"No. She's okay. She is family. "
That made me feel all warm inside.
"Well. Two young boys were playing in a ditch not far from this street when they came across the body of a teenaged boy. We believe it to be the body of your son Freddy. But you are required by law to identify the body. "
There was a stunned silence followed by a crash as Freddy's mom collapsed. Dropping the tea she had been bringing for us.
My head spun.
"No. NO! NOT MY FREDDY !NO! "
I screamed and covered my ears. I rocked back and forth screaming over and over until everything went black.
Chapter 8
I woke up to a strange beeping sound. I opened my eyes and all I saw was a bright white light searing into my eyes. I groaned and closed my eyes again. I heard a voice calling my name. I opened my eyes and took a look around. I was in a hospital surrounded by Freddy's family.
" Are you okay? "
That's when everything came flooding back. I sat bolt upright.
"Where's Freddy? Where is my Freddy?! "
"You've been out for a while. Mom and Dad went with the police to identify the body while we brought you here. Becca. It was Freddy. "
I was stunned. I felt dizzy so I lay back down.
"I can't believe it. What happened?"
Freddy's only brother Chad told me everything. How the police had found Freddy after some kids called 999 to report a body. They said it looked as if he had been mugged and stabbed. He had been on his way home when the attackers jumped him.
I felt sick. I shouldn't have let him leave while it was still dark out. He wouldn't have been killed.
"The police think it was a robbery gone wrong. "
That's when I snapped. The cops were wrong. I knew exactly who had done this to my boyfriend and they would pay.
Timmy was going to pay for killing the love of my life.
******
First thing I did when I got out of the hospital was call the police. I asked if I one of the officers could meet me at home because I had information about their case. They tried to get me to reveal my information over the phone but I refused. I insisted that if they had any hope of finding out the truth then they better do as I said.
Next I called Timmy. His phone went to voicemail so I left a message.
"I know everything. I saw you kill Linda and I know you killed Freddy. Meet me at my house at six or I'm going to the police."
I headed home . It was 16:45 and I had to get home so I could set up surveillance before Timmy came.
I arrived at about a minute to five so I had plenty of time to set up. I dug round the storage cupboard and found my mother's old nanny cam that she used to spy on me and my brother when we were home alone . She thought we didn't know about it but we knew something was up when out of nowhere there was a ceramic duck on the TV stand when we both knew mom couldn't stand ceramic ornaments.
I set it up in the corner where I knew it had a complete view of the whole living room. I got Jake's AV Club tape recorders and set them up all around the room. I took one last look around the room to make sure everything was well concealed. I set the spy cam and tape recorders to record and I waited.
Chapter 9
18:15 and nothing. I decided that he needed a little bit more motivation. I went upstairs to my room to get my phone. I was about to hit the dial button when I heard the front door slam shut.
I dropped my phone and tentatively crept downstairs. When I got to the landing of the stairs I felt my stomach drop. There on the floor leading in from outside through the front door were muddy boot prints.
I realised right then the danger I was in. I turned and run up the stairs. I was about to reach the top when and arm grabbed me suddenly by the throat. I felt myself dragged downstairs by strong arms. I scratched at the large hairy arms but that had virtually no effect.
Just like in my dream Timmy had come for me. And he was going to kill me. At the bottom of the stairs I was thrown like a doll to the ground. I gasped for air and scampered away from my assailant.
I looked up into the face of my attacker and I felt like reason had ceased to exist. All the things I thought I knew stopped making sense.
The face I was looking into wasn't Timmy's. It was Edward Murphy's. Timmy's father.
"You've got guts little girl. No one I know would dare oppose my Timmy like you did."
He stalked around me and pulled a gun out of his back pocket.
"But Mr Murphy...How? why? "
He cackled.
"My dear child. You think Timothy would have the balls to kill his so called best friend? No, no dear girl. He however did kill that girl. What's her name Lisa? Linda? When I heard about that naturally I thought about how that would affect my reputation. It would destroy me if word got out."
He walked around me to the couch and perched on the armrest. He swung his gun around to give me indication that I wasn't going anywhere. I huddled against the seat of the couch on the carpet. My only solace was that even if I ended up dead the police would find the evidence that put this monster behind bars.
He continued.
"So I got rid of the little tramp's body myself."
He chuckled.
"Now imagine my horror when I find out his little friend knew about it. I knew a goody two shoes like him would soon start suffering from Guilty Conscience Syndrome. I decided that I needed to clean up that little mess too. So I followed the kid from school. Even when he snuck in here I was watching him. I thought my plan might be a bust when daylight seemed to creep ever closer."
He sighed and shook his head. Then he chuckled again.
"After I staged that robbery I thought that this was all over. But clearly I was a living example of Murphy's Law. "
" Everything that can go wrong, will."
He laughed.
" So you're familiar with it? That's actually where you come in. If I hadn't taken away Timmy's cell phone I never would have heard that message and that idiot I call a son would be here getting himself in more trouble. So I came to see you myself."
Just then he seemed to notice his muddy boots.
"Just a precaution. I went around the house to check for any nasty surprises. But thank goodness you are smarter than that. "
He checked his watch.
"Wow! Would you look at the time? I've been rambling. I should really get this done. It's getting late."
I heard a click as he cocked the gun. I closed my eyes and said a last prayer to The Virgin to watch over me.
"Say goodbye little girl."
Chapter 10
This was it. Goodbye cruel world. But wait. I heard a car door slam shut outside. My heart skipped a beat. I remembered that the police had been a part of the plan. Dang! I'm a genius.
My captor swore. He rushed over and grabbed my arm. He forced me up and dragged me into the dark kitchen pantry. He closed the door and deposited me roughly of the floor.
I could have screamed but I knew, even in the dark, that the gun was trained on me.
"Hello. Rebecca! Are you in here?"
I heard footsteps in the kitchen. They stopped outside the pantry door. That's when I remembered the muddy boots. Apparently so did my assailant cause he hissed and I felt the cold metallic barrel of the gun rest against my temple.
The pantry door was suddenly ripped open and a police officer stood with a gun pointed in.
"Drop the gun and kick it to me or I'll plaster her brains all over the wall."
The officer did as he was told and stepped backwards.
"Let's not do anything crazy Mr Murphy. You're a very respected gentleman. I'm not sure of the whole story but I'm sure with a good lawyer and a plea bargain..."
Timmy's dad laughed. A hysterical maniacal laugh.
"I'm not going to jail. I'll just kill you, then her and nobody will know it was me."
He motioned with the gun for me to get out. He stepped out behind me and shoved me so
I stood next to the cop.
"Kneel. On the floor now. And put your hands behind your heads."
We did what he said post haste. He stood with his back to the door leading into the living room
"Who wants to go first?"
He pointed the gun at me. Then at the cop. Then back at me.
He must have settled on me first because I saw him begin to apply pressure on the trigger.
I was saying my last goodbyes for the second time that night when I saw a figure step behind our captor. I heard the click of a gun cocking and so did he. Mr Murphy froze.
"Drop the gun down Murphy. Or I will plug you."
Mr Murphy dropped the gun.
"Good. Now put your hands behind your head."
He complied without a second's thought. The cop who knelt next to me got up and went to handcuff Timmy's father. He read him his rights and I nearly passed out again from relief.
It was over. It was all over.
Chapter 11
The female officer who had rescued us led him to the squad car waiting outside.
"I thought everybody knew that cops are like shoes. They always come in pairs."
Her partner stayed behind with me and asked if I was okay. I told him I would survive, then I told him everything I knew and I showed him the tapes and footage.
He assured me that Mr Murphy as well as Timmy would pay for their crimes. After he offered to call my parents but I told him they would be home in an hour or so and my brother was at a friend's house studying. I assured him that all I need was company until they came home.
While he secured the house I offered thanks up to The Virgin Mother.
"This is for you Linda. And you too babe, keep on dancing Freddy ."
*******
Tears streamed unchecked down my face as I watched them lower Freddy into the cold wet ground. I watched as the love of my life was laid into his final resting place.
I threw a single red rose in his grave.
"You told me you didn't want to lose me, and now I've lost you."
I thought of the day we met in the hall in junior high. The way his hand lingered on mine when we shook hands. He had liked me from the start but I thought he was a dweeb for three months before he began to grow on me.
He used to hang around me and Linda against our will but he was too hell bent on winning my heart.
Once he waited outside my class ten minutes before the end of the lesson watching me through the window the entire time.
"I hope you're proud of me Freddy."
They never found Linda's body. But we created a memorial shrine for her next to Freddy.
I don't know how I'll survive without the two most important people in my life. But I was not going to let Timmy and his dad win. I would fight them tooth and nail until they paid for what they did.
********************** THE END **********************
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isabella Magibisela is a teenaged girl from Mahalapye, Botswana.
She has been writing stories for as long as she can remember but this is her first published work.
Find her on:
Facebook at www.facebook.com/isabella.magibisela
Instagram and twitter at @IzzieTheFreak
Email: [email protected]
She would love to hear from you.
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