Dead By Dawn

Chapter Ten:

       Lorraine's body had been found. Three strikes to her head which, if left would have killed her. But her killer decided to take it further. 

He had taken a rope, and wrapped it around her neck, and pulled tight. The scene wasn't as bloody as the others, but still gruesome.

The look of fear still in her eyes, her mouth wide open, showing her beautiful white teeth.

The rope had been removed. The killer had taken it with him. But the investigators knew that she had been strangled by some sort of cord or rope. They had to to do some kind of analysis, see what fibres may be left on her skin, hair or clothes.

He'd left no fingerprints, no footprints, and no DNA. All they could do is try to find some sort of similarity with the strangulation. The strength they used, the pattern in the rope, whether they had strangled her from behind or not.

They eventually found out that Lorraine had been knocked unconscious then strangled. She didn't feel a thing.

     They arrived at Steve's house. The front and back doors were unlocked. They went inside and noticed Steve wasn't in the front room, kitchen, bathroom or bedroom, they called his name. no answer.

"Benji. Where would he go now? Tell me!" Kady screamed at him, grabbing him by the collar.

"Your mom's house."

As they were leaving, Carrie pulled Benji to the side and said. "So your dad is trying to kill Kady's dad?"

"No, my dad is trying to protect his daughter." He began to race to his car.

"What?"

"My dad...is Kady's dad. He had an affair nine months before Kay was born."

"That doesn't mean he's my dad too!" Kady had spun around.

"The affair was with your mom. So yes, it does." Benji said. He opened the drivers' side door and slipped onto the seat. The two girls got in the car too and they sped towards Karyn's house.

A few minutes into the drive Benji heard a quiet sobbing coming from the back seat. He glanced around to see Carrie with tears on her cheeks, her eyes puffy and red.

"What's up?"

She looked up, shocked. "What's up? Are you seriously asking me what's up?! You just told me my sister is dead and it was your dad who did it! I'm gonna be upset!"

"Sorry." Benji said quietly. "Look, I feel awful. Guilty that I hid it from you. I should have told you before he did it. I should have stopped him."

"Wait... you knew before he did it? Why didn't you say anything?! Why didn't you warn her, or call the police?"

"Because, I – I would be in trouble too."

"Why? It's not like you killed anyone." Kady said. Benji could tell she was getting impatient, wanting to get to Steve and her mom before Benji's dad did.

Benji sighed.

"Benji! I said it's not like you killed anyone, and you staying quiet is really unsettling."

"Let's just concentrate on getting to your mother's house, okay?"

"Benji?" There was fear evident in Carrie's voice. "Did you-"

"Drop it! We're almost there and we'll talk later." Benji snapped.

     Karyn and Keith were enjoying a few drinks, again. More vodka, and an already empty bottle of whiskey. They had been drinking all day, and it was coming to time to go to

bed. "Just one more drink." Karyn said. But Keith was already one step ahead of her. He was refilling their glasses, unsteadily, and spilling vodka on the floor.

They both giggled drunkenly. "Oops." Said Keith. The bottle was no empty. "I'll go put this in the trash." He got up and walked outside.

After the door closed, Karyn picked up her drink and gulped it down. When she lowered the glass, she saw there was only a mouthful left, so she drank it straight away. She stood, to go to the fridge to look for more, but stumbled and fell straight back down on the couch. 

"Maybe that's enough for tonight." She said to herself, as her foot knocked over the glass. It had been a few minutes and Keith hadn't come back inside. She stumbled her way to the front door and opened it, her hand missing the doorknob twice. 

She poked her head outside. "Keith?" She called. No answer.

He was really drunk and maybe went to walk it off. She tried to operate her cell phone to call him, but she could barely read. Her vision wasn't just blurry, it was almost like she was going blind. 

The light from her phone made her vision worse, and the phone fell from her hand and shattered on the floor. She fell backwards into the door, and onto the floor, just inside.

She opened her eyes and the blurry image of a man was standing over her. He helped her off the floor and took her to the couch. "Aww, thanks baby." She slurred.

She was so drunk, she didn't realise that the man who had helped her off the floor wasn't Keith...