Killer Graves

Chapter 2

We finally got the okay to move Kayla's body. I can't decide which is worse, having to move your former employer who you looked up to murdered corpse or your friend from high school. Both are traumatizing to most people, but not me. I am more determined now to figure out who the murderer is. You can see how happy Michael is by the look of his face because of how much money he can make from this funeral. I do need to call the mayor to speak with him about the funeral arrangements. I don't trust Michael handling this family just by his reactions. This man is strange. He dresses like he is from the early 1920s. He is as pale as Kayla, which is strange for someone to be as pale as a corpse.

What's also weird is that this man has no scars anywhere or do you ever see him sick? His thick black hair is never brushed but always looks so silky smooth. His gray eyes can pierce your skin like daggers when he stares at you or just glances. This man doesn't look a day over twenty. He always talks about how he has over 20 years in the business. We finally got Kayla on the gurney. Her pale white skin against the black plastic body bag is so scary. I had just seen her two days before when I stopped at the coffee shop off of Main St. Her bubbly personality with her pink purse to match her pink Starbucks cup. Where my somewhat pale skin with all black clothes and all black accessories would look like I belong in a body bag. You would never think that we would have been friends, but we were.

I was the nerdy kid who excelled at school where she was the most popular kid in school. I will hunt down this killer because it is getting personal.

"Reyna, let's head to the funeral home now. Once we get there, I need you to contact the mayor to start the process of putting this woman to rest." Michael stated as he zipped the bag.

"Sure. I'll drive the van and meet you there."

"No, I'll ride with you. One of the sheriff's deputies took me to the station to question me since Kayla was found on my property."

"Yeah, that seems right."

We walked through that creepy hallway again. I can still see the dark rainy clouds pouring out their tears for the happiness that has left the world. As Michael and I walked out the doors, the power went out. We hurried to the van because this place is creepier than the lights on. We got Kayla in the back of the van and once she was loaded, Michael quickly ran to the driver's door of the paneled van. "I'll drive us back." I tossed the keys over to Michael. This could start to give me time to put some clues together to figure out why the killer is targeting this town. What history does this town have to hide? As the engine starts to roar to life, I jump in the seat to stare out the window.

The trees start to pass us by in a blur with lighting flashing miles away behind them with the rain running down the window. I started to put the clues together in my head. There was no blood found at either crime scene. This could mean that each victim was killed at a different location or the killer had a piece of plastic under them and killed execution style. There are two things that connect the victims together. They are the town we live in and me. Why would someone be targeting me? I don't have any friends because everyone in the town, but these two people finds it weird that a naive 26-year-old single woman to be working at a funeral home and not be creeped out by it. I can already imagine the whispers that are going around the town.

I started to focus on the thunder, imagining it as accusations being tossed at me every which way. Damn I'm spiraling again. I need to snap back to reality. As soon as I thought that, we came to a stop and I looked out the front window to see the rear entrance of the funeral home. "Hey, the State Police just called. They are going to keep us from hosting the funeral here for Kayla due to the murder being here." Michael said with a small quiver in his deep harsh voice. I looked at him dumb founded. "What do you mean? We need the profit from this to pay the bills and my paycheck. Is the police going to reimburse me for missing work, so I can pay rent?" I screamed as I was starting to have the signs of a panic attack happening.

Michael reached his long skinny arm out to my arm to help calm me down and centered me. His cold hand sent scivers down my arm and also scared me. How in the hell is his hand cold when our a/c is off, and it is almost hotter than hell here in Louisiana? I was so taken aback by him that I suddenly stopped having the panic attack. I had to get out of the van right then to get my mind straight.

"Hey, I am going home. I need to figure out what is happening with my money to see if I can survive."

I started to walk to my car, so I could go home. Once in my car, my brain started to spiral down a rabbit hole about how I was going to pay my bills. I do have a small savings account that has about a month's worth of bills saved up, thankfully. I started my little purple Volkswagen Beetle that I left at the funeral home the night before, since I was on call that night and needed to have the van.

Normally, it takes years for a murder to be solved, let alone a serial murder spree. I mean they do try to solve it, but not in this town. This is our first serial killer. It will take years.

The police in this town don't know how to deal with serial killers. The worst these officers have seen is a son killing his father by accident. There is very little crime here. The funeral home mainly deals with the more common deaths. Now that I think of it, this town does have a strange history with supernatural folklore. I wonder if someone took that to try to attempt to be some of these creatures. I need to see if I can go get some information on the evidence they found at Mr. Lester's scene and try to sneak into Kayla's scene. I am going to have to do it in the dead of night, since there will be no security detail due to the short staff and everyone will be trying to patrol the town to make sure everyone is following the curfew that has been set now by the mayor.

Ah, there is my brick two-story apartment complex right at the edge of the east side of the cemetery. It is the cheapest apartment around town, surprisingly. I sadly only make 7.25 an hour. It is because there is maybe one funeral a week and I may have to clean up the grounds or graves one row at a time every month, so it works out. This will give me the advantage of sneaking onto the grounds to go to Kayla's scene. I am going to attempt to take a quick nap before I go get pulled into the station. I started to walk into my apartment when the state police detective pulled up behind my little bug in a black Chevy SUV.

"Hey Detective Nicole. How can I help you?"

"Hey Reyna, I need to ask you a few questions about your relationship with Kayla Bordeaux. I have been told you are friends."

"Sure. Why don't you follow me in?"

I unlocked the door and soon Detective Nicole, in her black blazer with matching pants and purple button-up blouse, walked inside the one-bedroom apartment and waited in my black and purple colored living room with a coffin-shaped black couch against the wall next to the front door. Infront of it is a skull-shaped coffee table that has a piece of wood shaped like a circle looking into the skull. I started to walk in and pointed to the couch for the detective to sit on.

"So, what do you want to know?"

"Did you know why Kayla would go to the cemetery at 12am in the morning?"

"No, I don't. She always had the same routine at night. By 12am she was either playing one last round of her workout videos she would do before bed, or she would be finishing up a book. She would always try to finish that month's book of the month for our book club meeting the next night."

"Why do you live so close to the cemetery?"

"The rent is cheap. My landlord had a problem with this apartment getting rented out, since his disabled brother lives upstairs in the apartment above me. I believe he said to me on the day I signed the lease that his brother has a learning disability and loves to scare everyone away with ghost stories."

"Mr. Michael told me that you were on call last night. Were you awake at that time?"

"I was. I was in my bedroom."

I pointed to the closed door that was on the opposite wall from the couch. Next to the door was the flat screen tv that only played old reruns of Ghost Adventures on YouTube. My bedroom door is about three feet from the entrance to the kitchen.

"Detective, can I get you something to drink?"

I stood up from the couch, crossing the living room to head to the kitchen. "Water please." I made my way into the kitchen, which had a window above the sink illuminating the kitchen with a gray hue from the terrible rain that was still poring down hard outside. I'm shocked that the power is still on. I opened my black fridge to see it full of only bottles of water and coke zero. I grabbed two cold waters and made my way to the living room after closing the fridge. I did stop at the bar that looks out into the living room from the kitchen to take my black steel toe boots off to get comfortable in my own place.

"Here you go detective," as I handed over one of the bottles of water. She sat up with such a strong demeanor of judgment towards me. She was looking off at the black metal with a photo of me, Mr. Lester and Kayla were all in front of the funeral home with me in my cap and gown, smiling. I wish I could go back to that day. " Seems like you were very close with each of the victims?" Detective Nicole stood up quickly. "Thank you for answering my questions. Here is my card. If you remember anything, please feel free to call."

"Of course."

I showed her the door and she left for the day. I glance at the time on my phone to see the time. My gosh, it is already 4pm. I guess that this is the perfect time to get changed into some drippy clothes that would be okay if they got wet or muddy. I know the grave that Kayla was found at was just five minutes away from my front door. Oh s**t, I guess I am their number one suspect for both cases now. I sat on the couch letting my thoughts run wild from me being a suspect to the history of the town.