Chapter 40: To Catch A Killer

April turned to May quite quickly. The days grew longer and hotter. Baby Liam grew stronger, but he still woke me up in the middle of the night for feedings.

 

Neither my mom, my brothers, Celia, or Arthur spoke to me much and I reciprocated the silence. I was so busy trying to complete my freshmen year in high school that they became background noise in my pursuit of happiness.

 

However more often than not after work Arthur would knock on my door so that he could take Liam downstairs and visit with him. I was so happy that my son had a strong older male figure in his life. The break gave me time to log into MySpace and check up on a very pregnant Violetta. She would write me long messages about how happy she was with Sonny who was excited about his impending fatherhood.

 

It was on such occasion where Liam was away from me that my cell phone rang with a ring tone I hadn't heard in months.

 

"Hello?" I answered.

 

"Myra," Crystal said and it sounded like she relieved I had answered.

 

"Crystal, it's been so long and I meant to call you, but I've been so busy and," I started to say.

 

"It's ok, this new mother thing is a lot to get used to," Crystal said with a strained laugh.

 

"Is everything alright?" I asked when I heard people talking in the background.

 

"No, it certainly isn't," Crystal said as she sucked in her breath.

 

"What's wrong?" I asked, moving away from my desk and going to the window.

 

"I can't discuss it over the phone," Crystal said and there was murmuring in the background, "can you meet us at the park in ten?"

 

"I'll be there," I said.

 

"Ok," Crystal said and then hung up.

 

I didn't waste time getting ready because Crystal sounded upset. When I got downstairs there was no one in the living room so I just left.

 

The sun was blaring down on me and I remembered that the city was going through a premature heatwave.

 

It was just after five PM and many Pinewood Acres residents were just coming home from work. As I paced down the street I could feel their stares on the back of my neck. I truly didn't think the stigma against me would ever die down.

 

I saw many older teens at the park which was now completely void of any children. I knew all their faces and it had been such a long time since I'd seen them.

 

I approached and they turned toward me with grim looks on their faces.

 

"I'm so glad to see all of your together again," I said as I got closer.

 

"It has been forever," Jimmy said with a cigarette in his mouth.

 

He looked at least fifty pounds lighter than the last time I saw him.

 

"The only thing that matters is we're here now so let's make this quick, Robbie's mom won't keep Lizzie for us much longer," Crystal spoke as she pulled out her cell phone and pushed a button and handed it to me, "watch this."

 

I did as she asked and when the video ended I was visibly shaken.

 

"Who sent that to you?" I asked her.

 

"Someone sent it to me," Cameron, who moved toward me, spoke up.

 

"And to me," Scott said and I could tell he was upset.

 

"And me," Nick added.

 

"And me," Jimmy said as he put his cigarette out.

 

"I'm not sure if Amber or Violetta got it, but I hope not," Crystal said to me as I handed her back her phone.

 

"Do you think he's watching?" I asked with goosebumps forming on every inch of my body.

 

"If he has all of our numbers then most likely," Jimmy answered in a rude tone.

 

"Whoever this sicko is he never sent anything to our phones," Crystal said and I knew she meant both her and Robbie.

 

"Or to me," Dom said.

 

"I never got that video either," I said to them and they looked around puzzled.

 

"We have a theory," Cameron said.

 

"What is it?" I asked.

 

Cameron looked around just as the patrol car passed us by.

 

"We shouldn't be discussing this out here," Crystal said in a hushed tone.

 

"Where's Amber?" I asked realizing that she was absent from the group.

 

"Probably with Kyle," Jimmy said, "I think she's turned her back on us."

 

"Enough with that," Crystal said, "we need to find some way to meet up where no one can see us. I don't trust leaving the house at night any longer so it will have to be in the daytime."

 

"Has anyone informed the Clovers about this video?" I asked and they looked at each other.

 

"We want to take matters into our own hands," Cameron said bravely.

 

"What?" I asked.

 

"We're going to hunt this pervert down and kill him ourselves," Dom answered me.

 

"That's insane!" I said practically yelling.

 

"No, it's brilliant," Jimmy said and I could see he had another cigarette lit.

 

"For all we know the person who recorded that video could be someone we know," I told them.

 

"That's not possible," Cameron spoke.

 

"Why not?" I asked wanting to know.

 

"Since Eliza's phone was found abandoned we believe the killer downloaded her contact list and is now using it to taunt us," Cameron said, "when I tried to call back the number that sent me the video it won't ring. I'm guessing he's using an untraceable network."

 

"If that the case then that's even more reason to take this to the police," I said.

 

"It's not going to happen," Dom said to me.

 

"I have a son, I don't have time to interrupt my life with useless drama," I said backing away, "you all can play detective, but I swear the first time I get weird videos sent to my phone I'm calling the cops."

 

With that little speech I turned away from them and left.

 

That night after putting Liam to bed I returned to my own and was drifting into the black abyss when my phone starting ringing. The caller ID read "no number," but I answered anyways thinking it was a telemarketer.

 

"Hello?" I said.

 

There was nothing, but weird static for a minute and then the voice spoke.

 

"Myra...Myra...Myra...how could you let me go," and then it cut off to Eliza screaming bloody murder.

 

I jumped out of bed and hit the crib. This caused Liam to wake up and I spent the next three hours calming him down. I refused to go near my phone which sat quietly on my bed. By three AM, after Liam fell asleep, I went to my computer and sent out messages to every member of The Crew including Violetta explaining the phone call. After I was done with that I put on my big girl pants and went through my phone until I found Detective Scully's phone number.

 

I left him a detailed message about the phone call I had just received, but I left out the video of a terrified Eliza running through some type of field for dear life while the person recording it chased her. When I was done I hung my phone up and tried in vain to sleep, but it never came. I knew then that a killer truly was among us.

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[Tina Kline]

Frightening stuff here!