Chapter 03
"By mum, I'm heading over to Jacks." Said Karen.
"OK, behave."
"I will."
"Mrs. Miller?" said Kai.
"Hello Kai," said Karen's mom. "You sound upset, is there anything the matter?"
"Actually," began Kai, "there is. I need to be paid today."
Mrs. Miller sighed. (Mrs. Miller is Karen's mother in case you haven't caught on yet.) "I'm sorry Kai, but we just don't have the money."
Kai exploded at her. "That's what you've been telling me for the past 3 months!"
"Look, I'm sorry, but the vineyard hasn't been making enough money to pay you. I promise. I'll make it up to you, somehow."
Kai let out a deep sigh as he casually picked a large knife up off the counter. "All right, I understand." Quick as lightning he hurled the knife at Mrs. Miller. It penetrated her heart. She let out a shrill scream as she died. Kai ran out the back door and started working in the vineyard as if nothing happened.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Thanks for dinner Jack." Karen smiled.
"Well thank you for bringing the very berry pie." Jack replied.
"I had probably better get home and help mom in the kitchen with supper."
"OK, see you later." It was about two pm when Karen got home.
"Mom, I'm home," she called as she walked into the kitchen. She saw her mother lying on the floor, a knife in her chest. Horrified, Karen screamed a blood curdling scream as she shot out of the front door. Kai came running to Karen.
"Karen!" she didn't stop running. Kai had to run up behind her and catch her. She shook convulsively, her eyes wide with horror. "What's wrong?" Karen wouldn't speak. She just shook her self free of Kai's grip, and kept right on running.
Karen ran like she had never run before. She didn't stop. Kai was trailing behind her. "Karen, slow down!" he called, but Karen refused. She wouldn't stop until she got to Jacks. That was where she knew she would be safe. "Jack!" Karen screamed as she ran towards him. He stood up from peeling potatoes. She ran into his arms, tears pouring down her face. She sobbed uncontrollably.
"Karen, what happened?" asked Jack.
"My, mu. ., mu.., muther... w-was. k, killed!" she managed to choke out."
Jack brought her inside just as Kai showed up.
Kai knocked wildly on Jack's door.
"What?!" snapped Jack as he opened the door.
Kai ignored Jack and barged in towards Karen. "Karen what happened? Why did you run away?" Karen didn't answer.
"What the devil are you doing in my house?" Jack demanded.
"I heard Karen scream, and run out of the house, she looked like she had seen a ghost." Replied Kai.
"Someone killed my mother," Karen said as she began to calm down.
"When?" Kai asked.
"I don't know. She was lying on the kitchen floor when I found her." Karen began sobbing again. Jack sat down and put his arm around her.
"I think I might know who. As I was heading back out, I overheard your mother talking to your father about the quantity of the wine he was drinking. By the time I was out in the field, I heard your mom screaming. Then your father went to the wine cellar to drink." lied Kai.
"Why didn't you go to investigate the scream?" asked Jack.
"Well I didn't think much of it at the time. I just figured that he had slapped her really hard or something."
Jack shook his head. "Well, Karen, if you would like, I could have you stay here until this clears up." Then he looked to Kai. "You've got someplace else to stay?"
"Yeah, I live in a small hut up in the mountains." He replied.
Jack was relieved that Kai wouldn't need to stay with him. Something about Kai made him uneasy, but Jack just couldn't place it. "Well, Kai, I'll be seeing you later."
"Goodbye." Said Kai as he left.
"Do you believe him?" asked Jack.
"Why did dad kill her? How could he? We have to warn the townspeople."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"So you see," said Karen, "we have to put my father behind bars, for everyone's sake."
"Well, I suppose I could alert the citizens of what has occurred today, but without solid proof, I can't be of much more help."
"Thank you mayor. It's getting dark Karen, let's go." Said Jack.
"Well, he wasn't much help." Grumbled Karen.
"Hey, what's going on over there." Asked Jack.
"Lets go find out." As they got closer, they could see people with pitchforks, clubs, torches, you name it. In the middle of it was Kai. He was standing on a soapbox.
"Are we going to tolerate it?" hollered Kai.
"No!" the people responded.
"What's going on?" Karen asked her friend Ann.
"Kai told us all about your mother, and how your father killed her. So they all decided to drag him out to the beach, and drown him!" replied Ann.
"What?! They can't do that!" cried Karen. "Jack, we've got to stop them!"
"By mum, I'm heading over to Jacks." Said Karen.
"OK, behave."
"I will."
"Mrs. Miller?" said Kai.
"Hello Kai," said Karen's mom. "You sound upset, is there anything the matter?"
"Actually," began Kai, "there is. I need to be paid today."
Mrs. Miller sighed. (Mrs. Miller is Karen's mother in case you haven't caught on yet.) "I'm sorry Kai, but we just don't have the money."
Kai exploded at her. "That's what you've been telling me for the past 3 months!"
"Look, I'm sorry, but the vineyard hasn't been making enough money to pay you. I promise. I'll make it up to you, somehow."
Kai let out a deep sigh as he casually picked a large knife up off the counter. "All right, I understand." Quick as lightning he hurled the knife at Mrs. Miller. It penetrated her heart. She let out a shrill scream as she died. Kai ran out the back door and started working in the vineyard as if nothing happened.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Thanks for dinner Jack." Karen smiled.
"Well thank you for bringing the very berry pie." Jack replied.
"I had probably better get home and help mom in the kitchen with supper."
"OK, see you later." It was about two pm when Karen got home.
"Mom, I'm home," she called as she walked into the kitchen. She saw her mother lying on the floor, a knife in her chest. Horrified, Karen screamed a blood curdling scream as she shot out of the front door. Kai came running to Karen.
"Karen!" she didn't stop running. Kai had to run up behind her and catch her. She shook convulsively, her eyes wide with horror. "What's wrong?" Karen wouldn't speak. She just shook her self free of Kai's grip, and kept right on running.
Karen ran like she had never run before. She didn't stop. Kai was trailing behind her. "Karen, slow down!" he called, but Karen refused. She wouldn't stop until she got to Jacks. That was where she knew she would be safe. "Jack!" Karen screamed as she ran towards him. He stood up from peeling potatoes. She ran into his arms, tears pouring down her face. She sobbed uncontrollably.
"Karen, what happened?" asked Jack.
"My, mu. ., mu.., muther... w-was. k, killed!" she managed to choke out."
Jack brought her inside just as Kai showed up.
Kai knocked wildly on Jack's door.
"What?!" snapped Jack as he opened the door.
Kai ignored Jack and barged in towards Karen. "Karen what happened? Why did you run away?" Karen didn't answer.
"What the devil are you doing in my house?" Jack demanded.
"I heard Karen scream, and run out of the house, she looked like she had seen a ghost." Replied Kai.
"Someone killed my mother," Karen said as she began to calm down.
"When?" Kai asked.
"I don't know. She was lying on the kitchen floor when I found her." Karen began sobbing again. Jack sat down and put his arm around her.
"I think I might know who. As I was heading back out, I overheard your mother talking to your father about the quantity of the wine he was drinking. By the time I was out in the field, I heard your mom screaming. Then your father went to the wine cellar to drink." lied Kai.
"Why didn't you go to investigate the scream?" asked Jack.
"Well I didn't think much of it at the time. I just figured that he had slapped her really hard or something."
Jack shook his head. "Well, Karen, if you would like, I could have you stay here until this clears up." Then he looked to Kai. "You've got someplace else to stay?"
"Yeah, I live in a small hut up in the mountains." He replied.
Jack was relieved that Kai wouldn't need to stay with him. Something about Kai made him uneasy, but Jack just couldn't place it. "Well, Kai, I'll be seeing you later."
"Goodbye." Said Kai as he left.
"Do you believe him?" asked Jack.
"Why did dad kill her? How could he? We have to warn the townspeople."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"So you see," said Karen, "we have to put my father behind bars, for everyone's sake."
"Well, I suppose I could alert the citizens of what has occurred today, but without solid proof, I can't be of much more help."
"Thank you mayor. It's getting dark Karen, let's go." Said Jack.
"Well, he wasn't much help." Grumbled Karen.
"Hey, what's going on over there." Asked Jack.
"Lets go find out." As they got closer, they could see people with pitchforks, clubs, torches, you name it. In the middle of it was Kai. He was standing on a soapbox.
"Are we going to tolerate it?" hollered Kai.
"No!" the people responded.
"What's going on?" Karen asked her friend Ann.
"Kai told us all about your mother, and how your father killed her. So they all decided to drag him out to the beach, and drown him!" replied Ann.
"What?! They can't do that!" cried Karen. "Jack, we've got to stop them!"