Cryptid Girl — Chapter 27

Copyright 2013

A novel by Mystery Jones

Art by Terrill Chappell

Riley Dashel opened the passenger side door of the car and got in. She dumped her backpack into the back seat and buckled up. “Tell me this crap about Paige being my dad’s killer isn’t true.”

“It’s not,” Lorna said as she pulled away from the curb at Millard West High School.

“I mean, seriously, she’d have to be like a vampire or something to be doing the stuff that’s happening to these people. Maybe she’s part of a vampire cult. Or maybe she’s just friends with a bunch of vampires. Like in Twilight. Have you read those books?”

Lorna smiled. “No, I haven’t. But I’m surprised you’re keeping up with the latest news on the killings. Is that because you really do want to see your dad’s killer brought to justice?”

“No. Maybe. Kind of. I still think there’s a wild animal out there somewhere. A really smart one that knows how to trick people. Maybe a werewolf.”

“Werewolves don’t drink people’s blood, do they?”

“I don’t know,” Riley replied.

Lorna grinned.

“So have you talked to her?” Riley asked.

“Who?”

“Paige. Since she’s been in jail. I saw her mug shot on TV. It was pretty terrible. Do you think she’ll get convicted? If she does, she’ll have to go to prison, right? That would really suck.”

“I’m not a legal expert, but my understanding is that if her case goes to trial and a jury finds her guilty, then yes, she’ll be sent to prison.”

“Probably for the rest of her life, huh?”

Lorna took a deep breath and contemplated the severity of the consequences for slaughtering four people. “Probably.”

“I hope that doesn’t happen. Paige is cool. I like it when she covers your visits with us. When she visited us while you were in Mexico, she and I played American Idol on the Grafton’s Nintendo. Her singing stinks. If she ends up in prison, I’ll go visit her when I’m old enough.”

“Hey, let’s not get carried away. She’s only been in jail a week and I’m sure her attorney is working very hard to prove this is just a big mix up.”

“Yeah. This whole idea that a person is doing the killing is stupid. I’m sticking to my original theory: a vampire killed those people.”

The idea sounded outrageous, but Lorna knew Riley was closer to the truth than she could ever imagine.

“After you take me to my dentist appointment, can we go to the Mr. Freezie near there? It’s Manic Mushroom Monday.”

“What’s that?” Lorna asked.

“You can get a bottomless plate of fried mushrooms for only a dollar. So…can we?”

“Mushrooms. Yuck,” Lorna replied, then stuck out her tongue. “I suppose that would be okay. As long as I don’t have to eat any.”

Riley smiled. “Thanks. Can I turn the radio on?”

“Sure.”

Riley fiddled with the radio tuner until Taylor Swift blared over the car speakers. Lorna made a left turn toward the Interstate and tossed the idea of going back to therapy around in her head. She’d set up an appointment for tomorrow afternoon with a Christian counselor that Kelly, her friend from church, had recommended. The idea was scary, but she knew that’s what she had to do. She would stop by Mason’s office and tell him her plans after taking Riley to Mr. Freezie and then back home.

Things were looking up for a change. Lorna smiled and decided maybe she’d just treat herself to a hot fudge sundae while they were at Mr. Freezie.

***

After Lorna dropped Riley off at the Grafton’s house, she headed downtown to Mason’s office building. She parked her Saturn on the street about a block and a half away and walked to his workplace. When raindrops hit her forehead, she quickened her step.

Once inside, she went up to Mason’s office and knocked on the door. He didn’t answer, so she checked with the secretary.

“Hi Lorna,” she said.

“Hey Tess, do you know where Mason is?”

“He’s taken off for the day.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll just catch up with him this evening then,” Lorna said. She turned to go, then stopped. “Is Wes Jankowski still here?”

“Yes, he should be in his office.”

“Thanks. Have a good evening.”

“You too, Lorna.”

She went down the hall to Wes’ office to check in and see how Paige was doing. The door was open a crack and she was just about to knock when she heard his telephone ringing.

“Hello?”

Lorna could hear his boisterous voice loud and clear through the slight opening.

“Sure, I’ll accept the call. Hey sexy jailbird, what’s new on the cell block?”

He’s talking to Paige. She didn’t want to interrupt his call with her; Paige probably didn’t get to use the phone very often, so she sat down in one of the chairs outside his office and waited.

It was hard not to hear the vulgar things Wes said to Paige and at times his words made her blush.

“Okay, I’ll stop,” he said. “But I love you, and you will get out of there, and when you do, I’ll be waiting. I’m not going to screw up this time. I promise.”

Lorna smiled. Paige and Wesley must have reconciled. At least something good had come from this terrible situation.

“I guess Mason and I are cool again,” Wes said. “He had lunch with me today. Man, does he have a lot on his plate. He’s stressed with everything he’s doing to help out Gavin, and he dumped a serious load on me regarding Lorna.”

The mention of her name drew her full attention to Wes’ conversation.

“Lorna is stressing him out, too. He thinks she’s off her rocker and that she needs therapy A.S.A.P. And if it doesn’t help, he’s going to break off their engagement.”

Lorna gasped. Break off our engagement? How could he? He said he loved her and that he’d be with her through this every step of the way.

“I gave him your advice,” Wes said. “He didn’t seem to care. Said he has to do what’s best for himself, even if it means breaking it off with Lorna.”

Tears swelled in Lorna’s eyes.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t know which outcome would be worse. Mason calling off their engagement, or Lorna finding out that he had an affair. Either way, he loses. Big time.”

Affair?

Time screeched to a halt. Affair? She got up out of the chair, tears rolling down her cheeks, and burst into Wesley’s office.

The look on his face was all she needed to see to confirm the gossip as true.

“Paige, I’ve gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“No…say it isn’t true!”

Wes opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He shook his head and sighed. “Lorna, Mason slept with another woman.”

Lorna wiped her face with the back of her hand, but the floodgates just kept pouring. “I need to go.”

“Lorna, wait! Just give me a minute — ”

“No! You’ve said enough.”

Lorna stormed out of his office and out of the building. Outside, the rain hammered the pavement, but that was the least of her concerns. She collapsed onto the marble stairs and sat there, crying.

Mason wouldn’t cheat on her. He loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He said so. He promised.

Lightning crashed and a deafening thunder boom roared through the heavens.

Lorna stood up and headed toward her car. There was no need to hurry because she was already soaking wet. Rainwater rushed down the street, and when she finally reached her car and stepped off the curb, she was ankle deep in a cold puddle.

She opened the door and climbed inside. Her hair was a dripping mop spilling over her face. She pushed it out of her eyes. Teeth chattering, she started her car and turned up the heat. The blast of air chilled her shivering body, but soon a flow of heat blew out of the vents and warmed her.

Lorna grasped the steering wheel and pressed her forehead against it. She sat there for several minutes, crying, but deep down, there was a rage building inside her.

She had to find Mason. Her entire world had been flipped upside down and she wasn’t sure what she would say or do when she confronted him.

***

Mason Hollister had just returned home from babysitting his nephews when his doorbell rang. He was upstairs changing out of his suit from work. Who could that be? It’s a raging thunderstorm out there. He pulled a T-shirt over his head, went downstairs, and opened the door.

His fiancée stood there, rigid, her hair and clothing drenched and dripping. Her eyes were red and puffy, so he knew she’d been crying.

“Lorna! You’re soaked. Come inside and I’ll get you a towel and some dry clothes.”

He took hold of her hand and she jerked it away. She pushed past him and entered his home.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Mason asked.

Her back was turned on him, but her words were clear and distinct. “How could you?”

“How could I what?”

“Cheat on me. Have sex with another woman.”

Oh my God…she knows!

Mason’s brain couldn’t think fast enough, couldn’t put together a lie sensible enough for Lorna to believe before she turned around and lashed out at him.

“How dare you! I promised you my heart and soul and every ounce of love I have in me, and this is how you treat me? By screwing another woman!”

“Lorna, I can explain — ”

“I don’t want to hear it. I overheard Wesley talking to Paige today. He knows what you did and so does she. As always, I’m the last to know. Poor, stupid Lorna. I thought you loved me and that you were serious when you said you’d wait for sex until our wedding night. How could I have been so dumb? So trusting?” She walked over to his couch, flopped down, and sobbed.

Mason wasn’t certain why Wes would’ve been talking to Paige about his affair. Because he can’t keep his mouth shut when he’s around her. He had to calm Lorna down. Maybe there was still some way he could turn this mess around.

“Who is she?” Lorna asked, sniffling and wiping tears from her eyes.

There was no use lying. Now it was a matter of damage control. He had to convince her that he still loved her.

“It was a mistake,” Mason began. “It happened during our camping trip. I was mad at Wes, so I left his cabin and went into town to cool off. I went into this bar and there was this bartender, and her boyfriend came in and was shoving her around. I couldn’t just let him, so I punched the guy out and gave the girl a ride home. I know I shouldn’t have, but I went up to her apartment and we started drinking and…it didn’t mean anything.”

Lorna stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“She didn’t mean anything to you? You had sex with her, and it didn’t mean a single thing? You don’t love her, had no intentions of ever being in a relationship with her? You just needed to get laid? That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You weren’t strong enough to wait for me, so you needed someone else to satisfy you.”

“Hey! I have needs too, you know! You don’t understand what it’s like for a guy.”

“You’re right, I don’t. I don’t understand why it’s okay for you to just have sex with whomever and expect me to be alright with that.”

She stood up and stormed toward the front door.

“Wait!” Mason said as he grasped her arm and pulled her back to face him. “I made a mistake. I’m sorry. I love you. I really do, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Lorna tore away from his grip. “No, you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t have slept around.” Her eyes narrowed. “I know what you think about me. You think I’m out of my mind just like my mom. Well, maybe I am. I must be crazy to think a rich, good-looking guy like you would have any interest in being with me, a stupid farm girl with a fragile heart and a ton of emotional baggage.” She turned and opened the front door to leave.

“Lorna,” he called. “Please, don’t leave like this. I can fix it, I swear!”

She ripped the diamond engagement ring off her finger and flung it at him. “We’re through.” She slammed the door shut behind her.

The sound of the ring bouncing across the wooden floor was like roaring thunder as it came to settle at Mason’s feet.