The End of Evil Ch. 13

David gently touched one of the puppy's feet. "Will you come with me to have her looked at by the ambulance man?"

Monica nodded and tried to stand up, but the gangly half-grown puppy was heavy and her legs had become stiff. She frowned, apparently puzzled as to why she could not stand up. David slowly unwrapped her arms from the puppy and took it from her and then pulled her to stand. Only when she had stood did he notice that Monica had a large wet patch on her clothing, he wasn't sure if it was her, the puppy or both, but she was soaked in urine.

As they walked Agent Durant saw Monica's mother sitting in the back of a police car and when their eyes met she started to yell. He could not hear her, but her mouth was moving and she had that same hateful expression on her face. She pushed open the car door and stormed out. "You get away from my daughter. If weren't for you, that man would never have come here."

Monica turned and lashed out, charging at her mother, slapping at her face repeatedly. Her voice was a tiny shrill growl, "You shut up. You just shut up. Get the fuck away from me. I hate you." The thin angular woman stopped in shock and stepped back, raising her hands to protect her face.

Agent Durant grabbed Monica's hand and pulled her back. "Monica, stop. We need to take care of Happy. Come with me to take care of Happy."

Monica's mother stood speechless, her hands on her stinging cheeks.

Monica kept her grip on his hand and tottered along with him as he walked to the crime scene vehicle. One of the men in white coats was cataloging some evidence and he looked up. Agent Durant held up the puppy. "This little pup has some evidence on her feet. I don't think it is anything other than from the victim, but we should get a sample. After that do me a favor, wash it off a little. The girl is worried that the puppy is hurt and it will make her feel better if you could make it better."

The crime scene officer smiled gently and whispered to Monica, "Could you hold your puppy for me while I check her feet?" Monica nodded earnestly and took Happy and turned her to the technician. He took a soft square of gauze and soaking it in sterile saline solution thoroughly wiped the blood off one foot and put it in an envelope and labeled it. He cleaned each foot and saved the gauze in carefully labeled envelopes and then looked closely at each foot. He gave Happy a gentle pat. "That is a very good puppy you have there. Her feet are not hurt. It looks like she just stepped in something."

Monica looked puzzled, "Stepped in something? What?"

The technician held up the envelopes. "I won't know until I get this back to the lab. But her feet aren't cut or anything."

Monica smiled in relief, "Oh good."

David looked at the technician, "Do you have something we can make a leash out of, a length of gauze or a piece of rope?"

Soon they had a piece of string tied to Happy's collar and they took her for a short walk, Agent Durant waving off another reporter as he approached. "So, pretty girl, would you like to go visit Junie?"

Monica looked up in delight, "Oh that would be wonderful." Her face turned serious, "We will have to bring Happy with us."

David pulled out his cell phone and smiled, "Of course, pretty girl. We have to keep Happy safe." He dialed Donna's number, "Hello, Donna. I need a favor. I need to bring Monica out there. I will explain everything when I get there."

He turned to Monica, "Pretty girl, I need you to wait in my car and hold Happy. I need to get a few things. I will be back in a few minutes."

Monica nodded solemnly and let him put her into his car, hugging her puppy close in her arms. David went back to the house and put the foot covers on once more. The same crime scene technician was in the house, "I need to get some clothes from the girl's room. Are you done in there?"

The technician nodded, "The door to that room was closed and there are no paw prints in there. The room looked undisturbed. I fingerprinted the door knobs and the surfaces in there already. Make a list of what you take and get it back to me."

Agent Durant grabbed a large paper evidence bag and shoved a couple pairs of pants and blouses, a couple pairs of panties and bras, socks and a nightgown. As he left he saw that they had bagged up the body and were transferring it to a stretcher. He paused in the doorway and held up the bag. "I will fax that list back to you."

Donna put down the phone and looked at Junie asleep on the couch in her Master's arms, exhausted by the fear that she could not banish. Every sound or movement made her jump and whimper.

Donna whispered, "Agent Durant is on his way here with Monica. I don't know why, but he said he would explain everything when he got here."

Bob slowly eased himself out from under Junie and let her settle down onto the couch. He whispered, "I will move that mattress back up to the second bedroom, you make some sandwiches and a pot of coffee. It looks like we are going to have company. When you get the sandwiches made, let me know. I will take some out to the officer parked outside."

There was a second female officer sitting quietly in the kitchen. When Bob had asked her what she knew about Sam Card's escape, she had responded that she could not discuss the crime until she knew exactly what information was being released to the public. Until then, she suggested they watch the news. The news had not had anything to add to the facts that a guard was dead and that Sam Card and R. P. Sanders were missing from the courthouse. Bob had turned off the television an hour ago. Every fifteen or twenty minutes, one or the other of the officers would take a walk around the yard and the house.

When Donna went into the kitchen she spoke in a low tone, "FBI Agent Durant just called. He is on his way here with Monica Bond." The police officer nodded and spoke softly into a radio telling the man out front that they were expecting visitors.

Bob had the second bedroom set up and both beds made and Donna had a pot of coffee made and a big pile of turkey and Swiss cheese sandwiches on a platter. Bob put a couple sandwiches on a plate and poured a big mug of coffee. He looked at the police woman, "Does your partner take anything in his coffee?"

She shrugged, "He is not my usual partner. Things are all mixed up. They pulled me in for a double shift." She called on her radio, "Do you want some coffee? Do you want anything in it?" She listened through the little earphone plugged into one of her ears, and then looked up at Bob. "He says he likes sugar. Let me." She began to liberally spoon sugar into the mug. "That will teach him."

Bob looked confused, "Teach him what?"

"Teach him to mess with me. He said he likes his coffee hot and sweet like his women."

Bob laughed. "Well, that is certainly sweet." He carried the food out to the police officer. When the policeman took a swallow of the coffee he blinked, and made a face. "So is there any news you can share?"

"Officially, not much; unofficially, there is a piece on the radio news that a body has been found in a house in Salem and the reporters are saying that it was at the house of the girl that Sam Card assaulted."

Bob stood blinking and then muttered, "Son of a bitch."

"Unofficially, I have to agree with that sentiment."

Bob went into the house and went into the master bedroom and turned on the television in there. There was no news on. He went out to the dining room and logged onto the local news channel's website and began to read. He went into the kitchen and gestured for Donna to come into the dining room. "Someone has killed a woman at Monica's house. The police are not releasing the identity of the victim. We know it isn't Monica because David is bringing her here."

Donna stiffened, "It had to be Card. I wonder if it was Monica's mother or Sanders."

Bob shook his head, "David will tell us when he gets here."

It was almost dark when there was a quiet knock on the front door. Junie sat up on the couch confused and disoriented, not sure what time it was, forgetting for an instant why she was sleeping on the couch. Then a shudder shook through her as she remembered. She watched as the police officer went to the door and opened it.

Donna and Bob came into the room as Agent Durant led Monica in through the front door, holding her puppy in her arms. He had a bag in one hand and a heavy briefcase in another. Junie jumped up and rushed to Monica, wrapping her arms around both the tiny blond girl and the squirming puppy. "Oh, Monica, I am so glad you are here. I was so worried."

Monica looked at Junie and tipped her head to one side, an odd smile curving her lips. In a soft childlike voice she asked, "Worried? Why are you worried?"

Junie stopped and looked confused, and then opened her mouth to protest that Sam Card had escaped when Agent Durant interrupted, his voice preemptive, "Junie, Monica does not want to talk about that right now. Could you help her take the puppy out into the back yard?"

Donna urged both girls toward the door leading out into the fenced back yard, "I will go with you two." As they walked Donna leaned down and whispered into Junie's ear, "Junie, Monica is not doing very good right now. We need to be very gentle. Treat her just like the little girl she is."

Junie's eyes widened and she stood up taller and took Monica's arm. Her voice was completely different, calm and caring. "Come on, girlfriend, I bet that puppy really needs to go potty." The police woman followed them out into the yard and watched as they let the puppy stretch her legs and then squat and poop out a small pile. Donna watched Junie as she took charge of Monica, all her own fears set aside in the face of her friend's crisis.

Junie took Monica's hand and led her back inside, "I bet Happy is hungry. Let's see what we have in the refrigerator." Soon Junie had Monica seated on a barstool at the counter with a half of a sandwich and a glass of milk. Busily cooking some brown rice and scrambling some eggs, Junie was prattling along, "There is some leftover cooked venison in there we can chop up. I will make enough for her breakfast too. Then we can buy some dog food."

Donna could hear Bob and David talking in the front room. She carefully looked over each of the girls in the kitchen. The policewoman was watching them carefully too. Donna moved into the front room.

Bob was speaking, "You are sure it was Sanders?"

Agent Durant nodded, "It had to be her. The body was wearing the same clothing she had on when she disappeared from the courthouse and there is no one else missing."

Donna asked, "Didn't you see the body? Couldn't you have identified her?"

Agent Durant looked up and made a pained face, "Donna, the body was significantly mutilated, especially around the face. We will need to use fingerprints or dental records to identify the body."

Donna froze and closed her eyes. "Did Monica see it?"

"Thank god, no. The officer told her that Sam Card had escaped and she fainted. It was then that they discovered the body. The puppy, Happy, had a lot of blood on her, like she had walked through the blood in the front room. When Monica woke up, the puppy was licking her face. She saw the blood and has been like this ever since. When I got there she was talking like she had no idea that anything had happened and kept telling me that the puppy had been hurt. I told a crime scene tech to look over the puppy and tell Monica that it was okay."

"Where is Monica's mother?"

"That's the weird thing. Monica attacked her when she tried to come near. Her mother was yelling at me and Monica just went for her. I had to pull her off. I wasn't going to leave her there. You people were the only ones I knew she trusted and I knew that you had a police guard here."

He held up the bag, "I have some clean clothes here. I don't know if it was Monica or the puppy, but she is soaked in urine."

Donna nodded, "I noticed. We will have Junie help her clean up. Having Monica here to take care of is exactly what Junie needed to snap her out of her panic."

David Durant looked at Donna, for the first time his fear showing on his face. "What is wrong with her?"

Donna looked toward the kitchen, "It is too much for her to deal with right now. She needs some time. I expect she will snap out of it, either gradually or all at once. We will keep her safe until then."

The FBI Agent nodded gratefully, "Thank you, ma'am. I can't stay here for long. I have to get out there. I have to catch him."

Bob spoke up, "You say that Sanders knew about this rental?"

"Yes, she had a private detective follow Donna and Junie here. She had photos of the front of the house."

"So he could know."

Agent Durant nodded.

"Then we are going home. I can't be locked up in here. At least at home I will be on my own terrain."

The FBI Agent shook his head. "I can't put people out there to watch you. It is too big a risk. Sanders knew the location out there too."

Bob stood his ground. "Do you have any idea where he is now?"

Durant shook his head, "No, not really. I suspect he is going to come after Monica and Junie, but I don't know when or how. I do know he is not the kind of guy to try and come in here if he sees the cops. We have an A.P.B. for Sanders' car and the police have increased patrols in this part of town."

Bob stood up, his voice was firm. "I have seen what that monster does to empty houses. We are going home tomorrow. You can find a guard for us or not. I am not too worried. He will find me a tough piece of meat to cut up." He turned to Donna, "Call Mary. Tell her not to go out to the house."

Donna gasped and rushed to her phone. When she came back she looked at Bob with respect. "I had forgotten about Mary."

Bob looked at Agent Durant, "We will take Monica with us."

Agent Durant looked very torn. "Maybe I can get the local sheriff to send a man or have the Seattle office send someone out to your place. Do you own a gun?"

Bob shook his head. "No, not since I was a teenager."

"So you do know how to use one."

Bob nodded, "I am a country boy. I grew up around guns."

"Before you leave I will get you one. It will be registered to me."

Bob shrugged, "If that will make you feel better."

Donna went out into the kitchen. The puppy was sound asleep in Monica's arms, her belly round with a big meal. Junie was standing close by, gently stroking the girl's hair. Donna spoke briskly, "Junie, Monica needs to change her clothes. Make a bed for that puppy in the second bedroom and then show Monica where the bathroom is and help her get cleaned up. David brought some clean clothes for her."

Junie put down a blanket on the floor and they put the sleeping puppy down on it and then Junie softly crooned, "Time to take a bath, big girl. Let's get those dirty clothes off."

Donna stood by the bathroom door and watched as Junie gently and efficiently stripped the clothing off the young woman. Donna thought to herself that it was a true measure of how regressed Monica was that she seemed completely at ease with her nudity, making no effort to cover herself with her hands or turn away. Donna pressed her lips together at the sight of the scars on the thin girl's body, white lines tracing out like spider webs from her center, running down her legs and up her torso across her tiny breasts and even up to her neck, all leading to the soft nest of golden curls that hid her sex. Or perhaps they started there.

Junie did not appear to notice the scars at all. She gently pushed Monica into the water and handed her a soapy wash cloth. "You are a big girl. You can wash yourself." Monica obediently took the cloth and began to wash off. Junie washed her hair and rinsed it thoroughly. Soon Monica was out of the bath, in her night gown and wrapped up in a big warm blanket.

When she walked out into the front room, she frowned and turned around, "Where is David?" Her voice was shrill and panicked.

Bob was in the dining room looking at the computer and he came out. "He is here. He just went out to the car to get something."

Monica dropped the blanket and ran out the front door, a tiny white ghost in the darkness, calling in a frightened voice, "David! David!" When he stood up from where he was bending over talking to the policeman in his car, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I could not find you. I thought you were gone." As he led her back into the house she was pleading, "Promise you won't leave."

He hushed her softly, "Shhh, pretty girl. I am here now."

Junie came in and gently took Monica's hand, "Bedtime for you, big girl."

Monica reluctantly let Junie lead her away, complaining softly as she walked, "I don't want to go to bed. I am not tired." And then she yawned.

Junie tucked her in and sat on the edge of the bed, talking softly and stroking Monica's hair until she was asleep. When she came out of the bedroom Donna, Bob and David were sitting around the table. David Durant had his jacket and tie off and all three had cups of coffee. Donna looked up, "So, Sweet Junie, are you ready to be brave or should I send you off to bed with the rest of the big girls?"

Junie sat down at the table, "I want to know what is going on."

Her Master spoke softly, "Well, you already know that Sam Card escaped, that he killed a guard and disappeared from the courthouse with R. P. Sanders."

Junie nodded; her was face grim but calm. "Yes, Sir."

"David suspected that Card might try to hurt Monica again and sent a police officer to her home in Salem. He arrived there at exactly the same time as Monica and her mother. When Monica found out that Card had escaped, she fainted and, when she woke up, she did not seem to remember and has been like this. The officer kept Monica from going into the house, but her mother refused to listen and went in. She discovered the body of R. P. Sanders."

Junie took a sharp, surprised breath, "He killed Sanders?"

Donna nodded sympathetically and then was surprised when Junie shrugged, "Serves that stupid bitch right."

When Donna said in a reproving tone, "Junie, nobody deserves to die like that."

Junie shrugged again, "She led him to Monica's house didn't she? She probably helped him escape. She was dancing with demons."

Agent Durant looked up from a stack of tablets he was reading, "I don't know, Miss Junie, it is looking like it is not all that simple. I am reading some of the stuff that Card had written down here. She had only agreed to pay for his defense if he wrote down every single murder he had done. In exchange, he had insisted that the defense attorney ask questions that were not aimed at proving his innocence so much as glorifying his actions. He was not trying to get off. I think that R. P. Sanders believed she was doing a good thing. And perhaps she was." He held up a notepad. "This is a confession to three different murders, it tells what he did and where the bodies are." He gestured to the stack of notepads, "It looks like he is responsible for a lot more than the twelve I knew about. He expected her to get this published."

Junie did not look convinced, "Why did she lead him to Monica's house?"

Donna spoke gently, "Junie, he hurt her a lot before she died. She was not a brave woman."

Bob, Donna and Junie had all gone to bed. Agent Durant was still at the kitchen table reading through the notepads, when Monica started screaming. It seemed like everyone converged on the small second bedroom at the same time, David arriving first. Monica was kneeling on her bed, looking around wildly, when she saw David, she gasped, "David, he escaped. He is out there." She pointed at the window with the curtains drawn. The police woman quickly drew her gun and went to the window, talking on her radio. David sat down on the bed and gathered her into his arms, "Did you just remember, pretty girl?"