Fall in New England Pt. 04

Several days before Christmas, an envelope arrived at the house. It had, apparently, been placed in the mailbox by someone they knew since it had no street address or postmark on it. On the envelope, Both Susan and Janine's name was written. "A gift for you both from someone who cares."

That evening, with Sam away doing some Christmas shopping, the two women sat together and opened the envelope. They had heard rumors that a collection had been taken up to provide some small token of support. Both Susan and Janine had appreciated that gesture and looked forward to the gift card they expected to find. Susan, knowing how much this gesture meant to Janine, handed her the envelope and asked her to open it.

Susan saw Janine suddenly turn ashen as she looked at the contents of the envelope. She grabbed the contents from her and looked at them with a growing sense of horror. A note inside the envelope said simply, "I met her a month ago. I thought you might want to see what I have been up to." Accompanying the note was a photograph showing a young woman, no older than Janine, standing in front of a blank wall. She was crying. And completely naked.

He had attacked another young woman. And he had returned to their home to personally deliver, into their mailbox, the proof in the form of that picture. Both knew that he would likely strike somewhere again. However unlikely, they both feared he would return for them, or to some other women, in the small New England town Susan and Sam had chosen to be their home so many years ago.