Authors: Mary Lou George
Chapter 5
“I’m not sure we should be doing this,” said Holly, as she stopped her car close to Irene O’Neill’s property.
“Me neither, but what other option do we have?” Avery said.
While Holly had watched her vision of Stryker Cain fade away in the shower, Janice had called Avery back and told her that the victim’s name was, in fact, Irene O’Neill. The only opportunity they’d get to see the murder scene was if they snuck in after
. Janice informed her that they’d have a fifteen minute window of opportunity at that time. Avery didn’t bother to ask how she came upon that kind of information.
Holly still had doubts about dragging her friend in with her. “
We
don’t have another option, but you do. Stephen sure was mad at you for doing this. Maybe I should have come alone…kept you out of it.”
Even in the darkness Holly could sense Avery’s annoyed expression.
“Stephen is not the boss of me and he knows better than to try to stop me. I’m not about to let you do something like this alone. He’ll just have to wait by the phone and be ready with the bail money in case we get arrested. Now come on, we have to get into the kitchen, see if it fits the drawing.”
Both dressed in well matched, dark clothing, Holly felt a little ridiculous and giggled nervously, half scared half excited. Neither of them had ever dreamt of doing something like this let alone actually doing it.
A typical Muskoka summer night, anonymous creatures communicated in languages Avery and Holly couldn’t understand. Their voices filled the air. Clouds covered the moon and they had to use flashlights to find their way through the brush to Irene’s house.
As they drew closer to the scene of the crime, Holly shuddered at the thought of the animals they might be disturbing. Then she noticed something strange. “Don’t you find it a little quiet?”
Avery stopped and looked back at her friend. “You know you’re right. All of a sudden, it’s gotten pretty quiet. I don’t hear a thing anymore.”
“If this were a horror movie I’d say, ‘It’s quiet…too quiet’.” Holly laughed. “Weird we don’t hear anything now though, eh?”
“Maybe not. We’re making enough noise to frighten all God’s creatures into silence. For them, humans are the most dangerous creation of all.”
“True,” Holly said. She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the outer rim of Irene’s property. Shocked by what she saw, she froze in her footsteps.
There was police tape surrounding Irene’s rather large garden.
She whispered to Avery, “What happened out here? Why the tape?”
Avery shrugged. “Let’s take a look.” She shone her flashlight over the sectioned off area. It didn’t take long to find the answer. The grass was soaked with blood. Avery panned the light up to illuminate Irene’s beautiful flowers. Some of them were blood splattered too. Deep burgundy drops stained the petals of a perfectly formed fragrant white rose. Holly felt sick.
“It didn’t happen in the kitchen. We warned her and changed the future, but we didn’t change enough.” Her voice sounded desolate.
Avery put a supportive arm around her and squeezed. After a moment, she said, “Let’s check the kitchen anyway. The cellar door has to be this way.” She pointed to the side of the house. They’d thought to bring tools with them in order to take one of the doors off its hinges and get inside the house. Neither of them had imagined that the murder took place outside.
Holly looked down at the cellar doors. There was no lock. They wouldn’t need the screwdrivers. She understood that many people living in the country didn’t lock their doors, but surely it was reckless to leave an access point unlocked. The woman may as well have kept her front door swinging wide open…then again maybe she did. Irene O’Neill wouldn’t be the only one who felt so safe in their community that she didn’t feel the need to live behind locked doors. If she had been killed in her own garden…was there any place safe?
The cellar smelled musty and Holly wrinkled her nose. It was damp and cold inside. She shivered, but couldn’t tell if her body was reacting to the chill in the air or her own nervousness. The cellar wasn’t much more than a crawl space. Avery had to bend at the waist to avoid hitting her head. Holly herself could touch the ceiling if she had the inclination. She didn’t.
Using their flashlights, they found the stairs to the main floor of the house. The door at the top was slightly ajar. Holly’s heart pounded so loudly she wondered why Avery couldn’t hear and comment on it.
“What if we’re not alone?” she whispered.
Avery put a finger to her lips and started to climb the stairs. Holly followed.
The door didn’t make a sound when she pushed it open and they walked into what had been Irene O’Neill’s kitchen. It was almost exactly the same as the drawing except they saw no dead body, no blood, no cookies and no dish rack.
The house remained silent and dark. Holly and Avery stood beside each other wondering what to do next.
“Hello, Holly,” a man said pleasantly. The sound of his voice in the silence made Avery and Holly jump nervously. Light flooded the kitchen.
Blinded for a second, they instinctively turned towards the voice. About two feet away from Holly stood Stryker Cain. Dressed in dark clothing, a navy t-shirt and jeans, he leaned casually against the counter, each hand resting on the marble behind his hips. He crossed his feet at the ankles, looking completely at ease, the situation firmly under his control.
“What brings you here at this time of the night?” he asked calmly.
Avery had narrowed her eyes and Holly knew she was about to speak, but Holly jumped in.
“Stryker Cain, I’d like you to meet my friend Avery.” It was ludicrous making polite introductions under such strange circumstances, but Holly didn’t know what else to do. Damn, even under these circumstances she felt his pull.
Avery looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. Stryker’s smile widened. He was humoring her. She recognized the signs and frowned at him. His smile still had power over her. Her pulse raced.
Thankfully, Avery stepped in. “What brings you here?”
“I think I asked first.” His deep voice was mild.
Holly said, “You’re not supposed to be here anymore than we are and you’ve turned on the lights.” She moved towards the switch.
He raised a hand. “Don’t worry, the constable was just here. He won’t be back for at least twenty minutes. I’ve been watching.”
“So you’ve been waiting until the coast is clear?” Holly asked.
Still smiling broadly he nodded. “I have a good reason for being here ladies. Irene O’Neill was a friend of mine. She told me that someone had suggested she leave town for her own safety and was prepared to pay heed to that advice, but by the looks of it, she didn’t act quickly enough.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing straight up and irresistible. It was the first time Holly had seen him disheveled in any way, and it made her feel even more drawn to him and in far less control of her response to him.
“I’m not convinced the authorities around here have enough experience in this sort of thing,” he said.
Avery, eyes still narrowed, said, “And
you
do?”
Stryker’s smile faded away and he stared unwaveringly at her as he said, “Unfortunately, I do.”
“Do the police know you’re here?” Holly asked.
He shook his head, “I’d rather slip in under their radar. It could be…complicated. How about you?”
Avery laughed. “No, the police do not know we’re here.”
Holly blurted out, “We were the ones that warned Irene.” Avery looked at her like she’d lost her mind and Holly wasn’t sure she hadn’t. She had no defense and shrugged at her friend. Under her breath she said, “I don’t know what came over me.”
Avery sent her a look that indicated
she
knew very well what had come over her.
He politely ignored their interaction. “How did you know Irene was in danger?”
“I drew it.” Apparently, Holly wasn’t finished spilling all her secrets.
“Holly,” Avery hissed between her clenched teeth, nudging her. She put up a finger and pointed it at Stryker. “How do we know you didn’t kill her and now you’ve come back to revisit the scene of the crime?”
“You don’t. All I can do is give you my word that I did not kill this woman. Irene was my friend.”
Still under his spell, Holly believed him without hesitation. Avery, ever vigilant, stayed silent.
“Have you found anything in your search?” Holly asked.
He shook his head, “They found the body outside. Her throat had more than one deep puncture mark. The killer came up behind and struck with such viciousness he almost severed her spinal cord. It’s possible he wouldn’t have got a drop of blood on him that way. I’ve already been over the garden. I was just about to start in the kitchen when you two showed up. Care to help me?”
Neither woman answered as they began to look around.
“Since we’re all here together anyway and time is at a premium, why don’t we get organized?” He suggested. “I’ll check the kitchen, Holly could you take the bedrooms and Avery, you take the living room?”
The two women looked at each other and nodded. As she walked by him, Avery jabbed his chest with her index finger and said, “I’m watching you.”
Holly wanted to giggle, but instead she turned towards the bedrooms.
Forty-five minutes later they were done. When they met back in the kitchen, Holly voiced a concern that had been niggling at her since she began riffling through Irene’s things. “What if we’ve left evidence behind by searching this place? The police would consider us suspects.”
Stryker laughed. “And this just occurred to you now?”
“This is my first black bag job, Hamburglar. You’ll have to forgive me.”
He touched her arm and said, “The police have already gathered all the evidence they’re going to. They think they have their man.”
“Who?” Holly and Avery said in unison. His hand on her arm felt strong and steady. Holly was happy when he left it there.
“Irene’s ex-husband,” Stryker said sadly. “He’d been calling, begging her to take him back. She refused and he made some pretty ugly threats. It seems he was foolish enough to leave a couple of messages on Irene’s answering machine. The cops picked him up already.”
“If that’s the case, then why are you here?” Avery asked.
“I don’t believe Stan killed her. She wasn’t afraid of him. I trust Irene’s judgment.” His thumb started to stroke Holly’s arm. He didn’t seem aware of it, but she certainly was. His hand felt wonderfully cool against her heated skin. Why did her internal temperature rocket a couple of notches whenever he was near?
In a hushed voice, she said, “You accepted our explanation about the drawing without question. Why?”
He looked into her eyes and laughed. “I have no reason to think you’d lie, Holly.”
Surprised, she shook her head with confusion,
“But you don’t even know me.”
His thumb ceased its caress. “Let’s just say, I’m a good judge of character.” He turned his head toward Avery and said, “Neither of you are accustomed to lying.”
Holly frowned. “What makes you say that?”
He pulled his hand away. “Call it a hunch.”
Avery said, “Why should we trust you?”
“Good for you, Avery. I would advise you both not to trust strange men, but, Holly, am I really so strange to you?”