Death By Candlelight (Candlelight and Candlesticks Book 1)

by Tomeka Pitts

  “Just a few minutes, I woke up and there was no one in the room so I went looking for everyone. I was coming to get something to eat when I heard daddy’s voice.” She looked over at her dad and say that he was watching her very carefully.

  “I got your mom settled into the hotel and thought I’d come check on you. You seemed a little too calm earlier and I knew it was only a matter of time before you fell apart. Janice said you went upstairs as soon as you got here and cried yourself to sleep. Carey didn’t want to disturb you so she is sleeping in the den on the pull out.” Dave explained.

  “I’m ok now, just scared.” Sara sat down at the table as Janice put a plate of pizza bites in front of her. She began to eat as she told her dad what she had been thinking all along. “Daddy, I think you’re right. I have been thinking about this all day and wondering if e being followed had anything to do with Luis. Before I got in the shower this morning I talked to Luis. I told him about being followed and asked him if he could help me since he took that forensics seminar last summer. He said he would think about it so I went to take a shower. After I got dressed I went to get some breakfast, and that was when…” she couldn’t bring herself to go that far.

  David nodded, understanding that she was finished. “Sara, I should have taken you more seriously the other night. That is why I am blaming myself. If I had just listened to you, put a patrol on the house or something. But I didn’t and now Luis is gone. But I am taking it very serious now, and there is a patrol assigned to you, your mother, and me. I am even thinking about placing protection Janice and Carey but I need to call the state. We simply don’t have enough people” He looked at Janice apologetically. “In the mean time we have to take care of Luis. I have talked to Pastor Daniel, and he is going to take care of the services He already administered last rights. Your mother and I are going to the funeral home tomorrow to finish up and once the ME releases Luis we will lay him down.”

  Sara didn’t know what to say so she just sat there, eating her pizza bites even though she was no longer hungry. She didn’t want to think about what comes next. She didn’t even want to think about any of it at all. It seemed so unreal, like she was living someone else’s life or in a dream that she simply couldn’t wake up from.

  Knowing that she had told her dad everything made her feel a little better. Also knowing that there was a car sitting outside with police officers in it, there to keep her safe made her relax a little. Sara finished eating her pizza bites and told her dad and Janice that she was going to go back to bed. She really was tired. She gave Janice a hug, hugged and kissed her dad and left the kitchen. On her way upstairs she peeked into the den, just to be sure Carey as really in there. Seeing Carey laying there and noting that she was breathing, Sara relaxed a little more and went up to bed.

  Chapter 5

  The next couple of weeks went by smoothly. They had had the funeral, and everything seemed somewhat normal, if not surreal. Sara got through those weeks, although she wasn’t sure how. She felt like she was on autopilot, going through the motions without being aware that she was doing so. She felt so alone, no one was really talking to her. It was as though they were afraid of her, or afraid to get close to her. The only person she could talk to was gone!

  About a week after the funeral Sara decided that she needed to talk to someone, so she took a detour after school to the cemetery. On her way there, she heard the footsteps again. Once again she turned, seeing no one there. She started walking again, at first hearing nothing. After a few minutes she heard the footsteps. She kept walking, deciding that she wouldn’t turn right away, hoping to catch a sight of who it was. She walked on a little while longer, listening to the steps as they followed her. Finally she whipped around quickly, and was able to briefly see a dark figure duck behind a bush.

  “Who’s there?” she asked in a shaky voice.

  There was no answer. By now she was really scared because the last time she heard these steps she lost her brother. She turned and began running as fast as she could until she got to the gates of the cemetery. She was happy to hear silence the rest of the way, and hoped that meant that she was not followed anymore.

  When she got to Luis’ grave she sank down to the ground and placed her hand on the fresh soil. She didn’t know what else to do so she began talking, letting everything pour out.

  “I know that’s it’s only been about a week since we laid you down here, but Luis I miss you so much! Hmm, the soil is still fresh, I guess I thought it would have packed down a bit more. Anyway, I’m so sorry about everything I’ve put you through throughout the years. You were the best big brother anyone could ever ask for, and I’m sure I was quite the pain. I just wish I could have told you that when I had the chance! I just don’t understand, why you? I just wish I could hear your voice again.

  “I was followed again today, this time on my way here. I tried to catch a glimpse of who it was, but when I turned around they ducked behind a bush and I didn’t see much. So I ran the rest of the way here. I didn’t hear the footsteps anymore, so I think they stopped following me. Or at least I hope so. I’m so scared, I have no idea who could be doing this or why. I mean I know I’m not the sweet innocent girl that mom and daddy think I am, but I’ve never done anything to deserve this. I’ve only snuck out and went to a few parties. That’s not that bad, is it? And to top it off they made daddy take the protective detail off of us all. They said that it’s been a few weeks with no more incidences and they can’t afford to keep the detail on us. It’s funny how when they remove it I start being followed again.

  “Anyway, I want to make you a promise. I am going to stop going to those parties and pour myself into my studies. I am going to apply for colleges and try to get into medical school like you tried to talk me into. I am going to do this for you, Luis!” By this time Sara couldn’t stop the tears from falling. “Anyway, I gotta go. I told mom I wouldn’t be gone too long and I don’t want her to worry. I love you bub!”

  And with that Sara got up and wiped the ears from her eyes. She turned around and headed home, pleased to hear only silence and the sound of her own footsteps the whole way.

  *********

  When Sara got home her mother was on the front porch looking very worried. “Where on Earth have you been? And why are your clothes all dirty? I was so worried that something had happened to you on your way home” Anna said.

  “I went to talk to Luis” Sara said simply as if that explained everything.

  “Oh,” Anna looked surprised. Then she changes he subject, “Hurry up and go get changed, we’re going to be late for your father’ party.”

  Sara had forgotten about the party. She didn’t know what it was for or anything, just that it had something to do with her father. She ran upstairs and quickly showered, changed into the dress her mom had out for her and went to the vanity to fix her hair and make-up. As she sat there staring at herself in the mirror she noticed that she wasn’t the only person in the room. She could see a man standing behind her in the mirror. He was very pale with dark hair and eyes. She quickly turned, half expecting him to be gone. To her surprise, he was still there when she turned.

  “Sara,” he said gently, “you don’t know who I am but I know you. Please don’t be scared, I’m not here to hurt you, but I do have some information that you might want.”

  Sara was curious. What could this man know that she, in turn, would want to know? Did it have something to do with Luis? She reluctantly walked over to the man.

  “What do you have that you think I would want?” she asked.

  The man didn’t speak, instead handing her a piece of paper. As she opened it a photograph fell out. Sara bent down to pick it up saying, “Who are you?”

  There was not answer. Sara looked up and was shocked to discover that the man was gone. She looked back at the photograph and realized that she was looking at a photo of her father. He was dead, his body cut to pieces. And right there next to his head was a lit candle. Sara stared at the ph
oto in shock, and then remembered that there was a note with it. She read it, I did not do this, but I know who did. You need to be careful because he’s after you!

  Sara ran downstairs and straight past her mother who was still on the porch waiting for her. She got into the car quietly, hoping that the photo was a fake. Her mother got into the car, saying nothing, turned over the ignition, and drove. As they pulled out of the drive Anna noticed that Sara had something in her hand, but didn’t think much about it. She didn’t ask what it was, and Sara didn’t say anything.

  When they reached the police station Sara practically jumped out of the car, running towards her father’s car. There he was, just as in the photo, with the candle right there. Robert Wood, the Sheriff, had fallen victim to the killer!

  Sara screamed, bringing everyone that was outside running over, including her mother. When Anna saw her husband she began to have trouble breathing, and fainted. The officers, including Officer Thompson, had already started with the scene. They moved Anna to inside the police station and asked Sara to sit with her until they were ready to ask her questions. So sit she did, for what felt like forever!

  Chapter 6

  After what felt like hours Officer Thompson came back into the station. Sara was sitting there, with her mother’s head in her lap. Anna was still out cold. Sara noticed that Officer Thompson looked as calm as ever. How could she be this calm? Her boss had just been killed! Sara made a note of her calm demeanor, telling herself she would write it all down. It was just too strange.

  “Sara” Officer Thompson whispered, “I need to ask you some questions. Would you like to go into the other room so we won’t bother your mom?”

  Sara nodded, gently removed her mother’s head from her lap, and followed Officer Thompson into the next room. As she entered the room she noticed that it was an interrogation room. She wondered if that meant they thought she was a suspect. If so, she was better off trying to solve this on her own. She wouldn’t ask for help, because everyone that had tried to help had been killed!

  Officer Thompson, noticing how Sara looked around the room said, “It’s just a quiet room. I can turn off the camera if you would like, it’s up to you.” When Sara shook her head no Officer Thompson continued, “Sara, I know you don’t want to have to answer any more questions, but we need to go over it all while it’s fresh in your mind.”

  “Okay”, Sara responded. Her voice sounded flat, even to her. “Before you ask anything I want to give you this”, Sara said handing Officer Thompson the photo and the note. “I probably should have told mom, but I didn’t want to believe it. A man showed up in my room and gave it to me. I don’t know why, but he felt familiar, and I trusted him.”

  Officer Thompson took the photo and note from Sara. She looked at the photo, and then read the note. “This says, ‘He is after you’, do you have any clues as to who he is?”

  “None”, Sara tried to think if there was anyone who stuck out, there was no one. “I used to go out with this one guy, but he moved away because his dad was in the Army and got moved. And there are no guys who are this mad at me that I can think of.”

  Was it just Sara’s imagination or did Officer Thompson actually look relieved. She was moving up to the top of Sara’s suspect list. Even if the note did say he! She decided to ask, “Is there any way that the killer could be a girl, even though the note says he?”

  “Of course, there is also every possibility that the man who entered your room tonight is the killer, and is trying to throw us off. In any case you need to sit with a sketch artist and provide a detailed description of the man. Also we are going to need the mane of the boy you used to go out with, as well as anyone else who you have been close to. I am going to see who we have available tonight, as far as sketch artists, and I’ll be right back”

  Officer Thompson left, leaving Sara alone in an interrogation room. Sara got up and began pacing; there was nothing else to do. No pens or pencils, no paper, no anything. She supposed this was because they didn’t want suspects to be able to get ahold of anything. So she continued pacing and thinking:

  Officer Thompson didn’t seem affected by daddy’s death; she has to be on my list. She says not to trust the man from tonight, and I know she’s probably right. I just feel that I can trust him though. But I will add him to the list, under her of course. I know Tony couldn’t have done this. We only broke up because his daddy got moved for the Army, and besides they moved to Germany. He couldn’t have come back just for this. Who else could have been involved? I need to pay attent….

  There was suddenly a loud boom from the next room. Thinking of her mom, who was still passed out the last time she saw her, Sara ran out of interrogation and into the main room. Her mom was no longer lying on the couch where she had left her. Panicked, Sara began to search the building for any sign of where her mom could have went, and what had made the loug boom she had heard.

  While she was searching, she noticed a file laying out on one of the desks. On the cover of the folder it read: WANTED/ VERY DANGEROUS. Curious, Sara picked it up and opened the file. There on the first page, starring back at her was a picture of the man who had been in her room. The man she felt she could trust. But according to his file he was mentally ill, and had killed a person before being sent to a psychiatric hospital. He had escaped two months ago, and they were looking for him. His name according to the file was Shane Luis Jones. As she looked at his photo she began to think even more that he looked familiar. Take away the beard and fix the hair and he would look just like Luis!

  Sara began to wonder if Luis was even her father’s child. Was he really her brother, did her parents adopt him, did her mom have an affair? There had to be some explanation, perhaps he was some long lost family member or something. This was something else to add to her notes when she finally wrote them down. And now she had a name for the man, Shane.

  Suddenly there was another loud boom, this time coming from the interrogation room she had been in. Sara dropped the file back onto the desk and ran into the interrogation room. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she entered the room. There was her mom, looking thoroughly confused starring at the mirror window. Sara moved around so that she could see what her mom was looking at. It was another message. Did you see me this time? Again in what looked like blood. But after the last message Sara assumed it was red paint.

  *********

  Anna still hadn’t spoken to Sara. They were both sitting back in the lobby of the police station. Officer Thompson had taken Anna into Sheriff Wood’s office to talk to her and ask her questions. When they returned Anna looked white as a ghost. Sara could only imagine the conversation the two had. Officer Thompson most likely told Anna all about the man being in Sara’s room and giving her the note and photo. Sara supposed that her mom was probably upset with herself and Sara; herself because the man was in their house, Sara for not saying anything.

  “Mom”, Sara decided that she had better get it over with, “are you alright?”

  “No, I am not alright. I have just lost my son and my husband, the killer was in our home AGAIN, and you kept it from me! How could I be alright?”

  “But we don’t know that man is the killer”, Sara protested.

  “What are you talking about? Who else could it be?”

  “Mom, I found a file on one of the desks earlier when I was looking for you. Inside the file was the man’s picture, now I know his name. It’s Shane Luis Jones, and he looks familiar. Like if he shaved and cut his hair he could be an older Luis!”

  Anna went, if possible, even whiter. “Are you sure?” was all she said.

  “Yes, who is he? I’m guessing from your reaction that you know him.”

  “Sara, he is a very dangerous man. We need to get out of here, now!”

  “No, not until you tell me who he is. Or I can go to Officer Thompson and tell her you know the man!”

  “Ok, fine! Shane is my brother. We were very close growing up, so close in fact that I named your brothe
r after him. When I was pregnant with you, something changed. Shane became very dark. He started talking about the man who was after me. That the man was trying t kill me. He said that the man would go through my family to get to me.

  “Then one night Bob came home and told me that Shane had been arrested for killing someone. I went to see him and he told me that he got the man, that I was safe. Of course I testified on his behalf, and he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. They sent him to a hospital. That was the last time I saw him. But don’t you see, he could very well be the killer. He has killed before and he’s not all there! We have to go.”

  Sara and Anna left the police station. Sara wondered if they would just go home and wait for the police to come to them. They pulled out of the drive and headed the opposite direction of home however, Anna was running. And she was taking her daughter with her.