Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.
A new twist in the confusing saga has now developed. Namely the presence of a small stuffed gator meant for Vinnie! Could this mean what it appears to mean? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan! Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
“Vinnie…Vinnie…”
Ethan’s
concerned voice drew me back to the present. He was stroking my cheek, and the expression
in his beautiful blue eyes was one of alarm.
“Sorry.
Didn’t mean to space out like that.” I gave him a weak smile, but I knew he understood
why I was rather upset. Not to mention this suddenly pointed the grave finger
of suspicion toward someone I’d rather forget entirely, but he was making that
difficult.
Who
else could have sent such a chilling message but Chip, aka the Mangler? The
million dollar question was—what did Chip have to do with anything?
“Isn’t
that so cute?” St. Clair kept babbling on while my blood turned to ice. “And
wasn’t that very thoughtful of him to send it to you? Although, to be honest,
I’m not sure why he bothered. Come to think of it, he did seem rather obsessed
with you. Even though you aren’t in the industry or anything. I kept telling
him you’re no one important, but he just wouldn’t listen.”
My
stomach churned at her words even as the truth slapped me in the face. But how?
Why? He was safely locked away, behind bars awaiting trial. We’d ascertained
that oursleves. Was this Billy Faulkner an accomplice of his? A henchman on the
outside, committed to assist the Mangler in his dirty deeds?
Would
I never be free of the man?
I
couldn’t refrain from shuddering. Ethan helped me to my feet, anchoring me with
his arm about my waist. “Miss St. Clair, you’ve been very helpful,” he said.
Troy and Brendan had risen too, I noticed. As we started to walk away, Ethan
paused and turned back.
“Oh,
just ne more question, if you don’t mind. How did that stuffed animal arrive?”
The
small gator still sat on her hand, as neither one of us had attempted to claim
it. I mean, why would we?
“In
the mail. How else, silly?” She cackled, as if she found herself amusing. I’m
pretty sure no one else did.
Troy
and Brendan made their good-byes as Ethan ushered me out of the building, back
to our car. I was doing my best not to
panic, but failing at that pretty much. I kept remembering how St. Clair was
able to escape her environs simply by using a double. Could Chip have done the
same? Was he out there even now, stalking me…hunting me…waiting his opportunity
to pounce? Bil rose in my throat that I had to force back down.
“What
if it’s him? What if he’s out?” I asked, somewhere between a whimper and a
whisper.
Ethan
wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. “I don’t see how, but that’s
something we can check on.
Troy
and Brendan caught up with us then. To my dismay, I noticed Troy gingerly held
the little gator. Why?
He
answered my unspoken question before holding it out toward Ethan. “I just
thought maybe there’s something on it. You know, like DNA or fingerprints or
something?”
Who
was the law enforcement officer here? I should have thought of that, but in my
defense, I was a bit busy freaking out.
“Good
thinking,” Ethan said. “Hang on a second.” He kissed me tenderly before he
released me and opened the passenger door. Opening the glove compartment, he
rummaged around for a second before coming out with a plastic bag. “I remember
seeing this,” he explained as he carefully bagged the evidence. Evidence of
what I wasn’t sure, but it was something.
Once
he’d secured that, he pulled out his phone. I heard him talking to Anderson
briefly before he hung up. “We’re going to find out if that is really him down
in Florida, or an imposter.”
Would
this nightmare never end?
to be continued
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