Luna Tick: A Sunshine Novel

by Merriam, Angie

  Chapter Two

  Matt

  "Hey, Matt, come here," Sunshine called from our kitchen. I heard a faint strain in her voice. She'd come a long ways in the years since The Bleach Killer, but I was still hypersensitive to her moods. If something was bothering Sunshine, I made it my mission to fix it. The light in her eyes was gone for far too long and I’ll be damned if someone took that light away again.

  "Be right there," I hollered back, quickly buttoning up the final button of my uniform. I jogged down the stairs to find her in the kitchen, holding the newspaper, looking like she'd seen a ghost. Seven years had passed since The Bleach Killer was sentenced to death. He served four years before he was given the lethal injection. There hasn't been a day since that I felt more relieved to have someone out of our lives, forever, than I felt when they killed that asshole. The man who murdered young women for years. The thought of him made my stomach turn. Thinking about how close my wife came to losing her own life to him caused my heart to thump a little faster. Harder. It took her a long time to overcome what he'd done, to accept that someone as dark and evil as he could have fathered her.

  For years we attended counseling together. I held her when night terrors stole her dreams like thieves in the night. I dried her tears when it all became too much. I held her hand when panic would set in, threatening to smother her. It was a dark time in our lives but as much as I was determined to have my wife back, she wanted to come back to us even more. With the support of family and friends, Sunshine busted her ass to find peace again. She was able to move past The Bleach Killer. Finally I saw that light back in her green eyes. When I looked at her that morning, standing in our kitchen, her face was very reminiscent of the look she had when he came for her.

  "What's wrong, baby," I asked, quickly going to her. She tossed the paper on the table, the headline like a beacon in the dark. I picked up the offending paper and read the article.

  Luna Tick Claims His Tenth Victim

  The small town of Klamath Falls is a quiet little town that has been the victim of what is thought to be a serial killer. Ten girls have gone missing over the last five years, most never being recovered. However, in the last two years the town has seen five different women murdered along the same lines. They appear to be raped then strangled before the killer methodically burns their top layer of skin as well as their female genitalia, leaving no trace of DNA evidence. Every woman is killed during a full moon.

  The killer appears to have a type–medium height, medium build blondes with known drug addictions. The police department is doing everything they can to catch this person, including calling in outside agencies that have experience with these kinds of crimes. Until then, the police force and mayor are asking that a city wide curfew be enacted and followed. Anyone caught out after 9:00 p.m. will be escorted home and fined.

  Stay safe.

  I dropped the paper back onto the table and glanced at Sunshine whose body was trembling. I pulled her into my arms, trying to hug away the fear that I knew was taking over her body. She rested her head on my chest and cried. The memories are ones we've tried to forget, tried to move past. How likely is it that a serial killer resides in the same state twice in less than ten years, both with similar MOs? I understood her fear. It was my fear as well.

  I heard her suck in a deep breath as the sobs quieted down. She pulled away enough to look up at me. "It's him, Matt. It's happening again and it's fucking Nick," she stated simply, her frightened eyes meeting mine. With one hand still around her, I angrily ran my other hand through my hair before taking a calming breath.

  "We don’t know for sure that it's Nick, babe," I tried. However, I knew as well as she did that it was. Nick wasn't held for long after they arrested Joe and cleared him of the murders. He served a four week sentence for assault after attacking Sunshine when his wife went missing. I tried to reach out to him when he was released. Make peace, but Nick wanted no part of it. He told me to fuck off then hopped a bus out of town. No one has seen or heard from him since. We'd hoped he went away and started a new life–a normal life. We were wrong.

  "You know it is, Matt! This has Nick written all over it. It's just like Joe, but he burns instead of bleaches. It has to be Nick."

  "Look, I'll go into the station today and look into it some more. I'll call the station in Klamath Falls and see what other information they can give me. Okay?" I ran my hands up and down her arms, trying to offer her some form of comfort or sense of safety.

  "Okay, but you realize we have to help right? Regardless of who it is, Nick or another copycat, we have firsthand experience. We could help. You could help, babe." Her voice was pleading and desperate. I let go of her, burying my face in my own hands. "Dammit, Sunny, we can't go through this again. I can't risk losing you. No fucking way. I will give them as much information as I possibly can and help from here, but I will not allow murders happening hundreds of miles away to affect our family." My voice was firm, hard. I would do anything for Sunshine, anything to see her smile, but put our family on the line again? No fucking way.

  "Babe, the last thing I want is to put our family in danger, but we can't just sit here on our asses knowing what we know," she tried again. I stood up. My hand shoved the fucking newspaper onto the floor. She watched quietly as I angrily paced our kitchen. My mind was reeling. She was right. We knew firsthand what made these sick bastards tick and if it was Nick, well I knew that fucker inside and out. I'd known him since grade school. We could help, but was it worth it? Were a few whores’ lives worth my family?

  I'd had my own nightmares. I'd woken myself up many nights over the years, drenched in sweat, heart beating wildly. Those nights I'd double check all the doors and windows. I peeked in on the kids. I watched Sunshine sleep. Fear of losing my wife and kids was what pushed me to keep them safe day after day. Could I throw caution to the wind and willingly go looking for the danger? I knew the answer, but I didn't fucking like it. Not giving a shit about the whores was as bad as killing them myself, but I won't commit to helping anyone until I have more information. I stopped pacing and looked out the window at our son Elijah, practicing throwing his football. What if something happened to his mother?

  "I'll get more information Sunny. I'll find out if it's Nick. If it is, Dade and I will make a trip down south to check things out. You will stay here with the kids." That was all I could offer her at that very moment.

  "But Matt, I don't want to be left here alone. I need to be with you," she tried but stopped the moment I looked at her. "Sunny, please stop! I will get more information, then we'll talk." The words came out harsher and louder than I'd intended. She had to understand, her being in harm's way would never be a fucking option. I lived my entire life to protect her and the kids, waving her in front of a serial killer was not how I kept her safe.

  "Okay, babe. Find out who this fucking psycho is, and we’ll go from there." She reached one arm around my back and the other around my folded arms, laying her head on my shoulder. I released a gust of air and my shoulders fell slightly, relaxing into her touch. I dipped down, kissing her on the top of the head.

  "I don't want to fight with you. Okay?" I tell her calmly. I hated fighting with her. Well, I didn't always hate it. Sunshine was feisty and some of our fights ended up in the bedroom with both of us naked. Those fights weren't so bad. Unfortunately this was not one of those fights where I could throw her over my shoulder then screw her senseless to get her to stop being pissed at me. This was serious and we needed to be on the same team.

  "I don't want to fight either. We need to be able to lean on each other." Her words were like a knife in my gut. She could always lean on me. She had to realize that this wasn't about leaving her behind but about keeping her safe. Alive.

  "You can always lean on me, baby. I'm just scared. I can't stand the thought of anything happening to you," I told her breathlessly, feeling somewhat defeated. One of the things I've always loved about Sunshine is her strength and her take no shit from anyo
ne attitude, but loving that sometimes bit me in the ass.

  "Well, I can't stand the thought of anything happening to you either, Matt. We're in this together. Okay?" Her head tilted up, her eyes were damp with tears and begged me to listen to what she was saying. She was scared too, scared of the same things I was. I got it.

  I turned and wrapped her in my arms, squeezing her close. Holding her in my arms always calmed me in ways nothing else ever could. There was no drug, no therapy, nothing that could calm me the way Sunshine could. I hated that this was happening again. I hated that the horrible memories we've worked so hard to put behind us were resurfacing. I hated that history was repeating itself. Most of all, I hated holding my trembling wife and not being able to promise her that everything would be okay because I couldn't.

  "I'm gonna head to the station, do some digging. I'll meet you all at Elijah’s practice. Okay?" I rubbed her arms again, trying to soothe her before I pulled away.

  "Okay. Keep me posted please." It was more than a request, it was a pleading demand spoken in a soft tone.

  "Of course, now give me some sugar, Mama," I teased, moving my hands from her arms to her butt. Her arms snaked up around my neck and she stood up on her tippy toes to kiss me. My tongue played with her lips before she parted them, allowing me entrance. My hands squeezed her ass tighter, forcing her body to fit flush against mine. I felt her breathing speed up matching my own. I was lost in the moment until I heard the familiar voice behind me. "Ugh, gross!" Elijah moaned. Our kiss broke apart quickly, and my hands moved up to her waist. She laughed into my chest while I addressed our son.

  "Nothing gross about me loving your mother, son." I tried to say it with authority, but my voice betrayed me. Hard to hide embarrassment when your kid catches you with your hands on his mother's ass and a hard on that wasn't easy to hide. Shit.

  "Can't you love her with your hands above the waist? Geez, Dad, gross!" He whined. At twelve, he was hormonal most of the time and starting to like girls himself. The last thing he wanted to see was his parents making out.

  "You should feel proud to have affectionate parents," I countered while Sunshine continued giggling into my chest. She was no help at all.

  "Whatever, Dad, get a room or something. Ugh." He stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Unable to hold it in any longer, we started laughing at our son's horror.

  "We're scarring our child," she scolded, mockingly pulling out of my arms.

  "Nah, we're teaching him love and affection. I just had my hand on your butt, over the jeans. It's not like I was down your pants or up your shirt. I mean, I'd like to be," I teased earning me a slap on the arm. "What? I'm not allowed to say I want to go to second base with my wife?" My hand rubbed the assaulted arm.

  "Aren't you going to work or something?" She walked away from me, grabbing the newspaper and tossing it in the trash can.

  "Ahh, shot down. You wound me, my love." My hand covered my heart, and my head hung in defeat.

  "No, not shot down. There will be plenty of second and third base tonight behind closed doors."

  "I love your modesty, baby." I gave her ass a firm slap before winking at her.

  "Yeah, yeah … go fight crime. I love you."

  "Love you too. See you in a few hours," I hollered over my shoulder as I walked out the door.

  After four hours at the station Dade, my best friend and partner, and I loaded up and went to meet Sunny and the kids at practice. Elijah started playing football right after I moved home. He loved the game. I loved coaching him. Sunshine loved seeing me dressed in my coach khakis, polo shirts and baseball hat. She's always feisty after a game or practice which works for me.

  Dade and I were setting up the practice equipment when I saw Sunshine and the kids pull in. I dreaded having to tell her what we found out.

  "What are you going to tell Sunny, man?" Dade asked, hauling the bag of balls to the field while I pulled the mannequins behind me.

  "The truth, I guess." The words didn't come out with as much conviction as I'd intended.

  "That's not gonna be pretty."

  "I know it's not, but you got my back right?" I stopped and looked at Dade.

  "Bro, I always got your back, except when it comes to Sunshine. She's the most stubborn woman I know. She's your wife, you know this. You also know she's not going to take this well, and she sure as fuck is not going to like the fact that you're heading south without her. I get her point though. She doesn't wanna be here worrying about you and what if he finds out you've left her alone? What's to stop him from coming here to get her?" Dade was always brutally honest with me. He was right, Sunshine could be stubborn, but I was not taking her with me to confront Nick.

  "Hey, baby," she called out. Elijah was talking to his teammates waiting to start, and Dani had run off with her friends. It was just Sunshine, me and traitor Dade.

  "Hey, my little ray of Sunshine," I replied, kissing her hello.

  "You're so cheesy," she teased.

  "You love it," I countered.

  "I do. Hey, Dade. How are ya today?" She flashed him a smile that if it had been anyone other than Dade, would have made me insanely jealous. I wasn't the jealous type usually, but when it came to Sunshine, all bets were off.

  "Hey, Sun, been better," he replied honestly, kissing her on the cheek. Damn traitor. So much for pushing the conversation off until after practice. Would it have been so fucking hard for Dade just to say, “fine, you?” I shot him an eat shit grin, and he just shrugged.

  "Well, what did you come up with?" she asked, straight to the point. Her tone clearly spoke volumes in regards to her no bullshit tolerance level. I didn't answer right away, instead I looked over towards the kids, not wanting to talk about it yet.

  "What is it, Matt? You know I don't tolerate bullshit. I may be your wife, our kid's mother, feminine and loving, but I also curse like a sailor and can beat either of your asses in most sports. So stop treating me like some delicate flower and tell me what the fuck is going on Matthew Everly!" Her arms were waving around at both Dade and me. Yep, she was on the verge of being pissed. I was about to push her over the edge.

  "Well?" She urged, losing her patience. Fuck. There was no easy way to say it. Our worst nightmare was now our worst fucking reality.

  "It's Nick, babe. We're almost positive. It seems Nick and Joe were corresponding after his release and before Joe was given the lethal injection. Joe was training him. Encouraging him." I let the words tumble out. I knew there was no easy way to say this to her. No way to soften the blow.

  "Are you just finding out about these letters?" she questioned, looking back and forth between Dade and me.

  "Yeah. They're in evidence," Dade answered. It was clear he was just as pissed at not having these letters years ago. We both were.

  "How the fuck does that happen? How was it possible for that bastard to have outside contact with anyone?" Her hands were solidly on her hips, demanding answers to the same questions I'd asked at the station.

  "The letters were addressed from Linda. The guard never questioned or read them. Figured they were from his scorned and heartbroken wife. When he died they were just filed into evidence."

  "You've got to be fucking kidding me! Who the hell do they have working at the shitty prison? Douche-nuggets apparently." She was fuming and had every right to be. Joe trained Nick for years right under our noses. One more big fuck you to the world. The situation was worse than we could have imagined.

  "Calm down, babe. We have the letters now," I told her, not wanting a scene in front of the kids.

  "Calm down? This is fucking bad Matt! This is so bad! All this time, what if he'd have come for me? For you? We have to stop him." Crimson crept into her cheeks. I could see she was trying hard to keep her voice down, but the anger I saw swirling in her eyes told me she was about to explode. She was a time bomb with a short fuse that I was about to light.

  "No, we," I pointed between Dade and me, "have to stop him. You have to st
ay here and take care of the kids. This is not up for discussion, Sunshine! You stay here–safe!" I struggled to keep my voice low. I braced myself for the backlash.

  "Excuse me, Dade," she glanced at him, giving him a sorrowful look before she turned her attention back to me. "Are you out of your damn mind? You really think you're going to leave me behind while you go be a fucking superhero and save the day? Are you a douche-nugget too?" She stood toe to toe with me, her hands on her hips, her green eyes wild. I didn't care.

  "You're not coming, Sunshine!" I said through gritted teeth, matching her stance and glare. We didn't fight often but when we did they were explosive. Everything we did together was explosive from fighting to fucking. We were never dull or boring that’s for damn sure and this moment was no different.

  "Have you ever considered that this might be just what Nick wants? He's getting sloppy. He's killing more, making the news. He knows it's going to get to us! He's expecting you! What if you get there to stop him while he's here waiting to get me?" she screamed. The tears must have been willing to stay at bay were now falling freely. "Matt, you will not leave me here. No fucking way. Where you go, I go. End of fucking story." Every single moment of terror that she'd lived seven years ago surfaced. It was written all over her face. I don't respond. Instead I pulled her into my arms not caring that other parents were walking by, probably looking at us as though we'd lost our minds. I knew she'd break when I told her. That's the main reason I wanted to wait until we were home, so she could fall apart in privacy. Seeing my wife cry crushed me. In that moment I knew I couldn't leave her behind. As much as I didn't want her there, as much as I wanted to be sure she was safe and taken care of I knew she'd won that battle. Maybe she was right. Maybe Dade was right. The safest place for Sunshine was with me. I'd die before I let anything happen to her.