How to Kill a Man in Thirty Seconds

Chapter 70: Confession

Time froze. The world seemed to slow down around me.

Colton Hunt's hair was glistening with water, his torso bare. My gaze dropped, gouging with horror, the tattoo of a dragon that curled its way round his neck and down to his abdomen.

Horror engulfed me, realization slamming into me like an out-of-control vehicle. And suddenly, long forgotten snippets- flashbacks- returned, forcing the pieces of the puzzle into their final resting place.

I remembered the curly, blonde beard that had drooped down from his chin. The gaunt face with pale lips that I had witnessed at the trial.

'Morgan's brother... asked Morgan to meet him at the motel to argue staying out of the institution.'

'Why in particular the Red Hill's motel?'

'It was close to my rehab center.'

My question to Mary about the stranger she had met at the bar, rushed back to me.

'Do you remember anything? Anything at all?'

'He had a scar on his chest. A black scar.'

She had been drunk; it hadn't been a scar. It had been a tattoo. The same black tattoo of a dragon that I had spotted at the trial four years ago.

The murderer was Christian Walker. It had been Christian Walker all along, not Morgan. The alibi had been the true culprit. Christian Walker hadn't died in a fire three years ago; it had only been a ruse. He had vanished, only to reappear under a different identity.

He had reappeared as Colton Hunt.

'They said my father had gone missing,' Adrian had said. 'Just disappeared right off the map.'

That must have been right after the fire. The years in which Christian had laid low, playing a dead man.

Horror seized hold over me with a murderous grip, my eyes widening as I stared up at this man that had risen from the dead. At this monster that had driven a bullet through my father's heart.

My thoughts were chaotic; the blood was pounding in my ears, too fast, too loud. I forgot to breathe. I felt nothing but fear. Fear that rendered me mute.

Christian Walker stared back at me, startled and silent. Before I knew it, I had scrambled to my feet and made a wild dash for the door, my heart palpating with absolute grim terror in my chest. I made it; I yanked the door open, dashing out before he had taken stock of what was happening.

And then I was out, frigid air encompassing me like an old friend. I didn't stop; I ran, heart thudding, legs weak, as fast as I could. Until I had disappeared into the darkness, until the grim silence engulfed me once more in a stifling, deathly blanket that made me fumble with fear. Until only shadows of branches were visible, surrounded by fearful wide eyes of owls that hid away within them.

I ran.

I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know if I had lost the trail. Didn't know if I was being followed.

Silence. Except for the sound of my frantic breathing.

I crashed into a rigid, motionless frame in the blackness. My heart squeezed in horror and a terrified scream escaped my lips.

I stumbled backwards. Fell on my hands and feet. I tried to scramble away, heart in my throat.

"Charley?" a familiar voice sounded from the darkness.

"Adrian?" there was no mistaking the relief, the joy that filled my voice. I scrambled to my feet, groped around helplessly in the darkness, "Adrian. Adrian."

His hands found me in the darkness, held on. "Charley," his voice was hushed, confused, concerned, "What are you doing here?"

"Adrian," my shaking hands were on his arms and I was pulling him closer, desperate to not lose him again, "Oh my Gosh, it's you. It's really you."

Sweet relief filled me; my heart hadn't stopped pounding, the fear still raw.

"Charley-."

"We need to go. He's back. Your father's back. We need to get out of here."

It was a while more of stumbling around in the dark, Adrian leading the way before we reached the nearest street light. His hand, which had been clutching mine securely all the while, only released me then. I could see houses nearby, a residence area. A breath of relief left me.

My heart slowed a little.

I realized Adrian's eyes were on me, wide and brimming with unfiltered concern. His gaze was flickering over my torn pants, bloodied arms and knees. Pain flickered through his eyes.

His hands moved unconsciously to mine, holding me with a desperation I hadn't seen in him ever before.

"Charley, what is going on?" he pleaded, "Please tell me. I'm begging you."

My gaze stilled on his, unsure, afraid. These were his parents; the news would change his memory of them forever. For a second, I wondered if I would regret it. For a daring moment, I considered hiding the secret, taking it to my grave.

Just like my father had.

The truth they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

Wasn't it better to live a lie that filled you with joy, than the truth that drained you of a reason to live?

But Adrian was watching me, forest green eyes open and honest, and I knew there was no way I could hide this forever. The truth would always catch up.

"Your mother and my father were in an affair," the words escaped my lips of their own accord.

Adrian froze.

I couldn't stop, "I know it doesn't make sense, but it's true, Adrian. Our parents knew each other, since they were kids. They grew up in this town. And they... they were together. My father was cheating on my mother all along," tears rushed to my eyes as I finally said the words, the reality of it all suddenly hitting me without mercy.

My voice cracked, "I don't know long it went on for. But your mother was the culprit behind the poison, Adrian." Tears filled my eyes, even as Adrian's eyes widened in shock, disbelief, even as the air rushed out of him and he stared, mute. "I'm sorry. I know that's not what you want to hear. But she was an expert on gardening, wasn't she? That's how you've always known so much about botany."

The tears were slipping past my eyes and I felt like my heart was being ripped apart, layer by layer. Adrian was staring at me, grief seeping into his eyes, mixing with disappointment and horror.

"Remember Morgan's brother that died in the fire, Adrian? He didn't die. He reappeared, as Colton Hunt. Remember how your father went missing for years, after you and your mum moved away? That was right after the fire, Adrian. He was laying low, until everybody had forgotten about the murder. Morgan didn't come to the motel to kill my father. He came to save his brother- your father, the murderer."

I choked on a sob, but didn't have the strength to wipe my tears away. Adrian was watching me, guilt and sadness filling the green orbs of his eyes; he had a glassy sheen over them as he struggled to compose himself.

He swallowed harshly, against a ball of emotion that had climbed up his throat and a moment passed before he replied, "I know, Charley."

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A/N- Let me know what you think?