Wicked Girl (THE FIRE Book 1) Read online

  I climbed the steps and raised my hand to knock. But I ended up dropping it because I couldn’t recall the first operation under PHASE 1. I hit my head with my palm but nothing came back to mind. I slapped my thigh and punched the air.

  I walked back to my house to get the notebook. But I was divided in my head. Yes, a part of me found it wise to get the notebook first. But the other part longed to knock at the door and discover the man Karen chatted with in the living room. Probably, that info would also aid my investigation. When I thought perhaps it was the hitman, my heart almost stopped.

  5:14 PM

  I opened Karen’s cold gate still curious to find out who she was chatting with. It wasn’t a familiar voice. Big and deep. Before climbing the steps, I opened my notebook, but I couldn’t see anything – the streetlights were a bit far. I used my cell phone’s flashlight since I didn’t want to read it on Karen’s veranda. It would look very suspicious if somebody saw me. There were only two items under PHASE 1: 1. Get Karen’s cell phone again and get info on her text messaging history. 2. Plant the spying gadgets in her house.

  Unfortunately, I had forgotten the bugging gadgets. Again. I almost punched my face.

  I drew closer to the door and was glad to hear she was still talking with the man. I had lost hope I would find him since I wasted a lot of time looking for the notebook. I had forgotten where I had hidden it. If I hadn’t told Chloe where I hid it, I wouldn’t have found it. And my investigation would be in jeopardy on the very first day. I put my ear on the door, trying to pick up who the man was, but I couldn’t.

  I knocked.

  The conversation stopped. Numerous footsteps approached the door.

  “Who is it?” Karen asked.

  “It’s me,” I said.

  “You, who?” The man said.

  Karen opened since she recognized my voice.

  I was extremely uncomfortable, it was Jane and her husband standing behind Karen. “Hey.”

  “Hello. Come in,” Karen said.

  Jane couldn’t pretend. “Are you gonna allow him into your house?”

  “Please, guys. Just believe what I told you.”

  They glanced at each other. “Okay. That’s it,” Jane said as they passed next to Karen and me, leaving us speechless – staring at each other. Karen’s eyes gave her away; she was trying to refrain herself from crying. I guess she had started feeling bad for me. Who gets such treatments from neighbors after losing a wife?

  I stared at them pacing under the streetlights, holding each other’s hand. I shook my head and wiped my moist eyes.

  Karen forced a smile. “Are you gonna come in?”

  “I think I was supposed to leave and let you guys finish whatever you were discussing.”

  “Don’t be silly. Come in. Let sleeping dogs lie. Why did they leave? Since when are you boogeyman?”

  I stepped in. “But it’s not like they are creating their fear. I gave them the reason to doubt me.”

  Karen looked at the gate, east and west before closing the door, “Let them go. I even hate the way Jane controls her man. It’s very uncomfortable to see such a big giant pulled by the nose by a tiny thing. At times, I wish Jane could get an iron man like my ex.”

  “Is it? I thought it’s the other way round. I thought he was controlling.” I sat on the warm couch, staring at the television. I was relieved some cooking show was on, not updates on Grace. The house was still a mess, but better than in the morning. I was relieved the fish odor was replaced by hot cocoa. “You sound like you miss him now.”

  “Him? Who?”

  “Your ex. Kevin.”

  “I loved his firmness, his masculinity, only if he used it to protect me and the kids, not to hit me.”

  “I see.”

  Karen sat next to me, on the same couch I sat on. I immediately became uncomfortable since there were three other couches in the spacious living room. She pulled up her legs and folded them on the couch, facing me.

  “Thanks for coming, El. I feel safe now.”

  I tapped the couch. “Where are the kids?”

  “I took them to their dad.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I thought they would be safer with him than with me here. Whoever is after me will find me alone. Or if I’m lucky, I will be with you.” She smiled. “If I’m luckier you will be in bed with me.” She giggled. “If I’m –”

  “Stop that,” I said. “But Kevin can be violent when drunk.”

  “No. He never abused the kids. He was only violent to me.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “You told him your problem?”

  “No. Why? I didn’t want him to come. You know Kevin is a nice guy when sober; he would want to come and protect me.”

  She stretched her hand and took up a yellowish coffee mug on the coffee table. She sipped. “You want some coffee?” She said, handing the mug to me.

  Seeing where the math would lead to, I said, “No, thanks.” She started with one couch. Then one mug. So if I let the oneness of things continue, we would end up in one bed. And later have one child but many problems.

  After all, the two emptied mugs on the coffee table spelled out that Jane and her husband were given their own mugs.

  I hated her callousness though. How could she actively hit on a grieving man? The last thing on my mind was anything sensual.

  5:50 PM

  “I’ll be back,” Karen said and went to her bedroom upstairs.

  I didn’t waste time. I snatched her cell phone on the couch. I opened WhatsApp. But I wasn’t sure which history could be of vital use. My hands were shaky. I managed to forward the communication history of ten of her recent contacts to my email. Then I threw the cell phone back to where she sat. Since I was done with my mission for the night, I almost sneaked out.

  On the television, the comedy came to an end and the six o’clock news began. As the young lady read the headlines, she mentioned Grace and the other ladies’ disappearances. I hastily searched for the remote. I had to change the channel. I feared looking at Grace’s face again. After all the coverage was the repeat of what I had watched with Chloe. Eventually, I found the remote under the coffee table, next to a sea of toys, on the carpet. I switched to some movie channel. But again, the woman who was the heroine of the movie also looked like Grace. Even her smile made the dimples on her round cheeks. I switched to another movie channel, playing a movie with no Grace lookalike – a military movie with few women. Then I threw the remote on the couch on my left. The fighter jets in the movie wer –

  “Military stuff! Boring. Why don’t you put on something cozy,” Karen said, already standing next to me.

  I shook up from a deep but nice nap. Clearly, my body, soul, and spirit were more than exhausted. I wiped the drool around my mouth and peeked at her. “When did you get here?” I asked, embarrassed. Even her red nightdress made me uncomfortable. It was too short.

  She sat on my couch again and folded her legs like before. My temperature rose drastically and fast. I swallowed some saliva. She stared at me and said nothing. I stared at the television and said nothing. And I didn’t see anything on the screen; my mind was doing somersaults.

  The tension was unbearable. If I didn’t do something to crush it, it would reach slippery levels. “Karen, we have to talk like adults. Don’t seduce me like I’m some dumb college boy.”

  “Let’s go upstairs first. We will talk later.”

  “No, slow down. We have all the night to ourselves. Probably, even a lifetime since Grace seems to be gone forever.”

  Karen’s eyes lit up.

  “You know, Karen. This is a perfect time for me to come clean.” She shivered indistinctly. I held her left cheek and stared at her eyes. “Karen.” She responded with brief fast nods. “Karen, I love you. You are beautiful. You are smart. Karen, I love you. In fact, I started loving you whilst Grace was still here. She was quite a stumbling block. You know, if I can be honest with you, I’m glad
she is gone. I wish she never ever comes back.”

  Karen quivered noticeably. She jumped to me and placed her head on my chest, facing me. In no time, my shirt and chest were wet with her tears. I embraced her with my right hand. “This is the happiest day of my life. Finally, I have found the man of my dreams.”

  “Babe. But we need to insulate our thing. You know, that fool is only missing. She is not dead. I will only be all out to you once I see her coffin lowered deep into the grave. Before we take our relationship to the next level, I need to search for her and kill her.”

  Karen snorted. “What do you mean we can take our relationship to the next level if she is dead?”

  “I mean I can marry you, honey.”

  She jerked her head away and stared into my eyes. “Marry me?” She whispered. “Oh, I will explode. El, how can you do this to me in one day? It’s too much. It’s too much, baby. Just now you were telling me you love me. Now you’re telling me you will marry me. Marry me. Me, me, me. Oh, God!”

  I grabbed her soft cheeks with both hands. “Marry you, baby. We’ll settle down and have kids of our own.”

  “You’re killing me softly. I can’t believe this. You love me, Elijah Turner. This is more than what I had bargained for.”

  I drew her head back to my chest. “So we have got to plan, sweety. We have got to hunt Grace, find her, and kill her. Then this window of uninterrupted bliss will open.”

  “What if she is dead already?”

  “We can’t assume on this one. We have to be sure. I have to bury her and then go ahead to marry this super queen on my lap.”

  She giggled. “Super queen, you’re such a charmer. What if I’m not assuming? What if I’m sure Elijah?”

  “How can you be sure? Karen, I’m not joking. I want that dog dead. Her life is nothing but a hindrance to our happiness.”

  “I’m not joking. There is somebody who… Anyway, let’s not go there?”

  “Who? What?”

  “But El, do you mean all the love you showed for Grace was nothing but pretense.”

  I nodded. “Obviously. I was in love with you whilst she was here. My love for you developed whilst I protected you from Kevin. You know Karen, you gave me a glimpse of dependence, appreciation, and respect that made my heart melt until I was over. You finished me, baby. You know, it’s so seductive to help a helpless woman if you’re a man. You feel like you are God raining blessings on your people.”

  “That’s super sweet, baby. Why don’t you kiss me and take me upstairs? You have finished me already. I’m numb now.”

  “Babe, I told you we have got a life ahead of us. We shouldn’t rush like college kids. For peace of mind, I need to see the proof that Grace is dead. I need to see her body and bury her. Then I’ll marry you. Even the baby I will place in you tonight will grow up in a loving home, not out of wedlock.”

  Karen laughed. “You’re ahead of yourself. Already planning for the baby we will make.” She laughed again.

  “Baby, you talked about somebody.”

  “Yeah, I know someone who has the peace of mind you need to marry me.” She shifted from me and took her cell on the couch.

  I sighed.

  “Yeah. His number is right here. You will call him and our bliss kicks off right now.” She shook her head. “OMG, babe. I blundered. I deleted his number.”

  “What about an address? You have it?”

  She took my cell phone. “I will save it in your contacts. His job name is Rodger.”

  “Rodger. What’s his job by the way?”

  Karen handed the cell phone back to me.

  “Thanks. I have to see him now.”

  “Now? Why not tomorrow, babe.”

  “Babes, I told you I need peace of mind as soon as yesterday. We shouldn’t let my double-mindedness destroy this great night in front of us.” I stood up. “You said his job is.”

  “Hitman. He is a hitman, babe.”

  6:43 PM

  Karen adjusted her head on my chest with the intention to get the most romantic spot and more out of the cozy moment. Then she let out a sigh of great peacefulness. She was truly enjoying the moment.

  “Babe, ten minutes has elapsed,” I said. I’ve got to go now. See you when I come back, sweetheart.”

  “Let’s add another five minutes for the very, very last time,” Karen pleaded.

  “Babes, I told you this has to be done right if you want me for life. You even said that guy is dangerous. So imagine what he might think if I come in the middle of the night.”

  “Yeah. You’re right. He might think you’re a cop or something.”

  I gently laid her on the couch and jerked to my feet. I rushed to the door. She looked up, expecting a kiss, but I pretended I could not read between the lines. Besides, my head was spinning since my heart was horrified. The way Karen described the guy made me feel like I was going to meet the Devil himself. And I grossly doubted Grace was still living.

  “Babe,” Karen called.

  I stopped just before pulling the door. “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “You owe me big.”

  “What?”

  “Obvious. A kiss.”

  “Babe. All night. You will even forget your name.”

  She giggled. “Sounds good, babe.”

  “Take care.”

  I paced out into the cold and sighed numerous times, trying to breathe. It was extremely difficult to breathe. My stomach was heavy. My hand flew to my pounding chest.

  However, I managed to withdraw my cell phone with my shaky hands and called a cab to pick me up at the junction where Vanderbilt Ave, intersects with our street.

  I became dizzy soon after passing my gate. I fell on my knees in the snow next to the pavement and threw up. I was shaking and my temperature was sky high. I didn’t know what to do or think. I was scared of everything I heard. The info that Grace might be dead made me helplessly numb. I couldn’t push myself to be useful and rush just in case the hitman had not killed her yet. I cried aloud. Probably, he had kept her somewhere, raping her for some days before he killed her.

  Bright lights approached me from the back. It was a young couple, probably driving to a date downtown. They stared at me, but I couldn’t bring myself down. I couldn’t stop crying or derive any energy to stand up and walk to the junction where the cab was probably waiting for me. Luckily, they didn’t stop. They hesitated but drove on in fear, perhaps. But one thing I knew they would do was to call 911. So I forced myself up and walked down the street wailing like a crazy baby.

  An evil idea about going back and killing Karen swept through my head. I didn’t entertain it, even though it seemed like the only thing that could quench my anger, confusion, and hatred. The evil-heartedness that lived in Karen’s heart shocked me beyond limits. How could she orchestrate killing her friend in order to take her man?

  “Jesus.” I even started thinking she probably killed Leon. But what for? Maybe, because Leon was smart and could take every academic prize in all of New York, even nationally but her kids were just average. “Jealous witch.”

  I increased my pace starting to regret I didn’t call the cab to my house. But at the same time, I felt like I couldn’t wait for the cab on one spot. Walking towards Vanderbilt treated me psychologically. The rage growing within me would probably have led me to Karen’s house and made me end her life brutally. Then I would regret my actions.

  I paced under the bright streetlights but my soul was pitch black. It was dead. I couldn’t sense its connection to the body and heart. Only if I was sure Grace was still living. The fear and doubt within me were big enough to displace any form of faith and hope that struggled to sprout. I couldn’t even establish why a hitman would delay executing his job. Delaying taking someone’s life would be literally delaying his paycheck. I stopped walking when my breathing failed. I pulled several deep breaths before I proceeded.

  But it was not all doom and gloom. At least, I got the lead. But I was extremely guilty about all
the lying I did to Karen. I couldn’t even understand where it came from. I hadn’t planned even a bit of it. I wasn’t myself because naturally, I couldn’t picture myself calling Grace a fool or telling Karen I love her (because I don’t – never will) or promising Karen sex (because I will never sleep with her) or promising her marriage (because I will never marry her).

  Something worrying crossed my mind. I tried to ignore it for I needed to convince myself that Grace was not dead. I didn’t even want to think what I would do to Karen if I found out Grace was dead. But I also blamed myself. I prolonged the fake romance on the couch way longer than necessary. I wasn’t supposed to wait even a minute after getting the truth. The very moment she gave me the address, I ought to have pushed her away and fled.

  When I reached the intersection, the cab also stopped next to me. I hopped in, hoping I hadn’t forgotten something useful. I tapped my pocket; my notebook and cell phone were inside.

  The cabbie glanced to his right. “Hey man. What’s up?” he said with a Mexican accent.

  “Hey. Please take me to this address,” I said, handing my cell phone over to him.

  “Bronx. Sure.” He handed the cell phone back to me and joined the road.

  “Please, drive as fast as you can,” I said, hating the Hip Hop he played.

  “Not a problem,” he said, stamping on the accelerator heavily. The tires even squeaked.

  I didn’t ask him to switch off the music because he would probably start chatting with me. I gazed out the window. Deep inside, I prayed I would find Grace alive.

  7:20 PM

  Our destination was a ghetto-ish neighborhood. And the Bronx still had some faint snowfall. The cab pulled over next to the road. A tall building that looked cursed and forgotten frowned at us. But it wasn’t forgotten by everybody. There were sources of light here and there – on some floors; only one floor was completely lit. I was still shaken and disoriented. Not due to the terror in front of me. I was still worried about Grace.