WARNING: Contains Spoilers from Books 1 and 2. Do not read if you have not read them.
Chapter One
June 1st, 2011
“We need to get a new job,” said a young woman as she and her identical twin walked down the dark sidewalk of L.A. They wore identical red leather top and short shorts, fish nets that covered their legs and arms, and high heel books that reached their knees. The twins had identical long black hair that brushed against their backs, tan skin, and dark brown eyes. They also wore heavy make-up to make themselves more desirable by men. “Uriah has really been riding my ass recently.”
“I hope you mean figuratively, because he’s been riding mine too.” said Rebecca Eagle with sarcastic humor. The twin girls worked as prostitutes for Uriah Addario, owner of a ring of prostitutes. The Eagle twins were a favorite of his and paid them extra for their services.
“That pig really gets on my nerves. We should stop doing this and find some real employment.” suggested Rena as they turned the corner and continued to walk down the sidewalk. The gloomy dark street didn’t affect the twin prostitutes.
“That’s some wishful thinking,” said Rebecca as they walked past a dark alley. “This is all we know. Ever since Papa died, Uriah was the one that took care of us.”
“By selling our bodies!” shouted Rena.
“Better to sell our bodies and have a warm place to stay instead of living in the street where we are likely to be raped,” said Rebecca as she stopped and grabbed her twin by the wrist. “Rena, Uriah is kind to us. He may be a black hearted man, but he does take care of us. He got us an apartment to stay in while we work with him. He only lets gives us his top clienteles, clients he knows are free of any sexual diseases. Not only that, but he gives us a better cut of the profit as well as a lighter shift than his other prostitutes. Uriah is good to us. It’s the best that we can hope for.”
“I still don’t like having to sleep with him to get those things,” said Rena angrily. “Where is our respect for being a woman? Why should we have to subject ourselves to men? Do we not have a free will of our own?”
The twins went silent as a small disturbance interrupted the fight. The twins looked down a dark alley. They could not see anything. The sudden noise had ceased as quickly as it started. The twins looked back to each other and resumed the argument. “I want to be my own person and do what I want.”
“What is that Rena? What is it you want to do?” asked Rebecca as she wrapped her arms under her busty chest.
“I want to be a dancer…no wait, an actress. I want to preform where a lot of people can see me. I want people to appreciate my beauty and my skill without having to lie on my back and let them have my way with me.”
“If you want to be a dancer, you could be a stripper,” said Rebecca sarcastically. “You won’t have to lie on your back and you’ll make good money.”
“I don’t want to be a stripper!” yelled Rena, her cheeks turning red from anger. “I’m not some eye candy for men!”
“You would be anyway if you wanted to be a dancer. I mean, come on. Look at us. We’re damn sexy,” said Rebecca as she ran her hands over her leather top. “That’s why we haven’t been subjective to the lower grunt work of the other prostitutes. Uriah loves our bodies and wants us for himself. Why else would he give us a lighter work load than the other girls, huh? Uriah loves us and doesn’t want to share us.”
“If he didn’t want so share us, then he wouldn’t have us fuck his clients.” shot Rena.
A second loud crash broke the argument. The twins looked down the dark alley. Neither of the twins could see what the cause for the disturbance was. They stood perfectly still, afraid to move an inch in fear for what caused the disturbance. Images of monsters flashed in their minds.
“Maybe it’s a cat?” suggested Rena as the twins continued to look down the alley.
“Yeah…Maybe.” replied Rebecca.
Their bodies froze as the outline of a man stepped into view. As he got closer, the twins could make out a long knife in his right hand. He stepped out of the alley, his features fully in view. He wore a sleeveless white shirt and baggy blue jean shorts, both of which were covered in thick, wet blood. He was tall and had pale skin, though slightly sunburned. He had long hair that stood at odd angles, the tips brushing against his shoulders. His eyes were blue and cold like ice. In his right was his Bowie knife and in his left held a cassette tape, both hands covered in blood.
The women remained frozen to the spot as the thin man approached them. He placed his knife in his pants hilt first and grabbed Rena’s hand. Her eyes widened and attempted to pull her arm out of his grasp but he held her wrist firmly. He placed the cassette tape in her hand and let go. His lips curved into a small smile.
“Please deliver that to the L.A.P.D. They will need this.” said the man in a soft voice as he turned and walked down the alley nonchalantly.
The twins looked at each other after they turned their attention from the strange man that had given them the cassette tape. The twins then looked down the dark alley. Curiosity overrode their common sense and the twins moved forward. They walked down the alley and made a stop beside the garbage dumpster.
A body lay in the center of the cold cement walkway. Lying on his back and his eyes stared lifelessly upward; he had a long gash across his throat, exposing his windpipe. The most disturbing image however was the large gaping hole in his abdomen. Blood soaked the fresh kill and the cement; several organs lay beside the body, including the kidneys, liver, and the intestines.
They ran away from the crime scene, screaming in terror as they ran down the street.
Several hours later in Washington, D.C., Crystal yawned slightly as she drank her coffee and turned the page of her book, her chocolate eyes scanning the page of text. Her jet black hair sat smoothly across her back, her tan skin silky and smooth. She licked her lips as she drew her legs closer, leaning into the armrest of her couch. Despite the early hours, she was wide awake.
A sleepy Eddie walked into the living room and sat in the armchair beside her. His wavy hair grew over the six months, the length reaching past his shoulders. He also grew a small goatee that grew in odd, uneven patches.
“Hey, what are you reading?” he asked as he leaned over to look at the book.
She shrugged her shoulders as she closed the book. “It’s some popular vampire romance novel. My friend keeps bugging me to read it.”
“Is it any good?”
Crystal scoffed. “Vampires died after Interview with the Vampire. I’ve seen maybe one, two good vampire movies after that,” said Crystal as she closed the book and set it on the armrest before she turned her head over toward Eddie. “You need to shave.”
“It’s growing out,” said Eddie as he rubbed the stubble.
“Yeah, in patches. Patrick and Daniel’s beards are evenly grown and, well…looks nice,” said with a giggle.
“Give me a few more weeks, you’ll see,” said Eddie ruefully, rubbing his goatee as Crystal’s cellphone rang.
She reached into her pajama pocket and withdrew her cellphone, looking at the caller ID. Her brows furrowed as she looked at Eddie. “It’s Daniel,” she said as she sat up and answered the call. “Agent Rio,” she spoke firmly.
“Get to HQ immediately,” said Daniel urgently. “We’ve got a hit on SPOILER position.”
“Alright, sir,” said Crystal as she stood up quickly. “Where was the hit? What do we know?”
“You’ll find out when you get here, and bring Agent Arias with you. Tell him to get a haircut, he looks ridiculous,” said Daniel before he hung up.
Crystal looked over toward Eddie before rushing to her bedroom. “We got a hit!” she yelled as she pulled off her pick top and rummaged through her closet.
“A hit? We found him?” asked Eddie as he walked into her bedroom, astonished.
“Yes,” said Crystal as she picked up his jeans and threw them at him. “Now get dressed or we’ll be late!”
Nearly an hour passed when Crystal and Eddie ran down the hall. Daniel stood at the very end, beside the door of the meeting room. “You’re late,” growled Daniel as Crystal and Eddie walked inside. The lines in Daniel’s face grew more etched around his cheeks and forehead, his hair thinning and losing color. Though his body was aging, his icy blue eyes remained sharp and cold.
Crystal and Eddie sat beside Patrick, who looked somber and serious. His face was lined and his hair was thinning as well; his goatee grew into a full beard, which remained a fierce red and his green eyes shined like emeralds. He wore his usual olive green sleeveless shirt and combat pants and shoes, with a thick golden chain with a cross around his neck.
“Hey Patrick,” said Crystal as she took a seat. “How’s Fiona recovering?”
“She’s doin’ fine,” said Patrick as he sighed softly. He crossed his arms and leaned into the backrest of his chair. “It was touch and go there for a while, but the heart transplant worked. She’s still recovering at my place. Katharine has taken quite the likin’ to her. She doesn’t say much, though.”
“Quiet,” said Daniel sternly as he shut the door and walked to the front of the room with his arms crossed behind his back. “I’ve called you here because we got a hit on Jack’s location,” said Daniel as he spoke in an urgent tone. He opened the laptop that lay on the tabletop in front of his usual seat. “Early this morning, a man was found murdered in L.A. The witnesses of the murder have identified Jack as the murderer. He also gave the witnesses a cassette tape, which was given to the L.A.P.D. They have sent us this recording,”
Daniel turned the laptop to face the members of the team and pressed play on the program. The recording started with some rumbling of what seemed to be the voice recorder and the clearing of the speakers throat. “This message is for the FBI,” began the message. Jack, whose real name was SPOILER, used the same synthetic voice recording technique he used against Richard Holcomb half a year ago as a psychological attack and a defense to hide his real identity. The synthetic voice sent a shiver down Crystal’s spine; her organs felt as if her blood was replaced by coolant and froze her innards.
“I am aware that you are attempting to capture me and bring me to justice for my past crimes, especially since what most people call the Seattle Massacre,” said the synthetic voice of SPOILR before chuckling. “I have already proved that a police department is no match for me. Richard Holcomb, while a worthy opponent, was no match for me. I’ve been searching long and hard for my equal; someone who possesses the skill that can not only match mine, but surpass my own. I have thought that Richard Holcomb was that person. I was wrong,” said SPOILER, seemingly disappointed.
“I have searched and searched for a possible opponent for me, but so far, none have met my standards. It is clear to me that my equal, if he or she exists, must be employed in the FBI. Who else could catch me other than you, who specialize in capturing the worst serial killers? So I challenge you, the FBI, to capture me. Accept my challenge, like the foolish Richard Holcomb, or ignore it and be cowards,” taunted the Ripper. “Don’t think that this will be easy. I have compiled the greatest challenge the FBI has ever came across. This challenge is something I like to call the Ripper Puzzle.”
Everyone looked around the room with fearful and quizzical looks. Crystal looked directly at the Director, who stared back at her with a stony and unreadable expression. Their eyes connected, they knew what the other was thinking. ‘I know that this must be hard for you,’ thought Crystal as she watched Daniel turn his gaze away from Crystal ‘but we will bring your best friend’s son to justice.’
“I have picked out my targets. Over the course of twenty four days, they will die. Their deaths will bring you one step closer to finding my location, which I will visit every night. If you are unable to solve the puzzle by the end of the twenty fifth day, then I will disappear. Who knows when I will show myself again? Regardless, you have a window of opportunity to catch me. I highly suggest that you bring your best agents, because I will tear them apart if they do not match up to me. I have left behind the first set of clues for you to figure out.”
“I will admit that I am indeed a liar, as proven against Richard Holcomb,” said the Ripper nonchalantly. “Will all these clues be useful to you? Perhaps. That is up to you to figure out. Don’t worry. Each murder that I commit will make it easier to find me, with the last giving the final clue to my location. It is possible to find me the very next day, but the real question is not if you find me, but will you allow people to die in order to? Am I really worth the life of another? Perhaps I am. I will let you decide. As for now, let the games begin. Good luck.”
Daniel shut the laptop and looked around the room, a somber expression on his face. “Jack was sighted at the scene of the crime at approximately one in the morning Pacific Time. The witnesses, Rena and Rebecca Eagle, have identified the killer as Jack. The L.A.P.D. contacted me about two hours ago. They will be giving us their full support on this case. You all will fly down their immediately. We cannot allow the Ripper to challenge us like this. He saw though our attempt in Portland, and now he has the control. Catch him with as little lives taken as possible. You are to depart immediately. Quickly pack, then go to the MWAA. There, you will be escorted to the plane. When you get to L.A., begin your investigation immediately. Keep me updated on everything you find. You may go,” said Daniel as he watched the team exit the room. Crystal hesitated as she reached the door, but left as Daniel glared at her.
For the next two hours, Crystal and Eddie packed what clothes and other valuables they could and drove to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Immediately upon their arrival, Crystal and Eddie were escorted to a private jet. As they took their seats, Patrick and Reece sat across from them and strapped themselves in.
“Hey, Reece,” greeted Crystal as she got comfortable.
Reece Baker was a tall man with dark brown hair, though, just like his friends, Director Frost and Patrick McKenzie, signs of aging was evident. Unlike them, his age seemed to be taking its toll on him.
“Hello Crystal,” he said in a gruff voice as his attention shifted from Crystal to Eddie. “Get a haircut and a shave. You look like a damn high school student,” he said as he opened a Stephen King book and began to read.
Crystal turned her head and gave him an I-told-you-so look. Eddie shrugged his shoulders and looked out of the window, rubbing the thin stubble on his cheek. Crystal shook her head and looked back toward Patrick. “So, how’s Fiona adjusting living with you?”
“She’s doin’ alright,” said Patrick as he leaned into the backrest. “As I was sayin’ earlier, Katherine has taken a likin’ to Fiona. Says it makes it feel more homely at my place. She spends most of his time tendin’ to Fiona whenever she needs anythin’. She’s recoverin’ very well, but she still won’t talk. Katherine wanted to join us, but someone had to watch after Fiona, just in case somethin’ happened.”
“Did you ever find out anything about the shooter?” asked Crystal. “I heard Daniel has been working on the case since he heard about it.”
Patrick shook his head. “No. As soon as those shootin’s happened, our shooter disappeared. The P.P.D. found matchin’ slugs in eight gangsters that were shot up near a strip club a few days before, but they aren’t sure how they’re connected to Francis Kelly’s murder and Fiona. To deepen the mystery, her boyfriend disappeared,” Patrick paused for a moment before sighing softly. “At first, I thought that her boyfriend did it. A witness claimed to have seen him leavin’ the scene with someone else, though it seemed like he was being forced. It could be that he was kidnapped. It’s been six months, and the case is considered closed. I would have tracked them myself, but the trail was cold while I was tendin’ to my niece,” said Patrick as he tightened his fists. “Daniel is tryin’ to help, but there’s nothin’ to go on other than the slugs.”
Crystal frowned as she clung to Eddie’s arm, looking down on the floor as the plane took off. Several minutes passed before she looked up. “I just remembered; I don’t think you ever told us the gender of the baby?”
“It’s a girl,” said Patrick quickly without looking at Crystal. “Katherine has been thinkin’ of names for months since we found out.”
“You don’t seem very pleased about it,” said Crystal quietly.
Patrick shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t say that I am. I think it’d be too stressful to have a kid right now, but I suppose I’m happy. If this was a different time, I’d be overjoyed, ya know?” said Patrick with a sign. “What’s done is done.”
Crystal nodded slowly and reached into her bag for her book. The next several hours went by slowly. Crystal read her vampire romance novel to pass the time, though it did little to ease her boredom before eventually falling asleep.
“Crystal, we’re here,” said Eddie as he shook on her shoulder.
Her eyes opened to find Eddie standing, looming over her. “How long was I out?” she mumbled as she stood up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
“Nearly the entire way there,” said Eddie as he pulled his bag out of the compartment and hosted it over his shoulder. Crystal stood up and grabbed her bag out of the compartment and followed Eddie out of the plane. As she and the rest of the team stepped off the plane, they were escorted to two black vans, which drove to the Los Angeles Police Department in the heart of L.A.
Crystal and Eddie held hands as they entered the L.A.P.D., escorted by the Chief of Police, Justin Wombat. He was a short but burly man with short red balding hair and beard.
“I can’t begin to thank you for coming,” said Justin as he escorted the team toward the morgue. “Half of the homicide detectives nearly shit themselves when they heard that this cassette tape was the Ripper’s. I had about half a dozen resignations ready before I told them that they weren’t being targeted,” he said as he pushed open the doors of the morgue. “Anything you need, I will be happy to assist you,”
“Thanks,” said Eugene Berry entered the morgue first. Eugene was a very tall, burly man with ebony skin, he was bald and had deep brown eyes. He walked toward the body that lay naked on the table with a second table with organs, clothes, and several items beside it. The body was that of a young ebony man in his early thirties. His throat was slashed from side to side, and his abdomen was split open. As Crystal approached the body, she noticed three deep gashes on his chest, one vertical and two smaller horizontal gashes on top and bottom of the vertical.
Crystal stood beside Eddie as Eugene examined the body in silence. After two minutes, he looked at each other and nodded.
“This is definitely his work,” said Eugene as he turned toward Crystal and the others. “This mirrors the classic murder style Jack used in Seattle,” Eugene turned and pointed to the organs. “The Ripper usually removed three organs, which was the liver and kidneys, as well as some of the intestinal tract; usually three to six feet of it. While Jack has been known to removing other organs, those three are the most common. Another big clue is the cut he made to the windpipe,” said Eugene as he moved around the table and moved the head slightly, showing everyone the deep slash on the throat. “Based on the width of the cut, it is identical to the cuts he made during his murder spree in Seattle. Judging on the physical evidence, I’d say there’s a good chance that Jack is behind this murder.”
“Are you positive?” asked Reece.
“I’ll have to do more tests, but I can say that this may be our man,” replied Eugene. “Now, let’s talk about the victim himself,” said Eugene as he pulled the chart from the side of the table and read it aloud. “The victim is Ivan Foster, age thirty-one, black male with known gang affiliations. He is a convicted felon who was charged with building bombs twelve years ago, released two years ago,” he said as he turned to the items. “At the scene of the crime, the C.S.U. discovered these items on the body that didn’t seem to belong,” he said as he pointed to several small items. “First, it’s a calculator. Second is a burner phone, never used. Third is a watch found in the pocket. Finally, there was a small piece of paper with what seems to be a code,” said Eugene as Crystal and the others stood around the small table. Crystal reached and grabbed the small note and opened it up, immediately confused by the message.
86641822584661036204829094421990622 2490869909610244105922910159819 99841491024908699089563
1812081469103455 1929850249056882466 6902490141191
Crystal furrowed her brows as she looked over the pattern of numbers. “Do you think these are detonation codes?” asked Crystal immediately as she looked up at Eugene, who shrugged his shoulders.
“That’s what I believe they are,” he said as he crossed his arms and placed his hand on his chin in thought. “With his criminal past, there’s very good chance that is the case,” said Eugene as Crystal handed the note to Patrick.
“This watch is stopped,” said Eddie as he showed Crystal. “Someone intentionally stopped the time. It’s stopped at one minute and twenty four seconds past one o’clock. What if he set the time to this for a reason?”
“That’s a good theory,” said Howard, a tall white male with wavy dark hair, as he set the calculator down and took the watch. “The watch could be connected to the note, the calculator, and the burner phone somehow. They all have something to do with numbers.”
“There’s something else, too,” said Eugene as he brought their attention back to him. Eugene pointed to the odd cuts on the chest. “These were made likely after Jack made the kill. It looks like the letter ‘I’ or something,” said Eugene as Justin opened the door.
“The brother of the victim arrived if you want to talk to him.” he said quickly. “I already notified that his brother died. He agreed to answer questions.”
“I will interview him,” said Reece immediately as he reached for the letter and walked away from the group, exiting the morgue.
Crystal and Eddie looked at each other for a moment before following him. “We’re going too,” said Eddie as they exited the morgue. They followed the seasoned FBI agent to the interrogation room. They stood behind the one-way glass as Reece sat down across the table from a black male, presumed to be Ivan’s brother.
“My name is Reece Baker, I’m an FBI agent,” he said as he cupped his hands, a small black folder in front of him.
“The FBI? What the fuck is the FBI doing here?” asked the male as he leaned forward and glared at Reece. He was tall and lanky, with short black hair and thin facial hair, and wore tattered jeans and white sleeveless shirt. His brown orbs narrowed in suspicion as he examined the older agent.
“We are here to catch your brother’s killer, Lenny,” said Reece as he leaned forward and met Lenny’s glare, who backed off. “I need to know if this means anything to you,” said Reece as he slid the slip of paper with the number combination toward Lenny.
Lenny picked up the paper and looked it over quickly. “I have no idea what this is,” said Lenny with a shrug of his shoulders as he handed Reece the paper a moment later.
Reece took the slip of paper and pocketed it. “Has your brother been working on any explosives recently? He has a history of making small bombs, which is why he served hard time.”
A soft sigh escaped Lenny’s lips as he leaned into the backrest. “No, he wasn’t makin’ anymore, or as far as I could tell,” said Lenny as he rubbed his forehead. “But this guy…Jack, I think his name was, he came to Ivan and asked him for help. The guy asked if my brother could show him how to make a bomb. Ivan was hesitant, but the guy offered him ten grand. He couldn’t pass that up.”
“What did this Jack look like?”
“Tall, pale…blue eyes and brown hair about up to here,” said Lenny as he placed his hand against his shoulder.
Reece opened the black folder and turned it around to show Lenny. “Is he one of the six people in this photograph?”
Crystal stood on her tiptoes in order to get a look as Lenny scanned the photographs. Lenny immediately pointed to a picture and looked at Reece. “This is the guy,” said Lenny as Reece shut the book and looked at Lenny sternly.
“Do you know where we can find him?”
He shook his head as he pressed his palms into his brow. “No, I have no idea where he is. I only saw him twice.” said Lenny.
Reece sighed as he patted Lenny on the shoulder. “We’ll keep you informed when we catch your brother’s killer,” said Reece as he stood up.
“What? that’s it?” said Lenny as he looked up at Reece with a disappointed look.
“Well, what do you expect? Me to pull a solution out of my ass?” said Reece as he turned and looked at Lenny. “The bad part about this job is that it takes time and work to find a serial killer that doesn’t want to be found.”
Lenny glared at Reece as he stood there. He sighed softly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, this will take some time. We got a lot of work ahead of us. The best thing you can do is morn for your loss, and move on,” he added as he stepped out of the interrogation room and shut the door behind him.
Crystal and Eddie quickly opened the door and walked out, catching Reece in the hallway.
“What do we do now?” asked Eddie.
“Nothing,” said Reece with a sigh as he searched his jacket for his cigarettes. “There’s little we can do. He’s not going to show himself anytime soon. We’ll let the L.A.P.D. do their jobs. In the meantime, do as you please,” said Reece as he walked away.
Crystal sighed as she crossed her arms. “Well, what are we supposed to do now?”
“I guess figure out where we’re going to stay,” said Eddie as he scratched the back of his head. “You know…I live just out of town. You can stay with me.”
“You sure?” asked Crystal shyly.
“Yeah, my parents have been dying to meet you,” said Eddie, taking Crystal’s hand as they walked out of the department.
Crystal and Eddie took a taxi out of L.A., the summer sun heating the inside of the taxi cab. Eddie rolled down the window in attempt to air out the car as they drove, only for the hot air to blast in their faces. Crystal admired the flat landscape as they drove roughly an hour away from the city limit.
The taxi cab pulled beside a small ranch on the outskirts of town, a large, old fashion western house in the middle of their land. Eddie paid the driver and exited out of the taxi cab, Crystal right behind him. As they approached the front door of the run down house, a short, plump woman stepped out. She had dark brown curly hair, tan skin, chocolate brown eyes, and wore a white nightgown. The woman beamed as Eddie walked towards the woman.
“Eduardo!” she said as she and her son hugged. “¿Cómo han sido? Usted nunca me llama.”
“Lo siento, he estado ocupado con el trabajo,” replied Eddie in Spanish as he turned toward Crystal. “This is Crystal, my girlfriend.”
“Ah, Eduardo has told me much about you,” said the mother as she approached the shy Crystal and shook her hand before sizing her up. Crystal was a good foot and a half taller than Eddie’s mother. “My name is Letty. Eduardo tells me you’re an FBI agent as well?”
“Yes,” said Crystal with a small nod. “We met while working on a case together.”
Letty smiled sweetly as she opened the front door of their house. “Come in, come in. Dinner is just about done.”
Eddie and Crystal sat at the table while Letty prepared the meal. As she set the table with Carne Asada tacos and flatbread with fajita chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, her husband, Cesar Arias, walked into the dining room. He was a tall man with dark brown eyes, a thin black mustache, and short hair. His skin was tanned from being out in the sun all day. He wore a black buttoned sleeve shirt, worn blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a black cowboy hat. He looked like a modern day cowboy.
“Algo huele bien, ¿qué hacen en la cena?” he said as he walked inside the dining room. His eyes light up as he saw Eddie sitting at the table. “Eduardo! Cuando te encontraste en? Su madre dice que vendrías abajo pronto,” said Cesar as he approached his son and gave him a hug, his face lit up like Christmas morning.
“I got in just a little bit ago,” said Eddie as he returned the hug before Cesar took a seat beside him. “Dad, this is Crystal, my girlfriend.” introduced Eddie as Letty took a seat beside her.
“Eduardo told me a lot about you,” said Cesar as he looked at Eddie and winked. “Ella es una buena pesca. Usted tiene buen gusto al igual que su papá, ¿eh?” said Cesar as he ruffled his sons hair before grabbing a taco and some flatbread.
“Son, when are you going to get a haircut?” asked Letty as she loaded her flatbread with peppers and chicken. “I can give you one after dinner, if you like.” she offered.
“No thanks,” said Eddie sheepishly as Cesar pulled on Eddie’s patchy facial hair.
“What’s this? You trying to grow a beard or something, eh?” teased Cesar as he tugged on it lightly, laughing as his son pulled away.
“Dad, stop it,” said Eddie as he rubbed his cheek.
“Your father couldn’t grow anything at your age,” teased Letty before she took a drink of soda.
“Hey, yo podría crecer la barba. Prefiero un bigote,” said Cesar as he ran his finger across his mustache.
Crystal giggled as she took a bite from her chicken, which burned her mouth from the peppers that were sautéed with it. For the rest of the night, Crystal talked with Eddie’s family. She felt comfortable around his parents immediately. As the evening grew, Cesar and Letty turned in for the evening.
Close to midnight, Crystal and Eddie went to his old bedroom. Crystal stood beside his bedroom door and poked her head inside. It was a small room with a full sized bed, a small television set on a stand, and a dresser for clothes. Posters of Star Wars and other sci-fi television shows were plastered across his walls.
“This looks small,” said Crystal as she walked inside. “And dorky,” she added with a giggle.
“Yeah. I didn’t ask for much growing up. I spent most of my time outside anyway,” said Eddie as he took off his shirt and tossed it in a dirty clothes hamper.
Crystal smiled as she looked over Eddie’s slim figure. She walked up from behind and wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her forehead on the back of his head. “I love you,” said Crystal as she leaned into him.
Eddie turned and pulled Crystal into a tight hug. “I love you too,” said Eddie before he gave her a kiss.
They turned in for the night, wary of what tomorrow will bring and worried for the next victim the Ripper planned to murder.
