“Goodbye, Joe,” I said as I tore the knife out of his shoulder.
The pain hardly registered on his face, it had been replaced with fear. He knew what was coming. He began to scream something again – some plea for mercy no doubt, but I cut his words from his very throat with the sharp edge of my blade. One brutal slash. I watched his eyes bulge in a mixture of disbelief and pain as the final beats of his heart bathed us in a spray of blood. He coughed weakly. I stared greedily into his eyes, watching as they glazed over and rolled blankly to the ceiling. He was gone.
I pulled the knife back out and wiped it down with my cloth. I’d clean it properly at home. I grabbed the corners of the rug and dragged him out into the cool air of his back yard; there was enough privacy that I could leave him there for a while without having to worry that he would be seen. Alone in his house now, I changed out of my bloody clothing and tossed it into the fireplace. While they burned, I gathered the taser and knife, putting them back into my bag, before returning to watch the fire. I made sure that every scrap of fabric was completely consumed, moving the bits and pieces into the flames with the poker until I was sure they were gone. I then sat restlessly in a chair and waited for more time to pass.
Just as dawn was beginning to near, I went back outside and dragged his body on the rug back into the living room. Once he was right back where I had killed him, I swept the floor where I’d dragged the rug through the dining room and made sure none of the blood had soaked through and gotten on the floor. I did not want anyone to know he’d been moved outside after he was killed. I went over every inch of the house that I’d walked through, looking for anything that I may have missed. There was nothing. Everything I’d brought was accounted for, and I was confident that nothing in the room could be traced back to me. Even if they found a hair of mine somewhere, that hair could have been on Kate’s dress and transferred during their date. It would hardly be enough to put me here.
I left his house as the black night sky was just beginning to lighten to a purplish blue on the horizon. Sunrise was still at least a half hour from now, but it was getting closer. I walked nearly two miles before I came across a bar where someone was locking up.
“Excuse me,” I asked. “I just got off work myself and my phone is dead. I need to call a cab. Do you mind if I use your phone?”
“Sure,” the guy said, looking me up and down once as he spoke.
What was it with men and a beautiful woman? He was a decent looking guy, but he wasn’t going to catch me staring at his groin. Well, damn. I actually did stare at him because I was thinking about that – but I didn’t normally.
I called the cab and thanked the guy for his help. He offered to wait with me, but I insisted that I was alright and he jumped in his truck and went on his way. I could only imagine what he may have been hoping would happen if I’d asked him to stay!
The cab picked me up a short time later and I had it take me two blocks further in the opposite direction from where I’d been picked up by the first cab. If by some miracle they connected the cab rides, even if they suspected Kate or I, they would also have to look at anything between those points. It was thin, but another layer of doubt to cast on me as a suspect.
I knew no one would be awake at the house, but I climbed up the back and onto the ledge outside my window rather than using the front door. No matter how unlikely, if Kate saw me coming back in, it would ruin my alibi completely. Climbing through the window I glanced around behind me one last time to see if anyone was watching; nothing stirred in the early morning light.
I changed into something more comfortable and crawled into bed, completely exhausted and ready for some actual sleep. Lying there, looking up at the ceiling, I felt the most satisfaction I’d experienced since arriving in this time. My body was relaxed. Not only did I now have a substantial amount of money, but I had finally scratched the itch that had been building for months. That desire, at least for the time being, was abated. Now all I could do was wait.
I closed my eyes, but despite my fatigue, sleep eluded me. A new sensation, unlike anything I had experienced after a kill before, prickled at the edge of my mind. It was anxiety, and fear. I was afraid of being caught; worried that I had unwittingly left something that would lead the police to my door. But it was more than that; it was excitement. This was a game now, and my challenge was not just to find and kill those men deserving of death, but it was to do it perfectly. It was a new challenge, I challenge I would rise to, a challenge I would win. With that last thought a certainty in my mind, I finally fell asleep.
Chapter 5
It was late in the morning before I roused from what had been the best sleep I could recall since my reawakening. I hadn’t realized just how restless I’d become after not getting to seek vengeance on a deserving victim for so long. As I lay in bed, the sun casting beams of light through the break in the curtain above me, I thought about just how strong the desire had become. The fact that it brought me satisfaction was nothing new, but to recognize that my body seemed to crave it, like an addiction, to the degree that it did was somewhat troubling.
I pushed that thought out of my mind, reminding myself that those men deserved what they got. They were not innocent victims. I was standing for all women, millions upon millions of them, who couldn’t stand for themselves, who had been abused, raped, and murdered over the centuries; I was the bringer of justice. It was not wrong to take joy in what I had done.
I made my way downstairs and found Kate and Norah in the kitchen. There were pancakes on the counter, but it was clear that they’d eaten some time ago. They were playing a game of cards at the table and poked some fun at me for sleeping so late.
“Are you feeling better?” Kate asked after a few jokes.
“I am,” I answered, remembering that I’d told her I felt ill the night before. “The rest was exactly what I needed.”
“I’m glad,” she replied with a sweet smile. “Grab some pancakes if you’re hungry. We made some for you, but we didn’t realize you’d be eating them for lunch.”
Norah giggled and I stuck my tongue out at her. It was moments like these, seeing the little girl so comfortable and open with me, that made me feel like I belonged here. I’d never known that feeling. My home as a young child was too proper for such silliness, though my mother did still find some opportunities to make me feel like a child when she could. When Clarissa had taken over as my primary caregiver, I was so grieved by the loss of my parents that I never really opened up to her. I recognized who she was to me, and I loved her for it, but there wasn’t the same connection.
Somehow, in just a few short months, these two women, young Norah most of all, had broken down walls inside of me that I hadn’t even known existed. Norah’s innocent love and Kate’s friendship had allowed me to truly experience my own vulnerability. In my past life, I had been a queen. I would have laughed at the notion that I could live without the authority of my title. And yet, I had found myself alone, utterly dependent on the kindness of strangers; and I had not just survived, I had flourished. I was happy here, happier than I had ever been in my old life. The only thing that had been missing was the appeasement of my thirst for justice. Today, that was no longer an issue.
I grabbed the plate they’d left out and put it in the microwave.
“Do you want to play?” Norah asked after her mom laid her last cards down, winning the last game.
“I’d love to,” I answered, and Kate dealt me in.
I joined them at the table with my breakfast, taking a bite and savoring the sweet flavor of the syrup. Everything was so much sweeter now than it had been in my time. At first, I hadn’t enjoyed the change in flavor, but it didn’t take long to adjust, and now I loved it. I took a second bite and was about to pick up my cards when the doorbell rang.
Kate shot me a puzzled look; she clearly wasn’t expecting anyone. “I wonder who that could be?” she said, as she rose from the table and headed to answer the door.
I
shrugged my shoulders in response, struggling to keep my face neutral. If they’d already found him that could mean trouble for me.
Following behind her, I could already hear the sound of a police radio before she had even reached the door. My heart sunk in my chest. I tried to calm myself. It was inevitable that they would come here. Kate was the last known person he had been with last night. They were just following procedure. There was no reason to think that they suspected me for any reason.
Kate had obviously picked up on the sound of the police radio as well, and she glanced back at me with a look of apprehension. Unlike me, she had no idea why they would be here. I hoped her genuine sense of shock when they delivered the news would be enough to convince them that we were both innocent.
She swung open the door and two men stood outside with very serious looks on their faces.
“Kate Friesen?” the smaller of the two men asked.
Kate answered, “Yes, what’s this about?”
“I’m Detective Pearson and this is Detective Cafferty. Do you have a moment?”
“Y-yes,” Kate said uncertainly.
“Were you out with Joseph McMurray last night?”
Kate’s face went pale; she could sense that something was very, very wrong.
“Uh, yes. I… I was,” she answered.
I wished that she wasn’t so flustered. She’d done nothing wrong and I feared that she might send the wrong signals in her mild panic.
“Could you walk us through what happened?” Detective Pearson asked.
“What do you mean, what happened?” Kate asked. “He picked me up last night for our date, we had dinner, and then he brought me back here.”
The detective nodded and took some notes before asking, “What time would you say he brought you back?”
“Ummm,” she said quietly as she thought for a moment. Probably just before nine.”
“That’s a short date,” Detective Cafferty, a larger man with a blotchy face, interjected. “Did it not go well?”
“What exactly is this about?” Kate asked again.
Detective Pearson resumed speaking in a less accusatory tone. “Ma’am, I’m sorry to inform you that Mr. McMurray was found dead in his home this morning. He was murdered.”
“WHAT?!” Kate shrieked.
Norah ran up beside me, clutching me around the middle. I didn’t think she’d overheard the conversation, but her mother’s shout had scared her. Kate looked over, a tear forming in her eye, and I guided Norah back into the kitchen.
“Why is my mom upset?” she asked.
“Something bad happened to someone she knew, but it’s going to be okay.”
“Did they die?” the perceptive little girl asked.
I didn’t want to have that conversation, not knowing how Kate would want to handle it. “I’ll let your mom tell you more when she’s ready, but right now she needs you to head up to your room and get it cleaned up while she talks to the police, okay?”
There was a brief pause as she considered everything I’d said before she said, “Okay,” and made her way up the stairs.
I was always fascinated to watch how Norah processed the world around her. She was exceptionally bright for her age, but she still saw things with the hope and optimism of a child. I didn’t want to see that light fade in her the way it already had in her mother.
It was easy to see why Kate had lost that carefree optimism. Men. She hadn’t shared much of her childhood with me, but from the stories she’d told of Norah’s father, and some of the other men she’d dated both before and after him, it was easy to understand how that light had been stamped out. She wanted to find someone to share her life with, but people can only be disappointed, rejected, used, and mistreated for so long before giving up. I wished she could see that she didn’t need a man; she was more than enough on her own, but I couldn’t fault her for her lingering desire. The truth was that deep inside, part of me still clung to that same childish wish to meet my Prince Charming, or at least a man who wasn’t an utterly abhorrent human being. It was still a dream of mine to know the love I’d fantasized about so long ago, dormant as it may have become.
With Norah safely upstairs in her room, I stepped back into the entryway and Kate flashed me a look of concern. That couldn’t be good.
“Did you text Joe last night?” she asked, clearly confused.
How had they known? I was very careful to delete the message from his phone. Should I lie? I reasoned that if they’d found out, I would look far guiltier if I tried to cover it up. “Yes, I did,” I said slowly, my mind racing while I spoke to come up with a believable explanation.
“Could you explain why?” Detective Pearson asked, now looking at me as he stepped inside.
Keeping my voice calm, I began to answer, not even sure what I was going to say until the words were on my lips. “I’ll be honest – I was upset with how he’d treated Kate. He seemed like a pig, and I just acted. I got his number from her phone and sent him a message telling him how pathetic a human being he was.”
Kate’s mouth gaped at my admission.
“I’m sorry, Kate,” I added, “but you’ve been so good to me, and it made my blood boil that he was so rude to you. I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Can I see that text?” Detective Pearson asked.
Seeing them inside, standing next to Kate, I realized that both men were taller than I’d thought. Detective Cafferty was big all around, but both men were tall and Detective Pearson looked strong, and quite handsome. He had a chiseled jaw and carried himself with confidence.
“I deleted the message,” I answered. “I didn’t want Kate to know what I’d done.”
“I see,” he said, making a note and clearly thinking through something in his head.
“You said he brought you back here around nine?” he asked Kate again.
“Yes,” she replied, turning her face away from me and looking back at the detective.
“And were you home, Ms…” he started to ask, fumbling when he realized he didn’t know my name and looking to see if he’d written it down.
“Emily,” I answered.
“Emily what?” he followed up.
“I don’t really know,” I answered. Both detectives gave me strange looks, and Kate was staring at me with wide eyes, as if I’d let a big secret slip. I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to myself, but there was hardly any other answer I could give them.
Afraid of how my response would sit with the detectives, Kate jumped back into the conversation. “Emily has amnesia. No one’s been able to figure out who she is. You all should have a record of her, but we found her about six months ago and she’s been staying with us ever since.”
The handsome detective looked perplexed for a moment, before he let a small smile cross his face. “That’s a new one,” he said with a slight chuckle. “Well, Emily Something, were you here when Kate arrived back home?”
“Yes,” I answered. “Norah and I were both watching a movie and heard him drop her out front.”
“And you can confirm that it was at about nine last night?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Just a few minutes before. I looked at the clock when I heard his car.”
“Alright then,” he said flipping his notebook closed and tucking his pen back into his shirt pocket. “We may have more questions for both of you so please make yourselves available if the need arises. That’s all we need for now.”
“Are we suspects?” Kate asked.
“You were a person of interest, but for the time being, I don’t think so. I can’t speak to specifics,” he said. “If you think of anything that might be helpful, please give me a call.”
He wrote another number on the back of a card and handed it to her.
“Thank you both for your time,” he said as he looked back my way and I thought I detected another small smile.
Was he showing interest in me? What kind of man would be looking to pick up a woman
while investigating a murder?
With that, he stepped back outside where his partner still stood in the doorway, and Kate closed the door behind them.
She walked right over to the couch and flopped down. She was pale and she was fidgeting with her hands. I wasn’t sure exactly what she was thinking or feeling, but she looked overwhelmed.
“Are you okay?” I asked, sitting across from her.
“I can’t believe he’s dead. I was out with him just last night, and he was murdered afterwards. How is that possible? If I’d gone home with him, do you think he would still be alive right now?”
I realized she was probably in some kind of shock. Death was familiar to me, but this might be the closest Kate had ever been to it. Her parents were both still alive, and for all I knew, she’d never lost anyone close at all. Not that she was terribly close to Joe, but the fact that she’d been with him on the night of his death was enough to rattle her.
I reached over and put my hand on her knee. “You can’t think like that, Kate. You can’t blame yourself for not having been there. I think it’s more likely that if you’d gone home with him, you would have been in danger, too. Honestly, I think you made the right decision last night, and it saved your life.” Of course, that was a lie, Kate was never in any danger, but I had to act like I didn’t know that.
She nodded, absorbing my words. “I just can’t believe it. I mean, I wasn’t going to go out with him again, but he didn’t deserve to die.”
“He was a pig,” I said. “You might not think he deserved it, but he’s not worth losing any sleep over either.”
Kate looked back up at me, her face still troubled. Had I upset her with what I said, or did she have something else on her mind?
“Why did you text him Emily? That was completely out of line.”
“I know,” I said, allowing my brow to furrow in false contrition. “It was impulsive and it wasn’t my place; I regretted it right away. Please forgive me.”
I could see her relax a little. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she said with a smile. “And if you ever want to tell a man off for me again, just let me know first so I can help craft the message.”
Evil Unbound- Death's Mistress Returns Page 7