Chapter 10: .crime/of/passion
As soon as I got in the door of my apartment I started drawing a map. A map of the chain of events that had found place. I didn’t know as much as the police. Not about the Bashor’s at least. I got my computer to do some research on John Bashor. He a surprising amount of information about himself on the web. For an alcoholic and an abuser, he was well connected to say the least.
I started my map at the first event. The Sprague murder. I still didn’t know what actually happened, only that she was found raped and murdered on a table in that run-down basement in the outskirts.
I wrote on a board I bought at a flee market. It was a magnetic board that you could write on with permanent marker. I did some research on Amanda as well. She had a website, or a blog rather, where she subtly offered her services. She had a price listing of the different services and she had a short bio about herself. Her picture was beautiful. It almost looked professional. She could have become a model if the life on the streets didn’t engulf her first.
Amanda had long, black hair and blue eyes. Her face was heart shaped and she smiled in the picture. She was breath taking. Many had commented on the picture, telling her how gorgeous she was.
I quickly wrote down:
Amanda Sprague, age unknown. Caucasian female.
Found raped, gagged and murdered in a cellar in the outskirts of town. The killer was John Bashor, father of one, married to Rose Abigail Bashor.
From the information on John Bashor I wrote an entry on him as well.
John Bashor, 43-year-old alcoholic. Lived at 45, Sundrive Avenue. Married to Rose Abigail Bashor. One son: Derrick Bashor. John worked at a construction site.
I then went on to write a long entry about the incident. I wrote about all the smells, the feelings, the sounds, and the sights. Every minute detail was important. If I overlooked something, the whole thing might crumble. I wanted to make it as perfect as possible. Partly to impress Scott, partly to help him with the investigation, but mostly for myself. I was going to get to the bottom of this. I didn’t know when, but I knew I would try and do my best to figure this mystery out. I wasn’t trained to do this kind of work, and I never thought I would aid a police investigation. Still it was better than sitting on my ass making music all day.
It was just that the whole thing felt weird. My life was turned completely on its head. I knew my paycheck for this month would be rather big, but that didn’t even remotely interest me. All I could focus on was this work. I tried sitting down, making some music. But it didn’t work. Nothing could put my racing mind at ease. I even made some tea to try to calm myself down. It was just as futile as the other attempts.
I was researching John Bashor when my phone rang. Just as it rang I head a car pull up into the driveway.
The caller ID was Chris. He was pretty cute in his picture. With shorter light-brown hair and radiant blue eyes. He smiled at the camera and his slight dimples showed. That was only a couple of months ago. Now he looked like some kind of woodcutter with his beard and chin-length hair.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Can you open the door? I’m sitting in the driveway.” I looked out of the window. He honked his horn as he saw me peep out. I jumped at the sound.
“What?,” he asked.
“I’m just a little jumpy,” I admitted. I opened the door and let him in. He pressed his body against mine and kissed my lips softly.
“I missed you,” he whispered. I got out of his grip to lock the door. “You never lock the door when you’re at home,” he commented.
“As I said, I’m a little jumpy.” He half smiled and sat down on the settee. I sat down beside him and rested my head on his shoulder.713Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsNrjR4wn8
“What have you been up to?” he asked while stroking my hair.
“I’m a part of the investigation. I’m helping Scott do the police work.” There was no point lying to him. He would figure it out sooner or later anyway.
“You what?!” he shouted.
“Keep your voice down.” I didn’t want to wake the neighbours. “I’m helping Scott Winchester with the investigation. I’m not doing anything dangerous,” I explained. Chris didn’t seem like he calmed down. His nostrils flared. I just sat there, staring into the blue of his eyes. He had a ring of gold around the pupils. I hadn’t noticed that before.
“Calm down. I’m not doing anything dangerous,” I repeated.
He exhaled slowly and looked me in the eyes. We sat like that for a couple of seconds. His nostrils still flaring, but his breath was calmer. Then he started kissing me. Slowly at first, but then the kissed grew more desperate.
“I guess I just overreacted,” he said between kisses. “But I still don’t want you hanging around Winchester.”713Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcOhDXne3k
“Mmh, I can’t promise anything,” I said as I tore of my t-shirt. Chris continued kissing me, now he was moving down my neck.
“It’s been a while,” he said. I nodded as he sucked on my pulse point. I moaned and blushed.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said stroking my collarbones tenderly.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I moaned as he started fiddling with the buttons of my trousers. He tried kissing my collarbones at the same time as he tampered with my buttons. I started laughing at his ineffective attempts.
“Don’t you dare laugh,” he said, trying to hold the laughter back himself. I shook my head. Chris started taking his shirt of. I looked at his chiselled muscles. I realised how lucky I was to have I guy like him.
As he kissed me he moved his hands up my thighs. I moaned again, and smiled as he finally got the buttons open. He pulled the zipper down, and I stepped out of my trousers.
I moved to lie down on the settee. Chris hovered above me and smiled.
“I love you,” he said before moving down my body. I couldn’t answer.
It was around 2 o’clock when I woke up to find an empty settee. I looked in the bedroom to see if Chris had gone to the bed to sleep. He wasn’t there. The car was gone as well. On the kitchen table I found a note. It said:
I went home to sleep. Thanks for tonight. I had a great time.
Yours forever. Chris.
Ps. I love you, Beautiful.
It was pretty cold in the apartment, but the window was closed. I went to lock the door. I knew it would be open because Chris didn’t have a key. I went to get a glass of water. I was thirsty after our previous activities. I waited until the water was cold enough and went back to the living room.
It was raining outside. I sat down to look at the board with the information about the case. I didn’t se any rhyme or reason. There was one big piece missing. I just didn’t know what it was.
Another problem was my feelings for Chris. I didn’t know what I felt for him anymore. After his pulsating anger, I was scared. And though I loved him, I felt as if this new side of him was driving us apart.
I needed to clear my head. My jacket was draped across the settee. I put it on and stepped out of my apartment, making sure to lock the door before I left. My scooter was parked right next to the entrance. I turned the key in the ignition and started the scooter.
I pulled out of the driveway and rode into the main street. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t have a destination.
The scooter’s motor roused as I sped up. I was driving close to the scooter’s limit. The lights from the houses became a mushy blur. I reached an intersection and turned right. I was driving out of the centre of town, and into the suburbs. I tried to avoid the slums. I saw the junction that led to Sundrive Avenue. I drove right past it and drove into the richer districts.
I looked in the mirror when I saw a van behind me. It was dark red and I couldn’t see the person behind the steering wheel. It was dark inside the van. I got an eerie feeling as I looked into the mirror. To shake the van off I turned into a small street. The van followed into the side street. It was just far enough behind to not raise my suspicions, but I still felt that same tension go through my body.
The side street ended in another intersection. I turned to the smallest and darkest street, and figured that the van wouldn’t follow me if it didn’t want something from me.
My fears were confirmed then the van followed me down the dark street. Now I was stuck in a strange street with almost no light with a possible kidnapper-van behind me. I roused the motor and started speeding down the street. I turned at the next junction, happy to see that I knew this road. It was the one that led to the university. I pulled into the parking lot, and the van was nowhere to be seen. I jumped off the scooter and pulled the key out.
Then the van pulled into the parking lot. My heart beat against my chest. It was galloping. I only had my keys to protect me. I was internally screaming bloody murder. The van stopped and I saw the driver move inside the car. The sweat seeped out of my pores. I prepared to scream and run, but for some reason I was frozen in place. How long had it been following me? Why was it following me? The face of John Bashor popped into my head. I started shivering from fear.
The door opened and a man came out. He turned to look at me. His baseball cap sent a shadow over his eyes, but I could see the brown of his irises.
I exhaled and walked towards him with a smile on his face.
“Dylan, you terrified me. How long have you been following me?”
“I was right outside your driveway. I woke up when you roused that tiny motor of yours.” This was the druggie that owed France a lot of money. He had thin blond hair, and wrinkles. He was only about thirty-five, but he looked a lot older due to heavy heroin use.
“Why were you outside my driveway?” I asked. I still tried to get control over my breathing.
“I was going to see you in the morning. I had nowhere to go so I figured I could just curl up outside your house.” I playfully hit his arm. “Ouch, what was that for?”
“For scaring the living shite out of me.”
“You didn’t use to be so easily scared,” he commented.
“That was before…”
“…The incident, yeah, I know.” He went grim and closed his eyes. “It’s a shame what happened to Em. I really cared for her, you know.”713Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH9bZNxMnC
“I know.” It went quiet between us, but it was comfortable. I heard some music in the distance. It was probably people from the university partying. That reminded me of something.
“So you got clean?”
He nodded. “Was in a rehab centre for a while. Then I got a job and made some money. I paid the petrol station and went back to the rehab centre for a while. I got out today, well, I guess it’s yesterday now,” he smiled.
“I always knew you could do it,” I beamed. There was only one rehab facility in town. It was respected and recognised as one of the best in the country. People from outside of town had to pay a lot, but people from around here got a place for a low price.
“Did you see another druggie there,” I said, remembering the druggie form the incident.
“There were lots of druggies there, sweetheart.”713Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgr32qwGJ6
“He had long, dark hair and a short beard. His eyes were sunken into his skull and he looked like he had been using since he was a teenager,” I tried to give my best description.
“That sounds like most of the druggies at the centre. I’m sorry Oni, but I really don’t know who you’re talking about.”
We talked some more about idle things, but I was tired and sleepy. It was around three o’clock when Dylan asked if we should head home. He asked if he could sleep in the driveway. At least for tonight. I said yes, saying it was an honour that he chose my place to crash for the night. I even told him that he could sleep on the settee, but he thankfully declined, saying he would be more comfortable in his van. When I continued to press him he said that he’s just stay outside of France’s petrol station.
I rode home, feeling bad for Dylan.
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