If It Walks Like A Killer (The Carolina Killer Files #1) (2 page)

Chapter Two

Rachael

October 22, 2003

Rachael was awoken by the sound of laughter just beyond her bedroom door. She yawned, stretching out on her bed, and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“One, two,” she heard.

She shut her eyes just in time for the door to spring open.

“Three.”

She opened her eyes from a fake sleep to see her children grinning at her with their toothy grins. Brinley’s blonde curls bounced playfully as she hopped up onto the bed. Rachael reached across, pulling Davis up. 

“Good morning, you two.”

“Happy Aminaversary!” Davis shouted. She couldn’t help but smile at how well his speech was developing. Before she could respond, she smelled breakfast headed her way.

“What do I smell?” she asked, teasing her children.

“We cooked you breakfast, Mommy.” Brinley smiled, turning to face the door. It creaked open slightly, allowing room for Caide to squeeze in.

“Good morning, sweetheart. Happy Anniversary.” He set the tray down on her lap and kissed her forehead.

“Happy Anniversary to you too.” She smiled up at him, kissing him firmly on the lips.

She took a sip of her orange juice and a bite of a biscuit before frowning at her children. “Well, you don’t expect me to eat all of this, do you? Dig in.”

Davis clapped his hands happily as both children hungrily devoured the remainder of what was on the tray. Caide sat down on his side of the bed, wrapping his arm around her.

“There’s plenty more in the kitchen,” he whispered in her ear.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to.” She snuggled her head onto her husband’s chest.

“So what are we going to do today?” Brinley asked, a smear of purple jam on her cheek.

“Well, for starters, you are going to take a bath.” Rachael rubbed the jam off of her daughter’s face and licked her finger. “Before we have to eat you for breakfast, and then I was thinking we could go to the park.”

“Yeah!” Her children agreed happily.

“Go get ready for your baths then.” She patted their bottoms lovingly and they hopped off the bed, racing toward the door.

She laughed watching them, before turning toward Caide and kissing him playfully. “And as for you, I figure we’ll wear them out with the park and then when they have nap time, we can play.”

He kissed her softly. “Actually it may have to wait until tonight.”

“What? It’s Saturday.”

“Rach, you know we’ve all been having to work more than usual. We’ve been swamped lately.”

“You mean, you didn’t already tell them you wouldn’t be in today? Caide, it’s our anniversary. I already got one of the girls to cover my class today, and told Corie we don’t need her to watch Davis.”

“I’m sorry, Rachael. You didn’t tell me that,” he insisted, standing up from the bed.

“It’s our anniversary. I shouldn’t have to tell you.”

“I don’t want to fight with you, you look beautiful this morning. I love you.” He kissed her head again. “I’ll try to come home early.”

“I’m not fighting,” she mumbled, but he was already gone. She reached for her phone on the night stand and dialed Corie’s number.

She answered after the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Corie?”

“Hey, Mrs. A., what’s up?”

“Well, it turns out, I will need you to watch Davis today after all, if you’re still available?”

“Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. It just turns out that I’m going to have to go into work after all, just for a few hours.”

“That’s fine. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“Thanks, Corie. You’re a life saver.”

Chapter Three

Caide

It was after five when a knock on his office door alerted Caide to the time.

Chester Mason popped his head through the door way. “Good Lord, Caide. What on earth are you still doing here?”

Caide glanced at his watch and rubbed his temple. “I guess I just lost track of time. I’m still trying to get ahold of the last witness for the Templeton case.”

“Well, you go on home. That’ll be here Monday. We’re headed out for the night.”

“Have a good night.”

Mason walked out the door, waving a hand over his shoulder. A few moments later another knock sounded on his door.

“Come in.”

The door slid open and there was an overwhelming scent of vanilla perfume suddenly filling the air.

“Blaire? What are you still doing here?”

Mason and Meachum’s secretary walked into his office, her blonde hair piled high into a bun.

“Meachum wanted me to give you these copies before I went home for the day.” She handed him a stack of papers.

“Thanks.” He flipped through them.

“Files for the Silverman case, and the last three are from the Ackles’ divorce. I tried to keep them separated but they’ve had me running all day. That was the last thing on my To Do list.”

“Okay, thanks. Looks like we’re set then. It’s getting late. You look exhausted, you should head on home.”

Blaire touched her hair defensively. “You saying I look bad, Caide Abbott?”

“You never look bad, Blaire,” he said honestly, placing the stack of papers on his desk.

“You’d better say that.” She tossed him a playful wink as she headed for the door. “Hey, you want to go grab drinks after this? I mean, if you’re getting ready to head out too.”

He glanced at his watch again. “No. I can’t tonight. Rachael’s expecting me home. I should’ve been home hours ago but I have a few more phone calls to make. You go on though, don’t wait for me. I’ll lock up.”

“Rain check?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.

He sighed, already dialing a number. “Yeah, rain check.”

***

It was just after ten when Caide finally walked into his dark house. It was silent, not even a TV going. He tiptoed across the living room, walking into the kitchen to grab something to eat. The table was made, set for one. She’d made his favorite pasta and garlic bread. She’d even bought good wine. He walked over, sticking his finger into the cold pasta and trying a taste. There were two drawings, one from each of his children and a new watch lying beside his plate.
Great, I’ll have three helpings of your world famous guilt, Mrs. Abbott.

The light in the kitchen flipped on suddenly. He turned around, his wife stood behind him, an icy look on her face.

“It’s probably cold. We ate hours ago.”

“Thanks. I’ll warm up some leftovers.”

“There are none.”

“Okay then, I’ll find something else to eat.” He walked to the refrigerator.

“I bought you a watch. Apparently yours is broken.”

“Alright, here we go. I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Why don’t you just record yourself saying that? You could replay it every time we have this fight and save yourself a lot of effort.”

“I’m not fighting. I had to work to provide for this family. Sometimes that means I’m going to be late, and that’s a sacrifice we just have to make.”

“That’s a sacrifice
we
make, Caide. Your children. Your wife. We sacrifice life without you.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic. I come home every night.”

“After we’re in bed. After they’re asleep. This has to stop, Caide. Our kids need to see more of you.”

“I’ve told you, once work slows down I’ll be home more. It’s just busy right now. Mason and Meachum is booming and I can’t slow down, they need me.”

“We need you too.”

“More than you need money? Or this house? Or this food?” He slammed the plate into the sink.

“Don’t do that. Don’t come home in a bad mood.”

“Can I just eat in peace?” He poured a salad into his bowl and grabbed his glass of wine.

“Fine.” She twirled around, headed back down the hall. “Happy Anniversary.”

Chapter Four

Brinley

Mommy has a bowl of cereal made for me and I eat it very fast because I am ready to go to the park. Mommy is getting Davis dressed, who looks funny because he is so sleepy.

“Daddy, are you going to the park too?” I ask because I want to know.

He brings his coffee cup over and sits beside me. “Of course I am, Peanut. Just like I said I would.”

Sometimes Daddy calls me peanut even through it’s not my name. He kisses the top of my head. I am all done with my cereal, Bubba is dressed, and Daddy takes the last drink of his coffee so we can go.

We walk to the car and I see a big puddle beside my door, which is funny because we are inside the garage and plus it hasn’t rained in a long time. Mommy and Daddy are too busy talking to see and I am excited because I loves to jump in puddles. If no one sees me jump I will not get in trouble.

I walk up to the big puddle and count one, two, three, jump. It is so fun to jump but I am sad because now there are brown spots on my socks from the puddle. I will definitely be in trouble now.

Mommy helps Davis into his car seat on their side but Daddy doesn’t have to help me because I am a big girl. I climb into my booster seat and snap the buckle. Davis is yawning because he is sleepy and he has a piece of cereal in his hair which is funny.

I tell him, “Bubby, we are going to the park.” He smiles at me because he loves the park too. The car smells funny today, and kind of makes my head feel dizzy. Mommy and Daddy are talking a lot and it is rude to interrupt so I cannot ask if they smell it too.

“Moo-sic,” Bubby says because he wants Mom to turn on the radio.

She turns it up and we sing along. I look out the window, waiting to see the park. Instead, I just see trees, which are boring. I notice mom and dad have stopped talking so I decide I will ask if they smell the funny smell. Also, the water on my sock is starting to burn me a little bit.

When I look at mom I laugh because she looks like she has eaten something hot. Her eyes are as big as basketballs and her mouth is wide open. Dad is grabbing the wheel with Mom and he keeps saying, “Pump the breaks, Rachael. Pump them. Pump. Don’t panic. Pump.”

My mom’s name is Rachael, but I just call her Mom. I don’t know what he is talking about but I notice we are starting to drive sideways and off the road and we are going fast, like the rides at the fair. This is not the way to the park. We should stay on the road to go to the park. Even I know that, and I’m a little girl.

“Why aren’t we going to the park?” I yell, even though my daddy is talking and I know it’s rude.

“Park. Park. Park,” Davis screams.

Mom and Dad ignore me, which is rude. Now I will be rude. I chant loudly with Davis.

My dad turns to me, he is crying like he is sad. “Stop!” he yells.

I want to tell him I’m sorry, I do, but then I am turned sideways, and then I’m upside down and I hear a loud bang and then my mommy screams and my bubby cries and then it all goes black.

Chapter Five

Rachael

“It looks like your brake lines were cut on something. From the amount of fluid lost, I’d say it was severed several days ago and it has been leaking for a while. Rachael, you all are lucky to be alive.”

Rachael kissed her daughter’s head again, sitting in the waiting room of the ER. “Thank you, Emmett. Please let me know once it’s fixed.”

She hung up the phone, looking around anxiously for Caide. It was nearly midnight and Davis was the last to be released. She picked her daughter up, sitting her in her lap, and squeezing her cheeks between her palms. “I love you so much, Kiddo. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you.”

“You’d find me.” Brinley smiled at her.

The hall doors swung open and Caide walked through, carrying Davis who was smiling proudly, clad in a bright blue leg cast.

“My baby,” Rachael cried, rushing toward them and reaching for Davis who immediately started crying. “What did the doctor say?”

“He doesn’t have a concussion, just a hairline fracture in his femur and three stitches here.” He pointed to the gauze bandage above his eyebrow. “He’ll be pretty sore for a while, but all in all he’s fine. We’re all fine.” He pulled Rachael into his side, hugging her tightly.

“What did your doctor say?”

“No sleep for the next twelve hours for me.” She touched just above her ear where they’d shaved her hair for stitches. “He said it’s a minor concussion. They got the swelling to go down, but he just wants to be on the safe side.”

“And this?” He ran his finger across the bandage that ran down her neck and onto her chest.

“Oh, it’s just a cut from my seat belt. It wasn’t even deep enough for stitches. I just have to keep it covered for a while.”

He looked worried, staring at the stitches on her temple. “Brinley got a clean bill of health though, not even a scratch.”

Caide picked Brinley up and kissed her hand. “I love you, Peanut.”

“I love you too, Daddy.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

He turned to Rachael. “So, have you heard from Emmett? Any news on the car?”

“I did. It’s pretty bad. He says it’s fixable, but just barely.”

“Did he say what caused it?”

“The brake line was leaking. He said it had been for a while. It could’ve been a lot worse. If we’d gone on the interstate, or if we’d been on a busier road…”

“We didn’t. We’re fine. We’re safe.” He kissed her forehead. “We’re lucky actually.” He ran his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him as they walked to the waiting cab.

Rachael knew he was right. They were lucky to be alive, lucky to have such minor injuries, but Rachael couldn’t deny the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling telling her that they weren’t lucky. They weren’t lucky at all.