The Terry Hill Butcher by Zetoon - HTML preview

CHAPTER 7

The little town of Terry Hill was struck by the news that Tommy was the main suspect. He was a charming young man and always seemed to be on the goods side. Except for the few outbursts he had. Most of them either defending his sister and Nina or fighting with Sam O’Brien over Lisa.

Nina had trouble coping in Terry Hill. Many people liked treating her like an outcast. Tommy really liked her and they had been good friends. After she was found dead, he felt very sad and buried his grief for both Nina and Lisa by studying day and night.

Now he was the main suspect. It had affected him so much that he decided to do his own investigation. He had to figure out who the killer was. He knew either way they would try to blame it on him. In the morning when His friend Caleb called to tell him about Catherine, he decided to disappear. He and his sister had a hideout in the woods and he hoped she wouldn’t tell. That was where he would stay while he figured out everything. It was not safe for him to be seen by anybody. Knowing the town folk, they would turn to him with baseball bats the minute they saw him.

He had a problem though. All his stuff was in the house, his notes everything was back at home. How would he get it without being seen? He had a plan. But this would be effected at night. He opted to stay at his hideout until it was safe. This is the time he wished he had left to study out of town as he wanted to. The thought of leaving his sister behind tormented him and he opted otherwise to watch over her. Now he was a main suspect in the cold blooded murder of 5 young ladies he was in contact with. Tommy needed to prove his innocence. He sat quietly at his hideout without waiting, hoping that this was all a bad dream and he would sleep and wake up and everything would be ok.

Courtney was pacing up and down her room, she couldn’t sit still. She was worried for her brother. She was worried for herself too. He had been her rock, her source of motivation. What would she do without him, she had to act. Just then her phone rang. When she answered it, the voice sounded familiar. It was him!

“Oh my God, Tommy, where are you? The police have been searching for you all over town. You need to come back.” She was speaking nearly out of breath.

“They’re probably tracking this number, we don’t have much time. Meet at the baby’s spot,” he said quickly and hang up.

She sat down on her bed and cleared her throat. She felt her heart sunken. What did they do to deserve this? Then she remembered what he had said. Baby’s spot? They had a secret place in the caves in the woods where they used to play when they were young. Even after the loss of their parents, they would get away from the town fracas and stay there for a while. Now she needed him. She had to act first.

She peered through the window and the street seemed clear. Though she wasn’t about to risk being caught sneaking out of the house. The real butcher was still out there somewhere. She went to Tommy’s room to check if there was anything there that he might have needed. There wasn’t much. The cops had taken most of his stuff. She returned to her roomed and dressed up in jeans a casual t-shirt and a jumper on top. She tipped toed down the steps carefully not to wake up Aunt Kelly. She was a heavy sleeper though. Courtney thought to herself. She wouldn’t wake up. She slowly opened the back door and slipped out.

It was still and quiet outside. She took in a breath of fresh air and walked down the steps. She was foolish to risk her life like this, but she did what she had to. She must save Tommy. She took off being careful to hide in the bushes. When she was clear of their street she ran at full speed towards the park. She kept looking back to be sure no one was following her. It was cold as she approached the woods. She had grown up playing in these woods and even in darkness she knew her way around. She made way and lit the small flashlight she had put in her pocket.

This is crazy she kept saying to herself. Some bushes moved. She froze for a moment, then slowly turning to see if there was someone there. It was quiet and dark, there was no one. Probably her imagination, her paranoia was getting the best of her. She began walking again at first backwards then turned and was half running. All the while saying a silent prayer to herself.

Then the rocky hill came into view and she knew she was almost there. Just before she got off the bushy trail someone grabbed her. He placed his hand over her mouth and told her to keep silent or that he would slit her throat. Courtney had heard that voice before but she couldn’t recall who it was. But definitely not her brother. Her heart beat so fast she was sure that’s all she heard. The man dragged her along the path and realized they were heading out of the woods. She tried to struggle off his hands but he was too strong for her.

Then again they heard some bushes moving. Courtney was almost certain now that someone had been following her and she hoped it was her brother coming to save her. They went along until out of the bushes someone rushed out yielding a branch and hitting the man. Courtney realizing it was Tommy, quickly pulled away and rushed behind her brother. He held a big branch hoping it would protect them.

The hooded man stood up and pulled a gun from behind his trouser and held it at them. He pulled his hoodie off and to their surprise it was Courtney’s American history lecturer. She was beyond words. He was the killer?

She asked him with a shaking voice, “Arreee you the butcher, Mr. Phelps?” Looking at him, though it was dark and the flash light that they hard wasn’t much help, but she was 100% sure it was him.

“You know Courtney, I always liked you and I would never have thought to hurt you. You were different. Not like the other girls. But everyone is keeping away now and I saw you running across the road. I couldn’t help it” He said as if feeling sorry that he would have to kill her. But he was smiling. Looking like a lion who had just caught his biggest hunt.

“Now as for your Tommy, too bad. You’re just collateral damaged.” He said turning the gun at Tommy.

Tommy and Courtney now knew their time was up. They could not pull away from this one. Maybe it was their family’s destiny to all die. Courtney thought. She held on to Tommy so tightly he was nearly out of breath. But he knew his sister was frightened and it was his duty to protect her.

He was going to shoot Tommy first and get him out of the way and deal with Courtney last.

“Mr. Victor Phelps, drop your weapon!!”

They all turned to see agent Todd and 3 other officers pointing their guns and flash lights at him.

“Drop it before I take you down. I don’t want this to end badly, listen to me and do it now!!”

Mr. Phelps wasn’t going to give up so easily, just as he cocked his gun pointing at Agent Todd, they released and he was pumped up with bullets. He feel down dead with a thud!! He was dead! Tommy turned and hugged his sister. It was over. He thought to himself.

As Agent Todd drove them to the Police station to take their statements, he explained that he knew Tommy was innocent. He was nothing like the description Lorraine had given him the day Lisa was found dead. They had gone through many files and when they came upon Mr. Phelps, they found out that he had two reports of domestic violence from an ex-wife and an ex-girlfriend in another town. That was strange. As if not enough, he had only take the job a few months back and was not outgoing, they didn’t know much about him. Furthermore, he was the perfect description they got. They decided to question him but when officers got to his home, the door was open and he wasn’t around. Just by the window, a scarf that belonged to Lisa was spotted. Her mother had given a perfect description of it and they were certain it was the one. The sent in sniffer dogs and the dogs uncovered more belongings of the victims at his house.

So they had to check out two major suspects, Tommy and Mr. Phelps. They knew Tommy would somehow contact Courtney and kept clear while watching her at a distance. They knew she would look for him and she led them straight to the killer. Agent Todd warned them of the danger that would have happened if not for them coming right on time. They both agreed and were glad they were alive.

Courtney silently smiled and thought that whatever would have happened, it would be better that she was with her brother than alone. Even in death!

End