Secrets and Oaths✓

Best Laid Plans

We got a call about another victim a few days later. This was getting out of hand. A citywide curfew had been put in place and police presence on the street was increased and somehow this asshole still kept finding victims. I had taken to driving Charlie to school and if I couldn't, Jimmy did. I was scared. And Charlie was starting to notice. So I had to finally sit him down and tell him the truth.

"So you know that mom died and dad disappeared and that's why you live with me, right?"

"Yeah..." He was confused. I couldn't exactly blame him. I had worked hard over the last seven years to keep him in the dark.

"Well that's true but it's a bit more complicated than that."

"How so?"

"Seven years ago I was a brand new detective. In fact, I wasn't even the lead detective yet, just a partner. Anyway, women were popping up dead all over Memphis. I don't want to go into too much detail, you're still a kid but they were cut up pretty bad. But we couldn't get a handle on a suspect. It had been weeks since a killing and we were afraid that the trail was going to go cold. My partner was all but ready to label it a cold case and move on to the other cases we had been ignoring. I was sent home that day and decided to stop by Mom and Dad's. I walked in and called out to mom and dad but there wasn't any response, which was odd because both of their cars were there. I was concerned because they had been fighting lately. They were both so tense. Dad assured me that it was just work stress that he was bringing home so I didn't think anything of it. I went to the kitchen to grab some leftovers that I was going to heat up since Jimmy wouldn't be home for dinner and I almost fell going into the kitchen, slipping on something on the floor. And there I saw mom and dad both on the floor, mom covered in blood and dad holding the knife. She was already gone and I just froze in shock over the whole thing. Dad took one look at me and ran from the house. I called 911 but it was too late. You were at a friend's house and I thank every higher power that you didn't walk in on that. But you could tell something was up. You started acting different and the kids at school started picking on you because they knew more than any elementary schooler should, so I pulled you out and started homeschooling you. The police department I worked for understood and when we were finally able to move, they helped me get a job here."

"You've kept this from me the whole time?" He was angry. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less.

"I did it to protect you. It was bad enough that we lost mom, you were still a kid. You didn't deserve the burden that came along with this."

"I'm not a little kid anymore. Why wait to tell me now?"

"Because you didn't need to know. You have a normal life. You have friends, a future. Charles Hemlock is not going to take that away from you."

"Is he the one doing this now? The one killing all these women?"

"Yes..."

"So it was him that came up to me that day? You lied to me again then too."

"If you didn't know about him, you wouldn't go seek him out. He's dangerous Charlie, and it's my job to protect you." He stormed out of the room and then out of the house. I knew this wasn't going to be my day.

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*Charlie's POV*

I didn't have any idea where I was planning on going when I left my house, I just knew I couldn't be around my sister right now. I was so angry. Why wouldn't she tell me? I had a right to know my father was a serial killer.

So I walked and I walked and I walked and I finally stopped at Jacob's house. Well I certainly wasn't going to go back home so I might as well see if my friend is free. I knocked on the door and his dad answered. "Hi Mr. Barber. Is Jacob home?"