“Just wanted to make sure you gave me the right number,” the caller said.
“Devin?” I asked, my heart leaping a bit from excitement and surprise.
“Ahhh, you remembered. I was thinking about you so I thought I would give you a call.”
“That’s so sweet,” I replied as I involuntarily started to smile and wipe mud off my legs.
Tommy was staring at me looking perplexed as he mouthed the words “Who is it?” I just shrugged him off with a wave of my hand.
“So what are you doing?” Devin asked.
“I’m out riding four wheelers with my older brother.”
“Sounds like fun. So when am I gonna see you again?”
“I don’t know. When would you like to see me again?” I asked, unable to refrain from smiling again.
“How about tomorrow night?” Devin asked.
“I have to work tomorrow night.”
“How about I pick you up after?”
“Okay. Meet me at the diner at 10:00.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Devin said and hung up.
I pushed the end button on my phone and looked over at Tommy. “Who was that?” Tommy asked.
“Just some guy I met at the diner tonight. My car wouldn’t start and he gave me a jump.”
“What do you mean your car wouldn’t start? That battery is brand fuckin new. Did you leave the lights on or something?” Tommy asked, irritation evident in his tone.
“No, that’s the strange thing. It was light out when I left for work, so I didn’t even have the headlights on.”
“Weird.” Tommy didn’t know why, but he felt uneasy. He got up and offered me his hand. “Come on. Lets head back.”
I tiptoed up the stairs trying not to wake my mother. I headed straight to the bathroom to wash up. As I was undressing, I glanced in the full-length mirror on the door. My four wheeling excursions had left me with dried up mud on my arms and legs and even in my hair. I turned on the shower and stepped in, letting the warm water wash over me. Then I thought of Devin. I saw his piercing brown eyes over and over again. The thought of seeing him the next night made me smile to myself.
An image of the found skulls and teeth and the missing girl soon entered my mind, as it had been doing all night since I first heard the story on the news. I shuddered and turned the water hotter, forcing the image out of my mind.
Chapter 3
Tommy sat out on the old wrap around wooden porch scratching his head looking at my Camaro in the gravel drive. What I had said the night before about the battery being dead just didn’t make sense to him. He had been working on cars since he was thirteen, spending countless hours out in the garage tinkering around with engines. He knew mechanics. He had spent weeks working on the car for me. I wanted a car with some muscle, so he had built me a 400 Chevy small block engine with everything custom. It even had a tunnel-ram intake sticking through the hood. The car had some real power and it sounded mean. He had been proud of how it all turned out.
I sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from my eyes. I got out of bed, put on my robe and headed downstairs. My mother was in the kitchen making breakfast. I walked over to her, put my arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Good morning, mom. Smells good!”
She turned around, spatula still in hand. “Oh hey, sweetie. Good morning. It’s a beautiful day outside. You should get dressed and go enjoy it.”
“Yeah. I was thinking of giving Gina a call to ask her if she wants to go shopping with me.”
Gina and I have been best friends since my family and I moved out here when I was five. Her parents own the house we currently live in. After my parent’s divorce, they had rented it to my mother for a really decent price. Gina and I are in the same grade and have had pretty much every class together since kindergarten.
“Shopping for what, dear?” my mother asked me.
I poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. “Well, I sort of met this guy last night and I told him that I would go out with him tonight. So I wanted to buy a new outfit. Something cute, ya know?”
My mother set three plates of sausage and eggs on the table and then sat down. As if on cue, Tommy came into the kitchen seconds later and sat down with us.
“So, who’s this guy you’re talking about? Is he from around here?”
I swallowed hard knowing that what I was about to say would piss my mother off. “Well, um, I’m not sure, mom. I just met him last night. He helped me fix my car.”
“Fix your car? What was wrong with your car?”
“Battery went dead,” Tommy interrupted.
I looked over at my brother, annoyed by his interference. “Yes, that’s right. My battery was dead. He gave me a jump and asked me for my number. He seemed harmless enough.”
“Well, do you know anything about him?” she asked, emphasizing the word anything as she grew visually flustered before my eyes.
I drew in a deep breath before I answered. “Well I know that he’s cute and his name is Devin.” I giggled, knowing there was no way to win this. My mother would find something wrong with him regardless.
“Nicole,” she scolded as she shook her head back and forth.
“Oh come on, mom. Don’t you trust me?”
“That’s not the point, Nicole. With all that’s been on the news lately and…” she paused. “I mean none of us knows who this guy is or where he came from. This is a small town. Don’t you think it odd that none of us have heard of him before?”
“No, I don’t,” I replied as I got up and deposited my dirty plate in the sink then ran upstairs to call Gina.
“So where are you guys going anyway?” Gina asked as we entered the small clothing store.
“I’m not sure,” I answered. “Hey, what do you think of this?” I asked as I held up a white cotton midriff sweater that buttoned down.
“It’s cute. Why don’t you go try it on?”
“I have to find a cute pair of shorts to go with it first.”
Gina scanned the racks and pulled out a few pairs of shorts in my size. “How about these?”
I scanned the pile Gina was holding until I found something that caught my eye. “These!” I declared as I grabbed a pair of white washed jean shorts from Gina’s hand. “I’ll be right back,” I grinned as I slipped into the dressing room.
A few minutes later I emerged from the dressing room clad in the new outfit. “Well what do you think?” I asked as I spun around slowly.
“I think I wish I had your figure,” Gina giggled.
“Funny,” I said as I half-laughed.
“No, I’m serious,” Gina continued. “My self esteem takes a big hit every time I’m with you.” She laughed.
Even though Gina didn’t seem to see it, Gina was just as popular with the boys. Although she was quite a bit shorter than me, and a bit heavier too, she was cute in her own right. She had big brown dramatic looking eyes and long dark hair that fell in tight spirally curls down her back. She had cute pudgy cheeks that made her look sweet. Her personality was killer also. Gina made other people happy just being around her. She had that air about her.
After finding a cute pair of sandals to go with my new outfit, I took my items up to the register. Standing in line, I glanced over at the stack of newspapers. The headline on the front page caught my eye. I grabbed a paper from the stack and began to read. Three more people reported missing in the Ozark County area. I felt a shiver run down my spine.
“What?” Gina asked as she studied my horrified expression.
I looked up at my friend and held the paper out so she could read the headline. Gina glanced at it and shook her head. “This whole world is going to shit.”
I finished reading the article and put the paper back on the pile. I looked over at Gina. “Are you sure you don’t mind picking me up for work tonight?”
“Of course not,” Gina s
aid. “But are you sure you want to catch a ride home with Devin? I mean you just met him. What if he’s weird or something?”
I shrugged. “I can just call you or Tommy to pick me up if things don’t go well.”
As I lay sprawled out on my bed with a book in hand, a loud knock startled me. “Nicole! Gina’s here!” my mother called out.
I looked over at my alarm clock. Shit! I had been so involved in the book I was reading that I hadn’t noticed the time. I sprang from my bed, quickly undressed, and pulled my waitress uniform over my head. Then I went to my closet and grabbed a shoulder bag, stuffing my new outfit, sandals, and a hairbrush inside. I walked into the bathroom, grabbed a rubber band and started tying my hair up into a ponytail.
“I’m coming!” I yelled as I ran down the stairs, still fastening my ponytail.
After we said a quick goodbye to my mother, Gina and I piled into her car and turned out onto the country road. We drove in silence watching the big windmills pass by until Gina finally spoke. “Jim called me today.”
I rolled my eyes and looked over at her. “Yeah... and what did he want?” I asked, not even trying to hide my irritation.
Gina giggled. “He asked me if I could talk to you for him, seeing as how we’re best friends and all. Said to tell you that he was sorry and if you took him back he would never make the mistake of cheating on you again.”
I shook my head. “Naw. I’m done with Jim’s sorry ass. You know what they say - once a cheater, always a cheater. Besides he wasn’t just a cheater, he was a beater too! You remember that black eye he gave me before. Stupid fucker!”
Gina did remember the black eye Jim had given me. And she remembered the beating my brother had given Jim for it. “Nicole, I don’t think you should take him back either,” Gina said as she looked at me with pity. “I just wanted to tell you what he said. You know I don’t like Jim.”
My thoughts immediately went to my mother and my father. Every time I thought of Jim hitting me, my thoughts would instantly go back to my childhood, where my father used to come home drunk and beat my mother repeatedly. As soon as I would hear him start screaming at her, I would go tiptoeing barefoot into Tommy’s room, careful not to make a sound. Tommy and I would make a fort out of our blankets and sit under them with a flashlight. Tommy would try to soothe away my worries and fears, telling me stories of super heroes that would come and save our mother and us as he held me and told me not to cry.
My mother had always tried to save us from our abusive father. She tried hard to keep us quiet during the day while he slept off his hangover and got ready for his second shift job. We quickly learned how to be obedient, for we knew that if we weren’t, our mother would suffer for it.
One night our father had come home late and started in on our mother again. I did my usual routine of tiptoeing to Tommy’s room, my heart thudding loudly in my chest. As we sat there in fear, Tommy suddenly stood up. He grabbed his baseball bat that was propped against the corner wall by the window. ‘I’m sick of this,’ he had said. ‘Tommy, please, don’t leave me,’ I had pleaded as I began to sob. He had walked over to me and stroked my hair, telling me it was going to be okay. Then he turned away from me and abruptly left the room.
I heard Tommy screaming at my father and I got up and crept to the door, peeking my head around the corner of it. I stood there on shaky legs and watched as Tommy swung the bat into our father’s midsection. Dad yelled out in pain, lunged forward, and pulled the bat from Tommy’s grasp in one quick yank. Then he lifted it up and advanced toward Tommy. I ran out of the room screaming and I flew at my father, hitting him with my tiny fists. And that’s all that I remember.
Apparently, as I would learn later, my father had picked me up and thrown me into the wall with such force that the drywall had cracked and I had been knocked unconscious. Tommy had managed to escape and call 911, while my father beat my mother with the bat. Emergency services had come and taken my mother and me to the hospital and the police took my father to jail.
I had a mild concussion and was released from the hospital after a few days. My mother, however, had suffered four cracked ribs and a punctured lung. She stayed in the hospital much longer and my mother’s sister Teresa was given temporary custody of my brother and me.
Aunt Teresa had given me the medal of Saint Michael that I still wear around my neck today. I clasped onto the medal and rubbed it in my fingers as I remembered what she had told me. ‘This here is a medal of Saint Michael,’ she had said as she clasped it around my neck. ‘He will protect you.’ I smiled at the memory as my mind continued to wander back to my childhood.
When mom got out of the hospital, she came to stay at Aunt Teresa’s with us. She took a night job as a waitress so that she could watch us during the day and Aunt Teresa could watch us at night. Then she filed for divorce. She was granted sole custody of Tommy and me and we all started going to counseling at a women’s group she had found. The director there had introduced my mother to Gina’s mother, Katie. They quickly became close friends and Katie helped us move to the farmhouse she and her husband owned in Southern Illinois.
My mother found another waitressing job during the day and started taking college courses in accounting at night. Katie watched my brother and me while she was gone. After college, she found work doing the books for some of the local farmers and was able to quit her waitressing job and work from home, which she still does today.
Gina pulled her car into the parking lot and found a vacant space near the back. “Oh great! We’re already slammed. It’s gonna be a busy night!” Gina declared as she scanned the full lot. I shook the bad memories from my mind and smiled over at her as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. Memories… funny how they have a way of sneaking up on us.
“Ahhh, nothing we can’t handle. We’re pros, remember?” I giggled as I grabbed my bag, jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut.
Where is he? I wondered as I looked out one of the windows facing the parking lot. Gina came up behind me. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“I don’t see his truck yet and its almost closing time. What if he doesn’t show?” I asked as I nervously chewed a fingernail.
“Don’t worry, Nic. He’ll show,” Gina said as she patted my shoulder. “And if not, you can hang out with me.” She giggled. “We can get a pint of ice cream and…” Gina’s voice trailed off. “Oh shit!”
I followed Gina’s gaze to the door and my stomach tensed. Jim had just entered. “Oh God! Not again. What is he doing here?” I complained as Gina and I walked back behind the counter. “I hope he’s not still here when Devin shows up,” I whispered to Gina.
As usual, Jim took a seat in my station. I had already taken my break, so I had no choice but to wait on him. Annoyed, I grabbed my order pad out of my apron, walked over to Jim and gave him a dirty look. “Hi. I’m Nicole and I’ll be your server tonight. Would you like to try one of our specials?” I asked sarcastically, my annoyance evident with the expression on my face.
Jim laughed. “I know who you are silly. And I know what you can get me,” he said as he reached out to stroke my arm.
I cringed and jerked my arm away. “Just treating you like any other customer.” I frowned and let out a long exhale. “Now, what can I get for you, sir?”
“Please don’t do this, Nicole. Don’t treat me like this. I love you.”
“Love me?” I shouted. “I don’t even think you like me, Jim!”
“Hey! Hey! Take it outside,” Steve interrupted, giving me a warning look.
I glared at Steve and then fixed my eyes on Jim. I shook my head and walked quickly toward the exit, violently pushing through the door and stopping to pace the sidewalk once outside. Jim was close behind. He made an attempt to embrace me and I slapped his hand away. “Jim, this has got to stop. It’s been nearly two months since we broke up. You need to move on.”
/>
“We were together for two years, Nic. Can you honestly move on so easily?” Jim asked.
“As a matter of fact, I can,” I snickered. I knew what I was about to say would piss him off and that gave me just a little bit of satisfaction. “It just so happens that I have a date tonight,” I let out and smiled smugly as I crossed my arms over my chest.
Jim’s expression changed and he looked as if he were about to cry. For a second, I felt bad for him - but only for a second. Then his expression turned furious.
Jim’s eyes met mine. “Slut!” he screamed in my face before he walked angrily away. Slut? How dare he call me a slut! He was the only man I had ever slept with. He was the one that cheated. If anyone was a slut, he was!
“Fuck you,” I yelled back. I stood shaking my head in disbelief as I watched him step off the curb and disappear into the parking lot. I turned to go back inside when out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Devin’s truck. Smiling to myself, I walked back inside.
Jim stormed angrily back to his car, cursing under his breath. He got inside and hostilely pounded the steering wheel. Taking a few deep breaths to calm the rage growing inside him, he then ran a hand through his hair and put the key in the ignition. Nothing. Jim tried it again several times. Nothing. “Damn it!” he yelled out as he popped the hood and got out of the car. He bent down over the hood and shuddered as he felt a cool breeze float past him. Then he heard the sound of a car door closing softly nearby. He raised the hood up and looked inside. A battery cable had been undone. Jim reconnected it and stood there a moment scratching his head as he wondered who could’ve messed with his car. He angrily slammed the hood and got back into his car. He turned the key in the ignition and the car fired right up.
As he was ready to pull away, cold hard hands crushed down on his shoulders. “Hey, man...” Jim started to say as he made a useless attempt to pry the fingers off his shoulders. It was pointless. Whoever it was, they were too strong.
“Drive,” the male voice said.
“Who are you?” Jim dared to ask.