by Luis Samways
I nodded my head. What he was saying was true. Besides from the allegations of me being a racist. I don’t hate any particular race, just humanity as a whole.
“Okay, I hear you Shaw. But listen. If I manage to go one full case without making anybody angry, sad or suicidal, then I don’t take the job. That’s my offer.”
Shaw looked at me and then San.
“No fucking way. What do you think this is?”
“I think that this is a negotiation, and if you don’t meet my requirements, then you’ll lose me. I have friends in high places, Shaw. I don’t need to stay in Boston. Plenty of places could do with me.”
“Yeah, sounds about right,” Shaw said, wiping at his sweaty brow. “I can imagine that there’s a huge line of people wanting your services. FBI must be creaming in their pants at the thought of you destroying a perp’s face beyond recognition.”
“You heard what my offer is. I won’t do anything to ruffle anybody’s feathers. If I do, you can give me the job and cut my pay in half for a year.”
Shaw smiled.
“Confident that you won’t fail?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t offer you this deal if I wasn’t.”
Santiago patted me on the shoulder.
“Looks like alls well, ends well!” he said.
I turned around and walked towards the door. I reached for the handle and opened the heavy wooden door.
“Fine. If you fuck up Frank, your ass is mine.”
I smiled and then said “If I succeed though, I want double the pay and ten more vacation days.”
I walked out of the office with a permanent smile on my face.
“You won’t succeed Frank!” I heard Shaw say as I escaped through the precinct doors into the darkness of the night.
Five
Six hours later
“Jack, stop annoying your sister!” Serena Brody snapped as she took an easy left onto the school campus.
It was a large school. It catered to over two thousand high school students. Her son and daughter were both freshman and understandably, they were overly excited about most things, including annoying each other on a regular basis.
“She started it!” her stroppy teenage son said as he fiddled around with his earphones. The sounds of crashing baselines and high-hat drum solo’s reverberated into the thin atmosphere of the small family car.
“I don’t want to hear it, Jack,” Serena said, audibly hushing her son.
The car came to a stop. Both teens escaped the grips of their mother without saying goodbye. Serena sounded the car horn off as a way of saying goodbye. Modern parenting was a drag, but she felt a little more relaxed knowing her children were strong-willed individuals. There weren’t any sleepless nights worrying about the safety of Jack and Nicole. They could look after themselves just fine.
She shifted gears and accelerated out of the campus. The early morning sun was glistening against the dashboard, bouncing light into her eyes. She squinted, flapping down the sun guard as she turned right, onto the road leading back to her house. She lived near the school, no more than a mile down the road. The neighbourhood in question was a nice one. It resembled a gated community but it lacked the gates. Plants and flowers lay potted on either side of the road, giving a nice dash of colour to the grey and blacks of the tarmac.
Serena felt a surge of relief rush through her as she reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. When nobody was around she liked to dabble in the joy of a smoke or two. She knew people would judge her if they knew she was sucking down on cancer sticks, but she felt as if she needed them. Being a single mom played havoc with her emotions, so a little smoking here and there wasn’t a big deal in her mind.
She lit up the cigarette and rolled down the windows. The sun hit her face and the wind splayed her hair as she picked up speed. She caught herself feeling odd. She felt as if something wasn’t right. It was akin to one of those gut feelings she got when she knew something bad was going to happen. It wasn’t a strong feeling, just a slight pang of fear that was creeping its way up her oesophagus and out of her mouth. She gasped for air.
“Jesus,” she said, realizing she was having a panic attack.
It was a regular occurrence for her. It happened many times a day. She didn’t know what set them off but she knew how to ease them off. She took one deep breath and held it in. momentarily she caught a glimpse of herself in the rear view mirror. Worn out eyes stared back at her. She could see the cars behind her. All of them looked ominous. One of them in particular. A black sedan was on her tail. She blinked twice, rapidly and then opened her eyes back up. She saw the sedan, but this time it was farther away. Something was off, but she knew that her fleeting panic was causing such thoughts. If she was to see a butterfly at that very moment, she would suspect it of being an omen. That was Serena all over. She was a superstitious soul.
The panic finally settled after a minute or two. She was used to driving while suffering an attack. Her doctor had told her to take meds to ease the symptoms but she refused to do so. She believed that they would numb her soul, turning her into something, or someone she didn’t recognize.
She was near her house now. No more than a minute or so to go. The panic hadn’t gone yet. It was still there, nibbling at her soul. But she had it under control. It wasn’t going to beat her. She was adamant of that. She caught another glimpse of herself in the rear view mirror. Her eyes looked hollow. They expressed pain and sorrow, while being surrounded by red circles around her pupils. She looked as if she had a fire brewing in her soul. But she was determined to extinguish it. She wouldn’t let it get the better of her. She wouldn’t let it destroy her.
Then she noticed something. Something that was staring her right in the face. The car behind her. The black sedan was still there. It was tailing her. Edging ever closer. She didn’t know if what she was seeing was a sign or if it was just a regular car. She wasn’t a paranoid person, but she knew when something didn’t feel right. She put her foot down on the gas. The car sped up. She flicked her eyes between the road and the rear view mirror. Every second that passed, her house grew nearer and the sedan grew farther apart. She took a hard left and then a right. She was now on her street. The suburban housing on either side looked welcoming. She was still keeping a watchful eye on her mirror. The car that had spooked her out was gone. She felt safe again. She was on her street, so there wasn’t anything to worry about.
She saw her house sitting on the corner of the street, right at the end. She smiled. She felt a sense of relief to be back home. She flicked her cigarette out of the window and rolled it back up. She pulled into her drive. Her heart sank suddenly. There was a man on her doorstep. He was smiling at her. She didn’t recognize him. But her momentary sense of fear was washed away when she saw the kindness in his eyes. She knew there was nothing to be afraid of.
“I’m sorry to bother you mam’,” she heard him say.
She nodded her head and got out of the car. The sounds of birds chirping in the trees and yard work being done in the background comforted her. She noticed that none of her immediate neighbours were home. She was the only one parked up. She adjusted her attention back to the man on her porch. He was tall. He had a dark suit on. His eyes were piercing yet gentle.
“Can I help you?” Serena asked.
The man nodded his head. She walked up to him, just about to fish out her keys when she spotted something in his right hand. It glinted off the sunlight. Her heart thumped in her chest. He had a knife. He saw the fear in her eyes. He covered her mouth with his left hand and struck her with his right hand. The long nine inch blade when into her chest. A large popping sound went off. Two of her ribs had cracked. The man took the knife out of her and swung back once more. This time he struck her in the abdomen. Her legs buckled and she collapsed onto the floor. She was gasping for air, gargling on her own blood. But the man wasn’t finished. She caught him staring at her. He got down onto one knee and grabbed her by th
e hair, raising her head slightly off the ground. As he did so, he slid the blade across her neck, cutting her throat. She bled out within seconds. He nodded his head solemnly and gently let go of her hair. She looked peaceful. Her eyes were still sparkling as whatever life was left within her escaped into the ether, until there was nothing but blackness in her pupils.
The man got up. He tucked the knife away in his inside jacket pocket. This time, he noticed he managed to get his suit dirty. This wasn’t a clean kill. But it was a kill nonetheless. He took one last glance at his downed damsel and turned to face his car. He had parked across the road, near one of her neighbour’s houses. He walked across the road briskly, ignoring the off chance that somebody could see him covered in blood. He got to his car and quickly got in. Firing up the engine, he took one last glance at his kill. A mesh of red and black infused in his skull at the sight of the carnage he had unleashed. There was still more to come. He was certain of that.
The killer drove off in his black sedan.
Thank you, from the author
Well, I’m afraid that’s it folks. Every single Frank McKenzie novel (so far) in one release. I feel mighty proud of Frank and his adventures. I can see a dramatic improvement in the flow and overall presentation of the books as the series goes on. Come October this year (2014), it will mark the second anniversary of the first Frank McKenzie book. I’m extremely humbled by everyone’s support and can’t wait for many more years of Frank and my other characters making waves on the page.
You can expect the next Frank McKenzie book in August (less than a month from publication of this book) and you can expect something special for Christmas 2014. (Maybe another Frank McKenzie Christmas special! Who knows!?!?!)
2015 will mark a new chapter in the Frank McKenzie saga. I shall be releasing two McKenzie mystery novels that year, plus if all goes to plan, a whole new series involving Frank. More on that soon though.
As usual, I appreciate the support. If you liked what you read, help Frank reach more readers by submitting an Amazon review on their website. It does wonders in helping readers like yourself find what they want. Plus, it gives you, my dearest supporter, the chance to voice your thoughts on McKenzie and how I’m handling his yarns!
It means the world to me as a writer that you chose to spend some time with my number one guy, Frank. It makes me very proud to be part of your reading schedule and I hope to see you again soon!
All the best, a humble indie author, Luis Samways.
www.luissamways.com