Detective Cramer looked pained as he said, "We've gotten dozens of calls with descriptions and other information on possible suspects. We're evaluating all leads and take each one seriously. I ask for your patience while we conduct our investigation. In the meantime, the best thing any of you can do right now is use common sense to protect yourself. Stay off the streets at night, keep doors and windows locked, and your eyes and ears open for anything or anyone suspicious; and women should not be alone, if at all possible..."
He was interrupted by a boisterous voice. "How can you expect us to be patient?"
Selene watched as Marvin Bonet stood up two chairs over from her.
"Someone is killing our women and you don't seem to be doing a damn thing about it!" Marvin pointed an accusing finger at the detective.
Dennis's head snapped back as if he had run into a wall. "Look, I understand your irritation," he said. "But we're not the enemy here. The department is working round the clock to stop this killer before he strikes again."
"Well that's not good enough," Marvin persisted. "I think every man and woman here should arm themselves to protect their families."
"I knew he was going to embarrass me," Elisa Bonet whispered in Selene's ear, referring to her husband. "Marvin just had to make a complete fool of himself—and me by association."
"He's only expressing what a lot of people feel. We're all frustrated," Selene whispered back. She put a reassuring arm around her friend's shoulders before refocusing on the detective.
"That's probably the worst thing to do, under these circumstances," Dennis cautioned. "An inexperienced person with a loaded gun is only asking for trouble."
Selene watched and listened as the two men went back and forth; each holding his own, before Marvin wisely relented and sat down.
Dennis said a few parting words and then nodded at Selene. That was her cue to take the podium. She rose, standing directly in front of Quinn, who flashed an encouraging smile. They had been married for a little more than two months now and it was the second marriage for both.
Selene's first marriage had lasted five years. She had been a victim of domestic violence and suffered through the classic battered women's syndrome. Her ex-husband's abusive behavior had been blamed on a lifelong drinking problem; then the stress of making bad business decisions. Selene had attributed the battering to her being too stubborn for her own good and not jumping whenever he told her to, causing him to lash out in anger.
Soon it became apparent to Selene that she wasn't the cause of the abuse—he was. He had long harbored resentment towards headstrong women who reminded him of his domineering mother, who had been abusive towards him. When that was compounded with his drinking and an inferiority complex, it gave her ex more than enough excuses to hit Selene as often as he pleased.
After one serious beating that landed her in the hospital with a concussion and broken ribs, Selene had had enough. She finally got the courage to leave the man she'd once loved while she was still able to stand on her own two feet.
Selene's prayers for being able to pick up the pieces of her shattered life were answered twofold. One was using her experience to help other abused women when she became the director of a local battered women's shelter.
The other was when she met Quinn Herrera eight months ago. He'd immediately impressed her as a man of principle and conviction, along with being handsome and charming.
They hit it off right away. Quinn was a bestselling author of mystery novels and nonfiction books on the Pacific Northwest. A year earlier, he had lost his wife tragically in a drive-by shooting that was a case of mistaken identity.
Selene believed adversity had made her and Quinn that much stronger and was the propelling force behind their meeting, falling in love, and getting married. They had both been given a second chance at love and had taken it for all it was worth.
She smiled at Quinn, trying not to show how nervous she was.
He winked and patted her hand lightly. "You'll do just fine."
Taking him at his word, Selene strode to the podium.
Selene stood before her friends and neighbors. She had never been particularly comfortable as a public speaker. But with the practice of speaking to women's groups in the fight against domestic violence, and Quinn's encouragement, she had become more at ease in the role of speaker. And, in light of the recent wave of murders to hit The Woods, she was determined to do her part to fight a common enemy.
Selene sucked in a deep breath. "Thank you all for coming, especially on such short notice. It's a tough way to get to know each other better, but circumstances haven't left us much choice. Everyone here has a responsibility to band together when someone—especially a killer—threatens the safety of our families..."
Chapter Three
The meeting lasted more than three hours. There was plenty of heated debate and opinions on keeping The Woods safe. Local firefighter Julian McKenzie stood at the podium.
The husband and father of three cleared his throat. "I just want to say that I support the actions the police are taking to catch this killer. I know they probably haven't done enough to ease anyone's fears that this thing could just go on and on, but we need to stand behind them."
"Are you sure you aren't secretly on their payroll?" Marvin asked.
Julian chuckled. "Not unless you know something I don't. And if you do, don't tell my wife or I'll be in the doghouse for sure!"
Selene, who was standing beside him, grinned. "Julian, I'm sure your secret, if there is one, will be safe with Marvin."
"Right, and about a hundred others," Julian said, before growing serious again. "Anyway, I may not be a cop, but as a fireman I know we all share the same concerns for doing what's best for our community and the people who live in it. I applaud Dennis Cramer and everyone else on this case for putting their personal lives on hold till it's solved."
Next up was Todd Foxworth who represented The Woods Business Association. The spa and salon owner gave Selene a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"I think every business owner in this room would agree that having a serial killer in our midst is definitely bad news for business," Todd said. "And I can tell you that women in and around The Woods are thinking twice about getting the spa treatment and their hair worked on these days—"
"The news is bad for business and our personal lives," Selene said, so as not to exclude the residential establishment. "Our community is being affected in every way by this."
"You're absolutely right, Selene," Todd said. "And it was good of you to organize this meeting." He turned back to the gathering. "I don't mean to diminish the threat to any woman living in The Woods. But I'm here to speak on behalf of those of us who are trying to make a living in this part of town and counting on the dollars you folks bring in to stay afloat. We need to get past our fear and show this killer that we're not going to just lay back and allow him to destroy everything we've worked for."
There was a spatter of applause.
"Well I think we should offer a reward to help catch the killer," Elisa said. "If someone knows something, it might be a way to encourage them to come forward—"
Selene thought it was a good idea. Reward money had worked successfully elsewhere in the country to solve crimes. And even if she suspected that most of the people in attendance were inherently cheap, she felt the community could afford to offer a nice reward, if it meant catching this serial killer.
"How much money?" Selene asked Elisa.
Elisa shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose something that won't put us all in the poor house, but enough to make a strong statement that we're determined to end this nightmare."
* * *
"Fifty thousand sounds like a good starting point," Quinn Herrera said, as though bidding for a painting. It didn't seem unreasonable, and was certainly something the well-to-do people of this community should have no trouble coming up with.
But Quinn's suggestion was more than simply being a good neighbor. He wanted to sh
ow Selene that he was just as serious about fighting the forces of evil in their midst as she was.
It wasn't so long ago that Quinn believed his life was over for all intents and purposes. He had lost the only woman he thought he'd ever love in such a cruel way. And he'd blamed himself. Then an attractive, sweet woman named Selene entered his life and taught Quinn what it meant to live and love again. Marrying Selene had been the smartest choice he'd ever made.
Forking over some of their savings for a cause they both deemed more than worthy seemed like a small price to pay.
"Why not make it a hundred grand?" suggested Todd. "I'm sure The Woods Business Association would be happy to kick in half the amount."
"Two hundred thousand would be even better," Marvin said. "A similar crime happened last year in Portland, Oregon. A couple hundred G's got some people talking pretty fast—and the police ended up getting their man in no time flat!"
In the end, they settled on a three hundred and fifty thousand dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer.
A citizen patrol group was established to walk and drive around the neighborhood. The belief among many was that the killer must be from outside their community, finding it difficult, if not impossible, to accept that he could be one of their own.
Selene was surprised when Marvin, Julian, and Todd nominated Quinn as the director of the newly formed group called The Woods Citizens Against Crime. Quinn looked equally taken aback, but dutifully accepted, as no one else volunteered for the job.
The gathering had already begun to disband when Selene thought of something else.
"Just one more thing..." Selene said, catching everyone's attention. "Although the killer has only targeted adult women, no one knows if he will start to go after others he considers vulnerable. So, just to be on the safe side, I think everyone should drive their kids to school or at least make sure they get on and off the bus safely. And there should also always be an adult present when children are outside playing, especially when they're at The Woods Park."
She wondered if they could ever feel safe in their community again.
* * *
Killer in The Woods is available in print, eBook, and audio.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Barri Flowers is an award winning criminologist and bestselling author of more than eighty books, including mystery and thriller fiction, relationship novels, young adult mysteries, and children's books.
Fiction titles include Before He Kills Again, Dark Streets of Whitechapel, Dead in Pukalani, Dead in Kihei, Forever Sweethearts, Fractured Trust, Killer in The Woods, Murder in Maui, Murder in Honolulu, Murdered in the Man Cave, Murder on Kaanapali Beach, Murder of the Hula Dancers, Persuasive Evidence, Seduced to Kill in Kauai, State's Evidence, and Justice Served.
Young adult fiction includes Count Dracula's Teenage Daughter, Danger in Time, Daughter of Count Dracula, Ghost Girl in Shadow Bay, Out for Blood, Teen Ghost at Dead Lake, and Summer at Paradise Ranch.
The author has also written a number of top selling true crime titles, including Murder of the Banker's Daughter, The "Gold Special" Train Robbery, The Sex Slave Murders 1, 2, and 3, The Pickaxe Killers, Murder at the Pencil Factory, Killers of the Lonely Hearts, and Dead at the Saddleworth Moor.
As a sought after expert on true crime, R. Barri Flowers has appeared on the Biography Channel, Investigation Discovery, and Oxygen television series.
Follow R. Barri Flowers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Flickr, Goodreads, and LibraryThing. Learn more about the author in Wikipedia and www.rbarriflowers.com.
The Phone Call (A Psychological Mystery Short) Page 6
