Mystery and Suspense (Mystery and Suspense, mystery books, mystery man, mystery thriller, mystery series, mystery romance, murder mystery Book 1) Read online

  Murder Mystery Romance

  Killer In The Night (Part 1 of 3)

  Jessica Coulter

  (Summary)

  The more Jamie thinks about Alice's murder and finding out that her cousin was killed in the same night she thinks back to high school and the only name she came up with is Chad Porter, the geeky kid that Alice had turned down and embarrassed in front of her friends because he was bothering her about going out with him. Though it had been just a few years ago Jamie doesn't know how someone would be able to hold a grudge against another person, she knew that Chad Porter had been upset but never thought that he might be someone who would become a killer. But Chad Porter keeps coming to mind when she thinks about Alice and her dead body. When Jamie finds out that the police really can't help them she is shocked to find out that Tom wants to get a few guns for protection, as much as she doesn't like the idea she knows that Tom is right. If the police can't protect them then they had to find a way to protect themselves. Tom will go to any length to make sure Jamie stays out of harms way.

  Jamie was watching the news in her living room. At age twenty-two she owned her own trailer. It had a nice back yard and in the back of her house was the woods, she could hear the creek in the summer time when the night was quiet and the crickets were chirping Her windows were open because it was so hot outside so she could hear the crickets in the tall grass while she listened to the news.

  A news anchor woman came on the screen. Jamie liked watching the news every night at ten o'clock. She was waiting for some friends to come over along with her boyfriend to spend the weekend with her. Co-workers from the beauty shop accessories store that she had become friends with over the years.

  Jamie was wearing a pair of biking shorts and a tight, gray, tank top that showed some of her cleavage she was sweating, not having a fan she could only rely on the soft breeze that came through the window. Her light blonde hair was pulled up into a bun and her blue eyes were fixed on the television screen that was up against the wall away from, against the living room wall as you headed down the small hallway to the bathroom.

  Jamie owned a two bedroom trailer. When you went down the hallway there was one bedroom and then the bathroom on the other side and another room on the other side of the bathroom. Looking around the living room Jamie saw the brown, worn out couch with long windows behind it. A green recliner beside that with a small stand between them. Then the black couch she was sitting out that looked out to the front yard. Looking towards the kitchen it was small with a double sink, a little counter space then the gas stove that she liked cooking on. Beside that was her brand new fridge that had double doors and a freezer underneath. She crinkled her nose knowing that the kitchen was cluttered but she didn't care about that really, not having the energy to clean it when she got home from work.

  Looking back at the television screen and enjoying the noise from the news since she was by herself there wasn't much noise in the trailer.

  Jamie's mouth dropped open when she saw that not too far from her there was a scene with cops and ambulances surrounding the place. She saw yellow crime tape going up and the police blocking the road.

  “On Randolph road tonight someone has been murdered. It seems the cops aren't giving out much detail tonight as I am on the scene. I have heard that it was a young girl who had been stabbed to death and thrown into a ditch. The police are urging everyone to stay in tonight and we will keep you updated as more information comes in.” The news lady looked like she was going to cry on scene. Her brown eyes looked to be tearing up as she spoke, her nose turning red and Jamie knew it wasn't cold outside.

  Jamie quickly moved from the couch she was sitting on and made sure all three of her house doors were locked. The back door, the front door and the side door that was across from the bathroom. Three exits to get out of if there was a fire but she wasn't thinking about it that way at the moment. She was thinking about three ways a killer could get into the house.

  When Jamie pulled the shades down over the windows so that she didn't have to look out into the dark her cell phone rang and made her jump

  “Where the hell are you guys?” Jamie asked into the phone when she saw that it was her boyfriend Tom that was calling her.

  “We had to take a different route. They closed Randolph Road down. The one I take to get to your house. It shaves off about five minutes.” Tom told her softly into the phone.

  “Well hurry up and get here. I just heard on the news that a woman was killed tonight.” Jamie told him quickly.

  “I know. Its all over the radio too. I'll be there in about ten minutes. Make sure all the doors are locked.” Tom told her, wishing that he was at her house right then. Knowing that she was freaking out waiting for him to show up.

  “The doors are already locked. I made sure of that the second I heard about it. I shut the shades too. It feels creepy out here now. Hurry up and get here.” She told him in a whispered voice. Not sure if the killer was around the area still.

  “It might have been a random killing. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until I get there?” He asked her softly, wanting to do anything he could to make her feel safe before he got there.

  “Do you know when Mark and Kellie are coming over? Have you heard from them?” Jamie asked him, thinking they should have been at the house already but she hadn't heard anything from them.

  “No, but I am sure they are on their way too. You know how they are, they will call if they are running late or not showing up.” Tom tried calming her down. Knowing she was terrified.

  “Wait, I see someone pulling into the driveway. It might be them.” Jamie told him quickly, looking out the blinds waiting for Tom to get there.

  “Don't hang up with me. Make sure you stay on the phone. In case it isn't them.” Tom warned her. Just a few more minutes and he would be at the house with her and holding her in his arms.

  “I won't get off the phone until I know for sure.” She promised him, she watched two people get out of the car and heard Mark's laugh and then heard Kellie laughing too. She figured they didn't have a clue what was going on.

  “It's them.” She told him, a sigh of relief escaping from her lips.

  “I'm a few seconds away, stay on the phone with me until I pull in behind them.” Tom told her, knowing that with Kellie and Mark there then nothing was going to happen. It always seemed to be safer in numbers.

  “Okay.” Jamie replied and heard them knocking on her door.

  “Who is it?” Jamie asked out of force of habit. She knew who it was but she wanted to make sure it was them.

  “Its Kellie and Mark, who are you expecting the president of the United States?” Kellie joked with her through the door.

  Jamie unlocked and opened the door for them quickly. She ushered them in quickly and saw that Tom was pulling into the driveway.

  “Is that you?” Jamie asked into the phone.

  “Yeah, I see you. Stay right there until I get out of the car.” Tom told her, he didn't want to admit that he was scared to be out there by himself.

  “Alright.” She nodded her head, though he couldn't see her over the phone.

  Jamie hung up the phone and waited, keeping the door open. She didn't care how hot it was out anymore she wanted to make sure that the house was locked up tight.

  She watched as Tom got out of his car and slammed the door, jogging up to the front door and going
into the house. Jamie shut the door behind him quickly and locked it behind him.

  “Wow you guys are really jumpy tonight.” Mark looked at the both of them, giving them a funny look.

  Mark was six foot tall, sandy brown hair and brown eyes. Wearing a pair of jean shorts and sandals with a white t-shirt.

  “You guys haven't heard?” Jamie asked, her eyes widening.

  “Heard what?” Kellie asked, dropping her smile seeing the fear in Jamie's eyes.

  Kellie was five foot six inches tall. She had light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a little bit of make up. She wore a bikini top and a pair of cut off jeans, standing barefoot in the extra room.

  Kellie sat down on the couch that was closest to the wood stove and the pile of boxes and wood that was sitting beside it. A small stand and lamp beside her on the other side of her.

  “Shut those shades. I forgot about shutting those shades.” Jamie jumped when she could see the darkness out there. Not knowing who could be out there watching her house.

  Jamie quickly went over and shut the shades and shut the shade over the dryer in the corner. Her bathroom was big enough to put the washer in there but it wasn't big enough for the dryer so she had to hook it up in the spare room where she usually did her puzzles or sat at her computer and talked on the internet at the small table that was by the windows.

  “What the hell is the matter with you?” Kellie asked her. Knowing that something was really wrong. Jamie was never jumpy the way she was that night.

  “You guys don't watch the news or listen to it?” Jamie asked her.

  “You know we don't. To us its just all bad news.” Kellie reminded her.

  Kellie and Mark had been going out for five years and had moved in with each other two years ago. Knowing they were ready to take their relationship to a serious stage. Both of them agreed that the news was depressing and they didn't watch it, listen to it or read the newspaper even.

  “Well.....” Jamie tried telling her but she started crying.

  Kellie looked to Tom for an answer on what was going on. A little scared because she knew that Jamie didn't cry for no reason.

  “A woman was found stabbed to death on Randolph Road.” Tom told her quietly.

  “Wow, that's crazy that's just a few roads down.” Kellie covered her mouth. No wonder why Jamie was so jumpy it was so close to where she was living.

  “Right. The police are telling everyone to stay inside tonight. They will update us when they know more but you know the police they won't update anyone, always pretending that everything is fine.” Tom rolled his eyes telling them the rest of what they knew.

  “The only woods that a killer could hide beside Randolph road is here...” Mark didn't mean to make it worse but he did. Jamie hadn't thought about a killer hiding out in her backyard. Hiding out from the police and at the same time wanting to kill again.

  “We don't know if its a random killing. It could be that the man was looking for her and there were problems we don't know. Most people don't just go around killing people.” Tom whispered to Jamie, holding her tightly and trying to calm her down.

  “What if he's out there right now? What if he breaks in here?” Jamie whispered to him, all sorts of things going on in her mind.

  “We don't have to worry about it honey. Listen we don't even know if its a man. The police don't know much except for finding that woman's body her name hasn't even been released yet. It could be druggies just fighting over money or something.” Tom tried to make it sound simple though he knew it wasn't as simple as he was putting it.

  “Not to mention no one is going to break in here tonight. Not with all four of us here. If someone is watching the house they aren't that stupid to mess with the trailer tonight. They would have seen us coming into the house.” Mark assured her that nothing was going to happen.

  “I hope not. God I hope that nothing happens.” Jamie told them. Wishing that they could just leave and come back when the killer was caught.

  There was a loud knock on the door and all four of them jumped. They hadn't heard anyone pull into the driveway.

  “Wait, don't answer that door yet.” Tom let go of Jamie and looked out the blinds that were behind the dryer.

  He saw a cop car pulled over on the side of the road, the blue lights flashing and seeing a cop getting out of the passenger side.

  “Its the cops.” Tom told her, looking over his shoulder at her.

  “Who is it?” Jamie called out, getting her act together.

  “Its the police.” She heard a deep voice on the other side of the door.

  Jamie looked at Tom and he nodded his head for her to answer the door. Jamie unlocked it and opened it slowly, peeking her head out first and seeing for a fact that it was the police she opened the door all the way and let them into the house.

  Jamie moved away from the door as two short police officers walked in. Shutting the door behind them.

  Jamie just looked at them as she took a seat beside Kellie on the couch. They both wore dark blue police uniforms with their names on the front of their shirts.

  One officer was named Charles and the other one was Davidson. Their last names. The red headed officer began talking to them.

  “We are going down the streets that are closets to where the woman was killed. We want to make sure that everything is alright and we also want to let residents know that they should leave the area until this is all cleared up. We are starting with your house first.” Charles looked at Jamie because she was the one who answered the door.

  “So you don't think its safe here?” Jamie asked, getting up from the couch and walking over to Tom.

  “We don't know ma'am we are just trying to do everything we can to make sure that this doesn't happen again.” He shook his head, praying that it wasn't going to happen again but there wasn't any promises.

  “Were you the one who found her?” Jamie whispered to him, hardly able to talk.

  “Yes ma'am. We think that she was out jogging when the killer attacked her. It was a horrible sight.” Charles cleared his throat.

  “We shouldn't be talking about this to the public.” Davidson spoke up. He had a buzz cut but Jamie could tell that his hair had been black at one point because it was growing back in. His blue eyes were looking at Charles with a stern look.

  “Sorry, you're right. We are going to stay here until you can pack some things up and leave. You don't have to leave but we are just giving residents the option.” Charles told her softly.

  Jamie looked at Tom and then the other two then back at Tom. Tom nodded his head yes. He was sure he had enough money for a hotel for the four of them for one night. He didn't want to tell her no and then have her freaking out over the smallest noise through out the night.

  “Oh good. I can grab a bag of clothing and then we will head out.” Jamie told the police officers.

  When Jamie went into the living room Tom followed behind her while Mark and Kellie waited in the other room with the two police officers.

  “I think that's a good idea. We were talking about that, well Jamie was talking about that before you guys came to the door. Maybe that is the best idea.” Mark nodded his head, looking over at Kellie. All Kellie could do was nod her head.

  “Do you know the woman's name?” Mark asked the officers. Looking from Davidson to Charles and then back at Davidson seeing that he was the one who called the shots between the officers.

  “It was announced on the news right before we got here. Her name was Alice Jacobson. She was twenty-two years old. Graduated from Bradley High school a few years ago.” Davidson told him, knowing that it was public knowledge so he wasn't worried about telling them.

  “Wow, I wonder if Jamie had gone to school with her.” Mark whispered, shaking his head. Knowing that Jamie had went to the school and she was the same age as the woman who was killed.

  Kellie got up from the couch and went into the living room. Going down the hallway to the back bedroom and seeing that Jamie was
still packing up some of her clothes, not sure how long she was going to be away from the house.

  “Bring your year book with you. The year that you graduated.” Kellie told her quickly, seeing it on toe top shelf over her head.

  “Why?” Jamie asked her.

  “Just bring it with you and I will tell you later when we are settled in for the night.” Kellie didn't want to freak her out. Wanting to make sure that she remained as calm as possible. She didn't want to tell Jamie anything that would make them take more time leaving the trailer.

  Kellie nodded her head and packed the year book up that Tom handed to her. She put it in the bag and zipped it up.

  “Are you ready to go?” Tom asked, seeing that she was looking around the room in case she forgot something.

  “I need my wallet. It has my money in it. I just cashed my check before coming home tonight.” Kellie told him, thinking about where she would have left it.

  Tom got into the dresser that was built into the wall on the other side of her bed and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a pink wallet and handed it to her with a smile on his face.

  “I don't know what I would do without you.” Jamie smiled at him and put the wallet in the small pocket outside of her back and zipped that up too.

  “Good, now you are good to go?” Tom raised his eyebrows at her. Wanting to get out of the house as soon as possible. If the police wanted them to leave then it was a good thing that they did what the police wanted.

  “Yes. Should I take my car with me?” She looked at him, not wanting anyone tampering with it but not sure that she could drive by herself.

  “Well if you do that then maybe you should have Kellie ride with you or something.” Tom told her. He could see that she wasn't in no shape to drive. Her hands were already shaking as she grabbed the bag off her bed.

  “We will come back for it tomorrow morning. We will come back together.” Kellie told her softly. Not wanting to be driving around without sitting beside Mark. If anything happened she wanted to make sure that Mark was close by.