Taylor grabbed Nadine’s tits and forced her body up against the car.
“What’s waiting for us there?”
“Stop it, alright.”
“Nadine! What’s waiting for us there?”
“A dead girl by the way things are going. Seriously.”
Taylor went for Nadine’s sunglasses.
“Alright, alright!” Nadine yelled. “Leave my eyes alone!”
Taylor gave her a shove and stepped back.
“Thank you,” Nadine said straightening herself up.
“I can’t trust you, can I? You’re really that far gone. You’re on his side.”
“Taylor! What the fuck?”
Taylor shook her head.
“I’m a … I’m a detective,” Nadine spluttered. “I hunt with the good guys –”
“Everything you say sounds wrong. You’re just … trying to fit in. Aren’t you?”
“Well. Of course.”
“So you admit it.”
“Admit what? Being weird?”
“Are you fucking working with him?”
Nadine remained frozen a moment. Then she reached towards her face and pulled away her sunglasses.
Her eyes wide. Unblinking. “Not tonight.”
CHAPTER 34
FOURTH NOTE
I was at home masturbating when the idea came to me. It was like a giant tsunami I couldn’t avoid. Me, lying there on the lounge room floor. Thinking about the girl and the things I’d done to her. Not in the usual ten past two at the office kind of way. This was under the cover of darkness, where I was invisible. Where I could be my true self. I thought about her – I thought about her fucking body. I thought about how I had seen it naked. With my own eyes. It was forbidden to me. Something that should have been impossible. A figment of my imagination. But for those wonderful, deadly hours the dream had come true. My desire had penetrated through society’s laws. Through God’s morals. Through my own spectacular lie that I was a good and reasonable person.
In the end, there was nothing it wouldn’t go through.
This was who I was.
And now I had to kill her.
Yes, it’s true. The thought and those surrounding it brought me to climax. I don’t mean to be disgusting, but that’s how it went. On my back, gasping, exhausted. Spent. Her death would now have to take place.
I’d been too afraid to before. Despite whatever the world might think of me, my predatory actions weren’t based on some malevolent force of evil. I looked at her with lust and greed, gluttony. A forbidden slice of desert. I suppose I may have envied her in a way, but if there was one thing I didn’t feel towards the girl it was wrath.
After I had stripped her of her innocence and made her mine, the next logical thing may have been to waste her and bury her body somewhere no one would find it. From a logical point of view. I wasn’t exactly behaving all that logical at the time.
So I let her go with a warning.
What I didn’t realize was that now she was out there, back in the safety of her bed presumably, was that I was basically jumping at the sight of my own shadow. Every time the boss called me to his office, every time someone knocked on my cubicle – even the sound of my phone ringing – it was enough to set me off.
The irrational voice was there again, in my head.
She’s talked.
They’re coming to get you.
I fucked up. I acted on impulse. And I didn’t follow through. It wasn’t something you plan for, you know?
But now I’m left alone in my cave of regret and memory – and the sickness of my actions is everywhere around me. Suffocating me. The girl is gorgeous but disgusting at the same time. The most beautiful chocolate sundae ten years past its expiry. She smells nice, but the core is rotten.
Oh God.
What have I done?
And then an even scarier thought.
What am I going to do…?
CHAPTER 35
He was here. Finally. He was in the house. He had arrived.
Rose looked across to where Samantha was standing near the lounge’s entrance. A sound behind her drawing her attention out of the frame.
Rose sat up properly at the back of the sofa. Rupert was sitting next to her, unaware of what had just transpired. Deep in conversation.
“I just don’t want to objectify myself,” he was saying. “One minute there’s pictures floating around of my face, pictures of me in a t-shirt. What happens next? The t-shirt comes off. Right? Before I know it some producer is shoving his cock up my butt, and I’m snorting so much ice or coke that I can hardly –”
“I’ll stop you there,” one of the female dinner guests interrupted. “Because we operate on a drug free premises. Isn’t that right, Bob?”
“Drug free,” Bob chimed in, leaning against the refrigerator.
“If one of our models tests positive to an illegal substance, then it’s straight to rehab and counseling. We deal with these issues head on.”
“And you really think I have handsome eyes?” Rupert asked.
“Positively, gorgeous eyes. Wouldn’t you say, Bob?”
“Gorgeous,” Bob said.
“Rose never talks about my eyes. Do you, Rose? Rose?”
She was out of her chair.
Simon appeared in the lounge’s entrance, Samantha glued to his side.
He looked like a million dollars.
“I’m so sorry everyone,” he announced to the group. “One of my patients was having a crisis. I got here as fast as I could.”
“Oh no,” the lady who was talking to Rupert exclaimed. “Please tell us the poor dear is okay.”
“Yes,” Simon said with a heavy sigh. “She’ll be fine. She just needed someone to talk to, that’s all.”
“Oh, don’t we all,” one of the guests said.
“Amen to that,” another chimed in.
“Thank God for people like you, Simon,” Bob said. “I don’t know where some of us would be without the modern saviors of this world.”
“Are you practicing again?” Rose blurted out.
Simon’s gaze seemed uncomfortable. “Only in the last few months.”
“I thought you said you’d never go back.”
“Well,” Simon said walking into the middle of the room. “Some of us have been known to go back on our word.”
Rose blushed.
Simon turned to Rupert. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Rupert stood up and extended his hand. “My name’s Rupert. I’m a friend of Rose’s.”
“Yes,” Simon said softly. “I know who you are.”
He took Rupert’s hand lightly.
Samantha appeared over Simon’s shoulder. “Maybe y’all should have a moment of privacy. I believe their matter is one of urgency.”
“Of course,” Simon said. “If you would afford me a few more minutes to say hello to everyone and tidy myself up. Would that be satisfactory, Rose?”
Rose nodded. “It would.”
Rupert’s eyes grew smaller as he watched the exchange between them.
“I’ll see you in the study then,” Simon said with a plastic smile. “You know where it is of course.”
He moved away from them to speak with the others.
Samantha remained where she was, staring at Rose coldly.
“I’m sorry, I –” Rose began.
Samantha walked away to rejoin her husband.
CHAPTER 36
They parked in a place where they wouldn’t be seen coming. Taylor was trusting Nadine – for now – trusting that she wouldn’t turn around and stab her in the back, though such an action wouldn’t surprise her. It was messed up. Taylor was messed up. Trying to piece the puzzle together – to make sense of what Nadine was telling her. Every instinct in Taylor said she was being conned. That Nadine wasn’t just exaggerating or omitting details – but that she was lying. Outright. Cold. Brutal as you liked.
But then how much of her suspicions was Taylor exaggerati
ng herself? Smoke didn’t always lead to fire. Sometimes it just led to more smoke.
“You sure you know where we are?” Taylor asked looking around the car.
“You mean how to get back to the road?” Nadine replied.
“Back to the road, back to wherever it is we’re going. You’ve put me in the middle of nowhere here.”
“That’s not my fault. That’s where she is.”
Taylor sighed. “So tell me then. What are his rituals?”
Nadine had her glasses back on. It was hard to see if there was a response behind them.
“What is going on up there?” Taylor tried again.
“Well, he’s kidnapped a girl. I assume that means he’s going to do things to her.”
“And he sent you a photo of her.”
“Yes.”
“And this is all connected to some VHS tape he sent to the precinct which Sal picked up. You’re sticking with that story?”
“It’s just his way of baiting me,” Nadine said. “He knows all about cops like you. The people who will see me tainted no matter what. How long ago it was. How young I was then. It won’t matter. I’ll just be as guilty as he is in your eyes.”
“Right.”
“He’s trying to expose me. I didn’t realize that at first. What I did is so far away. It’s like it was someone else.”
“Way to justify it.”
“Look. You asked me before if I was working with him. And I said, I’m not, which you may or may not believe. I don’t expect you to understand. But … I think he wants me to come back to him. Maybe he thinks … we had a connection. I mean, of course we did. But it’s not like … it’s what he thinks it is…”
“Hasn’t he been in contact with you the whole time? Isn’t he that freak who keeps showing up at the precinct?”
Nadine bit her lip. “Can we just get on with this then?”
Taylor considered. “Alright. What’s the plan then?”
“We sneak up to the house. Break in. If you see him, you kill him. I know what room the girl is in. At least, where the photo was taken.”
“Are you sure he won’t see us coming?”
“Not unless he’s looking out the window. And he’s looking in the right spot.”
“Okay. Are you ready?”
Nadine nodded.
“Then out we go.”
CHAPTER 37
Her feet in mud, the dampness of the elements consuming her, Nadine trudged away from the car. Taylor walked on from behind. Ready to shoot Nadine at any moment it would seem. Nadine wasn’t going to waste any more time trying to convince her. Taylor couldn’t be reached. Sal on the other hand… Sal was different. She wondered how it would have been if he was out here with her instead of Taylor. If things would go smoother that way. She wondered what he was doing now, and where his investigations would lead him. Sal was a smart cop. Nadine would not underestimate the possibilities of his search.
But Sal wasn’t what Nadine had to concern herself with now. The road was approaching. Through a pathway of tall thick trees, they were walking up to it. What they would find when they got to the house, Nadine wasn’t exactly sure. But for whatever reason she felt things wouldn’t have gone too far. Midnight was still a while away.
The road was empty. Hard and wet. They jogged alongside it for a short bit, no sign of any traffic out here. Then it was up the hill on the other side. Till they were in the thick of trees again.
“You okay?” Taylor asked tonelessly from behind. “How we doing?”
“Fine, I think,” Nadine answered. “We’re just going to follow this back here. Eventually it bends round. When we get close to the house, we’ll make a run for it.”
“Will he be armed?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Alright.”
They trudged on a little further.
Nadine felt a fist prodding her on the back. She turned.
Taylor was offering her backup weapon.
Nadine stared down at it suspiciously. “Are you for real?”
“I want to know,” Taylor said.
“Know what?”
“If I can trust you.”
Nadine took the gun. They looked at each other carefully.
“If I see him,” Nadine whispered. “He’s dead.”
“No, you can’t –”
“Come on.”
Nadine wasn’t going to argue with her. All Taylor should be concerned about was that Nadine wouldn’t be pointing the gun in her direction.
The terrain was still muddy. Lots of branches and bramble littered about their pathway. Nadine tried not to think about the things that had gone on out here. The memories she could bring to the surface at command. She had to stay connected with the present moment. Shit was going down. There was still at least one card she couldn’t quite see yet. One thing she wasn’t quite prepared for.
And not knowing what that was…
Scared her almost to death.
“Wait,” she said signaling to Taylor.
The house was within range. Nadine could see it, though the picture wasn’t as clear as she would have liked. The grass was full of darkness and fog. No lights from within the house.
“Maybe he’s not home,” Taylor remarked.
“I wouldn’t read much into that,” Nadine muttered.
“Why’s that?”
“He likes the lights off.”
CHAPTER 38
The study was the size of two bedrooms. From the goldfish tanks, to the television screens, to the tall purple vases and animal statues – everything was spaced out. But no matter where you turned there was something to see.
Rupert was over by the wall, leafing through a booklet containing the preserved remains of many colorful and rare butterflies. “This is some creepy shit.”
“Will you sit down?” Rose scolded. “He’ll be here in any minute.”
Rupert turned to face her, grinning. He walked over to the desk where she was and plopped his backside in the middle of it.
“Get down from there,” Rose hissed at him. “Please.”
Rupert put his feet into her lap. “What happens if I don’t?”
“We’re here for you, remember? Your sister?”
“If your husband knows where to find her, I’ll bend over. And let him fuck me up the ass.”
The room suddenly went colder.
Rose turned slightly, peering over her shoulder.
Simon’s figure remained in the doorway.
“Get off my desk,” he said in a sharp, rasping voice.
Rupert looked up, startled.
He quickly hopped off it. “Uh, yeah, sorry. I was just seeing if it could hold some weight, you know?”
Simon moved across the carpet slowly, circling them from behind.
He reached the head of the desk and put his hands to it, standing opposite them.
“There’s a chair over there,” Simon instructed. “Go fetch it.”
Rupert looked around. “Oh. Right.”
He walked over and pulled the spare chair away from the wall. He positioned it next to Rose and sat down.
Simon cast his gaze over them a moment, before sitting in his own chair. “How may I help you?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry for barging in on you like this,” Rose said. “Rupert’s sister Elsie, who is only sixteen years old, may have been abducted tonight. We were hoping to get some spiritual guidance from you. Maybe a reading. Whatever you can do to assist us.”
Simon stared at them intently.
Rose felt her stature shrinking.
“But if you’re otherwise disposed, then we don’t wish to bother you any further.”
“No,” Simon said swiftly. “Of course not.” He turned to Rupert. “If that is the reason you are here.”
“Uh. Yeah,” Rupert nodded.
“You don’t have any objects that belong to her, do you?”
“Uh…”
“There wasn’t time for that,” Rose said.
> “Do you have a photo of her then?”
Rupert nodded. “Yeah. Just hold on.” He got out his phone and started playing around.
Simon turned his gaze back to Rose. “How are you finding the new job?”
“Excuse – excuse me,” Rose choked.
“You’re not well liked, are you?”
Her eyebrows furrowed.
“Oh. Here’s one.” Rupert handed his phone over to Simon.
Simon stared at the photo a moment. Then placed the phone onto the desk.
“She’s still alive,” Simon stated. “I think she’ll… Hmm…”
“What is it?” Rose asked.
“Why don’t you both go and sit down on the carpet together? We need to reduce the tension in this room.”
Rupert stood from his chair, followed by Rose.
He offered her his hand, which she swatted away.
“Please,” Simon murmured. “Not on my account.”
Rose’s eyes darted about. “We’re not together. Not … not really…”
There was a pause.
“I disagree,” Simon said quietly.
CHAPTER 39
Guns drawn, both Nadine and Taylor were standing opposite sides of the front door to the two-storey house where Elsie Bird was being held captive. Wind and rain tore through the wide grassy paddock behind them. Thunder and lightning crashed overhead. Their pulses raced. Sweat merged with water from the clouds.
Nadine kept her eyes on Taylor.
Taylor mouthed the countdown.
Five … four … three…
Two…
ONE –
Nadine put her foot through the front door, causing it to swing back and snap at its hinges.
The storm outside blared through the windows.
Taylor came in from behind her, switching on the lights.
Nadine knew the interior well. Living area to their left. Kitchen down the line and around the corner. Laundry and bathroom on their right.
Stairs leading up to the bedrooms straight ahead.
They kept their ears peeled.
Taylor signaled for Nadine to go upstairs.
Icy Stares (Guess The Killer Book 1) Page 8