“I don't want yo girls coming back here without one of us. I have to work first thing in the morning but I could call out if you want me to.” He looked at Jamie. Tom would do anything for her. Anything to make her happy and comfort her the best he could.
“No, you go to work. I am sure that you need the money and we can have Mark come with us if he isn't working in the morning.” Jamie looked over at Kellie for an answer.
“We will come back in the morning.” Kellie repeated, nodding her head. Wishing that they would just stop talking and get the hell out of there and go to where there were other people around them.
“Alright.” Jamie nodded her head and sighed heavily. Getting ready to lift the bag but Tom took it from her before she could carry it out the door.
“We'll put this in the back seat. You guys are going to be following us to the hotel right?” Tom asked Kellie.
“Sure. Which hotel are we going to?” Kellie asked as they headed out of the bedroom. Jamie decided to leave it open there was no reason to close it now that no one was going to be there.
“I don't care what hotel as long as its in the city and there are people around. If anything was to happen we have time to get out and be around people. Out here there's no one who would hear us cry for help if we needed it.” Tom explained to her.
Once they were out to the front door and saw Mark stand up the police began heading out the door and they followed after them.
“We'll wait out here until we know that you guys are safely on your way.” Charles told them. Knowing that they had a long night ahead of themselves.
“Thank you for coming out here and letting us know. Making sure that we are safe.” Jamie told both the police when she unlocked her car door and grabbed her laptop case from the back seat and then slammed the door shut making sure the doors were locked and handing the car keys over to Tom so that he could put them into his pocket.
“Its all part of our job. Make sure that you stay safe and we hope that you have a good night.” Charles nodded to her and gave her a sad smile.
“We'll try to have a good night and as far as being safe that's the police's job but you guys can't be right there every minute.” Jamie explained that she understood that they had a job to do too.
“Ma'am if we could be around every second Alice Jacobson wouldn't be dead.” Charles told her sadly.
Jamie stopped in her tracks on the way to walking to Tom's car. Heading to the passenger side door.
“Did you say Alice Jacobson?” Jamie turned around to face Charles.
“Yes, very sad.” He shook his head as him and his partner began walking towards the police car that was on the side of the road.
Jamie didn't say anything to them as she walked the rest of the way to Tom's car. Getting in and shutting the door behind her. Making sure it was locked as she watched Tom get into the drivers side seat and started the car.
“Did you know her?” Tom asked when he started the car and waited for Mark and Kellie to get into their car and start it up.
Tom backed out of her driveway and onto the street. Heading in town, looking in the rear view mirror and seeing that Mark was following close behind them.
Tom didn't start doing the speed limit until he knew that Mark was right behind him so that he could keep an eye on them.
“Did you know them?” Tom asked her, turning the radio off and looking over at her before turning back to the road.
“She was part of the popular group when were going to school together. We never hung out but I saw her at the grocery store last week and we stopped to talk for a few minutes. We hadn't seen each other since our Senior Class Trip after graduation. We shared a room together.” Jamie whispered to him.
“She never said anything about someone bothering her? Never looked worried when the two of you were talking last week?” Tom asked her, wondering if there were signs that something was the matter and maybe Jamie could think back to it.
“No. She seemed really happy. She had two kids. Two little ones, I can't imagine what they are going through right now.” Jamie shook her head sadly.
“That is sad. I am sorry.” Tom told her, taking one of his hands off the steering wheel and reaching out for hers. Squeezing it tightly in his.
“I'm glad that you decided to come over tonight. If we hadn't made these plans tonight I would be home alone freaking out.” Jamie was close to tears, thinking about being alone and not liking the idea.
“No you wouldn't be. I would have come over regardless after watching the news. I wouldn't let you be by yourself. You should know that by now.” Tom kissed the back of her hand and she gave him a smile. Feeling his warm lips on her skin.
“Thank you.” She told him and looked out the window.
“For what?” Tom gave a small chuckle.
“For being here for me. Making sure that I'm okay during this crazy time.” She pointed out to him and rolled her eyes.
“That's what I'm here for. I love you and you know that. I wouldn't let anything happen to you if I can help it.” Tom assured her. Thinking she should have known that by now.
“I know.” She grinned at him. Glad that she had someone in her life that loved her and wanted to be with her all the time.
“You know I was thinking about something earlier today.” Tom started out as he stopped at a red light. Glad that they were close to getting into town.
“What were you thinking about?” She looked at him as the light turned green and Tom looked again in his rear view mirror to make sure that Mark was still right behind him. Letting out a sigh of relief when he saw that Mark was as close as he could be without crashing into the back of him. As if he backed off that he would lose Tom in the darkness.
“Before any of this happened tonight when I got off from work and cashed my check I thought that it might be time to think about the conversation of moving in with each other. We both live on our own and I think its silly to be paying rent when we could pay it together instead of spending out money on both ends.” Tom told her, his heart racing. He wanted to talk to her about it and was excited until he heard the news on the radio.
“You really think we are ready for that?” Jamie asked him, her eyes widening surprised that he would think about something like that.
“We've been together three years and for three years we've been paying bills that we could be paying together. Like rent, lights, cable I'm sure.” Tom laughed a little. Surprised that she seemed so shocked about it.
“Who would give up their place?” Jamie asked him. She had moved into that trailer when she had turned sixteen. Leaving her parents home over an argument she had moved in with one of her friends from school at the time and it took her a few weeks to save up the money to get the trailer. It was only four hundred a month and she made that in a week with all the overtime she was putting in. she had begged her boss to give her more hours after the first month of working there and her boss understood her situation so he made sure that she forty hours plus after she had graduated high school so that she could keep a roof over her head.
“I would think that you would want to. I mean I live close by to everything. If you needed anything and we were working opposite shifts like we do now I would think that you would want to be around people. When something like this happens the world seems so far away when you live in the middle of the sticks.” Tom pointed out to her.
“I know that, but this is the first time that this has ever happened. I would like to be able to go back to the trailer when all this is over. I am sure they will catch the killer, they can't hide out forever.” Jamie muttered, not liking the idea of giving up her small trailer and her privacy. She had her own routine that she would have to change if she moved in with Tom.
“We don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to. There is plenty of time for that. I just wanted to let you know where I thought our relationship was heading.” He gave her a small smile. Knowing that she didn't want to give up her trailer.
“No its a great idea, I like the idea of living with you. I wouldn't be alone at night time and wouldn't have to find time for you sleep over. It would be like a sleep over every night.” Jamie laughed, feeling a little bit better.
“Good. Then we will make plans when this is all over with and from there we will figure out which route to take when it comes to who is going to move in with who. We shouldn't think about that right now.” Tom's small smile turned into a bigger one, glad that she was agreeing with him. The only thing she wasn't agreeing with him on was where to live.
Tom figured he would be able to talk her into moving into the city. It was a lot better when there were people around and couldn't think about her being out in the woods by herself until he came home from work as it was he was working usually until nine o'clock at night and an hour away. That was the only reason he listened to the news on the radio. He hadn't even gone to his house yet. He put docks in the water in the summer time and during the winter he worked at a coat factory. The same things he had been doing for over five years and he liked the money that went with it. Though he didn't care too much about the cold waters of fall when it was time to take the docks out of the lakes.
“Right, lets not worry about that right now.” She agreed strongly with him. Not sure that she wanted to give up her birds and crickets for beeping horns and people hollering as they were walking down the side walks in the middle of summer time. Usually teenage kids who were looking for trouble. Thinking back to when she was a teenager herself which wasn't that many years ago when she really thought about it.
Jamie looked out the window as Tom stopped at another red light. He was already tired and he knew it was going to be a long night with the girls being scared, though he wasn't going to admit to anyone he was scared too. It wasn't something that he would admit to if his life depended on it because he was a man. Not to mention that if Jamie knew he was scared then she really had a big reason to be scared herself.
Jamie saw the lights of the city and saw a man walking on the sidewalk. She kept her eyes on him and saw that he was walking fast. He had a black hooded sweat-shirt on and looked at her, keeping eye contact with her even when he had passed the car. She looked in the side mirror and saw the man turn his head to look back at the car to see if she was still looking at him. Jamie quickly moved her eyes to the windshield to stare in front of her. Glad that her car door was locked.
“What's the matter?” Tom asked her softly, seeing that she was on edge again.
“That man that walked by the car was kind of creepy looking. Who would wear a hooded sweat shirt in the middle of the summer time when its almost ninety degrees outside?” She asked him, shaking her head and shivering with fear.
“I don't know. Someone just coming back from swimming. Not too far from here is a river he could have brought it with him a little chilly from getting out of the water.” Tom explained easily. There could be a million reasons why someone would wear a hooded sweat shirt in the summer time. He thought that Jamie was just scared because of what had happened. Which was completely normal.
“Just the way he looked at me even after he passed by the car was kind of creepy.” She shook her head not letting it go.
“I am sure that he thinks you are a weirdo too looking at him the way you were like he had done something wrong.” Tom pointed out to her and smiled at her when she laughed a little. Someone thinking that she was the weirdo.
“I guess no one really listens to the police now a days. They wanted people to stay in tonight after what had happened to Alice.” Jamie reminded him.
“Well Mark and Kellie didn't know what was going on until they arrived at your house. Maybe he hasn't heard the news yet.” Tom shrugged his shoulders praying that a hotel would come into view. He wanted to stop driving for the night.
“Where is there a hotel around here?” Jamie muttered, wanting to get out of the car and into a room quickly.
“I don't know. I hope that one is coming up soon. I am tired.” He muttered, glad that the light had turned green and they could go again.
“Kellie and Mark still behind us?” Jamie asked, not able to see the color of the car behind them.
“Yeah, I've been watching from time to time since we left the trailer.” Tom nodded his head, wishing she wouldn't worry so much. He wished that he could love her worry away though he knew that he couldn't.
“Sorry.” She told him, seeing that he was getting a little annoyed with her. She could tell just by looking at his face.
“There's nothing to be sorry about. Tonight with what happened anyone would be scared, living so close to where the murder took place. I wonder who would want to kill her.” Tom thought about it for a minute and not being able to come up with a reason.
“I don't know. Maybe someone tried to rob her and she fought them. I don't even know why she would be jogging out this late at night either. Why would her husband let her jog so late at night?” Would you let me do it?” Jamie asked him curiously.
“Of course not. I would make you go to a gym if you wanted to work out at night time. I don't believe that a woman should be out jogging or walking the streets unless she has to at night. They should have someone with them or carry some kind of protection.” Tom told her how he felt about it.
“Good. I wouldn't be out there myself but I wonder if she was really jogging or maybe running away from someone.” Jamie thought out loud. It could have looked like she was jogging because of the clothing she was wearing but no one really knew her story except herself and now she was dead.
“Did you know that she lived so close to you?” Tom asked her.
“I didn't know just how close but I knew that she lived in the area.” Jamie nodded her head. She wished that she got Alice's number and wondered if it would have made a difference.
“I'm thinking there is more to the story then what is being said. Maybe if the police find out what is going on then they will really update the public like they say they will.” Tom prayed that there was a reason of why Alice had been killed.
Not because anyone deserved to die but it would be good to know if it was a serial killer on the loose or if someone was targeting her. Any information would help people out. Praying that it wasn't a soon to be serial killer on the loose. That was the last thing they needed.
“Maybe we should turn the radio on and listen to some music.” Jamie whispered, hoping to pass the time and listen to uplifting music.
When she turned the radio on she wished that she hadn't. She went to go shut it off when another update came through but Tom stopped her. Putting his hand on hers gently.
“Tonight a woman named Alice Jacobson was found dead on Randolph Road. It doesn't look to be a robbery and its sad to say that another body has been found deeper into the woods. It seems like who ever killed Alice was waiting for her to jog by or she was jogging by when the other woman was being killed. Right now it looks like women who are twenty-two years of age are being targeted. We aren't allowed to release names as of yet but her age is very important in this case so we are told by police that we are allowed to let this information out. The other woman who has been killed tonight had just turned twenty-two last week.” The radio announcer spoke loudly through the radio speakers and Jamie quickly turned it off before Tom could stop her again.
“I'm twenty-two.” Jamie whispered, tears coming to her eyes.
“You're going to be fine. You are surrounded by friends. You are going to be fine. A killer is on the prowl for anyone whose young. Don't listen to the news.” He told her, getting upset at the announcer though it wasn't his fault he was just doing his job.
Tom was glad when he saw a small hotel up ahead. The lights on and seeing that not too many people were parked in the parking lot. Though there were fast food joints and apartment buildings around in case anything did happen they could run for help.
“Do you know if I packed my cell phone?” She asked him as he turned into the Seaside bed and breakfast.
“Ye
s. I did. I found it on the couch before we left. I put it in my back pocket.” He told her quickly. Watching as Mark parked right next to him. He was hoping that they would get the same hotel room if not the same hotel room then one right next to each other.
Tom shut the car off and took the key out of the ignition. Getting out of the car he grabbed her bag and her laptop that were in the backseat of his car and watched as Jamie got out of the car before he locked it up.
Taking a look at his red sports car he smiled at it. Glad that he had taken it to the car wash on his lunch break. He loved the color red and it shined. Knowing that it was clean inside and out he was happy with what he had accomplished that day.
Mark and Kellie got out of their car and locked it up as well. Mark had a black four door car. Nothing fancy like Tom's but he was happy with it. As long as it got him to point A to point B then he was happy with it.
“I'm going to go in and register us. Hope that we get a hotel room together. If not we have to get a room side by side.” Tom told them the plan.
He walked into the hotel office and they watched him talking to the front desk. Nodding his head and grabbing two keys he quickly walked back out to meet them at the car.
“Well we aren't in the same room but there is a door that we can keep open. Our rooms are connected that's the best we could get.” Tom explained, handing Mark a key.
“Room 109 and 110. That's pretty cool that our rooms are connected.” Mark looked at the blue key chain that had the room numbers on them.
“Look at that, don't even have to walk too far. Its right here.” Tom smiled, glad that they didn't have to walk around to the other side of the building.
“Alright. Lets see what we have for the night.” Jamie sighed, stifling a yawn. She was tired but knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep that night.
Tom used his key for 110 and turned the key in the lock opening the door and pushing it wide open so that Jamie could go in first.
Once the four of them were in the room Tom put her duffel bag and her laptop down on the table that was in front of the king size bed. He looked at himself in the mirror and he could see the bags under his eyes.
Mystery and Suspense (Mystery and Suspense, mystery books, mystery man, mystery thriller, mystery series, mystery romance, murder mystery Book 1) Page 2