Excerpts from "The Pen Pal Murders"
From Chapter 11
"Don't look any more," Pepper pleaded.
"She's right," Bennett said.
"Maybe she's wrong. I came to find out what someone might have in store for me. Knowing will give me the strength or the will to thwart him if, in fact, this is really connected to what I've been subjected.
Diane wondered why she had to continue. She knew she'd seen enough. What she said didn't make sense and she knew it. She realized that it was morbid curiosity, like her teenage trip to the morgue. She had to go on.
"I still wish you wouldn't," Pepper said, as she extracted the next photo and placed it face down in front of Diane.
Diane paid no attention and turned the photo over. She began to tremble. Bennett took her by the arm, even though she, too, was shaking.
"I'm all right. At least I think I am. But this is impossible to believe."
The photo was taken from the feet first. The woman's body was sliced from her crotch, upward over her abdomen and between what would have been her breasts. The weapon, a large butcher knife, was plunged deeply into her chest.
Diane mumbled something, more moans than words. She was unable to hold back tears. She pushed the photo back across the table. Unable to speak, she leaned back and kept shaking her head. Her throat shut down. She couldn't swallow. She could barely breathe. She tried desperately to hold it back, but everything she ate came up. She cried, embarrassed and dizzy. She tried to apologize. Her lips moved, but there were no words. Everything in the room began to spin, and then Diane lost consciousness.
From Chapter 20
Most of the people they wanted to interview lived close to the victim's residence. Everyone's conclusion was similar.
"He was a mean, ignorant and arrogant bastard," a balding and bulging next-door neighbor told them. "Like, one time that crud was pushing his wife, Marie, around on their front porch, not too long before she was kilt. She was pleading and crying, so I went over and suggested he back off a bit. The sum bitch never says a word. He just turns around and pops me one."
The man opened his mouth and placed an index finger and thumb over his front teeth as though they were still loose and he could wiggle them.
"See this one? It's false. The real one stuck in the sum bitch's fist. Then he turns around and biffs her like it was her fault that I said something. She goes flat on her ass. I'm already on mine, and we're there facing each other. So, her blood's squirtin' outta her nose and mine's squiritin' outta my mouth. It's all over us. I looked like a turned-over bottle of ketchup. Then the sum bitch bends over us, and spreads his arms wide like an ump does when a runners called out at home plate. 'You're out,' he yells, and laughs like hell.
"You won't believe it, but the stupid broad, after he keeps knockin' her for a ten-yard loss, always withdraws any charges and pays any costs. I would a let his ass rot in the clink if I was her. She'd probably be alive today if she did."
"Did you file a complaint?"
"Whatta ya think, I'm crazy? I'd probably be dead now, too"
"Do you think he might be dead?" Diane asked.
"Hell no. But lots a people 'round here sure'n hell wish he was. There's a lot of people 'round here with missin' choppers just like mine. That sum bitch is big and bad and if he comes back..." He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, as the sentence tailed off. "There was only one good thing about having that animal
around."
"What was that?" Bennett asked.
"He was so ornery and mean, nobody screwed with us or our properties. It'll probably be open season on us now."
