Chapter 12

“I’m coming Queen Eva”

It was written on the side of her car. Eva swirled around towards Tom, “Did you do this?”

“Do what?” Tom didn’t know what she was talking about until he looked over her shoulder and saw her car. “Oh shit,” he said under his breath.

“Cut the crap. I know you did this to scare me into helping you.” Eva wasn’t buying his innocent act.

“What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t touch your car. I swear I just got here,” Tom defended himself.

“Oh please. What better way to get me to help you than to spray paint my car and try to intimidate me? Is this supposed to scare me? This better wash off,” Eva told him.

Tom shook his head, “Eva you need to call the cops. We can go to the police station in my car if you like. I know you don’t believe me but I didn’t touch your car.”

Eva didn’t know why but she felt like he was telling the truth and panic started to rise because it meant someone else had done this to her car. “You swear you didn’t do this?”

Tom nodded, “I swear to God Eva.”

Eva cursed under her breath and took out her phone. She looked for a contact and hit the green talk button. “Hi David, it’s me. I need your help.”

~MEANWHILE~

“Hurry up I need to use the bathroom. Can’t you drive any faster?” Thirteen year old Jason was in the backseat of his dad’s van on his way home from an overnight trip to Sea World. It was late and he had been holding his need to use the bathroom for over an hour. “Dad do you want me to piss in the backseat?”

Jason’s mom turned her head, “Watch your mouth Jason.”

Jason rolled his eyes and his father laughed, “Hold on kiddo we’re almost there.”

They lived in the country so the drive home had been long. As soon as they approached their house, Jason ran out of the car and picked up the key under the mat outside the front door. He unlocked the door and as he made his way through the house, he was surprised to see a light coming from his parents’ bedroom. He distinctly remembered turning off all of the lights right before they had left. Jason could hear his parents laughing in the living room. He slowly opened the door to their room and peeked in.

Jason’s parents were walking to their bedroom only to hear the sounds of their son gagging. “Jason? What’s wrong, sweetie?” his mom stepped forward. The smell of vomit, urine, and blood flooded her nostrils. “Oh my God!”

The sight before them was horrific. A woman was tied to their bed, knife wounds covered her arms and legs and the skin on her face was missing. On her skull was a delicate crown of white flowers.

~PARKING LOT OF LUDWIG NEWS BUILDING~

David had been happy that Eva had called him but when he found out why she needed him, he was worried for her. He really did come running when she had called him. Eva was standing by her car and next to her was a man that David had never seen by Eva before. He walked up to the both of them and after asking Eva if she was okay again, he turned to the man and extended his hand, “Detective David Wilson.”

“Tom McDaniels,” Tom answered, shaking David’s hand.

“Do you also work for the newspaper?”David asked. He knew Tom was some big shot business guy that would occasionally show up in the newspapers but he wanted to see how Tom would react.

Tom showed no reaction, he simply shook his head and said, “No, I had just arrived here to meet Eva when she noticed someone had written on her car.”

David tilted his head to one side, “You didn’t see anyone suspicious in the parking lot?”

Again, Tom shook his head.

Eva clutched her locket, “David, I want you to find out who did this. Please. I don’t like the idea of someone trying to scare me or intimidate me.” As she said the last part, she looked directly at Tom.

David noticed the exchange between the two and asked, “How do you two know each other?”

Tom looked at him and then looked away. “What a prick,” David thought.

Eva finally answered, “He’s a fan of my work and wants me to write an article about him and his company.” David could tell she was lying.

“Eva…I need the truth,” David whispered to her.

“It is the truth,” she said looking at Tom again. “Didn’t you ask me to write an article for you?”

Tom cleared his throat, “Yes. Yes, I did.”

“You’re not a couple then?” David asked.

They both gave an emphatic, “No!”

Eva then asked, “David could we get back on topic here? What the hell should I do about my car?”

David looked back at the car and told Eva, “I think this may be another prank. Our killer hasn’t been leaving messages for women. Just in case, I’m going to have the cops come in and check for prints. Hang tight okay?” David walked a few feet away to make some phone calls and then came back to stand in front of Eva, “Did you need a ride home?”

Tom stepped forward, “I can take her home.”

“No.” Eva shook her head, “I’d rather you didn’t. David can you give me a ride home?”

David was happy to oblige, “Of course I can. Let’s wait until the other cops get here and then I’ll take you home.”

Tom was about to argue when David stepped in front of Eva and said, “I’ll need a good contact number for you in case we need to question you further.”

Tom laughed. “Some kid paints on her car and you’re turning this into a giant crime scene?”

Eva frowned, “Is that a problem?” Maybe Tom really did paint on her car.

David looked between the two of them again, “Is something going on that I should know about?”

“No!” they both said in unison.

As the police came to inspect Eva’s car, she stood to the side with her arms wrapped around herself.

David stood right next to her and Tom was a few feet away. David looked down at Eva, “Eva, I’m glad you called me tonight.”

Eva smiled wanly at him. David put his arm around Eva and smiled when she didn’t brush him off. One of the officers called David over and said in a quiet voice, “I think we need to notify the FBI about this.”

David was confused, “Why? It’s just some prank.”

The officer pointed to the writing on the car, “That’s one hell of a prank then. Didn't you look at the writing yourself? That’s not just paint David.”

David shook his head to answer the other officer and wished he would get to the point, “Then what is it?”

The officer lowered his voice, “It’s blood.”