Friday Night Frights (Jack and Ashley Detective series Book 1)

by R. D. Sherrill

  Her brief chat with crime scene technicians finishing up the Dupree investigation also yielded little to nothing of help. It was during that conversation Ashley found Randy was less than helpful with local law enforcement. In his written statement to investigators, the trained detective was only able to describe the visitor to the shop as a tall, white male of regular build. How could he call himself an investigator when he was unable to recall details most civilians would remember? Perhaps his father had pulled strings to get him on the force. That was something that had been rumored since the days at the academy. Ashley dismissed the claims of preferential treatment partly due to her feelings for Randy and partly because she figured the rumor was started by people with an ax to grind either against Randy or his father.

  His inability to add anything to the investigation only increased the annoyance she was already feeling for him. Every time Ashley recalled his story about his relationship with Jana and their pre-meditated secret pact, it gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Now, as the sun sunk low on the horizon, the sick feeling was being replaced with one of anger directed at friends who had, for lack of a better word, betrayed her. That anger, she realized, was misplaced since Jana was dead and Ashley was looking for her killer. It was also nothing in the scheme of things since she was investigating a string of murders. This left little room for hurt feelings. When broken down to its core, the entire issue was a bunch of drama. However, despite its trivial nature, given the backdrop of her situation, Ashley couldn’t keep it from bothering her.

  She collapsed in her easy chair. She was exhausted as soon as she walked through her door just after sundown. It had been a long day from cover to cover. Although being frustrating, her Wednesday had been productive, leaving her feeling they were on the heels of the killer.

  “Two days,” Ashley mumbled to herself as she recalled the grave assignment she was undertaking. Failure meant another victim would feel the cold steel of the killer’s blade.

  The mere thought made her shudder. Never before had she felt such pressure to solve a case. Ashley had been instrumental in solving many crimes, including murders, during her time with the rangers. However, in those cases there were no time constraints, no certainty that others would be killed if she was not able to unravel the mystery. Now, she was under the gun. Her ability to solve the case was quite literally a matter of life and death.

  She could feel her head start to throb as she woofed down a less-than-tasty supper. The excitement of the day had not lent itself to proper nutrition. The local television news barely touched on the Dupree homicide that evening. The agency had obviously been able to keep the involvement of the rangers away from the press, thereby sparing her and the department of a three-ring circus. This murder had happened on the wrong side of the tracks, making it of little interest to the media. Jana’s murder, however, made state headlines for two days before quickly falling by the wayside as the press chased its next big thing. The media had forgotten the ranger’s murder, at least for the time being.

  Ashley flipped off the television with disgust and headed to her room. She paused to turn on the radio and switch on the box fan before lying down on her bed. She didn’t bother to even change into sleep clothes. Her exhaustion was complete and a headache was quickly approaching as she collapsed on top of her covers. It took only a few minutes for her to drift off, the gentle sound of her fan sending her into slumber.

  While sleep is a place most people can find solace, it provided no such harbor for Ashley. She had learned long ago about the true terror of nightmares. She awoke many a night as a child, screaming and bathed in sweat, only to realize the monsters she was running from were in her dreams. It was always the same: she would find herself running for her life, the monsters on her heels, the feel of their hot breath on the back of her neck. Run as she might, she couldn’t get away. Their claws would scratch at her back as she tried to scream, but her cries were always muted during those dreams. Then, as it always happened, the monster would catch her, pull her down from behind and land on top of her. It would sit on her chest and she couldn't breathe. That’s when she would wake up.

  The pale glow of her radio dial would mark the border between real and dream. The glow let her know she was safe and that her monsters were imprisoned back in her dreams. The glow had always made her feel safe, at least until that night, ten years ago, when her life had changed forever. That night, the night she lost her parents, the gray line between her dreams and reality became blurred, the monsters escaping from the dream world.

  The monsters had disappeared from her dreams since that night, only to re-appear in the faces of the cold-blooded criminals she pursued during her waking hours. She learned early on that monsters not only exist but they walk amongst us, preying on the weak.

  Replacing the monsters in her dreams were haunting nightmares about the night she lost her parents. Try as she might, she couldn’t cleanse her subconscious despite hours of counseling and even a bit of dabbling in yoga classes. It was as if she was doomed to re-live that night in her dreams for the rest of her life. It was to the point where she would welcome back the monsters to her dreams. At least back then, the nightmare would end when she awoke. One thing she was thankful for was fact that the dream she had had that night had never manifested itself again – until this night.

  In her dream, Ashley awoke inside the same bottle she had found herself ten years ago. An immediate sense of panic overtook her. It was her most dreaded dream, the worst of the worst, the nightmare to top all nightmares. “Wake up Ashley, wake up!

  She tried to roust herself from her slumber but the dream held her, refusing to let her swim to the surface of consciousness. Her eyes danced around the clear glass in her captive dream state, straining to see outside her entrapment. She looked for someone, anyone, to help her. As was always the case, she could see perfectly in her dream. Her eyes were like that of an eagle. However, even with the eagle eyes she could see no one. She was alone. It’s just a dream Ashley, it’s only a dream.

  Ashley rose from the bottle’s smooth glass floor and ran toward the sides, again looking for any way out. She traced her trembling fingers along the entire circumference of the glass, looking for a crack. There were none.

  “Help me! Please, help me!” she screamed as she began beating on the glass. The dream was real enough that her hands stung as she slammed her clenched fists against the glass.

  She feared, like no fear she ever felt in her life, what she knew would come next.

  “Please no! I beg you, please no!” Ashley screamed as she slid down the glass until she sat against the side, her eyes cast upwards toward the open top of the bottle. “Don’t do it. Whoever you are, please don’t!”

  Her cries went unheeded as she saw a stir of movement at the top of the bottle.

  “No!” Ashley screamed as she saw the lid being placed on the bottle. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Just like ten years ago, her cries were to no avail. The bottle was sealed, leaving her to suffocate inside. Her oxygen was running out with every breath she took. She immediately felt the air thin inside the bottle. Her breaths became more labored with each feeble gulp of the vanishing air.

  “Please wake up, please!” Ashley mouthed in her dream. She was afraid to scream lest she use up her air quicker.

  She waited, drawing herself into a ball on the floor of the bottle, as the air ran out, leaving her gasping for one last breath. Then she awoke. She couldn’t breathe! She choked as she drew in lungs full of smoke. Her nostrils filled with the stench of burning wood and wires just as they had been ten years ago. Her house was on fire! This was no dream, no repeat of her re-occurring nightmare. She was fully awake, gagging on the thick smoke which already filled her room.

  The door! Ashley stumbled out of bed and immediately made a dash for the door. The light of the burning fire provided the only shred of light in the otherwise dark room.

  “Ouch!” Ashley exclaimed as she drew back her
hand, feeling the burn of the red-hot door knob.

  Still unable to take a breath, Ashley stumbled back across her room, falling over something in the floor.

  “Where’s the window!” Ashley screamed as she put her hand over her mouth and nose, hoping to filter out the smoke and sneak a breath.

  She felt her head begin to swim. The lack of air and the choking smoke were combining to bring her to the brink of passing out. Ashley knew she had to get out in the next couple of seconds or be claimed by the smoke. Where is the window?

  A loud crash answered her question as the window exploded inward, taking the closed blinds with it, revealing the light from outside.

  “Ashley! Are you in here? Ashley! Can you hear me?” came a voice as a figure reached inside the window.

  Unable to speak as the smoke continued to fill her lungs, Ashley did the only thing she could. She coughed.

  “I’m coming for you, Ashley,” the man yelled as he jumped into the window, braving the smoke to come to the rescue.

  Ashley felt hands embrace her as she lay on the floor, drawing her toward the window. She was of little help. Her legs felt like rubber beneath her.

  “I’ve got you,” he said as he picked her up and carried her to the window as sirens approached in the distance.

  She clung to consciousness as he carried her to the front lawn. The pulsing lights from the fire engines bathed her front yard. She hacked and gagged, coughing out the soot which filled her lungs.

  “That’s right, full deep breaths,” the man encouraged as she was finally able to draw her first real breath. Her world was slowly coming back into focus. “You’re going to be okay.”

  Now able to breath, Ashley looked up into the face of her rescuer. It was Randy!

  “Randy, what are you …?” Ashley began feebly, able to speak at little more than a whisper.

  “Save your breath,” Randy urged as a fireman ran to her side, shoving a mask in her face. The pure oxygen quickly brought her back to life.

  Ashley shoved aside the mask after a few deep breaths. She watched the firefighters crash their way through her front door to take on the fire. Through the opening, she could see that the blaze appeared to be near the center of her house.

  Shaking off the cobwebs, Ashley looked at Randy, who still kneeled by her side.

  “How did you know?” she began, wondering why he had happened along at just the right time.

  “I was coming to see you,” Randy revealed. “I had to explain about today. When I pulled up I saw smoke pouring from the windows and I couldn’t get an answer at the door. That’s when I heard you coughing, so I did the only thing I knew to do and broke out your window. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Ashley couldn’t help but laugh. Randy’s actions probably saved her life.

  “I’ll bill you for it later,” she replied with a grin. “You saved my life.”

  Randy returned her grin, somewhat embarrassed by her commendation as he fought back a blush.

  “I’m here to protect and to serve,” Randy quipped as he helped Ashley to her feet. The feeling was slowly returning back to her legs.

  No sooner was Ashley on her feet than the firefighters returned through the front door, hoisting her smoldering couch. They tossed the smoking furniture into the front yard before returning to finish dousing what was left of the blaze. Ashley looked questioningly at the remains of her couch as the fire chief approached.

  “This was an intentional fire,” he declared, removing his helmet as he gave Ashley a serious look. “There’s no doubt this is arson.”

  “Arson?” Ashley mouthed as she looked at the couch.

  “The couch was pushed up against the door of the front bedroom,” the chief explained. “Someone poured an accelerant on it and lit it up.”

  Ashley stood speechless. The night was eerily similar to that night ten years ago.

  “We were able to contain the fire to the hallway outside the bedroom but there’s still some significant smoke and water damage,” he continued. “After we’re through, we will need to seal it off for the arson investigator tomorrow. I don’t think you’d want to sleep in there tonight anyway.”

  With the fresh air clearing her mind, Ashley couldn’t help but wonder who was behind the fire. There were two choices. Was the killer afraid she was getting too close or had the person who killed her parents a decade ago come back to finish the job?

  “That’s messed up,” Randy declared after hearing the chief’s comments. “Do you think it was Jana’s killer?”

  Ashley shook her head, not knowing what to think. After the events of the day, she was leaning toward the fire being the work of the killer trying to get rid of a threat. However, gnawing at the back of her mind was the question as to why the killer would try to burn her house when his method of operation was using a blade. As deeply as she slept, it would have been no problem, once inside the house, to sneak into her bedroom and slash her throat while she slept.

  “Do you have a place to stay?” Randy asked as Ashley stood deep in thought, wondering who had just tried to kill her.

  “She does now,” Jack’s voice boomed from behind them as he had stalked up without a sound. “Every time I leave, something bad happens.”

  “Jack?” Ashley stammered, surprised to see her partner. “You sure did get here quick.”

  “I would have come sooner, darlin’ but your house wasn’t on fire then,” Jack responded as he walked up to survey the damage. “Somebody wants you dead.”

  “Ya think?” Ashley replied with disdain. “All I wanted was a good night’s sleep and this happens.”

  "This is great," Jack said as he stood surveying the damage.

  His comment brought a narrowing of the eyes from his partner. She put her hands on her hips and looked at Jack with disgust.

  "Oh really?" Ashley replied. "Somebody tries to burn me alive and this is a great thing? You are a real piece of work, Jack Looper."

  The federal agent apologized for his choice of words. He was glad to see Ashley unscathed.

  “No, I didn't mean your house burning was great. I'm assuming you're insured. I was talking about the case. It means we’re close,” Jack declared. “He’s nervous. Our killer is getting desperate.”

  “What if it wasn’t him?” Ashley shot back as Randy silently listened to the exchange. “What if it was someone else?”

  “How many enemies you got, sweetheart?” Jack questioned. “Where I come from, you gotta hate somebody pretty bad to try to burn them alive in their bed.”

  Ashley preferred not to vent her suspicions while standing in the front yard of her smoldering home. Instead, she acquiesced to Jack’s reasoning. There would be a chance for debate later but this wasn’t the time or the place.

  “Anyway, there’s no doubt about it, you’re coming to stay with me tonight,” Jack declared in no uncertain terms.

  “Oh, am I?” Ashley said with a hint of surprise in her voice. “I don’t know if that’s quite professional. I mean, we’re partners but I don’t know about bunking down with you.”

  “Don’t humor yourself, honey,” Jack responded. “You’re not hard to look at but you’re really not my type.”

  “Who do you think you are?” Ashley exclaimed incredulously, not believing the audacity of her partner.

  “I’m the guy who intends to keep you alive tonight,” Jack responded with a sincere look. “You’re no help to me if you’re dead and it looks like someone wants you that way. You know what they say - if once you don't succeed, try, try again.”

  Randy smirked as he watched the back and forth between the two, somewhat happy Jack made the offer so he could avoid hosting her. He realized such accommodations could be awkward and, worst of all, his father would then find out he was, again, where he wasn’t supposed to be. He had been warned in no uncertain terms by his father to stay far away from the investigation. Those orders also included staying away from the agent who had been hand-picked to conduct the investigation.<
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  “What are you doing here, Junior?” Jack spoke up, looking at Randy, his presence coming across as odd to the agent.

  “He saved my life,” Ashley proclaimed before Randy could respond. “If it wasn’t for him, you’d be working the case by yourself.”

  “I see,” Jack said eyeing Randy. “So do you make a habit of cruising this neighborhood at night or were you looking for a lost dog?”

  Jack’s tone didn’t sit well with Randy, who returned the federal agent’s gaze.

  “I came to apologize to Ashley about this morning,” Randy replied. “That is, if it’s any of your business, Agent Looper.”

  “It’s my business if you keep showing up at crime scenes,” Jack responded as he met Randy’s gaze.

  The tenseness between the two was palpable, prompting Ashley to step between them. She had to admit, Jack's statement addressed the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room. Randy was making a habit of showing up at odd times.

  “Hey guys, no reason to fight over me,” Ashley joked, trying to cut the tension that suddenly erupted between the officers as they continued their stare down. Neither wanted to be the first to blink.

  Their stalemate was interrupted by the sound of Randy’s phone. The distraction caused him to break his stare.

  “It’s the major,” Randy said as if the breath had been knocked out of him. “I better take this.”

  Randy walked off to answer the phone while Jack and Ashley stood looking at one another.

  “You could be nicer, you know,” Ashley declared, slightly irritated with Jack’s lack of tact.

  “We don’t have time for nice,” Jack stated as he looked at his watch. “Now, we need to get you some stuff and get going.”

  Ashley crossed her arms. Jack had already learned that meant she was going to be stubborn. He rolled his eyes.