She walked out the door biting into her red apple. She turned the corner, trying to avoid the crowd that was growing outside of the diner. For some strange reason this is the new hangout for all of the kids about to graduate high school. Welcome to Forks, Washington, small town U.S.A. She tossed her Peps into the nearby trash can and walked down the alley. She refused to hang out in front of the diner with a bunch of people she doesn't even like. She was above that, above them, above the small town living.
She was running late. She was supposed to meet her parents. They had many things they wanted to discuss with her. God only knows what it was this time. She knew she has been getting in trouble a lot but teenagers did that kind of thing often. She started to jog down the alley. She could see her car parked under a streetlight, almost there.
Out of nowhere, she felt a searing pain at the back of her head. Then another and one more before she fell to the ground on her hands and knees. She rolled over to see the golf club coming down on her face. That's all her body could take before she passed out from the pain. It took eight blows to her head to finally take the life from her. The blood started to pool around her head. Sticky and crimson, it slowly oozed from the gaping wounds in her head, covering her already matted hair making it stick to the alley's rocky floor.
**********
I unlocked the door to the funeral home. It was a cold and quiet morning in December. The sun had yet to rise. It was just a few hours ago that I got a call that ripped me from the death-like sleep I was in. A young girl, not even 18, was found behind the local diner. The M.E., my best friend Alice, said she was beat to death with a golf club. Nights like this make me question humanity. I was called to the funeral home to help with the family. When a death occurs that is this violent, I'm always called in. The only licensed psychologist paid by the city.
A few minutes after I got inside, the front door bell rang. As I was walking through the funeral home, I flipped on a few of the lights. It didn't matter though, whenever I came here at night it always had a dark glow to the building. Reminds me of all the horror movies I watched growing up. No matter how old I am, it still makes me shiver. I opened the front door to be greeted by the M.E., Alice Cullen.
We were as close as sisters but looked nothing alike. Alice was short and slender; she had short black hair she loved to spike all around the edges of her hair and the most beautiful blues eyes I've ever seen. Me on the other hand, am tall and slender, my long sometimes wavy dark brown hair hang lose around my shoulders. My eyes matched my hair color, chocolate brown. The only thing we shared physically was the same pale white skin that never darkens in the summer months. And we both wanted to go into the medical field, however I opted to not go to medical school. I was happy being a funeral director with a PhD in psychology. She was happy being a Medical Examiner.
As I let her through the door, I watched her taxi drive away, strange how she never bothers to drive her car. Such a waste, if I could afford to buy a Lotus Elise, my butt would be in it every chance I got. It is a beautiful car with a perfect black paint job and black leather seats and it's wasted on Alice. Her greeting brought me back to reality.
"Morning, sorry to wake you," Alice said. She seemed slightly bothered about something. I wonder what's up with her.
"Oh, it's alright, who needs sleep anyways." I smiled at her and she smiled back.
Alice always surprised me with her wardrobe, a woman with a medical degree always dressing like she is still a college student. Wearing jeans, chucks and a Mick Jagger t-shirt, she looked like she was nineteen instead of in her late twenties. I lead her to my office in the back of the building, flipping on the remaining lights in the funeral home. We both took a seat in the big leather chairs that fill my office. After we got comfortable, or as comfortable as you can be at four o'clock in the morning, she slid a file across my desk to me. I opened the file to see autopsy photos of the young girl and a golf club. I skimmed the autopsy report and saw that the last thing she ingested was a Pepsi and an apple. I continued my skimming and notice there was a small note and the bottom of the report, "…suspected eighth victim of the Exterminator."
Confused, I asked, "Who is the Exterminator?"
Alice got that look on her face, a look of sadness and hurt, she always got when dealing with victims of murder and horrible acts. She looked different tonight though, like her look was forced. What the hell is going on? This isn't like Alice. Alice is always happy, like a kid on a sugar high. Her actions tonight look forced like she is pretending to be Alice instead of being Alice.
"Alice who's the Exterminator you have noted in the report?" I ask again making her make eye contact with me. I couldn't believe what she told me.
"The Exterminator is a name that was given to a man who stalks and beats his victims with weapons he brings with him. He waits until they are alone and attacks. I know, it sounds like just an ordinary homicidal maniac that we deal with everyday, but this guy is different." What the hell, is there a serial killer on the loose? My best friend is describing a serial killer. Alice could see the panic on my face; I could feel the panic on my face. Alice sensing my panic began explaining in a rushed manner.
"His victims, they're bad people. They have all been drug dealers or suspects in on going cases. Like this girl tonight, Rosalie McCarthy, seventeen years old and she was charged with killing two year old Kate Garrett a few months ago. She was baby sitting and when Kate's parents came home; they found their baby girl dead in her crib. I did the post-op and found that she was shaken to death. But Rose came to court and convinced the jury she didn't do it. Kate's parents, the police, and the lawyers all knew she did. All the evidence pointed to her, down to the bruises around the baby's rib cage. Her hands were the only ones to fit the bruise pattern. I don't know how she pulled it off, but she convinced twelve people she didn't do it. She claimed to love that little girl like she was her sister; she could never lay a hand on her. And when asked about the bruises, she claimed they were just playing, she was just tickling her and she was squirming which made her tickle harder. And it didn't help she shows up to court dressed like a fourteen year old going to church, complete with bows in her braided pigtails. It was horrifying."
Alice looked pissed off. I've never seen her be this anger with a murder victim, no matter what their past. I was in shock. Alice was always so compassionate and cared so deeply about the people that came across her table. "Wait, how have you kept this out of the news? Something like this should be on every channel, every news broadcasting."
"The only people who know about this guy are the three detectives who are on the case and me. We've been working very hard to keep this out of the news; we don't want to start a panic. This city hasn't had a serial killer ever and they don't want to scare everyone." Alice informed me with a bitter tone to her voice. I didn't think Alice had a tone like that, so much anger and hatred. She really scared me when she talked with that tone in her voice. This isn't how my best friend acts.
"What else do you know; I mean you said it was a guy?" I asked her, knowing I shouldn't for professional reasons but I was just so curious how I hadn't heard about this through someone. I mean I know a lot of detectives at the station and was even more then friendly with detective Edward Cullen, Alice's older brother. All three of us grew up together and Edward and I have always been close friends. It wasn't until recently that we took our friendship to the next level. I would have to have a talk with him at dinner tonight. Alice brought me out of my mental rant.
"Oh, umm, yeah, there has been some evidence found on the first two bodies that makes us think it's a man. And the force behind all eight killings isn't something a woman can possess. This guy was sloppy with the first two killings but got it together with the last six." Alice seems a little nervous about talking about this guy.
"Sorry to pry, Alice, I know you shouldn't be sharing this with me. Forget I asked. What is it you want me to tell the family of, Rose? I'm sure you want me to keep it to myself about this Exterminator guy."
"Yes if you would, please keep that between us, the only thing you're allowed to tell them is that her case is open and even though we don't have a suspect in custody, we do have an idea who it is. When they ask give them my card," Alice handed one of her cards to me from across the desk. "And I will answer all of their questions. Thanks for your help with this one. I'll leave the file with you. Just give it to Edward tonight; he'll make sure I get it back. Thanks again for your help, I'll see myself out. Oh the family should be here around eight." And with that she got up from her chair and almost sprinted out of my office. It was just a minute later when I heard her close the front door of my funeral home. How strange.
I looked at the clock hanging on my pale blue wall. It read 5:37 a.m. Well I have to be back here in two hours, I guess I'll run home and get ready for work. The McCarty family would be my first of many appointments of the day. I left my office, pulling the door closed behind me, and made my way back to the front door. I didn't bother turning any of the lights off as I was walking to the front. Id be back in a couple of hours so I didn't feel the need to turn them off. I locked the front door and made my way to my 1955 black Chevy Bel Air.
The ride back to my two bedroom apartment was a quick one. I parked my car in the usual spot and walked into my building. After I got into my apartment, I went straight into the bathroom. I turned the shower on and waited for it to get warm. After my shower, wrapped in a big white cotton towel, I went into my room and dug around the closet looking for the right suit. After finding the dark blue pencil skirt suit, I got dressed. Today is going to be a long day. Had several families to meet and the first one was going to be the hardest. I wasn't allowed to tell them the details just provide them with my many years of counseling. My cell phone playing Addicted by Saving Abel, telling me I had a voicemail. The voicemail informed me that the McCarty girl would be in my prep room awaiting my talents later this even. I shut my phone and noticed the clock on my stove. 6:45. Time to go, lots to do today. With that, I grab a protein shake from my nearly empty fridge and locked the door. Fifteen minutes later I'm pulling into the garage at work. And the day begins.
**************
It was in fact a very long day. I met with the McCarty family this morning. Those poor girl's parents were so struck with grief, the mother fainted from the stress. I had to have another funeral director meet with the two other families I had scheduled this morning. I spent my entire morning trying to help the McCarty family deal with their grief. Four hours after our introductions, they were calm and on their way to see Alice. I have a feeling I will be seeing the McCarty family again, for psychology reasons versus funeral director reasons. It was seven o'clock and the sun had almost completely set. All I want is a shower and to go to bed, but I have a date with my detective boyfriend. Hmm, saying that still sounds weird but in a good way.
I jumped into the shower. I threw on a pair of jeans and a green V-Neck long sleeve t-shirt. I would have dressed nicer if we weren't just meeting at the bar down the street. That's where all the cops and city employees hung out at after work, and Edward was no different. I was running late to meet him so I grabbed my purse and black pea-coat and locked the door behind me. I met Edward ten minutes later in front of the bar.
"How was work, Bella?" Edward asked me as he kissed my cheek.
"Long day, had to meet with the McCarty family. Alice filled me in on the major details." I've never seen Edward look like such a little kid. He had the same look kids get when they know they've been busted for doing something they were told not to. I almost wanted to laugh at him. Not satisfied by my kiss, I kissed him on the mouth. "Relax you're not in trouble. I understand why you didn't tell me. I'm not mad. Let's eat." With that he held the door open for me as we walked into the crowded bar.
Ten minutes after we got our food, his cell went off. Damn, he must be on call tonight. I had plans for us tonight that involved us naked. I was still eating my chicken fettuccine alfredo when Edward closed his phone.
"Sorry love, but duty calls. Looks like number nine was just found about four blocks from here." He pulled out his wallet and threw some money on our table. "Will you take my food home with you? Once I'm finished at the scene, I'll meet you at my place?" I nodded and he kissed my cheek good-bye. Great, I get to eat alone now. I finished my food quickly and took Edward's food with me. I loved staying at Edward's. He and Alice come from money, so his trust fund paid for his pent house. Five minutes after I left the bar, I was parking my car in the Edward's personal garage. I practically skipped through the lobby and was bouncing in the elevator. I unlocked his door and skipped inside. Flipping on the light, I noticed all the police files scattered across his marble coffee table. I put Edward's cheese burger and curly fries in his fridge. Kicking off my black Chucks, I flopped onto his over-stuffed leather couch. I grabbed the remote off the table, while doing so, I knocked off a file. Oops clumsy me. Flipping on the television to the nightly news, I bent over to pick up the file. I was going to put it back on the table but I noticed it was one of the victims of the Exterminator. Being the nosey person that I am, I started looking at the file. There was a legal pad on the table with notes written on it in Edward's perfect hand writing. It looked like he was trying to find a connection between the victims and find some clue to who the killer is. Ok, now I really can't not read everything.
Two hours later, Edward walked through the door scaring the crap out of me and busting me. I look up sheepishly from his files to see him grinning at me.
"Busted Bella." He chuckled, "At least now I know I can't get in trouble for keeping secrets." He laughed again. I love that sound. I laughed with him. I couldn't help but smile back at him.
"What is all of this stuff? Alice said you guys didn't really have any clues to his this guy is, but it looks like you have someone in mind." I know I shouldn't be asking, but being as curious as I am, again, can't help it.
"Well, there hasn't been any real evidence left at the more recent crime scenes, but I don't know, I'm not sure this guy is a guy at all." He looks worried, and that worries me.
"What do you mean? I thought these crimes were very gruesome and involve a lot of strength"
"That's just it; I think they are meant to look like they involve a lot of strength. I think a woman is behind all of these murders. Every murder is committed with such passion; I don't think a man would feel that way." I know from many years of studying psychology a woman serial killer is rare.
"Alice said that all of the people murdered were drug dealers and suspects in ongoing cases. Is that true?"
"Yeah, and the victim tonight, Marcus Brandon, is no different. Was arrested about 7 months ago for killing Emmett Hale, he was four. Mom left him with her boyfriend. She comes back and he's dead. Brandon claimed Emmett drank some bleach while fixing the boy's lunch. Alice confirmed it but said he had bruises around his mouth, like someone forced it down the kid's throat. He got off on a technicality."
"That's kind of strange. All nine victims of the killer, all of their victims Alice did the post. And this morning when she was telling me about the Rose girl, she wasn't Alice. She was all bitter and pissed off. I've never seen her like that."
Edward looked confused after hearing what I told him about his sister. Alice was always so happy and so bouncy, hearing that she was angry at someone who has died was just not his kid sister. She was caring and loving.
"Do you think Alice did all this?" I watch his hand gesture over to the table full of files. "There is no way; there isn't a mean bone in her body. She didn't do this, no way." Do I really believe my best friend is the Exterminator? Everything seems to fit pretty well together. Her strange attitude lately and her recent nervousness. No way, she couldn't brutally murder nine people, could she?
"I don't know what to think. Alice has been acting a little strange the last few months and I just wrote it off as over worked. I'm starting to rethink that. She has the means and the knowledge to pull this off. And you didn't see the way she was talking about the Rose girl. If I didn't know Alice so well, I'd wonder if she killed her herself. She's my best friend; I don't want to believe this about her." The more I was thinking about it, the more it made sense. Alice was suppose to meet me for drinks last night, but called and canceled. Then a few hours later she calls me about Rose. Is that a coincidence? Edward's pacing brought me out of my mental chatter.
"I don't know what to do. Do I call this in or leave it alone?" He looks so sad and confused. I grab his hand and lead him back to the couch. We need to figure this out.
"Ok, first thing is first, we need to figure out if she has an alibi for the other eight murders, and we need to see if she has the ability to kill nine people."
"Eight murders? There are nine murders and counting. "
"Alice was supposed to have drinks with me last night but bailed. She called me later around three in the morning to meet her about Rose." One down, eight more to check out. Edward got that sad look on his face again, but this time it was a little different. Like he was slowly figuring out his sister is a serial killer.
We spent the next three hour going through all eight files, numerous times. We compared the dates of the murders and the times and did our best to build a timeline of Alice's whereabouts. Forks was a small town but it was a completely computerized system. So all of the people working for the city have to log their hours on the city's database, which made it easy to check when Alice was working. We compared Alice's hours to the time line of the deaths and learned she had worked a few nights that the murders took place but had clocked out. And the nights she wasn't working, she had canceled plans with me and with Edward. This is not looking good for my favorite sugar high friend. I get up to get something to drink and see poor Edward has fallen asleep. I know he has had a long day and his sister was quickly becoming a suspect in nine murders, must be wearing on him. I help him lie down on the couch and cover him with the black blanket lying across the back of the couch. I need to talk to Alice and find out what's going on.
I check the computer and see she is at work, another late night. Grab my coat and purse and sneak out the front door. I should be back before he wakes. I get to my car in record time and drive across the sleepy little town over to the Morgue. I park my car out front and make my way inside. I can hear a faint noise coming from the back. Alice must be performing an autopsy; I think that noise is a bone saw. Walking loudly so I don't scare Alice, I make my way down the long dim hallway. I push the sliding door out and walk into the room. On the far side Alice is elbows deep in a man's chest. If I had to guess, I would say it was the latest victim of the Exterminator.
"Hey Alice, hope you don't mind me stopping by. There is something kind of important I need to talk to you about." She looks up from her work and her gown is covered in blood.
"Sure, what can I do for you B.? Do you mind if I continue working, I've got three more bodies in the back to post before I plan on going home."
"Of course, you work and I'll talk." She gives me a quick nod and goes back to work pushing and pulling organs out of the poor man. "Well, I've been doing some thinking and I've noticed something I wanted to ask you about."
"Alright, no need to beat around the bush, just spit it out." Damn, she knew me so well.
"Ok, well I went to Edward's place after he got called away and when I got there his table was covered in police files. I knocked one off the table, by accident, and when I picked it up I saw it was the files on the Exterminator case. So of course, me being well me, I read all the files. And I noticed a pattern." I was watching her closely as I'm talking and it paid off. She stiffened and stopped working for a second when I mentioned I noticed a pattern. She recovered quickly but I noticed it and went on. "I know it's probably just a coincidence, but I've noticed that the nights you weren't working six of the nine murders happened. I also noticed that on all six nights, we were supposed to have drinks or go to dinner and all six nights you called and canceled on me." She looks really stiff and uneasy now, but I press on. "And since I noticed this pattern, I had to check to see the nights you were working. So Edward hacked into the city's payroll database and we found that the other two murders took place and you weren't here. You clocked out for your lunch one night and the computer clocked you out the other night because there was too big of a gap between cases. So, because I love you like you were my sister, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest, alright?" Alice looked up from the body she was working on and nodded her head. She looks a little paler then usual. I think I know the answer to my question. "Are you the Exterminator?"
"I'm sorry B.. I didn't mean it to go this far." I can't believe what I'm hearing. "The first time was an accident. I wanted to talk to him and find out the truth, things got out of hand and he attacked me and I fought back with what I had. I stabbed him in his carotid artery."
"If it was self-defense, why didn't you call the cops, call your bother?" My best friend is a killer. Oh, poor Edward, this is going to crush him.
"I was going to, but then he moved and I got scared and started to stab him more and more, then I started to enjoy stabbing him and before I knew it, I had stab him 347 times with a pen and a knife he was carrying. I couldn't call the police then; I would have lost my Medical License. "
"Ok, then why did you kill eight more people after that?"
"Well after the first time, I got such a thrill from taking such scum off the streets; I thought I would just do the police force a favor. I would just take care of all the people that slipped through the cracks of the justice system and clean up this town." Alice has developed a Justice Seeker complex. I hope her lawyer can use it to keep her out of jail. Alice put down her scalpel and took her gloves and gown off, throwing them into a hamper of some kind.
"Look, I know what I did wasn't the best thing to do, but I'm cleaning up the streets. All those people, they deserved to go to prison. They killed children and innocent people. And because of some stupid loophole or technicality they get off. I don't think so. I had to perform the autopsy on those poor little babies and those innocent girls. It's just been too much. I couldn't take it anymore. So I fixed the problem." Good lord, Alice has lost her fucking mind and she is looking at me and its making me very uncomfortable. My cell phone is in my coat pocket, I'll call Edward hope he realizes I'm in trouble. "What are you going to do now, Alice? I can't keep this a secret." I can feel my phone vibrating in my pocket, which must be Edward. Hurry up and get here! I just need to stall until he can get here.
"I love you Bella, you've been my best friend since we could walk and it hurts me that I have to do this, but Edward can't know what I do and I can't lose my life I've spent way to long building for myself. So it's me or you and I'm sorry, but it's not gonna be me." With that said, Alice lunged at me. Where the hell did she get that scalpel from? I take off running through the swinging doors and out into the hallway. It's late and we are the only ones here. Shit, hurry up Edward. Alice is quick and catching up to me fast. I turn sharply around a corner and can hear Alice starting to struggle to keep up with me. The building is shaped like a big box so the hallway is connected. I turn the corner again and run right into Edward. "Oh, thank God you're here. Alice is trying to kill me. She confessed everything. Please stop her." Edward looks confused, but it didn't last long. I can hear Alice's footsteps getting closer and Edward pushes me behind him. "Alice, stop. Please don't make me hurt you." Alice stops dead in her tracks at the sound of Edward's voice. "Please, I need you in my life, you're my sister, and I love you."
"Sorry, Edward, she has to go. She knows too much. I know you'll keep my little secret, but she won't. She already told me. So please step aside so I can take care of this." I can't believe my ears. My best friend wants to kill me.
"I'm sorry Alice, I can't do that. I can't stand by and watch you kill an innocent person. You're my sister and I would do anything for you, but I can't do this. You can't ask me to step aside so you can kill her." I think ever emotion Alice had just swept across her face. She was angry then sad then lost then determined.
It all happened so fast I didn't see it happen until it was over. Alice raised the weapon she had and did a little dance around Edward and came running at me. I saw the look of panic and fear on Edward's face. The next thing I know, I hear a strangled scream and Alice is on top of me on the floor. My shirt is getting wet, oh god, did she stab me? I stay still for a second, I don't feel any pain. I look at Alice; her eyes are opened but not focused on anything. I roll her off of me and onto the ground. I can see now that she was shot and it's her blood on me. I look up at Eddie and he looks like he is about to lose it.
"Edward, call this in now, and get an ambulance." Edward walks off in a daze. I check Alice's pulse. I can feel one but it's faint. I take my coat off and try to stop the bleeding. A few minutes pass and I can start to hear the sirens, two EMT's bust through the door and rush over to Alice. "Are you alright Bella?" Everyone that works for the city knows everyone else that works for the city. "Yeah, I'm alright Jasper. Just help her. You see where Edward went?" He starts to work on Alice but with his head points me in the right direction. I find Edward outside the building trying to hold it together. "It's going to be alright Edward, Jasper and Mike are working on saving your sister." I pull Edward into a hug and keep repeating that to him.
*******
Beep beep beep.
Ugh! What the fuck is that noise? I roll over in bed to smack in a very warm, very naked body. I can hear chuckling as I blindly throw my arm at the noise. I smack something hard and the beeping stops. However the laughing gets louder.
"What the fuck are you laughing at?" I ask the man lying next to me.
"Nothing B, you're just funny when you wake up, so not a morning person." He continues to chuckle loudly. Fucker.
"Shut it Edward. I wouldn't be so grumpy if someone would let me sleep at night." I can't help but smile when I remember what went on last night. And that reminds me of the weirdo dream I had.
"Oh God Edward, you won't believe that wacky ass dream I had last night. I spend the next fifteen minutes telling every detail I remember from my dream.
"You have such strange dreams, love. Now get your ass up or you're going to be late to class, again. I don't think your teacher will like you if you keep showing up late to your embalming class." Shit, I forgot I had that this morning.
"Fine but your going to be late to work yourself, Jasper will be pissed if he has to cover with the captain for you again." Edward groaned and it made me giggle. "Want to shower together to conserve water and time?" He laughed.
"Right, because us naked together is going to conserve time." He smiled my favorite crooked grin and stalked towards me. "If I'm going to be late, at least I'm going to have a good reason." With that I squealed and ran toward the shower.
Hope you enjoyed. My other story is on hiatus for awhile. Lost my inspiration to write it so until I can find it, sorry for the few that were following it. But I hope to have the first few chapters of my next story up soon. Let me know what you think!