officer pushed back the screen door. Swallowing the horrible vomit taste in her mouth, she nodded.
Jared kept his hand on her spine. Had he removed it, her knees would have buckled. Her kitchen floor had droplets of blood scattered about the black and white linoleum. She had to sidestep them to the sink where a folded piece of paper with the number six sat on the counter top like it would at a wedding reception.
“Don’t touch anything, ma’am,” the cop said, the same cop who opened the door for them.
Ryan glanced at Jared, then back to the note. It read: My sweet Ryan, not so sweet. I saw you betraying me, you whore. I will get you for what you and your cop friend have been doing. Don’t you worry, you will pay.
“George accused Mom of cheating on him.” Memories of her stepfather ranting and raving in a drunken state flashed before her eyes. She blinked them away.
“Isn’t this George character in prison?” said a man in plain clothes. She looked toward the voice and recognized the man, but couldn’t place him or remember his name.
“Hey, Nick.” Jared thrust his hand forward. “Ryan, you remember Detective Jenkins from the rat incident?”
A vision of the fanged little bugger hanging in her desk drawer popped into her head. “Yes.” She rubbed her shaking hands on her slacks.
“I’m sorry to have to put you through this, but after you look around, I need to question you both.”
“Question?” Ryan leaned closer to Jared.
“Standard procedure. He just needs to find out where we were last night and rule us out before he goes forward with this investigation.”
“Why would I do this to my own house?” The anger in her voice caught her off guard. Last night was supposed to be special. Something shared only between Jared and her, not on display for the whole world to judge.
“He’s not implying anything. But he has to go by the book.”
“The book sucks.” She shivered, crossing her arms across her chest as they made their way to her bedroom, following the trail of blood. Every piece of furniture in her home had been turned upside down and stabbed with some sharp object.
Clicking noises sounded in her bedroom and flashes of light danced across the hallway, hitting the wall.
“Take a deep breath,” Jared whispered in her ear.
She swallowed, then peered around the corner. Her heart pulsed, before it stopped for a brief moment. She took in a deep calming breath as her pulse began to flutter in inconsistent beats. Both of her hands instinctively clamped down over her gaping mouth, muffling her scream.
Blood was smeared across what remained of her bed. The mattress had been pulled to the side, half sitting on the floor with the insides exposed by each tear. Four men, all with gloves and masks on, stopped what they were doing and stared at her, then went back to taking samples and pictures.
“Where did the blood…” she gagged, “blood come from?” Jared’s bicep didn’t even flinch when she grabbed it for support.
“We don’t think it’s human,” someone said.
“Little Jimmy Henderson said his dog didn’t come home last night.” Jared looped his arms around her, but it didn’t stop her body from trembling. “But we don’t know anything right now.”
She turned her head, not wanting to look at the horrifying scene anymore. A bright redness on her wall caught her attention. “What is...” She blinked a few times to gain focus and realized she was looking at words. The letters were dripping like the title in the book Helter Skelter . “Oh, God.” She stared at the words “Die Bitch.” Her stomach lurched into her throat. “I’m going to be sick.”
A thud followed by a few curses fell faint in her ears as she pushed aside everyone and anything that stood in her path. The bathroom seemed so far away. Not bothering to shut the door, she dropped to her knees and gagged. Then gagged again. But the only thing that came up was a foul taste.
Her entire body broke out
Jared kept his hand on her spine. Had he removed it, her knees would have buckled. Her kitchen floor had droplets of blood scattered about the black and white linoleum. She had to sidestep them to the sink where a folded piece of paper with the number six sat on the counter top like it would at a wedding reception.
“Don’t touch anything, ma’am,” the cop said, the same cop who opened the door for them.
Ryan glanced at Jared, then back to the note. It read: My sweet Ryan, not so sweet. I saw you betraying me, you whore. I will get you for what you and your cop friend have been doing. Don’t you worry, you will pay.
“George accused Mom of cheating on him.” Memories of her stepfather ranting and raving in a drunken state flashed before her eyes. She blinked them away.
“Isn’t this George character in prison?” said a man in plain clothes. She looked toward the voice and recognized the man, but couldn’t place him or remember his name.
“Hey, Nick.” Jared thrust his hand forward. “Ryan, you remember Detective Jenkins from the rat incident?”
A vision of the fanged little bugger hanging in her desk drawer popped into her head. “Yes.” She rubbed her shaking hands on her slacks.
“I’m sorry to have to put you through this, but after you look around, I need to question you both.”
“Question?” Ryan leaned closer to Jared.
“Standard procedure. He just needs to find out where we were last night and rule us out before he goes forward with this investigation.”
“Why would I do this to my own house?” The anger in her voice caught her off guard. Last night was supposed to be special. Something shared only between Jared and her, not on display for the whole world to judge.
“He’s not implying anything. But he has to go by the book.”
“The book sucks.” She shivered, crossing her arms across her chest as they made their way to her bedroom, following the trail of blood. Every piece of furniture in her home had been turned upside down and stabbed with some sharp object.
Clicking noises sounded in her bedroom and flashes of light danced across the hallway, hitting the wall.
“Take a deep breath,” Jared whispered in her ear.
She swallowed, then peered around the corner. Her heart pulsed, before it stopped for a brief moment. She took in a deep calming breath as her pulse began to flutter in inconsistent beats. Both of her hands instinctively clamped down over her gaping mouth, muffling her scream.
Blood was smeared across what remained of her bed. The mattress had been pulled to the side, half sitting on the floor with the insides exposed by each tear. Four men, all with gloves and masks on, stopped what they were doing and stared at her, then went back to taking samples and pictures.
“Where did the blood…” she gagged, “blood come from?” Jared’s bicep didn’t even flinch when she grabbed it for support.
“We don’t think it’s human,” someone said.
“Little Jimmy Henderson said his dog didn’t come home last night.” Jared looped his arms around her, but it didn’t stop her body from trembling. “But we don’t know anything right now.”
She turned her head, not wanting to look at the horrifying scene anymore. A bright redness on her wall caught her attention. “What is...” She blinked a few times to gain focus and realized she was looking at words. The letters were dripping like the title in the book Helter Skelter . “Oh, God.” She stared at the words “Die Bitch.” Her stomach lurched into her throat. “I’m going to be sick.”
A thud followed by a few curses fell faint in her ears as she pushed aside everyone and anything that stood in her path. The bathroom seemed so far away. Not bothering to shut the door, she dropped to her knees and gagged. Then gagged again. But the only thing that came up was a foul taste.
Her entire body broke out
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