Town Slayer

Confronting the Past

Summary
After being beaten by her husband, Janet finds him bleeding on their front room floor. With the evidence piling against her; she was holding a bloody bat and was covered in blood when the EMT's walked in, the cops accused her of murder. Frightened she runs.
She gets a ride out of town from a truck driver named Sam, claiming her name is Jackie
Seeing the blood on her dress, he holds her at gunpoint, demanding an explanation.
Believing her story, Sam takes Jackie to a truck stop so she can get cleaned up. Seeing a news bulletin on the TV about her being a murder suspect Sam leaves.
Jackie finds out she's been abandoned and then sees the bulletin on the TV. She runs to the bathroom grabbing hair dye and scissors on the way. The red-headed Janet/ Jackie asks another trucker for a ride only to find out he's a rapist and she's trapped in his cab. She manages to escape
The assassin tied up, tortured and killed Beth's abusive husband, Steve.
The police are informed that there have been two murders.

Oh my God, I just killed a man. Horrifying images flash through her mind as she tries to escape. She first pictures brain matter scattered across the cab. The stench of fresh blood comes back with such force that it nearly suffocates her. Terrified, she darts into oncoming traffic. "Help me, please somebody help me."

The driver skids to a stop at the edge of the road. "What the hell are you thinking, lady? Do you want to get yourself killed?"

Frightened, Jackie runs towards him. "Please mister, please save me," she begs as she breathlessly reaches his cab.

He watches the distraught woman trembling in front of him. He then recalls how his granddaughter was beaten, raped, and left to die on the side of the road. I can't let her go through what Leann did, I just can't. "Climb in," he instructs, pointing behind him.

She jumps in and covers herself with loose hay. Jackie hears sirens wailing all around her as they pull onto the highway. Please God, please get me out of here safely, she begs.

The old farm truck stops at a rickety shack on the north side of town. Jackie hops out and nervously glances around.

"So now you're not on the verge of getting killed, explain to me what was going on," the driver says as he walks towards her.

"I was trying to hitch a ride to see my sick mom in Springfield. This trucker pulls a gun on me and forces me into his cab. Then he starts ordering me to do things to him, nasty, sexual things. He said he'd kill me if I didn't. I ran to the highway trying to get away. All I wanted to do was see my mamma, before ..." She pretends to cry.

His heart melts the way it always does when he sees a beautiful woman in distress. "Now, now, child, it'll be alright. Come on in, get some breakfast then we'll see about getting you to your mama safely, alright?"

"I'm not very hungry but I'd appreciate a ride."

"Let me tell my wife where we're going, get some things together and then we'll head out. My name is Henry by the way."

"I'm Jackie."

"Nice to meet you, Jackie," he says as he holds the screen door for her.

*******

Rachel is on her apartment steps sipping a steamy mug of coffee when Joe pulls up to beside her. "Here is your liquid speed," she says as she climbs into his cruiser.

"I'm going to need all of this I can get." Joe takes the mug from her hands and takes a sip. "Just the way I like it." He smiles.

"Did you say there are two murders?" she asks as she turns to face him.

"That's what the captain said. It kills me to think I wasted all that time on roadblocks when we should've been searching the town."

"You only did what you thought was right. Even the captain agreed with your call."