Page 58 of Grave Possession (Grave #2)

Chapter Forty-eight

Graves

I ’m apprehensive as all hell, but I have to leave her. Jefferds called this morning. “I’ve got bad news, we need to meet, now,” he’d said. I can’t imagine what he needs to see me in person for, but it can’t be good.

My mind is constantly running a never ending marathon.

If I’m not planning the Haunt, I’m trying to keep up with work, all while forever in a state of worry about Mallory and her mental health.

I have no idea where to start, how to get her to confide in me.

If she just wants me to shut up and listen while she opens the floodgates, I’ll do it, she just needs to tell me.

Anything is better than her turning to drugs.

I understand she just wants to check out for a while, to not have to feel.

I worked so hard to pull her out of survival mode, I’m worried this is my fault.

Lost in the spiral of thoughts, I forget what I’m doing, and scalding coffee overflows the lip of my travel mug, burning my hand.

I drop it from the zap of pain, sending more hot coffee splattering all over the counter, cabinets, floor, and my captain’s uniform.

“Son of a bitch!” I shout, shoving the carafe back into the spot on the machine.

It cracks from the force of it colliding with the back plate. Fuck this fucking day already.

Mal emerges from the hallway in an oversized Stab t-shirt, pants-less, barefoot, hair tousled, and eyes heavy with sleep.

Great, I woke her up. She takes in the mess I’ve made, then rushes over to me.

Grabbing my hand, she inspects it. “Did you burn yourself? Are you okay?” She reaches over to the sink, turning on the cold water.

Words escape me as I watch her, jumping into action to care for me.

I can’t help but smile, the throbbing pain in my hand long forgotten.

“Stop making googly eyes at me,” she huffs, dragging me towards the sink, and almost slipping in the spilled coffee.

“You make me all gooey inside, I can’t help it,” I reply like a lovestruck fool. She blushes then thrusts my hand under the ice cold water, all lovey-dovey thoughts evaporating in an instant. “Hey, that’s bloody cold!”

“No shit, it’s meant to stop the cooking of your skin. Hold it there for a few minutes.”

“This isn’t necessary, Mal, I’m fine.”

“Do as I say,” she snaps. Yeah, keep dreaming.

“Or what?”

“No more sucky-sucky.”

“Like you could keep your mouth off my cock,” I taunt. She rolls her eyes, grabbing a damp cloth to begin cleaning up the coffee. “Stop, I’ll clean the mess up.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure you and your injured hand will do a fabulous job,” she snarks.

I don’t have time for her smart mouth this morning, and she must fucking know it.

Turning away from me, she gets on her hands and knees to clean the floor.

Her wet pussy there on display, glistening just for me can’t be ignored.

I stick my other hand under the freezing water, waiting until my fingers are almost numb.

Silently sneaking up behind her, I wrap my freezing fingers around the front of her throat, pulling her up to her knees, as my other hand slips between her legs.

She shrieks, trying to scramble away as my frigid touch slides into her wet cunt, but she’s mine, and there’s nowhere for her to run.

“You make a point of being late to important meetings, Graves?” Jefferds says gruffly, leaning against his car.

His shaven head beams like a lightbulb in the early afternoon light, the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses reflecting my approaching figure back at me.

His average build isn’t at all intimidating as he stands before me, running his fingers over his moustache like a douchebag.

He insisted we meet far away from where we could be overheard, and I need him to stop being so fucking cryptic right now.

“You know I don’t. I got sidetracked with Mallory.

Now, care to explain why we’re meeting in such a secluded area?

” He sent me directions to a parking lot for a hiking trail, asking if it was a popular spot or not.

Confirming that it wasn’t maintained anymore, we agreed to meet there.

The place is abandoned and overgrown, not another person in sight or signs of there being any recent activity.

“How is she doing?” he asks .

“Better than expected, all things considered.”

“Hmm.” ‘Hmm’, what the fuck does ‘hmm’ mean?

“Why did you call me here?”

“Has Mallory ever mentioned Johnson having an accomplice?”

“What? An accomplice? No, never.”

“Accomplice…apprentice…anyone he could have taken under his wing?”

“No. You have access to her police report, I know damn well you’ve read it. You know there’s no mention of anyone but her and Victoria on that paperwork.”

“True…but things get muddled and forgotten in the mind.” He taps his finger on his temple like a prick.

Mallory is far from losing her mind or her memories, they fucking torment her every day.

“You’re dealing with her first-hand, it’s why we needed to have this meeting.

Does she talk in her sleep? Mention something that doesn’t make sense… maybe about a second person?”

“No, it’s only ever Ted in her nightmares, she never mentions anyone else.”

“Can you ask her?”

“You’re serious?” I question. He nods. “I’m going to need you to fill me in on what the fuck is going on before I even consider sifting through her kidnapping and setting her progress back.”

“I understand.” Jefferds rises from leaning on his vehicle, and I can’t help but notice it’s not a police cruiser.

“That your personal vehicle?” I ask, admiring his cherry red Mustang.

“You think they give these out at my department? ”

“I don’t know, man. You have a bigger budget working at that city station.”

“That may be true, but we only have two ghost cars, and they’re nowhere near new.”

“Must be nice, my truck is my department’s ghost car.”

“I wondered if that was your truck, it looked a little too nice to be departmentally issued.” We share an awkward laugh before he continues talking. “So, four days ago, there was a fire at a known drug house in my area, three men were killed.”

“Okay… I fail to see how this has anything to do with the Johnson case. There’s no evidence he was involved in the drug ring we’re struggling to stay on top of. His case is closed as far as I’m concerned.”

“I thought so, too…just listen. There were clear signs of arson, accelerant was poured throughout the house, and the suspect let the gas leak from the stove top range. Whoever did this went to extreme lengths to destroy evidence, Graves. The bodies were doused in chemicals and began to decompose almost immediately, making visual identification impossible. We have been waiting on dental records to confirm ID’s.

Our medical examiner called me late last night, something had rattled her. Want to know what it was?”

“Obviously,” I deadpan. This shithead is such a storyteller, but…I’m hooked, hanging on his every word.

“Beneath the pitting and discolouration on the bones of one of the victims, there were score marks."

“Fucking elaborate, man.”

“Do you remember how the unknown woman at Johnson’s cabin was borderline dissected?

Chest cut open like an autopsy was about to be performed.

” How could I forget? Mallory was living next to that dead body for who knows how long.

“I was always put off by it because it didn’t match Johnson’s MO.

” I agree with him, it was odd to see such a sharp turn from sexual assault and strangulation.

It was much too messy for Ted, who never left a drop of blood at a crime scene except one.

“The fire and chemicals destroyed the flesh, but the marks on the clavicle and down the sternum prove at least one of the men was cut open in the same way.”

My guts twist, could there really be another killer out there? One who likes to play with the bodies… Will they kill again? Will they escalate? “What about the other two men?”

“One of their throats was cut. The assailant sliced clean through their trachea and carotid artery.”

“Fuck, okay, and the other?”

“We haven’t been able to narrow down the cause of death for him.”

“Why not?”

“Our M.E’s best guess is that it was a flesh wound, and he bled out.”

“When did you say this happened?”

“Four days ago.” The same day Mallory went missing.

“Yeah, I know that. I need a time frame.”

“The call for an explosion came in at 8:42pm. The house is located on the outskirts of Corpsewood, by the time we got there, it was completely engulfed in flames.”

Mallory flew by me on the highway shortly after nine pm. This has to be a coincidence. She didn’t smell like gasoline or smoke at all. The uneasy feeling lingers despite my best efforts to push it from my brain. If she had to kill three men, I’m lucky she’s fucking alive. Did they hurt her?

Blood thunders in my ears as shame and rage create a category five tornado in my chest. I wasn’t there to protect her, again .

I fucking hate myself so damn much in this moment.

Not only was I not there when she was in so much emotional anguish she turned to drugs, I wasn’t there to prevent her from facing any further physical pain.

Is this how she injured her hand? She said it happened on broken glass at her parents’ house, but now I’m filled with doubt.

Why can’t she just be fucking honest with me?

I’ve shown her all of me, haven’t I? Why can’t she do the same?

How much more of myself do I have to give?

I already know the answer to that though, don’t I? Everything. All of it. I’ll expose every hidden part of my dark and mangled soul, then maybe she’ll feel safe enough to bless me with the same.

“What are you thinking, Graves?” Jefferds’s voice pulls me from my spiral.