Call my cell phone if you start feeling sick.”

  “I will,” he responded while he watched Becky leave the room with Michael. Then he looked sad while he glanced down at Nancy. “Sweetie, did Mommy tell you that grandpa wouldn’t be around much longer?”

  “Yes, but everything will be all right,” she replied without a worry.

  “Why do you say that?” Allan curiously asked.

  “Because Jesus will take care of you, as he loves everybody.”

  Allan looked extremely worried. “I'm not sure about that.”

  He looked at his wall and eyed an old 1960s era picture of himself in his Army uniform with Captain bars, and his face darkened.

  Chapter 3

  Two weeks had passed and Becky moved Allan into her spare bedroom to watch over him. It was their computer and exercise room but she had Marty move those items into other rooms. She even bought him a new laptop so Allan could write when he had the strength. She also made sure he had plenty of family pictures on his dresser.

  In order to give him the constant care he needed, Becky took a leave of absence from her cashier’s job with Publix.

  Allan sat in deep thought in the bed with his new laptop. He stared at a blank Word file and pondered if he should pursue his new book idea. He opened up a White Pages website on the Internet and searched for a phone number. He found what he wanted.

  He turned off his laptop and set it on his bed.

  He walked out of his room and looked determined while he walked down the hallway.

  “Where are you going, dad?” Becky asked while Allan walked down the hallway and headed to the front door.

  “I feel like taking a little walk.”

  “Want me to tag along?”

  “No, I’ll be fine. I want to walk alone.”

  “Okay, but if you’re not home in ten minutes, I’m looking for you,” she replied but still looked worried.

  “That’s fair,” Allan said while he left through the front door and went outside.

  Becky rushed over to her living room curtains and peeked out. She watched Allan appeared to have the strength for a short walk down the sidewalk.

  Sam Woods lived in a house in a neighborhood across A1A by the beach in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sam now had a head full of white hair. He relaxed on his back porch sipping a cup of coffee. He quit drinking booze after he moved to the Sunshine State.

  His phone rang from the kitchen. He got up.

  Sam entered his kitchen and picked up the phone. “Hello,” Sam answered the call.

  “Ah, is this Sam Woods? The retired FBI agent?” Allan replied from the phone.

  “Yes it is. May I help you?”

  Allan quickly hung up his end of the call.

  Sam stared curiously at the phone.

  “Who was on the phone?” asked Cindy Leinbach, Sam’s girlfriend for the past five years.

  Sam hung up the phone and saw Cindy at the entrance to his kitchen.

  “I don't know, Cindy. Someone called and asked if I was Sam Woods the retired FBI agent then they hung up.”

  “That’s really weird,” she replied.

  “I know,” Sam responded then shrugged it off.

  “Well, I need to get home. I’ll pick you up tomorrow and we’ll take my granddaughter Kristen to the movies,” she said then walked over and picked up her purse off one of the counters.

  Sam escorted her out of the kitchen.

  Back in Kissimmee, Allan walked back to Becky’s house in deep thought.

  He went back into his room and relaxed on his bed with his laptop. He opened a new Word file and started a new manuscript. On the title page, he typed out A Killer’s Tale by Allan Stein.

  After he wrote “Chapter 1” he stared at the monitor and pondered if he should start this new book. He nodded in agreement and started typing.

  “My name was Jimmy Nalla and have you ever wondered, why humans kill other humans?” Allan typed as the introduction. The need to write this new book before he checked out of this world now became a strong desire.

  “How was your walk?” Becky said while she entered his bedroom.

  “It was extremely rewarding,” he replied with a smirk.

  “That’s good,” she replied then looked at his monitor. He quickly minimized the Word file. “So, what were you working on?” she curiously asked.

  “Oh, while I was out, I had an idea for another book and started to jot down some thoughts.”

  “Well, I let you have some privacy so you can get your creative juices flowing,” she said then left the room.

  Allan quickly maximized the Word file and typed some more words.

  It was early March and Allan looked thinner and sicker and it was obvious his days on this Earth were numbered. But the drive to finish his last book A Killer’s Tale was so strong that he mustered up all of his energy to complete his first draft. This story came easier for Allan to bang out in record time than his other books.

  Becky entered the bedroom. She saw his manuscript on his monitor while he typed away. “How's the new book coming along?”

  “I’m tweaking the final draft now,” he replied while he closed the file.

  “I’m ready to do some editing.”

  “We’ll see as Rodney is itching to get his hands on the manuscript before I depart.”

  “What about the Murder At
Night manuscript? Did you send it off to Rodney?” she asked while she sat down on the corner of his bed.

  “Not yet. I’ll send it along with this manuscript.”

  “Good, now on this new book, does this killer get away like most of your killers?”

  “It depends if the FBI agent got smarter over the years,” he responded with hopeful eyes.

  “It sounds interesting. So why can’t I edit it?” she asked a little confused.

  “No baby, this one I want you to read after it’s published.”

  “I don’t understand. You’ve always let me edit your manuscripts.”

  “Don’t worry. It will make sense when it gets published,” Allan said then gave her a fake warm smile.

  Becky knew he would never cave in so she gave up. Then she looked at the dresser where she placed a couple of family pictures. She walked over and picked up one picture of herself when she was three years old, with Allan in his Army fatigues. “I still wonder what I looked like as a baby.”

  Allan got irritated. “I’ve told you, we weren't into photos when you were first born the way parents are these days, with digital cameras and what not.”

  Becky placed the picture back and rolled her eyes as she hit that familiar sore spot with Allan.

  “I know and I also wished I had a brother or sister.”

  “We decided to only have one child since you were the best kid a parent could ask for.”

  Becky smiled over his compliment and walked over and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

  “I’ll let you work on your book,” she said then walked out of his bedroom.

  Becky walked into the living room and suddenly this creepy feeling became strong.

  She walked over to her living room windows. She peeked out her curtains and saw a brand new Chevy Impala parked across her street. She got pissed the second she saw Billy was inside stalking her house.

  She rushed out of the living room.

  She rushed down the hallway and went into her bedroom.

  She rushed out of her bedroom and down the hallway.

  She rushed through the living room to the front door.