Confession by Gary Whitmore - HTML preview

Chapter 4

It was now September, and life moved on for Becky.

Allan’s new books A Killer’s Tale and Murder at Night were on sale in the bookstores across the nation.

Becky even received a six thousand dollar check for advanced royalties. She immediately put it in a savings account for Nancy and Michael’s college fund.

In Daytona Beach, Sam and Cindy ate lunch at Momma’s Home Cooking restaurant just off an exit from Interstate I-95.

“Kristen’s going to be in a play at her school next month,” Cindy said, sipping some sweet tea.

“What’s it about?” Sam asked while he sipped his sweet tea.

Cindy motioned for him to wait while she rummaged through her purse.

“I know that Fall Killer was sick in the way he would tie the women up naked to a tree, then beat them with a baseball bat,” a man told his woman friend at the booth behind Sam.

“And it sure was creepy how he would leave a number on the girl’s stomach as his calling card,” the woman replied.

Sam’s ears perked up, and they got interested in the couple’s discussion. He turned around and glanced at the couple.

“Her play is about Romeo and Juliet,” Cindy said when she found the flyer.

“I loved how he sent those taunting letters to that FBI agent,” the woman told her friend, who nodded in agreement.

Cindy noticed Sam was interested in the couple behind them, ignoring her response. “Sam, I said. Romeo and Juliet. She’s been practicing her heart out all week,” Cindy repeated a little louder.

“Excuse me. What are you talking about?” Sam asked the couple.

Cindy looked upset that Sam ignored her again.

“That new book, A Killer’s Tale. It’s about some guy who killed five girls in the South during the sixties,” the woman replied.

“It sounds like that October Slayer I remember reading about on the Internet,” the man added.

Sam looked extremely curious.

“Sam!”

Sam ignored Cindy while he looked at the couple. “Sam!” she repeated.

Sam turned back around and looked at Cindy. “Yes, dear?”

“I believe I was talking to you!” she scolded with a stern look.

“I’m sorry.”

“What was so important with their conservation to cause you to ignore me?” Cindy said while glaring at Sam.

“This new book came out. It sounds like this case I worked on years ago.”

Cindy looked bothered. “Let’s not go there again. Please!” she pleaded.

“Okay, I won’t. So, tell me about her play,” he added with interest.

“Anyway, her play will be next month, and she wants us there. It’s Romeo and Juliet.”

“It would be a pleasure to attend,” he said, then drank his sweet tea. But the thoughts of that new book soon occupied his mind.

The next day in Kissimmee, Becky sat in her kitchen and drank her second cup of coffee. At the same time, she read the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

Marty walked inside with a copy of A Killer’s Tale book in one hand and his coffee cup in another. He read the third chapter while he walked up to the counter and poured his second cup of coffee.

He walked over to the table and sat down.

“I bought a copy of your dad’s new books, Murder at Night and A Killer’s Tale,” he said. “A Killer’s Tale sounds very much like that October Slayer case from the sixties that never got solved,” he said while he held up the book where the back cover had pictures of five headstones with the names of the five girls killed.

Becky grabbed the book out of his hands and looked it over. “It sounds like this was Dad’s version of what happened with that old sixties case,” she said while she handed the book to Marty. “He sure loved solving mysteries.”

“Would you like to read it after I’m finished?”

“No, thank you. I had enough of murder mysteries while I edited his previous manuscripts,” she said, then returned to her newspaper.

“Maybe I’ll figure out that little secret your father mentioned,” Marty said, then returned to his reading.

“Maybe. So far, Uncle Creepy hasn’t harassed me about wanting something. So, I don’t know what Dad meant,” she said while her eyes were glued to her newspaper.

The kitchen phone rang, and she looked at Marty, who was engrossed in his book. She waited for him to get up. He was not going to budge.

She rolled her eyes while she got up and walked over to the phone.

“Becky Adams,” she answered.

“Hello, Becky, William DeHart from the realty company over in St. Cloud. I have some bad news about your father’s house.”

“What’s wrong?”

Marty was not listening since he was too engrossed in his book.

“I just found out Billy Stein placed a lien on your father’s house. Do you know who this man could be? Is he related to your father?”

Becky looked pissed while she paced around the kitchen.

“He’s my uncle, and I don’t know why he would do that,” she replied, then she thought about it for a few seconds. “Wait, I know why. He’s a creep!”

“Well, apparently, he’s stating his brother was supposed to leave him the house and its contents. We can’t sell it until this lien is removed.”

“I don’t believe this!” she yelled out.

Marty looked up from his book and got concerned with Becky, who furiously paced in circles.

“I’ll see what I can do to get it removed. But it might cost you some time in court.”

“I’m going to change the locks of his house. Call me if you can work something out without spending time in court.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” William said, then disconnected his end of the call.

Becky hung up the phone and looked like she wanted to kill someone.

“What’s wrong, dear?”

“Uncle Billy put a lien on Daddy’s house, and now we can’t sell it until it’s removed. Bastard!” she steamed.

Marty watched Becky storm out of the kitchen.

Way up in Curtis, Mississippi, was the Stein Chevrolet dealership. Alvin Stein founded it in 1925 when he was a young man.

Billy now owns the dealership, as Allan wanted to spend his life with the Army. Allan would state that selling cars was considered a boring life and wanted the thrills the Army provided.

Billy sat behind his desk in his office, where numerous old pictures of Allan and him on fishing trips were hanging on the wall. These were annual trips he took with his brother from 1957 to 1972.

Billy read his copy of A Killer’s Tale book and was halfway through it. He read Allan’s books and kept a copy on a shelf in his office. But this new book gave him grave concerns.

Later that night, Sam and Cindy went to the Barnes and Noble bookstore. They walked around for a while, then Sam went in one direction, and Cindy went off in another.

Cindy checked out a book about the history of the Biltmore Estates. She longed to visit that beautiful home, which was one of her bucket list items.

Sam looked around and saw a display of A Killer’s Tale books. He walked away, but thoughts of the book weighed on his mind.

He walked over two aisles and saw Cindy reading a Biltmore Estates book. He glanced back in at the display of A Killer’s books.

He walked back and stopped four feet from the display. A man walked over, picked up a copy, and rushed away to the cashier.

Sam walked away while he fought the urge to get a copy. But the urge became too strong. He rushed back to the display and quickly snatched a book before he changed his mind.

Cindy walked up to Sam with her Biltmore Estates book in hand.

“I’m ready if you are,” she said, then saw a book in his hand. “What did you buy?”

“I can’t help it. I’m going to get the A Killer’s Tale.”

“Oh, honey, let it go. Didn’t that case bring you nightmares that stopped after you retired?” she said and was worried for Sam.

“I haven’t had one in eight years, so it wouldn’t hurt to read it.”

Cindy knew he was stubborn and would come back here on his own later. “Whatever,” she said, then walked toward the cash registers.

“What did you get?”

“A book on the history of the Biltmore Estates. Since someone won’t take me there, I thought I would read about it,” she replied with a hint.

“I’ll take you there. I promise,” he said with a warm smile.

“When?” she asked excitedly.

“Whenever you can slip away from your job. After all, I’m retired and have all the time in the world.”

Cindy thought briefly while they got to the cashier’s entrance and waited in line. “I can get away in two weeks.”

“Then it’s a date,” Sam replied and followed up with a kiss on her cheek to seal the deal.

Meanwhile, in Kissimmee, Becky and Marty sat on the sofa in the den. Marty was deep into the book A Killer’s Tale while Becky watched a Disney movie with the kids.

“So far, this book is great. We might have a best seller on our hands,” Marty said while he started a new chapter.

Becky was too engrossed in the movie and did not hear Marty.

The phone rang in the kitchen.

Becky looked at Marty, who had his head buried in his book and did not move an inch.

She got up and walked out of the den.

She walked up over to the ringing phone. “Becky Adams,” she answered.

“Becky, it’s Uncle Billy,” he replied from the phone.

Becky cringed and got the creeps. “What the hell do you want?”

“Listen, I must get the chance to search through Allan’s house. He has something he wants me to keep. Something that belongs to me,” Billy replied in the sweetest tone he could fake.

“I’m sorry, but he didn’t mention you in his will! So the answer is no!”

“He mentioned it when we recently went fishing down there in Florida. So if you let me search through his house just once, I’ll leave you alone, and you’ll never see or hear from me again.”

“No! And why did you put a lien on his house? I want it removed immediately!” she yelled into the phone.

“If you let me inside his house, that lien will disappear forever,” Billy said, sounding serious.

“Bastard!” Becky yelled out, then strangled the phone. She slammed the receiver down.

She stormed out of the kitchen and headed back into the den.

She plopped down on the sofa, sat with her arms crossed, and fumed.

Marty still had his head buried in his book.

“I hate that man!”

Marty glanced over at Becky and saw she was furious.

“What’s the matter, honey?”

“That was Uncle Billy. He wants something.

What? I don’t know. And he won’t remove that lien until I let him search Dad’s house,” she said, and her eyes welled up as this was becoming too stressful.

“Let him. What would it hurt?”

“I’ll never let him set on foot in Dad’s house. Never!” she responded with gritted teeth.

She got up, and Marty and the kids watched her storm out of the den.

Sam walked into his den in Daytona Beach with his A Killer’s Tale book.

He walked past a wall where an updated picture of Charles was on the wall. Charles was now a Brigadier General.

Sam sat down on his LazBoy chair and opened the book to Chapter 1 of A Killer’s Tale.

In Curtis, Mississippi, Billy sat in his LazBoy chair with his A Killer’s Tale book in hand. He fumed that Becky would not allow him access to Allan’s house. He started scheming.