Writing Challenge Part III: Cynthia E. Hansen Gets Grisly

If you follow me on Twitter you know that Cindy and I are like peas and carrots.  She is the Porgy to my Bess.  To say I love this woman is a total understatement.  Not only is she the kindest, funniest, most loyal woman I know, she’s a hell of a writer.  Now, I do have to say I think Cindy had one up on Olly, Mark, and me.  She’s been writing stories that are a mix of erotica and suspense for a while now.   If you haven’t read them yet you must!  Here’s her submission to the challenge, scenario provided once again by our expert in suspense, Mark.

“Missing”

 

 There was a knock on the door. Jeremy bolted up. Confused, he looked around, quickly taking in his surroundings. It took him a few moments to realize he was on the sofa and not in his bed. He didn’t remember how he’d come to be here. He turned the volume lower on the television set. His head was pounding relentlessly and he rubbed at his temples in an attempt to dull the throbbing.

BOOM!

It sounded as though someone kicked the door in.

He jumped up simultaneously shouting, “What the fuck?”

He strode determinedly to the door and yanked it open, ready to confront whomever had the audacity to annoy him. There was no one there. He looked up and down the street and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He was about to close the door when he spotted a small box on the doorstep. He looked both ways again as he held the door open, and lifted the box up. It was light, weighed nearly nothing. No postmark. No address label.

He brought it into the kitchen and placed it on top of the breakfast bar before turning to open the junk drawer, where he found a pair of scissors, and used them to cut the tape securing the package. He opened the flaps and peered inside. He nearly fell back when he saw the contents. It took him a few seconds for it to register.

It was an ear, a human ear. He grimaced as he tilted the box, trying to get a better look without touching it. It looked almost fake. Like one of those gory Halloween props with blobs of fake blood around the edges. Bending back the cardboard flaps, he held the box over the sink, in hopes the bright light coming through the window would help him see it better.

When he took a second look a strong feeling of nausea overcame him. He could taste the bile on the back of his tongue. The pounding in his temples increased and for the first time since finding the box he began to panic. Sweat immediately beaded on his brow. He’d seen the earring before. It was one of the butterfly earrings he gave Kayla for her birthday. The wings adorned with emeralds; her birthstone. She never took them off.

Suddenly he felt sick. Placing the box on the countertop he leaned over the sink and vomited. There in the box, was what appeared to be his wife’s ear. It sat on top of a yellow piece of paper looking ashen and lifeless.

He knew he had to pull the paper out but he didn’t want to touch the ear. He put the box down and called 911, explaining what had occurred to the operator, who instructed him to put the box on the table and wait for the police to arrive.

He complied and took a step back, his eyes never leaving the box.

The police arrived within ten minutes and he turned away from the box for the first time since receiving it and walked over to open the door.

He was met with a barrage of questions, all of which he answered the same way, ‘I don’t know’.

The lead detective had the ear removed from the box and placed into an evidence bag. He then pulled out the note in his gloved hand, opened it slowly and read it out loud.

‘You made me do this Jeremy.’

“Who do you think wrote this?” He held the note up so Jeremy could have a look at the handwriting.

“I don’t know.”

“Of course not.” When Jeremy reached out for it, the detective pulled his hand back. “Evidence…Jeremy.”

Jeremy didn’t like the tone the detective used.

“When did you last see your wife?” Detective Anderson asked.

“Um…um. This morning. When she left to go to work.” He sounded shocked.

“What time was that?”

“Um. It was like 6:15.  That’s when she usually left.” Jeremy nodded.

“Did you notice anything strange about her mood, her actions?”

“No. No. Of course not.”

“Did you notice if anyone was outside when she left?”

“No. I, um…I stayed in bed.”

“Where does your wife work?”

“Union Center Bank, downtown. Clancy Street.”

The detective turned and looked at his partner, who issued orders to the two uniformed officers standing behind him.

“What do you do for a living Mr. Reynolds?”

“I write. I write books. I’m an author.”

“Books? Anything I would know.”

“No, no. I’m writing my first book.”

“What is it about?”

“It’s about a seri…Hey, what the hell does any of this have to do with my wife and the…the fucking ear?”

“Nothing. Just curious.”

“Find my wife detective. Just find her.” Jeremy said emphatically.

“I’ll need a picture of your wife. The more recent the better.”

Jeremy nodded and walked into the bedroom returning with an 8 x 10 inch framed picture of Kayla and him on their wedding day.

“This is the most recent I’ve got.”

“When was this taken?”

“Seven months ago.”

“Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt your wife?”

“No, no of course not. Kayla was a wonderful…she’s a beautiful person, kind and sweet…no. No one would hurt her. I can’t see it…couldn’t see it.”

“Yeah. Well…stay home Mr. Reynolds. We’ll have a unit come and set up a trace on your phone, in case someone calls for a ransom. Officer Johnson will stay here with you.”

“Ransom? Do you think someone kidnapped her?”

“Well, it’s doubtful she cut off her own ear.”

Jeremy raised his hand to his mouth in an attempt to keep the vomit inside.

The detective slowly shook his head and walked out the door.

After the detective and the cops left, Jeremy walked into his room. He needed to sit down and figure this out. His first thought at seeing the ear, besides feeling sick to his stomach, was Jason. Jason.

He needed to talk to Jason. Trip him up. Jason hated Kayla. Jason was convinced that Kayla was solely responsible for Jeremy’s withdrawal from their relationship. There was no one else in the whole world who could hurt Kayla. No one.

He picked up his cell and dialed Jason.

“Hey, you slack fucker. Where you been? Oh, that’s right…up Kayla’s fucking ass.” He snickered.

“Jay, man. I got a box today. It had a human ear inside. Kayla’s ear, and Kayla is missing. Cops think she was kidnapped.”

The boisterous laughter that resounded on the other end of the line jolted Jeremy.

“Kidnapped? Wow, that’s fucking rich man.  Kidnapped.  Napping…is more like it.” The comment didn’t hit its mark.

“Jay, don’t fuck with me. Please. Don’t. If you did anything…”

“Little brother, you need to watch your tone.”

“No Jay, man… I really need to know. I need to ask you something. I need you to tell me if you hurt her man.”

“Hurt her…hurt her? Me? You fucking idiot.” Jason sneered. The tone of his remarks hurt Jeremy.

“Jay, there’s no reason to talk to me like that. I’m not a fucking idiot. I wish you’d stop calling me that.”

“Then quit being a fucking idiot.”

“Jay, come on man, help me out here.” Jeremy paused for a second, “I gotta know. I got a feeling the cops think I’ve got something to do with her mur…her missing.” His tone was cajoling. He wanted Jason to talk, and confronting him just made him angry.

“Missing? Brother of mine, you are fucking killing me here.” He said. The laughter in his voice angered Jeremy.

“Jay…I love her.” Jeremy pled. He knew he sounded pathetic, but he was hoping that Jason would hear how upset he was and take pity on him.

“Yeah, you love her.” He paused, “you put that cunt above all else…even me.”

“Jay, you’re my brother. No one can take your place.”

“Damn right, no one.” He laughed heartedly, “especially now.”

“What did you do Jay? What did you do? Goddamn it Jay, where is Kayla.” His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened, the plastic of the phone moaned in his grip.

There was a long silence. Way too long. Jeremy needed to find out where Kayla was. He needed to bring her home, and he NEEDED to get the cops off him, without giving up his brother.

“Jeremy…” Jason said, the exasperation in his voice clear. “She’s in the crawl space, right under your feet…you fucking asshole.”

A loud wail resonated throughout the small house. The uniform officer knocked on the bedroom door.

“Mr. Reynolds? You okay in there?” The voice said on the other side of the door. “Reynolds?” His last question a demand.

“Nooooooooo.” An eerie cry escaped his throat, echoing off the walls.

 

 

 

Jeremy slowly opened his eyes, his brain felt like it was full of cotton. Everything was muddled. He didn’t recognize his surroundings. The room was sterile; all white cement block walls. The smell of rubbing alcohol assailed his nostrils. He shook his head, in an attempt to clear the cobwebs.

“Mr. Reynolds?” The sound of the woman’s voice behind him started him.

He tried to turnaround to see who was there but he was unable to move his arms. He kicked his feet to find that they, too, were bound.

“What the fuck?” He pulled at his restraints, unable to lessen their hold. His voice was hoarse, like he hadn’t spoken in some time.

“Mr. Reynolds. Please calm down.” It was a command, not a request. A woman dressed in a white uniform stepped to the side of his bed. He turned his head and was able to see her stern face. “Calm down.” She demanded. “Your restraints are there for your protection as well as ours.”

She walked over and methodically poured water from a small pitcher into a cup, stuck a straw in and held it under his mouth. He greedily sucked, feeling the cool liquid run down his parched throat.

“Where am I, what is going on…why am I here?” His voice sounded craggy, not his own.

“Mr. Reynolds, you are in Bradley Falls Psychiatric Hospital. You were brought in because you had suffered a mental breakdown.” She turned her head and looked directly in his eyes and he felt a chill run up his spine. “You are restrained because your wife…Kayla, I believe, was found partially buried in the small crawl space underneath your home.” She turned and put the cup back on the table. “You, Mr. Reynolds, murdered your wife.” She said with a satisfactory smirk.

“NO, NO…that was Jay.”

“Jay?”

“Jason. Jason Reynolds. My brother. He always hated Kayla. He practically confessed to me that he hurt her.”

“Mr. Reynolds.” She walked to the foot of the bed and leaned over it. Her stone-like expression didn’t give anything away. “Jason Reynolds, your twin brother, died when you were both eleven.” She shook her head. “So, as you can see, he couldn’t be responsible for killing Kayla. You killed Kayla Mr. Reynolds.” She turned her back on him. “Then you cut her ear off post-mortem.” She turned her back to him and walked to the door, “I have other patients Mr. Reynolds. I’m sure we will be seeing a lot of one another.”

Creeeeeeepyyyyyyy!  Liked it?  Read her other books, available on Amazon!!