Desperate Need (Completed)

Chapter 27

Knock, knock.

Benjy is here for dinner and for some reason my stomach twists in a knot of nerves.

My bare footsteps echo through the wooden floorboard hallway as I walk to the front door, seeing his scrawny frame through the silhouetted glass as he stands on the porch with the light shining straight down on him.

Opening the door with a smile I greet my business partner with a "hey buddy!" to which he is completely stunned.

"Where the hell have you been?" Benjy instantly demands, looking completely shocked to see me standing at the front door to my own home.

"At the van, camping out, you told me to take the week." Standing to the side I gesture for him to come inside so I can close the front door and prevent all the warm air from escaping.

"Yeah but I figured you'd still be clever enough to have your phone on you. We were all going mad mate! There's land mines exploding all over the show with this Ashleigh nonsense."

My inner demon growls at his mention of my lovers' name.

"I didn't even think about it to be honest with you. My place got raided, I had to call Dan when they arrested me-"

"Yeah I know, I've had Dan on the phone too asking questions about you and if your story holds up. What a fucking mess! Hey Stella," Benjy greets my girlfriend as we enter the open plan living area and he makes his way directly to the couch to sit. He looks fried, pale with worry and surprise, his hands shaking from his own nerves through the last week.

"Hi Benjy, the prodigal son returned," she jokes with the glass of wine in her hand again.

Pouring another wine for Benjy I join them both in the lounge area and we chat about the last week. Visits to both of them from the Police, Stella being contacted by my mother to see what was going on after she had received a call from them too, and questions at work from clients who are already hearing things through the grapevine. The list went on. I confirmed with Benjy what he already knew from Dan, other than the affair, not that Dan was supposed to be talking about these things publically, but Benjy backed me up as far as he could.

"I think dinner is ready," Stella quickly puts in as she stands from the lounge and heads to the kitchen to serve up dinner for us all, wine glass in hand, a slight wet patch now showing on the back of her pants.

My demon purrs quietly to itself seeing the mark I had left for the world to see.

"Mal, be straight with me mate," leaning forward on the couch with his elbows propped on his knees and his hands holding each other as though in prayer, Benjy's voice is a quiet whisper so only he and I can hear the conversation. "Did you sleep with Ashleigh? Did you guys have a thing going on after hours?"

I'm suddenly caught in a war within myself. I know Benjy will hold my confidence, he will scold me later for being reckless, childish, stupid and adulterous, but he will hold my confidence none the less and at least then he will know what is going on.

"No mate," I decide to keep to my story. "We were friends, that's all it ever was. We talked occasionally after work, Ash would stay and we would have a beer just the two of us and catch up, she needed someone to talk to and I was it. Things were obviously rougher at home than she actually let on."

"Dinner," Stella calls over to us as she places the bowls of casserole around the dining table.

The conversation is back to our old banter as we eat dinner, discuss business and laugh over old stories that have been retold many times.

My mind constantly reverts back to thoughts of Ashleigh, even as Benjy and I chat about our very ancient history, of how we used to get into trouble as young adults and how the boat business came around. Having heard most of our stories before Stella busies herself with tidying up after dinner – even though I told her I would fix it later – before curling up next to me on the couch while Benjy and I plan our week ahead.

The almighty bang that echo's through my house as we are all relaxing is almost like gunfire and has Benjy and I instantly on our feet and Stella quickly muffles her squeal.

The whole world seems to go in slow motion around me as I walk towards the hallway that leads to the front door. Step by step my heart is slamming in my chest, I can hear the blood rushing through my ears and although I know I'm moving quickly it still seems like each step is taking seconds.

I don't even make it past the dining table before a uniformed officer is standing at the hallway entrance aiming his pistol directly at my chest. "Freeze!" he yells.

I stop dead in my tracks, my hands instinctively rising above my head, confusion setting into my brain and fogging everything that's happening around me.

The detective walks through the hallway entrance with three other uniformed officers behind him all with their weapons drawn and aimed at me. The detective seems to approach me slowly with that stern look set upon his face.

"Mr. Jones," his voice is deadly calm and low as the man approaches me. As soon as he is close enough he takes my wrist in his hand and I'm spun around quicker than I can fight against. My chest and head are slammed into the dining table as I feel a cold shackle wrap around my wrist.

Stella squeals again from her place on the couch, not having moved from the shock.

Benjy looks on in horror with his mouth agape.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demand, having finally found my voice as my monster wakes up with a roar.

"You're under arrest for the murder and defilement of Ashleigh Bailey."

"Murder? What the fuck!" yells Benjy, now marching over to the scene but one of the officers keeps him at bay. "You said she was missing!" he yells, but I'm not sure who he is yelling at; the detective? Or me?

"Defilement? What does that mean?" Stella yelps from the couch, stunned by the scene playing out in front of her. I see tears drop from her green eyes as she curls into a tighter ball. The accusations of the detective and the presence of armed police sending her into shock.

The second shackle wraps around my other wrist as I am detained, the handcuffs already biting at the skin and my shoulders being pulled back from the position.

"I didn't do anything!" I scream up at the detective, my head still held firmly against the table. My monster roars inside my head, his claws and teeth bared for a fight, I feel my whole body flush hot with anger. I know I can't hold him at bay this time, his essence pumps through my arteries, filling my whole body with his evil presence.

Lifting me up by the back of my neck I feel the detective's hot breath against my skin. His voice is prickly, laced with anger and disgust as he growls the words: "we found her body Mr. Jones, we know what you've been doing to her for the last two weeks you sicko."

White hot rage bursts from inside me and from somewhere in the far off distance I can hear a chuckle. A laugh. Just quiet and small to start with but growing with every second until it's a completely uncontrollable chuckle of sadistic chaos, a demented rumble of maniacal laughter, almost diabolical in its deep tones, and I wonder who the fuck thinks this is a joke.

Pulling me by the arm the detective drags me down the hallway towards the front door where I can now see many police cars with their flashing lights lighting up the street. The police behind me still have their weapons trained directly at my chest.

And that laugh, that never ending, uncontrollable, disturbing laugh echoing through my home like the devil himself was playing a practical joke on me.

I catch a glimpse of myself in my bedroom mirror through the open door as the detective drags me through the hall and out the front door.

My demon has completely taken over my body.

It's me spewing out that vile laugh.