Devil's Nightmare (Devil's Nightmare, Book 1)

by Pruneda, Robert

  I could see Jason and Cullen on the ground next to a gravestone with a Ouija board in between the two of them. They had their hands out in front of them with their fingertips resting on a familiar planchette. Cody stood behind a gravestone on the right side of the photo. He held the same old book I’d found in his bedroom. Jackson stood partially out of frame next to Cody, wearing a grin on his face.

  “Okay, so this confirms they were all at the cemetery together. But, we found three bodies. Who’s holding the camera?”

  “Kyle?”

  I tilted my head and discredited the assumption, “I don’t think so. The text messages suggest he was supposed to scare Jason and Cullen with an axe.” I pursed my lips and breathed out through my nose. “There had to have been someone else there with them. Someone we don’t know about.”

  “Or do we? Jackson’s father?”

  I considered the assumption for a moment, but then shook my head. “I want to say yes, but I have a gut feeling that he’s actually telling us the truth.”

  “So, you don’t think he was involved?”

  I rested my elbow on the arm of my chair and relaxed my head on the tips of my fingers. “No, I don’t,” I said, sighing. “As much as I want to pin him on this one, I just can’t.”

  I clicked on another image. After Riley touched up the image, I examined it. It was just another photo similar to the first one. The only difference was that all four of the boys were smiling. They appeared to be enjoying themselves. The third image I opened showed someone in the darkness about ten or fifteen feet away from the boys playing with the Ouija board.

  “Can you brighten that up a bit? I want to see his face.”

  “The next image will show his face. It’s more than likely Kyle.”

  I clicked on the fourth image. It didn’t need editing. Lightning had apparently lit up the cemetery enough to where the photo processed the scene clearly. A teen around Jackson’s age, maybe a little older, held an axe, his mouth open wide as if yelling. Cullen was falling backwards in the photo with terror in his eyes. Jason was checking over his shoulder, and appeared to be screaming. Both Cody and Jackson were laughing.

  Riley pointed to the upper left side of the image. “What does that look like to you?”

  A shadowy figure with what looked like three sets of glowing amber eyes watched the boys from a distance. I stared at the image, but I didn’t say anything.

  “What are you thinking?” Riley asked.

  I stood from my chair and walked away from my desk. I placed both hands on my hips and gazed at the floor for a moment. I raised my head back up, and without turning around, I said to Riley, “If I tell you something, do you promise to have an open mind about it?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “I’m serious, Riley.” I turned to face him. “Because you’re going to think I’m nuts.”

  “You think this Kyle kid hacked up those boys? Because—”

  “No, I think our John Doe is the kid with the axe.” I took a deep breath and let the air out slowly. I was taking a risk here. “I think whatever is in the background of that photo is our suspect.”

  Riley didn’t say anything.

  “You see? I knew you would think I was crazy.”

  “I didn’t say that.” Riley grabbed the mouse and clicked on the last photo. “You haven’t seen the last photo.”

  The image was blurry but clear enough to show a zoomed-in image of an animal with large teeth.

  “Looks like a lion, doesn’t it?” Riley said. “Isn’t that what Mr. Luther suggested in his initial report? A large cat, like a cougar?”

  I sat down and stared at the image. “Diabolo tantibus.”

  “What did you say?” Riley asked.

  “Diabolo tantibus. That’s what the voice said on my phone, the call that we traced back to Cody Sumner’s house.”

  “Diabolo tantibus,” Riley said to himself, his forehead wrinkled.

  “Diabolo sounds like the devil. Tantibus. Tantibus.” He kept repeating the word over and over to himself, trying to translate it.

  “Devil’s nightmare,” I said.

  “Diabolo tantibus. Yeah, I think you’re right.” He looked at me. “How’d you figure that out?”

  “That’s what Cody called his nightmares.” I remembered something else. “What does maledictus mean?”

  “Um…” Riley paused for a moment. “I think it means to be cursed.”

  “So put those words together and what do we get?”

  “Cursed with the devil’s nightmare,” Riley responded, then spoke in fluent Latin, “Maledixit cum in diabolicae tantibus. How is this relevant, anyway?”

  “Never mind. Cody lied to me about not being at the cemetery, but now we have proof that he was there. We need to have another chat with him.” I got up from my chair and instructed Riley to make some printouts of the photos. I then called Cody’s social worker.

  The phone rang a couple of times before she answered.

  “I know I’m kind of on your bad side right now, but I really need to see Cody as soon as possible.”

  “I think Cody needs some time to—”

  “I have evidence that he’s been lying to me. I need to talk to him in person immediately. You and Mr. Hadley are more than welcome to join us.”

  “What exactly is he lying to you about, Detective?”

  “I have evidence that proves that he and Jackson Smith planned to meet up at the cemetery to play a prank on Jason Dexter and Cullen Chandler. He and Jackson were friends, and Jackson has already confessed his involvement in the deaths of those boys.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Do you think Cody—?”

  “I’m not suggesting anything, but I know he isn’t telling me everything, and he needs to come clean with me. I don’t why he’s lying, but I need to find out. The thing is, I don’t believe Jackson killed anybody. I have a photo that proves that it was, in fact, an animal attack.”

  “So… if it was an animal, then wouldn’t this solve your case?”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  Riley removed the photos from the printer, placed them in a file, and waited by the door for me.

  “Why not?” Miss Jimenez asked. “If it was a wild animal, then there’s no reason to question Cody. Have you considered the fact that he witnessed a gruesome attack and is experiencing PTSD?”

  “Again with the PTSD. Can you just trust me on this? I need to talk to him about something else. It’s important to me. Please?”

  Miss Jimenez didn’t say anything for a long ten seconds, before she finally said, “All right, but you had better deflate that ego of yours. Understood?”

  “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Premonitions

  The needle on the speedometer pointed to ‘90’ as I sped down I-35 out of town. Riley pleaded for me to slow down. When I didn’t, he tightened his seatbelt and held on to the grab handle above the passenger side window.

  The trip to Saint Hedwig remained free of conversation as I maneuvered through traffic. My mind raced with details of the investigation. I reminisced the time I first spoke with Cody while he sat in the back of the police car in front of his house. The lab confirmed that the blood on his shirt had come from Jason Dexter and Cullen Chandler, but Cody had insisted that he was never at the cemetery. The evidence proved otherwise. It had also been Cody’s idea to play a prank on his friends there.

  The prank in itself seemed innocent enough, but Cullen and Jason were dead. The digital image on Jackson’s phone indicated that an animal had attacked the boys while they were at the cemetery. The image was blurry, but it was clearly an animal. Why didn’t Cody just tell me that? The evidence from the wounds would support that story. But there was something else nagging at me that I could not stop thinking about.

  The gate at Saint Hedwig swung open before I even rolled up to the security booth. The
guard waved me by without looking at me. It was the same guy that I had encountered earlier. I thanked him as I drove by, but he just ignored me. I felt somewhat guilty for how I had treated the man earlier.

  After parking the car, I said, “Hey, Riley, do me a favor and don’t play the nice cop role when we go in there.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “You know what I mean. I need this kid to tell me the truth, and if I have to be kind of an ass about it, I need you to back me up.”

  “I don’t know, man,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t think—”

  “Just trust me on this.” I shut off the engine and opened the car door. “Follow my lead, okay? I know he’s just a kid, but don’t judge me too quickly.”

  “All right. Whatever you say.”

  Riley carried the folder with the photographs as we approached the front desk. The receptionist held a wired black office phone to her ear. She lifted up an index finger indicating she would help us in a moment. Riley and I stood patiently in front of the desk while the receptionist gave directions to the youth home.

  “Yes, sir. There’s a sign that will direct you to… uh-huh… Yes, that’s correct… Okay, I’ll let him know you’ll be here around three o’clock then… You have a good day, too, Mr. Rodrigo.”

  After the receptionist ended her call, she addressed me, “How can I help you this morning?”

  “Good morning,” I greeted and smiled. “We have an appointment to see Mr. Hadley and Miss Jimenez.”

  “Oh, yes, Detective Sanders. You were here to see Cody Sumner last time, right?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Mr. Hadley told me that you’d be visiting this morning.” Stephanie picked up the receiver and said, “I’ll let him know you’re here.” She hit a button on the keypad and waited a few seconds. “Mr. Hadley, Detective Sanders is here to see you… Okay. Thank you, sir.” The receptionist set the receiver down. “You can see Mr. Hadley now,” she said. “Do you need me to show you the way?”

  “No, thank you. I remember.”

  Mr. Hadley greeted us as we entered his private quarters, “Good morning, Detectives.”

  “Good morning,” Riley and I said in unison.

  “Miss Jimenez and Cody will join us shortly,” the director said, and then motioned for us to take a seat. “Would you like some coffee? I just brewed a fresh pot.”

  Riley accepted the offer, but I kindly declined.

  “So, Detective Sanders,” Mr. Hadley said, pouring coffee into a ceramic mug, “Maria informed me that our new visitor has kept some secrets from you.”

  “He’s neglected to share some pertinent information,” I confirmed, settling myself in one of the antique chairs.

  “She also mentioned photographs of an animal. A large predator that attacked those poor souls at Memorial Heights Cemetery. Is that correct?”

  I eyed Mr. Hadley with suspicion. “The image is blurry,” I said, “but yeah, I think a large animal attacked them.”

  Mr. Hadley handed a mug to Detective Riley, and then offered, “Are you certain you would not like any? It’s freshly ground Columbian.”

  I held my hand out and again declined, “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  “May I see the photograph?”

  “Why?”

  “Mere curiosity, Detective. After all, it is quite the relief to know an animal bears sole responsibility for the gruesome deaths. The thought of a human being committing such a deplorable and violent act towards a child is atrocious.” Mr. Hadley poured himself a cup of coffee. “If the children were not murdered, may I ask why you remain interested in questioning Cody?”

  Miss Jimenez entered the room with Cody by her side, giving me the perfect distraction from the director’s question.

  “Well, don’t you look all professional this morning?” I stood and gave the woman a wink. She wore a tan business suit, a white blouse, and high heels that gave her the illusion of an extra three or four inches in height. Of course, she also had her face beautifully pampered with makeup, and was highlighted by the scent of an expensive perfume.

  “Cut the flattery, Detective. I have another appointment, so let’s make this quick.”

  “You’re free to go if you want, Maria. I’d prefer to speak with Cody alone anyway.”

  “Let’s keep things on a professional level, Detective Sanders,” she sternly reminded me, as she placed a hand on Cody’s shoulder.

  “As Cody’s social worker, I’m obligated to make sure that your line of questioning is appropriate and doesn’t—”

  “Cody has a bit of explaining to do,” I said, interrupting her. “Lying to the police isn’t something we should take lightly. So, if you don’t mind, can we cut the bureaucracy here?”

  “I only agreed to allow you to—”

  “Several people are dead. I need Cody to clear up some things for me.” I pointed to a chair and said, “Have a seat, Cody.”

  Cody looked up at Miss Jimenez, who glared at me with her arms crossed.

  “Have a seat, Cody,” I repeated. “We need to have a little chat about some things.”

  “Go ahead,” Miss Jimenez told the boy. She looked at me. “May I see the photos, please?”

  I motioned for Riley to hand her the photos.

  “What are those?” Cody asked.

  “We’ll get to that in a minute,” I said.

  Mr. Hadley and Miss Jimenez examined the photos together. Miss Jimenez flipped through them and then stopped. She pointed at one of them. “That does look like a lion, doesn’t it?” she asked Mr. Hadley.

  “Unbelievable.”

  “Tell me what happened the night Jason and Cullen died,” I asked Cody.

  “I already told you I wasn’t at the cemetery,” Cody said, not making eye contact with me.

  “Really?” I motioned to Riley and nodded towards Miss Jimenez. He retrieved the photos from her and handed them to me. I thumbed through them and found one that had Cody in it. Tossing the photo on the boy’s lap, I said, “You want to change your story?”

  “Is this really necessary?” Miss Jimenez stressed.

  I disregarded her complaint and ordered Cody to pick up the photo. He did as I asked and examined it.

  “Who do you see, Cody?”

  He dropped the photo on the floor without answering.

  I tossed the other three photos on his lap, but I kept the blurry image of the lion’s head in my hand. “I know about the little prank that you and Jackson planned. You planned to scare Jason and Cullen, and your friend Kyle was supposed to jump out at them with an axe. Does that ring a bell? It’s all there in the photos.”

  Cody browsed through the photos and sighed. As he held one of them, tears formed in his eyes.

  “You told me that Jackson didn’t have anything to do with it, yet he already confessed responsibility for Jason and Cullen’s deaths.”

  Cody shifted widened eyes towards me.

  “You lied about never being at Memorial Heights Cemetery, but you had Jason and Cullen’s blood on your shirt. And now I have photos of you holding that old witchcraft book I found at your house. I also have a transcript of text messages between you and Jackson about this.”

  Cody cried and let the photos slip out of his hands. They lay scattered on the floor at his feet. Miss Jimenez moved towards Cody, but I held my hand out to stop her. She did so, but her facial expression showed she clearly protested my request.

  “Why did you lie to me, Cody? I know Jackson didn’t kill anybody. I also know that you didn’t—”

  “Yes, we did!” Cody cried out with a red, tear-stricken face. “Jackson and I killed them. It was our fault!”

  “No, Cody,” Miss Jimenez pushed past me and knelt down in front of the young boy. “No, you didn’t. They were attacked by an animal.” Miss Jimenez snatched the photo from my hand and showed it to Cody. “See? This is what killed them. You can’t blame yourself.”

  Agitated by the social worker’s interference
, I asked Mr. Hadley, “May I speak with him alone?”

  Miss Jimenez stood and accused, “What? So you can put him through more anguish? I don’t think so. A wild animal attacked those boys and you have evidence to prove it. I will not let you put this boy through any more of this abusive questioning.”

  “You know, I thought you would say something like that, so…” I reached into my pocket, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to her.

  Miss Jimenez pulled a document out of the envelope and widened her eyes. “I can’t believe you. You got a court order?”

  “I need to question Cody alone, and I knew you would object. So, yeah, I got a court order.”

  “Fine!” Maria slapped the paper against my chest and threatened, “But don’t think you won’t hear from the State about this. What you’re doing here is wrong.”

  “Let him alone, Maria,” Mr. Hadley said, gently grabbing her arm and pulling her away from me. “You have twenty minutes,” he said to me.

  I thanked Mr. Hadley, and as soon as he and Miss Jimenez had left the room, I instructed Cody to wait for me in the office. I then motioned Riley over. In a soft voice I asked if I could trust him.

  “Yeah, of course you can.”

  “I mean it, because I need you to back me up. I don’t want you to think I’m crazy or anything.”

  Riley picked the photos off the floor and narrowed his eyes. “What exactly would make me think that?”

  “You’re pretty religious, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “There’s something about the séance that Cody and Jackson had that’s giving me the creeps. The voice on my cell phone, the Latin, everything about this case… and I’ve been having some dreams that…”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I am crazy, but there’s just something about these dreams that makes me think about the nightmares Cody had.”

  “Dreams?”

  I scowled at Riley. “Just bear with me while we’re in there, okay?”

  Cody was sitting on the floor against Mr. Hadley’s desk when Riley and I entered the office. I closed the door, and said, “You didn’t hurt anybody, Cody. We both know that. And I don’t think Jackson did either.” I knelt down in front of him and asked with a gentle voice, “A large animal attacked you, right? A cougar? African lion? Or maybe it was a big dragon.”