Trust No One
By Ben Kalcher
Copyright 2012 Ben Kalcher
Smashwords Edition
Dedicated to all those that have supported me
A troubled childhood made him the man he was today. He knew it. Sitting in the car watching the snow gently fall from the grey sky above brought back those painful memories. His mother bringing home strange men every other night and his father beating her senseless even with Chris in the room stood out the most. On occasions his father had done enough damage to break bones and have her taken to hospital where she would lie about how she got the injuries. She had feared for her life which was understandable.
Chris never blamed her; he knew it made her happy and feel loved even though she was tearing the family apart. A few months before his 10th birthday his father almost killed her, fleeing the scene and never returning. All the anger slowly building up towards that day was obvious to Chris but his mother never saw it coming or maybe she just didn’t want to see it. Chris never saw his father again. This proved the downfall for his mother who couldn’t take it anymore. She sent him off to live with her sister and Chris never saw his mother again. To this day he wondered if either of them was still alive.
He shook his head clearing those memories and picked up his phone from the seat beside him. He opened the same text message for the fifth or sixth time...I can’t wait to see you later...he smiled at those familiar words having read them from more than one woman over the past year. They were all predictable, just another single mother in another city but all the same in their actions. Her name was Heather and her daughter ten year old Emily. He liked both names. He had spoken to both of them over the last month by phone and skype gaining their trust, allowing him the chance to meet them in person. To them his name was Jacob. To every woman he had ever met he had a new identity, new name, image and style he had to be careful.
He held his phone close studying a picture of Heather that she had sent him. Long blonde hair curled up at the bottom and light blue eyes. She had a smile that would please any man. He didn’t smile at her; he had no feelings towards her. He scrolled across to another image she had sent him this time of Emily. A smile grew across his face. She was very pretty with light brown hair same colour eyes and a smile like her mother’s but with the purity and innocence that he so longed. In love he had failed always wanting a perfect wife and daughter but always failing. He gave up on chasing his dream and started a new one he would point to his childhood for the desires he had.
Society would look upon him with disgust and hatred but that didn’t bother him it was a life he chose and one that harboured no regrets. Through countless towns and cities he had met some beautiful, charming and interesting women online, but he always looked past them and towards their daughters, becoming a father figure and loving them like his own but without the boundaries of which a normal father had. His love for the girls never lasted long he would grow tired of them very quickly. Meeting new girls would make his heart flutter but as time went on the flutter would fade away.
Online dating was so easy as he made himself out to be someone he wasn’t and with all the desperate women he had encountered it was just too easy to trick them and lure them into false insecurity. He had, however, grown tired of the effort it took to get close to the girls and after hearing Emily’s angelic voice he wanted to try a different approach which he hadn’t tried with the other girls. He was going to take her as his own child and leave the country so they could spend the rest of their lives together. He fantasised and desired it, ‘my Emily,’ he whispered. He wouldn’t touch her in a sexual or abusive way he wasn’t like that and never would be to any girl. He wanted to father her, raise her properly until she was the right age to fall in love with. He hadn’t yet decided what age that would be, her attitude and maturity would decide that.
He put the phone down on the passenger seat, gripped the steering wheel with his left hand and started his car with his right. He slowly edged the car down the long street littered with tall trees either side that when fully leafed would form a canopy up above shielding much of the sky from the road below, now though they were like tall skeletons and their bony arm like branches where shielding nothing. He stopped and turned off the engine looking across the road at their Victorian town house beautifully set within the street.
He studied their house. Shrubs lined the pavement up to the large front door. A gentle breeze came in from the east as they gently rocked back and forth dancing like gentle ballerinas to the tune of nature. From the passenger seat he picked up a freshly cut red rose and his phone. He got out of the car, locked up and slightly jogged up to the front door. He felt like he was being watched but dismissed it as being paranoid. He put on a smile and knocked.
The door slowly opened and Heather appeared smiling. His smile slowly faded. Her arms hung open to embrace him. He slightly hesitated but embraced the welcoming loving arms and they kissed. He found it more pleasing than expected and found warmth to her bright red lips which was voluptuous.
‘Come in, Jacob please, I’m so happy that you are here, you’re all I can think about,’ she said still smiling, her cheeks slowly reddening with shyness.
‘Same,’ he lied. ‘You do have a beautiful house.’
‘Thank you.’
He looked around. ‘Are you home alone?’
‘No, Emily is upstairs studying. She’s looking forward to seeing you.’
‘She is such a smart and good girl.’
Heather smiled and leaned over to kiss him again. ‘She is and I love her to bits.’
He made his way into the large living room with beautiful oak flooring. A large open fireplace where wood was slowly burning caught his attention. He liked it very much. Wallpaper lined the walls with a gold ribbon design defying the common painted rooms that he had grown so accustomed to.
‘Please sit, drink?’ She asked.
He turned to her. ‘Coffee please,’ he replied as he sat down on one of the black leather sofas. He knew he would be happy here if his desire had not only been Emily.
In the kitchen she hit cups together placing them on the side and filled the kettle. He sat as quiet as a mouse seeking out its next piece of cheese, ready to scurry along the kitchen floor trying to avoid being spotted by a human or even worse a cat. He was at peace.
At the furthest corner of the room a rectangle fish tank grabbed his attention. He counted seven fish all of whom were floating by the glass appearing to look at him. He looked away from them as Heather walked back into the room with their drinks. She was still smiling, and it was beginning to get on his nerves. ‘Thank you, Heather’ he said, taking his drink off her.
She got comfy next to him. ‘How was the drive here?’
‘It was long, but thinking of you got me through it quickly.’
‘You’re sweet,’ she laughed taking a sip of her drink.
‘Thank you,’ he wondered how she didn’t burn her tongue.
‘I’ve got us a nice dinner planned.’
‘I can’t wait, it already smells nice’ he replied.
From the hallway Emily came skipping into the living room. ‘Jacob?’ she said looking at him confused.
‘Hello Emily, so glad to finally meet you,’ he replied smiling running a hand through his hair. ‘You look confused; I’m here earlier than expected.’
She gave him the cheekiest of grins. ‘Have we got any cake mum?’
‘No we haven’t, anyway you’ve got dinner soon.’
‘Awww ok mum, ‘she sighed giving the puppy dog eyes that would have won him over, he was sure of that.
‘Go back to studying,’ Heather turned back towards Jacob as Emily left them with her shoulders hunched. ‘Got to love kids,’ Heather laughed out loud.
‘You sure do,’ he replied intently watching Emily leave the room.
He finished his coffee enjoying each sip as much as the last. Heather took their cups into the kitchen as he reached down his leg where an ankle holster was strapped. He retrieved the gun that he had kept so well hidden. Smiling he caressed it. The cold metal was soothing to the touch as excitement grew within him as time closed in on the task it was going to achieve. He placed it by the side of his leg and the arm of the chair as Heather rejoined him oblivious to what was going on.
He wanted to end this quickly, no waiting around. Nightfall was coming and he didn’t like driving at night. Nightfall was the time when his father would come home drunk and begin the beatings on his mother. He hated it when night took over day. He would always lock himself in a room with plenty of light to combat the darkness that formed outside. For years his phobia grew worse.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said as his eye drifted to hers watching them narrow with curiosity.
‘Sorry for what?’
‘This just isn’t going to work.’
‘What do you mean, it will work,’ she insisted.
He lifted the gun; his jaw clenched ‘No it won’t.’
Heather instantly jumped up from her seat and backed away slowly as fear washed across her face. ‘What are you doing Jacob?’
‘Stop with that, it’s not my name.’
‘Sure it is...isn’t it?’
He sighed ‘My name is Chris, and that is all you need to know.’
‘Why did you lie to me? What do you want from me?’
‘Emily...she would make a perfect daughter for me, I had to lie to gain your trust and get close to you.’
Shocked Heather continued edging away from him her eyes shifted to the hallway. ‘You’re sick, you need help.’
‘That may be the case, but Emily will be the cure that I require.’
Heather slowly turned around then she heard the click of the gun. She stopped and turned back towards him. ‘Please I love my girl, please just go.’
‘I can’t, I love her too.’
‘You can’t possibly love her,’ she protested. ‘You don’t even know her.’
Chris got up. ‘In time I will and she will accept me, love me and we will be happy.’
Tears escaped her eyes like drops of water from a slowly melting icicle. ‘Please I beg you.’
‘It’s funny you say you love her but why the hell did you invite me to your house when you had never met me before? Putting you and your daughter at risk I could have been a murdering psycho.’
Her slightly rounded face appeared to change shape as sadness took over. ‘I trusted you, believed you could be the one, what did you expect?’
‘That is the problem, too many desperate women. I had one woman meet me in a hotel with her daughter, another dragging her little girl across the country and for what? Why would any loving mother do that, I just don’t get it, all I can say to you is trust no one, no matter what they seem like.’ He liked his little speech, a smirk grew across his face after it.
‘But this is my home where I feel safe and thought you would be perfectly fine coming here, how wrong I was, your just a lowlife scum, and you’re right, how can I trust anyone now?’
He sighed. ‘Well there’s no need for name calling, I make women see the error in their ways when I meet them, I mean yes you couldn’t have seen this coming and I’m glad you didn’t’
‘I will get you for this!’ She shouted.
‘I don’t think so, and I’m so sorry this has all been rushed, I really need to get going.’ He held the gun out and fired off two shots. Heather fell forward onto her knees then further still collapsing in a heap. He watched the blood escape her body, it pleased him. He returned the gun to the holster and went out into the hallway. ‘Emily!’ He called out.
***
She froze to the crash of two gunshots. She was certain it was a gun. She knew the sound from the movies that she had seen with her father a secret that her mother would have disapproved off. Those movies promote violence she would always say. She tip toed along the upstairs hallway and walked into her mother’s bedroom. Hands shaking she climbed over the bed and grabbed the phone. She tried desperately to avoid crying but tears forced themselves upon her. Through teary eyes she used the speed dial to call her father, she waited for an answer. Even at her age she tried hard to compose herself but fearing the worse it was no use.
‘Hello?’ Replied her father, his voice brought a sense of reassurance but not enough to keep her safe.
‘Daddy!’ She cried out.
‘What’s the matter sweetie?’
‘Mummy’s been shot, I heard the gunshots, they sounded like in the movies, loud and horrific.’ Her words were rushed and slightly mumbled.
Her father fell silent briefly. ‘What’s going on honey, get your mother on the phone.’
‘I can’t there’s a man in the house called Jacob, he shot her.’ Emily looked towards the door waiting for him to come and kill her.
‘How do you know his name?’
‘Mummy said she met him on the website.’
‘What website?’
‘I don’t know but he was a friend and he has shot her, I’m scared daddy.’
‘Listen Emily, you have to be brave, go to the attic, close it up behind you and hide in the big toy chest that we used to play hide and seek in. Can you do that?’
Emily sniffled. ‘Yes daddy.’
‘I will be there soon and so will the police, now please be quick.’
Heart racing she dropped the phone and scrambled of the bed. The conversation was quick but she knew there was no time to spare movies taught her that. She opened up the bedroom closet and took out a small set of step ladders. She climbed upon them reaching for the cord that held the steps to the attic in place. She gave it a tug and they came down. She quickly put the ladder back and climbed the steps. From behind she could hear Jacob coming up the main stairs, ‘Emily!’ He called out.
She panicked reaching the attic floor. She turned around and hastily pulled up the steps. In darkness she felt around for the light switch and turned it on giving her a vision of an enchanted world. Back when her father lived at home they used the attic as a play ground. It had been designed into a young girl’s dream of castles and princesses. She gently moved around boxes and other random objects and reached the pretend castle which housed the toy chest. She gently opened it and pushed aside cuddly toys of all types from bears to kittens.
She climbed into the chest breathing heavily. She had to be brave, silent and still. She had never seen a movie where a little girl had to hide in a toy chest after her mother had been shot. She wasn’t sure how this was going to end. She just had to think happy thoughts if that were even possible. She closed her eyes.
***
He ascended the stairs proud of himself. He was close to having a child of his own. Little Emily, Smart Emily, beautiful Emily he thought to himself. On the upstairs hallway he caught a glimpse of the pull down cord gently swaying side to side. He knew where she was. Prolonging his anxious wait he located her bedroom and had a look around, wanting to get to know her better.
Her pink bed was made. He wasn’t sure if she had made it or her mother had. If she hadn’t she would soon learn how. He went over to her cabinet where her clothes lay in neat piles in drawers. He went through them disagreeing with everything. He would buy her nice clothes. He closed the drawers and looked at her desk. A small gerbil was sleeping soundly. He picked up the cage and walked over to the window. He opened it, threw the cage as far as he could and watched it crash to the icy pavement below shattering into pieces. She wouldn’t be allowed any pets.
Back at the desk he looked at her laptop. He pressed enter and the screen lit up. He was presented with the homework she had been working on. He put the computer on the floor and stamped on it, cracking the screen. He wanted her to learn and study using traditional methods and his own knowledge.
Nothing else grabbed his interest. He retreated back into the hallway noticing Heather’s bedroom. He had the urge to go through her stuff but Emily was more important right now so he went to the pull down cord and tugged it revealing the attic. As the stairs came downwards light greeted him at the top, his heart was now racing with excitement and anticipation.
A little girl’s fantasy welcomed him. He knew there could be a few places for her to hide but she was as good as trapped. Her searched fake enchanted objects, behind boxes then walked to the castle and entered. The toy chest caught his eye. He went to it and opened it. She looked up, frightened. ‘Please don’t hurt me,’ she whined.
A joyful thrill came across him looking at her fearful face. He wanted to squeeze her tight and hold her close for hours and hours. She watched him closely observing his movements. He could almost sense what was going on in her head. ‘Be safe Emily,’ he said trying to reassure her.
‘Where’s mummy? What have you done to mummy?’ She whispered.
He got down on his knees to get close to her. ‘She tried to kill me, and I was merely defending myself, I had to shoot her. I was scared she was going to kill you.’
Emily stared blankly at him afraid to move and afraid to speak.
***
The call came in only moments ago. Marty and Gracie were heading over to the house. They like many other police forces had been tracking this guy for a while and now they were close to finally getting him. Marty was behind the wheel going too fast for Gracie’s liking. ‘We will never get him if you kill us’ she said eyes glued to the road ahead, afraid to look anywhere else.
‘I’m sorry Gracie, he’s gotten through our fingers so many times and this time he could take a little girl and never be seen again.’
‘I know, but crashing will not help.’
‘Ok, ok.’ Marty sighed slowing down to a more respectable speed.
Snow had come to an abrupt end leaving the city caked in white. Gracie loved white Christmases, but someone always came along and spoilt them, she knew being in the police force didn’t help. As the car slowed she looked at the foot prints in the snow on the pavements left by strangers. Each print told its own story one she hoped was happier than the one they were involved in.
‘The snow isn’t helping,’ said Marty cursing under his breath.
‘Yeah I know I imagine Christmases from now on will be like this.’
Marty glumly replied. ‘Hope not.’
‘Oh come on scrooge it’s nice, plus the kids like it.’
‘I don’t have kids, and sure know you don’t either.’
She laughed. ‘I know but my sister’s little ones love it.’
Marty glanced at her. ‘That doesn’t count.’
‘Sure it does, I take them out a lot, almost treat them like my own.’
He wanted to take his eyes of the road but resisted. ‘We might need back up,’ he said.
‘On it,’ Grace replied picking up the car radio.
Car headlights approached them forcing both of them to almost close their eyes. She looked away and contacted the station organising a road block at either end of the street with tyre spikes across the road. An ambulance was also put on standby. They didn’t want to risk the little girl’s life. Chris McCarthy had caused enough torment across the country, now he was going to be brought down and Marty and Gracie were sure of that.
They turned down the street and dimed the headlights as they stopped two houses down from their target.
‘All the lights are on; do you think he is still in there?’ Marty asked shutting down the engine.
‘I don’t know, only one way to find out,’ replied Gracie checking her gun was fully loaded.
‘Best we don’t rush in, the little girl must not be harmed.’
‘Yeah,’ Gracie agreed.
They both got out of the car and dashed across the road with snow crunching under their feet. They got to the foot of the garden getting low. Gracie pointed to the front door as Marty acknowledged her. They moved slightly forward just as the front door opened slowly.
***
Chris held his arms out as Emily tried her best to back away. Growing impatient he grabbed her, she felt soft within his hands. ‘I don’t want to hurt you Emily, but we need to go.’
‘I want my daddy,’ she murmured.
‘We will find him when we leave this house,’ he assured her. He took her in one arm as they left the attic. She didn’t struggle, she was too afraid. ‘Go into your room and grab some stuff you need, do you have a suitcase?’
She nodded a ‘yes’ weakly.
‘Ok darling, collect some stuff and we will leave in five minutes.’
She slowly walked into her room as he went to the bathroom to rinse his face down. He felt briefly refreshed but nerves were slowly getting the best of him. He dried his face and stared at the mirror at the man he had become, staring back, judging him. His eyes looked hateful and unloving no wonder he failed in love he thought to himself. He didn’t want to look anymore so went back into her room. ‘Come on.’ He grabbed her by the arm to lead her out.
‘Where’s Bella gone?’
‘Who the hell is Bella?’
Emily looked sadly around. ‘She is my pet gerbil.’
‘She went on a trip, now come on.’
‘Where to?’ Emily asked puzzled.
‘Out the window, now come on,’ he grabbed her by the arm and led her downstairs. She looked back at the open window as she was pulled away.
Tears streaming down her face again she was finding it hard to see down the stairs fearing she would fall. At the bottom he pulled her past the living room where she had a slight glimpse of her mother stricken on the floor, but not long enough to see how she was. He held her close as he opened the door. A gust of wind blew in his face forcing him to shield his eyes. Upon opening them he saw Marty and Gracie standing on the snow covered lawn. He pulled Emily close, gun to her head and looked towards his car; it was desperately out of reach.
‘Let the girl go,’ warned Gracie. She held her gun out in front of herself.
He whispered to Emily. ‘Does your mum have any keys for the car?’
She hesitated. ‘Yes...under the seat.’
‘One more move and she is dead,’ he warned.
Gracie and Marty held their positions as he reached the car. With his elbow he smashed the window and opened the door. He hurried Emily inside. He followed ushering her to sit on the back seat. He reached under the seat for the keys got them and started the engine. He pulled out. Both Gracie and Marty pursued him on foot as he put the ford into gear and drove down the road. He sighed with relief.
After only a few seconds he hit the pre-laid tire spikes. Both the front tires were destroyed as the car spun out of control. He fought frantically to ease it with Emily screaming in the back. They mounted the curb but stopped with no damage just missing a lamp post. He got out of the car and looked back at Emily who was now scrambling behind the front seat. He knew she was a lost cause so started running. He had no choice.
‘Stop now!’ Shouted Gracie, but her voice was drowned out by the wind. Chris managed to get hold of his gun and fire towards his pursuers. Gracie dived to the ground to avoid the incoming bullets. Marty moved ahead of her moving side to side and he aimed his gun letting off two rounds. Chris fell to the snow, tainting it red as his wounds opened. He tried to get up as Marty fired another shot this time pinning him to the ground in agony. Marty ran over to the car to check on Emily, while Gracie went to Chris. ‘Your reign of terror is over,’ she said to the dying man.
Marty opened the back door as Emily scrambled out. He hugged her tight. ‘You’re safe now, it’s all over.’
‘Emily!’ Her father shouted running over to her.’
‘Daddy!’ She reached out to him as he swept her into his arms. They hugged for a moment while Marty and Gracie went to check on Emily’s mother.
The paramedics had brought her out of the house and into the ambulance before Marty and Gracie had got to her. They said she would be fine and that the shots hadn’t done any serious damage. That pleased them both. They helped Emily and her father into the ambulance and closed the doors as they watched it drive away.
Marty put his hand on her shoulder. ‘It’s good to know her mother will survive,’ he said.
‘Yeah it is,’ she smiled.
‘And that Emily is safe; it could have gone so wrong.’
‘I guess your speeding paid off,’
Marty smiled. ‘I guess it did, thank God for my heavy foot.’
‘You fancy a beer and some pizza, my treat?’
‘That sounds like a good idea, I could murder a beer and something to warm me up as this cold weather is taking a good biting to me’ Marty said.
‘I think I can agree on that, I actually can’t wait for summer.’
‘And you were saying you liked white Christmases.’
‘Well yeah, but I like the sun more,’ she laughed as they walked back to their car.
End
Also by Ben Kalcher
Mouse and Cat – Short Story