Relative Terror

by R. E. Sargent

  From the kitchen, he could hear Jenny laughing at what sounded like a re-run of the sitcom, “Friends.” He could hear someone singing “Smelly Cat,” a song that he thought was hilarious.

  Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat

  What are they feeding you?

  Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat

  It’s not your fault.

  He smiled. It used to be one of his favorite shows. He finished the dishes and joined Jenny just as the show was ending. She gave the remote to Dom and he flipped through the channels until he found reruns of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

  “Good show,” Jenny said, reaffirming his choice.

  They watched the show with their eyes glued to the screen. They couldn’t help but laugh at the show, even though they weren’t in much of a laughing mood. For another half an hour, they forgot about their troubles and submitted to the antics of Drew Carey and friends.

  When the show was over, Dom felt tired and hinted about going to bed. Jenny felt tired too, and went with him. As they lay in bed, Dom could not go to sleep. He was very tired, but his mind was running through too many issues. Every once in a while, he looked at the clock and kept noticing that it was getting later and later. Jenny had fallen asleep soon after they had gone to bed. Dom kept trying. When nothing worked, he resorted to taking deep breaths. He was too distracted, so he laid there and thought about everything. He thought about Nina, Kent Perry, and the rest of his family. He thought about death. He wondered if it would come to him soon, or if he would be the cause of death for somebody else. He wondered if his brain was going to snap while he slept. He wondered if it was possible that he would take Jenny’s life tonight, while they both were sleeping. He wondered how anyone would want to hurt such a sweet girl, yet he had no doubt in his mind that someone would try to harm her. He felt helpless, not knowing how to protect her from the killer. He did not know how to protect her from himself. Angst built up inside his chest and his head and he felt like crying. Finally, about three in the morning, Dom fell asleep to thoughts of death and murder.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “Good Morning, Sweetheart!” Dom said, finding Jenny sitting on the couch, watching TV. He rubbed his eyes, for he was still very tired from a lack of sleep.

  “Morning, Sweetie,” Jenny greeted, looking up from the show she was watching.

  “I have a surprise for you,” he confessed, walking closer to his young love, his hand behind his back.

  “You do?” Jenny asked, turning all of her attention to the good-looking man before her. “What kind of surprise?”

  A mischievous smile danced across his face. “I’m not going to tell you,” he began, “but what I need you to do is close your eyes.”

  Jenny squirmed in her seat as excitement chased through her body. Without any words, she closed her big, blue eyes and waited. She thought Dom was being very loving and cheerful this morning. He must have gotten a good night’s sleep.

  Dom smiled with anticipation. His heart was racing a thousand miles a minute as he brought the blade up behind her. His lips lingered close to hers and for a moment, he relished in her warm, sweet breath. This would be her last breath and he wanted to remember it always. With the precision of the world’s greatest surgeon, he brought the stainless steel blade to the middle of her throat.

  Even as she drew in that last breath of air, he pressed the edge of the blade into her soft, sweet flesh. He watched as the ruby red blood began to cascade over the once mirror-like blade. She didn’t have time to scream or fight back. Dom was quick and swift in his gift of death. He loved her at least that much.

  Within an hour, the green couch was now an awful, unnamable color. Jenny’s life source had seeped completely from all areas of her body. Dom had made sure of this as he had counted almost a hundred times that he had cut or stabbed her with the blade.

  He was exhausted. Killing was hard work. In his half-awake and half-asleep state, he saw flashes of all of his previous victims. His brother, Nina, and especially Billy. A pain tugged at his heart when he thought about his parents. Not because he missed them, but because he could not take credit for their deaths. It actually had been an accident.

  Tired beyond belief, Dom thought he would take a nap before he left. He knew that he would not remember the killing when he woke up. He never did. This would be the first time that he’d stayed at the murder scene after he had killed someone. Maybe this time, he would remember and turn himself in. The scene of Jenny’s death would surely jolt his memory. His subconscious was really battling with him to remember. Remember and give up. The bloodshed had to stop.

  Dom didn’t care what happened as long as he got a little more sleep. Glancing at Jenny’s mutilated body, Dom smiled and went to the bedroom and laid down. This time he fell asleep within minutes. He did not dream.

  After sleeping for what seemed like about two hours, Dom woke up and remembered everything. The blood, the mutilation, and the death. He was in such shock that he didn’t move. All of the years that death had been visiting his family and it turned out to be him that was responsible. He just about vomited where he lay, but he could not bring himself to exert that extra energy.

  Inside, Dom wept. His brother, his aunt, his teacher, his best friend, his sister, and now the only woman that he had ever fallen in love with. He could not believe that he had committed all of these crimes and had not remembered them. He felt sick. Sick, dirty and disgusting. He tried to force himself out of bed so that he could call the police. He could not go on. He knew now what Kent Perry had known all along. He was an animal.

  He finally pulled himself out of bed on shaky knees and headed towards the bathroom so that he could take a shower before he called the police. He glanced at Jenny sleeping peacefully on the other side of the bed and his heart just about exploded. Did he dare to hope?

  Dom ran over to the side of the bed and pulled the covers back. Jenny was wearing shorts and a t-shirt beneath the sheets, but from what he could see, her smooth, firm flesh was untouched. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed the breath of life.

  Not entirely convinced, Dom ran out into the living room and checked the couch. It was just as they had left it last night. This had been nothing but another nightmare. The most intense one that Dom had experienced so far.

  Dom sank to the ground and buried his head between his knees. His body shook with convulsive sobs. Not wanting to wake Jenny up, he muffled his cries until he was all cried out. He was a mess and it was getting worse as each day passed.

  When he was somewhat able to recover from his dream, he splashed cold water on his face at the kitchen sink and composed himself. Trying to act as if nothing had happened, he went into the bedroom and woke Jenny up. As she became fully awake, Dom looked at the clock. It was 9:15, time to start their new day.

  When Jenny became fully coherent, she smiled and leaned over and kissed Dom.

  “Good morning, Handsome!” she said.

  “Hi Sweetie. How did you sleep?”

  “Like a rock,” she answered. “And you?”

  “Like shit.”

  “I’m sorry, Baby,” Jenny sympathized.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ll take a nap later.”

  “Sounds good,” she said. “By the way, how exactly does shit sleep?”

  Dom put on a fake smile. “Like crap!” he said.

  Jenny laughed and rolled out of the bed.

  “I’m going to take a shower,” he said.

  “I would join you,” she said, “but instead, why don’t I get us breakfast. I’m starving.”

  Dom agreed and jumped into the shower. He was glad that Jenny hadn’t joined him, because he needed some time to let the hot water drain the anxieties from his body. After about fifteen minutes in the shower, Jenny called that breakfast was ready and he got out of the shower and toweled off quickly.

  After throwing some clothes on, he joined Jenny at the table and had some pancakes and bacon.

  “You sure do spoil me,” he s
aid. “I haven’t eaten this good in a long time.”

  “I’m glad you appreciate it. I like to cook for my man.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes and then Jenny spoke. “Dom, I’m not comfortable using the cell phone. Would you mind if I took the truck into town and called my parents? I really need to call them and tell them that everything is cool. Otherwise, if they find out we are here and they are worried about who I’m with, they may tell the police where we are, for my safety. We can’t have that happening.”

  “Sure,” Dom replied. “That’s a really good idea. Would you like me to go with you?”

  “I was kind of thinking that you would just be bored,” she said. “I wouldn’t be gone for more than a couple of hours.”

  “That’s fine,” he said. “I kind of wanted to explore around the cabin anyway and get a feel for the area. Will your parents not say anything to the police about you calling, even if the police told them that I’m a murderer?”

  “They won’t say anything as long as they know I’m safe and as long as I tell them that you are not guilty of what you are being charged with. I’ll explain the whole thing to them and they will be okay with it. My parents trust my judgment very much.”

  “Good deal,” Dom said. “Just be careful, Honey.”

  “You too.”

  They finished breakfast and Jenny went out and got into the truck after kissing Dom goodbye. He watched her drive away, wondering if it would be smart for her not to come back. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. His dream haunted him and he wondered if it was his subconscious pushing out information that he was blocking. Maybe he had killed them all. As he watched the tailgate of the truck disappear around the corner, he wondered if he should kill himself. It seemed to be the only option he could think of to end his misery and to make sure Jenny stayed safe. Maybe it was the only option that Jenny could live with. Literally.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Jenny drove around town looking for a pay phone. In a world of technology and cell phones, finding one was not an easy task. Finally, she saw one at a gas station and pulled in next to it. She got out and walked to the phone, knowing this call was going to be difficult. She hesitated in front of the phone for a few moments before she was able to make the call. She was hoping that her parents wouldn’t be too angry with her for everything that was happening. She didn’t know exactly what to say to them. She had never done anything like this before and she knew they must be having a tough time with it all.

  Jenny picked up the phone and dialed the operator to make a collect call. She told the operator the information to place the call and waited. Her dad answered the phone and Jenny could hear him suck his breath in when the operator asked if he would accept the charges from Jenny. He of course did.

  “Daddy,” she pleaded, asking his forgiveness by way of saying his name.

  “Jennifer!” he said, a relieved sound in his voice. “Are you okay?”

  “Perfect, Daddy!” she answered. “I just called to let you know what was going on.”

  “I hope I understand all of this better after you explain, Jennifer. I’m really lost and confused about this whole thing.”

  “I’m very sorry about all of this. I hope I didn’t hurt you and Mom. This was just something that I needed to do.”

  Jenny explained to her dad how she had met Dom and the feelings that she’d had. She told him about where Dom was going, why he was going there, what he was running from and some of the other details of the trip. She left some details out, worried that she would hurt her father more by telling him everything.

  “Are you absolutely sure that this man is innocent, Jenny?” her father asked.

  “Positive,” she answered.

  “And are you sure you love him with all of your heart?”

  “Positive again, Daddy!”

  “Then I cannot condemn you for trying to help the one you love. I can’t say I agree with all of your tactics and choices. You’ve broken some laws, but the main thing is that you did it to help another human being and not for your own selfish wants. Are you sure that there is no other way to take care of this though?”

  “No, I don’t feel there is. Believe me, if there was any other way, we would have taken it. If he had stayed in jail, they would have convicted him and thrown away the key. He probably would have gotten himself killed while he rotted in jail. Meanwhile, the real killer would be walking the streets living a normal life, having accomplished the one thing that he set out to do; to destroy Dom and his family. I know the paths we took were totally outrageous, but we’re trying to survive this.”

  “Okay, Baby,” he said. “I wasn’t there, so I can’t judge the situation. You’re a level-headed girl, so I know you’ll be okay. You do know that when this is over, you might have to spend some time in jail, don’t you?”

  “That’s the risk I had to take. I’m really sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. You know I’ll stand beside you all of the way, don’t you?”

  “I know you will. Thanks Daddy! By the way, how is Mom doing through all of this?”

  “She’s having a tough time with some of it, but I think she’ll feel better about the situation after I tell her about your call.”

  “Is she home now?” Jenny asked.

  “No, she went into Phoenix to do some shopping. She’ll be home in a couple of hours, I imagine.”

  “Give her my love!”

  “I will, Jennifer. Are you sure you don’t just want to come home where it’s all safe and put this all behind you? I’m worried about you.”

  “No Daddy. Dom needs me here and I can’t leave him. I’ll be careful though, I promise.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” he said. “I miss you and I love you! Come home whenever you can even if it’s only to say hi.”

  “I love you too and I’ll stop and see you when I can. Oh, by the way, will you please not tell the police I called?”

  “Of course. It’s our secret. Goodbye, Sweetie!”

  Jenny said goodbye and hung up the phone. She was surprised at the way her dad had acted. He was usually cool about everything and they had the best relationship, but she hadn’t known how he would react to the situation at hand. He was pretty good about the whole thing, she thought.

  Jenny got back into the truck and drove around the small little town. It was very peaceful and she kind of liked it. She was hoping that they would get to stay for a while until they either had this thing figured out, or until they could go to their permanent destination for hiding out. She knew that if they couldn’t figure this thing out, then they would have to change their names and go hide out somewhere for the rest of their lives. She definitely felt a little better now and more relaxed than she had been in a long time. Something about their surroundings helped her relax. Things were going to get better. She could feel it.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Kent Perry received a phone call from the tech guy that was in charge of the wiretap. He had not found out anything new since he had talked to Jenny’s parents the day before and he was getting frustrated, however, the phone call chased away his frustrations.

  “Detective Perry, this is Mark Burns with Surveillance. I have some good news for you!”

  “I need some good news, Mark. What do you have?”

  “Jennifer Capstan placed a collect call to her parents.”

  “That is good news. Where is she?” Kent asked.

  “Strawberry.”

  “Were we able to pick her up?”

  “We tried, Kent. As soon as we got a location on her, we called the police station in Strawberry to see if they could grab her. There was no one at the pay phone when they got there.”

  “It’s no big deal,” Kent said. “We’ll get them.”

  “It shouldn’t be too hard,” Mark said. “She said something about staying at an uncle’s cabin. Why don’t you come get a copy of the phone call so that you can listen to it?”

  “On my way!” Kent sai
d and slammed down the phone.

  Excitement pulsed through his veins as he ran to Mark’s office. He wasn’t going to let them get away this time. He was going to drive to Strawberry himself. He wanted this to be over and it was getting close.

  When he got to Mark’s office, Mark handed him the CD.

  “Mind if I listen to it here?” Kent asked.

  “Be my guest. Use that soundproof room right over there,” Mark said, pointing to a doorway across the room.

  Kent went inside and put the CD into the player and put on the headphones. He started the recording and listened. Throughout the whole conversation, Kent sat there dumfounded. He couldn’t believe that this Jenny girl was so naïve as to believe Dom with all of this evidence against him.

  Kent also had audio of her admitting to stealing a car and breaking Dom out of jail. She would be in jail for a while due to her naiveté.

  After listening to the recording two times, Kent replayed the part where Jenny told her dad about staying in the cabin. He listened carefully and made notes while she talked about calling her Uncle Joe in California to ask about borrowing the cabin. This was the information he needed. If he was Jennifer’s uncle on her dad’s side, he would probably have the same last name. If so, they could find out the cabin address through the electric company. If he had a different last name, it would take longer and require a lot more research, but it could still be done.

  Kent called Pete Stamsford on the phone and gave him the information he had on the cabin location and owner. Kent explained the situation to him and asked Pete to do some research with the information he had, instructing him to leave his findings on his voicemail. After Pete agreed, Kent hung up the phone.

  Not patient enough to wait for the elevator, Kent ran down the stairs and outside, pausing just long enough to unlock his car before he hopped inside. He was pumped. Everything had been going wrong lately, his boss was all over his ass, and this was his chance to fix it. He was a man with a mission and nothing was going to get in his way. He was going to take care of this once and for all.