Page 13 of Crawl
“No.”
“You said your mother is a teacher?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t want to follow the family business?’
Her tongue pokes her cheek, holding back her words.
“LPA is a better fit for me,” she finally says.
“Even if you wind up working for people like me.”
“Yes,” she mutters. “Even with people like you.”
A gong chimes on the television screen, the volume suddenly louder.Breaking News!plasters the screen in bright red text. A blond reporter fills the frame.
Another body has been found in the Key West murders,the reporter says.Again, in the flooring underneath the Dry & Clean on Ernest Street. Though the official report hasn’t been released, our insider states that this victim follows the others: the bodies have been mutilated in different manners, painted white and encased in foam, then crammed into the building’s crawl space.
The image switches to the police chief.A copycat murderer can’t be ruled out,he says.It’s paramount that you stay indoors at night. Your safety is more important than a drink at the bar, people.
The blond reporter nods deeply.The name of the latest victim will be released after the family has been notified.
Remedy’s fingers stretch at her sides as her teeth chomp her bottom lip, worry painted on her face. She flicks her chipped black fingernails over the two bobby pins holding back her hair. Once she got home the night before, I logged onto her laptop through the hacking app. She accessed articles about the serial killer. Perhaps she realized she should truly be afraid of strangers after interacting with me. Smart woman.
“Does that scare you?” I ask, tapping my fingers together.
“Key West is so small,” she says. “They’ll find him.”
“How do we know it’s a man?” I tease. “It could beyou.After all, you tried to murder me last night. Might have succeeded if I hadn’t been ready. Perhaps you took care of someone else when you couldn’t get me.” I grin. Her shoulders curl around her. “How would you have mutilated me?”
“I’ll make you eat your own dick.”
I laugh, and she cringes at the sound.
“I know a cop,” she says. “He’s my friend.”
I raise a brow. There’s a confidence about her with those words, like shewantshim to protect her.
“And?” I ask.
“He’s a guy from my high school. He’s older than me. He became a detective a few years ago.” She crosses her arms. “He’ll find him.”
“And what if he doesn’t?”
Her knees tremble, but when her eyes meet mine, she locks her legs, forcing the nerves out of her system.
“Peter is strong,” she says.
So the cop friend has a name.Peter.And Peter is strong. And she’s proud of it. She evenbelievesin his abilities.
He isn’t the only person who is strong.
“You say that like he’s going to protect you,” I say. She narrows her gaze, but her fingers twitch. No matter how much she denies it, the situation scares her. “Don’t worry, little cure,” I chuckle. “I’m sure the killer only hunts at night. You’re safe, for now.” I wink, then grab an envelope off of the top of my desk. “Drop this Offer to Purchase off at Dry & Clean,” I say.
She stares at the envelope, then looks up at me. Her body tenses as she lets that information sink in: Dry & Clean, the final resting place of the latest Key West Killer victim. The primal fear is getting to her. Her bright green eyes dampen, and I want to yank her by the hair to force her to her knees. I want those tears to fall.
“Oh! What a coincidence,” I tease, knowing it will unnerve her. I pull the steak knife from yesterday out of my desk’s drawer. “Here.” I hand it to her. “Take this with you. I encourage you to protect yourself. After all, it’s only self-defense.”
