Chase arrives to the edge of the embankment and looks down. He sees LeAnn at the bottom, unconscious and bleeding from the head. He makes his way down carefully, almost losing his footing several times. He believes LeAnn is dead. He feels trapped. He looks around, checking for witnesses, and notices a large, bloodstained rock. His mind races through possible outcomes, most of which involve him being blamed for her death. He decides he needs to guarantee her death. Besides, she had just stolen money from him.
He calmly approaches the rock. Before picking it up, he scans the area for people. The rock is very heavy. As he carries it over to LeAnn’s body, she begins to stir. He does not panic; vengeance and self-preservation are the only things on his mind.
LeAnn’s eyes widen in terror as she realizes Chase’s intentions. She struggles to move, but can only twitch. She tries to scream, but her voice lacks sound. Chase grunts as he raises the rock above his head and slams it into her face. He slams it again and again, each time harder than the last. He turns, covered in her blood, and checks again for witnesses one last time. He looks down at her body, feeling cold inside.
Chase sits in the chair, more exhausted than before. “I didn’t want this to happen, but I didn’t have a choice.” In his mind, LeAnn had robbed him and therefore deserved her fate.
Kasey, blown away, looms over him. “Are you kidding me? You didn’t have a choice? What about getting her some help? Call an ambulance, you heartless bastard. Are you that cold that those options were out of the question? I see why you took on the identity of your dead brother now. You’re a cold-blooded killer. Well, you’re not going to get away with it anymore.”
“It was too late. I was already going to be blamed for her death. I did what was necessary.”
Kasey paces back and forth. She can barely process everything she has just heard. She continues to pace until she comes to a decision. “So there’s nothing left to say. What’s done is done.” She turns and walks away. When she reaches the front door, she pauses. She is briefly overcome by a change of heart. She loved him once. But she came here on a mission.
“You know, there is something that I feel is necessary.” Smiling, Kasey turns around to face him. She walks over to the dining room table and picks up the knife. Kasey firmly clinches the knife as she marches towards Chase.
Chase begs for his life between screams of agony. He continues to scream as his life ebbs away. Kasey enjoys taking his life. In exacting her vengeance, she has discovered a new side of herself.
It is time to begin the reincarnation of Kasey Laine.
Chapter Sixteen:
The Hunt for KL Begins
C hase’s apartment manager stands at his front door, nervously jangling his key ring. Several police officers are standing behind him. They had received numerous calls about Chase’s apartment, referencing screaming and violent-sounding commotion. They announce themselves repeatedly, until the decision is made to breach the door.
Once inside, they fan out across the apartment. The officer who first happens onto the living room stops in his tracks. He gasps. He will never forget what he sees.
Chase’s lifeless body slumps to the side, still handcuffed to the chair. The words “For LeAnn” are engraved deep into his chest. His body is riddled with stab wounds, all deep enough to draw blood but none deep enough to kill on their own. He bled out slowly, suffering to his last breath. The hunting knife sits lodged in his thigh; wrapped around the handle is a blood-saturated handkerchief, with the initials K and L written in pink lipstick.
Across the street, Kasey sits in her car with the engine running. She smirks, imagining the discovery of Chase’s body. Kasey slowly drives off when all of the officers enter Chase’s apartment.
Later that day, there is a knock at Jennifer’s front door. She opens it to find two detectives waiting to speak with her. They tell her of Chase’s murder, and inquire as to Kasey’s whereabouts. She has not seen Kasey since their meeting at the coffee shop a few days ago, and she had been unaware of Chase’s fate. She calmly explains that she has no idea where Kasey is. The detectives show Jennifer an evidence bag. Inside of the bag, is the blood soaked handkerchief. When Jennifer sees the initials K and L on the handkerchief, she panics inside. But her training as an attorney allows her to maintain her composure, even in the most stressful situations. In solidarity with her friend, she reveals nothing. The situation plays out similarly when the same two detectives visit Felecia. Felecia’s loyalty resides with Kasey. She does not reveal a single detail.
After the investigators leave, Jennifer sits in her living room. She burns a candle, hoping the soothing scent will take the edge off of her worrying. She looks out the window and sees the mail truck pull away. She walks to her mailbox. Inside it is a letter, with no return address. It has the initials “KL” written across the top, and a kiss in pink lipstick. She glances around quickly. Certain the coast is clear; she rushes back inside to sit on the sofa. Her heart pounds, as she opens the letter.
Jennifer,
By the time this reaches you, I’ll be long gone. Due to the current circumstances, I think it’s best to start a new life. Most people choose their own pathetic lives, meaningless dead-end jobs and relationships. Those people will never be worth shit. Simply born to take up space, and eventually leave the world just as unnoticeably as they came in. But for a lucky few, life is already chosen. Preordained. Destined. I am one of those lucky few. I have a purpose beyond the natural realm of this world. Whether it is for the best or the worst, the girl you once knew is no more. I can no longer run from my destiny. I must embrace it. Till we meet again.
Kasey Laine “KL”
While still holding the letter Jennifer closes her eyes. Even though she feels relieved to hear from Kasey, she is grief-stricken. Instantly, she recalls the visit from the detectives. She opens her eyes to glance at one of the detectives’ cards on her coffee table. Jennifer has always been like a mother to Kasey; right or wrong, she knows what she has to do. She places the letter back in the envelope, and holds the envelope over the candle. Tears well up in her eyes as she watches it burn.
At the same time as the letter burns, Kasey walks down a scorching Arizona highway. Heat waves ripple the air. She dresses in a skin-tight leather outfit, her exposed skin glistening in the sunlight. Her makeup, as usual, is flawless. Her lips are pink, and her eyes are black. Her eyes sparkle behind her sunglasses.
In the horizon, a local bank becomes visible. She licks her lips, and lifts one eyebrow. She needs insurance for her life on the road, and this is the first step. She reaches under her jacket with both hands, and pulls out two sleek handguns. She looks over her shoulder and to both sides of the road; the coast is clear. She walks towards the bank with one goal in mind. Here is her opportunity to become the legend she is destined to be. Her transformation is complete.
Back in Seattle, the lead investigator watches the forensics team continue to search for clues in Chase’s apartment. The only solid piece of evidence he has is the bloody handkerchief with the letters K and L. He holds this firmly, believing it will eventually lead to the killer.
The hunt for “KL” begins.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dionndra Reneé is a talented new author who resides around the outskirts of Atlanta Georgia. Dionndra earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Science. She spends most of her time reading, writing, and taking long walks. Dionndra also spent close to a year volunteering at various Battered Women Shelters. During this time she witnessed first hand the long-term psychological and emotional trauma various women experience. It is here she received her inspiration to write her novel “Kasey Laine” which is the first of a five part series.
If you would like to contact or follow her at Twitter: @thekaseylaine, Instagram: kaseylainebook, Facebook: kaseylainebook, Email: [email protected], Manchuestate.com
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