Deranged

by C. M. Sutter

  Dense fog, a man dragging a plastic bag then suddenly chopping at my car with a meat cleaver… What the hell does it mean?

  I stared at the sheet of paper as I tried to dissect each part of the nightmare. I remembered the weatherman on TV yesterday talking about early morning fog that would clear by nine o’clock. I put a check mark next to that entry. Being disoriented was logical, especially in a city I hadn’t been to in years. I checked that one too. A man dragging a plastic bag? I had no idea what that meant, if anything, other than the fact I’d seen people taking their garbage to the curb as we drove the neighborhoods. And the final entry, a man with a meat cleaver? I smiled and thought about being at the butcher shop. Each entry made sense individually, but yesterday’s events had somehow mixed together and turned into one of my horrible nightmares.

  I let out an exhausted sigh, swallowed a melatonin tablet with my water, and thought about reading until I dozed off, but with tomorrow being a busy day, I shut off the light instead—I needed the sleep.

  Chapter 17

  It took a solid hour, and the perfectionist in Greg was coming through. Cutting the thin layer of skin away from the scalp without disturbing Lola’s beautiful raven hair was a must. He couldn’t make a mistake.

  He’d double bag Lola’s skull then crush it with the sledgehammer—she had served her purpose—then he’d find a place to dispose of it on his way to work in the morning. Greg flipped the scalped hair to the raw side and shook salt over it. He’d let it cure for twenty-four hours, then the real project would begin tomorrow after work. Tristan would meet her unfortunate fate—he had no choice. Greg’s excitement grew as he thought about the uncanny resemblance between his fantasy and Tristan, other than their hair color, and that was an easy fix. The transformation would be complete and just in time.

  Lola’s legs were too thick, but Tristan’s are perfect.

  Greg placed the salted scalp on a metal tray and plugged in the heat lamp suspended from a hook in the rafters four feet above it. The lamp illuminated everything within a six-foot radius.

  “That’ll do the trick. Tomorrow that scalp will be dry enough to stitch onto Tristan’s head.”

  Pleased with his efforts on that portion of the job, Greg crossed into the second room and flipped the light switch. “I brought you some food and water.”

  Tristan screamed profanities at Greg as she backed into the corner of the cage.

  “I’ve already told you that nobody can hear your cries for help. Tip your head back, and I’ll pour some water in your mouth. Think twice before you decline. You may not have another offer.”

  “How do I know it isn’t poison?”

  Greg lifted the cap and squirted some into his own mouth. “Convinced?”

  With her head tipped slightly back, Tristan opened her mouth and gulped the cold water.

  “Here’s some bread too.”

  “How am I supposed to eat that with my hands cuffed?”

  “You look somewhat smart. Figure it out.”

  Greg wedged two slices of bread between the cage links. She leaned forward and pulled them from the wires with her teeth. He took a seat and stared at her.

  “Are you getting off on this or what, psycho?”

  “Just admiring your face, that’s all. You’re very beautiful, Tristan.”

  “When are you going to release me? This bondage fetish isn’t funny. I want out.”

  Greg stood and walked to the door. “Tomorrow.”

  “Do you swear to that?”

  “Yes, I swear.”

  “Please leave on the light, Hank. I hate the dark.”

  “As you wish. Good night, Tristan.” Greg closed the door behind him and turned the key in the lock.

  Chapter 18

  The television played in the background as I combed my wet hair, but it was the breaking news that caught my attention. “You can’t be serious.” I walked out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed as the live scene played out in front of me.

  “This is Larry Gibson reporting for WATA-TV at Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery. A groundskeeper reported finding a grisly scene this morning as he began his biweekly routine of maintaining the cemetery grounds.” The reporter turned his head toward the group of police vehicles parked at his back then faced the camera again. “The police are telling us what appeared to be a misplaced bag of trash really turned out to be a bag containing female body parts. Law enforcement is confident that this latest discovery is directly related to the recent findings in an Oakland City dumpster. The forensic team at my back is scouring the area for any signs of evidence. Is a psychotic butcher roaming the streets of Atlanta? Stay tuned to WATA-TV to find out more as this disturbing story unfolds.”

  I turned the volume down and dressed as the reporter’s message played over and over in my mind. As last night’s nightmare returned to my thoughts, I took a seat at the table and read the notes I had scratched out.

  Is this simply a compilation of yesterday’s events, or is it a premonition of something real?

  At that point, I didn’t know, but I jotted down the words “Atlanta butcher,” “Oakland City,” and “Oakland Cemetery.” My dream included driving in fog and being disoriented, a man dragging a large plastic bag, and that same man destroying my car with a meat cleaver.

  Was that man in my dream the butcher from yesterday?

  I rubbed my forehead as I tried to recall the image of the man with the cleaver chopping at my car, but I couldn’t remember his face. I was sure it was because he caught me off-guard and my flight instincts kicked in. All I wanted to do was get away from that cleaver as fast as I could.

  I tucked the notes in my purse and headed to Kim’s room. We’d have breakfast downstairs, wait for Beth’s call, and once we got the “all clear” text, we’d buy the rest of the food, pick up the meat and cake, and start the decorating process. I had to let go of my cop instincts since I wasn’t there to work, and Atlanta wasn’t my jurisdiction, anyway. All I wanted to do was have a great birthday celebration with friends and family, get reacquainted with my sister, and enjoy the next few days.

  I knocked on Kim’s door then stuck my finger over the peephole.

  “Morning, Sis.” She swung open the door.

  I grinned as I entered her room. “How’d you know it was me?”

  “Seriously? Would any normal person do that?”

  “I guess you have a point. Ready to go?”

  Kim powered off the TV and grabbed her purse, and we headed for the elevator.

  “I was watching the breaking news about the female body parts being found,” she said. “I hope they catch that psycho before I move back to Atlanta.”

  “Don’t worry. There will always be another psycho to deal with.”

  Kim pressed the down button. “That’s awesome to know.”

  I sighed as we exited the elevator. “Unfortunately, there’s crime in every big city, even Portland. The best we can do is pray that our friends and family remain safe.”

  We were soon seated in a booth near the restaurant’s outer wall, and I peered out the window as we waited for our coffee. It looked as though it was going to be a beautiful sun-filled day.

  Kim smiled. “I can’t wait to catch Mom’s expression with my phone when they enter the house this afternoon. It’ll be priceless.”

  “When was Beth going to text you?” I glanced at my wristwatch—8:14 a.m.

  “She said around nine. That gives us forty-five minutes to eat, but then we have to take everything we bought yesterday back down to the car.”

  I sipped my coffee and browsed the menu. “Let’s drop off that stuff first, then all we have to do is pick up the cake, meat, and groceries.”

  We ordered our breakfast and dug in. I realized my anxiety had begun to fade about being within a few miles of USP Atlanta, where Warren Ricks and Tony Lynch were incarcerated. I also had no reason to believe the Lynch family knew I was in town. I wasn’t going to let that family take up any more of my brai
n space than they already had, and a sudden sense of freedom washed over me. Kim appeared to notice.

  “You look happy. What’s up?”

  “Let’s save our personal stories for another time. Today should be all about Mom.”

  The ringing phone took us by surprise. Kim pulled it from her zipped purse and stared at the screen. “That’s weird. It’s Beth.”

  I checked the time—8:51. “I guess she isn’t at Mom’s house yet and can talk for a few minutes.”

  Kim answered. “Good morning, Beth. Are you on your way to Mom’s?”

  I watched as Kim’s face turned from carefree to concerned.

  “Oh no. Um, I don’t know what to say or do. Of course we understand, and we’ll figure out the party on our own. Don’t worry about anything.”

  When Kim hung up, I let out a hard breath. “What’s wrong, and how is it going to affect Mom’s birthday bash?” I waved down our waitress since I had a feeling that we needed to leave immediately.

  The restaurant was filling with patrons, and Kim tipped her head toward the door. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

  I handed a twenty to the waitress and told her to keep the change then jammed the receipt in my pocket.

  Kim pointed at the large conversation groupings in the hotel’s common area. “Let’s sit over there.”

  “What’s going on?” I checked the time, knowing full well that Mom should have been picked up by now. I had a feeling Beth had just canceled her offer to keep Mom occupied for the next three hours.

  Kim let out a heavy sigh, checked our surroundings, then spoke just above a whisper. “Okay, Beth said she got a call from the Atlanta PD.”

  I leaned in closer. “That’s never a good thing. What about?”

  “Remember her daughter Janine?”

  “Barely. She was just a kid when I was in college. Why?”

  “Apparently, she’s a cop.”

  “You’re shitting me. I had no idea. So what’s going on with Janine?”

  “Not only is she a cop, she works Vice and has been out of touch with her unit for thirty-six hours.”

  “That happens sometimes when you’re undercover. What was she involved in?”

  “The prostitution epidemic in Midtown.”

  “Hmm… that’s not deep undercover, so she should have checked in a long time ago.”

  “Exactly, and the Atlanta PD was concerned enough to call Beth since they can’t reach Janine through any of their usual means. They want Beth to come in now for a formal interview.”

  “I’m sure she’s beside herself with worry. What do you think? Should we go ahead with the party or not? Mom doesn’t even know we’re in town.”

  “I told Beth we’d take care of it. Why don’t we just go to Mom’s house and explain everything to her? She’ll understand. We can still have the party, even though our prayers will be with Beth and her daughter.”

  “Yeah, let’s go over there now and pick up the food later. I know one thing for sure, though.”

  Kim grabbed a porter’s trolley and headed to the elevator. “What’s that?”

  “I want to have a long conversation with Beth once the party is over. She shouldn’t be alone in a situation like that.”

  We took yesterday’s purchases downstairs and loaded the car. Kim climbed in behind the wheel and pressed the start button. “As a cop, what’s your gut telling you? Do you think the body parts found this morning could possibly be Janine’s?”

  “I don’t know enough to form an opinion yet, but I hope to God they aren’t.”

  Chapter 19

  Fifteen minutes later, we reached the house that we’d both grown up in. Normally, childhood memories would come to mind, and fun-filled conversations would begin. That day, we just wanted to explain the situation to our mom. We knew she would be overwhelmed from seeing both of us there at the same time.

  The overhead garage door lifted as Kim pulled into the driveway. She had to honk so Mom wouldn’t ram us as she backed out. We climbed out of the car, and our mom did the same. The look on her face was priceless, even though it wasn’t because of the party.

  “What in the world are you two doing here?” She walked toward us with outstretched arms. “Hurry, give me a hug.”

  Seeing the happiness that crossed her face was all I needed. We hugged her tightly as tears flowed down her cheeks. I wiped them away and kissed her forehead.

  “It’s so good to see you again, Mom, and it’s your birthday too!”

  “Is that why you girls are here, for my birthday?”

  Kim laughed. “Of course. We didn’t fly to Atlanta to go trick-or-treating.”

  “Where were you heading off to, Mom?”

  She swatted the air. “To an exhibit at the history museum, but I can do it another time. Beth had to cancel at the last minute.”

  I gave Kim a quick glance. “Mom, let’s go inside, and I’ll make a pot of coffee. We have to tell you what was planned for today and what’s actually going to happen. There’s a situation going on with Beth.”

  Kim began as I started the coffee. She explained how the surprise party was supposed to take place that afternoon, and the folk art exhibit was meant as a ploy to get her out while we decorated the house and set up the food. Kim told her that her dearest friends, a few cousins, and Kim and I had planned to surprise her when she and Beth returned.

  “You girls didn’t have to plan anything for me. Fifty-five isn’t a special age.”

  I smiled. “It is if you want senior discounts.” My mom smacked my hand. “We’re still having the party, Mom, but I do have concerns about Beth’s daughter. According to Beth, Janine is missing.”

  “Oh my Lord in heaven.”

  “I’m going to stop by her house and talk to her once she’s back from the police department and the party winds down. I’m sure if Janine hasn’t been located by then, Beth will be frantic.”

  “Then forget the party.”

  “We can’t, Mom. All your friends are invited, and we’ve already ordered the food. Let’s enjoy the day, but we’ll wind things down by five o’clock. After that, we need to be there for Beth.”

  Mom wrung her hands. “It hasn’t been easy on her since Rick died, and Janine is all she has. Beth worries about her constantly, especially since she transferred to the Vice unit. She was a lot happier when Janine was a patrol cop.”

  I patted my mom’s hand and thought about Karen Lawrence, our own patrol cop who’d made that risky move during the bank robbery a few days back. “All cops risk their lives at some point, Mom, even patrol cops. Maybe I can speak to the PD on Beth’s behalf and see what the plan is.”

  “She’d be grateful, Kate. I know she would.”

  Kim filled Mom’s coffee cup. “Okay, it’s your day, so you relax while we work. I’m going to start decorating. Kate, do you want to pick up the cake and meat?”

  “Yeah, the bakery and butcher shop are only a few miles from here. As long as I’m not on the interstate, I’ll be fine driving around.”

  Kim and I unloaded the car so she could begin the decorating, but first we made Mom go in the backyard while we stashed the TV in the spare bedroom.

  “Okay, I’ll be back in a half hour or so.” I’d stop at the bakery first, knowing the cake would be fine in the car during the drive to the butcher shop. It didn’t need to be refrigerated, anyway. With that picked up and back in the car, I plugged the address of the butcher shop into my navigation and followed the directions to the location.

  I walked in just as I had yesterday and waited my turn in line. Five minutes into my wait, the butcher called my number.

  “Number nine.”

  I walked to the counter. “Hi, I’m here to pick up my hamburger and hot dog order.”

  “Yep, I’ll be right back.”

  I stared at the man when he returned. Was it his face in my nightmare or not?

  He placed the large bag on the counter. “Miss, hello?”

  “Yes?”

  �
��I asked if there was anything else I could get for you.”

  I shook my head. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. My mind is too full of party plans. I’m good, thanks.” I lifted the bag off the counter and walked to the door. Before I stepped out, I turned as he called the next number in line, and I discreetly snapped a picture of him. Outside, I glanced in the dumpster as I made my way to the car but found nothing of importance inside.

  Okay, get out of your own head and lighten up on the butcher. The guy is just trying to make a living like anyone else. It was a dream and nothing more.

  The drive to my mom’s house was only a mile, but as much as I tried, I couldn’t get my mind off last night’s dream and the man behind the counter at the butcher shop on Confederate Avenue. I’d do my best to get involved in the birthday party and hoped it would be enough of a distraction for me.

  Hours went by, and we were reunited with old friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins we hadn’t seen in years. Mom had never looked happier. The festivities were a huge success, and I didn’t burn anything on the grill.

  Kim stood at my side on the patio as we watched Mom interact with her loved ones and closest friends. “What do you think?”

  “By the expression on Mom’s face, I’d say we did good. Have you heard from Beth?”

  “She left a voicemail about an hour ago, and it didn’t sound optimistic. I’m really worried for her, Kate.”

  I cupped my mouth and whispered. “I’ll send her a text that we’re going to stop by soon, but we’ll have to start funneling people out now. We’ve already had cake, all the gifts have been opened, and we’ll set up the new TV for Mom later tonight. We need to tell the relatives we’ll catch up with them before we leave town, unless—”

  Kim interrupted before I had time to finish my sentence. “Unless what?”