Wicked Bad Boys (51 page)

T
he sun had gone
down and Christmas leftovers were put away. Kevin’s parents were cleaning up the kitchen, and Mary left to meet Michael for their private holiday time together. He and Tara relaxed on the couch. She held on to him and wouldn’t let go. He loved it. Her face was still beaming from when he popped the question. She would raise her left arm and admire the ring every now and again, repeating that she couldn’t believe it was really happening. She was so happy. And he was stoked she said yes.

He couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas celebration, although he did wish he could turn back time, and Jake had never done what he had. At least then, he could have been there with them. He let out a soft sigh, pushing the thoughts of Jake form his mind. It had been a great day and he needed to hold on to the incredible memory.

They were talking about going back home to have their own private celebration when the doorbell rang. He froze. She looked at him, tilting her head.

“Who do you suppose that could be?” she asked.

“I have no idea,” he answered.

He got up to get the door and she followed. He was just as confused as she was, and his mind went to Jake on instinct, but he wasn’t ready to tell her anything that would worry her. It was too special a day. When he opened the door, his stomach turned. It wasn’t Jake. It was Officers Jessup and Grayson.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, confused and a little annoyed.

“We have some important news. May we come in?” Officer Jessup asked. She glanced between her partner, Kevin, and Tara. Then she focused on Kevin again. “Please.”

“It’s Christmas. Couldn’t you at least give us this one day?” Tara asked, seeming exhausted by their presence, frustration written on her face.

“This can’t wait,” Officer Grayson replied, turning to Kevin. “It will only take a few minutes, but your family needs to know.”

Kevin swore under his breath but stepped back from the door to let them in.

“Thank you,” Officer Jessup said as they entered the foyer and stood. “Are your parents around? We’re really here to see them.”

She sounded different, unsure of herself than before; more apologetic and somber.

Tara squeezed his hand before letting him go to get his parents. They had finally had a peaceful moment together, but they both knew that no matter the reason for the police showing up, the peace was about to end.

“Mom…Dad…will you come in here?” Kevin called out as he got closer to the kitchen.

The moment they reached the foyer, his mom’s expression turned grim. “Oh…it’s you. What’s going on now?”

“Can we have a seat?” Officer Grayson asked, taking his hat off.

The officers followed them into the living room, but waited for everyone else to sit down before joining them. Tara grabbed Kevin’s hand again.

They finally sat, and Officer Grayson continued. “Last night we received a call from the police station in North Bend.”

“Why would you get a call out there? That’s not even your jurisdiction,” his dad asked.

Officer Grayson glanced at him and nodded. “I know, sir, but it appears that just outside of North Bend, a car was found in the woods. It was intentionally set on fire, and left very little evidence.”

“What does this have to do with us?” his father demanded.

“Well, the pieces of evidence that we do have is…a burnt up license plate, but we were able to determine the numbers. It’s the license plate of the car that—I’m sorry to say, sir, ma’am—your son Jake was driving.”

“That means nothing,” his mom argued.

“You’re right, ma’am, theoretically it means nothing.” Officer Jessup took over. “However, there is more. A few feet from the car was a gas can. North Bend is a much larger town, and they have fingerprint analysis equipment on-site. Their analysis came back last night, which is why they contacted us. Jake Crawford did, indeed, touch the can. And there was one more detail that added to the evidence. Just feet from the burnt up car, close to the front passenger-side door, we found a picture of Tara.”

The silence was deafening. No one seemed to know what to say. It was surreal.

“So, now my brother is out there, probably on foot or in another vehicle he stole, obviously obsessed with my girlfriend, and you’re in here telling me about something that doesn’t even matter. You need to be out there looking for him.” Kevin’s couldn’t hide the strain in his voice.

Officer Grayson finally responded to Kevin’s objection, but spoke directly at his parents. “Mr. Crawford, Mrs. Crawford, that isn’t all we found.”

Kevin was close to losing it. “Great…what else did you find? A shirt that had Jake’s name on it…a receipt Jake signed…a letter of confession from my brother? I get it…you have evidence, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be out there searching for him.”

“Son. Let them finish,” his dad said softly.

“Sir, ma’am. I’m very sorry. The North Bend Police Department found a body,” Officer Jessup said barely above a whisper.

Kevin’s stomach twisted. His dad wrapped his arms around his mother. She had already started to cry. The shock made everything seem blurry and in slow motion.

“The body is badly burned and there’s no way of confirming whether it’s Jake right now. It’s male. We’re expecting dental records in a few days.”

“So, in other words, you’re thinking my son died?”

“We are very sorry for your loss.”

“Are you sure it’s Jake?” his mother whimpered. Her chest heaved as the tears flowed.

“We have no reason to believe otherwise, given the evidence to date. Until we confirm the identity of the body, we’re shelving the case temporarily. Ma’am, we’re so sorry.”

They stood up, leaving Kevin and his family to process the news. “We’ll let ourselves out,” Officer Grayson mumbled as they headed to the door.

Everyone remained still, as if their energy had been drained away. Christmas morning was no longer happy. Instead, they were left speechless, disheartened, and wondering what would happen next.

The only sound was his mom’s soft sobbing as she leaned against his dad.

“
I
can’t believe it
. I just can’t believe it.” Kevin chanted the words, running his hands through his hair. He looked out his bedroom window as Tara stood beside him. They had planned to go back to their house before Jessup and Grayson showed up, but they ended up staying with his parents. Kevin didn’t want to stay at the house and keep reliving the news about his brother’s death. But he couldn’t leave them, no matter how heartbreaking it was to watch him mom cry. She had been unable to speak through her tears, and as much as he wanted to run, they needed him more now.

“I’m sorry, Kev. I wish there was something I could do.”

He reached out and touched her hand, unable to look away from the window. He didn’t want her to see all the tears, although how could he hide it? His brother was likely dead.
We found a body.
The words played in his mind. It didn’t seem real. He never wanted his brother dead. He wanted him to get the help he needed, in jail or maybe a psychiatric unit, but he didn’t want him dead.

He was a zombie. He barely noticed when she left the room, until she came back with two bottled waters. He took it and reached out his other hand to hold her. The words continued to rush through him.
We found a body.
He couldn’t stop thinking about those four words.

“What can I do to help?” she asked, dragging him out of his thoughts.

“I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do. It’s going to take some time to process. I know I should be relieved. We don’t have to worry about him coming after us, but…”

She stopped him mid-sentence. “I don’t expect you to be relieved. He was your brother.”

He nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. Hearing her use the word ‘was’ hit him hard. Tara wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. She held him as he started to sob.

“He had so much life ahead of him and he…he just ruined it. I don’t how he could’ve done horrible things like that.”

“He was not mentally well,” she whispered, pulling him tighter.

“I should’ve done something. This is my fault.”

She pulled back from him, and shook her head.

“Kevin, this is
not
your fault. You have no way of knowing if you or anyone else could have changed the outcome. He was lost and there’s nothing you could’ve done to fix it.”

“He’s my brother.”

She paused before continuing. “I know, but sometimes bad things happen whether we want them to or not. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll do anything I can to be here for you.”

“Just hold me,” he replied.

She pulled him back to her, and wrapped her arms around him.

K
evin cradled
Tara in his arms the next morning. They had gone downstairs early—long before his parents would wake up after such a horrible night—and made coffee. They sat in the living room, watching the news.

The police informed us today that a body was discovered in the woods, just outside Iron Horse State Park, and it is believed to be Jake Crawford. The green Volkswagen the murder suspect was driving has been found in the woods. Police believe it was intentionally set on fire. Stay tuned as new developments take place.

K
evin turned it off
.

“How can they cover this like it’s just the dead body of a murderer?” he asked, shocked. “He was a person.”

“I know, hun. It’s news…it’s their job to treat people like statistics.”

She looked up at him, and he tried to smile.

“I’m glad things worked out so well with your mom yesterday.” His tone shifted, and she relaxed against him.

“Thanks to you. She really likes you, you know that?”

“She’s the one who’s amazing. By the way, are you going to attend one of those meetings with her?”

She nodded. “She’s going to one on Friday night. I’ll be meeting her there. It’ll be good for us.”

He was thankful she was going to make an effort to get to a better place with her mother.

“You should come with me,” she said, looking up at him.

“What?”

“You’re grieving right now and this could help you, too.”

The hope in her eyes was convincing, but he wasn’t ready.

“Maybe another time.”

“Why not now?”

“It needs to be a time for just the two of you. There will be plenty of meetings I can go to. I promise.” He leaned down and kissed her. “I appreciate the offer, though.”

She leaned back against his arm, and a yawn escaped her lips.

“I’ve been thinking,” he added.

“About what?”

“When the police come back with the identity of the body, I think we should go ahead with our plans.”

“Plans?” she mumbled.

“Taking a vacation. Like I said, all I need is a computer. I can do my schoolwork anywhere. So, the moment things quiet down and we get all the answers we need…let’s get out of here. What do you say?” He waited, but heard nothing. “Tara?”

He listened to her soft, even breathing. She was asleep. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. They could talk tomorrow.

H
e knocked on the door
. When no one answered, he knocked again. He pulled his coat tighter around him and waited for the door to open. When it eventually did, the man stood there in shock.

“Oh my God! You’re alive?”

“Hey, Reggie. Mind if I come in?”

Reggie stepped back slowly, allowing him to enter. The television was playing the news as he turned back to Reggie.

“Bet you’re surprised to see me.”

“You could say that. We thought you were dead.” Reggie’s wide-eyed stare went to the television. “Or, at least that’s the story going around. How…what…why…” He paused, taking a breath. “What the hell happened?”

Jake threw up his hands. “What can I say? It’s a miracle!” He chuckled, but the smoke that still remained in his lungs caused him to choke.

“You look like shit,” Reggie said.

“Thanks,” Jake replied, snickering. “That’s what happens when you escape from a burning car.” He could still feel the warmth on his skin from the fire being so close, and he thought of the last minute where he changed his mind and got out of there.

“I thought maybe you decided to cash in the chips and end it with a bang, so to speak,” Reggie said.

Jake nodded. “It was a thought, but then I saw Tara’s face and knew I needed to get her back. Friday night I’m making my move.”

Reggie gawked at him. “Are you sure it’s still what you want to do?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure. She belongs to me, and I’m going to prove it to her. Are you still in?” Jake asked, searching over Reggie’s features.

“I don’t know. A lot has happened since we met. Now I’m wondering if it’s the brightest idea.”

“Listen you son-of-a-bitch. I helped you with your problem, and now you’re going to help me with mine. How do you think they believed it was my body in the car?”

“Man I—”

“Because you fucking stabbed my only friend Marcus on one of your stupid drinking binges, and then you sat in the same fucking chair you’re in right now and let him bleed out and die. Don’t you cave on me now. I’ve done the dirty work and cleaned up your mess when I torched that car. And now you’re going to hold up your end.”

“Okay, okay, man. I was just suggesting that you think about it, you know? I mean, if you do anything to harm Tara or Kevin, do you really believe Tara will still love you? It seems to me it could push her away.”

“I’m not going to hurt Tara and Kevin. I’m simply going to whisk Tara away into a world she never thought she wanted. I’m going to show her I can provide for her and give her exactly what she needs.” Jake didn’t care what Reggie said to try and convince him otherwise. Tara belonged to him.

“I don’t want you to lose the girl when you’ve worked so hard to get her. I’m only trying to help you,” Reggie said.

It didn’t make sense to Jake. Reggie was saying one thing, but it appeared he meant quite the opposite.

“Oh my God…” he muttered. “What, you see her twice and you think you like her?”

Reggie smirked. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is all about you and what you’re doing for her.”

“I’ve seen the way you looked at her, and I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together. You care for her and you’re worried I’m going to ruin your chances with her.”

“Don’t be silly.”

Jake wasn’t being silly. He could see the way Reggie talked about her and everything pointed to him being right.
You can’t trust him. He’s playing both sides. He could turn on you. Don’t let it happen.
Jake heard the compelling words in his head as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.

Reggie’s eyes widened as he stared down the barrel. “Whoa…what are you doing man?”

“Don’t fuck with me, Reggie. You love Tara, don’t you?”

“No…I barely know her.” Reggie backed up, but his focus remained on the gun.

“Don’t give me that shit. Only two things can happen right now. You can either tell me you love her, or you can help me in the way we both agreed. Make your choice, before my patience wears thin.”

He was used to seeing panic in the faces of his victims, so it didn’t bother him at all anymore. Neither one of them was going anywhere until he got his answer.

T
ara stood
next to her mother as she talked to the leader of the group. Her mom seemed happier in the group.

“Thank you, Jane, for another great meeting,” Mary said.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Mary.” She smiled, turning to Tara. “And Tara, thank you for coming to support your mom. I hope to see you again.”

“I will,” Tara replied.

Jane walked away and they headed toward the exit of the building.

“So what did you think?” her mom asked.

“Jane had a sad story. I can’t imagine losing a child.”

“I know. He was only two years old…”

“Heartbreaking,” Tara mumbled.

“I parked over there,” her mom said once they were outside.

“I’m over that way.”

Her mom laughed. She hugged her, letting it linger. “Thanks again for coming, Tara.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” Tara said, parting from the embrace. “I’ll be back.”

“And send my sympathies to Kevin and his parents. I got them a card and some flowers. Maybe you can swing by tomorrow and take it to them?”

“That’s sweet of you, Mom. Sure. I’ll call you tomorrow to set up a time.”

“Okay, bye honey.”

Tara waved and went to her own car, reaching for her phone from her pocket to phone Kevin. She smiled as she remembered it went off during the meeting, so she turned down the ringer.

“Hey, how’d it go?”

“Surprisingly well,” she said. “My mom says hi.

“Awe that’s sweet.”

“I’m headed home now. I’ll see you soon.”

“Sounds great. I started a fire and thought we could have a nice night in. How does candlelight, fireplace, wine, a little something for dessert sound?”

“I can’t wait to get there. I love you.”

“I love you, too, babe. Hurry home!”

She hung up the phone and tucked it into her jeans pocket as she got to her car. She pulled the car door open, and was about to sit when someone’s arms wrapped around her shoulders. Her keys slipped from her hand when she felt a hand and cloth go over her mouth. She had no time to react, and barely any time to fight back. The smell was so strong from whatever was on the cloth, but she screamed as her mouth was covered, and kicked as hard as she could, struggling to escape. She desperately tried to pull off the arms around her, growing weaker until total darkness overpowered her. Her last thought was that this was no dream.

K
evin sat at the table
, tapping his fingers as he anxiously waited for her. “It’s been over an hour. What’s taking her so long?” he mumbled, glancing at the clock.

He stepped over to the fireplace. The red glow of the dwindling fire gave off warmth but it wasn’t comforting. He grabbed his phone and dialed her number. She didn’t answer. Once again, he left a message.

“Hey, it’s me. I’m a little worried about you. It’s been an hour and I thought you’d be home sooner. Call me if you get this message. Just want to make sure you’re okay.”

He stood there for a moment before dialing Tara’s mom’s number. After the second ring, she picked up. “Hello?”

“Hi Mary. It’s Kevin.”

“Hello, Kevin. What’s up?”

“I was just wondering if Tara was still with you.”

There was a pause on the other end. “No. we left the group meeting over an hour ago. She isn’t home yet?”

“No, but I’m sure everything’s fine. I just thought I’d check.” He sounded hopeful, but deep down, panic was setting in. “Do you mind giving me the address of where the meeting was held?”

“Sure!” She rattled off an address and he quickly wrote it down. “You don’t think she’s still there, do you? They lock up right after our meeting is finished.”

“I just thought it would be good to have it, in case I ever needed it. Thank you! We’ll talk later.”

“Let me know once she gets home. Will you?”

“Of course,” he said, glancing down at the address. “Good night.”

He disconnected the call, grabbed his coat and keys and hurried out the door. He needed to verify she was all right before he did anything else. He tried to stay calm as he drove. Along the way, he was mindful to ensure he hadn’t missed anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing strange. No disabled vehicles, no car accidents. Nothing.

He made it to the parking lot and it was impossible not to notice the car. It was the only one there. He parked next to it.
Where is she?
He glanced around the parking lot as he got out of his car, then walked around the side of the vehicle. When he reached the driver’s side door, he stopped in his tracks. Her car keys were on the ground. He knelt down and picked it up. Something was wrong—very wrong.

T
ara opened her eyes slowly
. Her head throbbed like someone had it clamped tight in a vice grip. She tried to touch her forehead but couldn’t move her hands. They were tied up. As some of her strength returned, she tried to wiggle free, but couldn’t get her hands out of the tape and knots that bound her. She screamed, but the tape over her mouth prevented the sound from escaping her throat. She frantically looked around the enclosure. She was in the back of a van and by the movements, she could tell it was going fast.

She heard voices. She closed her eyes, attempting to focus on the words and figure out where she was and who had grabbed her. The sounds were muffled. She was certain there were two voices, but no matter how much she strained, she couldn’t hear them.

The van stopped. Her heart beat faster. Two doors slammed shut and she waited…waited to see what her fate would be. The back of the van opened and her frantic stare went to him. Jake stood in front of her. Her eyes widened. She didn’t understand. He was dead, or at least he was supposed to be.

“Hello, Sleeping Beauty. I’m glad you finally woke up.” He moved closer to her and she tried to kick her legs, but they were also tied together. “Oh…don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you.” He snapped his fingers, and another man appeared around the corner.

She couldn’t believe it.
Reggie? What was he doing here? Was he in on the whole thing?
He appeared sad, apologetic he was even there, but he picked her up from the back of the van and carried her outside. He looked away from her, taking her deep into the woods with them. She tried to wiggle out of his arms, scared he was carrying her to her grave. Instead, he took her into a cave.
Come find me, Kevin. I need you!
She closed her eyes and prayed their emotional connection would keep her strong.