Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“So Wendy could have dumped more sleeping pills into the blender?” Viv asked.
“Well. . .maybe.”
“Like I said, too many coincidences.” I sighed. “And Wendy just happened to be lovers with Dawn, who also had possession of that gun that Jazz was shot with. Or did you have the gun?”
“Black roses in the summer time.” Jazz’s moans rode the lyrics, which made the song sound even darker. “That’s how I felt when you said you weren’t mine.”
A wrinkle formed at the center of Lucy’s forehead. “What gun?”
“The George Washington gun.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lucy shrugged.
“Come on, Lucy. The gun Chase used to kill your father.” When the words left my lips, I knew I shouldn’t have said it that way. But I was so close to figuring out the whole picture, and it was too late to pull the words back.
Lucy cringed. She collapsed within herself, just crumbled within her core. Tears spilled out of her eyes. She screamed without sound, holding onto herself as if she was her own enemy. She scratched her arms. Red lines bruised her arms.
“Oh, shit. What do we do?” Viv scrunched her face in horror.
I reached out to grab Lucy. She shrieked. This time sound came out. It soared from her lips, so loud and high-pitched I thought the windows would break.
“Don’t try to touch her.” Viv trapped my hands next to her.
“No!” Lucy slid down to the floor and knocked the back of her head against the wall over and over. “No! No!”
“Black roses with sad little petals, puffed up in bloom. Empty chairs, plateless tables, and an unmade bed crowds my room.”
The music ceased’. I knew Jazz well enough to realize she’d be outside in a few minutes to make sure everyone was okay. Wendy even opened her door, came out, and leaned on the wall. She’d put on clothes now. Athletic wear. Her hair was slicked back like she’d taken a shower. I doubted she heard any of our conversation, though she still might have. I couldn’t get a read. I checked out her new sneakers, all green and outlined in white.
I hope you’re not planning to run from us, baby girl. Too many of us here are hungry to find the killer.
With a pissed face, Chase stormed out first. He had a female’s purple robe on. It was apparent he’d grabbed the first thing next to him as he moved in a rage of lust. He probably hoped a quick check outside would calm Jazz down and let him finish.
Not tonight man. You got your ex-chicks to deal with.
Lucy rocked and cried then rocked some more, mumbling incoherent words and wiping away her tears. None of us touched her or got to close.
“What the fuck is going on?” Chase stumbled out tying the fuzzy robe which barely fit him. The material stretched around his shoulders and looked about to rip open along his arms. As soon as he spotted Lucy, his mouth dropped. Lust left his eyes. Concern replaced his gaze. “Lucy, are you okay?”
“N-no.” She shivered. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
“I’m sorry.” She rocked.
“It’s okay, Lucy.” Step by step, Chase took his time getting over to her. “Can I call Dr. Thompson?”
Wiping her face, she nodded.
“Can I help you into your room?” Chase kneeled a little, which probably gave Lucy a view of what lay under that robe, but she didn’t notice it as her crying shifted to sobbing.
“I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s okay.” Chase extended his arm out. “I’m going to touch your arm. Is that okay?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yes, Lucy. Can I touch your arm?”
She nodded. He helped her up in the most delicate way possible, his fingers barely touched as he made sure plenty of space remained between them.
Too much crazy stuff was happening in such a short amount of time. But what did hit me as odd was that with all the chaos that occurred on the floor, Dawn had never opened her door.
“Dawn a heavy sleeper?” I asked Wendy.
“I have no idea. We never slept together.” She licked her lips real slow as if that were enough to snare me. I almost laughed at her lie and audacity with flirting.
Yeah, right. You don’t want my sort of trouble, baby girl.
“Maybe I should check on her then.” I went over to Dawn’s door and knocked right on the permanent-markered number one. No response. One more knock. Nothing. I turned the knob. If it had been locked, I would’ve picked it. The knob was such a simple thing to get through. There was no need. I turned it. The door clicked. I opened it.
Blood’s putrid aroma hit me first. I’d been around that murky liquid enough to never forget the scent. I had nightmares about blood—me drowning in it, being fed bowls of hot crimson sludge, and even a few where all of my own seeped out of my pores and I could do nothing but watch. There was no denying that odor.