The Enemy Outside

by Devine, Dorothy

  Pain erupted all over Gray's body. Excruciating pain, just as I expected. He collapsed in a heap of pain and agony right in front of his house. He clutched his groin in pain and doubled up. He couldn't stand even if he tried.

  “I told you not to try it.” I said.

  “I hate you! I hate you all! I hate this town!” he said.

  Chapter 4

  Not Sure of Anything

  I walked with Davis through the nearby woods. This was the first time I had really managed to spend considerable time with my childhood friend since I arrived at Tiny Town and I was enjoying it.

  Davis had always been fascinated by anything that involved nature or science. Anything that stimulated his mind and had some kind of logical progression captivated him. His mind was so analytical that sometimes I wondered why he didn't become a detective as well.

  “I just love hiking along this trail. It always calms me down. Gives me peace and focus.” he said.

  It wasn't hard to see why. The flowers and plants were all in full bloom. The sun shone down on the forest and it seemed to be fresh and teeming with life.

  “Remember when we used to hike this trail when we were kids? How we would travel to these woods where we could just study all the plants?” Davis said.

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “How could I not? This was also the place Jason followed us.”

  Davis shook his head. There was a lot of bad memories in his heart but he was still smiling.

  “Yeah, he followed us all right. And he got what he deserved.”

  We both had a hearty laugh about it. I could still remember the day as if it were yesterday. They followed us to this path. We didn't know it and Norris and his gang ended up ambushing us. We would have gotten the beatdown of our lives if Norris himself didn't give in to his own hubris.

  “Let's beat these two idiots up!”

  “Yeah, ain't no one gonna stop us here, in the forest!”

  “I got an idea! Get up, Denton! I know that look in yer eye! I know you've always wanted to get one on me! You've always wanted to show me you're better. Tell you what. I'll give you that chance! You and me! One on one! You kick my ass, we'll leave you two alone. But if you don't win, we'll beat you so black and blue, they won't recognize you!”

  I remember I didn't even let him finish the challenge. I pounced on Norris and started raining blows on him repeatedly. I just didn't stop pummeling him. Over and over again, my fists were flying. It was all

  that Norris could do to just cover up. His friends looked in wide-eyed disbelief as I just didn't stop. When it was all done, Norris was begging me to stop.

  “Stop. Stop! Please!”

  The beatdown was so bad that he could barely form cohesive words with his lips. He said it first, but at the end of the day, it was him who was beaten up so bad that they didn't recognize him. That was the last time they ever bullied us again.

  “You just beat him within an inch of his life, man.” Davis said.

  I smiled.

  “Not that I'm complaining.” he said, smiling as we continued to trek the forest.

  “That event changed me in many ways. It was then that I was inspired to work in the police force. I really thought that I could do a lot of good that way. I guess I was right.”

  “You weren't the only one changed man. I was freed up to pursue science as a career and they stopped bullying man. I think everyone changed for the better. You gave everyone a gift, Dick.” Davis said.

  “That's nice to know.” I said.

  “I'm serious, man. If you hadn't whooped Norris' ass that bad, that day, we all wouldn't have changed for the better.”

  “And that's the thing man. I think you're really going too far investigating these murders.”

  I shook my head. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from Davis. It was uncomfortable when his old anger cropped up.

  “Davis, you know it's my job to investigate stuff like this. I can't let this pass, especially if it's happening in my own hometown.”

  “Dudes like that just don't deserve any sympathy man.” he said.

  “That's not up to us to decide, Davis. I'm a cop. I uphold the law.”

  “I'm just saying, man. Look at Gray. Sorry, but I guess nobody really told you about him. After school, he just really lost it. He couldn't apply himself at all. Just really went off the deep end and he blamed everybody for it. That's why he even hates his old buddies like Norris and Kiefer. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he commited those murders man.” Davis said.

  “Seriously?”

  “Of course. Ask anybody. That guy just lost it. He just stays at home all day, drinking or abusing

  himself. It ain't pretty.”

  Davis got me thinking about that angle. I wondered if he was capable of murder. He did seem more than a little gone when I went to his house. But murder? That was another thing altogether.

  I looked at Davis. Ever since I arrived, all he did was complain about my getting involved in the case. He was also very vocal about how he never really got over getting bullied by Norris' gang. Plus, he was a whiz at science. It would be child's play for him to whip up some norepinephrine. Still, that didn't mean that Gray couldn't get ahold of the chemical. He was possibly abusing himself with substances. He could have also whipped up a batch. Silently, I kept my mouth shut and kept my suspicions to myself. We walked back to the town. All I knew was that I wasn't sure of anything.

  Chapter 5

  I held Carla's hand as we approached the town fair. There were a lot of rides that were placed a few days earlier for the fair. There was a rollercoaster, an octopus, and a ferris wheel. My favorite was always the ferris wheel. There were also a few games around like a shooting gallery and a pop the balloon game.

  “Come on, Dick! How long has it been since you've been to the town fair again? It'll be fun!”

  Carla held my hand tightly and kissed me. We entered the fair like two high school kids in love. That wasn't so far from the truth. I definitely needed a date like this. After all the investigating that I had done, this was a welcome change of pace for me. And any time with Carla was time well spent and time I cherished.

  “Let's try the ferris wheel!” I said.

  “Just like old times?”

  Carla kissed me again. For a moment, I forgot about all the meetings I had with Kiefer, Davis, and Gray. The tensions of trying to unravel the case was forgotten as I focused on spending time with Carla. However, as we walked to the ferris wheel, it all came back.

  “Isn't that Gray operating the ferris wheel?” I whispered.

  Carla noticed it too, and she tried to avoid Gray's gaze as we moved to a car inside the wheel. He didn't seem to notice as we entered with the other passengers.

  “You're right. It's him. He must have gotten the job to pay the bills. Just ignore him. I don't think he even noticed us” Carla said.

  Once we all entered different cars, Gray pushed the switch, and the ferris wheel whirred to life. It spun around at a leisurely pace. I held Carla's hand tightly. It was a moment I wanted to last forever.

  Then it happen

  “Look. What's happening?'

  It was Carla who noticed it first. Gray started babbling and shouting nonsense. He started jumping on his seat.

  “They're out to get me! They're out to get me! I need to escape them!”

  “What the hell is he saying?” I said.

  I watched in horror, as he suddenly pushed the lever and started wildly pressing some buttons on his control pannel. Suddenly the ferris wheel sped rapidly. The leisurely pace had changed dramatically. People were screaming from inside their cars.

  “He's gone nuts!”

  “Jesus, save us!”

  “Hold on, Carla!” I said. I held her hand tightly as I tried to look what Gray was doing.

  He was gone. I realized that he must have run off in fear. But before he did, he really did a number on the ferris wheel. The doors of our car suddenly snapped open. We were now
holding on to the safety bar for our lives as the ferris wheel started spinning wildly. The other cars' doors swung open as well. I looked in horror as some passengers already started tumbling to their deaths. There was chaos all around. People were screaming in terror.

  “It's out of control! Hold on, Carla!” I said.

  “I.. I'm slipping. It's going too fast! I can't hold on!” Carla said.

  I could see her hands slipping from the handlebar. It was taking all of my own strength just to hang on.

  “Hold on!”

  Just when I thought that Carla would slip, the ferris wheel suddenly ground to a halt. We were almost thrown off but the door suddenly slammed shut. I looked down and to my relief saw someone else operating the controls. Gray had run off somewhere.

  Eventually, we managed to get down safely. The ferris wheel was not spinning in some kind of a death spin anymore, and the remaining riders were also safely alighted from the ride that had suddenly gone deadly. But some had not made it. There were still corpses on the fair grounds. Some doctors rushed to treat the injured and clear the dead. There was chaos all around.

  I was more than relieved to feel the ground on my feet.

  “Where's Gray? Where did he run off to?” I asked the new operator.

  “I don't know. He just ran off in that direction.” he pointed straight to the exit of the fairgrounds.

  I held Carla's hand and pulled her as I ran to follow Gray. Maybe we could still catch up to him.

  We left the fair grounds and ran out to the street. We came across a terrible sight. There was a car that stopped in the middle of the road. Right under the car was the mangled body of David Gray. His body was crumpled under the vehicle and his arm was reaching out from under the bumper of the car. His head had been crushed by one of the wheels and was lying limply on the pavement. The driver of the car exited his vehicle. He was clearly in shock.

  “I didn't mean to run him over. He just ran in front of me from outta nowhere. I couldn't stop in time.” he pleaded.

  “Oh my God. It's happened again.” I said.

  Carla recoiled from the sight and embraced me tightly. I realized that this was far from over. I had to catch this killer and end his mad killing spree once and for all.

  …Synopsis…

  Book 3

  The final installment of the series has Dick Denton at his wits' end trying to find the killer's true identity in his hometown. He has already struck numerous times and taken so many lives. It has reached a point where the town calls an emergency town meeting where feathers are ruffled, and one of his friends is scarred for life. However, this does not stop the killer from striking again and again. Denton however, has pieced together a critical clue that may finally reveal who the killer really is. Can he finally put a stop to the killer's mad rampage, and protect the citizens of Tiny Town?

  The Tiny Town Murders Book 3

  Chapter 1

  The Town Meeting

  The tension inside the city hall was so palpable. Everyone inside the town hall was squirming in their seat and sweating. There was a clear air of tension that could not be denied. It was there and was almost a solid 3-Dimensional thing, like every single breathing person inside.

  The heat and the tension inside made me squirm even more. I really believed this town meeting was almost medieval, something that should have went out of circulation like airplane collars and bell bottom jeans. But this was Tiny Town, a place where time almost stood still. This was a place where the outdated was often still commonplace.

  Sometimes that was a good thing. Sometimes, it was what constituted as 'small-town charm.' The kind of homey feeling that gave you a warm feeling in your gut. The same feeling that brought me, Dick Denton back to Tiny Town after a long hiatus, to escape all the pent-up stress that had built up in my job as a big city detective. However today, that old time charm, that homey feeling that time stood still had become something else entirely. It had been twisted and corrupted to the point that it brought most of the townspeople to this point.

  A series of bizarre fear-induced murders commited on old high school classmates and bullies of mine, had reached a fever pitch with the terrible death of David Gray. Gray ran out of the town fair in absolute terror, and into the street. Before he ran off, he lost control of the ferris wheel ride he was operating, resulting in the death of several townspeople. Even me and my newly-reunited sweetheart, Carla Jenkins were almost killed but barely survived. Gray himself was run over in the street. All these deaths finally resulted in the emergency town meeting that was finally convened tonight. I didn't like it, but I had little choice but to participate. The town needed some kind of reassurance that everything would be all right, even if everything was up in the air.

  The townspeople nervously chatted among themselves. Perhaps they thought that by chatting away, they could erase the gnawing fears and suspicions that ate at them and haunted their every move. Whatever they thought, it definitely did not work.

  “Order everyone! The town meeting is about to start!”

  Mayor Toppleston spoke on the loudspeaker. He tried really hard to be firm and appear authoritative. But to me, he was just another lost huck, and he couldn't mask it, no matter how hard he tried. Still, the people actually listened to him, and calmed down a bit.

  “All right. We all know the murders that have taken place in our fair town recently.” he said.

  “ Kenneth Stephenson, Chet Walker, and now David Gray were all murdered. Gray's death was the most tragic, because he lost control of the ferris wheel at the town fair, and several people were killed as well. I think our resident big city detective, Dick Denton, can explain this best.” he said.

  I moved to the microphone at the podium and spoke. I was never really comfortable speaking in public. I was a lot more comfortable doing my thing alone. Investigating in the lab, or searching for clues, these were the things I did best. Not speak in public.

  “Good evening everyone. I did some investigating on the deaths of my old classmates. I found that all of them had been pumped with norepinephrine, prior to their deaths. You can all verify this with the

  county coroner who did the autopsies.”

  “Neno-whatsis?” one of the townspeople said.

  “Norepinephrine. It's a chemical that induces fear in an individual. If given in massive doses like what happened with Gray, Stephenson, and Walker, it can result in fatal death, or at least induce massive hallucinations. All of them experienced at least the latter symptom and later died.”

  There was a collective hush in the crowd then more chattering and talking among themselves. They were worried and freaked out. I really couldn't blame them.

  Another man raised his hand and asked a question.

  “Do you have any suspects?” he asked.

  “That's just it. I'm still investigating the murders. I haven't pinpointed the culprit, or any suspects yet. But I can definitely confirm that these were murders.”

  “No suspects? I know you, Denton! I saw you in high school before. I think you did all this! After all, they were all your damn bullies!”

  There was another roar in the crowd. There were a lot of moments that everything seemed to get out of control.

  “Hey, listen up here! I went to school with Denton, there! I can't deny that I bullied him before too! But you got no right to accuse him of anything, man! We don't know who's doing any of this!”

  It was Jason Norris who stood up to my defense. He was right. He was my bully before. My harshest bully. I ended up giving him a bloodied nose in the forest path, a long time ago. It was more than a minor miracle that he was now the one defending me.

  “Everyone, settle down!”

  It was the Mayor speaking. He was really trying to get everything in order, trying really hard. But the feeling of mass panic and hysteria was seeping in. It was a hard feeling to resist.

  “Look, Dick is doing everything he can. I've also contacted the local authorities. They've also got people investigat
ing the murders as we speak. There's no reason for anyone to accuse anybody else and..”

  Another one of the townspeople suddenly spoke out.

  “It's got to be Tomlinson! He's smart with chemicals! And he was bullied just like you guys! I say just run him out of the town!”

  That was when I lost it. I could take all the tensions and the people speaking out of turn. But I couldn't

  take a racist.

  “Don't you dare speak like that about Davis! He's a good man! Better than you'll ever be!”

  “What's the problem? You coddling him? You covering him up? I never liked that stinking..”

  I didn't even let him finish his sentence. I couldn't take it anymore. I threw a solid hook at his face. That was when all hell broke loose.

  There was a whole group of people who tried to separate us. Davis was one of those people. Everything was fast getting out of control.

  “Everybody calm the hell down!” Mayor Toppleston said.

  Nobody listened. I somehow managed to break free of my captors and I landed another punch in his face. I drew blood, and his nose looked rearranged. He spat at me. I tried to get another punch in, but by now, everyone had gotten in the middle of us, and the fight was forcibly broken up. The town meeting just didn't go the way it should have.

  Chapter 2

  Leaving Town

  After the horrible town meeting, I was summoned to the office of Mayor Toppleston. The man I punched was also summoned. He had a broken nose, loose teeth, and a bleeding lip. I didn't even know the guy.