Sheep's Clothing by Gary Lewis (dark books to read TXT) 📗

grew frighteningly wide as she leaned toward him in the dark and spoke in a hushed tone. “Who else knew about the cameras and Vance’s bear traps?”

Speechless, David waited as he listened for Sarah to say what was too terrifying to hear.

Her shadowy face remained locked onto his as she spoke again. "Do you know what this means?"

David’s thoughts rose with his eyes. Someone who was in the room with us earlier.

He gazed across the stars at the huge, bright orb that shown through the blackened sky. "It means that it's one of us."

After a moment to think, David began to carry the destroyed equipment back to his car as Sarah followed.

"I'll deal with Tony,” David told Sarah as he walked her to the car. “You figure out what's going on with Vance."

"But why Vance?" she asked.

"Just a hunch," he said, walking away to his car.

###

David returned home, waiting for the sun to rise. He needed to confront Tony in person to figure out what he meant. Surely, it's not as bad as it seems. But why would he be scribbling this while we were at Sarah's, investigating the killings? Why would he be so hesitant as to begin a letter and throw it away? 

The darkness finally gave way to the gleam of dawn and David was filled with resolve as his thoughts turned to the Sunset Diner.

###

Inside, the lobby was filled with the early morning regulars. Senior citizens sipped their coffee with newspapers folded before them as they talked about the temperature and other mundane, everyday things despite all that had recently happened in town.

When he caught sight of Tony in the back, David shouted him over.

Tony hesitated. "Just a minute, little bro."

David waited, pacing around the front counter as seated customers began to watch.

Finally, Tony stepped around the counter, taking off his gloves. "What's up, little bro?” he asked, grinning at David. “Janice giving you trouble again?"

"What makes you ask that, Tony?"

"You were over there last night, right?"

"How would you know I was at Jan’s last night?" David asked. His suspicion was now growing by the minute.

Tony waited a few seconds. "Look, I could answer that, but how about you tell me what's really troubling you first?"

"No,” David said, knowing he had Tony cornered. “I think I'll wait for your answer."

"Okay then. But after this, you owe me some answers too," Tony said, pulling his phone out and sliding his thumb around the screen.

Tony turned the screen around to show David the message he sent the night before. Of course. David had forgotten that he told everyone he was there last night.

"You did something awful?" David asked Tony.

"Oh. So that's it, little bro?” He lowered his eyes to the floor. “I didn't think anyone would see that."

"Yeah. That's it alright."

"All you had to do was ask me," Tony said with a smile, shrugging his arms out. "But not here.” He raised his arm to glance at his shiny, silver wristwatch. “I get out at eight thirty.” Tony’s face turned toward the large windows that covered the front wall where a perfect view of Bluff Mountain stood in the distance. “The cliffs after work."

David nodded. "The cliffs at nine then."

Chapter 4

#Sarah#

Sarah's comfy couch cushions begged her to fall back into the dead sleep from which she came, but the alarm clock screaming in her ears had other plans. As much as she wished she could wrap herself back into the comfort from which she came, she had things to do today.

After two groggily failed attempts, she finally unlocked her phone to see the missed texts.

"What's the word on Vance?" from David.

"You're late checking on Sheryl's air conditioner. You still want to earn your keep until you go back to college?" from Ms. Perry. Her last foster parent, now landlord, always made sure to rub it in.

As Sarah glanced over the mess that still took the place of her dining area, it made her cringe almost as much as her past that always threatened to seep from her subconscious each moment that she dropped her guard. A crumpled cigarette pack rested on her table top. It was as empty as her wallet.

"Guess it's time to quit." She slapped it back onto the table and marched out the backdoor toward her toolshed. "Shower can wait until I'm done." She pushed through the defeat that weighed as heavily on her back as her eyelids.

Just behind Sarah's house, the small makeshift toolshed bordered the trees that sprawled out, attempting to engulf what she had of a backyard. Gray vinyl siding clung to used sheet metal that held spots of rust along the walls. It wasn't her best project, but it was hers and it served its purpose.

While flipping through a couple dozen keys on her heavy keyring to open the padlock, she gasped. Four long gashes dug deeply through the wooden door. Sarah's pause was filled with a blank stare as she lightly ran her fingertips along the roughed-out edges, massaging in the tiny shards of splintered wood.

After entering the shed, Sarah scurried through neatly arranged drawers and toolboxes packed with appliances to grab her drill and multimeter before setting out down her short, secluded gravel road. But as the morning heralded the heat of noon, she carried that haste with her. It hung just over her shoulder and traveled into her feet, pushing them forward across the hot gravel.

###

Even after changing a corroded blower capacitor and returning home for her shower, Sarah couldn't shake the uneasiness that had now invaded her property.

On her way to the car, she slowed to look at the boot prints scuffed into the dry dirt of her driveway. She stopped at Tony's prints for a prolonged moment that carried her sleep deprived thoughts into distant places. He always seemed nice... Too nice. What is it that he’s hiding? As she climbed into the car, her questions fired the ignition and guided her steering wheel in the opposite direction of Vance's house. "I think it's time I grab a bite to