'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 51 (finale)

The four friends hobbled out of the taxi cab, into the parking lot of the hotel. Shirley Sue quietly sang to herself as the party massed together a pile of cash and handed it to the taxi driver, who thanked them and drove off. The cool night air bit at Roger’s fingertips, but that sensation was quickly replaced as Sarah’s hand connected with his. Sarah smiled and leaned in against him as they walked toward the building.

The four hurried through the doors and into the lobby of the Chester Inn. Charles looked up from the book he was reading and greeted them.

“I trust you had a good evening,” he said with a grin.

“We did,” Roger heard himself say through the cacophony of his friends’ responses.

Charles bid them a good evening as they walked toward the elevator. As they stood waiting for the elevator, Roger glanced back at the lobby and watched as Charles locked up the front doors of the hotel for the night. The soft tone of the elevator chimed out as the elevator doors opened and the four of them entered the narrow room. The ‘3’ lit up as Shirley Sue’s finger tapped the button. Moments later they were stepping off the elevator onto their floor.

Shirley Sue held tight to Buck’s arm as they laughed and giggled between themselves while they ambled their way to their room. Buck pulled out their key-card and led Shirley Sue into their suite, leaving Roger and Sarah alone to traverse the last few doors.

Sarah paused at her door and turned to face Roger. “Looks like it’s my stop.”

“Ya,” Roger said, unable to hide the tone of disappointment which crept through his voice.

The pair stood for a moment, their hands still intertwined. Roger reached a hand up and caressed Sarah’s face with his thumb. His heart raced as he tilted his head and closed his eyes. A wave of electricity washed over him as his lips connected with hers. Sarah’s fingernails sent a chill down his spine as she combed them across his scalp.

Sarah drew her head back from Roger’s, her arms now draped around the back of his neck. “See you tomorrow?” she asked.

Roger nodded. He watched as Sarah slipped into her room. Like the sun falling behind the hillside, she watched him until the door had finally eclipsed his face. Roger stood dumbfounded for a moment, awash in a mix of excitement and exhaustion. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he turned toward his room and slid his key-card into its slot.

Roger floated to his bed and climbed underneath the sheets. He replayed the last few moments over in his head, reliving that sweet memory as it lulled him to sleep. A single thought popped into his head as sleep overtook him, that their adventure here in Chester hadn’t been that bad after all.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 50

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Buck found himself following the uniformed man toward the table where Rob was now standing. He glanced around and saw that his brother, Shirley Sue, and Sarah had joined him in his journey toward the table.

Rob cleared his throat and shouted into the crowd, “Nothing to see here folks, just go back to enjoying your evening!” Dozens of heads snapped away from the direction of the two police officers, as though they had been released from a spring, and the music resumed from where it had left off. The partygoers shot the occasional glance toward the officers as they peered from a distance, trying to ascertain what could be so urgent.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Rob said in a hushed tone. “Who’s gone, Jim?”

Jim’s face grew pallid, and the circles under his eyes seemed to intensify as he contemplated his response to Rob. “Aura, the dead lady,” his voice eked out. “The janitor found the door to her cold chamber ripped clear off its hinges. I took a look at the door and it was dented on the inside, like she pounded her way out or somethin’.”

“Jeez,” Rob said, mimicking Jim’s tone. “This must be some kind of prank.”

“That’s not all,” Jim said with an audible gulp. “Someone broke into the evidence room and stole that fancy knife of hers… No prints or nothin’.”

Rob cleared his throat and tugged on his collar. “I’ll go and check it out.”

“Want me to come with?” asked Sarah.

“No… Why don’t you folks stay here and enjoy the rest of the evening.”

With that, Rob, Shawn, and Jim said their farewells and filed out into the crowd toward the exit.

A shiver traced its way down his spine as Buck stood in silence. The weight of what he had seen earlier hit him anew. The soft yellow glow of those eyes… He shook the thought from his head. It had been an animal, nothing more than an animal. The most reasonable explanation was that someone was playing a cruel joke; after all, the vampire angle had been played up since the investigation had started.

Shirley Sue placed a hand on Buck’s forearm. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

Buck turned toward her and nodded. “Everything is fine,” he said, smiling at her.

The four friends returned to their evening of dancing and drinking. The thought of Aura, her knife, and the glowing eyes faded from Buck’s mind as the night wore on.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 49

Roger and Buck stood outside in the crisp evening air, surrounding the groom who stood beaming as the other men clapped him on the back and congratulated him. The heavy smell of smoke intermingled with that of alcohol and cheap cologne. After ten minutes or so the crowd of men began to dissipate as they filtered back into the building, escaping from the cold air which permeated through their tuxedos. The two brothers took up leaning on the railing as they finished off the stubs of their cigars. The pair stood in silence, listening to the muted music and gazing at the starscape as they enjoyed the evening. Buck took a drag on the cigar and held it for a moment. As he exhaled, he dropped his cigar and was overtaken by a coughing fit.

Clapping his brother on the back, Roger asked, “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” Buck said as he recovered from the attack. He reached down and picked up the remnant of his cigar. “I though… I thought I saw something,”

“What did you see?”

“Eh, it was just a wild animal, the light reflecting off its eyes,” Buck said, regaining his composure.

“Whatever you say bro,” Roger said with a chuckle.

Roger watched Buck’s hands grip the railing as he looked into the distance, his eyes darting over the landscape. Roger opened his mouth to say something when Shirley Sue and Sarah stepped out onto the porch.

“There you two are!” Shirley Sue said with a grin. “We were starting to wonder if you got lost out here!”

“We were looking for a couple of fine gentlemen to dance with,” Sarah said with a giggle. “Have you seen any?”

The four friends shuffled onto the dance floor and started to boogieing to ‘Love Shack.’ “This one is called the grave digger,” Roger said as he pretended to dig a grave. Sarah giggled and shook her head as she imitated his grave digging. The sound of Bill Medley’s voice singing ‘Time Of My Life’ faded in over the song as Roger was mid stride of a digging motion. Roger, who felt like a deer which had been caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, stood frozen. His heart raced as Sarah moved closer to him. He broke free of his spell in time to take Sarah’s hand and drape his arm around her back. Roger gazed into Sarah’s eyes as they moved in rhythm with the music. The pair drew closer together as the song progressed. Roger could feel the warmth of Sarah’s body seep through his shirt. Her head rested lightly on his shoulder as Jennifer Warnes’s voice harmonized with her partner’s. Sarah looked up at Roger. A brunette wisp fell from the tidy up-do her hair was contained in. Roger reached his hand up and brushed the lock behind her ear. He felt her hot breath buff against his cheek as their faces drew nearer to each other.

The music cut out, leaving the room bathed in the soft murmurs of the confused partygoers who looked around dumbfounded. The whole room’s eyes followed the officer who jogged across the dance floor. The sea of dancers parted for him as though he were Moses crossing the Red Sea.

“Brady!” the man said through gasps. “We’ve got a problem. She’s gone!”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 48

Roger shuffled in rhythm with the crowd as they ambled toward the door leading into the reception hall. He had fidgeted his way through the wedding ceremony, fussing at his collar and tie. He could feel the cool breeze flowing in from the double doors which ushered the crowd out of the stale, hot air of the church.

Roger stepped out into a cross breeze, flanked by his three friends. The cool air weaved through the quartet as they walked toward the stout brick building ahead of them. The sun, hanging low on the horizon, peeked out from a cloud and smiled warmly down on them, a nice change of weather compared to the cold damp weather they had been having in Chester over the last week.

“What a lovely day for a wedding!” Shirley Sue said as she craned her head backward and looked toward the sky.

“Ya, it’s too bad they couldn’t have it outdoors,” Sarah chimed in.

Roger passed through the door and glanced around the room through the crowd passing in front of him.

“Look!” Sarah said, pointing toward a table in the back of the room. “It’s Rob and Shawn.” On the other side of the room sat the two gentlemen seated at one of the round tables. Rob was waving at the four of them.

“Save me a seat,” Shirley Sue said, veering off from her friends. “I need to freshen up for a moment.”

Sarah plopped down into one of the eight gray, padded chairs surrounding the table. “You two are looking sharp.”

“You’re not looking bad yourself,” Rob said with a wink. “I just love how those shoes look with that dress, very well put together.”

Roger took the seat next to Sarah. He watched as Rob flirted with Sarah for what seemed like an eternity. As he listened to the pair, a pang of jealousy hit him squarely in the chest. He glared at Rob and Shawn as the pair continued their small talk with Sarah and Buck.

The four of them were laughing when Shawn paused mid sentence. “Is everything alright Roger?”

“Is everything alright?” Roger heard himself repeat back. Roger felt all four pairs of eyes on him. “No, everything isn’t alright. We know about your dirty little secret.”

“Secret?” Rob said, his cheeks flushed.

“Ya, and it’s high time the rest of the town found out about what you’ve been hiding.”

“I’m not sure I understand...”

“Shirley Sue and Buck heard you arguing when they were stranded at your place. Hell, they even saw the photo and we pieced it all together.”

“Rob’s face turned a dark shade of crimson. “Ah, that was just…”

“Give me a break Rob, it’s nineties,” Shawn blurted out. “So what, we’re gay. That’s what we’ve been hiding, albeit poorly, from you and from everyone else all this time.”

A few heads turned toward the table and several of the tables around them grew quiet.

“Oh my,” Roger said with a raised eyebrow, tugging at his tie. “That wasn’t what I...” Roger trailed off.

“What I think he is trying to say is...” said Buck, trying to dodge the glances being shot at them from the surrounding tables. “Well, he just thought you were killers… not that you were gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Being gay that is, not killing, of course.”

“The way people avoid the Greasy Hog, you wouldn't think that,” Shawn muttered under his breath.

“Hey Buck!” Shirley Sue’s voice broke through the chatter that had rekindled at the tables surrounding them.

Buck cleared his throat. “Hey Shirley Sue.”

“I’m grabbing a drink, wanna join me?”

Buck stood up and took Shirley Sue by the arm. “Duty calls,” he said, leaving four of them stranded in the uneasy silence.

Roger watched as Shirley Sue and Buck disappeared into the crowd. He turned his attention back to his companions sitting at the table.

“Um… Sorry for accusing you of murder. I guess I just got a little carried away.”

“No problem,” said Shawn. “I guess I got a little carried away myself.”

“Too bad we’ll have to kill you now, since you know our real secret,” said Rob with a dead pan tone.

Roger’s eyes bulged out of his head for a moment as he met Rob’s stony gaze. The four of them burst into laughter. The awkwardness of the situation melted away into good natured conversation.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 47

A rusty pickup truck bumped along a dirt road. The driver glanced down at the young woman who was sleeping in the seat next to him, then into the back of the truck's cabin, where his brother lay sprawled out over the seat, snoring loudly. They had only been on the road an hour, but the flurry of activity over the last week had left him and his companions exhausted.

Buck thought back to the long days in the interrogation room with the FBI agents. The barrage of questions they were asked. The blinding flashes of lights from the multitude of reporters who spent their afternoons waiting for anyone to give them a tidbit of information on the case. Buck chuckled; their determination never ceased to amaze him. Despite being told numerous times that there was a gag order over the case, they continued to pry for new developments. After the sixth day of the media circus, Sarah had been able to convince the federal agents to allow them to head back to Franklin to escape the media flurry, at least for a little while.

No sooner had they arrived in their home town, had they receive word that Patty and Ben had decided to tie the knot. It seemed that the pair had grown closer than ever since Jack’s murder. With the help of the venue and caterer, they decided to move the date down by a couple of days and to make the gathering a little more intimate.

Buck was happy for the duo, but he had been looking forward to a little downtime. It looked like he and his friends would have to wait a few more days before they could relax.

A sensation of deja vu swept over him as the truck came to a stop in front of an old faded stop sign. The turn signals clicked in rhythm with his heart, and bid him to make his way onto the smooth paved road ahead.

“Fifteen more miles Buck,” he said in a whisper to himself. “Fifteen more miles.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 46

Sarah listened to the silky tones of Shirley Sue’s voice as it melted away through the wall of the interrogation room. She strained her ears in an effort to pick out a word or phrase from the murmurs as she waited for her turn, but the walls were too thick. A cold chill raced down her spine as her mind drifted to the thought of Aura laying on top of her. She had been subject to the sensation all morning, as though a whole army of ghosts had been parading across her grave.

Fatigue began to set in and Sarah blinked her eyes in an attempt to fight off the waves of sleep as they washed over her. The hum of a fan in the background intermingled with the sing song tone of Shirley Sue’s voice, inviting her to rest her head.

A shadow passed in front of her and she glanced up in time to see a pair of black slacks move toward the interrogation door. Through the haze of her rapidly blinking eyelids, Sarah registered the hollow sound of the man rapping on the interrogation room. He carried a large yellow envelope which twitched at his side as he waited for the door to open. A moment later the wooden door swung open, revealing Rob standing in the door frame.

“Looks like the blades match,” the man said, handing Rob the envelope.

“Thanks Todd.”

“No prob Rob,” Todd said giving a quick nod before marching away.

Rob turned his attention to Sarah. “Sorry to keep you waiting Sarah. You’re welcome to come in now,” he said gesturing for her to enter the room. “I’m just about done with Shirley Sue.”

Sarah stood up and shook head in an effort to clear the heavy fog which clouded her thoughts. “Wait a second,” Sarah said, walking into the room. “Did he say that Aura’s blade matched the murder weapon?”

“It looks that way.”

“Which case?”

“Both.”

Sarah greeted Shirley Sue and took the seat she had previously occupied. Just as her friend began to meander out of the room, the phone on the interview desk rang out and shook violently. Rob answered the phone. The color in his face drained as he listened to the receiver.

“Yes sir.”

“Yes.”

“Understood sir.”

With that Rob hung up the phone. “That was the FBI,” he said clearing his throat. “This case is now under their jurisdiction.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 45

Sarah jumped as the silence of the room was shattered by the whine of a zipper. She glanced over toward Rob and watched as his hand, which grasped the silver pull tab, guided the slider along its chain. She felt a chill race down her spine as the zipper clambered its way up the sack.

“What a shame,” she heard him say as Aura’s pale complexion disappeared behind the heavy black cloth.

She took a deep breath and winced at the pain that rushed through her chest, a memento which kept her thoughts locked on the chaos that had filled the house in the moments after Aura’s death. She wasn’t sure exactly how she had gone from being underneath Aura's body to the hunched over stance she had assumed moments later while she tried to regain her breath. She had a vague memory of Roger helping her to her feet, but the memory was enveloped by an impenetrable haze.

“How’s Emma holding up?” Rob asked in a hushed tone.

Sarah glanced over at Emma. Emma's two brothers hovered over their sister as a paramedic tended to her. She sat clutching an icepack to the side of her head. “Well, it looks like she’s at least conscious now.”

Sarah thought back to the moment when Emma had rushed into the mudroom to investigate the racket. Emma opened her mouth as though she was going to lecture the four of them for being so loud. However, instead of a lecture came an ear-piercing shriek. Her complexion grew pale as the air escaped her lungs, turning the woman into a marble statue. Emma’s screams were cut short as she tottered over and smacked her head on the doorframe.

“You okay?” Rob asked as he put a hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

“Ya, still just a little shook up, I guess.”

“We’ll take the knife down to the medical examiner’s office and see if it matches the one used in either of the murders,” Rob said as he looked over the knife in the evidence bag.

Sarah watched as Rob helped the coroner load the body onto the gurney. The coroner, who was holding the end of the gurney where Aura's covered head lay, opened the front door of the house. Red light strobed through the entryway. Sarah squinted and followed the pair out the door and into the pre-dawn morning. Three patrol cars sat crammed along the road next to the house, their lights intermingling with those of the ambulances. A pair of officers leaned against the hood of one of the cruisers, smoking cigarettes. The officers rose to their feet and walked toward Sarah, Rob, and the coroner. A heavy trail of smoke followed the officers as they reached the trio.

“We just finished up out here Brady,” said one of the men.

“Ya, we looked around for any sign of forced entry but we came up with diddly-squat,” chimed in the second. “No ropes, ladders, or rocket packs as far as we can tell.”

The first officer elbowed the second. “Rocket packs, Jim? You’ve been watching too much of that god-awful rocket man movie, bud.”

“I tolds ya before Kevin, it’s called The Rocketeer, and it’s not possible to watch it too many times.”

“Enough you two,” interjected Rob. “I’m heading up to the station to drop the knife off with forensics. See to it that our friends here are taken care of before heading out.”

The pair nodded in unison.

“Oh and Sarah,” Rob said, turning his gaze to her. “After you all are rested up, be sure to drop by the station to give statements.”

Sarah nodded at Rob and they exchanged their goodbyes. Her eyes followed Rob as he climbed into the cruiser. The thud of the cruiser door resonated through her body, sending a fresh shiver down her spine.