This chapter was inspired by the song "End Times" Warm Drag. Feel free to listen as you read!
Ms. Ryder looked back at us in shock, "So, you're telling me that Mr. Leto is an alleged serial killer?" Her hand clasped mouth, her eyes were wet. "And just to think, I was going to meet him on Sunday..." she trailed off.
"Sunday?" Detective Banks leaned in.
Derek came back in the room with a glass of water and handed it to her. She clasped the drink in her now shaking hands, but didn't take a sip.
"Yes, we're supposed to close the deal on the house. I sign and get my keys...I knew...ever since the science fair that something was off, but I certainly wouldn't have thought or even began to imagine something like-" she stopped as if almost choking. Her eyes, almost searching the room lost in her train of thought, landed on mine. "Kerri, has he done anything to you? Or All-"
"Ma'am," Detective Banks, interjected, "while circumstances seem grim, you have to believe me that you will be in the most protected hands. Kerri and Derek are absolutely safe. What we need from you is your help." She stared back at her in concern.
"And what help can I provide, exactly?" she asked with trembling voice before finally sipping from glass of the water.
"We just need you to help us lure him into one location. And since you're meeting him on Sunday, it's the perfect setup. We need you to keep your conversations with him just as they. were before. And we'll need your permission to tap your phone."
The atmosphere in the room was thick, too thick for a knife to slice - to the point that even I was going to need Derek to fetch some water, too. I felt Derek's hand rest on my knee, conforming as it was supposed to be, it didn't do the trick like he hoped.
She shut her eyes and exhaled, "Okay, I'll do it if this means he'll be locked away."
"You have my word, Ma'am." Detective Banks affirmed.
Walking out to the school parking lot seemed way more refreshing than I have could ever imagined, but Ms. Ryder was in so that meant the game was set in motion. Derek trailed behind me as I followed after the detective. She stoped suddenly pulling us aside, almost out of the line of view from any possible obtruders on our conversation.
"Now, I'd like to thank you for your service so far, Kerri and Derek. I know this hasn't been the easiest thing for you, so I applaud you for that. But Mr. Leto is a very dangerous man we're dealing with. I'd like to ask you both to to let us take it from there. Matter of fact, she restated I'm telling you to let us take the reigns from here on out and we want you to have no part in it."
As soon as I tried to object, her firm voice cut me off.
"Do I make myself clear?" she asked with no concern for our feelings, she wanted our confirmation that we will follow her demands.
"Yes," we said unanimously, but all the while disappointed and somewhat frustrated.
"But we just have to know," I said before she walked away, "Was the nail a match to Agnes? Did you find what you need?" My eyes were glued to her in anticipation.
Her lips tightened at my question like as she was clearly searching for the right words, "Let's just say, Mr. Leto is a without a doubt a criminal. Thanks to your help, we'll stop him."
"So what can we do?" Derek broke his silence.
"Go to school, be kids. Don't worry about your teacher, she's in good hands. If Ms. Ryder goes according to plan, and we nail Mr. Leto, your problems can be gone in the next 48 hours. "
I hated how she spoke to us in riddles, as if we couldn't handle the truth, let alone the details of the truth.
And with a final nod resembling a 'goodbye,' she was off in her car gliding out of the school parking lot as Derek and I remained on the paved sidewalk.
"48 hours. So we got two days." I brainstormed aloud to Derek.
"And knowing Ms. Ryder, they must plan to have their 'meeting' the day after tomorrow."
"So Sunday?"
"Yep...Sunday"
"In the meantime, it doesn't mean we can't track Mr. Leto's whereabouts...to be sure, you know?" Derek said nonchalantly.
"Yeah, we're just cheking in - no harm in that. " I said catching his drift. He will be stopped, even if we have to step in."
"I just wanna home now. I just need to lie down."
"I'll be there soon. I have to pick up something from home."
"Sounds good." I said before getting in my car.
I milled around the kitchen looking for something decent to eat. There was a rapping sound at the back porch door. I turned, confused. No one ever come sin that way. Maybe Derek was being very incognito? Approaching slowly, I grabbed one of Nico's toy baseball bats and kept it to my side.
Upon opening the door, I released a small sigh of relief. It was of course, Mr. Leto. His hair, neat as a pin as always, slicked back. His daunting expression took me in as he entreated the porch into the back of the living room.
"I'm surprised to see you, after all that's happened."
He sneered, "You think my daughter can separate us?" He moved closer, so close I could feel traces of his breath on my face. "I want you to know," he looked in my eyes, "and remember...nothing can separate us."
My skin was crawling. What was this tingling feeling? Anticipation, anxiety, doubt, fear, adrenaline?"
His lips seized mine in a...sincerity that I wasn't expecting. I was astonished. His lips, soft caring. This kiss was complete.
What's wrong with me? Why don't I feel the reflexive urge to slap him, shove him, push him away?
He pulled away, my eyes still closed. Almost ashamed to look at him, embarrassed for these longing feelings. I could smell him near. When I finally decided to open my eyes, he was gone. was it even real? Did this just happened? Has my mind passed the depths of actuality? Feet away from me was the back door left ajar.
It had to be real. Suddenly, I felt a fire within me and it was clear that it was rage. I gripped my phone in my pocket and angrily texted Derek.
I stumbled through the living room, gripping the sofa, was I having a heart attack? A panic attack? A meltdown?
Another rapping was at the door. I slowly approached it, praying it wasn't him. I opening the door a sliver to peek through and saw Derek. I flung the door open as he stepping in, I flung myself around him. He saw exactly what I was feeling.
"What's going on, Kerri?"
"We have to take him down. I'm tired of him playing with my mind. It ends tomorrow." I shuddered as I spoke, basically on the verge to tears.
I clung to him almost as if the more I hug him, the more Mr. Leto will leave my mind. Derek's hands stroked my hair as he rested his head on my mine. I closed my eyes, trying to find peace, to escape.
The next morning came too soon. I eagerly got out of bed, clumsily throwing my clothes one in the hopes that today will be the day, the day that can end what seems to be an never ending saga between Mr. Leto and I.
"Kerri, you won't believe it. Mr. Leto, he's at the scene of the crime - the house Ms. Ryder's supposed to go to."
"Maybe he's setting up?" he shrugged.
"I don't know, but we need to check it out. I have an audio recording device that we can plant, too. I'll pick you up in five."
"Okay, perfect."
We pulled up 2 houses away from our target.
"There it is."It was a nice 2 story house with dark wood and bricks aligned in a fashionably attractive way. Most likely housing 3 bedrooms and a basement.
"I don't see his car." I looked at Derek.
"Maybe he parked in the back?" he stared out the window, scavenging.
"He doesn't want anyone to know he's here." I answered. "Most likely setting up."
Derek nodded in agreement.
"I need to get a better look." I yanked off my seatbelt. " You got the recording device?"
He handed it to me along with a bluetooth earpiece to connect to my phone to. "So we can be in constant communication. I don't want to miss a moment. Especially since I'm out of eyesight.
I put my hand on the car door, but Derek stopped me, staring at me with longing.
I sighed, "I'll be okay."
I stuck the bluetooth piece in my ear as lightly jogged, staying low to the grass so Mr. Leto wouldn't see me, wherever he was in the house. Something stopped me, this scene was all too familiar. The hiding in the bushes, the peeking near the window, even the blinds were missing, too - all just like that night long ago with Renee. Or was it even that long ago? Whenever it was, I was triggered.
"Kerri? Did you plant the device?" Derek asked.
I took my shaking hand and put the recording device in place by the window as gently as I could. "Yep, it's in place."
"You have eyes on him?" Derek's voice rang in my ear.
I finally looked up, peeking into the window expecting the worse, praying for the best. There he was, in the kitchen, likely place, almost as before, preoccupied by something.
"Yeah, and he's busy alright" I whispered, "Possibly tying something up, I think?"
"Is there any sign of anyone else? Ms. Ryder?"
"No, not that I can-"
My vision paralyzed me to that of a cold statue. Once Mr. Leto finally moved out of the way, I could clearly see. Not again.
I could feel my heart in my throat. "Oh my God..."
"What Kerri?" Derek's voice rose 2 octaves.
Out of my line of vision. All I saw was a body slumped down on the floor. "Ms. Ryder, that's her there. On the floor!" Memories of the blondRenee flashed before me, resurfacing.
"What!" he yelled.
I looked back in the house and there was no sign of him.
"Mr. Leto, h-he's, gone."
"Gone? I thought he was just there"
"I thought I did. But how long ago was that? Time was stretching and spinning this moment before me, I couldn't feel the ground beneath me. Was I floating? Was this happening? Was I even here?
Derek's voice was so faint in my ear, but then it suddenly crescendoed as if reality was snapped back into place. "Kerri, Kerri!"his voice was shrill through my ear piece. "You gotta get out of there, do you hear me? Come back to the car."
I stepped back from the window and turned ready to run to the car when suddenly, a towel like a big cloud covered my face and then, blackout.
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~ Cade