Serial

13. Ready

     On the night of Halloween, the year of 2017, the residents of Bonbury gathered at Eastworrow Lake at 7 p.m.. Drinks were poured, food was served, and small children in costumes ran from stranger to stranger, asking for candy and pulling small pranks on unsuspecting victims. The more festive adults also wore costumes to celebrate the day, with some dressed in famous horror movie characters, while others dressed as famous locals from the small town's history.

      Attached to the pier of the large lake, a pyre was constructed, floating on a wooden raft that gently swayed in the water. The pyre was made primarily of wood, but the townspeople were invited to add small, flammable items to the fire. The items represented the history of the town. Some added items to celebrate the town’s achievements, adding newspaper clippings and books by local authors. Others used the pyre to celebrate their own accomplishments, and to burn away their past sins.

      Cris Dauer stood by the unlit pyre. He had been assigned to guard duty to ensure nothing dangerous got added to the fire before it was lit, and stood at a distance to the volunteer firefighters that were also stationed there. He held a cigarette in his right hand, absently spinning it between his fingers. His left hand was in his pocket, thumbing two envelopes. He stared at the stack of wood and paper in front of him. He slowly pulled the envelopes out.

      He took a step closer.

      “Heya there Cris.”

      Cris jumped back into reality. He shoved the envelopes back down deep in his pockets and turned to the man who greeted him.

      “Evening Charlie. What do you have there?” Cris eyed the short stack of documents his partner was carrying.

      “These are copies of all the wrongful convictions in the town's history. Symbolic justice I suppose.” Charlie lent towards the pyre, neatly tucking the papers into the pile.

      Cris lit the cigarette he had been holding and took a drag.

      “Are you going to add anything? Tonight might be the night to lose the smoking habit.” Charlie asked as he turned back around and stood next to his partner.

      Cris blew smoke out of the side of his mouth and turned to look back at the crowd. “Not tonight. I need them tonight.”

      Charlie gave him a disapproving look, “Careful Cris. You're starting to sound like an addict.”

      A crowd of children came running past, chasing one another and screaming.

      “Don't compare me to that filth.” Cris said it under his breath. He had a foul taste in his mouth and threw down his cigarette butt, angrily stomping it out.

      “Sorry, couldn't hear you. What was that?”

      “Nothing. Do we have any leads yet on the case?”

      “You know nothing's changed. You would be the first to know if it had.”

      “So dental records aren't back yet?”

      “The only dentist in town has been closed off and on all week. You know how it's been lately for the people here. Party after party.”

      “He's here. Somewhere, under our noses, there's a killer walking around.”

      “Or they could be in Ernesting, or Brycebooke. We don't know that whoever killed our Doe was from Bonbury, or even that he was from Bonbury, until we identify him.”

      “Yeah, maybe…” Cris looked out into the crowd of people. Children and adults alike wearing masks, face paint, and costumes. He had a hard enough time remember faces from the town at the best of times, in costumes he might as well have been seeing all the people on Bonbury for the first time again.

      Breaking through the crowd, a group of boys in a different type of uniform marched towards the shore of the lake. Cris jerked his head towards them and turned once more to Charlie. “Boy scouts are here. I'm off.”

      “Take a night off Cris. Enjoy the party!”

      Cris stiffened, “Party?”

     Charlie motioned to the crowds of people laughing and having a good time.

      “Maybe next centennial.”

      At 7:45 p.m., the mayor took to the microphone that had been set up at Eastworrow lake, and once again went over the town’s achievements from the last 100 years. A prayer was said by the local religious leaders, and the anthem was sung by an Eastworrow College Alumni. At 8:00 p.m. the 1st Bonbury Scout Troop had the honour of lighting the pyre, and once aflame it was pushed gently into the lightly rocking waters of Eastworrow Lake.

      By that time Cris Dauer sat in his car outside the gates of Loretta Swann's mansion.

      He pulled the envelopes out of his pocket once more, and could just barely read them in the dark. The first had his name on it, clear as day. The other had the name Henry Harris.

      Cris had known for the past week who the John Doe of his case was, since he found and secretly confiscated the letter from the van's glove box. He had looked up the name, and matched the identity. The letter was the piece of evidence needed to move forward in the case, but instead of putting it in an evidence bag Cris put it back into his pocket, started his car once more, and crept up the long driveway to the great house.

     Cris backed his car in at the spot closest to the door. He double checked the car was locked and his keys were in his pocket. He checked his holster under his jacket to make sure his pistol was still in. Loaded but put to safety. Then he walked to the great double doors, and knocked.

      On the third knock the door opened on it's own. Cris kept own hand in his jacket on his gun, then walked in slowly. Looking around there were only doors and paintings, no other people in sight.

      When he got to the middle of the hall the door slammed shut behind him, and he could hear 12 distinct mechanical clicks. He ran to the doors and tried to open them, uselessly pulling at the handles.

      Then the sound of an old record played over an intercom system. Cris looked around to see where the speakers were in the room, and found several cleverly hidden by the wallpaper and decorations.

      The music stopped. Static was playing over the intercom, until a voice went on, distorted and electronic.

     “Welcome. Our last guest has now arrived, and the party can begin… But first, are you ready?”

      Cris heard an odd hissing now start coming from the speakers.

      Then he fell to the ground.