Running in Circles

by Laurèn Lee

  Rhiannon!

  He remembered, now. After he arrived home that night, Earl couldn’t stop thinking about that teenage whore from the parking lot. Did her parents know she was off slutting around in cars? If they knew, surely they wouldn’t have approved. When the desire to punish Rhiannon became too strong, and the fury took over, Earl blacked out, grabbed his keys and drove to The Stolen Leaf’s parking lot once again. This time, though, the lot was empty except for Daniel and Rhiannon, who hadn’t taken Earl’s demand seriously and vacated the property. Lucky for him. Unlucky for them.

  He knocked on the car window and saw the couple jump with fright. They’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms, and Earl wanted to throw up. He told them they were under arrest, and they needed to follow him to the police station immediately.

  “Please, Sheriff!” they begged.

  “I asked you to leave once, and I’m not asking you again. You’ll follow me now and submit to the punishments for your crimes.”

  The couple obeyed, and Daniel hopped into the front driver’s seat to follow Earl to the station, or, so he thought. In reality, Earl led the couple to a cornfield, the same one he stumbled upon last night. Earl grasped his gun tightly and led Daniel and Rhiannon straight into the corn stalks. Daniel had clung to Rhiannon as she sobbed. When Earl figured they might make a run for it, he took a quick shot and aimed at their feet. After that, they didn’t try to run again.

  Earl hit Daniel in the back of the head with the butt of his gun. He knocked him out cold. He couldn’t have a two-against-one situation, and Rhiannon was his primary prey. She was his prize. She crumbled to the ground, hugged her knees and sobbed endlessly.

  “You sluts think you can do whatever you want without repercussions, huh? I’ll show you what happens when you whore around in this town!” Earl warned.

  “I’m sorry; I’m sorry,” Rhiannon pleaded through her tears. “I’ll never do it again. Please don’t kill me!”

  “I’m not going to kill ya, sweetie,” Earl said maliciously.

  “You’re not?” Rhiannon sniffled.

  “Not now, at least,” Earl replied and howled toward the moon.

  He grabbed Rhiannon’s ankles and pulled her toward him. Her shrieks escalated in pitch with every call for help. The screaming pierced Earl's ears, and he hastily covered them with his hands. Earl couldn’t have any passersby hear the girl’s pleas, though. He reached for a rock beside him and smacked it across Rhiannon’s head. Her eyes rolled back, and Earl thought he knocked her out, too. Her head lolled on her shoulders for a moment, until consciousness seeped back, and Rhiannon looked at Earl with pure, unadulterated terror.

  “Make another sound, and I’ll hit you even harder,” Earl growled.

  She stopped audibly crying, but the waterfall of tears cascading down her cheeks hadn’t ended. Earl pulled her pants down, removed her panties, stuffed them in his coat pocket, and repeated what he’d done to Jackie.

  Daniel roused, and Earl took the same rock he used against Rhiannon and smashed it upon Daniel's skull over and over until he didn’t stir again. Rhiannon stared at her attacker and pleaded with her eyes for him to stop, to leave her alone and let her go. She knew Daniel was dead, but she wasn’t ready to die.

  “Stop looking at me!” Earl hollered. “Stop!”

  He punched her in the cheek and walloped the innocent girl’s face until, like Jackie, her eyes stopped blinking for good. Earl took out his penknife, removed Rhiannon’s sad, frightened eyes from her skull and threw them farther into the cornfield. She’d never be able to look at him with disgust and displeasure. He was free. He couldn't remember what he managed to do with Jackie's eyes, but considering he hadn't found them at the scene, he was sure they were properly disposed of, too.

  After Earl tortured and murdered the kids, the hard work began. Earl dragged the lifeless bodies to the trunk of Daniel’s car and drove to the ravine. He dumped the corpses by the still water and couldn’t help but position Rhiannon like a doll. He wanted her to look like all the dolls he dismembered as a child. He arranged her limbs the same as he’d done with Jackie. Earl didn’t care about Daniel; he was merely a distraction. He heaved his body over his shoulders and carelessly tossed him upon the lush, mossy ground.

  Then, Earl ditched the car a few miles away in a low-income trailer park. No one would ever notice it there. Somehow, his adrenaline hadn’t worn off, and he’d been able to jog the five miles back to the cornfield to collect his cruiser. Finally, he returned home, showered, and fell into a deep slumber, none the wiser of what he managed to accomplish during the dissociation. He blacked out just as he'd done during adolescence. Darkness took his consciousness and his sanity.

  He’d become a serial killer, and he didn’t even know it… Until now.

  Forty-Four

  Earl paced around his living room for an hour or two after he finally managed to peel himself up off the floor by his front door. Mania had set in, and he had no idea what to do next. Then, a knock at the door shook him out of the reckless abandon that swirled in his brain. He slowly rose and peeked outside. Ricky stood outside on the porch with his hat in his hands. Had he finally come to arrest him, after all?

  Earl opened the door a sliver, not ready to let his lieutenant inside his home. “Hey, Ricky. What can I do ya for?”

  “Hi!” Ricky exclaimed. “I just wanted to drop by and check in to see how you’re doing.”

  “My phone still works, you know,” Earl grumbled as he opened his door to let Ricky inside.

  “I know, but I just wanted to see if there was anything else I could do for you,” Ricky offered.

  “You’re far too kind, son,” Earl said and shuddered. If only his Ricky knew he was standing in a serial killer’s home. If only he knew the man they hunted stood right before him.

  “So, is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Nah. I’ll be fine. Just need some rest is all,” Earl said.

  Ricky looked around, and Earl’s palms moistened. Why wouldn’t he leave already? Then, he noticed Ricky glanced at something behind him, and he remained frozen in place.

  Earl whipped around to see a woman’s bra lay in the corner of his living room. He looked back to Ricky and met his stare with pure fear. Instead, Ricky wore an even more petrified expression than he did.

  “Oh my God. Am I interrupting something? Do you have a guest?” His face turned ghostly white. Ricky the "Friendly Ghost."

  It occurred to Earl that Ricky thought he'd interrupted Earl with a woman. He knew he had to use his ignorance to his advantage. How could he have been so lazy and stupid to leave a bra in plain sight?

  “Uh, yeah. Actually, I am kind of busy,” Earl said as she shuffled his feet.

  “I’m so sorry, Boss.” Ricky back-stepped toward the front door. “I’ll see you later!”

  And, with that, Ricky disappeared before Earl had a chance to say goodbye. He walked over to the red, lacy bra and gently picked it up with his pinky finger. Due to its vibrant shade, Earl didn't notice at first the garment was covered in dried crimson blood. This was either Jackie’s, Rhiannon’s, or Candace’s bra, and he’d taken it with him after he also took her life.

  Earl thought back to the beginnings of the investigation and how all three women were missing their undergarments when the bodies were discovered. Had he taken them as trophies? If he had, and one bra had been left carelessly in his living room, where was the rest of his “collection?”

  Earl scrunched his eyebrows and stroked his beard. Where would he put dead women’s panties after he murdered them? He hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary in his room. He hadn’t noticed blood around any other parts of his house either. Where could they be?

  Then, as though someone lit a fire under Earl’s behind, he looked down to where he picked up the bra just a minute ago. He forgot he created a trick floorboard to use in case of emergency. He had an extra Glock in there, some cash, and a few toys from his childhood. His heart raced as he k
nelt onto the floor. He cranked and pulled the loose floorboard until it came free. And, there, he found more bras, three pairs of lacy panties, and a bloody hammer; he found his trophies and the murder weapon.

  In a frenzied craze, Earl shoved the undergarments back into the space below the loose floorboard and closed it properly. He could never let anyone find what he’d discovered in his house. Here, lay the evidence of his crimes. He thought about disposing of them. Maybe he could burn the pile? Throw them in the trash? All the scenarios that ran through his head terrified him, though. All the memories of his sins could have been hallucinations on his part, but here was cold, hard evidence he murdered Jackie, Rhiannon, and Candace. He hadn’t taken a trophy from Daniel because his death was inconsequential to him. He was merely a pawn in his way to righteousness.

  The last flashback flooded Earl’s mind. He remembered it all now. The night of the party at The Stolen Leaf, Earl hadn’t gone home right away. Instead, he patrolled the block near Saucey’s and waited for Candace to make an appearance. He had faith his lieutenant wouldn’t continue keeping her company. He’d shoo her away like a dirty stray. So, he waited for the whore to return to her post. She stalked this block nightly. Al called him at least once a week about her. She drove away his respectable patrons with her barely-there outfits outside of his parlor.

  As if right on cue, Candy strolled out of the alleyway sporting an even shorter skirt than she donned at the bar. She snapped her gum and twirled her dark, silky hair. Earl pulled up to the curb, and she crossed her arms.

  “I ain’t doin’ nothing, Sheriff.”

  “You shouldn’t be out here,” he warned.

  “What? Are you going to arrest me again?”

  “No, but I actually do need your help with something,” he grinned.

  Candy looked at him suspiciously, but leaned in the cruiser to get a better look. “With what?”

  Earl obviously looked down to the crotch of his pants.

  “You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? Well, I ain’t takin’ the bait.”

  Earl threw his hands up. “I swear. I just need a little pick-me-up is all.”

  Candy bit her lip and thought for a moment. Was the sheriff really asking her for a blowjob? Or would he slap the cuffs on her as soon as she opened the car door? Candy liked a little risk, though, so she opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.

  “Two hundred bucks,” she said and held out her hand.

  “Woooowwwwweeeeeee, that’s a steep price. Sure you’re worth that much?” Earl asked darkly.

  “Take it or leave it,” she warned.

  “Oh, I’ll take it all right.” Earl grabbed her hair and smashed her head against the window. He jumped out of his cruiser and dragged an unconscious Candy into the alleyway. No one was around. No one would hear her screams. Earl punished her, and before bashing her head in one last time, he decided to cut her eyes out as soon as she came to. He wanted to hear her visceral shrieks as he took his pen knife and stole her ability to ever see the world again.

  Nothing Earl could do would hide the truth now. The only remaining question was would he kill again? Would he want to? Or, would he find himself needing to?

  Forty-Five

  1 Week Later

  After several days, Earl felt life returned to normal despite his sinister revelations. And, luckily for him, another hot case seized the spotlight, which essentially nudged the Stone City Slayer to the back of the line.

  There had been a string of overdoses within city limits which left the public demanding answers. After a quick and thorough investigation, it came to light that a specific doctor over-prescribed opioids to dozens of patients. The media trampled each other to get the first scoop as they abandoned their coverage of the killer. After all, there hadn’t been another victim since Daniel and Rhiannon’s bodies were discovered.

  Earl felt the pressure lift off his shoulders and figured he was in the clear… For a little while, at least. The entire station felt extremely sympathetic toward the loss of his mother, and every deputy attended the funeral of Meghan Davis.

  In the meantime, Gabby and Earl spent as much time together as they could. Earl still couldn’t risk having her stay at his house, what with evidence hiding under the floorboards, but they went out to dinner every night she was in town. She seemed slightly suspicious when he told her the house was undergoing a few repairs, and that was why she couldn't stay. Earl offered to help pay for her hotel room as a consolation.

  The best part of having his baby sister in town was finally having the chance to see his brother-in-law, Tom, and his nephew. His heart exploded with pure joy when he saw Nate for the first time in a very long time. The kid had spunk; there was no denying that. He was wicked smart and good with his hands. He could fix anything you put in front of him.

  The afternoon after the funeral, Earl, Gabby, Nate and Tom went out for a casual lunch at a local Greek restaurant near the cemetery. Nate wouldn’t leave Earl alone as he showed him his GameBoy and all his games he brought inside his backpack. At the table, Nate sat on Earl’s lap despite being a little big to do so.

  “You’re heavy, kiddo,” Earl said and chuckled.

  “That’s because Mom makes me eat my vegetables and drink my milk.” He flexed his muscles and growled.

  The adults at the table burst into laughter, which instantly lifted the somber mood plaguing the party. Earl smiled from ear to ear while butterflies soared within in stomach. He loved Nate with every fiber of his being. He never realized this kind of love existed in the world. The kind of love that made you powerless and yet so full. He’d do anything for Nate, even give his own life.

  Earl felt a pang of regret, then. Was this how his life would have been if he’d had children? Would he have found happiness with his own child sitting on his lap? He felt the loss of a life he never had deep down in his soul and very core.

  Once their food arrived, Nate scooted off his uncle’s lap, but sat next to him instead. Earl quizzed him about comic book characters and even taught Nate a few things he didn’t know about Batman, Superman and Thor.

  “You’re so smart, Uncle Kit!”

  “Yeah, well, your mama’s smarter.” Earl winked.

  Despite having suffered a great loss, for a few hours, Earl’s family managed to come together as one.

  Earl and Gabby decided to grab drinks after her husband took their son back to the hotel room for bed later that night. Naturally, they headed to The Stolen Leaf. After a few rounds of shots, Earl and Gabby had trouble stifling their giggles as they reminisced about the good ol’ times, what few there were.

  Shelly brought over a couple of waters to the table, and when she walked away, Gabby gasped unexpectedly.

  “What is it?” Earl asked, concerned.

  “I know that woman at the bar!” Gabby slurred. As a mother with barely any time for partying, her tolerance was far lower than Earl's.

  “You do?” Earl asked. He craned his neck. He didn’t recognize the woman, but couldn’t deny her beauty. She had silky black hair and piercing aqua eyes.

  “Yeah! We were on the cheerleading squad together in high school, and I work with her husband.” Gabby looked at her big brother and saw the glee in his eyes. “Should I ask if she’d like to join us for a drink?”

  “Oh, uh, I don’t know. She looks like she’s already with company,” Earl stumbled.

  “Oh, please! She’ll be happy to see me,” Gabby promised. She stood and squeezed through the crowd over to her friend.

  Earl saw them embrace and squeal with jovial excitement. He hadn’t felt this way about a woman in a long, long time. She was stunning. His body agreed with his heart because he felt the slightest movement in his pants. Gabby and her friend strolled over to the booth, and Earl hoped he’d remember his name long enough to introduce himself.

  “Earl, this is my friend Natalia. Natalia, this is my big brother Earl. He’s the sheriff,” Gabby said as she accentuated his rank.

  “I
t’s a pleasure to meet you,” Natalia said. She extended her olive-toned hand toward Earl. Her perfectly manicured nails glittered under the lights. Not a hair on her body stood out of place, either.

  “Same to you,” he said and smiled.

  Natalia sat beside Gabby as Shelly made her way back to the booth with a round of shots. Gabby ordered at the bar to avoid spilling the drinks on the way back to the table. For the next hour, the three of them talked about life, and Earl had to answer a handful of questions about what it was like to be sheriff.

  “It’s not that big of a deal,” he said and blushed.

  “Oh, come on!” Natalia crooned. She couldn’t keep her eyes off Earl, and he couldn’t keep his off her, either.

  Once Gabby was able to recapture Natalia’s attention, they reveled in old high school gossip and chatted about how their lives changed throughout the years.

  “You used to be so jealous I was chosen to be the star tumbler!” Natalia howled.

  “Was not!” Gabby poked her friend and smiled. “Okay, maybe just a little bit.”

  Natalia sensed that her and Gabby’s chatter had unintentionally left Earl out of the loop. Natalia hadn’t remembered Earl from school, so she turned to ask him about his life here in Stone City.

  It took Earl a few minutes to warm up to the beautiful woman across from him, but she made it easy for him to spill his guts all over the table. He rambled on and on and hoped he wasn’t scaring her away.

  Soon, Gabby didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation, and it wasn’t difficult to see her friend and brother had hit it off. “Well, I’m going to get going,” she said.

  “No!” Natalia cried. “One more drink!”