Blake’s words had surprised Senna. She thought all men wanted beauty, artificial or not. As she looked at him she studied his profile and felt something warm inside her.
She remembered this kind of feeling when she would visit Gran. It felt good and soft and inviting. It scared her a little, too.
“Hey, I have to get back to work, but I would like to see you again. Could I take you to dinner?” Blake asked.
“Din-dinner?” Senna stuttered. Blake had caught her off guard.
“Sure, I would like to get to know you better.” When Senna didn’t answer he continued, “We can meet at the restaurant if that would make you feel more comfortable. Or maybe we can just get a coffee or something.”
In every romance novel she had ever read the women had to take a chance. She could take a chance or never experience what she longed for.
“Yes. Yes, I would like that,” she said and smiled.
“Wonderful!” Blake grinned from ear to ear.
They both stood then and Senna squeezed and released the top of her paper lunch bag, not sure what to do next.
Then Blake reached up and slid a strand of hair from across her face and rested his hand on her shoulder.
Was time standing still for Senna? She thought so.
“I’ll pick you up tonight?” Blake asked with the suggestion hanging in the air.
“Okay. I can do that,” Senna said, knowing her response sounded awkward. She gave him her address, and he confirmed the time. As he turned to walk across the park and back to his office, Senna watched. He had an easygoing air about him. He seemed so carefree. She wondered what that could be like, to feel so free.
~~~
“I have a date,” Senna said to Andrea as soon as she walked back into the library.
Andrea’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “What...Who...When?” she blurted out, stunned.
Senna blushed from head to toe, now nervous to tell Andrea what she had just blurted out so boldly. “Tonight at six thirty. He’s picking me up and we’re going into the city to eat. I think he said a place named Savannah’s.”
“Oh wow, that is nice,” crooned Andrea.
“Nice? How nice?” asked Senna. “I don’t know what to wear!” Of course she knew what to wear. The same plain dresses she always wore.
“Oh girl, you need something new! Who is the lucky guy, anyway?”
“Blake Burton. He’s a lawyer and works in the building on the other side of the park.”
Andrea was shocked and stood with her mouth half hanging open. She knew Blake. They had grown up together. He was the most eligible bachelor in town, and he had asked Senna out?
Andrea had always thought of Senna as plain-Jane. She never wore make-up and only kept her hair pulled back tightly in a bun. She supposed that she could be beautiful if she would let her hair down and smile. It was because of this that it confused her that Blake had asked her out. She just didn’t seem the type for someone like Blake.
“Well...that...is...wonderful,” Andrea pushed out. She didn’t want her excitement for Senna to fade but she was beyond bewildered.
“Okay, we, we have to go get you a new outfit,” said Andrea recovering from her shock.
“Are you sure? I am not sure I would feel comfortable in something flashy. My father always wanted us to wear clothes that didn’t draw attention to ourselves, particularly from men,” Senna said, a worried look on her face.
“Okay, well, we can get you something nice, something new that won’t be flashy. Something understated that will show off how beautiful you are.” Andrea wanted Senna to feel beautiful even though it was hard for Andrea to see.
There it was again, someone saying she was beautiful. Senna felt undeniable turmoil when she heard herself referred to in that way. Her entire life she had been forced into a box of rigid self-denial and yet she was feeling such a need to break free.
“When Joyce comes to do the after-school program. We can go then and shop. The part-time students will be here then as well to watch for customers. Not much here in Kachina, but there is one little shop that has great stuff.”
As the afternoon wore on, Senna vacillated between feeling excited and mortified. This was the first date she had ever been on. If sitting on the park bench with Blake was hard, how much more difficult would it be to go on a date with him?
Joyce showed up precisely at three, then Renee and Alex shortly after. Andrea and Senna walked to the only dress shop in town. It was a cute little boutique with clothing meant to attract the college crowd.
The colors drew Senna in. Memories of shopping with Gran came flooding back. Each year when she visited Gran, they would shop and shop, but only buy one dress which she would wear home. To have bought more would have been a waste as Father would insist they be returned. But it was practical for him to allow her one new dress.
“Over here, Senna,” called Andrea. “This is great! Not too much, but very pretty.” She held up the dress and Senna looked at it.
The dress was a pale pink color with a white wave print running through it. It had capped sleeves and was sewn to fit with tapering seams growing fuller at the skirt. It was wonderful!
“I like it,” Senna said, smiling. “Where can I try it on?”
Andrea led her to the dressing room and Senna undressed and slid the new dress over her head. It fit perfectly. It wasn’t tight though it fit through the waist. She twirled in front of the mirror like she had with Gran as a little girl.
“Come out here and let me see,” demanded Andrea, excited.
As Senna walked out from behind the curtain Andrea gasped. “Senna, you look amazing!”
She did too, Andrea thought. As she was putting the dress on, the bun she wore had come loose and her hair fell down her back in loose waves from having worn it twisted so tightly.
Most women had to wear a whole regime of makeup to look this nice. Senna had full dark lashes, so even though she didn’t wear makeup she looked as though she had added an entire tube of mascara, complete with fiber extensions.
Those lashes with her big, blue eyes were stunning. Why had Andrea never noticed before just how lovely Senna was?
“Shoes. You have to have new shoes,” instructed Andrea. She walked over to the shoe section of the store.
She picked up two different shoes holding them up, one in each hand for Senna to see.
Senna wrinkled her nose, so Andrea turned to look again. Then Senna noticed a shoe that caught her eye. It was exquisite. It was pink just like her dress. Leather that was soft and supple. There was a thin strap across the instep with an adornment where it attached on the side, made of crystal beads. There weren’t too many beads in a big and garish way, but just enough.
“These,” Senna exclaimed as she shoved the shoe in Andrea’s direction. Her free hand flew to her mouth as she laughed. Oh how she had longed for a life like this, freedom to have fun and to laugh with friends.
“Perfect! They are perfect,” agreed Andrea.
~~~
Andrea came to Senna’s home after stopping by her house to pick up an arsenal of beauty supplies. She agreed to help her with her hair, and makeup if Senna felt comfortable with that.
They gave Senna’s hair a gentle spiral curl which was so popular at the time. Andrea took her curling iron and wrapped large sections of Senna’s hair.
The result was full looking hair with soft curls that did not look forced. Andrea did not want Senna to feel uncomfortable but suggested just a bit of blush and colored lip gloss. Senna agreed.
Once done, Andrea turned Senna’s chair around to face the mirror. They both stared at the reflection coming back. Senna was beautiful. She didn’t really need makeup, but the subtle pink blush and lip gloss stressed her already present natural beauty.
“My goodness girl!” exclaimed Andrea; “what I wouldn’t give to do so little to look so good.”
Senna sat and looked at herself in the mirror. She did not know this person who was looking back at her. Sh
e was foreign, yet familiar. Senna thought she liked her. She wanted to like her.
“Well, what do you think?” asked Andrea.
“I like it. I do. I’m just in shock,” said Senna. She wanted to ask Andrea if she was sure she looked okay, but she knew she did. Was that confidence, or maybe pride? Father always warned about being prideful. No, she thought, it was just the knowledge that the woman looking back at her in the mirror was beautiful, but it felt like she was looking at someone else.
Andrea scurried around gathering her stuff. “Blake will be here soon and I want to get all my things and be gone by then. Oh, but how I would like to be a little mouse in the corner to see his face when he takes a gander at you for the first time tonight!” Andrea giggled.
Once Andrea left, Senna paced the floor. She rubbed the palms of her hands together, a thousand thoughts running through her mind.
She had suffered rejection from her father and only knew acceptance from her Grandpa. But with that, she rarely saw him. When she would visit, it was her and Gran who spent with her. Grandpa always had smiles and hugs, but they hadn't spent a lot of time together.
She also knew the only way her father ever accepted her was when she complied to the rules and rigidity of their religion. But was that true acceptance? Was that really him accepting her?
What if Blake was like Father and he liked her because he saw her plainness? What if tonight he saw her differently and rejected her? No, that made little sense, she thought as she continued to pace back and forth.
She was working herself into a frenzy, pacing back and forth and wringing her hands. Just about the time she had convinced herself to change into another dress and shoes, and wipe the makeup from her face, the doorbell rang.
As she stared at the door from the middle of the room, she wiped her sweaty hands on the afghan laying on the sofa, took a deep breath, stood up tall, and went to open the door. No turning back now.
The look on Blake’s face as the door swung open told her all she needed to know. Slowly, that smile she loved grew broad across his face.
“Senna,” he breathed, “you look absolutely stunning!”
She ducked her head feeling her cheeks grow hot. Blake reached out and lifted her chin so they were face to face, and again he smiled.
~~~
The ride to the city began with Senna feeling nervous and unsure of what to say or do. Blake talked about his work and his family. He sensed Senna was uncomfortable, so he didn’t want her to feel the need to talk until she felt more relaxed.
He asked about where she grew up, and giving few details, Senna explained that she had grown up on a farm in the far western side of Oklahoma. Both her parents had passed away.
Senna had moved to Kachina to go to the small community college. She chose it because it was a small town and she had thought she would feel more comfortable there.
The restaurant was lovely. The lighting was designed so families and friends would feel cozy and intimate. The hostess seated them in a booth across from each other near the back of the restaurant.
They ordered and Blake suggested a bottle of wine. Senna gave a slight shake of her head indicating no. She wasn’t ready to cross that line yet and wasn’t sure she ever would be.
By the end of the meal, Blake had Senna laughing, and she was feeling things she had never felt, but it also felt a little uncomfortable to her.
Once back at Senna’s house, Blake walked her to the door. He was very aware that he must be a complete gentleman at all times with her, so after she had unlocked her door, he simply reached down resting both his hands on each side of her face, and kissed her on the lips.
One kiss and he moved back a step for her to take it in. And then he watched her face. What he saw was a smile.
“Thank you Blake.” It was a sincere thank-you from her heart.
“Honestly, it was my pleasure. I want to see you again if that's okay with you.”
“Yes, please.” Senna felt waves of elation and fear fight for attention inside her.
He got her phone number, a land line as she had not indulged in a cell phone, and he left with his characteristic two-finger salute.
Once inside, Senna sat in the same chair in front of her bedroom mirror where Andrea had helped to transform her earlier. As the stress of the evening drained from her, she suddenly felt exhausted. She leaned over onto the vanity and rested her head on her arms.
~~~
She sat in her car and watched the apartment complex close to the community college where so many students lived.
It was Friday night and, after a week of studying, they all stayed out late partying. She sat and watched as they came home, two by two and one by one.
She slid back into the driver’s seat and let the soft leather envelope her. She loved the smell of the rich leather and the power of the engine. It was amazing what money could buy.
This car stood out in a town like this though, so she only came late at night when there was less likelihood of calling attention to herself. With all that she had bought for herself with her trust fund, the one thing she could not buy, however, was peace and wholeness.
She had freedom, excessive freedom, and she took advantage of it. She went where she wanted, bought what she wanted, and did what she wanted, whenever she wanted to. She indulged herself in whatever way suited her fancy, no matter how sinful or decadent.
But money could not push away that deep dark hole down inside her, and it made her angry, violently angry. The only thing that brought her any relief, any sense of washing away the pain and despair, was seeing the rich red warm blood flow from a human body.
The act of taking a life itself was unnerving to her. That gave her no pleasure at all. But it was necessary to have the relief that only the fresh, dark red blood would give.
It was fleeting to be sure, but the way an addict could not go without a fix, neither could she. At first she could not appease that gnawing inside. That is when she went on a shopping spree unparalleled in history.
The best house, car, clothes, jewelry, whiskey, and sex, none of it touched that need inside her. The only thing that could temporarily cover it was the blood. It couldn’t really wipe it out completely, but it did cover it for a while.
In the beginning, she planned the murders for days on end so that she would not get caught. She was smart, and she knew it, so she used her brain strategically to get what she needed. It had worked, too. To her knowledge, none of the other bodies had yet been found.
But just like any other addict, she was getting sloppy, and she didn’t care. She needed what she needed and that was all that mattered. So she hunted and found men she could manipulate and off they would go with her without a second thought.
Ketamine was easy to get and after they were well into an evening of drinking, they never knew what hit them. It made it easier to kill with them passed out. In fact, she could not have done it if she’d had to see them as human beings. This was the most humane way to get what she needed.
She left the parking lot and drove until she was at Crown Rock Park and sat looking at the stars. The night is beautiful, she thought, as she listened to her cell phone ringing from the call she had just made.
“Yeah?” asked Keith. He was very groggy, having been asleep for hours.
“Hey, it’s me,” she said. Her voice was soft, sexy, and enticing.
“Oh wow, what time is it?” Keith sat up in bed and rubbed a hand over his face to help clear his head.
“It’s late. I’m sorry, but I was alone and just couldn’t sleep. I need you tonight. Can you come to me?”
He could not resist her. “Yeah. Where to?”
“I am at the top of Crown Rock Park.”
Chapter Six
“There’s been another murder,” said Randy the next morning when he was picking Carrie up at her house.
“Another one,” she responded. It wasn’t a question but a statement of incredulity at the thought of yet another murder in Kachina.
“Yep.”
“Where?”
“On the Big Horn Ranch.”
The Crown Rock Mesa stood tall and red at the far northeast corner of the Big Horn Ranch. It separated the ranch from town. Being a bit of a draw for the locals, a park had been fashioned on top. If you can call one picnic table, a trash can, and a welded charcoal grill on a stand, a park.
The view from the top was splendid though! You could see for miles in any direction. But Randy and Carrie were not seeing the view right then; they were at the base of the mesa on the ranch looking at the latest body.
It was Keith Thompson. The body was battered, but not from a beating while alive. His throat had been slit like Justin’s while up on the mesa. Then it had been dumped over the edge. The tumble down the cliff had battered the body.
As before, the forensic team had been called in and was almost finished with their search. The coroner, as well, was standing by to claim the body.
“What can you tell us about his death?” Randy asked the coroner.
“At first glance I am going to venture out and say that the COD is exsanguination from the cut in the throat. It hit the jugular and he would have bled out quickly.
“We can also determine that he must have been killed from the mesa above because of the lack of blood here and also from the post-mortem cuts and abrasions characteristic with hitting brush and rocks on the side of the mesa,” said the coroner.
Randy and Carrie looked at each other and nodded, “Let’s go,” they said in unison.
~~~
To get to the top of the mesa from where they were, they had to exit across the ranch in a southwesterly direction until they reached Old Bones Road, and then turn north on Central Avenue which went through the center of town. About six miles north from there, they came to Crown Rock Road. It was on the southern edge of Kachina and the next to the last street on that side of town.
The Blood Page 6