My Killer Girlfriend

Chapter 17

  Lexi swings open the front door of the apartment and proclaims "I got pizza!"  I look up from my laptop just as the smell of fresh sauce and hot cheese wafts into my nose.  It has been a week since we had heard from our I'll willed detective, which I have been taking partial credit for, and things were almost starting to get back to normal.

   Lexi doesn't bother with the kitchen table and plops herself down on the couch next to me.  She opens up the pizza box and motions me to the pizza.  "Only one?" I comment, raising my eyebrow.  "I think you'll live babe, besides, you probably don't need that much pizza anyway."  She says, tapping my belly.  "Hey!"  I say laughing.  She laughs and hugs me laying her head on my stomach.

  I rub her head and grab I slice of pizza, she sits up and eats some pizza.  She grabs the remote and flicks to a cartoon channel.  She sits next to me giggling at the show through her pizza.  I enjoy her laughs and , click through tabs in my computer, and start filling out a work form.  I scroll to the bottom and see the digital signature of Gregory Lane.

   It pulls me away from the literal slice of paradise I was experiencing and back to reality.  No one even knew that Mr. Lane was dead yet.  I decide to do a little research of my own.  I search for all results related to the BU Butcher and Gregory Lane.  Nothing new related to Gregory Lane, of course, but their are a few new articles on the BU Butcher.  I click into them and start to scroll through them.

   "Newest BU killing attributed to serial killer entitled BU Butcher." "Failure for the authorities to locate the elusive BU Butcher leads to tension amongst the community". My eyes shift to Lexi, curled up on the couch  giggling at a children's show.  Found her, I chuckle to myself and get back to reading.

  "Just two days ago a local teen killed by the rampaging BU Butcher.". That one was dated yesterday. "Picture on teenager's phone my be vital clue in stopping the violent menace that is the BU Butcher."  I go cold, I keep scrolling just to confirm my worst fear.  "Picture (not yet released to public) depicts partial profile of the infamous BU Butcher."

   I grit my teeth.  What does this even mean?  I can't process what is happening.  I save the articles and turn to Lexi.  "Baby?". I say, having trouble talking.  "What is this?". I spin the laptop around in my lap so she can see the screen.  She squints at it and then sits up and grabs the laptop, her face goes pale.

    "This isn't me!"  She says.  "No.  I haven't killed since that night, and I don't kill kids!". She didn't seem scared or sad in that moment, she seemed angry, more angry than I had ever seen her.  "Baby...it's the same exact way you have always killed, same strange kidnapping, the same random victims, everything, if you did this, even if they got your picture, we can get through this, I know we can, but you have to be honest with me."  I say, trying to understand what was going on.

   "You don't believe me."  She says, her head drops.  "Baby it's not that, I just don't really know how to handle all this.". I say, but it is true, I don't know if I believe her.  She has never lied to me before, but the fact that someone knows enough about her to set her up is just unbelievable.

   She looks shocked, like she doesn't know what do, I'm sure she doesn't.  I know I don't.  "I am going to go for a run."  She says.  Needless to say I am hesitant.  "Baby I don't think that is such a good idea right now". I say.  "I'm going". She says, more stern than she has ever been before.  I look at her and watch her get up.  She slides on her shoes and opens the door.  "Call me when you are heading back.". I say, worried for her.  She pauses for a second and my heart swells hoping she will stay.   But she just nods at my request and then shuts the door behind her.  "Oh Lexi...what have you done?"