Mystery and Suspense (Mystery and Suspense, mystery books, mystery man, mystery thriller, mystery series, mystery romance, murder mystery Book 1)

by Jessica Coulter

Tom grabbed a hold of Jamie's hand and pulled her along, running after Mark half pulling and half dragging Jamie. He looked behind them time and again to see if anyone was chasing them.

  When they got to the road Tom watched Mark get into his car and he quickly got in the driver's side door and opened the passenger side for Jamie, leaning over the seat to do so.

  “Lets go!” Tom screamed at her, seeing that Jamie was standing on the other side of the door looking towards the back yard.

  Tom saw Mark drive off, going straight as Jamie snapped out of it long enough to get into the car and slam the door behind her.

  Revving the engine Tom pulled off from the side the road and caught up to Mark in no time. Not knowing where he was going or what he was thinking he knew that Mark shouldn't be driving after what had happened to Kellie. Knowing that he was pissed and in a lot of pain.

  “I can't believe it, I just can't believe it that she was taken right behind our backs. How did the killer get to her without us hearing them?” Jamie asked, staring out the window shedding a couple of tears.

  “I don't know, we weren't paying attention like we were suppose to be. I told everyone it wasn't a good idea.” Tom grumbled as he kept his eyes on the road.

  “You think maybe it was planned that way?” Jamie asked him softly.

  “I don't know what to think. All I know is that we have to get Mark to stop driving. Maybe convince him that he shouldn't be driving at a time like this.” Tom shook his head back and forth. There was no need to place blame everyone else wanted to go into the woods to search for the killer, instead of them looking for the killer they killer had found them, catching them all off guard.

  “She's dead, I know she's dead.” Jamie whispered, biting down on her lip.

  “We don't know that for sure. We don't know what is happening to her at the moment.” Tom didn't want to believe that Kellie was dead and he wanted to try and keep Mark and Jamie calm through the events that were going on but in the back of his mind he figured that she was dead too. Just hearing the screams off in the distance, no one screamed like that unless they were hurting or being tortured.

  “Come on, don't do this Tom. I don't want to think of Kellie as being tortured if she's not dead. That's the worst thing that could happen.” Jamie looked at him quickly, with worry in her eyes. Searching his face she knew he was thinking the same thing.

  “Mark needs to pull over so we can figure out what we are going to do next.” Tom muttered, he flashed his lights at him three times before Mark found a place to pull over.

  Tom pulled over behind him and saw that he wasn't getting out of his car. He sighed heavily and looked to make sure no traffic was coming and opened the door.

  “Stay here.” Tom told her.

  “No way. I'm going with you.” Jamie raised her eyebrows at him. She wasn't going to stay alone not even for a second. If someone could die with them being in a group then she knew that something could happen being by herself.

  “Fine.” Tom wasn't in the mood to argue with her. He watched her get out of the car and they both slammed the doors.

  Tom took Jamie's hand when they met around the front of the car, he held it tightly knowing it was going to be a long process of healing when all of it was finally over.

  Tom led Jamie to the driver's side door and watched as Mark rolled down the window seeing the black back pack on the passenger side seat beside him.

  “She might not be dead Tom. We have to go back and look.” Mark had been thinking about it and why he hadn't stayed he didn't know. He should have ran after her when he heard her screaming the way she was.

  “There's nothing we could have done buddy.” Tom saw the hope in Mark's eyes and knew that Jamie had been right. There was no use in believing that she was still alive just to think about her being tortured until she died.

  Mark looked away from him and sighed. Shaking his head he knew it was his fault that Kellie was dead. He had wanted to go into the woods, he was the one who stopped out front of Jamie's house. Though Kellie was all for it thinking they would end up hero's if they found the killer and trapped them her fantasy ruined by being killed herself.

  “There's nothing that we can do about it and its not your fault. Don't start thinking that shit. The three of you wanted to go in there, Kellie included. Now lets try to find a place where its safe to look through that bag. There has to be something in there that's a clue to who the hell is doing this.” Tom told him, trying to get back down to business.

  “The bag is kind of heavy so I don't know what could be in it. Kind of scared to look in it actually.” Mark told him, remembering how heavy it was and wondering if maybe there could be pieces of someone's body in it.

  “It's alright, how about we look for a hotel and we will stay there. It's a little after two, even though its early we should start thinking about a place to stay tonight.” Tom whispered, keeping his eyes trained on the bag.

  “What do I tell her parents? We are suppose to have dinner with them tomorrow night.” Mark shook his head sadly, he knew he had to tell her parents what had happened, surely they knew that a killer was on the loose.

  “We'll help you with that. Its never easy to make a call or get a a call that a loved one is dead.” Tom pointed out to him.

  He remembered how hard it was when his grandfather died and his parents had to tell him. He thought it was even worse for Mark having to tell Kellie's parents because it shouldn't be that children should have to die before their parents. That was one thing that Tom really hated, never knowing when death was going to come.

  “Right. Okay, the sooner we get to settle in the better off we are.” Mark told him, getting ready to roll his window up. Though it was summer time he felt cold inside, a headache coming on and only wanting to sleep.

  “Right. I'll follow you.” Tom whispered, Tom was still holding Jamie's hand tightly in his as they made their way back to their car.

  “You think Mark is going to be okay?” Jamie asked when they were far enough away from the car where Mark couldn't hear them.

  “No, he will be in time though. I don't know if he's in shock or just disbelief that she's gone.” Tom muttered, letting go of her hand so that she could get into the car.

  Tom looked around and didn't see anyone coming up or down the road. No one had come up or down the road even when he was talking to Mark. He thought it was strange at first but if it were up to him he wouldn't be out with a killer on the loose either. Wondering how many people the killer was after or if he was just watching and waiting.

  “Maybe there's a list.” Tom grumbled, talking more to himself then to Jamie when he got into the car and slammed the door shut.

  “I think it would be better if he did have a list because I really don't think that Kellie would have been on that list at all.” Jamie pointed out to him.

  “I don't think she was either. We went into the woods and went looking for trouble we got it. Not only that but whoever it is is out back of your trailer, not that we had time to look but I don't think that your trailer had been broken into.” Tom told her.

  “I don't think so either. Then again it was hard to see if any windows were broken while we were running away. We should have gone after Kellie. You two have guns and you already said that guns are easier to kill people then knives are.” Jamie felt like a coward when they ran from the woods.

  “We don't know if its one person or not. There could be another person. Could you imagine going after Kellie and being shot to death? In the woods you really can't see much because you're surrounded by woods.” Tom explained to her. He would have used the gun if he had seen anyone out there but all they heard were Kellie's screams.

  “They were after me. Why didn't they take me?” Jamie asked him.

  “We don't know if they are really after you. You fit the age of the other two girls. Maybe they were trying to make a point that it didn't matter who they grabbed just as long as they killed someone.” Tom didn't want Jamie to be more afraid.r />
  “Maybe. You think that if I am a target that they would have grabbed me instead of Kellie?” Jamie asked him, looking straight ahead at the road.

  “Maybe not. I mean they could try to throw us off track, confuse us so that we drop our guard.” Tom liked having conversations with Jamie and debates he just wished that it wasn't about murder and their friend being killed.

  “I don't know how we are going to carry on without Kellie. Its hard, she was my best friend.” Jamie began crying softly.

  “I know. She was a great person and there was no reason why she should have been killed. Its very sad.” Tom took her hand in his again and squeezed it softly in his hand. Wishing that he could take her pain away.

  “I know you are. There's nothing we can do about it but be there for each other. Though she's like my only friend we have to be there for Mark too. Moving in with you now looks a lot more promising then last night. I don't want to come back to the trailer. I just want to pack my things and move in as soon as possible.” Jamie made up her mind, nodding her head firmly. She didn't want to go back into the trailer and think of all the good times they had with each other, crying and feeling really sad because there had been plenty of times when it had just been her and Kellie. Not to mention if the killer was still out there it wouldn't be long before they found comfort in hiding out in the trailer where the cops wouldn't think to look because they had been told they should leave the night before and now they think that no one is in there.

  “Good, I would prefer that you stay at my place too. We can look into buying a house later on down the road.” Tom gave her a small smile. Sure hew as upset about Kellie but he knew that there was nothing that was going to bring her back to them. He had to stay strong for not only Jamie but for Mark too. They both needed the reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

  Tom saw Mark pull into a parking lot. Looking at the sign that read 'One Stop Rest' he hoped that it was like the other hotel where they could be side by side or share the same room.

  Jamie saw that Mark parked a few feet away from the front of the hotel and turned the car off. He got out with the backpack in hand and walked over to the driver's side door.

  “This is where we are staying for the night?” Tom asked him, poking his head out the window.

  “Yeah, I'm going to go in and pay for one room if they will let us bunk together. I can't stand being alone tonight even if its just in the next room so cross your fingers.” Mark muttered, putting the bag over his shoulder and heading for the front of the hotel.

  Jamie saw that Tom wasn't in a hurry to get out of the car. Gun beside him on the seat she saw that he was looking down at it. She moved her eyes to the front of the hotel. The building was white and looked to be filled with more people then the night before.

  “He's mad at himself.” Jamie whispered looking out her window and seeing a small white two door car beside them.

  “Yeah, its going to take a long time for him to stop blaming himself. Right now you can tell that he feels guilty for what happened. I wondered what they talked about before pulling up to the trailer this afternoon.” Tom answered her slowly.

  “I don't know. Its a good question to ask.” Jamie raised her eyebrows. Thinking that if Mark talked about it then he would feel a little better.

  “I don't know if we should push the issue tonight. I want to see what's in the bag.” Tom admitted that he was more then a little curious.

  “Me too. If its heavy I wonder just what the killer has in there. If its important you know they are going to come looking for it.” Jamie warned him.

  “Probably, but why would it be down by the creek? Was it planned to be there? Someone could hear us going through the woods. I don't know how they could have because we were so quiet. Just as quiet as the killer themselves when they snatched up Kellie.” Tom couldn't remember them talking loud, couldn't remember that they were loud and breaking branches under their feet. He would have remembered something like that.

  “I know. We all made it a point not to make any noises. I wish she wasn't the last one, we were lined up behind Mark. You, me and then Kellie.” Jamie shook her head.

  “If it wouldn't have been her it would have been you.” Tom whispered, he wasn't sure that he could handle it if Jamie had been the one who was dragged off. He knew that he couldn't handle it as well as Mark was handling it.

  “Its hard you know. We don't want anyone to die. It might sound selfish but I'm also glad that it wasn't me.” She felt guilty saying it.

  “I think that's a normal reaction. No one wants to die Jamie.” Tom wished that she wouldn't feel guilty about living. They all went in knowing that they could bump into the killer. They weren't really looking for it, just wanted to look around to see what they could find. Something that might be useful. Trying to put the puzzle together.

  “You were right though, we never should have gone in there. Its something for the police to solve. A mystery, a dangerous mystery. All I can keep thinking about is Chad Porter but he didn't know Kellie.” Jamie shook her head.

  “It could very well be him. You're the only one who knew him Jamie. It seems the girls knew him too.” Tom shrugged his shoulders.

  “Why go after someone he doesn't know though?” Jamie questioned him.

  “It could be that he could have been after you and Kellie heard something behind her. She could have looked over her shoulder and seen the killer, too late to say anything because they covered her mouth. Whoever it is has to be a man, someone stronger then her. I don't see a girl dragging Kellie further into the woods.” There were so many things that could have happened in the last few seconds of Kellie being with them. No one was really paying attention because they were focused on Mark including Kellie herself.

  “Right, anything could have happened. She could have been trying to reach out for me and tap me on the shoulder to warn us and she couldn't reach me in time.” Jamie closed her eyes, thinking about them being in the woods and picturing Kellie's arm just inches away from her shoulder and never making the connection.

  “Whatever happened lets just hope that its over for her and she's looking down on us. Whoever this is will be caught and I hope they go to hell for what they are doing. Causing a lot of people a lot of heart ache that's for sure.” Tom shook his head firmly, feeling angry inside now. Wishing that the killer would just show themselves instead of sneaking around to grab their victims.

  Tom and Jamie watched as Mark came out of the hotel and showed one key dangling from his index finger with a small smile on his face.

  “We got what we wanted.” Tom told Jamie, giving her a small grin and seeing a small smile on her face in return.

  “We're going to be okay. I just have that feeling the three of us are going to be okay.” Jamie sighed, getting her duffel bag and laptop. She wanted to look up Chad Porter and see where he was now. Wondering if he lived around town or hopefully her feelings were wrong and lived states away where he couldn't come travel. She couldn't shake the feeling after Alice had died. The first thoughts that came to mind once she had settled in was the class trip they had taken.

  “Lets lock her up and hope that we are staying in for the night.” Tom didn't want to keep driving around, knowing that he was starting to get low on cash and didn't want to waste gas unless he really had to.

  “Its still early in the day.” Jamie shrugged her shoulders getting out of the car and shutting the door so that Tom could make sure the car was locked up.

  Mark stood in front of the car waiting for them. Feeling the bag was getting heavier on his shoulder. The desk clerk had given him a funny look when he walked in with the bag. He assumed that the desk clerk was more afraid now a days that something was in there that shouldn't be with everything going on around them, including the news. So far they hadn't heard any updates but knew that they had to call the police and let them know what had happened so that they could go looking for Kellie.

  “Okay, the first thing I'm going to do when we
get into the room is I'm going to need that card so that we can call Charles and Davidson. They need to know where to look. Even if Kellie is dead I don't want her body out there so that the animals can tear it up.” Mark told them, walking around the building off to the side where their room was.

  Room 221 was the number on the green, plastic key ring. He opened the door and let Jamie and Tom go in first.

  The shades were shut so they had to turn on the light beside the door. Tom thought it was best that the shades remained closed. Not only could they not see out but others couldn't look in as they walked passed. Almost as if the shade was a shield against all the evil that was outside just waiting to jump out at them.

  There were two beds in the room. A small stand separating them. There was only a small square table that was against the wall, a flat screen television on the wall and a small coffee pot. The room was cold because the air conditioning had been on. Tom shut that off sat down on the bed. He watched Jamie put her bag on the floor beside the bed that he had claimed and put the laptop on the square table sitting beside the small stand that had a coffee pot.

  The carpet was a dark brown, dark brown blankets matched the carpeting in the room and Tom looked down at a whole that was in the carpet.

  “Not as inviting as the other room we left this morning that's for sure.” Mark muttered, putting the backpack down on the bed that he was taking over.

  “Can I use your cell? I think that its wise we get the police here as soon as possible.” Mark suggested to them. He had left his phone in the car and he knew that Kellie's was in the glove box. He had thought about taking it out a million times since driving away from the trailer. Thoughts and memories of Kellie running through his head as he looked over at the passenger side seat while driving wishing that she was sitting there beside him.

  “Sure.” Jamie told him, taking her cell phone out of her duffel bag and handing it over to him along with the card that the police had given them earlier that day.

  “You think we will get into trouble?” Mark asked, not really thinking about it until that very second.