by Raven Crow
His wide open mouth turned into a smile as he lifted me up into his arms. I could have stayed like that all night.
Camilla came darting down the hallway in the direction her husband had gone earlier. She didn’t even seem to notice us as she passed. She too had a very strange look on her face.
Chapter 36
Sax
I had been trying to avoid looking at my phone for the past hour. Everybody had been acting strange at the moment. I needed to know if who had been calling might possibly could have some answers.
Three missed calls from Gio and one missed call from my dad. Ok, that isn’t that strange. I needed to tell Gio about the latest stunt from the mysterious new, King Blaine the second. Why was he missing with my girl? I couldn’t think a one good thing that he could want with Pen.
“Who are you calling—we should go follow her to see what is going on?” Pen demanded in my face like being close made her voice quieter.
I was still trying to recover from Pen telling me that she loved me. I couldn’t believe that I remained standing up right once she said it but I managed. So basically my life was starting to reflect what I had always wanted. I didn’t expect such an ominous feeling to be present once I got what I wanted. I also didn’t expect Pen to have money.
My cell phone rang again and I answered it.
[“Hello, Sax is this you?” Gio asked into the phone.]
“Yes—it’s me where are you?”
[“Heading towards my dad’s office down the private back hall, why where are you?”]
“We’re right out in front of the office in the hall. Should I meet you in there or something? Is there some sort of meeting that I didn’t know about?” I asked as Pen hung onto my every word.
[“My dad has been blowing up my phone I’ve got to go to see what’s up. I will meet you there. Later.” (He disconnected)]
“I guess we need to go over to meet them at the king’s office. Something has happened, I can tell.” I advised Pen while taking her hand.
“What has happened?” She looked a bit scared.
“I don’t know what has happened but we have to go now. We will find out soon I imagine.”
I couldn’t even come up with why they might want to talk to us before I found myself alongside Pen standing in the king’s office. We weren’t alone, both Gio and Jo were also there along with King Gardier and my dad. My dad had that look he’d get when he was about to start a project that he didn’t want to start.
“Well, I’ll start.” My dad snapped with wide eyes and a long expression. “There has been another body discovered. The second body matches the cause of death of the first body that you all found in that pond and because of that we belief that we might have a serial killer on our hands. The time of death on the second body was approximately two hours ago so I will use that info to rule out any suspects.” He said before turning to me. “Where were you Saxon two hours ago?”
“Hmm…showering and getting ready, I believe.”
“Was anyone with you?” He kept coming at me with questions.
“No.”
“Penelope where were you two hours ago?” He turned to Pen.
“I was at the rehab center with my grands helping get her settled in. There were lots of cameras so I’m sure there’s a recording of me there being at that time.”
My dad nodded at Pen before turning his attention on Gio and Jo.
“And finally, where were you guys two hours ago?”
“We have been together all night—for hours.” Gio answered with a tone that sounded irritated or tired I couldn’t tell which. Jo remained quiet and let Gio do the talking which was strange she wasn’t shy but something had her silent tonight.
“Alright that was all that I wanted to ask you all, thank you for your cooperation.” My dad added.
“Jo I am sorry that your birthday party got ruined by such disturbing events. I do hope that you did at least enjoy some of the night?” King Gerald asked with his hand on Jo’s shoulder.
“I had a great time. Thank you so much for that party. It was quite overwhelming to have so much attention on me during my birthday.”
“Of course you should have loads of attention on you any day of the week; you are after all the goddaughter to the King of the Gypsies.” He told her with a shine in his eye unlike anything I’d seen him do before.
I could tell that Jo had not grasped the meaning behind the words the king used.
“Where was the body found?” Pen asked surprising me and the rest of them.
“The body was found on the property in the main pool, thankfully away from the quests’ view.” My dad answered.
She set off out the room without explanation. I followed her closely with Gio and Jo tailing behind me. I had a feeling that I knew where she was heading.
We took two right turns before one left turn which led us out of the house and into the pool area. Sure enough she wanted to see the body just as I had suspected. I was kind of curious myself as to who had been murdered.
My mom was out by the pool with two other science investigators. She was head of the science investigation unit or SIU rather here in, Greenville which meant she had probably been put as lead on this case.
I moved faster so that I could catch Pen before she could get to the pool and the body but I was too slow. I watched Pen’s face change once she could see the body. She didn’t look scared she looked worried. Did she know this victim as well?
I pulled Pen away from everybody. It was hard to get her eyes off of the body and onto me but I managed.
“What’s going on with you, why are you so interested in that body? Do you know her?” I pressed through my expressionless face.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now out here in the open.” She whispered before she took a quick look around. “Your dad said they think there’s a serial killer, Sax doesn’t that freak you out a little?” She arched her brows high. “I’m not going to sleep until this creep is caught.”
“You don’t have to worry about that creep I will protect you.” I boasted like a fool.
“Please—no offense honey but you can’t protect me all the time. You can’t make that your full time job, honey. No—we have to find this guy and…I don’t know how to stop him.” She nodded.
I wanted to believe that was possible but who were we that we could catch a killer?
Chapter 37
Jo
They found another body…I couldn’t believe that they said there’s another body. I don’t under why there is a serial killer in a town, as small as this one is? Pen took off out of the office with a look on her face that scared me so I followed her.
No one had noticed that me and Gio had been gone from the party all night and once asked they didn’t seemed to care that we were together alone for hours.
A horrible smell pulled me out of my head and back into the moment. The smell was different then the dead body from the pond. This body smelled like rotten flowers and chorine.
I moved closer next to Pen to get a closer look. One of the lab techs moved the victim’s hair from her face revealing her identity.
“It’s Daphne…I can’t believe it’s her but how?” Pen scoffed while looking on in horror.
“Do you know her?” The female lab tech asked Pen and I. I nodded my head.
“Yes—she was my friend since the third grade.” Pen somber tone nearly pulled me to tears.
“I was in the fashion academy with her; she was a very close friend. How could this happen to her?” I begged the tech for answers.
“When was the last time you saw her ladies?” The tech asked.
“I haven’t seen her for several hours.” Pen moaned.
I saw her earlier during lunch after class. I didn’t even know that she was coming here tonight.” I grew sick of the sight of my dead friend but yet I couldn’t take my eyes off of her body like looking her would somehow change things.
“Well, ladies take a long look over th
e body I could use a set of fresh eyes maybe you two can see something that I’m missing here?” The lab tech stammered which tripped me out but I did as she asked.
Looking over Daphne’s body the first apparent thing wrong was her outfit. She was wearing a designer brand but off the rack and Daphne had said to me once that she’s rather wear Wallnut brand clothes than to ever be caught dead in off the rack designer brand clothing. Daphne had told me, if it’s designer it must be couture or nothing at all for her.
“Her outfit is wrong. Daphne wouldn’t wear off rack designer brand clothing.” I added hoping to help. The lab tech nodded.
“Also those shoes are too small, see look there are marks on her heels and toes like she was starting to get blisters. And then there is her hair, it’s up in a bun but Daphne would never wear her hair like that. She hated that kind of hairstyle.” Pen added more helpful details about Daphne. The tech nodded before whispering with the others techs.
The lab tech handed Pen and me a card. “Thank you. If you can think of anything else please contact me. I’m not a cop I’m a doctor so you can trust me.” She smiled at us before turning her attention on Pen. “Pen, please come by sometime this week for dinner. I’d love to sit and talk with you and get to know you better. It’s not every day that your son finally gets a girlfriend--”
“Mom, stop please…” Sax started to say and suddenly I realized that the lab tech was Sax’s mother and that Pen and he were now officially dating.
I moved onto the lawn away from the body were Gio and Pen joined me. Sax remained talking to his mom and dad where I couldn’t hear them.
“I can’t believe that someone killed Daphne. I can’t believe there’s a killer in this town at all.” I said aloud to no one in particular.
“This isn’t the norm, Jo. Are you going to be alright? You look really scared right now.” Pen asked me and I shook my head.
Whether or not this was the norm before it certainly was quickly becoming the norm around here.
“I am fine…I’m just trying to get my head around this situation. I am not scared—ok maybe I am a little.” I pushed words out thoughtlessly.
“You should come and stay at my house tonight. I’m all alone there and it’s huge. There’s twelve bedrooms and I cleaned the entire monstrous thing, don’t make me stay alone in it.” Pen started to beg as she could see me struggling to say yes.
“Ok…ok I will stay. It will be fun!” I agreed and we hugged briefly.
“Good it’s settled. I will head home now and I will see you soon.” Pen put her hands into the air. “Yay…I’m excited.” Pen said as she walked away.
“Hey, I have one more surprise for you if you can handle any more surprises?” Gio whispered into my ear from over my shoulder. I nodded before turning around to face him. “Follow me.” He barked before jetting off with me in hand.
We were to the front driveway in minutes. I stood looking at a nearly empty driveway with Gio smiling alongside me.
“Ok…now what is this? Is this the surprise an empty driveway? Ha ha.” I laughed at my bad joke and he shook his head.
“No—silly,” he pulled some car keys out of his pocket before he shook them in my face, “here this is your surprise, Jo.” He handed me the keys before pushing the car alarm making the headlights on a black, BMW flash twice. I nearly shouted out loud. He had bought me a new car.
I loved him so much I could dead right there and right then. I would die being completely fulfilled by this one night alone.
“I LOVE it, thank you.” I said to him not taking my eyes off of his. I liked the car but I loved him but I couldn’t say that aloud.
“I LOVE that you love it, you are welcome.” He smiled with his teeth showing and my eyes shot wide open. I think he loves me too. “Come give me a ride in your fancy new car woman.” He shouted. He ran around the car before he jumped inside.
Now if only I could find out who is trying to kill me? It couldn’t be a coincidence that all the bodies are found somewhere by me. Plus, there were no murders in this town until I showed up.
I had come so far in such a short period of time. This small town had quickly changed me so much. I think I was starting to understand what it was to be a gypsy. I would need to adapt—to survive. I had found love. Now, I needed to learn how to stay alive.
THE BEGINNING…
Dedications
For Robin
About the Author
Raven Crow, is a dark, psychological thriller author. She specializes in dark, dirty, love.
“Love can be found in the darkest, spaces and it could dwell in the dirtiest, places.”
–Raven Crow
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Obsession
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