BLACK VELVET ROSES

by Marianne Spitzer

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  Kellie pulled up in front of her house. Hoping the shadow wouldn’t notice, she and Rufus entered through the front door. Rufus followed Kellie to her office and stood in the doorway while she gathered all the paperwork for the Christmas Ball. Slipping the papers into her briefcase, she stopped to grab her laptop. The front door chimes made her jump. Rufus began to bark and run around the living room.

  Kellie looked out the front window and saw Drew’s car parked behind her SUV. “This is all I need. I thought he left town.” Her hand hesitated on the knob, but she opened the door. Before she could say a word, Drew pushed her out of the way and into her living room. The fourth beer he had on the drive to her house gave him a false sense of security and courage.

  “Get out of my house now. You have no right to be here.” She pulled the door wide open.

  Drew slammed the door behind them.

  He grabbed her arm and yanked her toward her sofa. A quick push and Kellie was sitting on the sofa. Rufus grabbed Drew’s pant leg and was doing his best to pull him away from Kellie. Drew kicked Rufus twice with his free leg. Rufus yelped and then whined as he limped toward Kellie and fell to the floor. Drew was going to stomp on Rufus when Kellie screamed.

  “Stop, don’t hurt him. What do you want?” Drew moved away from Rufus.

  “I want your SUV and all the cash you can get. We’ll go to the bank. If you don’t want Rufus to die, you better listen and go now.” Kellie could see Rufus’ labored breathing and decided to do whatever Drew asked.

  She stood and the room began to fill with soot. “What is that?” Drew asked.

  The shadow flew at Drew and caused him to move backward until he hit the wall. In moments, Drew was covered in soot and coughing. He tried to leave, but the door wouldn’t open.

  “Stop,” Kellie yelled and the shadow was gone along with the soot.

  “What did you do? That was another evil spirit and you got rid of it by yelling at it. I knew it, you’re a witch.” He grabbed Kellie’s wrist and pulled her toward the door.

  “Rufus is hurt, I won’t leave him.” She tried to pull away, but Drew’s grip was too strong.

  He yanked her out the front door. She did her best to fight him off on her front porch. He backhanded her and said, “Shut up. You’re coming with me.”

  One of Kellie’s neighbors had just stepped onto her own porch to check the mail. She saw Drew hit Kellie and called 911. Kellie was still struggling when they heard the sirens. Drew let Kellie go and headed to his car. He tripped in the grass and before he could reach his car, the police cruiser pulled up.

  Kellie was on the phone with Randy while Drew was handcuffed and placed in the back of the cruiser. “Rufus is hurt. He needs a vet, but he’s too heavy for me to carry.” She slipped the phone into her pocket and ran back into the house. Randy was on his way.

  The police needed a statement and found Kellie in her living room kneeling next to Rufus. She gave her statement and then looked up at the officers. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Refusing personal medical assistance she asked, “Please make sure my Uncle Mike knows what Drew has done.”

  “Will do, Miss Conley. When we drop Mr. Adamson at the jail, I’ll go into the station and personally tell Detective Stellion about this matter. Do you need help getting your dog into your car?”

  “Thank you, no. My boyfriend will be here any minute.” She told the officer.

  Kellie could hear the police cruiser leave. She lay next to Rufus and rubbed the fur on his head. “Hang on boy, you’ll be fine. Randy’s coming and we’ll get you to the vet.”

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  Mrs. Donahue, the neighbor who had dialed 911, stood at Kellie’s open front door. She knocked. “Is there anything I can do for you and Rufus?”

  “Could you stay and talk to me until my boyfriend gets here? He’s on his way.” She looked up at the kind, elderly woman.

  “Of course, dear,” Mrs. Donahue sat in one of the chairs and spoke to Kellie about her flower gardens.

  It didn’t matter to Kellie what Mrs. Donahue said. Her soft voice calmed her and seemed to calm Rufus. She knew it also would keep the shadow away. Kellie’s thoughts drifted to why the shadow attacked Drew, but not her. Maybe he knew Drew was going to hurt me and wants to be the one to hurt or kill me. That makes sense. He saved me from Drew so he could have me. Lord help me.

  She heard Randy run up the porch and into the room. Mrs. Donahue stood and said, “I’ll be leaving. If you need anything, please call.”

  “I will thank you so much.” Randy looked at her. “I’ll explain later.”

  Randy tried to lift Rufus, but he began to whine and let out a yelp. “He may have broken ribs. I have a board in the truck we can use to move him.”

  A few minutes later Rufus was moved into the back of Kellie’s SUV. Kellie sat in the seat closest to Rufus and Randy drove.

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  When Detective Stellion heard the officer’s report, he strode straight to the jail and Drew’s cell. Drew refused to acknowledge his presence. It didn’t stop the detective.

  “Well, young man you have stepped in it this time. You pushed your way into Kellie’s house and you hit her. You’re facing forced entry and battery for starters. I’m sure the D.A. will find more. Animal welfare may ask for charges as well as Kellie. Both know you wanted to harm Rufus after he was down and injured. My report states you have no injuries. It takes quite a man to hurt an animal out of spite. This time it won’t be a month or two in rehab. You’re looking at years in the state prison. You asked for this and you’ll get it. You’ll have to change your name. Right now it’s mud around here.”

  Drew sat staring at the wall doing his best to ignore the detective.

  Give me five minutes alone with that kid, the detective thought, but he’s not worth my career. Time in jail will wipe that smug look off his face.

  The detective continued, “I feel sorry for your family. I did notify your father, not for you, but for him because I know he’s worried. He won’t be bailing you out this time. Get comfortable. You’ll be here for a while.” Detective Stellion cocked his head to one side, looked at Drew, smiled, and strode out.

  Drew leaped for the bars trying to reach the detective. All he managed to do was fall onto the floor. Kneeling on the floor, he yelled to Detective Stellion, “Did she tell you what happened? Do you know she’s a witch? She is a witch. Kellie Conley is a witch.” He pulled himself up and walked back to his bunk letting out a loud stream of obscenities. His remarks fell on deaf ears. Detective Stellion had been through enough heartache watching how Drew had treated Kellie. He was no longer interested in what Drew had to say.

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  Kellie had called the vet’s office before they arrived and his staff was ready for Rufus. Once Rufus was safely moved inside, the vet said, “I need to x-ray Rufus. He doesn’t understand he can’t move so I’m going to start an IV and sedate him. He’ll also receive some meds for pain. I am hoping he doesn’t have any broken ribs. Being an active dog, it will be hard to keep him from reinjuring himself. I’ll know soon. You can wait in the waiting room.” Kellie saw his assistant prepare the IV and she forced herself to watch and once Rufus was asleep she left in tears.

  Kellie looked at the receptionist and said, “We’ll be outside.” She needed to walk.

  “Wait a minute, Kellie” The receptionist hurried to the back of the clinic and returned with an ice pack and a white towel. “Your left cheek is red and looks as if it may bruise. It’s swollen. Use this, it’ll help.” She handed Kellie the ice pack and towel.

  “Thank you,” she turned toward the door.

  Randy let her walk up and down the sidewalk twice before he called her name and asked her to stop. “Slow down. Rufus will be fine. He’s in good hands.” He wrapped his arms around her and she burst into tears.

  “What if he has internal injuries? He could be so badly injured that they need to put him down.” Kellie’s knees gave out and Randy cau
ght her. He helped her to a bench outside the vet’s office.

  “Don’t think that way.” He wiped her tears. “Use the ice pack on your cheek. I think it’s getting worse.”

  She held the towel and ice pack to her cheek. She felt more pain than she had before she touched her face. It must be swollen, she thought. Worrying about Rufus kept her from noticing her own injury.

  “Rufus is in so much pain. Drew kicked him hard. If I hadn’t stopped him, his last kick would have killed Rufus. Drew’s eyes were glazed and the hatred on his face was frightening. He bought Rufus for me and said he fell in love with him when he first saw him. Drew has changed so much. I hope he goes to jail for a long time.” She laid her head on Randy’s shoulder and did her best to regain her composure.

  “I’m sure he will.”

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  Kellie’s cell rang. She looked at Randy and said, “It’s Uncle Mike. I have to take this.” Randy nodded. “Hi Uncle Mike. Yes, I’m fine physically. I don’t know. He’s in with the vet having x-rays. Thanks for letting me know. Yes, I’ll call Aunt Rita this evening. Love you, bye.”

  “You’re eyes look a little brighter. Did he have some good news?”

  “He said Drew’s dad refuses to bail him out. He’ll be in jail until his initial court date. He could make bail then, but he doesn’t have any money. Uncle Mike said they’re going to find out where he was staying. Drew was mumbling about his stuff being in a motel and he could bail himself out. Once they search it and confiscate Mr. Adamson’s stolen money, Drew will be flat broke and won’t be getting out. Uncle Mike told me to sleep worry free.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

  “You’ll sleep safe, you’ll be with me.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “You’re not going home until Rufus is better.”

  “Oh, my. I’m going to have to tell Taylor. She’ll have to keep this from Hunter. He won’t heal if he worries. When he gets home, Rufus and Hunter may both have broken legs. Hunter will be looking for Rufus and vice-versa. Sometimes I think Rufus thinks he’s Hunter’s dog.” Tears ran down her cheeks again.

  The receptionist stuck her head out the door, “Doc will see you now.”

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  Randy could feel Kellie’s hand shake as he held it while they walked toward the vet’s office. The receptionist showed them into a small room. The vet arrived soon and shook their hands.

  Kellie’s voice cracked, “Where’s Rufus, he’s not …”

  “No, oh no, I’m sorry. I thought we could talk first and then you could see Rufus. He’s sleeping off the sedative.” The vet sat in his chair. “Please sit. The news isn’t tragic. He will mend and be fine.”

  “Mend? Then something is broken?” Kellie gripped Randy’s hand tighter.

  “Yes, his right leg is broken, but not his ribs. They’re badly bruised and will take nearly as long to heal as a break. He’ll be in pain, but we can manage that.” The vet was typing on his computer. “I’ll have a pain med script sent to your pharmacy for when Rufus comes home. I would like to keep him here at least for tonight. He only received a light sedative since he wasn’t having surgery, but I would like to monitor him overnight. I also want to be sure he tolerates the pain meds. He won’t be happy that his leg’s in a cast, but he’ll get used to it. In no time, he’ll be moving around on three legs. Animals have an amazing knack of adapting. I believe it’s because they don’t have the fear humans do.”

  “Thank you so much for taking such good care of Rufus. May I see him?” Kellie stood.

  “Of course. We all love Rufus here. My staff was very concerned when you called. One attendant stayed past her quitting time to be sure she knew how badly he might be injured and if she could help.”

  His statement brought tears to her eyes again. “I know he’ll get the best of care.”

  She followed the vet to an examination room and Randy followed her. Rufus was lying still and breathing slowly. “May I pet him?”

  “Yes, but just his head right now. He’s on his left side since all his injuries are on the right side. His head is most likely the only place that isn’t sore. I’m happy the criminal who attacked him didn’t kick his head.”

  Kellie smiled for the first time since she entered the office. “He’s in jail and will be for quite a while”

  The vet nodded and smiled as he left the room.

  Kellie pulled a chair up close to the exam table. Her face was touching Rufus’ as she stroked his face and ears. He opened his eyes part way and licked Kellie’s nose.

  Randy whispered, “He’s trying to wag his tail. He’s going to be fine.”

  Kellie continued to stroke the dog that had become such an important part of her life. After an hour of sitting with Rufus and watching him drift in and out of sleep, Kellie said, “We should leave. Rufus will sleep better when I quit waking him by petting him. I know they’ll be good to him.” She threw her arms around Randy. “I hope Drew never comes near us again.”

  Randy whispered, “He’ll be in jail for a long time and then if he comes near you, he’ll have to get through me.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Kellie spoke to her Aunt Rita on the way to Randy’s. “Yes, Rufus and I are fine. Please don’t mention the incident to Taylor and Hunter. I’ll tell them when I see them. I’m worried how Hunter will react. Thanks, Aunt Rita. You can always reach me on my cell. Love you, too.”

  Kellie leaned back against the truck’s seat and let out a breath. “Drew certainly is causing a lot of worries. Hunter and Taylor’s accident is adding to her stress. She’s also putting up with my Uncle Mike fuming about Drew.”

  “It’s understandable. They were your parent’s best friends. They’re going to feel some responsibility toward you even though you’re grown.”

  “I know and they feel the same about Taylor. They treat us as well as they would if we were their children. I always felt bad they never had any children of their own.”

  “They have you and Taylor. That’s enough happiness and headaches for any couple,” he started to laugh.

  Kellie punched him in the arm.

  “Watch it, I’m driving. If you hit me again I won’t make you any dinner.”

  “Doesn’t sound like much of a threat,” Kellie smiled at him and doubled her fist to show him she was ready to punch him again.

  “Don’t do it. I make a darn good stir fry,” he smiled back.

  She suddenly felt hungry. She reached over and placed her hand on his knee.

  “Now, that’s more like it. I’ll make dinner as long as you behave like that.”

  She punched him again and Randy’s laughter filled the truck.

  Kellie began to relax. Drew was in jail, Rufus was safe and most likely asleep or being spoiled. She would spend a quiet night with Randy that she needed after the day she’d been through.

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  The shadow had plans for the night. He could see the house was dark. Hunter and Taylor’s house was also dark. No one would see him while he practiced his new found talent. Twirling around and around would scatter soot and disturb the dirt in the field, but his use of the electrical jolts was more destructive. Each time he twirled and threw a jolt at the ground, the dirt would be blown upward and a small hole remained.

  Tonight he would practice with the jolts to see how large a hole he could form. If he could dig a hole deep enough to trap the dog, Kellie would be his. A hole large enough to trap Kellie would be ideal. Burying her alive in the field along with the dog was a plan too good to contemplate. He couldn’t get the idea out of his thoughts and concentrated his power on increasing the strength of the jolts. If he did, he could dig a deep hole. He would be able to fill it as Kellie screamed and the dog barked. The thought excited him.

  The shadow knew he couldn’t trap the dog until it stopped chasing him into the field. Kellie needed to feel safe or she would never be home alone. He would stay in the field until the dog couldn’t find him and Kellie was convinced that he had gone.


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  Randy decided to take the day off and he and Kellie were deep asleep when her cell woke her. Disoriented from being startled out of her sleep, she grabbed the phone and said, “Is Rufus all right?”

  Her Uncle Mike said, “I’m sure he’s doing well or they would’ve called you. I’m calling to let you know Drew was arraigned this morning and bail was denied. He’ll be in jail until his trial.”

  “That will make me breathe easier. He frightened me yesterday. I thought his dad would have given in and helped him.” Kellie stretched while she listened.

  “I don’t think it would have mattered. First, the D.A. made sure the judge knew you were Frederick Malone’s granddaughter and then Drew told the judge in very blunt language what he thought of Malone Springs, rehab, jail, the police, you, and him. The judge had him removed from the courtroom. It was obvious to everyone that Drew was only interested in getting out and having a beer. The judge decided he would be a flight risk and denied bail.”

  “That must have been awful to watch. Were you there?”

  “Yes, I told Drew I would be there every day he’s in court. I know you won’t be there except for the day you have to testify. Someone should represent you and your dad’s gone.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Mike. You’re the best. Speaking of dads, I should call Peter before he reads about this in the paper.”

  “Good idea. Call your Aunt Rita again, too. She’s worried.”

  “I think I’ll visit her. I need some good woman to woman time. I sure can’t call either of my grandmas with news like this.”

  “You’re right. Take care. I have to get back to work.”

  “Bye.”

  Randy rolled over on his side. He was staring at her. “Your half of that conversation was interesting. What’s up?”

  “Drew was denied bail and caused a scene in court. Why are you staring at me like that?”