Bones of the Demon King

Chapter 35

Kevin Landers was sitting in his living room drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels. Samantha was with her parents and he finally had some peace and quiet. He was alone but he didn't mind it so much.

He thought of his conversation with Tom. Kevin wasn't the biological son of Vincent McDaniels but he wished he was. As a kid, he remembered going hunting with him and Tom, camping with them, and having backyard barbecues with the McDaniels family. There were times that Vincent had been out of the picture or acting funny because he had a little too much to drink but Kevin used to worship Vincent McDaniels. He still did.

The doorbell rang. Kevin put his Jack Daniels down and went to answer it. It was getting late but perhaps Tom was stopping by unexpectedly. Kevin opened the door and there stood Vincent McDaniels.

"Hi Kevin. May I come in?" Vincent was holding a brown paper bag.

"Mr. McDaniels," Kevin was surprised to see him.

"I've told you to call me Vincent...or dad. Whichever you prefer Kevin." Vincent walked into the living room and spotted the bottle of whisky. He put his brown bag down and pulled a bottle of Johnnie Walker out of it. "I felt like drinking whiskey tonight. Who knew you were already drinking some? Do you have a tumbler I can use?"

While Kevin walked to the kitchen to get a glass for Vincent, his guest slipped a few pills into Kevin's bottle of liquor and shook it until they dissolved into the auburn liquid.

The two of them began drinking together and reminiscing about years gone by.

"So where's Samantha?" Vincent asked.

"She went to stay with her parents. Ever since we got married, things haven't been the same," Kevin explained.

"Right, that's what happened to me and my first wife," Vincent said. He could see Kevin becoming more and more inebriated.

Kevin began to sway and passed out. Vincent stood up and pulled out a pair of gloves from his jacket. He slipped them on and then took out a folded and typed note from his jacket as well. He placed it on the coffee table.

He then arranged Kevin in his chair so that it would be easier to do the task he originally set out to do. He took out a razor blade that was in his pants pocket and placed it in Kevin's right hand. Vincent licked his lips as he held his hand over Kevin's and slashed the younger man's left wrist. Blood spurted and began leaving the wound at a fast pace. He could feel Kevin wake from the shock of the wound but he held him in place until he passed out again. Vincent loved feeling the life of a victim leave its body.

"I'm sorry Kevin but someone has to take the fall for me. Your death will help me get back to my old life."

Vincent smiled as he imagined the adulation he would receive when his next book was released. It had been years in the making. He leaned over to Kevin's ear and whispered, "If it gets turned into a movie, I'll make sure someone good plays you."

Before he left, he made sure there would be no evidence of his presence left behind. He closed the door after him and drove to Open Heart Residential Treatment Center.

~AT THE HOSPITAL 6:00PM~

Detective James Smith could tell that David was upset. He seemed anxious and James supposed it was because Eva still hadn't visited. David hadn't mentioned Eva, which James thought was odd. Finally, Smith told David about the phone call he had overheard between Eva and Tom McDaniels. David become upset and pulled out his IV.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Smith asked.

"Get away from me. I've been stabbed but I'm not dead. I was going to be released tomorrow anyway. I'm just going to check out sooner," David quickly jumped out of his hospital bed, surprising his friend James.