“How can you sit there and be so heartless? My sister is dead,” Harlan said, his voice quivering as a tear trickled down his cheek.
“Why are you so upset? You know damn well that Elle would have ruined us…ruined everything. What’s the difference? Whether it was her or your father…we reached the goal. Nothing can stop us now,” Victoria smiled as she rose her hand, placing it against his solid cheek. “It’s you and me…and nothing can get in the way of that.”
“What’s happened to you?” Harlan asked, crying, as he stepped back from her. Victoria lowered her hand to her side, staring down into the wine glass. “You used to be so full of life. You’ve always had this tough exterior, sure, but…your heart was still…beating. You’re so cold, now. Ever since Ally died, it’s like something inside of you died with her.”
“Maybe it did,” Victoria snapped as she looked up from the wine glass, her eyes locked on Harlan. “I haven’t changed, Harlan; I’ve adapted. Everything around us…was falling apart. We had to act. We had to do something…to save us. I’m not going to sit here and wallow and cry and scream and…be a complete mess over the things I can’t change. I can’t go back and fix it all. I can’t go back…and I wouldn’t want to. I wouldn’t want to go back to not knowing what your lips taste like. I wouldn’t want to go back and erase everything. Through all the drama and the secrets and the lies…it’s all worth it to me if I can have you; if I can be with you. If it’s not worth risking it all for me, then maybe we aren’t on the same page anymore.”
“I don’t think we are,” Harlan said sharply as he spun around and made his way towards the kitchen doorway.
“Harlan, wait,” Victoria sighed as she slammed the glass onto the counter, rushing after him. Harlan spun around, facing Victoria, as his teary eyes stared into hers.
“I’m done. I’m done with you. I’m done with the lies. I’m done with the secrets. I’m done…with us.”
Connelly
Connelly sprayed a bottle of surface cleaner onto the center island inside of her kitchen and ran a microfiber rag along the marble countertop, wiping away the tiny breadcrumbs remaining into her cupped hand. Connelly turned and shook her hand, throwing the crumbs into the sink. It was just her tonight...so it was a fancy diner of PB&J. Connelly ripped a paper towel from the roll and dabbed her lips, wiping the remaining jelly from the corners of her mouth. Connelly stared down at her wrist…to see the small golden chain bracelet around her wrist; a small heart dangling from the shiny chain. It was the first gift that Silas had ever gotten her…on their third date. As sad as it was, the bracelet was almost more valuable to her than the wedding ring on her finger. It was a beacon of the struggles they survived; the struggles named Fiona. Connelly glanced up, staring through the window above the kitchen sink…as her eyes locked onto the Cunningham house; Ally’s old home…when she was alive. Connelly squinted in the darkness as she watched Kendrick Cunningham walk beside Rebecca Carlson. They both settled into Kendrick’s black Escalade and Connelly watched as it reversed out of the driveway and sped down the road of Magnolia Cove.
The blood smears…along the wall and floor of the basement flashed in Connelly’s head. A week ago, her and Lillian broke inside and saw the bloody crime scene; the horrible room where Ally took her last breath. After that, they left; just the sight of her blood…of that basement…terrified them. They never even made it upstairs…
Connelly’s jaw tightened as she spun from the sink and made her way to the door in the corner of the kitchen. Connelly pulled the door open and stepped into the garage. Connelly turned, slamming her hand against the garage door opener on the wall as the hinges creaked to life. The garage door rolled up and locked into place as Connelly stepped out onto her driveway…and made her way towards the Cunningham house ahead.
She couldn’t take back what happened with Kylie. She couldn’t fix that. But what she could change…was the fate of Ally’s ongoing case.
Just a couple minutes.
In and out…
Connelly quickly sped across the street and made her way onto the front lawn of the Cunningham house. Connelly glanced up at the starry night sky as she listened to the crickets chirping through the trees that surrounded the large, massive home.
She had to be quick…and careful.
Connelly rushed up the front porch steps and made her way to the front door. She wrapped her hand around the handle and turned…
Locked.
“Damn it,” Connelly growled under her breath as she spun around. There had to be a window unlocked…there had to be another way inside. Connelly moved down the front porch steps and made her way around the garage and down the left side of the home. Connelly stepped up to a window beside her. She cupped her hands, pressing her face against the glass…staring into the dark, empty garage inside. Connelly stepped back and grabbed the ledge…lifting it up.
It was unlocked.
Connelly quickly pushed the window all the way open and leaned forward, pushing her upper torso through the window. Connelly clawed at the concrete ground below as she pulled her legs through…and stood up in the silent, empty, cold garage that surrounded her. Connelly moved forward as the bottom of her Converse sneakers sounded off along the hard floor. Connelly stepped up to the garage door that led into the house…and pushed it open.
Score.
Connelly quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind her as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, scanning the large dark kitchen. Connelly moved forward, stepping into the large foyer as she turned, her eyes locked on the staircase. Connelly griped the wooden railing tightly as she climbed the stairs, making her way up towards the dark abyss above.
There was no turning back now.
Connelly stepped into the long, dark second level hallway and made her way towards the door at the end of the corridor; Ally and Kendrick’s bedroom. Connelly’s trembling hand extended in front of her as it wrapped around the gold door handle. Connelly turned the handle softly…and stepped inside. Connelly’s eyes darted around the room; from the large wooden dresser to the walk-in closet, to the California king in the center of the far wall. Where the hell should she start?
She didn’t have much time.
She had to move…fast.
Connelly sped forward and grabbed the top drawer of the dresser, pulling it open. Connelly searched through the underwear drawer, moving her hands through the pairs of boxers and socks. Connelly quickly knelt down, moving to the second drawer…to see nothing…nothing but pairs of basketball shorts and sleeveless gym tops. Connelly stood up and turned, making her way towards the walk-in closet. Connelly stepped inside…eying the left side of the closet…to see all of Kendrick’s clothes, hung up. Connelly looked to her right…to see numerous dresses hung up on hangers. Every single dress on the rod…sluttier than the last.
These weren’t Ally’s clothes.
They were Rebecca’s…
Connelly shook her head to herself as she turned, stepping out of the walk-in and into the dark bedroom…as her eyes settled onto a nightstand on the left side of the bed. Connelly pulled the drawer open and stared inside; a bottle of lube, a pack of condoms, and a couple of dirty magazines.
God, how old was he? Seventeen?
Connelly sighed as she quickly rushed around the bed and to the other nightstand on the right side. Connelly pulled the drawer open…as her eyes widened.
A small handgun sat inside…right next to a box of bullets. Connelly pushed the box of bullets to the right, spotting a small pocketknife inside.
But nothing else.
Every damn house on this street had a gun. There was nothing here to build a case against Kendrick. Connelly sighed as she sat down onto the edge of the bed…
The bed.
Connelly quickly stood up and grabbed the edge of the mattress, lifting the lower right corner…
As her eyes settled onto a little black leather diary.
“Oh, my God,” Connelly smiled as she grabbed the diary
into her hand, releasing the corner of the mattress as it flopped back down onto the box spring.
Connelly sat down onto the edge of the bed and turned the diary in her hand…
To see a small lock on the hinge, securing the diary tightly.
“God damn it,” Connelly growled…
As she heard the sound of the front door slam shut.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Connelly snapped under her breath as her heart raced inside of her chest. Connelly quickly lifted the corner of the mattress and threw the diary back into its hiding place. Connelly turned…as her eyes spotted the open dresser drawers in the corner. Connelly listened…as she heard the footsteps sounding off along the staircase right down the hall.
Closer and closer…
Connelly spun around and ran to the dresser, shoving the drawers closed tightly. Connelly then ran to the bedroom door and peeked out into the hallway…as she watched Rebecca and Kendrick’s shadow spread out along the hallway wall.
She was trapped…
Connelly quickly shut the bedroom door, quick and silent, as she spun around…her eyes scanning the room for a hiding spot. Connelly ran forward and laid down onto the floor, crawling beneath the bed. Connelly turned onto her back and pushed herself under the California king, pulling her legs to her chest…as she glanced around at the dust bunnies and random dirty articles of clothing that surrounded her beneath the mattress.
Connelly quickly cupped her hand over her mouth…as she heard the bedroom door open…
“God, I can’t believe they were closed. I was looking forward to some pasta,” Rebecca’s voice giggled as Connelly listened from beneath the bed, her eyes wide…her heart racing…her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
“I guess we can just skip to dessert them,” Kendrick’s deep voice rang out…as Connelly listened…to the sound of their lips kissing passionately: the wet slurps and sucks traveling through the air. Connelly turned her head, staring up at the mattress a few inches from her face…as Rebecca and Kendrick collapsed onto the bed; the mattress dipping down, an inch from Connelly’s nose.
Just friends, huh?
Connelly closed her eyes tightly as she listened to the soft moans sounding off from above as she listened to them rolling along the mattress. Connelly glanced to her right…as she watched a pink summer dress drop to the floor beside the bed.
This wasn’t happening…this had to be a dream. She just had to break in…she just HAD to do this tonight. Connelly tightened her hand over her mouth…as the mattress began to move…up and down…just inches from her face…as the springs began to squeak softly.
“Oh, fuck yeah, baby,” Kendrick moaned from above. The sick son of a bitch…was fucking this tramp…inside the house where his wife died. How could he live with himself? How depraved was he?
“Oh, God! Fuck me daddy! Fuck me!” Rebecca moaned as Connelly turned her head to the right, the mattress caressing her soft cheek as they continued to make love above.
Why hide their relationship if they weren’t keeping secrets? They told everyone…that they were just friends. If they didn’t have skeletons in their closet, why lie about all of this? Why go through the trouble. Connelly was now convinced more than ever…that Kendrick was the one; the one who killed Ally that night.
“Oh, fuck! I’m cumming! I’m cumming!” Kendrick groaned as Connelly listened to Rebecca’s squealing, high pitched moans.
“Oh, fuck yeah!” Rebecca giggled…as the mattress came to a standstill above Connelly.
Finally…
“Round two?” Rebecca giggled as Connelly looked to her left…to see Rebecca’s bare feet slam onto the wooden floor.
“Try to keep up,” Kendrick laughed as Connelly watched both of their bare feet travel into the hallway…and around the corner…disappearing into the bathroom. Connelly slowly lowered her hand from her mouth…as she listened to the sound of the shower starting.
This was her chance.
She had to get out…NOW.
Connelly quickly pulled herself towards the right side of the bed as her hands clawed at the wooden floor. Connelly quickly crawled out from beneath the mattress and stood up, staring at the messy bed; the blankets tangled and twisted…the sheet, splattered with blotches of semen. Connelly quickly rushed forward, making her way into the hallway…as her eyes stared down at the steam rolling into the corridor from the bathroom door to her right. Connelly listened…as she heard Rebecca’s faint giggles sounding off through the wooden door.
This was her chance.
Connelly rushed forward and made her way around the corner, running down the staircase and into the dark foyer below. Connelly stepped to the front door and turned the handle.
It was unlocked.
Connelly pulled the door open as…
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
Connelly jumped in terror as the alarm system sounded off, echoing through the entire house.
“Fuck!” Connelly snapped as she quickly ripped the front door open and stepped out onto the front porch. Connelly pulled the door shut behind her and ran down the front porch steps, the alarm sounding off loudly inside.
Connelly sped forward, her sneakers pounding on the pavement as she made her way back towards her house ahead.
Just a few more feet!
Connelly rushed up the walkway of her home and shoved the front door open. Connelly slammed the door shut behind, slamming her back against it…as her chest heaved up and down. Connelly closed her eyes tightly…struggling to catch her breath…as she pushed her long bangs from her eyes.
Connelly swallowed hard as she turned…stepping on her tip toes…and stared out to the Cunningham house in the distance. She squinted in the darkness as she watched Kendrick step out through the front door, his body wrapped in a blue robe. Connelly watched, her entire body trembling, as Kendrick glanced around his front lawn…and stepped back into his home, slamming the door behind him.
“Oh, my God,” Connelly said, struggling to catch her breath as she placed her hand to her chest. Connelly slowly sat down onto the bottom step of the staircase and hung her head down, her heart still racing inside of her chest.
Whatever happened to Ally…Kendrick was responsible. There wasn’t a doubt. And if Rebecca wasn’t an accomplice…she might be his next victim. Connelly swallowed hard as she stared down at her hands…
To see her golden bracelet…
Gone.
Lillian
Lillian’s hands trembled around the warm blue teacup as she watched the tiny ripples spread through the surface of the coffee inside. She couldn’t calm her nerves…not when the sister of the woman she just killed was inside her home…sitting just a few feet away from her inside her own living room.
“You have a lovely home, Mrs. Sinclair,” Peyton said softly from the leather lounge chair that sat across from the sofa where Lillian sat.
“I’m sorry?” Lillian asked, breaking out of her trance, her eyes lifting and locking onto Peyton.
“I said you have a lovely home. I can see why Kylie liked it here so much,” Peyton nodded as she sipped from the teacup in her own hand.
“She…she never mentioned a sister; she actually never mentioned a family at all,” Lillian swallowed hard as she sat the teacup onto the coffee table in front of her. “I can’t say I wasn’t surprised when you told me who you were.”
“We had a bit of a falling out a couple years ago. After our parents died, things just…weren’t the same between us. Sure, we still texted one another; an occasional phone call here and there. But the bond…was tarnished to say the least,” Peyton nodded as her eyes darted to the doorway, watching Tatum join them in the living room.
“Sorry, Gordon was fighting sleep pretty hard. He wanted to come say hello but it’s already way past his bedtime,” Tatum smiled as she plopped down onto the couch beside Lillian, wrapping her arm around Lillian…pulling her closer.
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m the one that should
be sorry. I just…showed up,” Peyton said, shaking her head as she stared down at the tea in her hand.
“Can I ask why you’re even here?” Lillian finally spat out. She didn’t want to play games. She didn’t want to beat around the bush.
“My sister is missing,” Peyton said softly as her teary eyes stared back at Lillian and Tatum. “She told me about the both of you…about Gordon. I figured…if anyone knew anything about her whereabouts, it would be the two of you. She hasn’t returned my calls or texts. I’m…I’m scared, and I just thought maybe the both of you knew something; where she might be?”
“You think she’s missing? We just thought she quit on us,” Tatum asked shockingly as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.
“No, she would never. That’s why I now know…that something is wrong. She’d never just abandon you guys; she cared too much for all of you. Something had to have happened to her. I couldn’t just sit back and wait. I had to do something and…here I am,” Peyton said as she wiped her teary eyes.
“Where are you from?” Lillian asked, struggling to steer the conversation away from the big, fat, cryptic elephant in the room that only she could see.
“I go to college in Chicago,” Peyton said as she took a sip from her teacup.
“God, that’s quite a drive. Do you…have anywhere to stay?” Tatum asked, concerned. Lillian’s eyes burned into Tatum beside her. She got rid of one Richmond…she didn’t need another one in her life…or her house.
“Yeah, I got a motel room downtown. I really didn’t come here to accuse you both of anything. I just…did she seem normal the last time you saw her?” Peyton asked softly, leaning forward…ready for any little detail.
“She’s was the same old Kylie,” Lillian nodded.
“The last time we saw her was the night of the neighborhood White Party. Lillian came home early and she said she left; everything was fine,” Tatum said, thankfully clueless.
Sweet Little Secrets Page 2
