Come Alone

The note had said to come alone. Captain Andrews was suspicious, but Rachel had persuaded him to let her go alone. She slowly pulled up to the abandoned barn. She had thought it looked creepy when she looked up the address, but in person it sent a shiver down her spine. It was still a bit light out, but within half an hour, the sun would set completely. She hoped she wouldn’t have to be there after dark. She wouldn’t have come, but the note had promised information about the killer. She carefully took the gun out of her glove compartment and stepped out of the car. She left it running; In case I need to make a fast exit, she thought. As she approached the barn, she felt a chill. She glanced all around her, paying special attention to the shadows. She gripped the gun tighter.

As she stepped into the barn, she hid her pistol in her jacket pocket and called out, “Hello? You said you had some information for me?”

Out of the shadows came a gruff voice, “I told you to come alone.”

The voice made her feel queasy. “I did,” she responded.

“Don’t try to play any tricks on me!” it bellowed.

“I’m not! I promise.”

“Then why is your car running?”

“There’s no one else in there, I swear!” she said, anxiously looking around for the source of the voice.

“Drop the weapon.”

“I don’t have one.”

“You do. I saw you hide it when you came in. Drop it, or you won't find out who did it.”

She complied, still nervous.The sun was sinking fast. “Where are you?” she asked.

“Up here,” replied the voice from the rafters.

She looked up and saw a shadowy figure crouched directly above her. She wasn’t sure whether it was a man or a woman. “Come down from there, please,” she begged.

“No.”

“Come down or I’ll shoot,” she snatched her gun from the ground and pointed it at the strange figure.

“Not yet.”

“When?”

“When the sun goes down.”

“Now.”

“No. After dark.”

“Why?”

“I have my reasons.”

Annoyed by the cryptic answer she rolled her eyes and said, “Tell me what you know.”

“Not yet.”

“Why did you tell me to come at 8:00 if you won’t tell me anything until after dark.”

The shadowy figure let out something like a chuckle.

“Cut it out! I’ve had enough of your games! Now tell me what you know or you get a bullet through your brain!” Rachel thundered.

The figure was quiet for a moment. “I wouldn’t be much use to you then, now would I?”

Rachel put her finger on the trigger and glared.

“Fine,” the figure responded.

“I can tell you that you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Elaborate.”

“The killer isn’t who you think it is.”

“Right now, I’m inclined to believe it was you.”

“If I was the killer, why would I bring you here?”

“To throw me off track. To scare me. To kill me.”

“If the killer wanted you dead, he would have done it by now.”

“So it’s a man?”

“Yes, but you already knew that. I’m merely telling you that Mr. Deere did not kill his wife.”

“He fits the evidence.”

“All the evidence? My dear Ms. Addams, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that he doesn’t wear boots.”

“What?”

“The footprints you found at the scene of the crime. They were boot prints. Mr. Deere has never worn or owned a pair of boots.”

“How do you know about the prints?”

“I watched Captain Andrews’ press release.”

“How do you know so much about Mr. Deere?”

“Let’s just say I know him personally.”

“How personally?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“Ugh! He had a motive!”

“My dear, sweet Ms. Addams, lots of people had a motive for murdering Mrs. Deere. She wasn’t exactly a nice woman.”

“He had the means! He has a sledge hammer like the one used to kill her.”

“Anyone could have a sledge hammer. You can buy them at any hardware store. In an odd turn of events I recently purchased one myself.”

“Oh?”

“Now don’t get suspicious, that doesn’t mean that I did it.”

“So if it wasn’t Mr. Deere, who was it then?”

“Can’t say.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Can’t.”

“You told me you had information on the killer.”

“Yes, and I just told you who the killer isn’t.”

“From your note, I got the impression you knew who he was.”

“That was just your perception, dear.”

“Have you told me everything you know?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I’m leaving now,” Rachel turned toward the door. As she did so, the figure jumped down from the rafters, blocking her.

“No! You can’t leave now. Not yet!” the figure shouted.

The moon had risen and she could see the outline of the figure’s body clearly. It was a man -- a man that she recognized -- holding a sledge hammer. She gasped. “It’s you! You’re the one that killed Mrs. Deere!”

“You can’t leave!” the man bellowed as he stepped closer to her.

Rachel stepped back, holding her gun tight.

“Don’t come any closer!” she warned.

“You know too much! Whatever he told you, he’s lying!” He continued to move toward her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“You will never leave this place!” he thundered as he swung the hammer.

She pulled the trigger, and the bullet lodged in the man’s arm. He dropped the hammer and she ran to the door. She hopped in her car faster than she ever had before, thankful she had left it running. She slammed the gas pedal and made the fastest U-turn she’d ever made in her life. She sped down the dirt road until she reached the highway. She drove to the police station, ran up the stairs and burst into Captain Andrews’ office. He looked up sharply from his paperwork.

“What happened? Are you okay? Why are you shaking?” he asked, leading her to sit down.

She stood up abruptly, shaking with adrenaline. “He tried to kill me, but that’s not the point. I know who killed Mrs. Deere.”

“Did he tell you?”

“No...and yes.”

“What?”

“I’ll explain in a minute.”

“So was it Mr. Deere?”

“Yes and no.”

“Did he hire a hitman or something?”

“No, he killed her himself, but he wasn’t himself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mr. Deere has multiple personalities.”