Friday
Detective Valery and Detective Cho rode down the empty country road, heading far out of L.A.; the dark roads were ghostly, not a car passed them for at least thirty minutes. And when one did, they made sure to check if a red-headed girl was driving. Valery could feel his eyes start to get heavier, it was almost 12a.m. and both him and Cho had yet to get some sleep. He knew he wouldn't be able to get much tonight.
He finally pulled the car into Naomi Peyton's driveway, driving slowly up the dirt road til they met an opening. To the left was a large, three story barn, from the headlights of the car he could see the red roof and grey-looking walls. The dirt road continued forward, assuming it went out into fields or grassy land for their animals. Naomi's home, a two story brick building, probably reddish, but they couldn't tell in the dark of night. White windows were placed symmetrically around the walls, the Detectives got out of the vehicle and stepped up onto a nice wooden porch with picnic tables.
Cho pulled open the screen and knocked his knuckles loudly on the wooden door, they could hear it echo throughout the house. Cho turned to his partner, “Do you think it was a good idea to come so late?”
“Well, it's worth it to stop Annabelle from killing again.” he said, “We need to get one step ahead of her, and if it means we have to stay up all night then we'll have to make do.”
They waited outside the door for about ten minutes, they were patient, knowing what time it was. Cho noted a few lights turning out before a young girl revealed herself from behind a screen door. She was young like Annabelle, her brown-blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and they both noticed the bags under her eyes.
“Hello, miss, sorry to bother you at this hour, but we're looking for Naomi Peyton.” Valery announced in his softest tone.
“That's me, you ever heard of a phone?” Naomi crossed her arms over her chest and let her body weight fall against the door frame.
“We're really very sorry, it was urgent.” Valery quickly glanced to Cho, he shook his head, indicating that he shouldn't tell Naomi why they were there in the first place. “We're the F.B.I,” they quickly showed her their badges, “we were hoping you could give us some information on Annabelle Tomeko.”
Naomi shot a glare of surprise at them. “Annabelle?” she rubbed her eyes in order to wake herself some more. “I knew her, yes, a long time ago. But I haven't seen her since ninth grade, I'm sure there's someone else who could tell you more.”
“Yes, thank you. Again, we're sorry for waking you.” Cho said quickly, the Detectives turned and walked off the porch. Naomi watched them as they got in the car and headed off. They started back on the country road. “The fact that Naomi is alive is a good sign.”
“Yeah, a sign that our serial killer sleeps.” Valery replied sarcastically while rubbing his eyes. “But you're right, maybe we're finally step ahead of her.”
“Tomorrow, first thing in the morning we should send out someone to watch their house, who knows when Annabelle's wrath will come.” Cho leaned his head back on the headrest of the chair.
“We need to catch her in the act, like last time, with Melton. But we'll stop her this time.” Valery looked over at his partner, whose eyes were closed and was slowly breathing. He grinned to himself, letting Cho sleep the ride to his house.
* * *
Friday's were the only days that Valery could take off, and that friday, Cho was working with Detective Hanster and Detective Bell. Even though he offered to help them that day, they refused and he reluctantly took his day off. Sydney also took friday's off, so they could spend the day together.
Valery hadn't gotten into bed until 3:15a.m., him and Sid stayed in bed all morning. At lunch, they got up to make pancakes. Sid put on their favorite Bruce Springsteen album on the CD player, they danced a sung along as the pancakes were cooked.
After lunch, around 3p.m., they decided to take a walk in the park. The strolled past the play ground where children of all ages ran around and played together. Sydney admired children, she wished that she had never grown up herself.
“You think one day we'll have kids?” Sid asked, gazing at the parents sitting around watching their children and smiling. Valery looked down at her and smiled. They had tried many times over the years to have a baby, but they weren't so lucky yet. She rested her hand on her stomach as if she was imagining in her head having a little baby attached to her.
“I would love to give you a kid.” he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in to kiss her head. She smiled.
“Good.”
“Good?” Valery was surprised, “You thought I wouldn't?”
“I've had my doubts.” she replied casually. That morning they had sex, maybe they were subconsciously trying for a child.
Valery's phone buzzed in his pocket. “I thought you left that at home.” Sydney frowned.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Hey,” it was Cho, “Annabelle got Naomi. She must of got there before our officers arrived at her house.”
“Dammit, already?” he growled, Sid looked up at him, worried.
“I know it's your day off, and I really don't want to have to do this to you and Sydney. But we need you here.”
“Shit.” he whispered into the phone.
“I'm coming down now, I'll pick you up in a few. Tell Sid hey for me, will you?” they both hung up.
Valery looked at Sydney sadly. “You have to go, huh?” she said quietly.
“It's an emergency.” he reached down and held her hand as they continued to walk back around the park towards their house. “That girl, she killed another. Last night she killed as well.”
“Alright,” Sid smiled at him, trying to lighten his mood. “I'll forgive you this time, but next friday there better be no excuses.” she playfully pushed him.
When they arrived at the house, Cho was waiting in the driveway. Valery kissed Sydney before getting into the car with Cho, she watched as they drove off down the road and disappeared.
* *
The Detectives pulled up to Naomi's house, which was boarded off with tape to keep the few journalists away from the house. Their case had given the press an uproar over the past days, with the murder of the respected owner of Shell Inc. they couldn't help but put their best men out as well. Detective Hanster and Bell were on the porch, they watched as the two got out of the car.
Valery saw a sad man with two young girls, probably not older that two, hanging off both his shoulders. They looked scared and huddled into their father's body. He figured that must have been Naomi's family. She had a beautiful blonde haired daughter and a beautiful brunette daughter. He felt a pang of sadness in his chest as he walked by them.
“Detectives!” called Hanster, she met them at the stairs of the porch and lead them inside. She looked at Valery, “Hope you've got a strong stomach today.”
They opened the door to the house, lying on the floor in the middle of the kitchen was Naomi Peyton, her hair was still tied back like when they had talked to her early that morning. From quickly glancing at the girl, it seemed like she was only lying in an odd position. But Naomi hadn't just fallen.
Her shirt was ripped open, down the middle of her body was a thick, deep cut, made with a dull knife. Two words were carved into her, 'fuck you'. Her Achilles heel was slit on both ankles, making puddles of blood around her feet. Her fingers on both hands were bloody, as Valery bent down, he saw that her fingernails had all been ripped off. Inevitably, her left eye was removed. Four claw-like cuts ran down her cheeks to her chin, they had crusted over. For a final kill, Annabelle slit Naomi's throat. Valery assumed she must have been close to death by that point, since there wasn't a lot of blood from her neck.
He swallowed.
“What did I tell you?” Hanster grumbled. They walked out the door and onto the porch.
Valery was angry, even furious. He knew he had Annabelle this time. There was supposed to be no more deaths. He thought he finally got a step ahead of her. Cho noticed Valery's white knuckles and tensed face.
He looked off at the rest of Naomi's family, the twin daughters now cried on their father's shoulders. Valery wished he could of saved Naomi for her family.
He was so hot with anger that he stalked off to Cho's car and sat in the passenger seat, trying to cool himself down. He watched as Cho spoke to the other detectives then walked over to the car, giving the family his condolences as he passed.
Cho climbed into the drivers seat and started the car. “You okay?” he finally asked.
“I really thought we had her this time.” he stared down at his clenched fists. “You know what I was doing while Annabelle was doing this? I was listening to Bruce Springsteen and eating pancakes.”
“Hey, look. You're not superman, you can't save everyone.” Cho knew, being his partner, that he always took anger out on himself, believing that he could of done something more.
“Even if I was superman, I would feel really shitty for letting six people die.”
“You couldn't do anything about it, now stop that.” Cho replied, starting out the driveway and onto the road.
“Stop what?”
“The guilt train. Come on, cheer up. It's you're day off. I shouldn't of forced you to come, I'm sorry. We're taking you back home, okay?”
“But there's work to do done and-” he started.
“-and I will take care of it.” Cho interrupted. Valery sighed, he know his partner would never let him help now. He was to stubborn, just like himself.
“My car's still at the station, could you bring me there?”
“Sure, but you're not coming in no matter what.” Valery smiled slightly at him.
* *
It was nearly six by the time the Detectives got back to the station, orange and pink pigments were covering the sky as the red sun touched the horizon. Valery admired the colored clouds as he waved to Cho and walked over to his SUV. He climbed in the car and immediately hurried off home, hoping maybe Sid hadn't eaten yet.
Pulling into the driveway, he saw that Sydney's car was missing. He wondered if she'd just gone out to pick something up. Valery locked the SUV as he headed up to the door, through the front window he saw the kitchen light on, it was the only one in the whole house.
“Sid?” He called stepping through the door and hanging up his coat. There was no reply. He walked into the kitchen and checked if there was anything in the fridge for him. He pulled out left over chicken rice and threw it in the microwave.
Valery spread the rice out over a plate and ate his food quietly.
There was a soft buzz in his pocket about twenty minutes later, which he probably wouldn't of noticed unless it was quiet. He pulled out his phone, it was a text message from Sydney. It read:
“Are you home?”
He quickly replied, “Yes”
A minute later he got a reply, “I'll be home in thirty.”
He smiled to himself and put the phone down. Valery finished up his food and washed the plate in the sink. He just stood for a minute and loosened his tie, decided whether of not he would go upstairs to get changed or not. He decided he would.
He flicked the light to the hallway upstairs on and continued towards his room. He turned on the dim light in the bedroom, taking off the holster with his new gun and his tie. He started on his shirt.
There was a creak directly behind him. He whirled around, thinking it was Sydney creeping up on him. He was very wrong. I metal bat flew at him, hitting him above his right eyebrow.
Valery fell heavily to the floor, dazed. He felt the wetness on his face drip down to his mouth. The room was spinning around him, he tried to make sense of everything around him, he looked up. A dark haired person hovered over him, but before he could make out who it was, his head slumped and passed out.
* *
When Valery woke, he felt nauseated. He wondered if he was given a concussion, the room was still spinning, but slowly now. He tried to touch the wound on his head, but his arm wouldn't move. He hazily looked up to find his hands bound against the bed which he lay.
Valery's sight started to get better. He pulled on the rope that was tight around his wrist, but it wouldn't come free. He wondered how long he'd been out for, and if Sydney was to be home soon. His eyes wandered around the room. He found a figure standing to the left of him.
His eyes slowly adjusted to the light and he could make out the small figure, she leaned on a baseball bat.
“Good, you're awake.”
“Annabelle.” he whispered, he was terrified for himself. Feeling like tears were falling from his face, but he couldn't tell. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears, he had to strain to hear what she was saying next.
“Detective Valery, You're the sixth person on my list.” she walked into the light cast by the window. He was confused, she was naked.
She crawled on top of him and sat with her legs on either side of his hips. He went to speak, she stopped him. “It wasn't Paul. I know your partner thought it was. He swerved the car that night to save me, killing himself. These powers I have, the ones that stopped the bullet at Shell Inc., and that let me jump off the building without harming myself, I can't explain them. I don't remember anything before last saturday, it's like I just appeared with this knowledge and this list. I may have altered the list a little, it makes no difference.” she pressed her hands against his stomach lightly. “Since tomorrow is my last day, I thought I would have some fun before I go.” she proceeded in loosening the belt of his pants.
*
Sydney got home a little later than she thought she would, traffic had held her up at the bank and the market. With grocery bags in her hands, she locked her car and headed up to the front door. She threw the car keys on the table beside the closet and kicked the door closed behind her.
She dropped the groceries in the kitchen, listening to the silent house. She wondered if Valery went for a nap. Quietly, Sid walked up the stairs, peering in the bedroom. She could see her husband's figure lying on the bed. She smiled to herself. It was almost eight o'clock, he probably had a busy day and fell asleep after he'd gotten her text.
Sid walked in and flicked on the light. Thinking Valery would immediately wake up and apologize for falling asleep.
Instead he lay still, scarlet red was dripping down the pale sheets of the bed. His arms were tied up over his head with rope. A single bullet hole was barreled through his heart.
She was first frozen, in complete shock of what she was seeing. Everything around her was blurry, and at the same time nothing around her mattered. Her body felt like jell-o, everything felt surreal. She didn't think she was capable of moving at all.
Sydney's legs gave out under her. She collapsed to the floor, her heart ached with so much agony, it was unbearable. She let out a wail, throwing her face into her hands and pulling herself over to her husbands side. She didn't care that she was kneeling in his blood, she grabbed his hand and cried with her head against his.
She wished that he would hold her hand as well. No matter how long she sat there for, or how hard she hoped he would wake up, he didn't. She would never be able to tell him that she loved him, they wouldn't be able to raise a kid together, he would never hold her in his arms again.
She knew what happened. Annabelle Tomeko.
Between shaky sobs, Sid called Cho.