Page 73 of Monsters

Chapter 26

NOW

The detectives sat in silence after I finished revealing the events of that night. Their stares never wavered, lost in thought as they pieced together the puzzle.

“Are you sure you don’t know the name of Mrs. Carter’s boyfriend?”

“Lucas and Mason never told me. It was almost like if they said it out loud, it would be giving the monster a title. A title that would make it all too real.”

“Did you ever see this man in person?”

“Never. The only thing I saw were the bruises he left on the boys. I heard his voice whenever he came to stay. I think everyone in the neighborhood heard his insults and threats. He made no effort to disguise his contempt for the Carter family. It was almost like a sport for him, to see how much he could hurt the people who once welcomed him into their home.”

Kinross and Walsh continued to listen intently, absorbing all the information that could assist with their case. In truth, the information I had to offer wasn’t much. There was no way of proving there was a body wrapped in the tarpaulin. Kinross obviously didn’t think so.

“Would you say the tarpaulin was body length?” he asked, his index finger tapping on the arm of his chair.

I nodded. It had been. I couldn’t discount the fact that it took two people, who struggled considerably, to carry the long roll. Carrying it like one would when transporting what could possibly be a dead body.

A silence ensued, and I watched Kinross’s chest rise and fall heavily.

“Do you know what happened to it after that night?” Walsh inquired.

“Like I said, Lucas got in the car without saying another word to—”

“But you were there by the car when Mason threatened you. Did you see the blue tarpaulin through the trunk window?”

“The trunk was piled high with boxes and suitcases. I doubt it was still in there. There wouldn’t have been any room.”

The detectives turned to each other and deliberated for a few short minutes, their voices hushed, both wearing frowns.

When they turned back to me, Detective Kinross cleared his throat before speaking. “Gemma, we need you to tell us where we can find this cabin you’ve mentioned. You say Mason Carter spent a lot of time out there when he wasn’t at home.”

After repeated incidences at Little Wren, I avoided the place and didn’t return after I walked in on Mason and Joanie. As a result, Mason had claimed the cabin as his own personal sanctuary away from the abusive household his mother ran.

“I’m not going back there, but I can show you on a map.”

“We can arrange that.” Kinross nodded in agreement.

“So, what now? I’ve told you everything I know. I’ve revealed the one thing Mason was desperate for me to keep secret. When he finds out I’ve told you… I’m dead.”

~

That night I went home with a former SWAT-man.

‘B’ as he called himself. Not wanting to reveal his true identity, was now a contractor for the department to act as a bodyguard. He was big, well-built, with shoulders of a quarterback. B was a man who took his job seriously and dotted his I’s and crossed his T’s with every flicker of his alert eyes. His strides were long and confident, and no one escaped his critical character assessment. Dressed all in black, B wore a cuff around his wrist made up of strands of leather. He was also a man of few words, and when they did leave his mouth, they were blunt and cut to the chase.

“Go,” he ordered, holding open the door and gesturing for me to enter. B had done a walkthrough of each room, returning confident in his assessment.

Dumping my bag on the counter, I walked to the linen closet and pulled a spare pillow and comforter off the shelves before turning back to B. He was peering out at the fire escape steps, no doubt ensuring they were trespasser proof.

“All I have is the couch,” I said, apologetically. “Other than my boyfr—” I cut the tainted word off, knowing it would take some getting used to not saying it. “Other than my ex, no one has ever stayed.”

“I won’t be sleeping, ma’am.” B remained focused on what was happening outside when he dismissed my offer.

“Please, just call me Gemma.”

“Ma’am will do just fine.”

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