The Treehouse

by Andrew J Brandt

  He lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

  ◆◆◆

  Brandon pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. It read 12:52am. “I’ve got to get going, babe,” he said. He lifted himself off her bed and pulled on his jeans. Allison wrapped herself in the soft Tiffany-blue comforter and perched up on one arm.

  “Thank you for coming over tonight,” she said. “And thank you for letting me cry. I love you.”

  “Of course, babe. Anything for you.” He pulled his shirt over his head and leaned down to kiss her again.

  “I’ve got baseball drills tomorrow and then I’ve got to help my dad at the store in the evening.”

  “Well, my parents are leaving for Houston in the morning,” Allison said with a wink. “They’ll be gone til Monday evening. After Lucas goes to bed, we could…” she trailed off. But he knew what she meant. And it got him imagining it already, even though he’d just had her. He already couldn’t wait to not have to worry about parents or being quiet.

  “I can’t wait,” he said. He kissed her again, walked to the window and swung his body out into the open. He pulled the glass panel window down slowly and made sure it was shut all the way, knowing that Allison would get up out of the bed to secure the locks and close the blinds. Once it was shut, he blew her a kiss through the window and started to make his way back to his car. He ensured there were no cars driving by that would or could see him leaving Allison’s window and crossed the street.

  He made a slight jog to the vehicle and fished for his keys in the front pocket of his jeans. He used the key to unlock the door as opposed to the keyless entry; no need to flash the headlights or bring any unnecessary attention to his car parked in front of some stranger’s house. His biggest fear doing this with Allison was that he’d go back and find an empty spot where his car once was, towed away thanks to some unscrupulous and nosey neighbor.

  However tonight, the Dodge Challenger was right where he left it. He dropped into the driver’s seat, put the key in the ignition and started it up. When he looked up to make sure his headlights didn’t turn on, he saw something, a piece of paper, under the windshield wiper. He opened the car door, reached up and grabbed it. It was a scrap of notebook paper, ripped from a spiral instead of the loose-leaf type, the frayed edges still attached to the perforation. It was a note, written in Sharpie.

  In the light from the bulb above his head he read the note, scribbled in all caps:

  I KNOW YOU SAW ME. I HAVE SEEN YOU TO. IF YOU GO TO THE COPS SHE IS NEXT.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Sunday March 16 | 11:10am

  ALLISON AWOKE TO a loud, incessant pounding at the front door. Still delirious from sleep, it took her a moment to remember she was the only person home to answer the door. She got up out of bed, pulled on a sweater and walked down the hall to the front door.

  She looked out the view hole in the door to see Brandon standing on her front porch, his Challenger parked on the curb. She opened the door and he nearly barreled her over. Brandon shut the door behind him and peered out the peephole. “Making sure I wasn’t followed,” he said.

  “Followed? By who? You’re scaring me, babe, what’s going on?”

  “I’ve been calling you all morning. And texting you. You never answered so I left baseball practice. I needed to make sure you’re safe.” He turned to face Allison. “Are you here by yourself?” he asked. She said yes, that her parents had left early in the morning.

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  “You’re not safe here,” he said. He checked the lock on the door. “Is your window locked?”

  At this point, Allison was both scared and confused. “Brandon, what the hell are you doing? Why are you freaking out?”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “Last night when I left, this was on my car.”

  She opened up the note and read it. She felt the color drain from her face. “Oh my god, Brandon.”

  “Yeah, babe. I know.”

  “Oh my god,” she repeated, louder and panicked. “What the hell? What are we going to do?”

  “Well for one, we are getting you out of here. You can’t stay here by yourself. Where’s your brother? Is he home with you?”

  “No, he’s at Tyler’s house,” she said.

  “Isn’t his dad a cop?” Brandon asked.

  Allison nodded yes. She read the note again, the block letters written in thick black marker, the edges of the paper torn and uneven.

  “Okay, that’s good,” he said. “Make sure he stays there. You, though, we need to get you somewhere where you’re not alone for tonight. Is Amilyn still in San Antonio?”

  “She’s coming home today.”

  “Perfect,” he said, walking down the hallway. As he went, he walked into every room, checking the latches on the windows. “We can keep the windows and doors locked and hole up here until she gets into town.”

  “Brandon, if he comes for me, what’s going to stop him? I mean, he took Ari. He can just as easily take me.”

  Brandon lifted his shirt and showed her a black pistol tucked into the waistband of his jeans. “It’s my dad’s. I took it out of his safe.” He pulled his shirt back down, obscuring the weapon.

  “Jesus, Brandon!” Allison was in shock at this point. A madman, who had already killed one girl, was threatening to take her, and now her boyfriend had a gun in his pants. “What are you even doing with that thing?”

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said. “I don’t know who this guy is, but if he thinks he’s going to come after my girlfriend, he’s going to go down.”

  Finally, after he’d checked all the windows and door locks, Brandon took Allison in his arms and embraced her. She could feel the pistol pressing against her pubic bone. “I love you,” he said. “And I’m going to protect you, no matter what.”

  “I love you. But I’m definitely scared,” she said. “I almost wish you hadn’t showed me that note.”

  “I know, but I needed you to know how serious this is. This guy, he knows who we are, and he knows we saw him take Ari.” He released her from the embrace. “It’ll be okay. We’ll be fine as long as we stay here.”

  “I need to text Lucas. My parents wanted him to come home this morning, so I need him to stay with the Joneses for the day.” She went back to her bedroom and grabbed her phone off her bedside table. She quickly thumbed out a message to Lucas. I’ve got to take some clothes to a friend. Stay at Tyler’s for a little while. She also sent one to Amilyn. Let me know when you get back into town. I need to see you ASAP.

  She found a scrunchy on her computer desk and pulled her hair through it, making a messy ponytail. Since she and Brandon would be bunkered in the house, she didn’t feel any need or desire to get dressed any further than her joggers and sweater.

  Allison walked back into the living room where Brandon was sitting on the couch. He looked up at her and smiled. “Damn girl, you are so fine.”

  She went to sit next to him, curling her legs underneath her body. “I’m literally in sweats. I’m as un-fine as you can get.” She was cut off when she heard the sirens.

  Police sirens were approaching the house. They looked at each other and immediately hopped up and went to the front door. Brandon opened the door and they looked outside just as two police cruisers drove by unusually fast. They watched as the two cruisers turned down Dogwood Lane, both cars with sirens and lights blaring.

  Brandon looked at Allison, a smile forming on his face. “You know what that means? I bet they got him.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Sunday March 16 | 10:02am

  LUCAS PEDALED HIS bicycle on a dark road, breathing heavy, trying to get to the light in front of him. He knew if he could reach the light, he would be safe. He pedaled hard, his thighs burning from the effort. The trees above his head had black branches and they drooped down, almost touching the top of his head.

  Behind him, the black car roared. T
he headlights grew brighter as the vehicle approached and gained on the boy.

  With every ounce of effort in his body, Lucas pumped the pedals on his bicycle, but no matter how much he tried, he wasn’t gaining speed. Looking behind him, he saw the black car just as its front fender hit his back tire.

  Lucas flew into the air from the impact, his arms flailing in front of him. He landed not in the street, but in the woods. He stood up and dusted the dirt off his jeans and shirt. His hands were scraped and bleeding.

  The sound of a shovel slicing into the ground behind him made him turn around. He saw a dark figure digging into the earth. It was wearing a black hoodie, its face hidden beneath the hood. It looked up at Lucas with glowing red eyes. Lucas tried to run but his legs were paralyzed with fear.

  Elijah and Lucas lay motionless on the ground in front of the hole. Their shirts and jeans were ragged and torn like they’d been dragged through the woods, their clothing catching on every branch and rock. Lucas realized that they were dead.

  The figure pointed at him; its hand outstretched from the hoodie’s sleeves was only bones. “You’re next,” it growled. “I’m coming for you, Lucas Beaker.”

  ◆◆◆

  Lucas’s jumped awake. His eyes darted around the bedroom and he realized he had been dreaming. Tyler and Elijah were still asleep, both boys in their sleeping bags. They had made a pallet of blankets on the floor of Tyler’s bedroom and slept there. Tyler must have felt Lucas jump awake because he mumbled for a moment and turned over, falling back asleep.

  Falling back onto his pillow, Lucas sighed. It had been a nightmare, but his heart still raced from the fear. He shook the images from his mind. It was just a dream, he told himself, repeating the words in his mind like a chant.

  His throat felt rough and dry and he got out of his sleeping bag to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. Tyler’s mom was in there already, pouring a cup of coffee from the carafe on the counter. Whereas Mr. Washington was tall and large, built like a linebacker, his wife was tall yet petite. Lucas could see where Tyler got his lankiness.

  “Hi Mrs. Washington,” Lucas said. “I was just wanting some water.”

  “Oh, sure thing,” she said. She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled open one of the double stainless-steel doors. She twisted the cap to release the plastic and offered the boy a bottle of Ozarka water.

  “Thank you,” he said as he gulped it down.

  “You’re so welcome.” Victoria moved to sit at the dining room table, coffee in one hand and phone in the other. “Are you okay? Did you boys stay up too late?” she asked as she sipped her brew.

  “No ma’am. We watched basketball and then played Fortnite for a little bit.” During the evening, the boys played the video game to try to distract them from the mysterious black car and the body in the woods. It had worked mostly, as they did stay up past midnight in a battle royale, the game’s massive multiplayer contest.

  He took another sip from the water bottle. “Do you think they’re going to find that missing girl soon?” Lucas was hoping he could extract some information about the missing girl, specifically what the police currently knew about the situation.

  “I certainly hope so,” she said. She continued sipping her coffee and scrolling through her phone. “But we’ll see. I think them finding her phone is a big piece of the puzzle.”

  “Why do you say that?” Lucas tried to sound concerned and now show any excitement that his plan was working.

  “Well, it should be able to tell us who she was talking with or texting. Maybe she was planning on meeting up with someone. We don’t really know a whole lot of details. But John and his guys are out there now, combing the area for any more clues.”

  “Wow,” Lucas said. “So, they’re out in the woods?"

  “Yes, out in the area where they found her phone.”

  “Well, I hope they find something. Thank you again for the water.”

  “Of course, sweetheart. If you need anything else, let me know.”

  Lucas went back into Tyler’s bedroom. Both Tyler and Elijah were waking up. “Tyler, your dad is back out there,” he nodded toward the window, “with the investigation. If all the police are working in the woods, then we can go find that car.”

  Tyler stood up from the floor and stretched. “Let’s do it, bro. Let’s find where he’s hiding out at and we can call the cops to arrest him.”

  Elijah said, “We need a plan. Where do we start?”

  Lucas grabbed his backpack off the floor and found his phone inside one of the external pockets. “Let’s think. Where did she live?” He opened up the Henderson newspaper website again in his browser, but the story didn’t have any information about her residence.

  “Wasn’t she the same age as your sister?” Tyler asked. “Do you think she would have known her?”

  “Maybe,” Lucas said. “Allison’s friends come over a lot, but I’ve never seen this girl. So I don’t think they’re friends.”

  Tyler said, “What if we start by the area and houses close to the woods? Maybe the guy dropped her out there because it’s close to where he lives.”

  That made sense to Lucas. “Let’s try that first. There’s probably going to be a lot of cops out there too, though, if that’s where they found her phone.”

  “Well, let’s quit wasting time,” Elijah piped up. “Let’s find him while the case is hot.”

  The three boys got dressed quickly, excited to be doing something instead of hiding out in their bedrooms. They knew it would still be on the colder side outside in the morning so they each threw on a sweatshirt with their jeans.

  They exited the bedroom and saw Tyler’s mom still at the dining room table working on her cup of coffee.

  “Hey mom, we were going to the park to play some football. Is that okay?”

  “Do you have your phone on you?” she asked.

  “Yes ma’am. We’ll be safe. We just want to get out of the house for a little bit.”

  She obliged their request, and the boys hurried out to the garage, mounted their bicycles and rode off toward the part of the neighborhood that faced the woods. The morning air was thick with fog, which was common in the spring. It usually cleared out as the sun rose higher in the sky.

  “Hey Lucas,” Elijah shouted. He was riding slightly behind Lucas, with Tyler leading the pack. “If you see a car that looks even close to the one from the other night, take a picture of the license plate!”

  “Good idea!” Lucas said. He was trying to keep the image fresh in his mind, the shape of the front fender and the headlights, hoping he’d be able to make it out easily if they saw it again. “I’ll let you guys know if I see it,” he called out.

  They pedaled on, looking into the driveways of the houses on the block, but didn’t see anything that even resembled a black Ford car. Behind them, the sirens of a police car sounded and Lucas noticed the noise getting louder. Two cop cars turned the corner behind them and rapidly approached.

  The boys pulled their bikes over to the sidewalk and the police cruisers passed them, lights and sirens loud in the otherwise quiet neighborhood.

  Tyler said, “I bet they found him! Let’s go!” He pulled his bike back into the street and started in the direction the cops went, following their sirens. Lucas and Elijah quickly followed.

  As Lucas pumped his pedals, he felt a sense of relief, hoping they’d get to see the perpetrator in handcuffs. His anticipation turned to unease when he realized they were heading toward the clearing in the woods where they would hike to the treehouse.

  They turned the corner where the neighborhood butted against the woods. There they saw several police units around the clearing where the trails led into the forest. Tyler hit his brakes and Elijah and Lucas followed suit. Their tires left black skid marks on the asphalt. Before them was a full-on crime scene investigation.

  Yellow police tape roped off the area. There were at least ten officers, including local police as well as a dispatch of Texas Ra
ngers, standing around. Even a K9 dog unit was present. There was also an ambulance. Lucas realized very suddenly that they had not found the perpetrator at all. All this was for something different, something worse. His stomach dropped and a lump formed in his throat.

  The three boys stood on their bicycles in the middle of the street and watched silently as a gurney was loaded into the back of an ambulance by EMTs.

  Laying atop the gurney was a body wrapped in black plastic.

  PART TWO

  THE MAN IN THE BLACK CAR

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Wednesday March 19 | 2:45pm

  LUCAS REACHED TWO fingers under the collar of his shirt and scratched at his neck. The collar and tie made his skin itch. He wasn’t used to wearing this kind of clothing very often, except for maybe Easter. He sat next to his sister, who had tears streaming down her face and his mom and dad, both silent and stoic. The memorial service for Ariel was held at the community center, which most often hosted the homecoming dance and senior prom. In fact, not even the largest church in Henderson, First Baptist, could hold the considerable amount of people who showed up today. Folded chairs were aligned in dozens of rows, and nearly a hundred more people standing in the back of the room. Even the atrium was full, with people overflowing out the open doors.

  Instead of a casket, a large spray of purple and white flowers with the girl’s picture in the middle was displayed at the front of the assembly room. The high school choir lead the congregation in singing a selection of worship songs before the eulogy, given by the preacher of the church the girl attended. Pastor Daniel was a young charismatic man in his mid-40’s wearing dark jeans, a tailored white button-up and blazer. As he spoke to those in attendance about comfort and peace in this particularly heavy and tumultuous time, he kept his gaze often on the girl’s family.

  The family, taking up the first couple of rows, could be heard bawling even in the back. Lucas could see them, the mother crying on someone’s shoulder. Lucas looked around the room, not really knowing what to do except listen to the preacher.