by Chiah Wilder
Brushing off the twigs and dirt from my hair and clothes, I was happy that he’d finally left. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could’ve stood the bugs crawling all over me. That was a close call. Now I knew better than to risk coming over before sunset. It wouldn’t happen again.
I walked down the sidewalk, engrossed in thought when I literally bumped into the woman with the dog—Patricia. Again!
“It’s you again. Hello. Are you taking advantage of our beautiful Indian summer evening? We won’t have too many of them before the cold sets in. I can already feel the chill in the night air.”
Turning my head in such a way that she couldn’t see my full face, I grunted my agreement, hoping it’d be good enough for her to leave me the hell alone. But it wasn’t my night. She kept talking and trying to engage me in conversation.
“It’s nice to see people walking in the neighborhood. It makes me think of when I grew up and everyone was out and about on a nice night. We didn’t even lock our doors. We didn’t have to.”
Shut the fuck up! Why did people impose themselves on others? I’d never done that, and I found it extremely rude when people insisted on doing it to me. This old lady had crossed the line. She could also identify me when the cops started asking questions once they found Raven Harris’s bloody body.
“Where did you say you lived, ma’am?”
“Across the street in the red brick house with yellow trim. I just painted the trim last summer. I love it. I always wanted it yellow but my husband didn’t. He was very conservative and traditional. For him, it was white trim or brown, nothing else. When he died a couple of years ago, I was so sad, and a friend of mine suggested I lose myself in a house project. So I painted the trim yellow. I know a lot of peop—”
“I’m sorry but I have to go. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime soon.”
“Oh… yes. I’m sure we will. Goodbye.”
I mumbled my goodbye and rushed to my car a few blocks away. I’d be back, but I had to wait until it got darker. I decided to grab a bite to eat before I returned.
Three hours later, I waited until the old lady and her dog came out for another walk before she closed up her house for the night. She didn’t disappoint me. And that time, I purposely bumped into her. She was elated to see me and we engaged in tortuous chitchat. Then I asked her to come into the alley with me because I wanted to show her something a bit strange that I’d stumbled onto that evening.
Being the busybody that I’d suspected she was, she gladly followed me into the alley.
“What is it you want me to see? It’s so dark I don’t think I’ll be able to see anything. Teddy has good eyesight even though he’s going on eleven years. That’s not so old for a small dog.”
“That’s fascinating,” I said as I led her deeper into the dark alley.
“Oh… I tripped. I don’t think I can go any farther. I don’t want to fall and break my hip. People my age have to worry about that.”
“We’re exactly where we need to be. Come over and look at this. I’ve got a flashlight.”
When she came over and bent down, I went around and stood behind her. Flashing a beacon of light on the concrete, I said, “Do you see it?”
“No. What am I looking for?”
“Eternal silence.” And with one blow from my heavy-duty flashlight, I crushed her skull. She didn’t even cry out, it was that swift. I then proceeded to beat her to death. I got rid of a lot of anger in that beating, and I felt so much better as I walked down the alley.
Careful not to have anyone see me, I hurried along the shadowed sidewalks until I reached my car. As I drove by the front of the duplex, I saw that they weren’t home yet. Staring at it for a few moments, I thought about how far I’d come in taking charge of my life and not letting people bully me around.
I’d eliminated the pesky old woman who could identify me. Now the road was clear.
I was ready to kill Raven Harris.
Chapter Thirty-One
Raven rested her head on Muerto’s shoulder as they drove home from the restaurant. Their dinner was delicious, and being with him was always amazing. She couldn’t get enough of him. The night before, she’d told her dad she’d found a wonderful man, and he was so happy for her. She left out the part that Muerto was an outlaw biker, but when her dad met him and got to know him, she’d tell him.
“I had a great time,” she said softly as they approached the duplex.
He kissed the side of her head. “Me too, babe. And I’m gonna show you an even better time in about fifteen minutes.” She giggled.
As they pulled into the driveway, she saw a dog on the front lawn. “That’s Teddy,” she said.
“Who’s Teddy?” A frown crossed his forehead.
“Mrs. Kilpatrick’s dog. She’s always taking him for walks. I think she gets lonely staying in so much.” She got out of the car and went to the front yard. Teddy backed up a few steps, his tail wagging. Muerto came up to her and Teddy started to growl.
“It’s okay, Teddy. He’s with me, and even though he looks rough, he’s really a big softie.”
“Only with you,” Muerto said.
A shudder went through her as she thought about his words. The truth was that she rarely thought about what he and his club members actually did when they went out on “club business.” Since finding out that he was in an outlaw club, she’d read a ton of articles, watched many documentaries, and read a few memoirs of government agents who’d infiltrated the clubs, and they made her hair stand on end. So she decided to just not think about it. Muerto was so loving and attentive when they were together that she couldn’t imagine him as an outlaw. But every once in a while, when she’d see the hardness in his eyes or see his anger directed at someone, she’d remember what she learned from her research.
Teddy’s barking jerked her back to the moment. “He must’ve broken his leash.” She pointed to the powder blue leather leash dragging behind the dog. “I’m sure Mrs. Kilpatrick must be distraught. I have to bring him back to her.”
“Who is she again?”
“She’s a widow who lives on the next street in the red brick house with yellow trim. Do you see it?” He nodded. “Stay here. I’ll go over to Teddy. He knows me.” In a soft, friendly voice, she coaxed the dog to come to her. When he came over, she snagged his leash and walked back to Muerto. “I’m going to take him home.”
“I’ll go with you,” he said, and she saw his eyes dart to the trees across from them.
They walked up the stairs to Mrs. Kilpatrick’s porch, and Raven rang the doorbell. She waited several seconds, then rang it again. She looked through the window on the side of the door. Lights were on, but there was no sign of Mrs. Kilpatrick. “That’s strange.” She rang the bell another time.
“Maybe she’s out looking for her dog. Let’s take him back to our place and wait for her to come back. Do you have her phone number?”
“I do. I insisted she give it to me. She’s such a nice lady. I know she must be worried about Teddy. She treats him like he’s her son.”
They walked back to the duplex and as they neared the front porch, Teddy ran forward, taking Raven by surprise. She dropped the leash and Teddy ran to the alley. “Teddy, come back!” Raven started to take off after him when Muerto pulled her back.
“He’ll be back. He’s probably looking for his owner.”
“I just don’t want him to get hit by a car,” she said, tears lacing her voice. Then hysterical barking came closer and Teddy rushed over, barking and staring up at her. Before she could grab his leash, he dashed back to the alley, then came back barking. Teddy kept up the pattern for several minutes.
Turning to Muerto, who was checking his phone, she said, “I think Teddy’s trying to tell me something. Maybe Mrs. Kilpatrick fell and she’s hurt.”
He looked up from his phone. “He does seem freaked out. I’ll go look, but I don’t want you staying on the front lawn or porch. You have to go inside and lock the door.”
&
nbsp; Before she could argue with him, Walter came out on his porch. “Why does that fucking dog keep barking?”
“He belongs to Mrs. Kilpatrick. Do you know her?” Raven asked. “I think she may be hurt.”
“Never heard of her.” He swiveled to go back inside.
“She lives a few houses down on the next street. You can see her house from here.”
Without looking at her, he growled, “I told you I don’t know the old lady.” Then he closed his front door.
“He’s lying. If he doesn’t know her how does he know that she’s old? Why would he lie about it?”
“I don’t know or give a fuck. Now go in the house and lock the door. I’ll be back.”
“I’m going with you. And before you tell me no, I’m the one Teddy trusts, not you. If you go alone, he’ll just run off.” Teddy kept running to her, then to the alley and back to her, his barking filling the expanse of the neighborhood.
“You got a point.” He jerked his head toward the alley. “Let’s go.”
When they entered the passageway, Raven saw Teddy dashing into the darkness. She slipped her hand in Muerto’s. “It’s so damn dark,” she whispered. Taking a small flashlight from his cut, he switched it on and shined it down the alley. She saw Teddy lying down on the pavement, his whines echoing.
As they came closer, she saw a body on the ground. “Oh my God! I’m sure it’s Mrs. Kilpatrick. She has fallen.”
“Stay back.” Muerto went up to the body and bent down. “It’s an older woman.”
“Is she conscious? Should I call for an ambulance?”
Standing up, he held her gaze. “Call 911. The old lady’s dead.”
The words stabbed her like jagged glass. “Dead? Did she have a heart attack? How do you know?”
He came over to her and embraced her tightly. “She’s been murdered,” he said softly, as if that would lighten the blow.
“How can that be? What was she doing in the alley? Who would do this to a nice lady like Mrs. Kilpatrick?” Tears stung her eyes.
Muerto took her phone and handed it to her. “Call 911.”
Fifteen minutes later, sirens filled the alley. In the darkness, the red and blue flashing lights bounced off the faces of the cops and paramedics, making them look grotesque and eerie. Raven had never seen a dead body before, let alone one that had been badly beaten. Her dad had told her that she’d been at her mother’s funeral. He’d said that she’d kept asking for someone to wake up her mommy, but Raven didn’t remember, so Mrs. Kilpatrick’s lifeless body was her first corpse. She shivered. Muerto pulled her to him, and she felt safe tucked under his arm.
For the next half hour, they answered Sheriff Wexler’s questions, and finally they were free to go home. Raven brought Teddy home with her and fed him her leftover steak. Sooty, not thrilled with the new houseguest, lay in the corner, glaring at him. Whenever Teddy came too close for Sooty’s liking, she’d hiss, her eyes two glowing emeralds.
After a long hot shower, Raven walked over to the bed and slipped under the covers, her arm around Muerto’s waist. “I still can’t believe this happened in this neighborhood. And to Mrs. Kilpatrick, of all people.” Even though she didn’t know her neighbor all that well, the horror of the way she’d died touched a deep chord in Raven. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“It’s gonna be okay, babe. It’s always bad when innocent people are killed. She didn’t deserve what she got.” He kissed her tenderly as he held her close.
“I wonder if who you thought you saw was somehow involved in this.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing, and I think there’s a connection. I’m not sure if the guy was targeting the old lady or if she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I’m scared.”
“I’m here. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll make it a point to be here before sunset with you every night, and if I can’t make it, you’ll stay with Ava. Something’s going on here, and I need some time to figure it out. I think the vandalism at the pool hall and someone watching the house are somehow related. Not sure how, but I know in my gut they are.”
“Do you think it’s those guys you and Diablo beat up at the junkyard? The one guy, Cory, was pretty pissed that I hustled him.”
“I’ve thought about it. It could be. Jaime said there were two men.”
Mrs. Kilpatrick’s bloodied housecoat flashed in her mind. “Poor Mrs. Kilpatrick. What a horrible way to go.” She clenched his waist tighter. As long as she lived, she’d never get the image of Mrs. Kilpatrick’s face, beaten beyond recognition, out of her mind.
Chapter Thirty-Two
A few days after the murder of Mrs. Kilpatrick, Raven sat hunched at her work desk, stringing sea beads for a necklace she’d been commissioned to make. Sooty was curled on an old cushion on the wicker chair, and Teddy was stretched out on his side in the corner where the sunlight didn’t reach. She loved the quiet moments in her studio where she could forget about the horrible things in the world and simply create beautiful pieces of art.
After working for a while, satisfaction at completing her job coursed through her. She picked up a vintage broach and began taking it apart when she heard the floor outside her studio creak. What was that? Her eyes flew to Teddy and then to Sooty, but neither of them stirred. She breathed in and out several times, quelling the panic threatening to explode inside her.
Focusing back on the necklace, she unhinged the clasp, putting it aside for a possible use one day. Glistening faux pearls and shiny crystals easily fell into her hand and she smiled. She loved the vintage jewelry she found in the antique stores, and she tried to imagine what the women may have been like who’d worn the broaches, necklaces, earrings, and rings she’d bought.
Another creak, louder that time but somehow more distant. Sooty raised her head and Teddy’s ears perked up. Raven’s hand flew to her throat, fingers trembling, though her muscles and nerves were coiled tight. What is that? Is someone in the house? A low growl from Teddy made her jump.
As quietly as she could, she pushed her chair back and stood up, her breathing suspended. The noises of the neighborhood that had been comforting not so long ago were distant and muffled. All she could hear was the floor creaking. The sound pounded in her ears, flowed through her veins, and climbed up her spine. Glancing down at her desk, she cursed herself for leaving her cell phone in the kitchen. She stood up and walked over to the window. She quietly turned the lock, but it wouldn’t budge. Frantically, she tried to get the lock to slide but had no luck. Why the hell is this broken now of all times? She willed herself to stay calm and took several deep breaths.
Her eyes darted around the room, desperately looking for anything she could use to defend herself. Then her gaze landed on her soldering gun. With shaky fingers, she grabbed it. It’s better than nothing. She took the first step, her bare feet soundless on the wooden floor. Then Teddy scrambled to his feet, barking wildly. She put a hand over her mouth, thinking she might scream, but nothing came out. Fear of attracting whoever was outside her studio kept her quiet.
With frantic scratching, Teddy managed to push the door open further. He rushed out, his nails clacking on the floors.
If I can just get to the kitchen, I can call Muerto. Although… maybe I’m being paranoid.
Gulping in air, she moved closer to the door. Her heart slammed against her breastbone as the ringing in her ears intensified. She grasped the door and opened it slightly, expecting to see a man standing in front of her, his face ugly from evilness, but no one was there.
The silence strangled her. Why isn’t Teddy barking? Where the fuck is he? With one hand gripping the soldering gun, the other clenched into a fist, her nails digging into the palm of her hand, she walked out into the hallway. Fuck the phone. I need to get out of here. She walked to the living room, her aim the front door.
Before she entered the living room, she paused. Nothing out of the ordinary. She crept to the front door, stifling a yelp when
she felt something brush against her legs. Eyes wide, she looked down, almost breaking out in hysterics when she saw Sooty next to her bare leg. “You scared the shit out of me,” she whispered.
Tiptoeing to the front door, she stopped. What if he’s on the porch? She felt her pulse in her throat, but she forced herself to look through the peephole. Nothing as far as she could see. She pulled the curtain aside ever so slightly and peeked out. No one was on her porch. She saw Mr. Davis mowing his lawn, but nothing else. I have to get out of here.
With trembling fingers, she unlocked the deadbolt and grasped the door handle. From behind her she heard a rush of footsteps, loud, assaulting her ears. And breathing. Short, chattering bursts.
“Shit!” She whirled around and saw a figure in a ski mask inches from her. From behind, she tried to open the door, but the damn knob wouldn’t turn. For a long second, she froze, and that’s when her attacker slammed something hard down on her head. Blood gushed from an open wound, flowing into her eye. The attacker lifted the object again, but that time she saw it—a flashlight. In a burst of energy, she hit the person with the soldering gun, but her vision was clouded in red.
The intruder was able to clip her head again with the flashlight, and Raven stumbled and fell down. Then a rag was shoved over her mouth and nose, and her lungs screamed for air. She thrashed, fingers gripping at the rag to jerk it away. The panic was a deluge of ice water surrounding every limb, creeping higher. Think, Raven. Think! But her head was pounding and she couldn’t think straight.
Her fingers grasped the bottom of the ski mask, and as she struggled for breath, she pulled up on it, exposing the intruder’s face. For a moment, confusion sparked through her as she took it in. The exposure seemed to take her attacker by surprise. And when Raven saw the cold, flat eyes and the darkness distorting the facial features, she screamed. It was a scream of hysteria and disbelief, bordering on terror.
