“Do you know where the room is?”
Shiloh stood up. “No, I don’t, not yet but there’s so much I don’t remember.” Shiloh began to pace wringing her hands.
“Don’t you think she’s putting the cart before the horse?” Demon asked quietly.
“What do you mean?” Shiloh asked.
“I mean even if you remember where the room is you still don’t have any direct evidence that Simon is your killer. You don’t have any direct evidence that he was the smuggler either. It could have been Simon alone or Simon working with your father. We don’t have any proof either way.”
Chapter Five
Shiloh sat back down on the sofa. She glared at Demon. “My aunt wrote me a letter and in that letter, she said I would hear stories about my parents. She told me not to believe them. She said my dad was the most honest man she knew, but that she didn’t trust Simon at all. She told me he was a slimy bastard who would stab you in the back first chance he got, and you know what? I don’t even know the man, yet I believe her. My aunt was as honest as the day is long and she knew how to read people. I have no doubt she was right about Simon Pratt being a bastard. She said I would find the proof I needed in the safe room. I have to believe that.”
“What happens if you find the room and its empty?” Demon asked.
“That could happen but if it is empty then Simon wins. If he is our killer, he will have gotten away with murdering my parents and my aunt.”
“Your aunt?” Demon asked.
“In her letter, Donna expressed that if she was dead, Simon found us again and I would have to be very careful. She told me he would be coming after me next. She also told me he wouldn’t kill me until he had what he wanted.” Shiloh stood up again and began to pace. “He won’t hurt me until I find the safe room for him and he has whatever is inside.”
“It won’t take him long to find out you returned,” Charlie said. “You could be in for a harrowing few days.”
Shiloh stopped pacing and turned to face them. “I have lived with some sort of fear every day of my life. Most of it I’ve been too afraid to face but you know what? I’m tired of living in fear. I’m tired of being afraid, of not remembering what happened the day my parents died. I didn’t even know until today that I witnessed them being murdered. I just shut down that whole experience. I know now that I did see something that day and I want to know what it was I saw. I don’t think Simon Pratt can scare me anymore than he already has. Donna took me and ran away. She kept me safe for over twenty years, but I’ll be damned if I going to run anymore. By running away, she gave him power over our lives, now I’m taking that power back.”
Charlie turned to glance at Demon and then looked back at Shiloh. “Good for you girl, your aunt Donna would have been proud of you.”
Shiloh sat down on the sofa again. She turned to Charlie. “Why didn’t Donna do this herself? Why did she keep running all this time?”
“She couldn’t face Simon, she didn’t feel she was strong enough to do it on her own. She gave your mother her word that she would keep you safe. To Donna that was more important to her. Your mother entrusted her with the most important thing she had, and that was you. They both wanted you to grow up safely. You were so little that night. If he had known you saw what you did, he would have killed you then. He still thinks he’s going to get away with their murders.”
“What is it about money that turns people into killers?” Shiloh asked.
“Are you that naïve?” Demon barked in surprise. He glared as he began to pace like a caged animal.
Shiloh shook her head. “No, I’m not that naïve. To my mind, there is no acceptable reason to take another person’s life. I guess money has never meant that much to me. It doesn’t certainly bring you happiness, most of the time it brings you nothing more than a whole lot of trouble.”
“So, what are you going to do? How are you going to let him know you’re in town?” Charlie asked.
“Do either of you guys know a good attorney and accountant?” Shiloh asked. “I think I want to look at the books for the shop. The trust between my father and Simon names me as half owner since all my father’s interests came to me.”
“What are you going to do?” Charlie repeated his earlier question.
Shiloh grinned. “I’m going to piss Simon Pratt off. I want him mad enough to make a fatal mistake. A mistake that’s going to lead straight to jail.”
“How are you going to let him know you’re back in town?” Demon asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Shiloh replied. “I’ll have to think of something.”
“In the meantime, I have to get home, say hello to my wife, change my clothes and get ready to go back to work,” Charlie told her. “But I hate to leave you alone.”
“I can stay with her for a while until you get settled,” Demon offered. “Your three days start today.”
“I really don’t need a babysitting,” Shiloh protested.
Charlie stood. “I don’t want to leave you alone, not yet.”
“Why?” Shiloh asked.
“Because I don’t trust Simon either. He may not know you’re here yet but when he finds out, he won’t be happy. I’m not going to let you face him alone.” He shrugged, “This is a small town and even if Simon doesn’t live here, people are going to tell him you’re back. People love gossip and this is the best kind.”
Shiloh held up her hand. “Okay, I’ll give in for now. You go ahead and do what you have to do. I’m sure Demon will protect me against whatever danger you think I’m in.”
Charlie knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “I watched your aunt do everything in her power to keep you safe for over twenty years, please don’t tell me I can’t do the same.”
Shiloh gripped his hands and smiled at him. “I appreciate everything my aunt did for me when I was a child, but now I’m a woman full grown. I can take care of myself. I will accept your help in getting justice for my parents’ murders, but there’s one thing you tend to forget.”
“And what would that be?” Charlie asked.
“I’m not a frightened child anymore. I may not remember everything that happened that night yet, and I repeat yet, but I have no doubt that I will. I’ve blocked that pain for too long. I’ve already begun the process of taking back the power Donna gave Simon all those years ago. I’m not running away from him anymore.”
Charlie grinned. “Good girl. I’ll be back as quick as I can. Demon will stay here with you until I get back.”
Shiloh agreed. “Ok, I know when I’m beat. Demon can stay.”
Charlie stood. “I want him here for another reason. If you start putting the pieces together of what happened, we need to record it. Right now, we only think we know what happened, we need the evidence to prove it in a court of law.”
Shiloh looked at him and nodded. “I understand.”
“No, I don’t think you do. We need more than a gut feeling and innuendo to convict Simon for the murder of your parents, we need actual proof, physical evidence that will stand up in the courts.”
Shiloh sighed. “I know. The most important thing here is finding out the truth about what happened that night. And part of that truth is to find out why he did what he did. I understand that.”
Charlie reached for the bag he brought in and handed it to Demon. “Keep her safe and I’ll be back.”
Demon watched as Charlie left and then he turned to Shiloh. “Ok, now what?”
Shiloh took the bag from Demon’s hand and led the way to her old bedroom. When she opened the door, she found herself looking at a little girl’s room. The child’s bed was barely big enough for a four-year-old. There was a huge doll house in one corner and a carousel horse in the other. There were several stuffed toys on the bed.
Shiloh caught her breath as she surveyed the room. Little flashes of memories flitted through her mind assaulting her already fragile recall. She had to lean against the door jam. She knew she couldn’t go into the room, instead she closed the
door, turned and walked down the hall to her parents’ room.
She flung open the door and walked in. She wouldn’t let the memories get to her. She tried her best to block them as she looked around the room. Everything was the same as it had been twenty years ago.
She dropped the bag and joined Demon in the living room. “I have to get out of here for a few minutes. Let’s go to a grocery store and get some food.”
A little while later while they were shopping for food, Shiloh asked, “So what do you know about my parents’ murders?”
“What do you mean?”
“They were murdered a long time ago. You would have been a kid when it happened. What do you know about the murders?”
Demon looked at her for a moment. “I’m a lot older than you think little girl. But I probably know as much about the murders as Charlie does. When you live in a small town like this, you hear everything about everyone.” He shrugged. “I remember when your parents were killed. I was about ready to graduate high school and for a while, that’s all the town talked about. I heard all the stories.”
“What stories?”
Demon grinned. “Everybody knows how Charlie found you, twenty years ago and everyone knows Charlie’s been in touch with Donna over the years. He’s still trying to solve the crime, without much luck until now, it seems. Charlie is a good cop. He’s got the experience any rookie needs to learn and very often, he treated me like a rookie under his command, and I’ve learned a lot from him, as an uncle. He tends to forget I’m not in law enforcement a lot.” He chuckled and added, “I went the other way, I joined the military service and became a Special Forces guy. Until five years ago, the military was all I knew.”
Demon reached for a can of soup and added it to the cart. “Did you know that Charlie has found a connection between Simon and an illegal diamond exporter from the Middle East? It was probably a shipment from this exporter that your dad found. Anyway, Charlie and I have talked over the case from the beginning twenty years ago through what happened today. He seems to think everyone needs to remember what happened here. I think what bothers him the most is the fact the case is still unsolved. He hates leaving things unsolved. He says it’s like leaving a puzzle half-finished and he hates that.”
Shiloh continued pushing the cart down the aisle. She paused in front of the freezer section. Grabbing a couple of frozen pizzas, she turned her head to look at Demon. “So what are your thoughts on the case?”
“I think Charlie is right on the money, suspecting Simon. If your dad was involved in smuggling he wouldn’t have brought the gems to the police. Not even to throw suspicion on his partner. From what I know of your father, he didn’t seem the type.”
“What type is that?”
“If your father were guilty, he would simply left town, taking you and your mother with him. He was the type of man to protect his family first and foremost. He wouldn’t have come to confess to a crime he didn’t commit.”
“How do you know so much about a man you never met?”
“I learned a long time ago how to read people. Very few people know how to do that, but Charlie is very good at it and he’s taught me how to do it too. If I don’t learn anything else from Charlie, I’m glad I learned that much. That particular trait has saved my life on more than one occasion.”
“Has Simon done anything in the past twenty years that would involve breaking the law?”
Demon stood there thinking for a moment then told her, “I grew up here in this town. I know everyone that lives here and nearby. Simon Pratt is a fuckin two-faced man. He’ll tell you one thing then goes behind your back and do just the opposite. After dealing with him, you always have to check your back to make sure there isn’t a knife in it. He’s kept his nose clean and his business practices on the up and up as far as we know but I saw him once. Somewhere I never thought I would, doing something he never should have been doing. My uncle told me about rumors off and on during this time period about special shipments, but he didn’t know if they are true or not.” He paused then told her, “My uncle would talk about this case at the dinner table sometimes. It really bothered him that there was a murderer living here.”
Shiloh nodded then she turned and glanced at Demon. “As a partner in the business I can arrange for you to look at the books. If I gave your uncle permission, he wouldn’t need a warrant.”
“Perhaps,” Demon said. “But I don’t think Simon is that sloppy a business man. He would keep two sets of books.”
Shiloh stared at the man for a long moment. “You seem to know something secret about the man. Does your uncle know?”
Demon just glared at her. Then he turned and walked away from her.
Turning at the end of the aisle, she followed him slowly. He had stopped in the middle of the aisle to wait for her. For a moment, neither of them said a word. Then Demon spoke, “I do know something about Simon Pratt that I’m sure he’d rather no one else knew about and one day I’ll corner him on it. But that day isn’t today. And it has nothing to do with the murder of your parents.”
“Fair enough,” she murmured. Looking to change the subject, she said, “But if we could catch him unaware we might be able to find the second set of books before he has a chance to hide or destroy it.”
“Maybe, but Charlie would never allow you to put yourself in danger, real or imaginary. He feels very strong that Simon is a danger to your well-being. He doesn’t want Simon anywhere near you.” He shrugged, “At least not until we can get the proof he needs to nail the bastard in court.”
Shiloh scowled. “You know I’m getting tired of everyone trying to protect me. That may have been the thing to do twenty years ago but like I told Charlie, I’m a woman grown and I don’t really need to be protected anymore. I can take care of myself.”
“You may not know this about Charlie but he feels responsible for you, almost fatherly, if you like. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to protect you.” Then he took his time and searched her body from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Smiling suggestively, he commented, “Believe me he knows you’re full grown. All he’d have to do is look at you and know that.”
Shiloh flushed at his comment and angrily pushed the cart down the aisle.
Demon chuckled from behind her.
Chapter Six
After Shiloh and Demon returned from the grocery store, Shiloh settled in. She walked through the house and reacquainted herself with her home. Nothing had been changed or removed in the last twenty years and as such, the house was the same as she remembered.
The lower level of the ranch style home was her parent’s office and game room. There was a bar and a pool table in the main room and the small office area was clean and well organized. She sat down at her father’s desk like she’d done so many times as a child. She got up, walked into the bar area and looked around. She opened all the drawers and cupboards but barely glanced at the contents.
She was trying to remember something about the basement, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. More memories tried to get through the myriad of her mind but they just couldn’t break through at the time. Shiloh growled as the frustration of it all.
Demon had shown her the file on her parent’s murder and subsequent investigation, but she couldn’t remember anything else. To her, the information could have been about anyone. She didn’t really remember her parents that well. They had family pictures on the walls but even looking at them, she could barely remember the people in the photographs.
Shiloh was at the back door staring out into the yard when Charlie arrived. She was tired and felt uneasy for some reason but what that reason was she didn’t know.
Charlie came up behind her and looked outside. He swung his head to the kitchen table where Demon sat.
Demon just shook his head.
He turned back to Shiloh and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hey what’s so interesting outside?”
Shiloh jumped at his touch, turned her head
as she moved away from the door and him. “Nothing really.”
Charlie went over to the table and sat down. He saw the file on the table and quickly glanced at Demon, then he turned to look at Shiloh. He found her staring at him. “Did I miss something here?”
“Not really.” Shiloh sat down at the table with the two men. Raising her hands to her head, she pushed her fingers through her hair to the back of her head. She found a sore spot and began to gently massage it. “We went to the grocery store and I explored the rest of the house. We went over the original police files, but I didn’t get any more flashes from the past.”
“Maybe showing you the police files wasn’t the smartest move at the moment.” Charlie told them after a moment, glaring at his nephew. “We want you to remember actual events from that night, not what we supposed happened.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Demon said with a shrug. He really wasn’t sorry for showing her the file, it was something she needed to see.
Shiloh raised her hands and let them drop. “I read through the file and nothing sparked a memory, so I don’t think the file influenced my judgment.”
Charlie leaned over and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hey kiddo, you’re going to drive yourself crazy if you try to remember too soon. The memories will come back on their own or maybe not at all.”
Shiloh turned to look at him with tears welling in her eyes. “Did Donna tell you that?”
“That’s what all those doctors told her,” Charlie answered.
“But Donna didn’t what me to remember what happened that night.” Shiloh cried out. “She didn’t want me to put into words what that monster did to my parents.”
“Yes, she did,” Charlie told her softly. “She just didn’t want to see the hurt and devastation in your eyes. She didn’t want the nightmares scaring the hell out of you anymore. She didn’t want to watch you suffer anymore, that’s why she never pushed you to remember. She wanted you to have a decent childhood not a scary one.”
Shiloh stared at Charlie for a few minutes before she asked, “How do you know that?”
Demon's Stand Page 4
