tell him she's not here

by Rees, Melissa; Bishop, Oliver

  “This here is a deer rifle,” Bonnie said watching Emma. “Jimmy Joe said it’d blow a person right in half.”

  Emma held her hands up in surrender as she stepped out of the closet. “I just need to go to the bathroom, Bonnie.”

  Bonnie pointed the rifle toward the bathroom and waved Emma on.

  Emma sucked in her breath when she went in and kept her face blank. What a pigsty, no wonder the cabin smelled so bad. It was in a worse state than when she’d used it before. Hurrying, Emma stood up and rinsed her hands under the faucet. She had to make a move soon or she’d be back in the closet.

  As she left the bathroom she asked, “Bonnie, I’m really thirsty. Jimmy Joe hasn’t been giving me much to drink. Do you think I can have a glass of water?”

  Indecision crossed Bonnie’s face. She waved Emma toward the kitchen. “Hurry up and get a drink.”

  Emma walked to the sink and picked up a used glass, then turned the facet on. Without warning, she turned and threw it at Bonnie’s face. The glass hit her on the mouth and dropped at her feet. Rushing over, Emma pushed Bonnie against the counter and grabbed at the gun. Wrestling Bonnie for the rifle, Emma felt a kick as the gun exploded into the kitchen. She jumped back in surprise and fright. Bonnie lost her balance and slid on the greasy floor, falling forward and hitting her head on the edge of the cast iron cooking stove.

  Emma, leaning against the kitchen counter, was breathing hard when she gazed down at Bonnie. Wiping the sweat from her face, she crouched beside Bonnie and placed her fingers on the side of Bonne’s neck. There was no pulse… My God! Panicked, Emma jumped up and looked at Bonnie. She shook her head in disbelief and bent down again, and felt again for a pulse in Bonnie’s wrist. This couldn’t have happened; people don’t just die like that.

  “Oh God, Bonnie, I’m sorry. Please wake up,” Emma cried, patting Bonnie’s cheek, pushing her straggly blonde hair away from her face.

  Emma choked back a sob and stared at the figure on the floor. Bonnie was dead. She swallowed hard, stood up, and stared down at the dead woman. Bonnie was dead and Orley would be back soon. Orley, who loved his Bonnie.

  Scared, Emma peered through the windows in the living room. There was nothing out there but woods. It would be foolish of her to try to walk out. She had no idea how far the nearest road was. She had to think fast. Orley would be back soon and she knew what he’d do once he discovered his beloved Bonnie was dead and she was alive.

  She hugged herself, trying to stop the shaking and concentrate on a plan. Her purse. Her cell phone was in her purse. Searching quickly through the cabin, she found her purse in the bathroom. It looked like Bonnie had been using her makeup. She pushed thoughts of Bonnie from her mind and flipped open the phone only to discover the battery was dead. Now what?

  She dug deeper and found the plug-end for her phone. Damn it was for her car, not the electrical outlet one. The phone was no use to her.

  She had to make a decision and she had to make it fast. Orley could be here any minute. Walking back into the kitchen, she looked at Bonnie. She needed a distraction, she needed Orley to bend down and think Bonnie had an accident. But how?

  Emma gazed at the stove and had an idea. She grabbed Bonnie’s shoulders and tugged her to the stove. Opening the oven door, she heaved Bonnie up and stuck her head into the oven. Placing Bonnie’s hands on the oven door, she stepped back and looked. It might work. It might confuse Orley long enough for her to hit him with the iron skillet that sat on the stove. She had no illusions left; it was her life or Orley’s.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Casey put the phone down and looked toward the chief’s office. It was a lead, a thin lead for sure, but anything was better than nothing. Casey knocked on the chief’s door. Summoned in, he sat on the chair closest to the desk. “I just got a new lead on Jimmy Joe.”

  Andrew looked up from his paperwork and then leaned back against his chair. Shoving the work aside, he met Casey’s eyes. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

  “An officer I know over in Hoxie called to say someone thought they’d seen Orley’s old car at a store on the north side of town.”

  “All right, what do you want to do?”

  “I want time off to work the area. It might take a little while to cover all the woods over that way.”

  “Orley’s car isn’t unique. It may not his car. But, let’s just say it is, then what?” Andrew asked.

  “Then what?” Casey repeated.

  “What are you going to do if you find him?”

  “I guess that depends on what he’s done to Emma,” Casey said. “If he’s hurt her, I’m going to kill him.”

  Andrew studied Casey before he said anything. “Don’t take your uniform off, Casey. Leave it on. If you end up killing Jimmy Joe, you’re gonna want to be wearing it.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Jason Stewart pulled his car in to the garage, turned off the motor, and rested his head against the steering wheel. What God-awful thing had he done in a past life to deserve this? He had never felt more helpless and alone in his life than he did now.

  When he told Sherry what had happened, she had collapsed. The only fortunate thing was that his in-laws were with her. He knew they’d take good care of his wife and Kerry. Sighing, he opened the car door and stepped out. His father in-law had suggested Jason should be with them, but he couldn't go. He had to stay home. He couldn’t take the chance that Emma would call and find no one home.

  Jason stepped inside the kitchen and turned the alarm off. The house was so quite he could hear the refrigerator kick on. Normally the house vibrated with Kerry’s stereo and the incessant ringing of the telephone. He pulled a beer from the refrigerator and wandered into the living room. He turned on the lights and sat by the phone to wait.

  ***

  Emma squeezed herself between the fridge and the wall, setting the iron skillet on the counter next to her. She’d probably just have one chance, so she’d better be ready.

  She wondered where Orley was. He’d been gone a lot longer than she thought. Positioning Bonnie’s head so it stayed in the oven had been more difficult than she’d anticipated. She had to force herself to handle Bonnie’s dead weight. By the time she’d finished, she’d had to throw up. Her whole body was stretched tight with tension and nerves.

  Orley should come through the back door. That way he’d see Bonnie straight away, Emma guessed. Hopefully he’d rush over and lean down. If he did, she was going to hit him on the head as hard as she could with the skillet. That should stop him, even though he was huge. Emma prayed it would stop him.

  The moment she heard a car door slam, she picked up the skillet. She truly hoped Orley was drunk, his mind not thinking clearly. Holding her breath, she heard him open the back door.

  When he dropped the bottle of whiskey he was carrying, Emma jumped at the unexpected sound. She heard him muttering Bonnie’s name. Then he did exactly what she hoped he’d do - he rushed over and pulled Bonnie out of the oven. Laying her down on the dirty floor, he bent over her trying to see if she was still breathing. Emma waited until he was bringing his head back up before scrambling out of her hiding place. With all her might, she slammed the heavy iron skillet down as hard as she could onto his head.

  Orley dropped on top of Bonnie and lay still. Blood was oozing out of his head and trickling down onto Bonnie’s shirt. Tiptoeing up close, Emma could hear Orley’s labored breathing. He was still alive. Uncertain what to do next, Emma stepped back.

  What should she do? She knew if Orley got up, he wouldn’t waste any time killing her. Remembering what Kerry had said how she wished a hundred times, she’d finished Jimmy Joe off when she had the chance; Emma felt her mouth go dry. She knew what she had to do. She swung the skillet back, and heaved it at Orley’s head. She heard a ‘pop’ sound, almost like a bottle being opened and Orley’s ragged breathing stopped. He was dead.

  Emma leaned back against the counter and threw up. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve she turned
away. She would never have believed she could kill another person… but she had. Her mind raced in confused circles as she tried to figure out what she should do next. She needed to get to a phone. She had to call her dad and warn him about Jimmy Joe.

  She raced into the bathroom and picked up her cell phone and the plug-in. Hurrying out of the house, she ran to Orley’s car. Dumping the ash and butts out of the ashtray, she plugged her phone in. It worked! Thank God it worked. With shaking hands, she dialed home and heard the phone begin to ring.

  ***

  Jason was dozing in the chair when the sound of the phone woke him. He grabbed the receiver, glancing at the caller ID and his heart missed a beat. “Emma? Emma is that you?”

  “Dad!”

  Jason cradled the phone, his throat choking on bile. He sent a quick prayer to God thanking him.

  “Emma, are you okay? Where are you?”

  “Dad I’m all right. Are you okay? You sound funny.”

  Jason felt strength and hope flood his body like a wave. “I’m okay now that I’ve heard your voice. Emma, are you sure, you’re okay? Are you hurt, where are you?”

  “Dad, I’m okay. My face is a little smashed up but I’m basically all right. Dad, are mom and Kerry still in Hawaii?”

  “Yes, they are. We decided not to tell Kerry about you. Your mom and I didn’t think she could handle it.”

  “Dad listen, Jimmy Joe’s on his way. He left hours ago heading for our house. He doesn’t believe Kerry isn’t there You have to get out of there and call the police.” When he didn’t respond, she frowned. She clutched the phone to her ear, “Dad, are you there. Did you hear me? Jimmy Joe’s coming to our house.”

  Jason sat back against the chair and thought furiously. “Emma, have you called anyone else?”

  “Called anyone else? No, but dad, do you understand about Jimmy Joe?”

  “Emma, listen to me carefully. I’m not leaving the house. We can’t count on the police catching Jimmy Joe. Look what he’s done to our family. I’m not about to take the chance of him getting away.”

  “Dad, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I’ll let Jimmy Joe walk into our house and then I’m going to kill him.”

  Emma sank against the cold seat of the car. “Are you saying…? What are you saying?”

  “Kerry will never get better as long as he’s alive.”

  “Dad, there’s something, there’s something you should know. Inside the cabin, in there, are Jimmy Joe’s sister and her boyfriend. They’re dead, dad. They’re both dead.”

  “How did they die? Did Jimmy Joe kill them?”

  “No Dad, Jimmy Joe’s sister fell when we were fighting over the gun. She hit her head on the stove and died. But Orley… Dad, I killed him, I hit him in the head with an iron skillet.” Swallowing back tears, Emma waited for her Dad to speak.

  “I’m sorry Emma. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. You’re safe now, though?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then stay where you are and don’t call anyone. Especially not Casey, no one.”

  “But dad, are you sure? I couldn’t stand anything happening to you.”

  “I promise I won’t take any chances. I’ll shoot him as soon as he walks in.”

  “Do you even have a gun?”

  “No, but your grandfather has one. I’ll go get it and wait for him to show up.”

  “What about mom, are you going to call her?”

  “No Emma, we have to make this look like Jimmy Joe broke in. No one can know.”

  “Dad, are you sure we can’t call the police?”

  “I’m sure. We would never feel safe if he’s alive.”

  “Okay, okay,” Emma agreed. “What should I do?”

  “Wait for me to call you back before you call Casey. I’ll call you as soon as Jimmy Joe’s dead.”

  “I love you Dad.”

  “I love you too, Emma. Bye.”

  Emma flipped the phone shut and wiped away tears that ran down her face. Her Dad was right, Kerry would never get better until Jimmy Joe was dead.

  She got out of the car and walked back into the kitchen. Turning her eyes away from Orley and Bonnie, she slipped around them, then walked into the bedroom. Stripping the sheets off the bed, she returned to the kitchen. She pulled Orley off Bonnie and arranged the sheets over them. She stared at Bonnie’s motionless form. She walked back into the bedroom and grabbed a pillow, then carefully tucked it underneath Bonnie’s head. She said a prayer over Bonnie’s body.

  She took the quilt from the bed, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and got into the car. Once she was settled with the quilt wrapped around her, Emma pulled the tab off the beer and took a long drink. She settled back to wait for her father’s call.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Casey walked through another section of the woods. He glanced down at his filthy uniform. Ice and mud had formed dark patches all over his uniform. His uniform was dirty but it was on.

  Anxiety drove him on; he had covered many miles in the last twenty-four hours. Each minute seem to last an hour. He had to find Emma soon. Jimmy Joe was growing more out of control with every passing hour.

  Casey got back in the squad car and listened to the back and forth of the Hoxie police cracking through the radio. The old guy he’d spoken to told him how he saw a beat-up old white Comet pull into one of the side roads leading to hunting cabins people kept in these parts. The old man just couldn’t remember which road.

  It was a long shot but it was a lead, and he would follow any lead that took him to Emma.

  He pulled the squad car back onto the highway and gunned it down the road. He wondered if anyone had checked the liquor stores around Hoxie. It would make sense that they needed alcohol. He’d talked to a lot of people and every one of them said Orley was a big drinker.

  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Andrew to get the locations of liquor stores.

  ***

  Casey pulled his car into the parking space at the second liquor store in Hoxie. The interior was bright and he waited patiently behind an older lady buying wine.

  When she hurried out, he flashed his badge at the clerk, a medium sized man with a goatee and a balding head, who glanced at it and yawned. “You ain’t from around here, are you? You ain’t even wearing the same uniform our guys wear.”

  Casey pushed his badge back into his uniform pocket and placed the palms on the counter. He stared at the man, “No, I’m not from around here. I’m from Lepanto and I’m working on the murders that happened in Pigett a couple of days ago.”

  “Lepanto, huh? I had me a girlfriend that lived there. Pretty town.” Intrigued, the man held out his hand. “I heard what that bastard did to those two old ladies over in Pigett. Shot’em down like dogs is what I heard.”

  “You heard right,” Casey said.

  “What can I do to help?”

  “I’m looking for a guy who drives an old white Comet. Big, sloppy looking guy. About six foot tall with shaggy brown hair.”

  “Kind of stupid looking?”

  Casey felt his heart jump, and nodded.

  “Yea, I had a guy like that come in a couple of times. He acted real squirrelly. Course, I get a lot of people who act like that. But this guy was driving an old Comet.”

  “Has he been in here lately?”

  “Yea, he was in here this evening, around six or so.”

  “Did you see what direction he headed for when he left?”

  The clerk scratched his head, “Sorry. I don’t usually pay any attention once they pay and walk out.”

  Casey smiled, feeling optimistic. “That’s okay. They must be holed up around here somewhere.”

  “You got a number I can call if he comes back in here?”

  Casey pulled out his card and wrote his cell number on the back. “Here you go. Thanks, you’ve been a huge help.”

  “Bastards that shoot defenseless old ladies ought to be hanged,” the clerk said, pl
acing the card in his shirt pocket.

  Casey shook the man’s hand again before returning to the car. He should call the chief. But if Jimmy Joe had done anything to Emma, it would be better if he weren’t involved.

  ***

  Jason shook his head at his own stupidity and walked round to the back of the house. He had forgotten his keys. He removed his coat and rolled it around his arm. Standing close, he rammed his hand through the window, breaking the glass. Reaching inside, he unlocked the back door and stepped into the warm kitchen. He turned off the squealing alarm.

  Without thinking, he removed his muddy shoes and left them by the door. He took the stairs two at a time and hurried into his in-laws’ bedroom. He found the revolver in the nightstand where it always was. Checking the bullets, Jason reached in for the box of shells.

  ***

  Casey turned down a road that led back into the woods. This looked promising - the road had been used recently. Slowing down, Casey eyed the road. Quite a bit of traffic for a remote hunting cabin, he thought. Reaching for his pistol, he pulled it from its holster and laid it on the seat beside him.

  He saw a break in the trees just ahead and steered the squad car over to the side of the road. Picking up his gun, he stepped out and made his way to the clearing. Parked beside the cabin was Orley’s old Comet. He’d found Emma.

  ***

  Emma had drunk the can of beer and found herself wishing she hadn’t. She needed to use the bathroom but couldn’t face going back inside. Movement caught her attention and she glanced in the rearview mirror. Someone was crawling toward the car. She turned to get a better look. A man. Scared, she hunkered down in the seat, pulling the quilt on top of her. Closing her eyes, she willed the stranger to go away. She was so tired. How much more could she handle?

  ***

  Casey crouched beside the car, then rose slowly and looked in. He saw the cover move. Someone was definitely under the quilts. Pulling his gun, he glanced at the cabin. He couldn’t see any movement inside. His hand reached for the car door and he pulled. It was locked.