The Killers Amongst Us: Chimera Dawn Chronicles (8 page)

“Well, you received all the applications to rent out the
surgery. I was wondering if she had an address in a letter. I need to find
Maria’s relatives.”

Grimes had still been scowling up to that point, when his
expression changed to a curled-lip smile.

“Oh, yeah, I never thought. Maria told me she lived with her
parents when I interviewed her. I have the letter somewhere.”

Grimes opened his file drawer, running his fingers over the
nametags. He passed Shaw a brown file. Shaw opened it. The address on the
letter was in LA. He closed the file.

“Mind if I take this? I’m on my way to LA. I can inform the
parents.”

“Sure.”

“Incidentally, when did you last see her?”

Grimes raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and then
answered.

“Wednesday, I took Vinnie for treatment.”

“Nothing serious I hope?”

“Nah, just an injection.”

Shaw glanced out of the window. Two pit bulls were jawing at
a tire. Neither was gaining ground with their tug of war. They didn’t look as
though they had any injuries. They were fit. Too fit for him to want to walk
out into the yard and to inspect them.

“Good, anyway, I’ll talk to you when I know more,” Shaw
said.

“I’ll see you out.”

Shaw followed him and noted Grimes shoes. He couldn’t tell
the size, but they looked bigger than his did. The same silence when he entered
followed him up until he walked through the front door. He clutched the file to
his chest. Grimes’ fingerprints were likely all over the letter.

AMY
was pleased that she had worked her way through
wanting to go home after she had recovered from her fainting fit. She still
wasn’t sure what she had seen. The gang had convinced her it was probably a
deer for it to have been moving so quick, for whatever she saw moving among the
pine trees to have appeared as a blur. Only her insistence for the boys to
re-site the tents next to the shoreline, away from the woods, made her give in
to their bickering.

Ted could take a hike as far as she was concerned. Amy
sulked, having not taken kindly to being called a soft ass and acting childish.
She sat next to Louise on a camp chair facing the woods, the lake to her back. She
was far enough away from Ted that he likely couldn’t hear them talking. Gyp sat
in front, sitting like the Sphinx, alert and forever scanning the tree line. If
Gyp could have understood the explanation that the others had given, he wasn’t
acting as though he was buying what they’d come up with.

Tanya and Oliver were making out next to the campfire, some
five yards in front of them. Johno had gone foraging for logs to build up the
fire before darkness fell. He obviously wasn’t frightened of anything that
might be out there. Amy could see that Louise was nervous about Johno being out
there alone, despite her saying it he’d be fine.

Amy looked over her shoulder for the umpteenth time, and she
watched Ted cast out his fishing line. He sat down, and looked over, his vision
meeting Amy’s glare. He waved. Amy turned away, facing front, and without
acknowledging him.

“Let him stew,” Amy said.

“Let it drop! He was the first to run to your cries for
help,” Louise said.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, he probably called you names out of relief that
you were okay. It would’ve ruined the weekend if you’d gone home.”

“Suppose.” They snickered and linked arms. “I’ll wait for a
sorry first, and then we can kiss and make up. Trouble is; you know how
stubborn he can be.”

Louise nudged Amy’s shoulder with hers.

“Ahem, I think you mean how stubborn you both can be.”

“Well, yeah there is that.” Amy said, then laughed.

“What will you do if you’re still seeing him when you go to
uni?”

Amy let out a soulful sigh.

“Don’t know. I’m only just eighteen, I mean, he is cute, and
all that, but he is three and a half years older than I am. Last night, he said
that he’d arrange weekend visits, but then I reckon all men would say that when
they’re aroused. I’m not stupid. It’s only been a few months since we got
together. It could fizzle out.”

“Is that why you’re acting standoffish, because you want it
to end?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if it’s because I have other
things on my mind today. It’s not exactly my fave day of the year. Last night
was like a dream though, especially waking up beside him this morning. I’m
worried it was a mistake and I’ll get hurt.”

“You’ve fallen for him. That’s the real truth, isn’t it? I
know you Amy Shaw, you’re testing him.”

“You could be right. I wish that
I
knew me. It’s just
that sometimes, the way he acts, I feel like he’s from a different generation
that I don’t understand. You know... old and over protective, bordering on
being a control freak. Then other times, he’s so sweet and acts the same age as
us that I don’t even notice the age difference and I could eat him.”

“What, like last night?” Louise said. They both snickered. “If
it’s any consolation, Johno’s no different, apart from I hope not the fizzling
bit, and we don’t have the age thingy. But then, what do you expect, all men
are the same... different animals, just like my mom says. To me Johno’s
adorable, though I wish he’d lose some weight.”

“Trying to change him already?”

They both laughed.

“Nah, he’s the man of my dreams, my cuddly Teddy bear, but
it does limit options when we’re... you know. The only good thing is; I don’t
have to worry about my weight when I’m out with Johno.”

Amy unlinked her arm and turned to face Louise.

“You liar! Like, when have you never been on a diet?”

“Yeah, but being honest. The diets don’t work on me do they?”

She was right, but too good a friend to tell her the truth
outright.

“You look great. Nothing that striking chocolate cake from
the menu would cure. Listen, talking about the man of your dreams, do you ever
have recurring dreams?”

“Can’t say I do, why?”

“If I tell you, don’t mention it to the others, promise?”

“Promise. Cross my heart an’ all that.”

“I’ve been having these weird dreams just before I awake.
Well, not exactly dreams, more like a vision. They started around six months
ago. The first time it was like rows of vertical white lines. Since then, the
lines seem to be cascading. Now they’ve slowed down. It happened again this
morning when I fainted, only lately, they’ve slowed down so much I could see
the lines were rows of two sorts of algebra like symbols. God knows what it
means.”

Louise laughed,

“Blame Mr. Beckwith for that. Wasn’t it around six months
ago we had that damned awful algebra test of his?”

“Oh that. I never thought. I guess that could be it. I know
it stressed me out at the time.”

Gyp rose to all fours, sniffing the air. Amy looked over in
the direction Gyp was staring. Johno walked through the tree line with an
armful of logs. Gyp must have sensed he was there before he appeared. Amy was
grateful for the chance to change the subject.

“Shall we go and help him?” Amy asked. “He seems to be
struggling with the logs, and his rifle strap’s slipped off his shoulder.”

“Yeah, you shout for Ted to join us. I’m starving. I hope
he’s caught plenty of fish to grill.”

“No, you shout for Ted. I’ll play it out with him a little
while longer.”

They rose to their feet, then collapsed their chairs.

“Johno’s back, Ted. Bring the fish,” Louise called out, and
they set of walking to the campfire.

“Cut it out you two,” Amy said, as they approached the
campfire, “or you’ll have no lips left to suck on the fish bone.” Oliver and
Tanya sat up, straightening their clothes.

“Jealous?” Tanya said. “Have you made up with Ted yet?”

“Not until he says sorry.”

“Why should I say sorry?” Ted asked. Amy’s body lurched;
surprised that he’d caught them up so quickly.

He slipped the straps of his fishing basket and rifle from
his shoulders, but they caught on his fishing rod.

“Someone grab the twelve-pack, it’s slipping,” Ted said

Oliver scrambled to his feet; apparently only too willing to
oblige and secured the pack from under his arm.

“You know why, it’s just one simple word,” said Amy.

“Okay I’m sorry you acted like a soft ass, but you scared
the crap outta me with all that screaming, and then acting like a baby wanting
to go home to Dad.”

Amy ignored him. Johno arrived and dropped the logs.

“Thanks for the help, guys,” Johno said.

“Sorry, we meant to help, but we got distracted,” said Amy.

Amy unfolded her chair and sat. The sun wasn’t due to set
for another hour around eight o’clock, but it had already sunk behind the
mountains and it was getting dark.

“Yeah, I’m sorry
too,” Louise said, and cuddled
Johno. “See, Ted, it’s not difficult. Just say the ‘sorry’ word without all the
crap you said after, and to mean it. Then after we’ve eaten, we can play your
stupid game.”

“You don’t know what it is yet, so how do you know it’s
stupid?” Ted said.

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Oops, there I go again, saying sorry,”
Louise said.

“And I’m like, sorry
,
for saying you were jealous,
Amy,” Tanya said.

“Ted threw his fishing rod on the pebbles. “This is
pathetic. Okay, I’m sorry.”

Ted walked up to Amy, put his arm around her shoulder and
softened his tone. “We’re good, right?”

“Say you’re pretty sorry,” said Amy, and turned her head
away.

Ted whispered, “I’m pretty sorry.” He blew softly in her
ear.

Amy turned her head and their lips came together in a
lingering kiss, to the sound of applause from the gang.

The feasting over, the beer flowed to the sound of music
from Louis’s portable CD player, until all the cans were empty. Ted reached out
to his garbage bag, pulled out a bottle of vodka and some plastic cups. Ted
handed the cups around the gang.

“No thanks,” said Amy, as he attempted to give her a cup. “I’ve
seen what strong liquor can do.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you live over the drunks’ tank. Still,
you’ve only had one can. Come on, we all need to get into the mood for the game,
and your dad’s not here to lock us up now is he?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t spoil your game.”

She wasn’t about to tell him that she had poured the
contents of the can away when they weren’t looking.

“Okay, your choice,” he said, and filled each cup in turn
that the others thrust in front of him.

“What’s the game?” Louise asked Ted, and slurred her words.

“A Halloween game.”

“In July?” Johno said, stumbling as he held out his cup for
more vodka.

“Halloween’s for kids,” said Oliver.

“We’ll see,” Ted replied. “It’s just a bit of fun.” Ted
reached into his garbage bag and pulled out some paper blindfolds, with elastic
fasteners. “Here put these on, but first arrange the chairs in a circle. And no
trying to peek.”

“Damn, Ted, it is a kids’ game,” Johno said.

“Just put the blindfold on, fat boy. You scared of the dark?”

“No, but I’ll punch your lights out ya old git if you call
me that one more time.”

“Don’t rise to the bait,” said Louise. “It’s just drink
talk. Here, let me help you put on your blindfold, my, sweet man.”

Amy put on her blindfold. She heard a click and the whirring
of cogs driving the CD slide. Someone snickered and then another.

“Quiet,” Ted said. “First one to pull off their blind is the
loser and they have to kiss the blarney stone.”

“What’s that?” Tanya asked.

“It’s an Irish ordeal thing. The next one that talks will
get to find out first, besides the loser. I want you all to sit with your hands
palm up on you knees.”

All went quiet, save for the eerie sounds coming from the
speakers. She could hear the sound of waves crashing against cliffs, the wind
howling.

Ted started to talk slowly in a low tone. “The young couple
were lost at sea. The only survivors of a ship wrecked by the storm. The young
man desperately fought the current trying to row to shore. The young girl with
him lay on the soaked wooden boards, barely conscious. A wave broke over the
bow.”

Amy flinched as a spray of water hit her face. She wanted to
laugh as she could hear the action of Ted pressing the trigger on a spray
container. Johno and Oliver were right, it was a kids’ game. But she wasn’t
about to pull of her blindfold first, and to discover what the Irish ordeal
was.

He continued. “The boat smashed against the rocks, carried
by the waves. They were thrown from the boat, landing on a rock. The young man
barely had a foothold, his fingers carrying his two-hundred-pound body. He was
below his girlfriend’s body, hanging with her legs loosely from above. The next
wave was sure to sweep them back out to sea. He clawed at the rock, ripping a
fingernail from a finger.”

She felt something drop on her hand. When she touched it
with her finger, it felt like a plastic fingernail. Ted’s fingers removed the
nail and he must have passed it around to the others. Amy hoped someone would
rip of their blindfold first and end the boring game. Perhaps the others had
the same idea, because no one did as they went through a series of, wire wool
for Witch’s hair, grapes for eyeballs, and something that felt like spaghetti
for intestines. Ted’s voice was grating on her now, and with the last game he
brought being an Ouija board, she thought his idea of fun was weird.

Ted’s monologue continued, to the sounds of an owl hooting. “The
Witch took the young man’s dick in her hand, and in full view of his
girlfriend, she wielded a large knife and...” Amy heard a scream in tandem with
Ted’s voice raised, “cut it off.”

Amy pulled off her blindfold. Ted was smirking and stood
next to Louise, holding a salami in one hand and her blindfold in the other.

“You lose,” Ted said, and danced a jig. “Time to kiss the
blarney stone, Lou.”

“That’s not funny,” said Louise.

“Come here guys, we need to arrange the ordeal.” Ted
snickered, and beckoned Oliver and Johno into a huddle.

“What made you scream?” asked Amy. She put her arm around
Louise, who was clearly still upset.

“He did that on purpose, dropping it in my hand first. It
must be the vodka. I was dreaming it was me in the dungeon with the Witch
torturing Johno. I feel so stupid.”