Excited to be on her way, Echo nearly jumped out of her skin when she locked her front door behind her and Steve suddenly appeared.
“Where ya goin, pretty lady?” he asked, reeking of cheap beer and cigarettes.
“Out,” she replied, appalled at his lack of etiquette. It was none of his business where she was going, and she was miffed that he had even asked.
“Want company?” he stepped closer, blocking the bottom of the steps that led to her porch.
“I have plenty, thanks,” she replied, heading down the steps. Steve didn’t budge when she got to the bottom step.
“Excuse me,” she said pleasantly, with a bright, artificial smile.
“Why are you always tryin to avoid me?” her neighbor challenged, not moving.
“I can’t possibly avoid you, Steve, we’re neighbors,” she sighed. “Now please, step aside. You’re going to make me miss my bus.”
“I’ll give you a ride, little filly,” he leered.
“Definitely not. You’ve been drinking,” she pointed out reasonably. “Step aside, please.”
“Don’t you call me a drunk. Who do you think you are, acting all snooty, like you’re better than me?” he leaned toward her, awash in an alcoholic haze.
“That’s ridiculous. I didn’t call you a drunk and I don’t think I’m better than anybody else, we’re all just humans. Now, you’re being rude. I have plans and you’re keeping me on my front porch. Get out of the way, please,” Echo insisted, trying not to lose her patience, and looking around to see if anyone who lived nearby was home, in case Steve decided to get physical.
“What if I don’t?” he taunted, like a school yard bully.
“Don’t be a jerk. We’re neighbors, we need to try to get along. Look, I need to take out the bushes behind the house this weekend. If you want to come over and help me do that, we can talk more about this then, but for now, I really need to get going. Please?” she offered in desperation.
“Bushes, huh? I might be able to make time to help,” he said magnanimously. “Alright, I’ll see you this weekend,” he nodded and finally moved away from the steps.
Breathing an internal sigh of relief, Echo hurried down the steps and to the bus stop a few blocks away, climbing aboard just before the driver closed the doors.
Chapter 17
The part of his job that Chas Beckett hated was dealing with the remains of a once beautiful and vibrant human being. Everyone who was murdered belonged to someone – they were aunts and sisters and mothers and fathers and brothers and sons and daughters. Everyone left someone behind, and every victim had suffered the unfairness of a life ended too soon, usually at the hands of a madman.
When the bodies are found is when the real police work begins. The forensics team takes samples and scrapings and fibers for analysis, and the detectives interview however many people it takes in order to find the perpetrator. All too often the killer is someone who is known to and/or loved by the victim. It seemed that that was certainly the case in this particular murder.
What remained of Amber Mitchell after the wild critters of the swampland had taken their fill was barely enough to identify her, but her identity was confirmed by her dental records and finger prints. As a social worker, her finger prints were on file, so confirmation took almost no time at all. She appeared to have died of an overdose, and soon enough, the lab would be able to pinpoint what type of drug had been used.
The death would have looked like a suicide, and understandably so, if her hands and feet hadn’t been bound. The poor young woman hadn’t had a chance, but that wasn’t what Chas found most disturbing. Her bonds had been wrapped with precision, and knotted neatly, as though a loving husband had wanted to make certain that his dastardly deed had been executed with excellence. Amber’s hair had been neatly styled, and her clothing had been clean. There was no dirt or skin under her fingernails, so her perfect manicure had not been disturbed, and if it hadn’t been for the ravages of sun, humidity and wildlife, she would have looked as though she’d merely been sleeping.
Chas Beckett was always a bit furious when he saw evidence that a killer had more regard for the corpse than they’d had for their departed loved one. His challenge now was to gather enough evidence to be able to charge Jeffrey Mitchell with his wife’s murder, but the detective couldn’t help but think that he was missing something. There was something that was probably right under his nose that he just hadn’t thought of yet.
Kel and Spencer had been of great assistance as he’d worked this case. Their findings had helped determine not only the location of the body, but the probable cause of death as well, based upon the way that Jeffrey’s former girlfriend had been murdered in a remote locale. He hoped to tie the two cases together so that the truth of Molly, the high school girlfriend’s murder would be brought to the surface, giving her family closure.
The one thing that didn’t make sense to the detective in either case was the absence of motive. As far as he could tell, Jeffrey Mitchell hadn’t had any reason to murder either his high school girlfriend or his new wife, and yet, he had done just that, which opened up the possibility that he might be a serial killer. Both young women had been of similar coloring, height, and weight. Based upon that, the detective had officers searching for unsolved murders in and around the town of Sandston, Indiana, which involved victims with similar descriptions.
Chas planned to request a warrant for officers in Sandston to search Jeffrey’s home and vehicle, hoping that he’d find evidence linking him to the crimes. Serial killers usually engaged in pattern behavior of some sort, so piecing together his habits and practices could be crucial to solving the case, and the perpetrator’s home environment was typically the best place to start.
Chapter 18
Ashlie flung the door of Jeffrey’s rental car open and stepped out, promptly falling hard on her backside. She was immediately seized by a fit of the giggles, the two beers she’d consumed making everything that she encountered hilariously funny.
“Be quiet,” Jeffrey ordered, in no mood for hilarity.
“Why?” the inebriated young woman demanded. “It’s not like there’s anybody out here to hear us,” she pointed out, still grinning, and staggering to her feet.
“Why are we here anyway? There’s nothing to do out here.”
“Well, that’s precisely the point, now isn’t it,” Jeffrey snapped, irritated. “I come out her to smoke and relax because the rest of the world is a noisy, ridiculous, crazy place.”
“Oh, stop being such a party pooper,” Ashlie pouted, weaving her way toward him. “You’re supposed to be cheering me up.”
“I don’t recall ever agreeing to that proposition,” he sighed, trudging toward the cabin. Trying to get Amber’s drunk sister past two miles of swampy grassland without having her break something was going to be more of a challenge than he really wanted, but being goal oriented, he decided to let her try her best, so that he could accomplish his objective.
“Don’t be so stuffy,” she slurred, moving in a rather serpentine manner behind him. “You really need to lighten up.”
“When I get to the cabin, I’ll be feeling much better within a matter of minutes,” Jeffrey replied through his teeth.
“I can help you with that,” Ashlie attempted a “come on” seductive smile.
“I seriously doubt that,” he responded, completely missing her point because he didn’t bother to turn around and look at her. His theory was that, if he basically ignored her and kept moving forward, they’d get there faster than if he engaged in her childish games.
“Jeez, you’re a crab tonight,” she complained, finally falling silent and trailing several feet behind him. He hoped that the trip out to the cabin would wear her out so he’d finally get some peace and quiet.
“My feet hurt,” Ashlie whined, when they were still nearly a mile and a half away from the cabin.
“I find it difficult to believe that you can even feel your feet,” he observed
nastily. “Hang tough, we’re almost there,” he lied.
“You should carry me,” she persisted.
“Not going to happen.”
“I don’t feel very well.”
“You’ll feel better when we get there,” he promised, feeling very much like he was dealing with a voluptuous three year old.
When he heard the grating sound of her retching, he paused, waited until the sounds stopped, and then continued on his way.
“Hey,” Ashlie called out weakly. “I can’t go any further…I’m sick,” she moaned pitifully.
“You’re not sick and we’re not stopping. If you can’t make it to the cabin, you’ll just have to stay out here and take your chances with whatever wildlife happens to come investigate,” he called over his shoulder.
“You’re mean,” she accused, lurching toward his disappearing form. It was difficult to see, with only a half moon lighting their path, so Ashlie had to hurry to keep up with Jeffrey.
When, at long last, they reached the cabin, he flipped up the end of the loose board on the porch and felt around for the key. Not finding it, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he stopped at the door to listen, his hand on the knob.
“C’mon, open the door already,” Ashlie whined. “I gotta pee.”
Jeffrey shushed her by putting a finger to his lips whilst shooting her a dirty look. Hearing no sound coming from inside the cabin, he decided to take his chances and go inside for a look. He slowly turned the knob, wincing at the loud click that it made when it hit the strike plate.
**
Missy’s cell phone rang and she saw a number that she didn’t recognize. Curious, she answered the call.
“Mrs. Beckett?” a frail-sounding voice asked.
“Yes?”
“This is Ellen Rinker from the Calgon Library. You and your friend came in asking about a young lady…”
“Yes, of course. How are you Miss Rinker?” Missy asked politely.
“Oh, I’m just fine, thanks. Listen, the reason that I’m calling is to let you know that a young woman who looks very much like the photo that you left with me came in today, and frankly, when she left, I was a bit concerned.”
“Really, why?” Missy’s heart skipped a beat.
“Well, the books that she left on the table were all about death, decomposition, forensic evidence and such. I just thought that it was odd.”
“Did you happen to ask for her name?”
“No, but when she signed the log in order to use the computer, I found out that her name was Ashlie.”
“Thank you so much for your trouble, Miss Rinker. I have to hang up now,” Missy said, clicking off of the call and dialing Chas.
Chapter 19
Opening the cabin door, Jeffrey Mitchell stepped cautiously inside, straining to see in the pitch black darkness. Standing in the middle of the room, he stopped to listen and Ashlie plowed into the back of him, knocking him off balance. He fell to the floor with the drunken girl on top of him, crying out as his knee hit first, shooting pain all the way up and down his leg. Ashlie, of course, found the whole debacle to be hilarious and was seized with another fit of the giggles. Jeffrey rolled to his back and she rolled with him.
“Will you just shut up? This is not funny, I think I may have broken my kneecap,” he grimaced.
The drunken young woman stilled for a moment, then he heard what sounded like her slipping her thin t-shirt over her head.
“I’m sorry, Jeffrey,” she slurred, her voice low, attempting to sound alluring. “I’ll make you forget all about your knee.”
In the darkness he couldn’t see her, but he felt her moving on top of him, and smelled the acidic bile of her breath as she tried to kiss him.
“What is the matter with you?” he demanded, tossing her roughly aside and sitting up, his breath hissing out dramatically when his knee twisted a bit. “Are you crazy or something?”
“I am crazy,” she giggled, a note of hysteria in her voice. “Crazy about you, Jeffrey. Always have been.”
“You shouldn’t be talking like this. Your sister, my wife, is still missing. Can’t you think about someone other than yourself for once?”
“Oh, but I do think of someone else. I think of someone else all the time,” she crawled toward him. “I think of you, Jeffrey, and it’s about time that you started thinking of me,” she reached for him in the darkness and he slapped her hand away.
“Stop it. You’re acting like a spoiled child,” he growled, still in agonizing pain.
“A child? Is that what you think I am? Well, let me tell you…it wasn’t a child who took out Mousy Molly. I thought you’d go for me once she was gone, but no, you went for the wrong sister. I never knew what you saw in that boring little bookworm anyway, other than the fact that she looked like me. I saw the way you looked at me when you thought I wasn’t paying attention. I knew that if Amber wasn’t in the picture, you’d be able to get what you really wanted. The fun sister. The popular sister. You found out too late that you made the wrong choice, but I took care of that for you,” Ashlie laughed softly.
“Now we can be together,” she cooed, scooting closer.
Jeffrey shoved her away as hard as he could without further traumatizing his knee.
“What are you saying? Did you kill Molly and Amber?” the typically self-possessed young man was utterly horrified.
“You monster,” he whispered. “How could you do this? How could you possible think that this was okay?” he demanded, fighting the bile rising in the back of his throat.
“Sweetheart,” Ashlie wheedled. “It is okay. I knew what you wanted the whole time…and now you can have me. It would really be a shame if after waiting for you all this time I had to get rid of you too. You are injured you know,” she pointed out, her voice turning deadly cold.
Jeffrey was too stunned to respond. This crazed woman had killed his high school sweetheart, and his new wife, and was now threatening to kill him too, if he didn’t want her.
A bright light flared suddenly into the room, and a rough male voice addressed them from behind the glare of the brightly-lit lantern.
“Well, isn’t this just a heckuva plot twist,” Janssen observed mildly. Ashlie got up to run, holding her t-shirt up in front of herself, and the veteran made a lightning-fast move, knocking her feet out from under her.
“Not so fast, sister. Put your clothes on and stay put,” he ordered, taking a roll of duct tape out of his backpack. Not knowing what else to do, Ashlie slipped her shirt back on and started scanning the room.
“Don’t bother even looking,” Janssen advised. “There’s nothing in this cabin that you could possibly use as a weapon, and you’re not even close to strong enough to try to take me down.” He knelt down beside the now fully-dressed young woman who was seething.
“Who do you think you are?” she demanded, not a bit scared of someone who could quite literally snap her neck with one hand if he had the inclination.
“Me? I’m just the first step on your journey to prison, ma’am,” he drawled, tearing off a piece of tape with his teeth.
“What do you think you’re going to do with that?” she hissed.
“I’m going to start off by doing all of us a favor,” he mused, slapping the first piece of tape over her mouth.
“Good call,” Jeffrey said bitterly. “But what if she throws up?”
“You got a problem with this chick drowning in her own vomit, dude?”
“Nope, no problem at all,” he stared at her, eyes flashing.
Janssen worked quickly, binding Ashlie’s hands and feet with duct tape. He looked at Jeffrey’s knee and shook his head.
“You’re going to need some medical attention, man. I wish you the best.”
He nodded in Ashlie’s direction. “Those bonds are going to keep her in check until help arrives, which shouldn’t be too long by my calculation,” he glanced at his watch.
“Behave,” he ordered, staring at Ashlie. “You don’
t want to make me come back in here.”
Janssen slipped out the front door and disappeared into the darkness. Moments later red and blue light flashed through the windows as an ambulance, about half a dozen patrol cars and Detective Chas Beckett arrived to take the murderer into custody, and take her brother-in-law to the hospital.
Chapter 20
“I am utterly stunned. That sweet, adorable young woman was a psychopath,” Echo shook her head in disbelief.
“A sociopath, actually, from the sound of it,” Kel corrected gently. “But I get your point. I certainly didn’t see this one coming.”
“None of us did. We all wanted to blame Jeffrey because he’s so…”
“Awful?” Echo suggested.
“I was thinking abrasive,” Missy corrected gently.
“That’s one word for it,” Kel rolled his eyes.
The three friends fell silent when the bell over the door rang and Jeffrey Mitchell limped in on crutches.
“Hello,” he said quietly, nodding at Echo and Kel. “Mrs. Beckett, may I speak with you for a moment?”
“Of course, have a seat,” she pulled out a chair at their table and invited him to sit.
“Thank you,” he sat and stared at the table top before looking up at Missy.
“I know that my behavior toward Amber wasn’t always…” he searched for the correct word. “Exemplary. But I wanted you to know that I honestly loved my wife. I need help, I know that now, and I think I’ll be staying away from relationships for quite some time, until I’m more healthy and whole myself,” he looked down at his hands.
“Amber was a good person. A better person than I deserved, that’s for sure,” he shook his head sadly. “I guess it took losing everything for me to realize just how good I had it. Anyway, I just wanted you to know,” Jeffrey swallowed hard.
Eggnog Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 23 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) Page 5