Chapter 9

  Everyone was full of cake, happy, and Kayla had so many gifts, she had to make three trips upstairs to get everything to her room. They had put Lilly in her crib and Kathy was putting her coat on so she could go home, when there was a knock at the door. All three women jumped.

  “Who could be calling at ten at night?” Kathy asked, motioning for the women to stand back and grabbing an umbrella from the hall closet, just in case. She opened the door and there was an officer and a detective standing there.

  “Sorry to come by so late, but we have some news,” the detective said. “We found your husband,” he told Kayla’s mom. She collapsed and started sobbing.

  “Where was he? What happened?” Kayla asked him.

  “We found him and his mistress hiding out in an abandoned warehouse. Following an argument, he slit her throat and stabbed a homeless man who attempted to intervene. He now has three counts of murder on his record if found guilty,” the detective replied. “Can you ladies come down and make a statement against him?”

  “I will.” Kayla said, knowing that her mom wouldn’t be able to manage this task sober. Kathy nodded to Kayla, letting her know that she’d stay with her mom and Lilly. She grabbed her bag and keys and followed the police out of the house.

  At the station, two other officers and the detective put her in a room. She expected some of the starter questions like name and address, do you know why we have you here, do you want a lawyer, etc. Unexpectedly, the officers and the detective bombarded her with questions about his affair, the unfamiliar homeless man, and the need to recount her brother’s murder. At 18, she could now sign all her own paperwork with no need for parental consent. She had hoped that her first legal paperwork would be related to voting or a doctor’s appointment, but instead, it was all about murder and family drama.

  “We have your father in custody. He is being evaluated for mental health. We think there are some issues there that your family may not have been aware of. The very last thing we need is to know of any medical history about him you may be able to give,” the detective asked her.

  “I honestly don’t know much. As a kid, he had appendicitis, during his teenage years, he experimented with drugs, but I don’t know which ones, and several years ago, he was involved in a car accident that resulted in some brain damage, but people said it wasn’t severe. After that, I don’t think there’s much outside of the normal cold and flu or seasonal allergies.” Kayla told them.

  “That’s fine. Do you know who his doctor is?” He asked.

  “Yeah, I can write it down for you. We all have the same doctor except for Lilly, who still has a pediatrician.” She wrote the doctor’s name and number down and handed it to the detective, who handed it to the officer on his left and asked him to contact him for any information they can get.

  “I know this may be hard for you to hear, but your father was naked, hiding in a corner, covered in blood and screaming at the top of his lungs when we found him. The screaming was what made some people driving by the warehouse concerned. That’s when a motorist contacted us. He is showing signs of schizophrenia and a few other things according to our evaluation team. They are finishing his paperwork now and we will have the results within the next few minutes. This will help him in court,” the detective said.

  “I know, but I am hoping he goes away for life either way. He destroyed our family and now he’s destroying everyone else. This is not safe for anyone. We need him to get help,” Kayla said.

  “I agree. That’s what we are trying to do. We need to make sure everyone is safe from him because now that he’s started killing, we don’t think he will stop. He attacked one officer too, but he seems to be fine,” the detective replied.

  “I am so sorry he did that, but I am glad the officer is OK,” Kayla replied.

  “So are we. Thank you so much for your help. We will have an officer take you back home and contact you if we need anything else. Here is our card if you need anything too. We have lots of resources for therapy, housing, clothes, anything you might need help with right now.” He handed her his card, and they took her back home, where her mom and Kathy were sitting on the couch, waiting for her to give them the details.

  Chapter 10

  The morning after being interrogated by police, was rough. Lilly wasn’t cooperating, and Kayla knew her sister could sense the tension, but being interrogated by police was nothing compared to Kathy and her mom’s questioning.

  “What happened? What else did he do?” Her mom asked, chugging away the first glass of whisky of the day.

  “He apparently had killed a homeless man and attacked his mistress. There were bodies involved, and possibly more. They aren’t sure now. They know he got Chris, but they have to investigate the rest now, too. This is getting messier and messier.” Kayla said. Her mom looked so sick and depressed that Kayla could almost feel her pain. She kept drinking and slurping at every alcoholic beverage she could find in the house. Kayla knew it was time to leave her to it for the day.

  “Why don’t you and Lilly come over to my house today? We can check on your mother later,” Kathy said. She agreed and packed up enough stuff to stay overnight. She didn’t want to see what would happen to her mom now. This was going to be a messy night.

  Kathy was just next door to Kayla’s house, but their homes couldn’t be more different. Kathy had a large garden full of beautiful flowers that attracted butterflies and hummingbirds regularly. They were so beautiful, and Kayla loved to watch them fly around outside when she walked to school each day. Having a screened in front and back porch meant Kathy, Kayla, and Lilly could appreciate the animals in the yard while sitting outside, regardless of the weather.

  Inside the house, it was like a cozy cottage. There was a scrubbed wooden table in the dining room and a kitchen with butcher block counter tops to compliment the gas stove. The sofa was overstuffed and had a delicate floral pattern on it, making it look and feel soft and cozy. There were trinkets and photos everywhere and a grandfather clock that tied everything in together. Kayla wasn’t sure how such a cozy fairytale cottage could live next to her house of horrors, but then again, how could Hanzel and Gretel find a cannibalistic witch in the middle of the woods in their story? Kayla could see the similarities, only she knew Kathy was always there for her family, even if it made little sense for her to help them as much as she did.

  “Welcome to my house. I know your sister has been here a lot of times, but I don’t recall having you or your brother here much. Guess it was about time,” Kathy told her.

  “Yeah, I love it. It’s beautiful.” Kayla said, taking it all in.

  “My husband and I used to have dreams of filling this place up with children, but that never happened. Luckily, we have you two living next door, and you know you are always welcome here, even if there’s no one home.” Kathy walked Kayla upstairs to show her the four bedrooms on the second floor. She knew this house was big, but seeing it all, she hadn’t realized just how big it was.

  All the bedrooms had their own bathroom on top of the bathroom that was downstairs. There was an attic that had stairs leading up to it. They transformed the attic into a sewing and crafting room, with a corner filled with toys that Kayla believed was specifically created for Lilly to play in while Kathy worked.

  “This is such a nice place! I wish our house was this beautiful.” Kayla said, feeling bad that she had said it. She hated their house with its empty rooms, alcohol cabinet, and drugs stored in drawers. But it was the glistening of blood, secrets, and despair on the wallpaper that she hated the most. She resented both her mother and her father. Kayla felt frustrated with her brother, but had trouble being mad at him for reacting to what their parents were doing. She definitely hated their situation and felt bad for her sister for having nothing as she grows up. Kayla felt everything all at once. She sunk on the edge of the bed in her room and sobbed.

  “What is it, dear?” Kathy asked her.

  “I hate my life.” Kayla choked out.

  “We all have things we hate. Your mom hates her life, and your dad hated his. Your brother struggled to deal with his life, and he felt very alone too. You seem to think that you have to hold this family together, but you don’t, Kayla. This isn’t your choice or your duty. Your parents failed you. They took your innocence and left you to fend for yourself and for your siblings.” Kayla couldn’t help but believe her. Kathy put her arm on Kayla’s and continued, “The day you came to my house to ask for help getting formula for Lilly, who was just an infant, was the best change you made for all of you. I can’t stop your mom and I definitely can’t control how your dad acts, but I can be here for you. I can be here and provide the protection you deserve. Maybe you and Lilly should just move in here permanently,” Kathy said.

  Kayla felt shocked, but the idea sounded great. Then she thought of her mother, who already lost so much and just kept losing more as each day passed. “I can’t leave my mom behind.” Kayla told her.

  “You wouldn’t. I found a rehab center that specializes in severe alcoholism. I have your mom booked up for a surprise visit from them in two weeks. This should help her get back on track. Hopefully she doesn’t over drink tonight since she has work to get to on Monday.” Kathy looked nervous. Kayla knew how she felt.

  “Yeah, I hope she doesn’t lose yet another job.”

  Kathy gave her a gentle smile. “Oh well, we will take each day in stride. We can’t control the situation, but we can control how we react to it. We keep moving forward and we help each other in any way we can. That’s what good people do for each other. Now, I’m sure you must be exhausted after last night. Why don’t you and Lilly get into bed while I check on your mother.” Kathy was too kind to all of them and yet firm enough that Kayla knew she couldn’t argue.

  Kathy handed Lilly to Kayla, who fed, changed, and dressed her sister before setting her in the crib that Kathy had set up months ago. Then she slipped into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and got into a bed that was just as comforting as Kathy was kind, and fell asleep.

  Chapter 11

  Kayla woke up in the middle of the night. She couldn’t be sure what woke her until she heard Kathy come in through the screen door a while later. Was that it? Apparently, she was just getting back from checking on Kayla’s mom. It didn’t surprise her. It would take her hours to check on her mom too if there were bottles of liquor around. She thought little of it and fell back asleep. Kayla looked at the clock and saw it was almost six in the morning.

  Kayla got up and check on her sister before heading back to bed. She could hear Kathy get in the shower and figured that she was getting up for the day since it was too late to sleep in once Lilly got up. Everything was fine for now, though something still felt off. When she got up the next morning, there were police all over her house outside.

  At first, she thought it was about her dad again, but then she saw the coroner’s van. That wasn’t a good sign. She dressed quickly, ran down the stairs. Outside, she saw Kathy talking to police while holding Lilly.

  “She was an alcoholic; her husband had just killed her son and was cheating on her, and she lost her job recently. She was going through a lot,” Kathy was telling a police officer. She looked nervous. Kayla couldn’t blame her.

  “What’s going on?” Kayla asked Kathy.

  “I regret to inform you of this, but your mom shot herself last night, resulting in her death.” Kayla felt her stomach drop. How could this have happened?

  “I... uh... I don’t know what to say,” Kayla said, bursting into tears. She and Lilly were alone now. Well, not technically alone. Her dad was still in prison waiting for his hearing, though everyone knew he was guilty of murder, and they had Kathy to look out for them. The officers looked at Kayla and Kathy, not sure what to do with an 18-year-old, a baby, and an older woman now.

  “It’s ok, you girls can stay with me, and I will take care of you.” Kathy said. The officers looked at Kayla, waiting for her reaction. She smiled as much as she could under the circumstances, and the officers nodded.

  Kayla gave her a hug. “Thank you so much!” She cried into her shoulder. She stood there hugging Kathy until another officer came over and asked her for more information about last night. Kayla was beside herself. She wasn’t going to college after all. She felt like she had to stay home and take care of her sister now more than ever. Kathy seemed to sense that feeling in her and reassured her.

  “I can take care of her while you go to college. You are going to get your education and do amazing things. Everything will be fine. These are just difficult times right now. Breathe and let me take care of everything.” Kathy said, putting her hand on Kayla’s shoulders.

  Kayla’s phone sent her an alert. Today was another pageant day. She totally forgot about it. It’s not like they were going now anyways, but she felt bad. Her perfect family had fallen apart in such a short amount of time that she had no way of knowing what was going to happen next. Her dad was in prison on murder charges, her mom was going to need a funeral, and she had to finish getting everything ready for college in the fall. She had to get a job in the next few months, too. She knew Kathy would pay for everything, but she didn’t want her to have that burden.

  She had been looking for jobs on campus that she could walk to from her dorm, but most were taken by people who were already at the school. Kayla knew that there was going to be more bad things coming for her and she wasn’t ready for it. She just didn’t know how to stop it.

  Chapter 12

  The investigation for her mom was ongoing. She knew they said suicide but suspected foul play after her dad’s murderous behavior towards others. Even though Kayla’s dad was a lawyer, she knew he couldn’t get himself out of this mess, nor could his colleagues. Now, they were adding her mom’s death to the chaotic mix, and Kayla was glad Chris wasn’t here for this. She missed her brother and did not know what she was going to do for Lilly.

  She wanted to protect her sister and keep her safe from what was going on, but Lilly cried often and was aware, even though she was young, that something was going on. Kathy was acting strange, too. She dodged most of the questions from police and blamed all the deaths and problems on Kayla’s parents, but this was too much. Kayla overheard a conversation between Kathy and one of the police officers.

  “I was home all night with the children. I got up to check on their mom but came home shortly after. She was asleep when I checked in. I came inside, checked on the girls who were sleeping upstairs, and then I climbed into bed. I woke up early to make the girl’s breakfast, which I never got to do because I saw all the police cars outside. I didn’t know what was going on, so I went outside, and you guys told me what happened and that was the extent of it.” Kathy said to a rough-looking officer.

  “You didn’t hear the gunshots?” The officer asked her.

  “I thought it was a car backfiring. I am not familiar with guns the way my husband was. He has passed on. But in my defense, I wasn’t aware of a gun in the house with her either. If I had known she had a weapon, I would have removed it. Especially with the children there and both parents acting out of sorts.” The way Kathy was saying these things made Kayla’s stomach turn. She was manipulating the situation with th police, but why?

  Kayla moved closer to hear more of what Kathy was saying. “I just hope that this was an isolated incident and that we can figure this whole thing out. Those girls have been through so much already. Lilly is just a baby and Kayla is ready for college, but she shouldn’t go with these heavy burdens over her. She needs to focus on her education.” Kathy was providing too much information to the officer, and she could tell he noticed.

  “I agree,” he said, flipping his notepad shut. “Thank you for your time, ma’am.” He walked off to talk to another officer, who gave a not-so-subtle glance at Kathy. Kayla knew that this meant he suspected her involvement in this.

  Kathy walked over to Kayla, who was holding Lilly close to her chest. “That was a fun little interrogation,” she stated. “Why don’t we get you girls inside again and feed you? This will all be over soon, and you can focus more on school.” Kathy touched Kayla’s arm and made her jump a bit. Her discomfort with Kathy grew stronger now. Going to college was no longer an option for her. She had to get a job and some money to cover expenses for her and Lilly to live on their own. She felt disappointed and angry with Kathy. How could someone who helped them so much be a suspect for murder? She was like a second grandmother to her. Didn’t she know everything would come to light eventually? And like she said, they had been through enough. Finding out your future potential guardian killed your mom would be hell. Even though she wasn’t certain what had happened, if Kathy HAD done anything to her mom that led to her death, Kayla was going to find out.

  Chapter 13

  Over the next few days, Kayla did nothing but watch Kathy’s every move. She followed her when she went to the store, and she watched her when she baked and did the dishes. Suspicion followed her every move. She wasn’t sure why Kathy was in and out so much the night her mother had died, but it seemed odd that there was hardly any evidence to go off of except the murder weapon, the blood splatter, and the body itself.

 

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