Justin Cairns - Little Red

***

The car screeched to a halt outside Richard’s house. Jack ran from the vehicle and banged a fist against the door. He banged harder, no one answered.

‘Fuck’ he shouted as he ran from the front of the house, passing the homes next door and finding the back street. He moved cautiously up the street, looking for the house here desired. He stopped outside the back gate, noticing it was open. The back door was ajar and he pushed his way in.

‘Mr Crowe?’

‘Richard Crowe it’s Chief Inspector Dawson!’ still no answer.

He walked through the bottom floor, checking each room. His feet pounded up the stairs, the clothes were scattered upon the floor.

‘Shit’ he pulled his phone from his trouser pocket, the number for task team one was called.

‘It’s Dawson, I need two teams circling the area, push out to the furthest extremities, check the nearest towns and hotels, check the hospitals…..find Richard Crowe!’ he ordered.

***

The contents were packed tightly, the package bulging slightly. He ripped open the top and looked inside. The boarding passes were secured by a staple in the top left corner, he read the details upon the front. He removed another list of instructions and dissected the information, not believing what he was reading, the small envelope was removed from inside. He pulled it open and the bank notes fell upon his lap.

‘Fucking hell Nathan’.

Chapter Twenty Five

The waves carried a brilliant white froth, the clear water churning as it rolled to the beach. The sun beamed down upon the decking, the solid wood warmed as the heat soaked into the cracks. Nathan sat upon the reclined chair, the cushion absorbed the sweat as it rolled from his shoulders and down his back. He tipped the brown bottle of ice cold beer to his lips, the chilled liquid cooled his throat as it fell to his stomach. He chuckled to himself as he heard Elle singing from inside the house, her habit when occupied with something else. He rested his head, the sun glared at his darkened glasses, the rays still stinging his eyes. The crunching of wheels upon the gravel caught his attention, he turned his head to the side, waiting to see the visitor as they passed the under the pergola. The footsteps came closer, he sat upright, the sun glasses raised from his eyes. He smiled, a fluttery sensation filling his chest.

Richard walked hand in hand with his daughter, his face, clean shaved, the large Ray Bans upon his nose. Nathan stood and moved towards them, Megan edged back slightly as he approached. Richard knelt down to her ear and whispered, her smile slowly showed. They greeted each other with a hug, the palms patting each other’s backs.

‘I’m glad you made it, both of you!’ he smiled toward Megan

‘I’m still shocked mate, now I see why you had to leave London’

They walked to the decking and Nathan pulled some more chairs around the table. He asked them to sit whilst he entered the house through the open patio doors. Richard held her hand, his thumb stroked her delicate limb.

‘Like I said hun, he’s a nice guy, he helped me… helped us!’

She smiled back to her father.

‘Okay daddy’.

Nathan returned, Elle’s hand clasped in his. Richard stood to greet her.

‘Richard, it’s so nice to finally meet you, Nathan’s told me so much!’

‘Not everything I hope!’ he chuckled, his eyes met with Nathan who shook his head slowly.

‘You must be Megan, nice to meet you’ her hand was met by the bruised skin of the girl. Her heart sank, her emotions exploded and a tear formed in her eye.

‘Nice to meet you too’ the girl replied from a swollen jaw.

‘I’ll get you some drinks’ Elle moved around quickly and removed the tear.

‘We have prepared the spare bedrooms, we have two if you would like your privacy?’ he informed.

‘One is good for now, thanks Nathan’

‘Richard, you’re both welcome for as long as you need, we would like the company!’

‘I know mate, I’ll hold you to that’.

Elle returned with a plastic cup of deep orange coloured juice and two bottles of beer. She placed them at the centre of the table and smiled.

‘I’m just making some dinner if you’re hungry?’

‘Great, thanks Elle’ smiled Richard as she left.

‘Megan darling, why don’t you go wet your feet for a bit, I bet the water is lovely!’

‘It is!’ confirmed Nathan. The young girl walked slowly to the crashing waves, her sandals kicked off and the water cooling her feet. She stood motionless.

Richard removed the parcel from his bag. He sat it upon the wooden table, avoiding the puddle from his beer. He nodded towards the gift, Nathan acknowledged and picked it up.

‘What is it?’ he asked intrigued.

‘Something I think you deserve Nathan, I didn’t want to give it with Megan around, she suffers from bad dreams!’

‘Understandable!’ the package was opened slowly, the contents removed. The small leather bag was placed upon the table, the clicking sound from inside. The Polaroid photo was pulled out next. He gazed upon the image of the Wolf, bound and beaten.

‘Jesus Richard, what exactly did you do?’

‘Took my time……he deserved much worse!’

The bag was untied, the contents confused Nathan to begin with, he couldn’t make out what they were.

‘It’s his teeth Nathan, he kept a keep sake…..I keep mine!’ he informed.

‘Shit…..they’re pointed!’

‘The sick fuck must have filled them down!’

He reached into his pocket and removed the other gift. He gripped the photos in his fingers.

‘I got something else for you’ the pictures handed to his friend, ‘Remember the favour you asked of me in the hotel room?’

‘Yeah, of course……’ his eyes met the image. The first displayed a naked body, the throat had been sliced from ear to ear, the blood flooding the chest. The piercing eyes of the Wolf’s mask starred back, the teeth glistened under the camera flash. The second photo was of the same surroundings. In fact the image was identical apart from one detail. The mask had been removed.

‘Is that……?’

‘Yep!’

‘I don’t get it?’ he quizzed Richard about the photographs.

‘You told Jack the house location right?’ asked Richard

‘Yeah, you told me too!’

‘Good. Well when he got there he would have been able to pinpoint our exact location. The map in the den told us where to find him, this is what greeted Jack…….he wanted the Wolf…..so I gave him the Wolf. The person underneath the mask was obviously innocent of the proposed crime, but his status and reputation aided in forcing people to believe that he could possibly be the Wolf…….Jack has found the Wolf and your reputation is safe!’

‘What about the real killer?’

‘He isn’t the only one who knows the story of Little Red Riding Hood Nathan, the wolf dies the same in most of the Grimm stories. I sent him off in style. I doubt his body will be found for a while, and when it is…..well, it should be bones!’

‘I can’t believe it’ he laughed. He brought the image to his eyes once more and stared in relief at the victim. The Wolf’s van…the bloody body, the lifeless face…………………………………………

‘Good bye Doctor William Lime’ he smiled.

The Last Nightmare

The house swallowed him, his body engulfed by the nightmarish shadows. They swirled around him like taunting demons. He moved up the stairs, the feeling of fear escaped him, leaking from his pores. He neared the top, the music began but fell silent………………………….

The door hid a light, it crept underneath the wooden obstruction. The walls offered a blood red colour as he edged closer. The handle turned its self as his hand moved into grip it. The young boy stood, his golden hair blew across his face, he smiled. Nathan entered the snow covered ground, the woods sat either side of him. He scanned his surroundings, unaware of his location. The howl filled the sky, the blackness slowly creeping in from the horizon. He ran toward the sound, the snow crunching beneath him. He dodged the trees as they looked down upon him, the thick trunks partially blocking his view. He stalked to the edge of the wood line. The figures stood in the snowy field.