Title: Penny in the Gutter
Author: Lady Lawliet
Rating: Teen
Genre: Horror/Adventure/Romance/Tragedy
Warnings: Attempt at suicide, angst, vulgarities, death, etc.
Claimer: Yes, I own the characters in this story, although, any resemblance or similarity to an actual person is entirely coincidental and is not intended by the author. The same goes for places and names of companies. (Ex. Central City News.)
Summary: When a serial killer goes public, performing his murders theatrically and leaving behind clues that weave a perplexing puzzle, two teenagers must engage this mind breaking murderer in a battle of wits.
A/N: Okay, so I wrote this last night. Stayed up until 4:00 writing it. Well, when I was finally done with it I spell checked it and reread it and I'm very pleased on how it turned out. :)
x.X.x
C h a p t e r O n e: Failed Attempt and the Mysterious Killer Emerges.
A boy, roughly seventeen years old but still holding misleading fifteen year old features, with inky hair strewn over his wide, concealed emerald eyes threw a sullen and terrified glance over his shoulder, the fleece of his jacket hood brushing against his cheek.
With pale pink lips pressed together, he walked over to ledge that separated him and a hundred-and-fifty foot drop. And the edge, with one measly step, could send you to your death with your face meeting the concrete of a public sidewalk.
Slowly, he placed sweaty palms on the gritty concrete ledge, bringing a foot up to find balance and then the other. He then rose so that now he was staring the bustling street below him, the bobbing pedestrians that failed to become aware of him and drivers in cars that had better things to do notice him, stop and take a step out of their vehicles and say, 'Hey! Stop what you're going to do!'
Inhaling a strained lungful of air, he took baby-steps so that he was now on the very border of the small wall. Sliding his hand into his back pocket, he pulled out a photograph and brought it before his gaze.
It was a picture of him and his girlfriend; his slightly tan arm wrapped around her shoulders, and her, short black hair framing her pastel face and ice blue eyes shining with happiness, had her slim arms around his torso. They were both grinning stupidly, without a care in the world.
He bit his lip, and hard, in an attempt not to shed tears. These past few months had been relentless on him, and she, away on a trip to Seattle, was not here to comfort him. His mom died a month of a heart attack, and his dad adopted a drinking habit, often striking him in an effort to make himself to feel less like shit. And school was no better, his grades were falling, and his chances at making it to college were becoming slimmer and slimmer. 'Why not end it all now?' He had thought to himself merely a day ago. 'Kamryn would find somebody else. I know she could move on if she wanted to… why'd she pick someone as fucked up as I am, anyways?'
He let the photograph glide through his fingers. It fluttered in the strong wind, flitting here and there, jostled by strong flow of air. It hurt to watch it flip and flick in the wind, losing one of the little invaluable small things that reminded him of her forever. That photograph was his favorite, because it held a precious memory and also because his late mom was the one who got it on film.
He spun on his heels, so that if he leaned back, he would be freefalling through the air while he gloomily savors the view of the sky, it wasn't his ideal wish for his 'last sight', but that didn't matter now.
He closed his eyes, rocking back on his heels.
"Stop it!" The sharp cry pierced through the air like lightning.
His eye flew open, shocked jade eyes peering through his black veil of locks. But before he could actually recognize who it was, he lost his foothold and fell backwards.
"No, Aiden!" The horror-struck voice screamed.
He felt something clench on his leg, and the sensation of falling stopped, replaced by a sense of fear as he realized he was dangling, his body swaying slightly and his toned stomach exposed.
Betraying the voice that screamed in his head, 'Don't you dare look down!'. He looked at the ever-growing crowd that was formed below. Some of them were fishing out their cell phones, when they did it was either taking pictures of him so they could send it to the Central City News or explaining to their friends in dazed disbelief, he guessed the description started along the lines of 'You won't believe what I'm seeing right now.' Whilst a good number of the females that were looking up at him had their hands clasped to their lips in alarm. Several of them were screaming hysterically because he supposed a number of them were acquainted with him somehow.
Aiden curled up and gripped the arm that was preventing him from falling. The arm belonged to a man, he couldn't really see the face of who rescued him, but he didn't truly care right now. How someone knew that he was going to attempt suicide at this very moment, he wouldn't know. All he knew is that he recognized the penetrating voice that called out to him at the last minute. It was Kamryn's.
The man, with incredible strength, pulled Aiden up effortlessly and set him down on the rooftop.
Kamryn walked over to Aiden immediately and looked down at him with an infuriated expression. "You stupid fucker, goddamn it all, Aiden! You would've gotten yourself killed if Josef and I didn't show up when we did!" She appeared as if she was going to slap him, but instead, she dropped down on her knees and snaked her arms his neck, pulling him into a hug. "You're lucky Sean read your notebook and called me last night, telling me what you were going to do. What if I didn't make it in time, huh? Do you know how scared I was? I thought I was going to lose you!" She whispered worriedly, tangling her fingertips in his hair.
Figures, his brother always told her everything.
Instinctively, Aiden's arms wrapped around Kamryn's neck, he grabbed a fistful of her pitch-black hair. It took him a minute to comprehend the fact that tears were rolling down his cheeks. He stared at the sandy-haired older brother of Kamryn, Josef, who was glaring down at him with crossed arms, obviously displeased that the pessimistic boy had distressed his sister this way. The expression he wore just screamed, 'Be glad that I had the decency to save you and not hurl you off of the roof myself, dumbfuck.'
Aiden blinked. Josef had apparently noticed that he was looking at him and took that moment of opportunity to give him the bird with a bitter smile plastered on his suntanned face. Aiden just sat there, dumbfounded.
He felt Kamryn's slender arms remove itself from around his neck and her body lean away from his. Kamryn turned her head toward her sibling. "Now that you and I are here, there's really no point in going back to Seattle, is there, Joe?" She asked, sitting on her heels. She put her hand in her lap while the other interlocked its fingers with Aiden's.
"I guess not." He ground out, still glaring at the dark-haired boy. What a shame, they got along so well when they hung out at Kamryn's apartment and now Josef seemed to hate his living guts.
Kamryn smiled, uncurled her fingers from Aiden's, stood up, walked through the doorway in which she had swung open moments ago, and began descending the seemingly endless stairway.
Aiden worried his lip once more as Josef walked by him with an intimidating stride. After a few minutes of moving down stairs, he turned his head to look at him warningly. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will kill you." He advised, slowly saying the last part. "You know how upset you made her? She was crying her eyes out during the flight and when she finally stopped she wouldn't quit fidgeting." Josef shoved his hands in his pockets. "Listen, I don't have anything against you, but I swear I'll punch your face in if you hurt her, got it?"
Aiden nodded, he'll admit, Josef's a pretty scary guy and he probably could punch his face in. After all, Josef had the muscles and strength like a bodybuilder.
After a while of awkward silence, they reached the bottom and walked outside, finding that Kamryn was already in the backseat of the black sports car, one arm dangling out of the window while she skipped through the songs on her Zune, seeking out her preferred song.
"Kamryn," Josef scolded when he approached the car. "If I told you once, I've told you a thousand times! Get your feet off the dashboard!" Kamryn just flicked her hand at him and gave him a 'whatever you say, Joey' apathetically, then grudgingly brought her feet to the floorboard.
Aiden opened the door and clambered in the backseat next to Kamryn, wrapping his arm around her shoulder straight away. She offered one of the earphones to Aiden and hugged her knees to her chest, making sure she did right when the car's engine kicked up.
Soon after, Aiden started entertaining Kamryn by imitating guitar riffs with an electric air guitar when a Metallica song started playing. Josef would sometimes look back and tell Kamryn to get her feet out of the seat, which she would get off scot-free by saying 'Keep your eyes on the road before you slam into someone's bumper' then he would mutter something darkly like, 'Sisters are a pain in the ass' or 'No respect'.
Unexpectedly, Josef slammed on his brakes, causing Kamryn's and Aiden's bodies to jerk forward and smash back into the leather seats.
"What the hell, Joe?" Kamryn cried out, stroking the place where she had thumped the back of her head.
Joe opened the car door and stepped out, slamming the door behind him. Kamryn and Aiden followed his example, pulled out their earphones, and got out of the car. On a building, where the News would broadcast their daily announcements publicly, was a woman, whimpering, gagged, and blindfolded. Her long auburn hair was seized by a gloved hand and a straight razor was brought to her neck. All the cars on the street had stopped and people had gotten out of their automobiles to watch in horror and the spectacle.
"Audience, do you see this? Do you see?" The voice was deep, disguised by a voice scrambler. The body of the person that was speaking couldn't be seen, all there was to stare at was the woman, and the arms and hands of the person that was threatening to murder her. The white-gloved hand yanked off the scarlet cloth that served at her gag and the woman let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Help me! Somebody help me! Please!" The woman was crying, her lips curled and face stained with tears. "Somebody, please!" She wailed frenetically, choking sobs wracked her shoulders.
Who is this monster?
"Somebo—!" Her shrieks were silenced as a dark curved line appeared on her neck and then there was a sheet of crimson.
"Oh my God," A girl adolescent who was standing a few feet slantways from Josef exclaimed, her hand seeking the stability of her blue Prias as her knees buckled. "The—they cut her throat!" She cried, her hands covering her mouth as she choked the words out.
"Get in the car, Josef." Kamryn abruptly said, swinging the sports car's door open and climbing inside, slamming it shut once she got in.
"What?"
"Damnit, get in the fucking car!"
Josef cringed at his sister's outburst and got in the car. Aiden slinked inside as well, not wanting to be victim to his girlfriend's shouting.
"Go to the News Station. I want to know what the hell's going on." Kamryn growled, folding her arms over her chest and propping her foot up against the back of the car seat heatedly. Josef didn't bother to scold her, she wouldn't comply with him anyways, she'd just yell in this state.
Once traffic started going again, they drove into city center, where the Central City News Station was, where they broadcasted everything. Once they arrived, Kamryn was the first to go inside, Aiden and Josef trailing behind her. An uptight woman was settled at the reception desk, answering chaotic and ever-coming calls. She anxiously tried to get them done and over with but they flooded her all at once, they were disconcerted and excited, everyone had seen the broadcast. She was beginning to regret taking up the job as the only receptionist at CCN.
"I'm sorry," She tried to sound as civil she could towards the three visitors. "I'm very busy right now and if it's about the transmission, I apologize, but there's nothing I can explain."
Kamryn strode up to the reception desk. "I have to ask you a few questions, I'm with the working party of Richard Wolff and we've come to investigate this situation." She explained, placing her elbows on the desk and crossing her legs.
"Richard Wolff the detective?" She looked fanatical for a moment and then she cleared her throat. "Well, yes, I suppose I could answer a few questions." She unhooked the phone cord so no one could interrupt.
"Thank you, miss…" Kamryn's glacier blue eyes flickered towards the blonde's nametag. "Amelia. So, do you have any information on the broadcast?"
Amelia bit her lip. "Well, originally, all of us here at the station tried to track where the broadcast had come from, but there was no avail. That person was pretty careful to cover up his tracks. But we did discover where the murder took place. We checked in with the police and it turns out the killing took place at the victim's household; the woman's name is Rhonda Cartwright, her house is just down the street." She sighed, resting her chin in her hands. "Poor girl, city's so loud no one heard her scream…"
That's all Kamryn needed to hear. She thanked Amelia and then walked out the door.
"Wait, Richard Wolff? You work with him?" Aiden inquired, looking at her with a fascinated expression.
"Yes. I have been ever since last semester. Seattle was somewhere he wanted me to inspect with some other investigators." She said, thrusting her hands under her armpits. Sure is cold.
Josef remained silent. Of course, he knew, he was the extra muscles when things got rough and she needed the additional help against dangerous characters.
The trio reached the crime scene, alive with police officers that were scattered throughout the household. They knew her, so they didn't question. She ambled inside and immediately sought out the captain of the police, Terrance Nix. "Okay, what's going on?"
Terrance Nix, a brown-haired man that's fairly scruff. Brawns and brains in one package, an ideal policeman, or whatever you want to call him. Terrance was stooped over some broken glass. "Well, the murder unquestionably took place here." He stood up and faced Kamryn. "The window's broken, but there was no DNA found on it. So he probably was trying to throw us off guard. There was also a rose found by the dead woman, no DNA other than hers was found on her, or on the rose."
Kamryn rotated slowly, taking in the crime scene. "That's eccentric, he was wearing gloves but if he had fled the scene and used the window as an escape there would have been DNA on the glass and he couldn't have wiped that down while fleeing even though there is a chance that he cleansed everything else he touched." She put her thumb underneath her chin and her index finger curled into an arch on her lip. "There's a strong chance that this wasn't a forced entry. Perhaps it was someone she knew or maybe he was masquerading himself as a serviceman? Based on the fact there were white gloves, maybe a plumber or a gardener…"
"You really think so?"
"It's a possibility, but I can't be for certain. And as for the rose, maybe it's his signature?" She contemplated aloud.
"Hold on, King, what makes you think the suspect is a male?"
Kamryn thrust her hands in her jacket pockets. "Well, I'm not for sure, something just tells me that it's a male's doing. It's a woman's intuition, perhaps?"
Maybe I'm wrong, but something drives me to believe that this is a male we're dealing with.
Oh, Kamryn King, how so very right you are.
L.L.: Okay, so I've decided that bold writing at the end of the chapter will be the killer's thoughts. Yes, they are under surveillance. D: WHAT? KAMRYN'S SECKSIST?! OH NOES. But seriously, the last few lines makes Kamryn sound like she's completely bigoted towards dudes except for Aiden and Josef. (Well, sort of, I tried to make her the sister that does not listen to ANYTHING her brother tells her not to do worth a shit. XD)
Aiden: Um, well, review…? For me…? Please? –Pout- (Oh goodness, the emo kid is pouting adorably for you. Review for him and help him take over the world with his evil pouting trickery. :D)