Page 19 of The Black Lotus
Her eyebrows shoot up and the corner of her lip lifts. “Impressive. Who would have thought that a killer was lurking inside you. Very poetic, killing him with his own weapon.”
“There is a lot about me that you and-” I spit the next word, “-your mother will never know.”
“Indeed.” She walks past me, her shoulder brushing mine, sending a skitter of goosebumps trailing up my arm. “It’s going to be hard to let you go.”
“She’s not yours to let go!” Aster yells after her, but she has already left the building, leaving us standing there in the silence. “Even in death I would never let you go.”
“And I you.”
He kisses me, lifting me into his arms bridal style, my feetfinallygetting the break they needed. I smile up at him as I relax into his hold and we go back to the car, leaving all the evidence of who Nate is behind, ready and waiting for anyone to find.
EIGHT
ASTER
“Breaking news at eleven! We come to you live on the scene with Deputy Wiley to tell us what was found at an abandoned warehouse.”The news reporter points the microphone at a cop that looks vaguely familiar. Sitting up straighter I look at the young deputy who is being interviewed, taking in all of his facial features. I feel I have seen him somewhere before, but the mustache covering his upper lip reminds me of a hairy caterpillar and it is throwing off my memory.
Serena and I sit on the couch, a blanket thrown over our legs and her head resting on my chest as we watch our work being investigated. It took only a day for the body to be discovered by a homeless person who was looking for a warm place to sleep. Poor old guy got more than he bargained for.
“What can you tell us about what happened here? People are speculating it was the Morbid Monet, some claiming he now has a partner, or worried it is a copycat? Can you elaborate anything on this matter?” the reporter asks.
“Evidence points to the Monet's signature, but we have to evaluate everything before we can come to any conclusions,” says the deputy, looking right into the camera.
“Can you tell us who the victim is?”
“Without DNA evidence we won’t know for sure, but based on the items left behind, we believe the victim is the Concord Killer.” The reporter's mouth falls open at the shocking news, but she quickly composes herself. “That is all I can tell you for now.” Deputy Wiley walks away before she can ask anything else, the camera following his frame as he heads back into the warehouse.
The reporter appears back on the screen. “You heard it here first, folks. Has the Morbid Monet changed his victim profile? Has Salem’s most notorious killer gained a partner in crime? Or is it someone else entirely?” She places her gloved hand to her ear. “What? Okay,” she gulps into her ear piece “Ladies and gentlemen, we have pictures from the crime scene that an anonymous party has sent in; we will show it to you now but as a warning, viewer digression is advised.”
Serena looks at me, her eyebrows dipped as she sits up and stares at the scene intently. “Do you think it was Zephira?” she asks, her body vibrating from anticipation.
“Who else would it be but my annoying little sister?”
“She’s not that bad.”
I quirk a questioning brow at my sweet, naive girlfriend. “She’s keeping tabs on you for my mother, the woman who wants you dead.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “For now.” Turning her head to look back at me, a devious smile that has me fearing the ideas churning in her head. “I think we can get her on our side.”
“Sure if my mother didn’t have her claws embedded into her.”Serena rolls her eyes and focuses her attention back to the tv, relaxing back into my arms.
The frame switches to the picture of Nate laying there with his gun beside him, flowers in his hand over his open chest, andhis musket balls over his one eye and the socket of the hanging one. Serena starts laughing, and I chuckle at her cleverness.
“You have to admit that is fucking funny,” she cries, swiping a tear from her eye.
Kissing the top of her head, I agree. “Yes. Yes, it is, my little vixen.”
The screen switches back to the reporter with her gloved hands covering her mouth, the microphone now hanging upside down in her grasp. Someone whispers her name, breaking her shock. She shakes her head and composes herself.
“As you can see, it looks like Monet's signature, but we can’t be sure until the police release more information. Thank you for joining us, and we will report back when we have any updates.”
Serena clicks off the tv, stretching her arms above her head and yawning. “I could go for some coffee; want a cup?”
Pushing her back down onto the couch, I get up. “I’ll make it; lay down and rest your eyes. It will take a while to brew.”
She nods, eyes fluttering closed as she lays back down. I grab the blanket she discarded and place it back over her, walking to the kitchen to make us coffee.
The events of last night were weird, but welcoming.I’ve never prepared a body with anyone before. I’ve always been alone, doing things my way. Getting to do them with Serena, having her special touch added, paying homage to me in her own way, swelled my heart.
