Confession (34 page)

An hour later in St. Cloud, it was a quiet and dark night in Allan’s neighborhood. 

A shadowy figure dressed in a black ski mask and gloves walked into Allan’s backyard.  It was Billy, and he walked up to a bedroom window.  He had a tire iron in his hand and smacked the window glass.  It shattered.  He smashed out all the glass in the window.

In the house right behind Allan’s, Meredith Grayson heard the sound of glass breaking while she was on her back porch with her dog.  She became alarmed when she saw a light come on inside Allan’s house. 

She
back
rushed inside
her home
.

Inside Allan’s bedroom, Billy saw it was cleaned out of all of Allan’s personal items.

He ran out and checked all of the rooms.  They were also cleaned out of Allan’s personal items.

He ran into the kitchen and opened the door to the garage.

Inside the garage, he quickly grabbed a step ladder and placed it under the access panel to the attic.  He pounded the access panel open with is fist.  He removed a small flashlight from his pants pocket.

He went up into the attic and illuminated the inside.  It was bare except for the spider webs.

Billy climbed down out of the attic disappointed.

“Okay dumbass, where did you hide that chest?” he said while he looked around the garage.  He rushed out of the garage and went back into the kitchen.

Billy walked down the hallway.

He went into the living room where he saw numerous packed boxes.

He grabbed one of the boxes and ripped it open.  He dumped the contents on the floor.  He swished the contents around the floor with his boot, and there was nothing of interest. 

He ripped opened another box and dumped the contents on the floor.  There was nothing but Allan’s clothes inside that box. 

He repeated this process until all the boxes were emptied on the floor.

The living room floor looked like a tornado came through. 

Billy was pissed while he looked at the mess and realized the wooded chest was not in Allan’s house.

“Shit!” he yelled out and walked to the front door.

He left Allan’s house and didn’t close the front door.

Outside, Billy walked down the street from Allan’s house.

He walked up to his Malibu that he parked a safe distance from the house.  He got inside.

Billy started up his car and pondered his next move.  “I don’t have a choice,” he said with a stare that showed no emotions while he drove away.

Ten minutes later, a St. Cloud police car pulled into Allan’s driveway.  Two officers got out and removed their revolvers. 

They cautiously walked to Allan’s front door.

They saw the front door cracked opened.  One officer slowly opened the door while the other one provided cover.  They cautiously entered Allan’s house.

The officers saw the living room looked like a tornado came through with Allan’s belongings all over the floor. 

They spent the next twenty minutes and went from room to room in search of a burglar. 

The two officers walked out of Allan’s front door.  Since Meredith told them she didn’t know where the daughter lived, one of the officers left a business card and wrote on the back to call them.  He stuck it in the door.

They got in their car and called their dispatcher to inform them that they couldn’t find anybody in the house.

They drove off down the street.

T
he next morning, Marty and Becky got up early with the kids.  They sat down for breakfast at the kitchen table. 

The phone rang.

“It better not be him,” Becky said while she got up from table and went over to the phone.  She picked up the phone.  “Hello,” she answered and cringed in anticipation of hearing Billy’s voice.

“It’s me, Sam Woods.  I had trouble last night.  Someone broke into my girlfriend’s house and tied her naked to a dining room chair with a number six on her stomach.  I believe it was your uncle,” Sam said from her phone.

“Was she hurt?” she asked concerned.

“He slapped her around a little, but she’s mainly shaken up,” he replied then paused for a few seconds.  “Please be careful.”

“We will and I’m so sorry about your girlfriend.”

“Call me if something strange happens.”

“I will,” Becky replied then hung up.

Marty could sense something was wrong with that phone call.

“Nancy and Marty, please go get dressed for school,” Becky told them.

The kids got up from the table and rushed out of the kitchen.

“It sounds like Uncle Billy broke into Sam Woods’ girlfriend’s house.  He tied her naked to a chair and left the number six on her stomach,” Becky told Marty. 

Marty thought about what she said.  “Did you say there was a number six on her stomach?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“The killer in your father’s book and the real October Slayer left a number on the girl’s dead stomach.  The last girl killed was number five.”

“What a sicko!” Becky replied then she thought for a few seconds.  Her eyes widened.  “Daddy’s house!” she cried out.

“What about his house?” Marty asked.

“I got this strange feeling Uncle Billy might have gone there,” she said.

Marty thought for a few seconds.  “We better check it out, he replied.

Becky nodded in agreement.

An hour later, after the kids were dropped off at school, Marty called his boss requesting a vacation day.

He pulled their Sienna into Allan’s driveway.

“His house looks okay so far,” Becky said while they got out of their mini-van and walked to the front door.

They saw the business card stuck in the door.  Marty pulled it out and saw it was from the St. Cloud police department.  He turned the card over and read the message written on the back.

“Someone broke into f
ather’s house last night,” Marty told Becky then showed her the card.

Marty opened up the door, and they cautiously walked inside.

They stared in horror at the mess scattered across the living room.

“That bastard!” she yelled out while she stared at all the mess flung all over the floor.

Becky removed Sam’s information from her pocket.  She called him.

In Sam’s kitchen, Cindy drank coffee and waited while Sam cooked scrambled eggs and bacon.  He made two plates then walked them over to the table.  He set a plate down in front of Cindy then one at the chair next to her.  His cell phone rang.  He looked at the viewfinder. 

“Good morning, Becky,” he answered into his cell phone.

“Someone broke into dad’s house.  I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count,” Becky answered from Sam’s cell phone.

“I think he’s looking for that wooden chest.”

“Well, I don’t know where it could be.  We packed up everything dad owns.  Well, did pack up everything, Uncle Creepy opened the boxes and dumped everything on the living room floor.”

“I would love nothing better than to fry his ass.” 

“Me too and again, I’m sorry for what happened to your girlfriend and please take care of yourself.”

“Take care, Becky,” Sam said then closed his cell phone.

Sam sat down at the table and sipped his coffee.

“Who was on the phone?” Cindy asked.

“The daughter of the guy that wrote that book.  Someone broke into her father’s house and made a mess while looking for a wooden chest,” he told her then ate some eggs.

“Why the interest in a chest?”

“The book stated it contained evidence and items from the five girls that were killed.  Evidence that would tell me who the October Slayer was,” Sam told her disappointed.

“Do you think he found that chest?”

“No, I think it and the evidence is gone forever.  Only the dead author knows,” Sam replied and still had a look he wasn’t about to quit.

“Well, I think it’s time you stop this foolishness.  If you don’t, he might come back and really make sure you don’t continue,” Cindy said.  She looked frightened when she realized that it could have been that killer that tied her up.

“Okay
.  I’ll stop my investigation
,” Sam replied then ate some more eggs.  But the thought of Billy getting away with murder was boiling his blood.  But he also didn’t want to lose Cindy so he decided it was
really
time to
give up and forget about the October Slayer
. 

“I also would love it if you call an alarm company and get one installed in your house,” she said then finished her coffee.

“I promise I’ll call the company,” Sam replied then finished his coffee.

They had a quiet morning, and then around
one
in the afternoon, there was a knock at the door.

Sam went into the living room and opened the front door.

Outside, stood Detective Salt and a Daytona Beach police officer, Jerry Winston.

“I’m officer Winston and this is Detective Blaine Salt from the Jackson, Mississippi police department.  Are you Sam Woods?” Jerry asked Sam.

“Yes I am,”
replied
Sam
and was
a little concerned.

“May we come in and talk?” Jerry said.

“Sure,” Sam replied and let the inside his house.

They sat down on the couch in the living room.  Blaine immediately whipped out his note pad and pen.  In fact, Bo’s wallet was taped underneath the couch right under Blaine’s butt cheeks.  The Glock was taped under Jerry’s butt cheeks underneath the couch.

“Did you find the guy that broke into my girlfriends house?” Sam asked.

“I’m not familiar with that case.  The reason we’re here is because,” Jerry said.

“We had some information provided to our department concerning the murder of a retired FBI agent up in Jackson, Mississippi,” Blaine interrupted Jerry and told Sam while Cindy walked into the room.

She heard everything Blaine said and walked over and stood by Sam.

“What does this have to do with me?” Sam asked and looked worried.

“We first had an anonymous letter stating an individual saw an old man shoot Bo Smithson a few days ago.  The man drove off in a car with Florida tags.  Then we got an anonymous phone call stating that a Sam Woods was drunk here in Daytona Beach and bragged about shooting Mister Smithson,” Jerry told Sam with a serious look.

Sam was shocked with Blaine’s accusation.  “Listen, I’m also a retired FBI agent and once worked with Bo.  I was up at his house a couple of days ago because I’m conducting my own investigation into an unsolved murder case.   It’s called the October Slayer.  A new published book, A Killer’s Tale, makes me believe I can find that killer,” Sam told them.

Jerry’s eyes lit up when he heard Sam’s response.  “I read that book,” he said then thought about Sam’s response.  “Wait, are you that FBI agent?” he added.

“Yes,” Sam replied then looked Jerry in his eyes.  “Listen, I didn’t kill Bo.  He was going to help me with my investigation.  He didn’t show up the following morning so I left town.  I believe the brother of the author, Billy Stein, could be the October Slayer.  I also believe Bo passed on information about that case back in the sixties to Billy to help him elude capture,” Sam added.

Blaine thought about Sam’s last comment.  Then his eyes widened.  “I remember that part of the book.
  But the guys name was Homer.
”

“
That’s correct. 
Allan, the author,
didn’t use our real names
.   In reality, Bo talked with my partner Joel Nelson
or Carl in the book
.   He confirmed that a few days ago,” Sam said. 

“Maybe I can talk with Joel Nelson?” Blaine asked.

Sam opened up his cell phone and looked at his calls for the past weeks.   “His number is five
,
five
,
five
,
one
,
zero
,
nine
,
five.”

Blaine jotted down the number on his pad.   

“Again, I didn’t kill him.  I would bet money that Billy Stein
killed
Bo,” Sam said with sincerity in his voice.

Blaine shoved his note pad in his pocket.  “Okay.  But right now, you’re our only suspect, so please don’t leave the Daytona Beach area.”

“I’ll stay around here,” Sam replied and looked really worried that he might not be able to get out of this one.

Jerry and Blaine stood up.  “Oh, I need your cell phone number,” he added.

“Five
,
five
,
five, eighteen oh four,” Sam replied.

Blaine jotted that down then put his pad away.

Sam walked them to the door and let them out.

Cindy glared at Sam.  “I told you to stop this foolishness.  Now you’re a suspect in killing a fellow retired FBI agent,” she said then her eyes welled up.

“They don’t have any evidence on me,” Sam told her.

Cindy didn’t believe his response.

She cried while she rushed out of the living room.

Outside and down the street from Sam’s house, Billy sat in his Malibu.  He watched while Jerry and Blaine got into the Daytona Beach patrol car. 

He had a satisfied smirk while he watched them back down the driveway then drove away.

For the rest of the day, Sam and Cindy spent their time alone in different rooms.  Sam had called an alarm company and made an appointment for a salesman to come out in two da
ys. 

H
e paced around his den and tried to figure out how he can get out of this mess.

In St. Cloud, Marty and Becky spend the rest of the day repacking all of Allan’s items into some new boxes.

The sun dropped below the horizon and darkness fell upon Florida.

In Daytona Beach, Sam and Cindy had a nice quiet dinner.

In Kissimmee, Becky, Michael and Nancy watched a Disney movie while Marty reread A Killer’s Tale.   But this time, he jotted down notes
for
his own investigation. 

T
hree hours
had passed.

Sam watched TV in his den while Cindy sat on the couch watching TV.  They haven’t spoken to each other since Jerry and Blaine left.

In Kissimmee, Becky just put Nancy and Michael to bed. 

Marty sat in the living room and reviewed his notes then his eyes widened with an idea.  He shot up from the couch and ran out of the living room.

He ran into Nancy’s room where Becky just kissed her forehead for the night.

“I need to run over to your dad’s house,” Marty said the second he met Becky at the door.

“Why?”

“I have a really strong hunch on where that wooden chest might be located,” he told her while they walked down the hallway.

She stopped and saw the determination in his eyes.  “If you must,” she replied knowing he would be up all night thinking about this chest.   “After this, we’ll forget about that stupid thing once and for all,” she said then walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Marty ran down the hallway and into their bedroom.

After he got his wallet, car keys and the key to Allan’s house, he ran to the front door.

Later that night, Marty entered Allan’s house.

He ran through the hou
se and went inside the garage.

It was also a mess from Billy rummaging through everything.

He grabbed the step ladder and placed it under the access panel to the attic.  He climbed up the ladder and pushed up on the panel.  He climbed further up the ladder and removed a small flashlight from his pocket.  He went up inside the attic.

It's dark inside the attic.  Marty searched around with
the flashlight.