The House Across the River

SARAH

“Watcha lookin’ at?”

Sarah adjusted the binoculars as she zoomed in on the house across the river. She could hear the sound of thunder in the distance, warning them of the impending storm that was predicted earlier on the news.

Her sister, Millie, leaned in behind her, peering over her shoulder. Sarah could smell the potato chips that her sister had been munching on while she watched television. Millie loved potato chips, especially the barbecue flavor ones in a can. There were stacks of them in the pantry.

 “Just the old Moore place. Could you step back a little bit and quit breathing on me?”

Millie had no concept of personal space. Sometimes Sarah would hide in the old farmhouse they lived in just to get away from her. She moved back to her family’s homeplace a few months before, not because she wanted to but because she had to. Her husband of 30 years had died and left her with nothing. His gambling addiction, that she knew nothing about, had taken every bit of savings they had. She had to sell their beautiful home just to pay off the rest of Ray’s credit card debt.

She couldn’t help but be bitter. She had felt duped and humiliated when she found out about Ray’s secret life of gambling, and yes, even prostitutes. Millie had graciously offered for Sarah to move in with her and instead of being thankful, Sarah was more annoyed than anything. She shouldn’t have to depend on her sister. She missed her own home, that was in the city and not on some old farm away from everything convenient.

Millie had survived two husbands and declared that she was done with marriage. She had had two great loves in her life, and she would never find another man to replace them. She was content and never wanted to leave the house where she grew up. Millie had been excited when Sarah had moved in, having all kinds of projects and events for them to share and do. All Sarah wanted to do was wallow in her grief and lament on the injustices her dead husband had enforced upon her.

The cabinet that contained Millie’s collection of old bells rattled. “Lawsy! It’s getting closer!” Millie walked over to the window that overlooked the back of the house and the mountains. “The trees look like they might snap!”

Sarah was about to give up her surveillance when she saw it again. There was a light in the old house across the river, which was highly unusual since it had been vacant for 20 years or more. It looked like it might have been a flashlight. “Someone’s in the house. I think I saw a flashlight.”

Millie gasped and looked at her. “What? In this house? Where?!”

Sarah shook her head. “No! The old Moore place!”

Millie looked skeptical. “Oh, I’m sure it was just lightening or something. Nobody is in that old place but a rat or 20 and they sure don’t need flashlights.” Millie chuckled at her own joke.

“It sure looked like a flashlight.”

Millie walked up to Sarah and held out her hand. After peering through the binoculars, she said, “Well, I don’t see a thing.” She handed the binoculars back and walked into the living room, where WCYB, the local channel, was on. Millie’s favorite weatherman, Dave Dierks, was standing in front of the weather map. “Let’s see what old Dave has to say about the storm.” She plopped into her chair and grabbed her puzzle book and pen. “Looks like it’s passing over us and will be gone soon.”

Sarah, still intent on the goings-on across the river, half listened to her sister’s assumption. She remembered another time when she was always looking across the river. Her high school crush, Brian Moore, lived in that house, and she was always spying on him. Sometimes, when the wind was blowing in just the right direction, you could hear people talking or even yelling. Brian’s dad was a drunkard and when he had been in his cups, he would yell at anything that moved. They’d all heard rumors about how he beat his wife and son. Sarah had even seen Brian with a black eye once that looked very suspicious, especially since it had happened after a night of excessive shouting.

Brian was a little on the quiet side. They had always been friends, but when they were in the ninth grade, one day on the bus, Brian took her hand and held it. No one had ever held her hand before. From then on, they were boyfriend and girlfriend. In the summer, they were always in the river playing or walking in the woods. They would hunt for animal bones, arrowheads, or caves.

Brian didn’t talk about his family much, but she could tell he worried about his mother. She hardly ever came out of the house. Brian’s dad bought all the groceries or anything else they might need. Sometimes, Sarah would see her rocking on the porch but only if her husband was at work. She would run back inside when she saw him driving home.

It was the summer after their junior year in high school that things went crazy. Mrs. Moore disappeared one day and never came back. Brian was devastated and hurt that his mom would actually leave him with his father. He stayed away from home as much as he could, often camping out or staying with friends. Sarah tried to be there for him and help him through his grief, but Brian would close himself off instead. She heard he was hanging out with the wrong crowds and doing drugs. Eventually he went to prison for robbery and drug-related offenses. Brian’s dad died not long after that. He got so drunk that he fell into the river and drowned one night.

When the rain began subsiding, Sarah grabbed her purse and raincoat. “I’m going over to check on the house.”

Millie jumped up and ran to the kitchen door. “You’re going over there now? It’s almost dark!”

Undeterred, Sarah grabbed her car keys. “I know. That’s why I’m leaving now. I’ll be right back.”

Millie grabbed her coat too. “Not without me. I’m going with you.”

“Suit yourself.”

They had to drive all the way down to the beginning of their road and cross the bridge over the river. As they approached the old Moore place, they could see the lights on in their farmhouse. It looked a little eerie at dusk when the sunlight was fading.

Sarah pulled into the washed-out driveway, careful not to let the overgrown bushes scratch her car. They both got out and walked up to the dilapidated porch overrun with honeysuckle vines. The old screen door was hanging by one hinge and the wooden door had huge peelings of old paint curled up all over it. Sarah turned the knob and the door swung open, slowly with a creepy noise that reminded them both of an old scary movie. Sarah peeked inside but kept her feet firmly on the porch floor. “Hello. Anybody here?”

Millie peeked in the living room window. “There’s a big stain on the carpet.”

“Wonder what that could be?” Sarah walked to the edge of the porch and looked down at the side of the house.

Millie said, “Maybe a bear came in and peed on the rug.”

Sarah walked back and peered in the window, rolling her eyes. “A bear? Really?” Sometimes Sarah wondered if her sister was all there.

“Well, it had to be something big because that’s a huge stain.”

“You think a bear is going to walk in the house, pee on the rug, and then walk out, closing the door behind him?”

“I’m just speculating.”  Wiping a spider web from her hand she asked, “Did you bring a flashlight?”

Sarah shook her head. “No. I was in a hurry and forgot. I’ll come back tomorrow when it’s light outside and see what it is. It may just be a leak from the ceiling.”

Millie nodded. “Yeah. Maybe that’s what it is,” but she didn’t seem too convinced. Millie walked towards the car. “I know one thing. I’m not going into that house when it’s dark inside. That place gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

Sarah followed. “Me neither.”

That night, Sarah lay in her bed wondering what, if anything, was going on at that house. She was remembering when there was a rumor going around that Mr. Moore killed and buried Mrs. Moore somewhere in the woods but nobody could prove it. He claimed she left a note and ran off with another man. Sarah’s mom told them not to worry about rumors. People just speculated because they had nothing better to do. Sarah’s dad said it wasn’t their business. He never had time to worry about anyone else, including his own family. He worked on their farm, from sunup to sundown.

The next day after breakfast, when the sun was shining brightly, they both went back to the old house across the river. Things seemed less spooky in the light of day, but they were still a little nervous. This time they both walked into the house. Being vacant for so many years, they were a little surprised that it wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be inside. The carpet wasn’t that terrible except for the big stain in the living room. Sarah looked up but didn’t see any wet place in the ceiling. 

Millie bent down, looking closely. She grimaced. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was blood.”

Sarah stood behind her. “Surely not.” 

Millie shivered, even though it was already warm and muggy outside. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s still a little wet.” 

Before Sarah could respond, they both heard a noise coming from the back of the house. They both jumped, startled and frightened. Sarah looked at her sister with wide eyes. She bravely turned towards the noise. “Who’s there?”

Millie whispered, “Sweet Jesus in heaven, let’s go!”

Sarah shook her head, trying to be brave. “I’m sure it was just an animal or something.” She slowly tiptoed down the short hallway towards the kitchen, Millie right behind her. This room wasn’t as neat as the living room. There were holes in the walls and ceilings, insulation littering the floor and counters. Mice droppings were everywhere. A rotten smell encompassed the room, causing them both to cover their noses.

“Phew! What is that smell?” Millie covered her mouth, gagging.

 Sarah wasn’t surprised because her sister had always had a weak stomach. When they were little, Sarah would have laughed at her, but she wasn’t laughing now. The smell was horrendous. “Something has obviously died in here. It’s probably a mouse or a squirrel.”

Millie shook her head. “That’s no mouse or squirrel, definitely something bigger.” She turned to leave, placing her hand over her mouth. “I’m gettin’ out of here before I lose my breakfast.”

Sarah nodded. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Once Millie was gone, Sarah walked carefully through the kitchen, towards the back door. She opened it slowly, peeking out. What was left of the porch floor was rotten and had weeds growing up through it. Before she could turn back and leave, someone grabbed her, clamping their hand across her mouth, stifling her scream. Struggling mightily, Sarah tried to free herself but to no avail. They were much stronger than her. Once she finally stopped trying to fight, she was pushed towards the hallway.

“I suggest you leave and never come back here again.”

Sarah, scared and shaken, took a step and then stopped in her tracks. She knew that voice. It had been years, but she knew him. Turning around she whispered, “Brian?”

He was filthy and had a scraggly beard that hid most of his face. His clothes were dirty and had stains all over them. She placed her hand up to her mouth in shock.

Brian closed his eyes and sighed. 

Sarah, suddenly not afraid but curious, walked back towards him. “Brian! What are you doing?”

Brian just shook his head. “You just couldn’t leave it alone, could you?”

Sarah couldn’t believe it. Her old boyfriend, dressed like some kind of hobo, was living in his old house like a criminal or something worse. “I don’t understand.”

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “You don’t have to understand. All you have to do is leave here and never come back. Forget you ever saw me.”

Recalling the special closeness she once felt for her childhood friend and sweetheart, Sarah shook her head. “Brian, please let me help you. You’ve obviously fallen on tough times. Just tell me how and I’ll help you any way I can.”

Brian growled in vexation. He spoke to Sarah as if she were a deranged person. “There’s nothing you can do. Just leave before it’s too late.”

“Too late for what?”

“Go!” 

“What is that stain in the living room? Is that blood?”

Instead of answering, Brian scowled and shook his head in frustration. He took a gun out of the waist of his pants and directed it at Sarah. “Brian’s gone, Sarah.”

“If Brian’s gone, how do you know my name?”

Sarah listened to the click of the gun but knew Brian wouldn’t shoot her. “It’s okay Brian. I won’t tell anyone you’re here. Please let me help.”

As she smiled at her childhood sweetheart, she heard a sharp, popping sound and then an intense shockwave permeating throughout her whole body. Sarah realized in that moment that Brian did not shoot her, but someone had shot him, right between the eyes! As he fell to the ground, she whirled around and saw Millie holding a smoking pistol.

Sarah, ears ringing, whispered, “What have you done?”

“TCB.”

Sarah, dumbfounded, could not speak, could not fathom how her sister could just shoot someone like that.

Millie clarified, “Taking care of business,” as if Sarah didn’t understand the acronym.

Sarah finally found her voice. “But he wasn’t going to shoot me! He just wanted me to leave!”

“I was born at night little sister, but it wasn’t last night. He had that gun pointed right at you.”

Sarah closed her eyes. “Millie! You just can’t go around shooting people! What will the police say?”

“They ain’t gonna say nothin’ because they won’t know nothin’.” Millie put her gun in her purse and turned to leave. “I gotta go home and get a shovel and then we’ll bury him out back.”

After Millie left, Sarah looked back at Brian’s body, which lay crumbled on the dirty kitchen floor. She knelt down and felt for a pulse in his neck, hoping that he was still alive. His eyes were open but vacant. He was definitely dead. Deader than four o’clock, as her granny used to say. Deader than a doorknob as her daddy used to say. Deader than…Sarah stopped herself. She was on the verge of hysterics, and a giggle almost escaped her mouth. What was wrong with her?

She took Brian’s hand, which was dirty and rough. “I’m so sorry Brian. I know you wouldn’t have shot me. Millie was just trying to protect me.”

Millie finally returned, shovel in hand. “He was obviously up to no good. Quit moping and help me drag him out back.” She put the shovel up against the wall and turned to grab his two feet. “Dave says there’s going to be another thunderstorm this evening so times a-wastin’. Ground should be fairly soft from yesterday’s rain.”

Sarah couldn’t believe that Millie could act so calm and matter of fact after shooting and killing someone. She had always been so sweet and kind, not a mean bone in her body. Instead of trying to talk her sister into calling the police like her conscience screamed, Sarah obeyed Millie and helped drag Brian to the backyard.

They both took turns shoveling dirt until they had a hole big enough to accommodate Brian’s body. Sarah turned her head as Millie pushed him in. By the time they had covered him with dirt, they were both exhausted and filthy.

Sarah felt numb as Millie drove them home. She stared out the car window, letting the warm breeze wash over her, as if cleansing her from what she had witnessed and participated in. She couldn’t wait to take a shower, to rid herself of the dirt that covered her clothes and body. Sarah just wanted to be clean, as if that would make her feel better and absolved from her sin.

The next couple of days, Sarah watched the house across the river to see if anyone would find Brian’s body. Millie fussed at her and told her to stop obsessing over it. Nobody was going to find him because nobody even knew he was there.

Sarah took out her phone and began googling his name. She found a short blurb that reported Brian was wanted for questioning in the disappearance of his wife. Sarah thought of the huge stain on the living room carpet. Had he killed her? Was the smell in the kitchen coming from her dead body? If so, where was she? She wanted answers but speaking up could only draw attention to themselves and they could find themselves in prison for what they had done.

Sarah also began wondering about the sanity of her sister. Millie was acting so strangely; calm and collected one minute and irritated the next. She was frustrated because Sarah wouldn’t forget about the entire incident, as if she could.

Sarah began watching her sister as much as she was watching the house across the river. She thought about Millie’s two husbands that had died. Gene had fallen off his tractor, dying instantly. She said Larry had suffered with stomach issues for years and finally succumbed to them. They seemed happy enough, although Sarah admittedly hadn’t been around them all that much. How does someone fall off of a tractor and then then get run over by it? Sarah never thought much about it until now.

One evening as they were watching Jeopardy, Sarah asked Millie, “What happened to Gene, Millie?”

Millie had been working on her Find-A-Word puzzle book and laid it down. “What do you mean what happened? He fell off his tractor while cutting the hay in the fields. I told you that.”

Sarah nodded. “Yes, but how did the tractor run over him?”

Millie shook her head. “Well, he was drunk. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want you to think bad about him. He was a good man, but moonshine made him mean and reckless. I told him not to get on that tractor, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He must have just slid off, and the back tractor tire ran clean over him.”

Sarah grimaced. She had never heard that Gene drank or that he was mean and reckless. Millie had always talked about both her husbands as though they were the best of men, unlike her and her rantings about Ray and his surprise nefarious addictions that had left her with nothing.

“Were the police surprised?”

Millie laughed. “Not a bit when they smelled liquor all over him, or what was left of him.”

Sarah’s eyes widened, and then she said, “Was he ever mean to you, Millie?”

Millie was quiet for a moment. “He hit me once and I told him if he ever did it again, he’d be sorry.”

Sarah’s heart dropped. Was he sorry? Is that why he died? Sarah didn’t even want to think about it but couldn’t stop herself. Sarah had seen enough true crime shows to know that the most ordinary people snap and kill their spouses for one reason or another, but most of those reasons were for money.

“Did Gene have any life insurance?” Millie was very frugal in her spending, but she always had money for whatever she needed.

Millie stood up. “The funny thing is, Gene had taken out a hefty life insurance policy about six months before he died. I’m going to get me a Coke. You want one?”

Sarah shook her head in shock, not able to utter any words. To have her sister talk so indifferent about her husband that she claimed to love and who died in a terrible accident was very baffling.

Sarah was exhausted and decided to go to bed early that night. She slept in her grandmother’s old bed, the one she had died in. It had never bothered her before, but since Millie had killed Brian, she was a nervous wreck. Every noise made the hairs on her arms stand up straight. She finally got up, exhausted from all the tossing and turning.

Sarah decided that warm milk might calm her nerves, so she tiptoed down the stairs, being especially quiet when she passed Millie’s bedroom at the bottom of the steps. Every time a floorboard creaked, her heart raced. Realizing she was being silly, Sarah took a deep breath and walked normally.

After she put her glass of milk in the microwave, Sarah stood at the kitchen sink, contemplating her sister’s actions. Could her sister really have killed her husband? Sarah would never have thought that before but seeing her sister shoot Brian and acting so calmly about it, her gut feeling was telling, no screaming at her that Yes! Millie could have definitely killed her husband.

After the milk was warm, Sarah took it out of the microwave and turned to go back to her room. Millie was standing at the door of the kitchen, startling Sarah, causing her to spill milk on the old wood floors.

Millie chuckled. “Don’t worry about a little spilled milk, Sarah.” She chuckled again. “Or is it don’t cry over a little spilled milk?” She sighed loudly. “Whatever has happened has happened dear and nothing can change it. Right?”

Shaking in her gown, Sarah could only stare at her sister.

Millie began walking through the house back to her bedroom and Sarah followed. They both stopped at Millie’s bedroom door and then Sarah began slowly walking up the steps, stopping when she heard Millie speak. “I will always take care of you, Sarah. You never have to worry about a thing.”

Sarah nodded, scared to say anything. Once she was in her bed, her thoughts were racing. Millie had killed Brian. How many other people had she murdered? Both of her husbands? What could she do? What should she do? She loved her sister and knew Millie loved her. But this was crazy, an absolute nightmare. She couldn’t just ignore it. Millie could be a serial killer! What if Sara was next on the list? Millie had to be stopped.

MILLIE’S DIARY

I usually don’t have any problems sleeping except for now, not after seeing that knowing look in Sarah’s eyes. Things had been going so perfectly too. Having my sister back in the homeplace has been wonderful. Oh, I know that Sarah isn’t as happy as I’ve been. She can’t get over the fact that her dumb husband was a gambler and had a dirty, nasty habit.

People die, like Brian’s dad, for example. He was a drunk. Everyone knew that. He was an accident just waiting to happen. Pushing him into the river didn’t take much effort because he could barely even stand up. Getting him down to the river was a little harder. I had told him to leave my sweet mama alone and since my daddy wouldn’t do anything about it, I took care of it. Nobody missed him and nobody cared that he died. Well, nobody except for Officer Hicks. He knew things didn’t add up but, in the end, he gave up. There was no proof. What could he do? Nothing, that’s what.

My own father was a little more complicated. I used rat poisoning on him. Every farmer kept rat poison on hand. It took a while, but it eventually did the trick. I had been sick and tired of him making mama feel like she was worthless. My mother had been a saint to put up with him all those years. Sometimes mama would look at me the same way Sarah looked at me tonight, but she never said a word. At least mama had a couple of good years without the butthole before she succumbed to cancer.

Gene had been a good husband except when he drank. He would get mean and nasty, calling me all kinds of names and making fun of my big behind. He used to sing, Fatty, fatty, two by four, can’t get through the kitchen door. Ugh. Of course, he had no room to talk, walking around like he was eight months pregnant. Gerald Dickerson had given Gene some of his prized moonshine and of course he couldn’t stay out of it. Stupid man was drunker than a skunk when he went to mow the pasture. After he had breakfast and called my biscuits “nothing but a bunch of ugly rocks” I vowed that would be his last meal. Pushing him off the seat had been a cinch and then I just let the tractor roll over top of him. Officer Hicks kept shaking his head about the whole incident. I cried like my heart was broken. Shoot, I could have won one of those Academy Awards with all my boo-hooing.

I married Larry because I was lonely, which is not a good reason to marry, let me tell you. I thought Larry had a little money, but he didn’t. He married me because he thought I had some money, which I did. He was lazier than a fat cat on a hot day and he could waste more money than anyone I had ever seen in my life! When he started threatening me with divorce and taking half of everything I had, I knew I had to do something. I figured rat poisoning would be as good as anything else, especially since it had worked before. He had a bad stomach anyway, so it didn’t take that long.

I thought I was through with killing until Brian came back. I had to protect my sister. His gun was pointed right at her! The killing was justified but I knew that Officer Hicks would definitely be suspicious. Sarah wouldn’t help matters either. She had always been in love with the deadbeat and claimed he wouldn’t have shot her. I saw the crazy in his eyes, and I wasn’t taking any chances.

Why is it that almost every night I wake up and look at the clock the time is 3:33. I don’t believe in ghosts except that one time, my cat, Lulu, was looking at something above my head when I was putting my nightgown on. She growled and hissed, giving me goosebumps on top of goosebumps. I mean, if there really were ghosts, wouldn’t daddy, or any of the other, be scaring me half to death? Don’t get me wrong, they all deserved to die, but if they could, wouldn’t they try to get even with me?

OFFICER ADAM HICKS

When Officer Adam Hicks woke up that morning, he thought it would be a typical day. He wasn’t even close. Dispatch had notified him that a former resident, Brian Moore, could possibly be in the area. He and his wife had been reported missing in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dispatch wanted him to check out Brian’s old residence in Mendota. Adam knew the area well. He had been a sheriff’s deputy in Washington County, Virginia for almost 30 years. He’d also grown up there, which was sometimes a blessing and a curse.

He knew Brian and remembered the family. Many strange incidents occurred on that part of the Holston River and few involved Millie Clark-Jones who now went by her maiden name, Caudill. She was always on his radar because there had been too many deaths in that area and he knew she had something to do with them; he just couldn’t prove it. In high school, Millie wasn’t someone you really noticed. She had been quiet and average looking.

Everything had grown up around the old Moore place and he almost missed it. He pulled in carefully, wincing when branches scraped down the sides of the patrol car. As always, Adam looked carefully before he got out, noticing things that most people wouldn’t, like the trampled down grass on the front lawn. It wasn’t hard to miss since it hadn’t been mowed in what looked like a very long time.

The house was quiet and the large stain in the front room screamed blood. Adam took a deep breath and continued walking through the house. The kitchen smelled like death which could be any kind of rodent or critter since the house had been vacant for so long. There was also a blood stain on the kitchen floor.

Adam radioed to dispatch for help, that a possible crime scene was present. Something was definitely going on at the old Moore place.

SARAH

Something was going on at the old Moore place and Sarah was about to vomit the tuna sandwich she had eaten for lunch. Millie had gone to town, to get groceries. What would she think when she got back and saw all the police vehicles across the river? She had tried to tell Sarah that they had nothing to worry about, but Sarah knew it was only a matter of time. A man was dead, murdered! Sarah hadn’t shot Brian, but she helped bury him. She should have told the authorities the truth, but Millie had talked her into keeping her mouth shut. Now it was time to pay the piper.

Millie finally pulled into the driveway. Sarah walked outside to help carry the groceries in. As if someone could hear her, she whispered to Millie, “Now what are we going to do?”

Millie, as usual, acted like it was no big deal. “I’m going to get a snack. What about you?”

“Millie! What if they come over here and start asking questions? What do we say?”

Millie rolled her eyes. “We’re going to say that we didn’t hear a thing, and we didn’t see a thing. Got it? Now go on in and take you one of them gummies I got for you to calm your nerves. You look like you’re about fly to the moon and back.”

Sarah huffed and stomped inside, placing two bags of groceries on the kitchen counter. She refused to take those stupid gummies which made her feel weird and also like she didn’t have legs. Instead, she went back to her place at the window. There was a van parked in front of the house now. Investigators were everywhere.

Sarah’s fingerprints were probably on the doorknob and who knew where else. She’d seen enough Forensic Files episodes to know that it was only a matter of time. Might as well enjoy the time she had left before she was sent to prison. Sarah sat down in her favorite chair, pulled out her coloring book and fancy gel pens Millie had bought her and tried not to think about Millie killing Brian.

MILLIE’S DIARY

I’m not quite as calm as Sarah thinks I am. This ain’t my first rodeo, and I know that if I act guilty it will all go downhill from there. Fortunately, I took a few gummies myself, just to help me sleep. Lord knows, I’ve got a few people that would love to come back and haunt me, even though they all deserved to die. Every last one of them.

I told Sarah not to worry. I wiped all our fingerprints off the doorknobs and anything else we touched. There’s no way anyone could tell we’d been there.

I was relaxing on the porch, watching the hummingbirds, when Officer Hicks pulled up the drive. The tiny birds scattered like a bunch of roaches when the lights turned on. Wish I could stomp that man just like I would a roach. He’s nosy and I don’t like him.

I asked him what was going on across the river before he could ask me. He said he was hoping I could tell him, like I would tell him anything. I just said that I didn’t know a thing. Of course, he wouldn’t let it go and asked me again if I had heard anything suspicious.

Did he not hear me the first time? I’ wanted to get up and slap that man silly. Ever since high school, he’s been acting like he’s something special, looking down his nose at me. I wasn’t going to give him an inch, so I just shook my head. I crossed my legs and looked at my fingernails. They were still a little dirty from grave digging.

He finally gave up and walked back to his patrol vehicle. Before he entered it, he said one more thing that actually ruffled my feathers a little bit, but he’d never know it.

He said, would I have any reason to be in Brian Moore’s old place? As calm as the river on dry summer evening, I said, why would I have any reason to be in that old dump? And then I smirked for good measure.

OFFICER ADAM HICKS

It was all Adam could do not to arrest Millie right then and there. She was doing her best to act innocent and calm but he could tell she knew something. He didn’t know what, but he was going to figure it out.

Investigators found two bodies. They found what was undoubtedly Brian Moore’s body first in a shallow grave. It wasn’t hard to find. Looked like someone was in a hurry when they dug it. He’d been shot and hadn’t been dead very long. The other body, a woman, probably Brian’s wife, was a little harder to find. The grave was further away from the house, on the mountain side, covered with debris. They wouldn’t have noticed it but something, most likely a coyote, had been trying to dig it back up. Her body was a little more decomposed.

Forensics were working on the case which had become a top priority. Adam made sure they assessed every surface for fingerprints.

Murders didn’t happen often, but they did happen, especially at that end of the county. One Mendota resident, who had been working in the carnival circuit, had murdered at least three women. He’d been apprehended when one of the bodies fell out of his truck. Of course, there was also Millie. They hadn’t charged her with murdering anyone because there wasn’t enough proof, according to the prosecuting attorneys.

Adam had been furious when she had gotten away with murdering both her husbands. He couldn’t believe it! Two men dead! He became so obsessed with the case that his wife of 10 years left him, not that he was upset about it. He only married her because he thought she was pregnant. She wasn’t. She lied just to get him to the altar. And the funny thing was that he found out later that he couldn’t have gotten her pregnant anyway. Doctor told him he had a low sperm count. Debbie was just looking for an excuse to leave him and marry someone else before her eggs dried up. The last he heard, she had married another dude but still didn’t have a baby.

That evening, he came home and found a note from his mother. She had left spaghetti in his fridge. One thing was for sure; his mom was a saint. After he warmed it up and grabbed a can of soda, Adam got in his easy chair and turned on the television. For the millionth time, he wished he had a dog or a cat, or anything to lessen the loneliness.

SARAH

Sarah listened right outside the kitchen door after she saw the patrol car pull up. Her heart sank. She just knew they were going to jail. She sighed in relief when the officer left.

As soon as his car disappeared, Millie walked inside. She ignored Sarah while she pulled out the frying pan and began fixing dinner. And the unbelievable thing was that she was humming! She was actually humming a merry tune while Sarah was about to throw up breakfast AND lunch. What was wrong with her sister?! She had to be stark raving mad!

“What are you doing!”

“I’ve got a craving for a cheeseburger. Can you get the crinkly fries out of the deep freezer for me?”

“How can you eat at a time like this?” Sarah couldn’t believe how calm her sister was after talking to the police.

Millie stopped and looked at her sister. “Well, I’m not going to starve because of that dead-beat Brian Moore!” She turned around and began forming patties out of the ground beef. “I think I could eat at least two. How many do you want?”

Sarah shook her head and stomped to her post at the window. She watched until all the vehicles left and then her stomach growled, startling her. Millie had left a hamburger patty on the kitchen stove, anticipating her hunger. One thing was for sure; Millie always watched out for her and protected her.

MILLIE’S DIARY

My stomach was upset after eating two cheeseburgers, half a bag of fries and an oatmeal pie today. Last night I swallowed four gummies just so I could sleep but it didn’t help much. I had the worst nightmares of my life! They all laughed at me and told me I was going to be next.

I believe in Jesus, just like every other person that’s got a lick of sense. I don’t want to go to hell, so I got on my knees before dawn and begged God to forgive me. He knows what kind of men I killed. Surely, He understands.

SARAH

Sarah was surprised when she got up that morning and Millie was still in bed. She decided to fix French Toast. It might be her last meal before she had to go to prison for aiding and abetting a murder.

By the time she flipped the last piece of toast, Millie came into the kitchen, looking a little worse for wear. Her hair was stuck up all over her head and she had dark circles under her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Millie sat down at the table. “I’m fine. What’s for breakfast?”

Sarah grabbed a plate and syrup from the cabinet. “Just some French Toast.”

She began putting food on Millie’s plate until her sister held up her hand. “That’s enough. My stomach is acting up again.”

Sarah’s eyes widened. If there was one meal that Millie loved beyond all others, it was breakfast.

Sarah sat down and held out her hand to Millie and then asked the Lord’s blessing. Just because of what they had done did not mean they had to act like a bunch of heathens.

OFFICER ADAM HICKS

Adam decided to go back to see Millie again. Maybe, this time, he could catch her in a lie. He was surprised when another woman answered the door.

The shock must have shown on his face because she held out her hand and smiled. “I’m Sarah, Millie’s sister.”

She was younger and prettier than Millie. He had forgotten all about Sarah. The last time he had seen her, she was just a young, skinny girl. Adam finally shut his mouth and stuttered, “I’m…I’m here to…to see if you saw anything suspicious across the river.”

Sarah shook her head. “Not a thing except all the police cars. What’s going on?”

Adam found himself sharing more information with Sarah than he intended to. “We found two bodies buried over there. We believe that it’s Brian Moore and his wife, Teresa.”

Sarah looked visibly shocked. “Brian! Oh my goodness! I haven’t seen Brian since high school. Why in the world are they buried over there? What happened?”

Adam had to say that she looked genuinely shocked or else she was a great actress. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

About that time, Millie walked up behind Sarah, not looking as confident as she did the other day when Adam talked to her. She looked a little green around the gills.

“I told you the other day that we ain’t seen nothin’.”

“I know, Millie, but it seems kind of suspicious that you didn’t see something especially since there’s been a double homicide.” Adam looked intently at Millie. “Surely you heard a gunshot or yelling. Something?”

Millie guffawed. “We hear gunshots all the time and don’t think nothin’ of it. Someone’s always shootin’ deer or racoons. Why I shot a groundhog yesterday that was trying to eat my maters.”

Adam had to admit that that was true, about the gunshots and all. He then turned to look at Sarah who still looked a little shocked. Man, she was pretty. He could drown in those beautiful blue eyes. “Ma’am, have you been here long?”

“It’s Sarah.” Adam could see the blush creep up her neck. “I’ve been staying here a few months. I’m a widow now and Millie was gracious enough to let me stay with her until I get back on my feet.”

Adam gulped and nodded. “Well, if you recall anything, anything at all, please call the sheriff’s office and report it. We would appreciate it.”

As Adam drove away, his thoughts were not on solving the double homicide but of a beautiful woman with gorgeous blue eyes.

MILLIE’S DIARY

Officer Hicks came back today. I laughed and told Sarah that I didn’t think we’d have to worry about that old fart anymore. All she needed to do was bat her eyelashes a little.

Sarah shook her head and asked me how I could laugh at a time like this since we’re on the brink of going to jail.

I shrugged my shoulders and told her I ain’t worried about a thing. That was a lie. Well, sort of. I wasn’t worried about going to jail but I was worried about all those bad dreams and my sick stomach.

SARAH

Sarah was worried about Millie. She was getting worse every day. She begged her to go to the doctor, but Millie refused. She said she wasn’t worried about the police finding out that she killed Brian, but her actions were a different matter.

Sarah didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t turn her sister in. Millie was just trying to protect her.

Sarah thought about Officer Hicks. Adam. Boy, was he cute in a Josh Brolin sort of way. He had sleepy eyes that looked into your very soul. She looked him up in Millie’s old yearbooks. He was sort of dorky back then with glasses and long, stringy hair. He lost the glasses and now his locks were just long enough to curl up a little bit. Sarah could just imagine running her fingers through those locks.

Sarah shook her head, scattering her rambling thoughts. She went into the bathroom and got a huge bottle of pink liquid and took it to her sister, who was lying on the couch watching Let’s Make a Deal.

“Take this, Millie. Maybe it will settle your stomach.”

“I’ll take it, but I’ve already drunk a whole bottle of it since Monday.”

Sarah shook her head. “You need to go to the doctor.”

Millie ignored her and took a couple of swigs straight from the bottle. Sarah grimaced inwardly. Her sister was so uncouth. If she told her once, she’d told her a hundred times not to forget to flush the toilet. It was so gross. If she had her own bathroom, she wouldn’t care but the old farmhouse had just one, so they had to share. Millie fussed about all of Sarah’s cosmetics and her bottles of shampoos and conditioners. Sarah always wanted to look her best, unlike Millie who may or may not take a shower every couple of days.

They hadn’t heard anything from Officer Hicks in weeks. Sarah was beginning to think Millie was right, that they had nothing to worry about.

MILLIE’S DIARY

I truly think I’m going to die. I’ve never been this sick in my life. I guess it’s my comeuppance for killing all those men, even if they deserved it. I pray every night that I won’t go to the bad place. If I die, who is going to watch after Sarah? Poor thing may be the pretty sister but she ain’t got sense enough to take care of herself. Good thing I changed my will. At least she won’t have to worry about money anymore.

SARAH

Sarah was in shock. After Millie hadn’t come out of her bedroom that morning, she had gone to check on her. Millie was dead! She just couldn’t believe her sister was dead!

After she had dialed 9-1-1, everything became a living nightmare. That cute officer Hicks had questioned her, and he was so kind and understanding. He even held her hand and patted it.

Now she had to plan another funeral. She knew that Millie would want to be cremated and have her ashes spread at the farm that she loved so much. She would let the coroner know as soon as possible.

Sarah walked through the house, wondering what she was going to do now. She then realized she could do anything, absolutely anything she wanted. This time it was going to be worth it. Unlike that snake, Ray, there was no telling how much money was in Millie’s bank account.

She would sell everything and go to an exotic place like Bora Bora, where she would meet someone rich and handsome. In the meantime, a few cosmetic procedures would help to brighten and tighten her look to perfection.

Sarah sighed. Her life would finally be all that she ever wanted it to be.

But first things first, it was time to read Millie’s diary.

THE END