“I’m not crazy,” Cody said. “And I’m not talking to any more shrinks.”
“No, of course not,” Maria said, as she walked with Cody outside. “And I was wrong about Mrs. Slaughter. She did a great job.”
Cody stopped halfway down the walkway leading to the parking lot. “What’s she doing here?” He jerked a thumb towards Deputy Dilbecky, who leaned against the rear quarter panel of her patrol car. “I thought they let me go.”
†
Cody had been cleared of murder charges, but Mayor Hollingsworth had filed charges against him for assaulting his son Christopher at school. Therefore, he ordered Sheriff Donovan to have Deputy Dilbecky deliver Cody from San Antonio straight to the Lost Maples County Juvenile Detention Center, where he faced an official arraignment. The judge set Cody’s bail at five thousand dollars for a second degree misdemeanor assault charge.
Aaron received the bail amount and paid the bail bondsman in advance in order to expedite the process. Cody only had to spend an hour in the detention center before he was released on bail.
“I wasn’t even at school when Chris Hollingsworth got beat up,” Cody complained, while he secured his seatbelt in Aaron’s cruiser.
Aaron started the engine. “I know, Cody. Just be grateful you’re only looking at probation and community service. It could be a hell of a lot worse.”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
“Whoever hacked into that database was able to get access to your prints, a two-year-old photo of you, a strand of your hair, and your social security number.” Aaron put the car in gear and turned his head towards Cody. “This changes everything.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Homecoming
Maria stood in the doorway of Cody’s bedroom and watched him sleep. Aaron wrapped his arms around her from behind and gave her a kiss on the temple. “Aren’t you glad I didn’t storm out of that meeting with you? That Allison Slaughter character turned out to be the real deal, didn’t she?”
“I admit I was wrong about her,” Maria said. “She did well, but we still have to deal with Mayor Hollingsworth.”
“Yeah, there’s that.”
“Maybe we should sick our new bulldog attorney on him?” she joked.
Aaron smirked. “You didn’t see the bill. I think we’re done with attorneys for a while. Richard did promise to talk to that jackass, though. Get him to agree to a lighter sentence. Few months of probation, community service, probably some counseling.”
Maria nodded. “I’ve wanted him to see a therapist, anyway.”
“Yeah, I know, but don’t hold your breath.” Aaron grinned and pecked Maria on the cheek. “And on that note, I’m going to bed.”
She shook her head and smiled back at Aaron. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“All right.”
Maria turned off the hall light and stepped into the bedroom. The night light on the wall across from the bed gave her just enough illumination to notice a card resting between Cody’s fingers. She reached over him, slipped the card away, and read the simple greeting card in the dim light.
Welcome Home, Cody!
We missed you!
Love,
Samantha
She smiled as she set the card on Cody’s desk, before kneeling by the edge of his bed. “Lord Jesus,” she prayed, while holding Cody’s hand, “please watch over Cody and protect him from the wiles of the devil. Surround him with angels and hold him in your loving arms. He’s been afflicted and oppressed for too long. Please, Lord Jesus, give him peace. Help Aaron and the FBI solve these murders, so we can finally live in peace.” She squeezed Cody’s hand. “I love this boy so much. I love him as if he came from my own womb.”
A cold chill ran up Maria’s spine as she recited the Lord’s Prayer. Cody’s demonic doppelganger appeared behind her like a phantom. It twitched it’s clawed fingers and watched her with solid black eyes. It listened to her vain prayers, tilting its head and forming a childlike grin while the clueless Catholic moved on to chanting words about the mother of her distant God.
“Hail Mary full of grace,” she recited, “the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women…”
As Maria prayed, the Cody-fiend transfigured from a short fourteen-year-old boy into a tall, grotesque creature with skinless flesh and a mouth full of long, narrow teeth. It lifted a strand of Maria’s hair with two of its clawed fingers while it ran its serpentine tongue along its scaly lips.
Maria gasped and opened her eyes. She spun around, her eyes darting from one corner of the dimly lit room to the other.
“Maria?”
Startled, she turned to face Cody, her left hand moving over her heart. “You scared me.” She took a few seconds to regain her composure. “Did I wake you, sweetie?”
Cody didn’t say anything, but his eyes revealed concern.
“You’re home now. You can go back to sleep.” Maria ran her fingers through Cody’s hair, and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you.”
Maria stood and pursed her lips. She could sense a strong presence of evil in the room. She could see it in Cody’s eyes, too. It was as if he knew what she was feeling. She took a deep breath and rubbed the crucifix pendant hanging from her mother’s necklace.
“Everything is fine. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
Her statement was more for her than for him. After she left the room and pulled the door shut behind her, she leaned against the wall and wept in silence.
†
Cody ran around the asphalt track at Lee Hauser Middle School ahead of a group of other students. It was his first day back to school since his arrest. Maria had given him the option of staying home another day, but he’d refused. He wanted to move on, if that was even possible. He couldn’t remember anything his teachers had taught him throughout the day, and he sat alone with his thoughts during lunchtime, ignoring the stares and pointing fingers. He didn’t care anymore. He couldn’t change anything. He couldn’t do anything. So why even bother trying to pretend that his life was going to be any different? He was powerless, and he knew it. He accepted it.
Sweating and breathing heavily, he picked up the pace as he started his fourth and final lap. While he completed the mile run, he thought about the dream he’d had last night. A sharp pain hit his side and chest as he turned the corner and ran towards the finish line.
“Six minutes, fifty-three seconds,” Coach Garcia said, after clicking the stopwatch in his hand. “Good job, Cody! You beat your best time by twenty-nine seconds.”
Cody bent over and held his side with one hand and balanced himself with his other hand pressed against his knee. He struggled to catch his breath.
The coach jogged over to him. “You okay?”
Cody waved him off and wheezed. “I’m fine. Just need some water.”
The coach poured water into a paper cone from the cooler and handed it to Cody, who swallowed it quickly. Coach Garcia squeezed Cody’s shoulder and congratulated him again on the time.
“Thanks, Coach,” Cody said. He sat on the grass and shot a sideways glare at Coach Garcia. Why was he being so nice to him? Aside from intervening for him once when he’d punched Kevin Thomas in the stomach, he’d rarely paid any direct attention to him during class. He sucked at sports, but he had proven himself to be speedy on the track. He wasn’t the fastest kid in class, but he was consistent with running a mile in less than seven minutes and thirty seconds. Most of his classmates took eight to ten minutes or longer to run the mile. So why the sudden special recognition?
A few other students stared at Cody and glanced away when he spotted them. It was obvious why they did that. Not only was he that freak with the nasty scars on his chest, but he was also the kid that had put Chris Hollingsworth in the hospital. He knew that wasn’t the only reason his classmates whispered behind his back. It was no secret that he was one of Peter Slavic’s prime targets for bullying at Lee Hauser Middle School. He could only imagine the rumors circ
ulating around school about Peter’s death and Cody’s recent absence.
“That’s ten seconds slower than last week,” Coach Garcia yelled at Kevin Thomas, as he finished his mile run. “You need to step it up.”
Kevin stopped in front of Cody and stared at him for a moment, before walking over to him. Cody took in a deep breath and shook his head. Kevin sat on the grass next to him with his arms propped behind him for support.
Cody gave him a sideways glare. “What do you want, Kevin?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Just sitting down to catch my breath.”
“Yeah, well go catch your breath somewhere else.” Cody got up and brushed the grass off his shorts. “Just stay away from me, okay?”
†
Kevin approached while Cody was drying his hair in the locker room. He had a look of despair on his face. Cody tossed the towel on a nearby bench and grabbed his shirt out of the locker. “I thought I told you to stay away from me.”
Kevin glimpsed the scars on Cody’s chest before he put his shirt on. “I wanted to apologize for… um… well, for everything.”
Cody gazed at Kevin while he tucked in his shirt. Ignoring the apology, he grabbed a comb out of the locker and ran it through his hair.
“I’m not like the others, Cody. I…” Kevin lowered his head and stared at the floor as if struggling for proper words of apology. As if anything he could say would matter. “What I’m trying to say is I don’t like bullying.”
Cody stopped combing his hair and looked Kevin straight in the eyes. “You’re full of crap, Kevin. Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy everything you and Peter did to me.” He tossed his comb in his locker and slammed the door, causing Kevin to flinch. Cody affixed the padlock and began walking away.
“I don’t believe what everyone is saying about you.”
Cody stopped and took a deep breath. “And what is that?”
“That you killed your mom and stepdad.”
Cody’s nostrils flared. Anger filled his eyes. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, before Coach Garcia ordered him and Kevin out of the locker room. “Come on, boys, I need to lock up. You can finish chatting outside.”
Cody grabbed Kevin’s arm as he walked past him and narrowed his eyes at him. He tightened his grip, and said, “Don’t you ever bring my mother up again.”
“Okay, I won’t,” Kevin said. “Now, let go of my arm.”
Coach Garcia stepped into the locker room again. “Chop-chop, boys! I don’t have all day.”
Cody released his grip and followed Kevin towards the exit.
Coach Garcia stopped him. “What was that all about?”
“Nothing.”
“It didn’t look like nothing to me. Are you okay?”
Cody raised his voice. “I said it’s nothing, okay?”
Coach Garcia leaned against the door frame leading to the gymnasium. “I know you’ve been through hell, so if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure. Can I go now?”
“Yes, of course.” Coach Garcia moved aside. “I mean it, though. Don’t hesitate to come to me if you need to talk.”
“All right.” Cody’s voice had a tone of irritation in it as he left the locker room.
†
Cody sat on the curb in front of the school pickup driveway and gazed at a photo of him and his mother, as he waited for Aaron. In the photo, his mother held him in her arms with her chin pressed against the top of his head. He was so happy in that photo, probably the last time he remembered having such a genuine smile. He reminisced about the event portrayed in the photo. His stepfather had snapped it during a trip to Sea World in San Antonio. It was one of the only times Tony had done anything nice for them. It was also after Robert Smith had introduced him to the 666 Rites of Demon Summoning. The spell had worked. If only it had stopped there.
Cody frowned. Lies. All of it. Tony hadn’t loved him. He hadn’t loved his mother. And he was so stupid for believing anything Robert Smith had taught him about the occult. Evil was evil, no matter how you tried to mask or justify it.
Cody checked his watch. Aaron was already an hour late, and neither he nor Maria had answered their phones. Coach Garcia left the building carrying a blue duffel bag with a white swoosh mark on it. Keep walking, Cody thought. He didn’t, of course.
“How long have you been sitting out here?”
“I don’t know.” Cody shrugged. “I guess an hour or so.” He placed the photo of him and his mother back in his wallet and stuffed it in his back pocket.
“Need a ride?” Coach Garcia asked. “It’s already five-thirty.”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
“You sure? I don’t feel comfortable leaving you out here all alone. It’ll be dark soon. Did you call your parents?”
Cody showed him his cell phone and nodded.
“Well, at least let me take you to your dad’s work at the—” Coach Garcia cut himself off when a police car turned onto the student pickup and drop off roadway in front of the school. “That must be him. Mind if I have a talk with him?”
“Yes, I do.” Cody grabbed his backpack and made his way towards Aaron’s cruiser.
“It’ll just be a minute. I wanted to—”
“I said no!” Cody barked. “Now would you please leave me alone?”
“All right, I’m sorry,” Coach Garcia said, dejected. “I’ll see you on Monday then. Have a good weekend.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Aaron lowered the passenger side window and apologized to Cody for being late. “Is that one of your teachers?”
“Yes,” Cody said and got into the car.
“Why were you yelling at him?”
“It was nothing.” Cody slammed the door. “He was offering me a ride home since you and Maria apparently don’t know how to answer a phone. I called you both at least five times.”
“I’m sorry, but I lost track of time.”
“Whatever.”
“Hey, don’t give me that. The reason I’m late is because I’ve been on the phone with the Mayor, the DA’s office, and the FBI all day. So, forgive me if I was a little busy trying to clear up your mess.”
“If I’m such a burden to you, why didn’t you just leave me locked up?”
Aaron sighed and pinched the ridge of his nose. “Look, I’m sorry. You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Whatever. I don’t care. Just take me home.”
†
Cody stomped inside the house, marched straight to his bedroom, and slammed the door, ignoring Maria’s greeting.
Maria cocked her head back and raised her eyebrows at Aaron. “What’s with him?”
He shook his head and lifted his palms up in defeat. “You got me. I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to do anymore.” He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and twisted the cap off as he sat on the couch. He guzzled a quarter of the beer within seconds.
“You forgot to pick him up, didn’t you?”
“Yes!” Aaron yelled. “I forgot to pick him up. I spent the whole goddamn day dealing with these fucking homicide cases. And now I have that dipshit Hollingsworth breathing down my neck about his son. So, yeah, time slipped away from me.” Aaron took another swig of his beer. “Then to top it all off, Cody gives me his fucking attitude for being a little late, after everything I’ve done for him.”
Maria stood in the kitchen with her eyes wide and brows raised in shock. “Maybe something happened at school today. Did you consider that? Did you even ask him?”
Aaron waved his beer towards the hallway. “Be my guest. He’s not talking to me, as if all this bullshit is somehow my fault.”
“Aaron, would you please stop with the language?”
He eyed is wife and drank the rest of his beer. “Maybe I should have left him there,” he mumbled.
“What? Leave him where?
“Nothing. Forget it.” He got up from the couch and tossed his empty beer bottle in the kitchen trashcan. “What
’s for dinner?”
“Sam and I are going out for dinner. You can make yourself and Cody sandwiches.”
“What?” Aaron followed Maria down the hall towards Samantha’s room. “What’s that all about? I’m the bad guy here?”
Maria stopped and turned around, pointing at Aaron. “You and Cody need to work out whatever it is you two need to work out, but Sam and I are not going to be here while you do it. She’s been through enough with—”
“She’s been through enough?” Aaron raised his eyebrows. “What about Cody? What about me?”
“Just figure it out, Aaron.” Maria knocked on Samantha’s bedroom door. “Sam, get your shoes on. You and I are going out to eat.”
Samantha opened the door. “Just us? What about Aaron and Cody?”
“They’re staying here. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Maria pushed past Aaron, grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter, and walked outside.
Aaron followed her outside and turned her around.
“Get your hands off me,” Maria warned.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? What about you, Aaron?”
“What about me?”
“Ugh!” Maria cried out in frustration, turned back around and unlocked her car. “You can be so thick-headed sometimes.”
Aaron shut the door as Maria pulled it open. “Cut the ‘I should already know what the problem is’ crap and tell me what’s on your mind.”
Devil's Nightmare: Premonitions (Devil's Nightmare, Book 2) Page 37