Delusions With Murder: A Rilynne Evans Mystery Read online

  After searching her kitchen for something to make herself for dinner, Rilynne decided she could not put off grocery shopping any longer. As she rode the elevator down from the third floor, she stared at her reflection on the doors. She was petite just like her mother, standing at only 5’3” without shoes. She also had her mother’s auburn hair and freckles. Her bright blue eyes, however, belonged to her father.

  She had been only two when he left her and her mother. He had gone out to pick up dinner one night and just never came back. They had never found out what happened to him, but Rilynne was sure he was still alive out there somewhere. Starting about two weeks after he vanished, her mother began getting cash in the mail. There was never a name or a note left with it, but she was sure it had been from her father. They would receive a little every few months, and although they had moved around several times, it always found them. Then when Rilynne moved away to college, the envelopes had started showing up for her as well.

  The grocery store was strangely empty for the time of day. It had started raining again, and people didn’t seem to want to leave the comfort of their homes. Had it not been directly across the street from her apartment building, Rilynne was sure she would have done the same. She was lost in thought over the best fruit choices for the week when a hand from behind landed on her shoulder. She almost dropped the peaches in her hand as she spun around to find its source.

  “Hi. Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself yesterday, I’m Nicole Benson,” said the slender redhead from the crime scene.

  “Right, you’re a crime scene investigator. I’m Rilynne Evans,” she responded.

  Nicole was strikingly beautiful, and Rilynne wonder if she had been a model before investigating crimes. She certainly seemed to eat like one, as Rilynne noticed her shopping cart was full of nothing but health food.

  “So I hear you’re new in town. How are you liking it so far?” she asked as they started to walk together towards the next aisle.

  “It’s nice to have a change of scenery. Although I’m not used to all the heat,” Rilynne responded honestly. She had spent the majority of her life living in Wisconsin, where the average temperature during the summer was somewhere in the eighties. Since moving, she had only seen the temperature drop below one hundred twice.

  “Well, the other detectives have been talking a lot about you. You have quite the impressive track record. And judging how quickly you found the body yesterday, I’m not surprised. I heard the killer messed up and left something behind this time. Maybe now we can finally catch this guy and get him off the streets. So, did you move close to here?”

  Rilynne could tell by the fact that she seemed to take no breath between her sentences that Nicole liked to talk. Although she seemed to be sweet, Rilynne had never had great luck with female friends. She was always more of a tomboy in a way, and her fascination with crime did not help the matter. As Nicole was in the same field, maybe this time it would be different. “I’m actually right across the street,” she answered while pointing to her building.

  “That’s crazy! Me too, 207.” Nicole appeared to be struggling to contain her excitement. Rilynne, who was very down to earth, found it quite entertaining to watch. “303,” she answered simply.

  By the time they finished their shopping, the rain had stopped, allowing them to walk across the street without getting soaked. Rilynne thought for a moment Nicole was going to follow her up, but to her relief, she got out on the second floor. It was great she had befriended a neighbor and a co-worker, but she was going to have to ease herself into the friendship a little. She was just not accustomed to so much pep.

  She tugged open her freezer, which was empty aside for a large bag of chocolate, and threw in the frozen dinners she had picked out before retreating to the couch with the case file and a glass of wine. She had already looked through it so many times, she had it practically memorized, but she was sure there was something she had missed.

  The victims were all in good shape and were sure to have put up a fight, but there were no signs of struggle at any of the scenes. They were fairly certain the victims did not know their attacker prior to the time of abduction, as the fifth victim was a vacationer with no ties to the city and the others paths did not seem to cross in anyway. There had been evidence the victims were being sedated during the week the killer had them, so the current theory was the killer had been sedating them in order to abduct them without a struggle. The perpetrator would still have to get them in his vehicle as quickly as possible before they were noticed, leading them to believe he was in good shape himself.

  Based on the amputation of the right leg, the killer had medical training. The removal was always very clean, with little sign of infection. The killer was recreating someone in his own life by shaving the men’s heads and piercing the nipple. He was either replacing someone he had lost, or was unable to kill the subject of his own hatred, so he was acting it out through others. Rilynne was unsure about this one, solely because of how long the killer kept the victims before murdering them.

  She was starting to get frustrated.

  She had not seen anything that would help her find the identity of the killer. In fact, the only part of the killer she had even seen was the gloved hand holding the knife. That did not give her much to go on. The hand seemed to be wearing yellow, heavy-duty kitchen gloves, which could be purchased pretty much anywhere.

  After taking another quick drink, she grabbed the latest photos and leaned back on the couch with her eyes closed. She just needed to concentrate. She took several deep breaths, sitting on the couch for close to twenty minutes, willing herself to see something useful. She was just about to give up when she started to see quick glimpses flickering by. With a renewed sense of vigor, she concentrated on what she was seeing.

  A large kitchen cutting board with a knife resting on it, water in a shower running, which slowly started to run red like blood. Her heart started to race, this was finally going to be the moment they got this bastard off the streets. The next image was of a pair of rubber gloves in the trash, which also were covered in what looked like blood. Then she saw it. Just under the gloves- a box of red number 6.

  “Well that’s great,” she said aloud to herself. “I’m trying to catch a killer, and I’m watching my new neighbor dye her hair.” She picked her glass back up off the table and finished it, before giving up and putting the file back on her desk.

  Chapter Four

  Addison Valley was tucked deep into the hill country. Having only one main road in or out, it was comfortably secluded. With a population just under 20,000, it was the smallest city Rilynne had ever lived in.

  She always found moving to a new place exciting. In a way, you could entirely reinvent yourself and no one would even know. A stay at home bookworm could become an out every weekend party girl. Or the shy, nerdy guy could become the mysterious, ladies man who everyone wanted to spend time with.

  For Rilynne, however, she always seemed to fit back into the same role: the workaholic who never seemed to do anything else. This time, she was determined to make a change. When she wasn’t at the station, she tried to keep herself out and busy. Every Sunday she would take her bike out on the trails to the lake where she would sit and feed the ducks while watching the families play. On Friday nights, she would go to the local bar that the police officers liked to frequent.

  Nicole, who seemed to be very well known within the precinct, often joined her at the bar. Within only a couple of days, Nicole had her well informed about the majority of the detectives, as well as several officers. Aside from her gossipy streaks, Rilynne found that she really enjoyed Nicole’s company. It was nice to have someone who gave her that little extra push to go out and do things for herself, instead of obsessing solely about work. She also seemed to be very eager to find Rilynne a man. With this one, Rilynne stood her ground, however, and told her she just didn’t have the time. That was not entirely true. Rilynne kne
w that, although work always took up much of her time, she couldn’t start a relationship for many other reasons. She just didn’t want to get into it with Nicole.

  Three weeks after their initial meeting, Ben joined them for a night out. He made a good buffer when sat between Rilynne and Nicole.

  After a few drinks, Nicole walked across the bar to a group of officers Rilynne did not know, and proceeded to sit on the lap of a particularly nervous looking one. Rilynne just shook her head and laughed to herself. “She does tend to get like this,” said Ben with a grin of his own. “She’s very…eh, popular with the men.” Popular was an understatement. Over the past couple of weeks, Rilynne had seen flashes of Nicole with nearly half of the officers in the station, and Thomas LaShad, a well-built detective, who had been a marine prior to joining the police force.

  “I thought there was a very strict no fraternization rule. It is an automatic removal, isn’t it?” she asked, looking quite puzzled.

  Ben stroked his chin with his knuckles, waiting for a few moments before answering. “Nicole’s actually the reason they implemented it. She had a thing with Officer Jacobs,” he pointed to an officer sitting at the other end of the bar. “His wife found out and caused a pretty big scene in the middle of roll call a couple years ago. Then a few hours later, his own partner attacked him in the locker room. Apparently, she had been seeing the partner openly, and Jacobs started seeing her on the side. Needless to say, with that much drama in one day, they decided it would be best to eliminate all inner departmental dating. Of course, that hasn’t really stopped her, she’s just more discreet about it now.” Rilynne couldn’t help notice that he had an almost resentful look about him.

  “So, how’s our fair city treating you?” he changed the subject quickly. “I heard you are in the same building as Nicole.” Now that the wind was not blowing his hair in his face, she could see the gold flecks flickering in his chocolate brown eyes. Although holding eye contact with her seemed to make him very nervous, so he quickly looked back to his glass.

  “It’s great. Everyone seems so friendly. Plus, it’s nice having a place so close where I can take my bike out or go for a run. And I’m one floor above her. Which actually helps on nights like this,” motioning to a stumbling Nicole. “I can just drop her off on my way up.”

  Ben watched Nicole for a few moments as she moved between several groups of people, talking to everyone. There was something in his look. It was not the resentment she had seen before, but she couldn’t seem to make out just what it was.

  “She’s very sweet, but I have to say I don’t envy you. Lately it’s been hard to get much work done because all she wants to do is gossip.” Again his ears turned red. “But she’s very nice, and a great person to talk to if you ever need someone. She does seem to actually know the difference between private conversations and gossip worthy material.” With a quick glance at Rilynne for any sign of a reaction, he shifted his eyes back to Nicole, who appeared to have fallen asleep at one of the tables.

  “Well, so much for walking home,” said Rilynne as she joined him in watching Nicole. “Knowing my luck, we will get half way there and she will pass out again. That’s if I can even get her to wake up when we leave.” She turned back around to her drink, trying to decide if it would be her last, or if she would have one more.

  “I’m just a block down from you. I’ll help you get her there if you want to walk,” Ben stated, and then quickly followed it by emptying his glass.

  “Yea, if it’s not too much trouble. I would like another drink, though, if you aren’t in a hurry,” she answered while motioning for the bartender.

  * * *

  “Thanks for helping me get her in,” Rilynne huffed as she lowered Nicole into her bed. Ben had carried her from the bar to her apartment, but stated he wouldn’t go into her bedroom. When Rilynne shot him a perplexed look, he just gave her a shy smirk, ears growing redder by the second, and said he was just an old fashioned kind of guy. He then insisted on walking Rilynne to her door before saying goodnight.

  Despite the late hour, Rilynne wasn’t even slightly tired. After pouring herself a glass of wine, she pulled her photo album down and retreated to her bedroom.

  Her king sized bed was very inviting, and one of the most comfortable places she had ever been. As she was packing up her room to make her move to Addison Valley, her mom had tried to convince her she should just get a new bed when she arrived. “A king sized bed is too big for just you,” she had said. Rilynne knew she was probably right, but she couldn’t bring herself to part with it. It was the bed Christopher had picked out.

  After changing out of her jeans, which she insisted on wearing instead of the dress Nicole had picked out, she put on her favorite plaid bottoms and curled up under her fluffy down comforter. Although she had the bed to herself, she still remained just on the right side, the side furthest from the door.

  Placing her glass on the oak nightstand, she opened the photo album to the middle. She flicked a few pages ahead until she found the photo she was looking for. It had been taken three years before just after Christmas. She had taken a couple weeks off work, and surprised her mom at her quaint Wisconsin home.

  Amber was a perfect example of a woman aging gracefully. She looked at least ten years younger than she was, and was as petite as ever. And as the photo showed, she was just as animated. Amber and Rilynne sat on a thick blanket against a snow covered tree, and right as the picture was being taken, Amber had reached up and smashed a giant snowball on Rilynne’s head.

  Rilynne let out a little laugh before rubbing her fingers along her mothers perfect face. After taking a quick drink of her wine, she let the tips of her fingers rest on the picture while she leaned back and closed her eyes. She thought hard about all her mother had done for her.

  After her father had disappeared, it was just the two of them. Her mother, who had been a housewife, was left to support them. She had taken a job waitressing at the steakhouse down the street from their home, where she worked very long hours, often only seeing Rilynne for a few moments before putting her to bed at night, but she did what she had to.

  Before long, she started taking night classes at the local college working towards her nursing degree. Rilynne knew it was very hard on her mother to be away as much as she was, though Amber never showed it. Even at her young age, Rilynne knew her mother was doing it for her, and she tried to make things as easy for her as possible. On days her mom was working long shifts, she would make sure the house was as clean as her adolescent self could get it. It was moments like that that really pushed Amber hard, and helped her get through the tougher days. It took her eight years to graduate. After that, things became much easier at home. She was able to work while Rilynne was at school, and they spent their evenings together.

  A warmth of admiration swept over Rilynne, as she lay snuggled up in her bed. She could not imagine being able to raise a child by herself working the hours she did. Her mother was a truly remarkable woman for doing it.

  Then, through the warmth, came a flash. It was her mother’s dimly lit face. She was sitting on her porch swing looking up under the stars. She seemed to be at peace, with a breeze blowing through her hair and the light purple robe Rilynne had gotten her for her last birthday. Entangled in the breeze were thin wisps of smoke, which was coming from the cigarette that was tucked between her small fingers. “Oh mother,” Rilynne said aloud to herself as she opened her eyes and sat up.

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head while she reached for her phone, which she had left sitting on her nightstand. After a few moments of contemplation, she decided against calling her mom, and sent her a text instead. “I thought you gave up smoking. You know how bad it’s for you.” She chuckled to herself as she sat her phone back on the nightstand.

  She started flipping through the album again wondering how everyone else was doing. She tried two of her friends from college, both of which seemed to be sound asleep at the time. Finally she flipped to the l
ast page, back to the smiling couple. It had been several months since she tried to get anything off of the picture. She always got the same flashes: the wedding cake, the flower girl in her dress, and the groom pacing around his dressing room, half dressed and talking to himself. Although it had been seventeen months, she still saw the day like it had just happened.

  She lowered her fingers slowly to touch the photo, but at the last second she pulled it back. She had had enough reminiscing for one night. She tucked the photo album back into its spot on the top shelf and refilled her wine glass, before returning to the comfort of her bed.

  Lying awake in her darkened room, she thought back on the evening. Aside from having to get a passed out Nicole back home and into her bed, it had been a fun night out. She had gotten to chat with a few of her fellow detectives about their lives outside of the station. She often got so involved in her work that she forgot people had identities other than just being detectives.

  Brent Jerkins, a husky, quiet man who seemed to just sit back and take everything in at work, was very outgoing and friendly on his time off. He and his wife just had their second child, a chubby little baby girl with the brightest green eyes Rilynne had ever seen. She must have gotten them from her mother, because Brent’s were a deep brown that always made her think of dark chocolate. When he and Rilynne had first met, she had gotten a quick flash of him sitting at a child-sized table, fluffy hat on his head, enjoying a tea party with his three-year-old daughter. Even to this day, it was what she thought of every time she saw him. Tonight, he had spent the majority of the time showing everyone the latest pictures and videos on his phone of the children.