Next Move, You're Dead - Book 1 of the Next Move, You're Dead Trilogy

by Linda L Barton

  Once she closed the front door, Kathy walked back to her office and sat at her desk. She noticed there was no return address on the outside of the envelope, so she had no idea who sent it.

  She began to open the envelope when she heard the tea kettle whistle, “Oh shit, I forgot my tea!”

  She laid the envelope on her desk then she walked to the kitchen to make the tea. “I wonder who would send me a delivery,” she picked up the cup of tea and walked back to her office.

  Kathy set the cup down on her desk then sat in her chair. She was about to open the envelope when the telephone rang, “Hello.”

  “Kathy, it’s Tom; I wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing.”

  Tom was worried she might have tried to find John on her own instead of going home to rest.

  “I’m holding together, as well as can be expected. Have you heard anything yet?”

  “No, not yet, but I do have a question for you that might be embarrassing. Have you and John been having problems lately? I know you said this was all a surprise to you, but could there be something you’re overlooking?”

  Tom held his breath, but he knew the answer before she even said it. He knew from experience how good John was at hiding his problems. Hell, it was months before we realized his drinking problem, and by then it was almost too late.

  “No, not at all, things were perfect before I left for Florida. As I keep saying, none of this makes any sense. I knew he was concerned about that case, but he didn’t sound upset he was not in on the arrest. Honestly, he seemed relieved it was finally over. We had talked the night before I came home, and he seemed fine. He even told me to go out with my friends and party it up. I had no idea what was going on here until I got a telephone message from someone telling me John got suspended from work and was drinking again. I rushed home and found him in a rage about a report you and I supposedly wrote regarding Ray’s death. Tom, he wouldn’t listen to anything I said. He still hasn’t come home, and I have no idea what to do.”

  “Kathy, I’ve looked through the folder several times, and I know I didn’t write any of those memos or reports. The thing that confuses me is how the memos were written on my personal letterhead. If I didn’t know better, I’d believe that I wrote them, but I know it’s not true. As to the handwritten notes, I pulled up some of John’s notes from past cases, and you’re right, it does appear to be his handwriting. Kathy, something is wrong here. Why would John create this fake file, and then say we did it?” Tom did not like the direction this conversation was going.

  “I know; I can’t figure it out myself. If you could’ve seen the expression on his face… Oh, Tom, he believes we wrote everything in that file,” Kathy fought back the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

  “Tom, I’m scared. He’s out there somewhere, believing we betrayed him. What if he does something stupid? I don’t think I could handle it if anything...” her voice trailed off.

  The thought of losing John was more than Kathy could bear. John was her life, and she could not imagine living without him.

  Tom was experiencing the same fears. There had always been a special place in his heart for John. Tom knew John’s uncle when John was still working as a patrol officer. Therefore, when John’s uncle died, Tom felt it was his duty to keep an eye on John.

  Tom never had a son of his own, so John filled that void perfectly. John would tease Tom how having daughters was the reason for his hair loss.

  However, Tom never had the heart to tell John he had lost a few hairs worrying about him as well. “I know, I’m worried, too. I only wish I knew what to do.”

  Tom looked up when he heard a noise at the door, and noticed Officer Chandley standing there holding an envelope.

  “Kathy, I need to go. I’ll call you if I find out anything, okay?”

  “Okay and I’ll do the same. Thank you again, goodbye.” Once Kathy hung up the telephone, she reached for her tea and took a sip.

  ***

  After he had hung up the telephone, Tom motioned, letting the officer know to come in.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but this came in for you marked URGENT,” the officer handed the envelope to Tom.

  “That is fine, thank you. Close the door behind you when you leave,” Tom took the envelope and waited until the officer left before opening it.

  “Yes sir,” he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

  Tom looked at the envelope, noticing there was no return address on it. “What’s this?”

  Tom tore the strip off the back of the envelope then dumped its contents on his desk. However, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

  ***

  “Okay, let’s see what’s in this envelope.” Kathy had no idea why she would get a delivery today unless it had to do with leaving the convention early. “Maybe I left something behind at the motel.”

  She pulled the strip off the back and poured the contents on her desktop. “Oh my, what’s this?”

  Kathy could not believe her eyes. It was pictures of John, and he was with a woman. In fact, not just any woman, she appeared to be a prostitute.

  “What’s he doing?” Kathy looked through the pictures not wanting to believe what was in them. One showed the woman getting into the car with him, and another showed him giving her money. There was even one where it looked as if she had touched him seductively.

  “Oh John, what are you up to?” she whimpered.

  Kathy looked at the pictures again, but this time, she noticed a date stamped on the back of them.

  “No, these were taken today!”

  As Kathy looked at the pictures, a terrible thought suddenly came to her. Did John hire her for sex? No, that can’t be it. John would never do that, would he? He hasn’t been acting like himself, so maybe he...no, please, don’t let it be that!”

  Kathy put the pictures back inside the envelope. “What do I do now? I don’t know if I should be angry, or concerned.”

  In all the years, they had been together, Kathy had never worried he would stray. “How long have you been doing this, John? I should have known, right? I’m sure a woman would know when her husband is cheating on her. How would you not?”

  Kathy wanted to believe in John, but she had to admit her growing doubts were becoming harder to deny.

  In her many years of counseling, Kathy had worked with women caught completely by surprise of their husband's wandering ways. She had always believed there would be signs if you only looked for them. The thing was; she saw no such signs in their marriage.

  Kathy thought she knew the signs of a cheater such as staying out late, hushed phone conversations, and going straight to the shower once home. Sure, John worked late from time to time, but he always called to let her know not to worry.

  Suddenly a thought came to her. He must have met her while he was working on this last case. Of course, that’s it, but why was he with her today? The case is over, so there was no reason to talk to her now.

  Kathy felt as if she would explode if she did not do something soon. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing.” She put the pictures back in the envelope and rushed out to her car.

  ***

  He enjoyed the look of shock and despair on her face when she opened the envelope, finding the pictures of her beloved with another woman.

  This piece is playing right into the game. He always enjoyed toying with the trust between lovers, as more often than not, they were quick to question the loyalty of the other. It pleased him how this phase of The Game was coming together. It had turned out better than expected. A rush of excitement surged through him at the thought of what was next. “Things should become interesting from now on,” he smiled, with joyous anticipation.

  Chapter 26

  Sex and Games

  Tom sat in silence, staring at the pictures. For the life of him, he could not figure out what John was doing with a prostitute. He held on
e up and noticed a date stamped on the back. “These were taken today. What are you thinking John?”

  Tom had warned John to leave the Everett case alone, so this turn of events was quite upsetting. “Damn it, we have the killer locked up and awaiting trial. You have no reason to be out there talking to anyone about the case.”

  Tom was surprised how John had put himself in such a ridiculous position. He looked down at the pictures again. It was unfortunate enough to have a photo of her leaning in close and touching him, but the picture of him handing her money was unforgivable.

  Crap, this is the last thing John needs. Then another thought came to his mind. Who took these pictures, and am I the only one to receive copies of them?

  “Oh, shit!” Tom quickly dialed Kathy, praying his fear was unfounded. It rang several times with no answer.

  “Please pick up.” Tom’s heart raced as he heard the phone ring several more times. “Damn it, Kathy, where are you?”

  ***

  Kathy realized she was driving around aimlessly after rushing out of the house without a plan of what to do, or where to go.

  “Should I show these to Tom? No, I can’t bear the idea of showing them to anybody.” Just the thought of someone else seeing the photos made Kathy sick.

  “Maybe I should find the woman in the pictures and talk to her. “Damn, if he’s only asking questions about the case, he’ll be furious with me for interfering.”

  With everything going on, Kathy needed to learn the truth about the pictures.

  “But where do I find her?” she groaned. Kathy knew where the prostitutes hung out, but she was not sure if she wanted to go there.

  “This isn’t the time to be a coward; I can do this.” Kathy squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and then turned at the next intersection.

  ***

  The evening sun cast a long shadow over the city, as it surrendered to the crisp, chill of the night air. Noticing four women standing, huddled together on a corner, Kathy decided to pull up next to them and ask if they knew the women in the pictures.

  She swallowed hard and rolled down her window. “Excuse me,” doing her best to hide the fear growing inside of her.

  The group of women turned toward the shaky voice and noticed a well-dressed woman in the car parked next to them. The tallest of the group turned to face Kathy, “Well, look what we have here; a lady from suburbs has dropped by for some fun.”

  They all laughed at the nervous looking woman in the car and wondered what brought her to their part of town.

  “Whatcha lookin’ for tonight, honey? Maybe you need a little sugar for your pussy?” They all laughed again, as they moved closer for a better look at the suburban housewife, slumming it in this part of town.

  Kathy felt her cheeks flush red at the invitation. No one had ever spoken to her in this manner before, and she prayed it would never happen again.

  “No, thank you, I only want to know if any of you know this woman.” Kathy held up one of the pictures of the woman in the car with John.

  The woman in a leopard print dress reached through the window and took the picture from Kathy’s shaking hand. “So, your man’s having his fun, huh? That ain’t no big deal. Hell, they all do it from time to time.” They all laughed again.

  Kathy ignored the statement and asked again. “Please, do any of you know who this is?”

  Kathy hated being there, but she knew it was the best way to find John.

  The women all took turns looking at the picture while giggling and acting as though they had no idea who the woman in was.

  “Sorry, honey, none of us seem to remember who this is,” the one holding the picture, said.

  Kathy saw the knowing glances shared between the women. So, that’s the game you want to play; the words burned in Kathy’s mind.

  “Will twenty dollars each refresh your memories?” Kathy reached for her wallet.

  “Make it twenty-five, and you got a deal,” the tall one answered while the others nodded in agreement.

  Kathy pulled a hundred dollar bill out of her purse and held it out for them. “Here you go, twenty-five each. Now, do any of you know this woman?”

  The one in the leopard print dress took the money and put it in her bra, “Thank you. Ya know, come to think of it, we do recognize her. Her name is Pleasure. We saw her get in a car and leave with the good-looking man in the picture earlier. Boy, you two sure like to carry hundred dollar bills. He gave Pleasure one too. She was braggin’ how he told her she was worth every penny, and she’d do him anytime for free because he knew how to treat a lady. She said he was one fine man.” They all laughed again.

  “She ain’t here right now; she’s on a date,” the woman smiled then handed the picture back to Kathy.

  The words burned into Kathy’s brain, She said he was wonderful, and she’d do him anytime for free! Oh God, he did hire her for sex!

  “Hey, are you all right, honey? Don’t you worry about it; men do it all the time. Maybe he was just a little bored and wanted to try something new? You know how it is; sometimes you need a little something different to get them juices flowin’ again.” The others nodded in agreement.

  “Hey, I got an idea! How about we show you some tricks you can take home to spice things up? You know us girls need to stick together. Besides, when we’ve finished with you, you’ll feel a whole lot better,” she leaned in the window then ran her hand between Kathy’s legs, gently caressing her thigh.

  Kathy froze in place, shocked and unsure of what to do. First, her husband was cheating on her, and now this woman and her friends wanted to have sex with her. Oh God, can things get any worse?

  Kathy grabbed the offending hand and pulled it away. “No, I don’t want anything like that! I only want to know where my husband is, and then go home.”

  Tears streamed down Kathy’s face, as she fought to compose herself. All, she wanted to do, was find John, and get her life back on track.

  “Hey, I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to upset you; we just thought you might want to even things up with your man. Are you sure, you don’t want a little adventure for yourself? I know we can make you feel much better,” she pulled her hand away but stayed close to the window.

  Kathy wanted to get away from there as fast as she could. “No, thank you. I need to get going. You’ve all been quite helpful, goodbye.”

  After rolling up the window, she started the car and pulled back out onto the street. “Oh, God, I need to get back home before anything else happens.”

  As the women watched Kathy pull away, they chuckled about the little housewife from the suburbs visiting in their part of town. They all knew she was terrified to be there, looking for her cheating husband. Unfortunately, they also knew if she found him, it would not change the fact he had found his thrills with another woman.

  Once Kathy was out of sight, the other three women turned to the one with the money and said in unison, “Hey, where’s ours?”

  “Stop worrying bitches; you’ll get your share.” They looked at each other then all laughed about the enjoyable visit with the sexy, little housewife from the suburbs. “Too bad she didn’t want to play; we sure could’ve had some fun with that.”

  ***

  It only continues to get better with each new move; Erebus grinned as he watched her get into her car and drive away. At first, he wondered where she would go since she did not seem to have any actual destination. However, when she pulled up next to the creatures standing on the street corner, he knew this move would be a superb one.

  Kathy had proven herself an excellent piece in the game. It thrilled him when the creatures informed her of Pleasure’s offer to John. To prove one’s spouse of infidelity was a joy to behold. Kathy would never deny John had sex with the one in the pictures now.

  Technology is a beautiful thing. It always amazed him how people felt safe and secure in their daily lives. However, they would live in constant fe
ar if they knew the truth. No aspect of one’s life was safe from prying eyes.

  ***

  As Kathy drove away, her heart pounded with such force in her chest; she believed it would explode. Her mind spun wildly, not wanting to believe what just happened.

  “Why would John go to a prostitute?” The words escaped her mouth, as the pain she felt consumed her soul. The very thought of John turning to a prostitute was more than she could bear.

  What’s going on with him lately to cause all of this? First, all the drinking again then he produces a fake report about Ray’s death, and now this. Surely, he’s suffering from some sort of a mental breakdown, but why? That’s the only thing making any sense, but how can I help him if I do not know where he is?

  Kathy snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of a loud horn.

  “Oh shit!” she shrieked, realizing she just ran a red light and nearly hit another car.

  “I need to calm down before I kill someone.” Kathy decided it was best to pull over to the side of the road and gather her thoughts before continuing.

  ***

  John returned to the motel, mulling over his conversation with Pleasure. He decided to ask for a better room and relax a bit before his visit with Monet tonight.

  Pleasure’s words kept replaying in his mind. It could’ve been me, you know. I’m just thankful we have cops like you watching out for us.

  The problem is the killer is still out there, so is she safe? Will Erebus decide he needs to add a few more pieces to his sick game?

  A cold chill flowed over John, and he wondered who would be the next one chosen? Too many lives have been destroyed already, and the thought of others losing their lives was something John did not want to contemplate. The worst thing was, he had no idea how to stop it.

  “Erebus keeps saying I have everything needed to figure out why he chooses each piece, but what is it?”

  First, there was the City Councilman then the two businessmen, and lastly the wealthy lawyer and his wife.

  “But why choose them? Erebus keeps saying it was nothing personal, and how they are merely pieces in the game. Usually, the reason to commit murder is out of a need for revenge or greed, but it doesn’t appear to be the reason here.”

  John suspected there is nothing to gain financially, so maybe Erebus had some other dealings with these people in the past.