They Call Me Weird

Family Resemblance

CHAPTER 10

"I figured it was you after I noticed the hair. Your mother had the same color hair, it was what first attracted me to her." Bradley said in an eerily way that caused chills to go up to my spine. "So, what brings on this family reunion? I hope you aren't stupid enough to come to ask me for money. As you can tell I am not living in the Ritz." He said as he leaned as far back in his chair as his cuffs would let him.

"No, no money. Just answers." I exacted.

"Well ask away Crimson." A creepy smile slithered onto his face after he said my name and spoke again. "Your Mom named you Crimson?"

"That's what she wrote on my birth certificate," I said with some surprising attitude.

"Well, I am glad she went with my top choice. I couldn't stand the name Jennifer and seeing you now it wouldn't have fit." He responded.

"Your pick?" I asked a little shocked. "You talked to my Mom after you were put in jail?"

"Yeah, she came and visited once a week after she put me in her. Came under a fake name so the courts wouldn't catch her coming in. Couldn't let the jury know a rape victim visited her attacker every week."

The words he said were followed by silence. Was he talking about the one rape charge that I saw on his bio?

"Was my mother the one rape charge you were convicted of?" I questioned.

Bradley chuckled and looked up at the ceiling like he was remembering something fondly. "Oh yes, Thana was the one who turned me into the cops and stopped my reign of trauma with one little phone call. She told them she found some of my trophies after I "attacked and raped" her." He looked over to me when he added air quotes over the harsh words. "I never attacked her I'm sure she told you differently and I don't blame her for telling everyone that our relationship was forced on her part, she did it to help herself." He said still looking at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry I don't believe a convicted serial killer who raped my mother." I snarked.

Bradley looked back down at me "You see, sweet daughter of mine, what most people don't know is that I and your mother were committed to each other. I loved her, well as much as a person like me could "love" someone. We were together for a little less than a year before I ended up here." Bradley stopped and looked at me like he was studying me for a reaction. "How is Thana by the way?"

I looked down at the table "I'm guessing Thana is the name of my mother? And if so, she died when I was born. I didn't even know her name until now. I grew up with my grandmother." I responded.

"Well, well, well I guess you do take after your Dad." He leaned in as close as he could with the cuffs. "Already doing better than your old man. Killed your mother before you could even talk, pretty impressive. I guess that explains why she didn't come and see me after she gave birth. She said she was going to I figured she smartened up and left that stupid town and went to do great things." He paused and without even a slight change in expression said, "Oh well." He finished with a slight shrug. I sat there in silence not knowing what to say. I know Lina always blamed me for my Mother's death and it became easy to ignore. I am smart enough to know people die during childbirth all the time, but hearing it relate to my Father's crimes hit a nerve. I was done playing games, I wanted answers, I wanted this done and over with. But I also wanted to stay here and talk to him. He is the only person who will talk to me about my mom. Even if everything he says is a lie, I am still getting to know pieces of my mom though him.

"How did you and my mom meet?" I asked. Lucas looked at me with a confused look. I gave him a pleading one back and then turned my attention back to Bradley.

"Oh, it was a usual sappy love story. A girl has a TA at the local community college where she trips on a curb. Books knocked everywhere and me her knight in shining armor to help her gather her things. I noticed her textbooks were in the criminal justice field and criminal profiling which started a conversation as you could imagine. Curious by nature I asked her for some coffee, and she said yes. And it was happily ever after until she called the cops." He again smiled past our heads like he was living that day all over again. "Little did she know that she was helping me watch Elizabeth Jefferson who had a date at that coffee shop." And with that statement, the sweet nostalgic moment was ruined. "Ok never mind I thought I could learn something about my mom from you, but I was wrong so let's just talk about what we came here for," I demanded.

"Oh, trust me you don't want to know your mother I knew her better than anyone and look at me now." He raised his hands to show his cuffs. "But I guess you don't have to worry about that since she left." He shrugged. "She didn't leave she died!" I said sternly getting aggravated. "Alright sorry, still hard to believe, she was a strong woman." He put his hands up like he was surrendering but had this expression on his face that I couldn't read. If I didn't know any better, he looked like he didn't believe me.

"But anyways back to what we came here for I met your new friend....or fan I could say" I stated.

"Friend, who are you talking about?" Bradley asked. Leaning forward as he was now curious of what I had to say.

"Oh, you know the guy who dresses in all black and a ski mask. The one who copies your murders and assaults and stalks me." I recounted as I leaned in closer to him standing my ground and trying to read his expressions better.

"Someone is copying my work?" He asked looking more mad.

"Yeah, a girl was found yesterday killed and placed in the woods with a bloody white rose. Just like how you did during your last spree." I looked at him not backing down. I needed answers, I wanted my name cleared I just wanted to continue a normal life as much as I can now.

"Well, I don't know who it is. Do you think I want someone copying my art? That's like asking Davinci if he asked someone to copy the Mona Lisa." He scolded as he crossed his arms. Lucas and I looked at each other and we didn't even have to talk to know what the other one was thinking. We smiled and almost laughed at the comparing of the two "artists". "I will let your comparison slide, but you are saying you don't know who this is and didn't ask someone to copy your murders to get out?" I asked not expecting a truthful answer. "Yeah, that is what I am saying." He paused. "But that doesn't mean one of my fans didn't think of doing that themselves. I do have a large fan base that mails me letters." Bradley stated.

Lucas butted into the conversation "This would have been a guy that you have told in detail about the crimes you committed. This guy copied you to the letter the police were looking to make sure you didn't escape before looking at Crimson."

"I mean there are a good amount of people I talk about my crimes in detail with." He answered.

"Are any of them obsessed with me? This guy wants me dead, but he said he promised you he wouldn't do that. He told me it would be poetic to kill me like how you killed your victims." I questioned him. "There was one guy who asked if I had any family left and I did mention you, but like I said I didn't even know you still lived in Far Water until today. And that's all the information I can give you. There was no name on the letters so nothing to give to you guys plus the letters are from a different address all the time. These are criminals we are talking about and he doesn't seem to be one of the stupid ones." He confessed. "But hey I sure you can find him and clear your name and mine I don't want to be associated with an amateur doing my work. Just remember to think about what I would do and maybe you can be one step ahead of him." He said with a sly smile that honestly creeped me out. But with that, he called for the C.O. to come to get him. As the C.O. was uncuffing him from the table Bradley threw in the last couple of words. "It was nice seeing you and seeing how beautiful you grew up to be. And don't fret about not knowing your mom you might be meeting her soon." And with a creepy chuckle, Bradley winked at me and walked through the door back to his cell.