Ghost Peppers Chapter 17

A rookie detective's first case continues.

Chapter 17

The Davis home on River Bank Road was in the middle of a quiet road, its white siding and neatly trimmed hedges belying the horror that now stained its walls. Police cruisers and forensic vans crowded the driveway, their lights flashing eerily.

Tony and Penny arrived to find Rita, Emily Davis’s sister, sitting on the front steps. An officer stood nearby, offering her quiet reassurances as she sobbed into her hands.

Tony and Penny approached, their footsteps crunching on the gravel. Tony crouched down, speaking softly. “Rita, I’m Detective Clifford. This is Detective Peppers. We’re so sorry for your loss. Can you tell us what happened?”

Rita sniffled, glancing up with red-rimmed eyes. “I ... I came to drop off decorations for Emily’s birthday. I knocked, but no one answered. I thought maybe they were in the backyard or something, so I let myself in. When I went upstairs I saw them.” Her voice broke into a sob.

Penny’s voice was calm but firm. “Rita, did you notice anything unusual when you arrived? A vehicle, someone in the neighborhood?”

Rita shook her head. “No, nothing. Everything seemed normal, until it wasn’t.”

Tony gave a small nod to the officer nearby, signaling them to take Rita to a quieter place to rest. “We’ll need to speak with you again later. Thank you.”

* * *

The master bedroom was a chilling reflection of the killer’s meticulous pattern. Emily Davis lay on the bed, her body posed with unsettling care. She wore dark green lingerie, a bra, panties, nylons, and garters. Penny’s breath froze. The set was eerily similar to one she and Jackie used during their intimate roleplay.

Her throat tightened as she took in the empty Amazon box on the nightstand and the white monogrammed pillowcase with the letter “I” placed neatly at Robert’s side. The precision of the staging, the intimate nature of the attire, it was no coincidence. This was a message.

Robert Davis lay on his side of the bed, zip ties binding his wrists and ankles. The deep, bruising marks on his neck confirmed he had been strangled by hand, just like the others.

Tony stepped into the room behind her, his voice low. “Same as before. No prints, no evidence left behind.”

Penny didn’t answer. Her pulse was racing, her vision blurring as memories flooded back.

Jackie’s playful smirk, the feel of the green lace against her skin, the way they laughed and held each other.

It hit her like a freight train. Whoever was doing this knew them, knew her.

“Penny,” Tony’s voice cut through the haze. She turned to face him, her complexion pale.

“You okay?” he asked, concern showing on his face.

She shook her head, backing out of the room. “I need… I need air.”

* * *

Penny pushed through the front door, needing space, needing air. But she stopped short at the top of the steps.

Cindy Davis was screaming.

The teenager was fighting against a pair of officers at the edge of the driveway, her backpack half-off, hair wild, sweater balled in one white-knuckled fist. “Let me go! That’s my house! That’s my mom and dad in there!”

“Ma’am, you need to stay back—” one of the officers warned, trying to hold her without hurting her.

“I live here!” Cindy cried, her voice cracking. “Tell me what happened! Where are they? What happened to my mom?”

Penny moved fast. “It’s okay, I’ve got her,” she told the officers, flashing her badge as she stepped in.

Cindy jerked away from the officer’s grip and turned to Penny, panting, eyes wide and desperate. “Who are you? What’s going on? Why won’t anyone tell me anything?”

“I’m Detective Peppers,” Penny said gently. “I’m so sorry, Cindy. Come with me, okay? Let’s sit down. I’ll answer what I can.”

Cindy hesitated for a moment, then followed her down the driveway. They sat on the back bumper of a cruiser, out of earshot from the rest of the chaos.

Penny said, " am so sorry about your parents. I wish I could not have to tell you they're both dead."

Cindy began to cry hard, the tears flowing from her swollen eyes. "No, oh my God no. No please, no, no, no, this can't be happening." Her body shaking as Penny pulled her in to comfort her.

Penny gave her a moment before speaking. “Can you tell me a little about your parents?”

Cindy wiped her nose on her sleeve. Her voice was uneven, brittle. “My mom was the best. She always knew what to say, even when things sucked. She made things okay.” Her face now rigid. “But my dad... he was different. He could be really mean. Like... scary sometimes.”

Tony appeared quietly beside them, standing close but not intruding.

“Did you ever tell anyone about that?” Penny asked.

“Yeah,” Cindy said, looking down. “Nurse Stein. At school. She was the only one who really listened. She told me none of it was my fault.”

Tony knelt to her level. “Did she recommend anyone else? Maybe someone you could talk to outside of school?”

Cindy nodded slowly. “She gave me a name. Jackie Connors. But I never went. I was scared my dad would find out and get mad.”

Penny froze, pulse quickening. She kept her voice even. “Jackie Connors? You’re sure?”

Cindy nodded again, tears spilling over. “I didn’t even call her. I just… couldn’t.”

“You’ve helped more than you know,” Penny said softly. “You’ve been really brave.”

* * *

Back in the bedroom, the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place for Penny, though the picture they painted was far from clear. The dark green lingerie, the empty box, the staged bodies, it was all too personal, too deliberate.

Tony stepped beside her, his arms crossed. “What’s on your mind, Penny?”

She shook her head slowly, her voice low. “This isn’t just a killer. This is someone who’s sending me a message.”

Tony glanced at the pillowcase with the monogrammed “I,” then back at Penny. “And they’re not done, we need to find out the significance of the monogramed pillows.”

Penny, teeth clenched said. “We need to talk to Nurse Stein again. And soon.”