First Kill (Heaven Sent Book 1)

by Mary Abshire

  “I’ll call if he pops out again.”

  She walked away, leaving him alone on the bench. He stretched out his arms over the back and relaxed in the sun, watching people come and go with items purchased from the booths. He thought about his mom and how she always enjoyed visiting fresh markets. He wondered what she had been doing over the last couple of days while he’d been gone.

  More and more bodies crowded the square. The tables filled as people chose to eat their lunches in the nice weather. Andrew left his spot and visited some of the booths. He spoke to a few of the salesman and learned the market is open daily when the climate is good. Andrew lingered in the area closest to the street near the demon’s place of employment. As soon as the bench became available, he planted his rear on it before anyone else could.

  Sometime later, Emily reappeared with a plastic bag in her hand. She was coming up the sidewalk and looked sexy in her tight jeans. He’d been trying not to stare, but his efforts never lasted long.

  “You moved,” she said as she took a seat next to him.

  “It was getting crowded and I couldn’t see too well.”

  The sack made a swishing sound as she lifted a white container from it. “This is yours. I hope you like chicken burritos.”

  “Oh, awesome. I love burritos of any kind.” Now that he could taste food again, he couldn’t wait to devour his favorite ones.

  She withdrew another container and forks. “I got a taco salad.” She handed him one of the utensils.

  He popped the lid and sniffed the burrito. “Yum.”

  Turned sideways to keep his eyes on the building, he delved his fork into the food. The taste of chicken, rice, beans, vegetables, and spices graced his tongue. He loved it and tried not to shovel it all into his mouth like a starved bear. Emily’s salad looked delicious too, but he doubted it would be as tasty and filling as his burrito.

  After they finished their lunches, they relaxed and chatted. Sometime in the afternoon he began to sweat. Emily took notice and ventured away to find a treat to help keep him cool. He’d never asked. She’d thought of it herself, like always. And when he’d tried to talk her out of spending her money, he’d lost the battle. She was a strong-willed woman and once she made up her mind, she stuck to it. When she returned with two containers of frozen yogurt, he decided her determination wasn’t such a bad quality after all.

  The vendors packed up their goods and most were gone by four. Cars parked on the sides of the streets had thinned out. Emily had gone to move the Jeep closer while he continued to monitor the exits. She found a spot not far from the garage. Having spent enough time in the sun, Andrew decided to join her in the car.

  The time on the dash read 5:35. Men and women had exited the building in big groups since the top of the hour. The demon had yet to appear.

  “Are you sure you didn’t miss him?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Not even two seconds later, the demon strode from the exit on the side of the building. He crossed the alley, then continued down the sidewalk. “That’s him.”

  Emily straightened. “The short blue polo guy?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wish I could see his face instead of his backside.”

  The demon crossed the street at the stoplight near the garage. Once he disappeared inside, Emily started the engine.

  “We’re looking for an old brown Ford truck,” she said.

  “Are there any other exits from the garage?”

  Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “Fuck.”

  She steered onto the road after the traffic had passed. “I’m pretty sure I saw another exit when I was coming back with our lunches. I’ll have to drive around the block since there’s no way we can watch both at the same time. Hopefully we won’t miss him.”

  “At least we know where he lives if we does get away from us.” He tried to lift her spirits since she seemed irritated.

  “Yeah, but what if he doesn’t go home right away?”

  “Then we wait for him to show.”

  She kept her lips together and her focus on the road as she rounded each block. She gripped the wheel tighter at the stoplights with no turn on red signs. When the lights turned green, she hit the gas. They’d circled the garage one time without spotting an old brown truck. She zoomed down the street and managed to turn the corner before the light changed, but she had to stop at the next intersection. Andrew stared out his window since the garage exited to the street on his right. An old Ford emerged and left the garage.

  “I think found it,” he said as he pointed.

  Emily edged forward. The light remained red. Andrew watched the truck continued down the road until he couldn’t see it any longer. Once the green light appeared, she sped to catch up with the truck.

  “I really hope there aren’t any cops around,” she said as she zipped around vehicles as if she were playing a game of Frogger.

  Andrew kept one hand on the dash and the other on the handle above the window. Bumper kissing seemed to be a strong possibility the way she drove.

  “He’s one lane to the left,” he said.

  She braked and waited for the car to pass before she switched lanes. They were four cars behind the demon. Unlike Emily, the demon drove at the normal speed.

  “Do you think he’s heading home?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen any signs for the interstate.”

  Andrew had noticed that too. So where was the demon going?

  Emily kept a four-car distance behind him. He stayed in the same lane for several miles. It became clear he had other plans than going home to his wife after work. One of the cars in front of them moved into the turning lane. Instead of speeding up, Emily slowed to create more distance. Another car decided to slide in front of her and the light changed. The vehicle braked, forcing Emily to do the same. The demon had already made it past the light.

  “Damn it!” She hit the steering wheel.

  Andrew lost sight of the truck, but not too far ahead was a large building with a flashing sign. “I think I know where he might be going.” He pointed.

  A smile emerged on her face. “I think you might be right. His credit card statements showed he liked to drink and gamble.”

  If Andrew was wrong, they’d have to wait somewhere around the demon’s home for him to return. It wasn’t a bad option, but Andrew preferred to observe the demon from a closer proximity within a public setting. The casino would be the perfect place.

  After the light changed, Emily sped toward the casino. The huge parking lot was half filled in the front and on the side. She turned in the direction leading to the front of the building. Starting in the back, she drove down the row of parked cars. Andrew scanned the lot on his side while she searched on hers. She turned down the next row and continued looking. After she’d driven by all the parked vehicles, she steered to the side lot.

  “I hope he’s here,” she said as she started down the first row. “I really want to see what this guy looks like.”

  She slowed the Jeep and Andrew jerked his gaze to her side. An old Ford truck was parked midway in the row. The ugly vehicle brightened his mood. How silly was that?

  “Looks like we get to gamble this evening,” she said as she drove past it. “Feeling lucky?”

  “I don’t gamble. I always end up losing.” He’d lost fifty dollars at a casino once. After that, he stopped going to them. He preferred spending his hard-earned money on dates or going out with his buddies. Sitting at slot machines or tables in a smoke-filled room bored him.

  She parked the Liberty a row behind the demon’s truck. “I don’t care for it either, but since we’re here we might as well have a little fun.”

  Emily grabbed her purse from the back before they headed toward the entrance. “Have you thought about how you’re going to kill this guy without getting caught?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I’m hoping an idea will come to me if we keep watching him.”

  Andrew was eager to do what he h
ad to do, but the how, when, and where were still unanswered questions. The demon went to work and had a wife to go home to. Andrew couldn’t kill the man at his job or in front of his wife. Somehow, he had to find a way to get the demon to a secluded area. And he had no idea how to accomplish that.

  They strolled inside the casino from the side entrance of the building. The wide hallway had restrooms on the right and several booths for cashing out on the left. The walls were painted a soft gold and the carpet contained a red, blue, and green pattern with gold as the background color. They stopped at the end of the hall where the casino opened up to rows and rows of gambling machines. They looked different from the last ones he’d seen. The new ones had flashing lights, a variety of buttons, and digital displays. Some machines were huge. Adding to his surprise, the air was clean and void of a cloud of smoke hovering.

  “Do you want to split up?” Emily asked. “I know what he’s wearing, so I might be able to find him.”

  “We can cover more of the room if we go separate ways,” he said, nodding.

  “I’ll start on the left and work my way to the back.” She pointed.

  “I’ll call if I find him,” he said before she backed away and then left.

  Andrew scanned the area nearby. He doubted the demon would sit at a machine that would offer small returns. To win big, he’d have to spend big. Andrew needed to locate the tables.

  He strolled down the walkway, scanning the backsides of people playing. Most men and women were older folks. Not everything had changed from his last visit to a casino.

  At the end of the row, he searched for tables. He found more rows of machines, but beyond them in the center of the room he spotted a few men and women dressed in black with white shirts. Given they wore matching attire, he guessed they were dealers. Anxious to find the demon, Andrew headed for the area where he believed all the action was at.

  He strode the long way around until he reached a spot not too far from the tables. As he suspected, more men and women were in the heart of the room, spending the big bucks. He didn’t have to walk far to find the demon sitting at a table with two women next to him. Andrew ambled near a couple of lonely money-hungry machines while he called Emily. She answered on the second ring.

  “That was fast,” she said.

  “I’m in the center, near the craps tables. He’s playing a card game with two women.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  He tucked the phone back into his pocket. Andrew was a good distance behind the demon at a small angle, but close enough to monitor his movements. Without appearing like the stalker he was, Andrew sat on the stool in front of a machine. He leaned to the side and the demon was in his line of sight.

  Emily strode up the aisle within a few minutes of his call. She kept glancing in the demon’s location as she approached Andrew. She sat near the machine on his left. “He’s ugly,” she said and a chuckle slipped from him. “Seriously. I wouldn’t give that guy the time of day.”

  “Maybe he’s good in the sack,” Andrew teased. “Women like men who—”

  “Stop right there. I don’t want to hear it Mr. Angel Gigolo.”

  Her sense of humor acquired a grin from him. So many women he’d met were lacking in that department.

  “These are dollar slots,” she said. “You couldn’t find a place to sit that was cheaper?”

  “The seats are free.”

  “Yes, but I have to play something or they’ll suspect we’re up to no good.” She dug inside her purse. Finding some bills, she withdrew them. “Here.”

  He took two dollars from her. “I don’t even know how to work these things. It’s too … electronic.”

  She reached over and snatched the money from his hand. “Watch and learn.”

  She slid a bill into the thin slot as if she were feeding money to a vending machine. The funds registered on the display. She pressed a button and the sixteen different images changed. In less than twenty seconds she lost her dollar.

  “And that’s how you lose money. It’s pretty easy. I’m almost a pro at it,” she said.

  Andrew shook his head while he glanced at the demon sitting at the table. He was talking to the other women and leaning toward the one closest to him. The demon laughed and appeared to be having a good time.

  “For a married man, he sure flirts a lot,” Andrew said.

  “Sometimes men like the forbidden fruit more than a warm blanket at home.”

  “I guess.” He shifted his attention to her. “Which are you?”

  “I’m the warm blanket type of girl, but I also don’t plan on getting married. Over fifty percent end in divorce and the ones that stay married, like my parents, are miserable.” She handed the bill to him. “Play.”

  Andrew inserted the dollar in the slot while he watched the demon. The machine sucked it inside as if it were starving. Once the funds showed up on the screen, he tapped the button. The small pictures changed, then one after another stopped and two rows matched. Above the machine, a light swirled.

  “I don’t fucking believe it,” Emily said, her tone dire. “You won.”

  He searched the screen, trying to locate the amount. “How much did I win?”

  She pointed to the digital numbers. His jaw dropped when he saw the amount.

  “I won over twenty-two hundred dollars?” he asked, shocked.

  “If you want to cash out, you hit the other button.” She pointed to a different one on the panel. “Or you can keep playing.”

  “No. Oh no, I’m not giving this up. It’s your money.” He pressed the cash out option. The machine spit out a receipt. He took it and gave it to her.

  With arched brows, she eyed the paper as if it might hurt her to touch it. “You really want to give that to me?”

  “Of course. It was your dollar. Plus, you spent a lot of money to help me and had money stolen because of me. I doubt this covers everything, but it’s a start.”

  “Thanks.” She hesitantly took the small paper.

  Andrew returned his attention to the demon. A waitress came to stand by him. The demon told her something. Seconds later, she walked away. The demon smiled to the ladies and they returned an equally pleasant one to him.

  “They look like they’re having a good time,” Emily said.

  “Mm hmm.”

  “Here.” She pushed another dollar in front of him. “Play it on mine. I want to see if you win.”

  He wanted to laugh. “I’m not going to win. What happened earlier was—”

  “Luck. And I want to see just how lucky you are.” She shook the bill in front of him and it folded over.

  Seeing that she wasn’t going to give up on him, he took the bill from her fingers. She switched seats with him.

  “Keep an eye on our guy,” he said.

  “Ick,” she said, staring at the demon. “He’s definitely not my guy.”

  Andrew pushed the dollar into the machine. He hit the button and watched the pictures change. A few of the figures matched and the light above flashed. The amount on the digital display showed he’d won close to three hundred dollars. He hit the cash out button.

  “It’s not as much as the other one, but it’s yours.” He handed the receipt to her.

  “See, you have some luck in you.”

  “I never did before.”

  He veered his attention back to the demon. The waitress delivered cocktails to him and his lady friends. They gave a toast before they sipped their drinks.

  “He’s broke and drives a piece of shit car, but he blows his money here and on women,” Emily said.

  Together, they watched the demon play, flirt, drink, and flirt more with the women. Emily gave him two more dollars to play. He lost them both. She didn’t seem to care. Whatever luck he had didn’t last.

  “I have an idea,” she said, shifting her gaze to Andrew. “I think I can help you get this guy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He likes women and booze. Since I have tits and ass, I
might be able to lure him away.”

  She had more than sexy T and A to Andrew. She had character and a pretty face to boot. But he refrained from sharing what he thought. As for her idea, it was decent, but the thought of her risking her life left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “Tomorrow, I can try to bump into him at lunch. I can say I’m in town for a conference and I’m looking to enjoy a few drinks in the company of a man. I’ll give him my number. If he calls, I can meet him at a bar. We have a few drinks and then I invite him to my hotel. But I will really take him to a place where you’ll be waiting.”

  He inhaled a deep breath and crossed his arms. Although he disliked the idea of her getting close to him, her plan would likely work.

  “We need to find a spot that’s out of sight,” he said.

  “We can look after we leave here, or in the morning.”

  He tapped his foot on the carpet while he considered what other options they had. He couldn’t think of any and waiting longer to kill the demon didn’t sit well with Andrew. He wanted to complete his task and move to the next one.

  “I thought you wouldn’t give him the time of day?” he asked.

  “I didn’t say I would enjoy this. I’m offering to help.”

  “Okay, I think your plan will work. But for the record, it bothers me.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because you will have to get close to him.”

  “He’s just some ugly creepy guy. I think I can handle him. I’ll shower and scrub afterward.”

  While she saw a regular human, he saw an evil demon. Andrew preferred she’d stay away from such vile beings for her own safety, but he had no other options for getting to the demon.

  “He’s a murderer and he’s raped women,” he reminded her. “You need to be very careful.”

  “Trust me, I will. I’m not a big fan of getting friendly with this sleazeball. I’m doing it to help you. We can pull this off if we work together,” she said with a steadfast gaze.

  “With you, I believe anything is possible.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Emily left the casino with a wide grin on her face and a heavy purse full of cash. Andrew walked beside her with his hands hidden inside his front pockets. She couldn’t believe his luck. On the way out, she stopped at one of the quarter slots and gave him a dollar to play. The first three tries were losses. She’d thought her money had been wasted again, but it didn’t bother her one bit since he’d given her over two thousand dollars. Then one icon after another matched on the screen. The light above flashed and the digital numbers climbed to show he’d won another eight hundred dollars and change. She couldn’t believe it. The man claiming to be an angel had won over three grand. More stunning, he’d insisted she take it all.