The Serial Killers (Complete)

Raelyn04/02 10:32 AM

"Are you the girl from the telephone?" The wizened man behind the counter peered at me with glazed blue eyes, I doubted he could even see.

I held out my hand and he hesitated before taking it feebly. "Raelyn. I take it you're the real estate manager? Daniel Paxton?"

"You've got the right man, but please call me Danny. I've been working Hideaway Lake for over 30 years and not once have I been called Daniel by anyone other than my wife. Anywho, lots'a folk buying lots on the lake, very scenic and all."

"A lot? I was under the impression that the cabin was secluded."

Danny shuffled towards a glass case hung from the wall. His shaking hands had trouble slipping a key into the lock, yet he managed to open the door in record time as if it were the only thing his fingers were conditioned to do anymore. "By water you're about a mile away from your nearest neighbor, by land it's about 10 miles."

I pocketed the comically large key and took the pen he handed me to sign my name on the lease. "So my friend tells me that a couple of kids used to party up there."

"My sons used to cause me quite the headache when they were young. They won't be partying up there anymore."

"How do you mean?" I rubbed my fingers over the rabbit's foot on my keychain, the hairs catching on my ring.

Danny studied his hands which gripped the edge of the scratched counter, a wave of something indescribable crinkling the skin between his eyes. "Jericho was the brightest of the bunch, my nephew. Always the sweet one. He had a concious, that boy. It's a shame what that man did to him, right killed his mother. Poor lady had a heart attack-."

"Who?" I cut him off, voice rising in pitch.

The old man sobered quickly and grasped my wrist so that I dropped my keys, " Best not to dwell on the past." He patted the backs of my hands and released me. Then immediately changed tone and gave a forced smile. "Alright, directions up to the cabin are in this information packet. The barn is for the groundskeeper who comes on mondays, so best to keep out. My son thought they'd be good for business, he was probably right. Well, I'll see you in four weeks, Miss Raelyn."

I retracted my hands and took a step back. He turned to leave, but then stopped abruptly as he remembered something. "And Miss, take care to lock the doors and windows at night."

I had simply had enough of his strange behavior and was beginning to believe it was simply an old man becoming senile. "Why?"

He seemed lost in reverie. "Bye, Miss."

I backed until I was halfway across the abandoned waiting room, as my feet brushed the lush red carpet, I turned and scurried out the door. Just a crazy old man.

Jerking the car door open, I tossed the papers towards the back of the car at Kate who promptly fumbled the packet and allowed them to scatter across the floor of the SUV.

"Kate!" River moaned.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry."

I jerked open the backseat door and gathered up the papers. She slid across the seat to help, but I jerked the packet away from her and slammed the door in her face. "No, I'm sorry. I should have known your ineptitude would get in the way."

"Whoa, was that necessary?"

River stared at me wide eyed.

My regret was immediate, but I didn't apologize. "Whatever." I could see her in the rearview mirror, face turned towards the window. Her face was flushed crimson.