by C. J. Urban
“Sammy, I want you to stay behind me when we go inside, okay?” Julie instructed.
“Why?” asked Sam.
“Because I think someone else is in our house.”
Julie approached the door silently, stopping just before she reached it to inspect the lock. It looked like it had been forced open. She could see splintered wood, and felt her stomach sink.
“Stay outside, Sam.”
“No. I’m not letting you go in alone.”
“Stay outside,” Julie said, more forcefully this time.
She pushed the door open and clasped her hand over her mouth. Her living room floor was now a sea of books, her couch’s upholstery had been ripped to shreds, and glass littered the entryway continuing into the kitchen. Julie walked quickly into the kitchen, her heart pounding furiously in her chest, to see if anything was missing. Sure enough, the file was gone.
Chapter 24
“Thanks for helping me clean up,” Julie said. “And for fixing the door and the lock.”
“Of course,” Skye said. “I still can’t believe this happened,” he added, putting up the last book on the shelf.
“It was Langley,” Julie said bitterly.
“Maybe.”
“What do you mean ‘maybe’? Who else would want that file?”
“No one else, I get it, but I just don’t think pointing fingers this early in the game is wise, that’s all.”
“You’re unbelievable, Skye. She murdered someone.”
Skye put down the broom he was carrying and looked Julie in the eye. “Until we have hard evidence, we don’t know that.”
“Fine.”
“Did we get everything?” Skye asked, glancing around the room.
“I think so,” Julie answered, trying to hide her irritation. “I’m going to need a new couch now though.”
“I’m just glad you two weren’t inside when the break-in occurred. Who knows what could have happened?”
“I’ve been thinking that very same thing,” Julie said. “But I think whoever did this knew we weren’t here. If all they wanted was the file, why trash the house? I think whoever took that file is also trying to scare me.”
“Well, you are attempting to open up a closed murder case. You’re bound to make someone nervous.”
“You still want to have a barbeque? Or maybe go out to eat instead?” Julie asked.
“Let’s stay. I don’t want to give whoever did this the satisfaction of thinking we’re afraid.”
“That’s wise, I guess,” Julie said, giving him a small smile.
“You’ll be alright if I go get some drinks?” Skye asked.
“Sure,” she said, trying to hide her doubt.
“Alright. I’ll be back soon.”
He was back within a half hour. And when Julie opened the door for him, she saw that he’d brought not only drinks, but a couch with him.
“Skye!” Julie exclaimed. “Where’d you get that?”
“At the thrift store,” he answered. “I hope that’s alright,” he added, worried that she might not want a second-hand couch.
But Julie laughed. “Beggars can’t be choosers,” she told him. “Thank you, Skye.”
She helped him take the ruined couch out, and bring the new one in.
This couch was nice enough. It was only a little worn, but it was comfortable. It was tan instead of green, and had thick pillows. She tried to pay him for it, but he wouldn’t take any money.
“It was pretty cheap,” he told her. “Maybe when you get a job, you can get a new one again.”
After dinner, Julie, Sam, and Skye sat around the coffee table playing Uno until Sam began falling asleep.
“I’m going to put Sam to bed. I’ll be right back. He’s already half-asleep so it won’t take too long.”
“Take your time.”
Julie returned within minutes and found Skye sitting lazily in her favorite chair.
“You know that’s my chair, right?” she asked him with an eyebrow raised.
“And it’s quite comfortable,” he answered. He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap.
“That’s it,” Julie said as she grabbed his arms to try to pull him out of the chair.
Before she managed to move him even an inch, he pulled her down to him and kissed her. Julie wrapped her arms around his neck, following his rhythm. He moved his hand down to her hips along the waistband of her jeans, and then stopped at the zipper, as if he were waiting for permission.
She gave in to him. “Just be quiet,” she said as they made their way upstairs. “Sam sleeps like a rock but I…you know…”
“I know,” he said, closing Julie’s door behind him.
She awoke the next day and felt nervousness creep in instantly. She wished she could just go back to sleep, but knew today was too important to hide from.
Skye was already dressing for the day. “You ready for tonight?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Julie said. “I’m a little nervous, but my curiosity about Langley is stronger than ever now, so there’s no way I’m backing out.”
“I’m glad, because I’m the one who has to have dinner with her, and she’s less than delightful.”
“Just lie your way through it, and you’ll be fine.”
Skye smiled broadly. “That, I can do.”
Julie loved the way his eyes lit up when he smiled, and couldn’t help but smile back.
“How about we make some waffles, eggs, and bacon and take our minds off tonight for a bit?” she asked.
“Sure. You know I’m hungry,” Skye said, “and I think Sam’s up. He’s probably hungry too.”
“He’s probably already down there eating junk food.”
Skye left Julie’s room so she could get dressed and then the pair made their way downstairs where, sure enough, Sam was sitting at the table eating sour gummy worms. He put the bag quickly behind his back as they entered the kitchen, but couldn’t hide his guilty expression.
“Hand them over,” Julie said.
“Aw, man.”
“We’re going to eat something even better, Sammy.”
“Is it pizza?” he asked.
“No silly. We’re having waffles,” Julie said, ruffling Sam’s already untidy hair.
Breakfast was a long and lazy affair. It was a Sunday, and Julie wanted the day to be fun for Sam, because their parents had always made Sunday a fun family day. He either didn’t realize that Skye had spent the night, or chose not to mention it.
“Why don’t we go to the park this afternoon?” Julie suggested.
“Can we play Frisbee?” Sam asked.
“I have a Frisbee that lights up,” Skye said. “We can stop by my place and pick it up.”
“Oh, that sounds awesome,” Sam exclaimed.
Julie loved seeing her brother becoming a happy little boy again. She had tried everything to help him, but now understood that what he needed more than anything was the gift of time and a chance to sort his feelings out.
“Can we go now?” Sam asked impatiently.
“Yes,” Julie said. “You ready, Skye?”
“Let’s go get that Frisbee.”
.Chapter 25
They drove to Skye’s apartment to pick up his Frisbee.
“I’m going to take you to my favorite park,” Skye announced once they were back in his truck. “It’s just a few miles outside of Dupont, but it’s bigger, and it’s a great place to play Frisbee.”
It took about fifteen minutes to get there, and Julie was surprised by how beautiful the park was. It seemed more like a miniature national forest than a park, with numerous pine trees towering over her, each just yards from another. A number of trails wound their way between the trees.
Sam ran ahead of them, running along the path and circling the trees.
“This park is also about half way to Langley’s house,” Skye commented. “I had to dig around to get her address yesterday, but I finally found it.” He handed Julie a small slip of pap
er with the address.
“She used to live closer to town,” Skye commented, then came to an abrupt stop.
Julie had to back up to him. Skye just stood there, lost in thought. “What is it?” She asked him.
“I just realized. She used to live closer to town, but she moved.”
“So?”
“Julie, she moved further away right after the murder. I didn’t realize that until just now.”
“Really?” Julie asked, puzzled. “I wonder why. This mystery is getting more complicated by the minute.”
“Yeah,” Skye agreed, still thinking.
“Well, thanks for getting it for me,” Julie said. She didn’t want to think of Langley just now. She wanted to enjoy their time together.
The piney smell of the park did help Julie feel calm and peaceful, and as she looked over at Sam she could tell he was relaxed as well. His eyes had softened, and he had a grin on his face.
“You ready to play?” Skye asked Sam.
“I’ve got to warn you,” Sam said with a serious look on his face, “I’m pretty good.”
Skye cast Julie an amused look. “I bet you are, bud.”
Julie watched the boys play Frisbee for a while, but became bored and began people-watching instead.
There were two men in particular who caught her eye. They were just a little ways away from Julie, and although she couldn’t make out exactly what was being said, she could hear the pair’s raised voices, and saw that one looked dangerously angry.
The angry man looked to be in his late thirties, and the man who appeared to be trying to subdue him looked to be around fifty. She was curious to know what they were arguing about, and moved a little closer to them.
The pair didn’t notice Julie, but continued to argue, and this time she could hear part of the exchange.
“You need to stay put when I tell you to, do you understand?” said the older one.
“I don’t have to do nothing,” argued the younger one. His simple, childlike voice and vocabulary caught Julie’s attention.
“You’ll never be on your own if you can’t learn to behave.”
The younger man suddenly began screaming and lunged for the older man.
Julie watched in amazement as the older man grabbed the younger man’s arms and spun him around, pinning him to the ground in one quick movement.
“You will listen to me. That’s what I’m here for, to help you.” After a few moments, he slowly let the younger man up off the ground.
The two men walked farther away from Julie. She stared after them in amazement.
“What are you staring at?” Sam asked Julie.
“Huh?” Julie said, the question snapping her back to reality. “Oh, it was just two men having an argument.”
“I saw the guy get taken down from over where we were,” Skye remarked. “It was kind of crazy.”
“I want to learn to tackle someone,” Sam said.
Julie looked at Sam’s small frame and laughed, “Sure you do, Sammy. You’ll be the one on your back unless you get some muscles on you, though.”
“I can teach you,” Skye said. “Don’t you worry, you’ll be a fighter in no time,” he added, winking at Julie.
But Julie looked at her cell for the time. “We need to be heading back. It’s time for you to start getting ready for your date,” she said, nudging Skye.
“For all you know, I might fall in love tonight.”
“I’m sure,” Julie said sarcastically. “Your mom can watch Sam, though, right?”
“Yep, I already made the arrangements. In fact, I can take him over there for you on my way home if you’d like.”
“That would be great. Is that all right with you, Sam?”
“It’s cool. I like Gloria, she’s really nice. And fun.”
“Let’s go, then,” Julie said, ruffling her brother’s hair.
“Let’s get this evening over with,” Skye said.
The air began to cool as Julie drove them back to her house, and Julie was glad. It would be hard enough breaking into a house without the typical sweltering summer heat.
Once they were back at home, Julie gave Sam a tight hug and kissed his forehead, before she watched him get into the truck with Skye.
“Be good, Sammy,” she called out to him as they drove off.
Julie had about an hour before she needed to leave, and took advantage of the quiet in the house to meditate and calm her nerves, which felt like livewires again. She sat in the middle of her living room doing a deep breathing exercise, and pushing the chief’s face as far out of her mind as she could.
A short while later she checked the time and saw it was seven forty-five. Her stomach did a somersault. It was time to start getting ready. She walked briskly upstairs and put on the darkest clothes she could find; a black long-sleeve shirt and some worn black Levi’s. She pulled out a pair of black running shoes from the back of her closet, hoping she wouldn’t have to do much running tonight. She drew her driver license from her purse and slipped it into her back pocket. The less to carry the better, she thought. But she did grab a small flashlight on her way out. Finally she locked up the house, feeling more and more edgy with each step she took towards her truck.
She entered the address Skye had given her into her GPS and drove the half hour to the chief’s house, and parked down a side street in the dark.
She walked as normally as she could, keeping close to any shadowy areas and trees she could find, until she reached the chief’s street. She found Langley’s house almost instantly, because of the large bronze statue of Langley herself standing guard right next to the front door. As Julie moved closer she could see that the statue held a rifle in its hands. You’ve got to be kidding, thought Julie.
There was a bright floodlight that lit up the front, and Julie saw that the one-story house was painted a deep green. There were two large flowerbeds filled with red roses, one on either side of the walkway, and the lawn appeared well-manicured, except for the patches of crabgrass littering it.
Julie walked around to the side of the house, looking behind her every few seconds, like Skye had done at the City Hall.
She stopped just before entering the side gate and found it locked. She stood a moment, listening hard for any sound at all. Satisfied, she climbed the gate and surveyed her surroundings.
The back yard looked entirely ordinary as far as Julie could tell. There was one lone shed in the corner, and the rest of the backyard was cracked concrete and grass. Julie searched around for an unlocked window, but found none as she made her way across the back of the house. When she reached the other side of the house to inspect the last window, her stomach jumped into her chest. The window had been left open a little, and the curtains were hanging outside.
Chapter 26
Julie inched the window open carefully, just enough to let herself in. She swung her leg over the opening, but then stopped as something caught her eye. It was a footprint on the sill that led out of the room. Who would need to leave through this window? She wondered. It didn’t matter right now, though, and Julie pulled the rest of her body through, scanning the room she had just entered illegally.
It was dark, but she could see the dim outlines of a bed and dresser. There were also several large pictures on the walls, but Julie couldn’t tell what the pictures were of. She searched around for a light switch and found one next to the door. She flipped it on, and turned to get a better look.
The twin-sized bed was covered in a blue, threadbare blanket, and the tall oak dresser had large gashes in it, as if it had been struck by something repeatedly. The pictures were what drew her attention though, and her eyes widened in horror. Although they were ordinary posters, mostly of sports figures, Julie was shocked to see that each player’s eyes had been scratched out. Just like the old drawing she’d found in Tara’s bedroom.
Trying to stay calm, Julie grabbed the knob of the bedroom door to search the rest of the house, but a noise from the other side made her
stop.
The front door had opened. She heard the voices of two people coming into the house. The voices came closer and, fighting panic, she looked around desperately for a place to hide. Her eyes locked on the closet next to the bed, and she quickly turned off the light, hurrying into it just as the two people burst into the room.
“What were you doing outside?” demanded the first voice harshly. Julie recognized this one as Langley.
“I was taking a walk, Momma,” said the other. Julie’s hand flew up to her mouth. She recognized that voice, too. It was the young man from the park today who had been tackled.
“You stay in here at night, Desmond. Got me?” Langley said harshly. “You made me miss a very important dinner tonight.”
“I’m sorry, Momma,” Desmond said, sounding defeated.
“What’s so great about wandering at night?” Langley asked. “All you ever do is look in women’s bedrooms.”
“I don’t do that no more.”
Julie put the pieces together instantly. Desmond was D. Suddenly Desmond screamed in pain, and Langley’s voice dropped so low Julie could barely hear it.
“Next time you leave at night, I’ll beat you until your skin falls off.”
Julie heard a thump against the floor and assumed Desmond had been thrown to the ground. “Get up and come eat,” Langley ordered.
The door closed, and Julie figured Desmond and Langley had left the room. She grabbed the doorknob, getting ready to leave, but then she heard footsteps coming toward the closet. Her heart sped up, thumping hard in her chest as she moved back further into the closet. She heard the jiggle of the doorknob and watched helplessly as the door opened just a few inches, letting in a small strip of light. Just then Langley yelled, “Get out here and eat.”
Relief flooded her as the door closed and she was once again in darkness. She heard Desmond’s heavy footsteps leave the room and the door slam shut. Julie remained frozen in the closet for several minutes, listening in silence.