The Devil She Knows

By Barbara Ann Martin

How well do we really know those around us? Laura Delany begins to ask herself this question after a series of frightening events forces her to trust her own instincts rather than the people she has known for most of her life.

 

    After the sudden death of her husband, Laura becomes a single mothe

• Language: English
• Publisher: La Casa Press
• Release date: Nov 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798989003815

Book preview

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright 2023 by Barbara Ann Martin

LaCasa Press

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

To my forever supportive husband, Tony.  You are the wind beneath my wings. XO

One

The convertible was built for speed, taking hairpin turns with ease. His heart pounded in tune with the pace of the car, faster and faster. The cool night air stung his face, his foot heavier and heavier on the gas pedal as his headlights lit the dark road ahead. This is what he lived for, adrenaline pulsing through his body, blood pumping, breathing quick and short. The martinis he drank only added to his pleasure.

He gripped the steering wheel with one hand and down-shifted with the other in anticipation of the curve ahead. But the curve seemed to be coming too quickly, his reflexes inadequate.

In a slow-motion instant, the road curved right as the car headed straight toward the utility pole. Downshift, hit the brake! He tried to will his foot to move from gas to brake while his other foot slammed down on the clutch a moment too late. The grinding of the gears assaulted his ears. Then the sound of screeching tires as he slammed down on the brake in a futile attempt to stop the inevitable. The screeching was replaced by the thumping sound of tires careening off the road into a grassy embankment. Dirt assaulted his face and obstructed his vision.

His body jolted from the impact of the collision with the massive pole. The pole snapped as if it were a twig, causing splinters of wood to rain down on him before finally crashing to the ground.

Despite the excessive amount of alcohol consumed, he had remembered to fasten his seat belt. This one act of clarity prevented him from being catapulted from the car and ultimately saved his life. Like a cat, he had nine lives and he surely had used one tonight.

His unconscious passenger wasn’t so lucky. She was thrown from the car on impact. Blood poured from her wounds and turned the ground beneath her black. Fortunately, her level of intoxication prevented any feeling of fear or pain.

I have to get out of here, now! His head was pounding. Pain seared through his body. But that one thought came through loud and clear. He cautiously moved his right arm. Good, not broken. Then he maneuvered his hand into his pocket. He felt the phone and gingerly shifted his body to allow the phone to be freed. Pain shot through him. Shit, broken ribs. He struggled to pull the phone from his pocket, knowing this call was his only ticket out of here.

He tapped the number of the one person who would be key to his salvation. Then he waited and prayed salvation would come. He gave no thought to the body that lay lifeless on the ground beside the wreckage. He only thought of himself. He always had. It wasn’t entirely his fault. He was raised to be self-indulgent.

Two

Laura had insomnia. Again. She mindlessly scrolled through Instagram and Facebook hoping she’d start to feel drowsy, but so far, no luck. It was already after 3:00 am. If she fell asleep now, she’d get about three and a half hours of sleep before the alarm sounded. Another day ahead feeling like a zombie. Her yellow lab, Sam, was sprawled on her bed next to her, looking at her with his sad brown eyes as if to say, Mom, can we please get some sleep. Laura rubbed Sam’s belly and said, Sorry, buddy, looks like another sleepless night.

A loud bang in the distance startled her and Sam. Sam barked as the bedside lamp went dark and a piercing beeping sound disturbed the previously middle-of-the-night quiet. The beeping was a sound that meant the power had gone out in the home. The alarm had been installed years ago when Laura started her flower business in the little barn at the back her house. It alerted her to power outages so she could insure the generator started, preventing her inventory from spoiling.

Now what? she thought. She couldn’t imagine what had caused this outage. Storms or car accidents were often to blame, but it was too early in the summer season for severe thunder storms. And it was unlikely that anyone would be out driving at this time of night on the dark country roads surrounding her home. This was a small, sleepy-town in rural Pennsylvania where most places closed by 11:00 pm. If anyone wanted a late night out, they’d have to drive or take the train to one of the nearby cities of Philadelphia or New York. And then they usually spent the night there.

She forced herself from bed to address the annoying alarm. Once again, she was reminded that she was alone when it came to these sorts of things, things that husbands might normally do.

She fished around in her nightstand drawer for the flashlight, then slowly made her way down the dark hallway and stairwell to the alarm panel. She entered the code needed to cease the irritating sound. She was relieved the required lights were lit to indicate the barn generator was working. She paused in the stillness and quiet that comes with the absence of electricity. No humming motors from the various electrical appliances, no air movement from heating or cooling systems, no television or music playing from a distant room in the house — just the sound of silence

She also was aware of the complete darkness. With only the faint glow from her flashlight to lead the way, she decided to check on her daughters. As she walked up the stairs, she shined the light over the pictures on the wall that told her life story. Laura as a baby with her parents. No siblings since she was an only child, born to parents late in life. Her beloved grandmother working in the gardens of her house. Laura's house now and she works in those same gardens her granny cherished. Her wedding with Bill. A wave of sadness washed over her as she remembered they were all gone now. These were pictures of happier times. Laura continued down the hall. The next set of pictures included the birth of her twins, moments from their lives, birthdays and other life milestones. It was hard to believe the twins were fifteen already. She was reminded of the phrase, The days are long, but the years are short. How true that was.

Sam followed along, his panting interrupting the silence in the hallway outside of the girls' bedrooms. Sam patrolled the hallways each night to make sure everyone was safe, and he took his job seriously, assuming the role of family protector.

Both girls were soundly asleep. The kind of sleep only children and babies can attain naturally. Sleep not encumbered by the demons of age and experience, worry, and regret.

Once back in bed, Laura allowed the demons to intrude, as they often did late at night. Sometimes the loneliness was unbearable. Tonight, she found herself overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding she couldn’t seem to shake.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the glow of approaching headlights on the road in front of her house. She watched them advance, assuming they would pass. Instead they appeared to stop in front of her home. She waited for several minutes before giving in to her curiosity and peeking out her bedroom window.

Her house was set back several hundred feet from the road, with a winding drive and thick trees and foliage this time of year, so she wasn’t sure she would be able to see anything. As she suspected, nothing but blackness, punctuated by what she assumed were the headlights of the road crew attempting to find the source of the power outage. There was some commotion in the distance, but she was too tired to make the trek to the road to investigate. She hoped they would find what they were looking for and restore power before morning. She returned to bed, hoping for an hour or two of sleep before the busy day began.

Three

With daylight came the sound of sirens and commotion on the normally tranquil street. Laura awoke to these sounds and the piercing stare of Sam, informing her it was time to be let out for his morning walk.

She fumbled for the television remote, checking if the power had been restored, but the box remained black. It would only be a matter of minutes before her girls discovered this and the complaining began. Mom, how can I shower and do my hair!? It was every fifteen-year-old girl’s nightmare.

As if on cue, the uproar began. Ella, the oldest twin, was the first to barge into the room.

Mom, what’s with the electricity?

There's a power outage, Laura replied, as she shooed Sam off her bed and began making it.

I know that, but why is the power out and how am I supposed to shower and do my hair?

You can still shower. You’ll just have to be quick so you don’t use all the hot water. Besides, it’s going to be warm today so you can...

Before she finished, Brooke stormed in.

Mom! There’s no electricity in my room!

I know, Brooke. There’s no electricity in the whole house. You’ll need to take a quick shower and let your hair air dry.

Are you kidding? I have to go to school today, Mom!

You don’t have a choice. We have no power and the longer you wait, the colder the water is getting in the water heater. So, go!

I’m getting in first! yelled Ella.

No way, I am! You take too long, countered Brooke.

You both better go now or you’ll be going to school without a shower or clean hair!

That statement caused both girls to run towards the hall bathroom, still fighting for the shower.

Laura sometimes wondered how she was going to handle the teenage years as a single parent. This certainly wasn’t the plan. But life had a way of veering off course. Laura learned that at a young age, finding herself unexpectedly pregnant, then married and the mother of twins in her early twenties. Not exactly how she thought things would turn out.

The commotion from the street diverted her attention. This time when she glanced out the window daylight illuminated what darkness hid last night.

The mammoth utility pole in front of her property had been split in half. That explains the loud bang. Wires dangled to the ground and a white Jeep Wrangler with a flashing light on top was parked at the end of her driveway. She took that to mean that a volunteer firefighter had been summoned to direct traffic around the mishap.

She threw on jeans and a tank top, pulled her blond hair up in a clip, brushed her teeth, and decided she’d take Sam for a walk to investigate the scene.

Sam darted out ahead and beat her to the end of the driveway. He was well-trained and never went through the open gates without permission.

The Jeep was parked on the part of her driveway outside the gates. This section was about fifty feet long and allowed a vehicle to pull off the street and approach the gates should they ever be closed. In all the years she had come to this house, as a child visiting her grandmother and now as its owner, she never remembered the gates being closed. She wasn’t even sure they would close.

As she neared the street, the sound of a familiar voice caused her heart to skip a beat. It can’t be him. It just can’t be. Over the years she wondered if she would ever hear his voice again. At times she had hoped she never would. Her heart began beating fast, too fast, as if it would beat out of her chest. She realized she had stopped walking and now debated turning around. It can’t be him. This was crazy. He would never return here. She was sure of that. It had been a long night and now her mind was playing tricks on her. She took a deep breath and continued down the driveway. And there he was.

He was directing traffic around the downed pole and wires.

Straight on through ma’am, just follow the signs up ahead, keep moving, please. Sir, please keep your vehicle moving.

Her heart was out of control again and her face felt warm and flushed. Oh my God, it’s him. How many years had passed? Sixteen? Seventeen? It was before her girls were born, so it had to be at least that long. Would he even recognize her? Of course, she looked a mess. But who cared what she looked like? She had no time in her life for Jake Callaway. And he, as proven, had no time in his life for her.

She would just march down her driveway, inquire about the situation, and explain that he would have to move his vehicle so she could drive her daughters to school. She forced her feet to continue and Sam, after a quick run through the field, dutifully followed.

She was not prepared to be this close to him. He looked even better than she remembered. Damn him. Still tall, strong, and lean. Why couldn’t he be short, fat, and bald? He kept his sandy blond hair short, but still a little messy. He had matured well.

She wondered if he would think the same about her. She was a few pounds heavier. A few gray hairs had crept in, but nothing her visits to the hairdresser couldn’t fix. Her hair was shorter than he would remember, but her eyes were still that greenish shade of hazel that he always loved.

Stop! Why was she doing this? So much had happened. So much had changed. She had changed. She was no longer that trusting young girl Jake would remember. She now knew how the world worked and at times could be cruel and unfair. She had come a long, long way from the girl she once was. Along that journey, she had learned to depend on herself and to protect herself and her girls above all else. She would not deviate from that path for anyone or anything.

He caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye and turned to meet her gaze. She wasn’t expecting this and it startled her. Their eyes met and held for too long. So many words left unspoken, so many loose ends left untied. Sam broke the spell by running between them and barking his protective warning at Jake.

It’s okay, Sam. Come here. Laura called.

Hi, Laura, it’s been a long time. Jake moved closer then paused as his eyes held hers captive. She was unable to look away or to speak, so he continued. I heard that you moved into your Granny’s old place. I was hoping to run into you.

She tried to regain her composure and managed to form a sentence. Hello, Jake. Long time, no see. What are you doing here? She silently chastised herself. Long time, no see…really Laura, that’s the best you could come up with?

Jake continued to direct traffic around the downed pole and wires as he replied, I moved back about a month ago, on and off. I had some things to settle in the city before I made my move here permanent.

Laura was shocked by this news, Permanent? I thought you hated this town. Why would you move back here?

That was a long time ago, Laura. I’ve grown, matured. He smiled at that comment. I realize this town’s not so bad after all.

A car approached and lowered the window. The occupants, three elderly ladies, asked Jake for directions to Cody’s local flea market.

Straight ahead ladies and follow the signs.

Jake took advantage of another lull in the traffic and turned to Laura. Of all days to have a pole down on this road. Wednesday. Cody’s flea market day. Normally there’d be half the traffic on this road. Doesn’t this drive you crazy? All these fleas coming up here every Wednesday, clogging up your quiet road?

Laura ignored the question and got to the point. What happened here, do you know?

Jake replied, It seems some idiot took out the pole with his car sometime last night. I got a call this morning to come here and direct traffic.

Another shocker for Laura, What? You joined the town’s fire department?

Yep. I did a story on fire departments in NYC when I lived there. It’s actually what made me a little homesick. Thinking of my dad running the department here all these years. He’s retiring you know?

Laura did know this, Yes, I’ve heard. He’s been a good man to do it for so long. The town will surely miss him.

Jake nodded, I’m sure. Anyway, I signed up when I got back a few weeks ago, and this is my first assignment. I’ll be doing some reporting for the local paper as well.

Another car approached and slowed down to look at the downed pole and mess of wires.

Jake used his official voice, Please move along, keep moving.

Could you give directions to Cody’s? the car’s occupant asked.

Stay straight and follow the signs, Jake replied again.

Laura couldn’t help but chuckle. She had to admit, the flea market could be a nuisance. But it had been operating on the Cody family farm for as long as she remembered and people came from all over to purchase the wares for sale. She used to go with her grandmother at least once every summer. She remembered they had the best blueberry muffins and tons of cheap jewelry and hair accessories. She often would take her girls there in the summer when school was out.

Jake turned and caught her laughing. I’m glad you’re finding humor in my predicament. He laughed with her. I always did love your smile. Their eyes met and held again. Jake spoke first, Hey, I’d love to get together for dinner sometime and catch up.

Laura broke the gaze. He was still the cocky, over-confident guy he’d always been. She used to find those qualities in him attractive. Now, dinner with Jake was the last thing she needed.

Look, Jake, I just came down here to see what was going on and to ask you to move your Jeep because I need to get my girls to school.

Ouch! Shot down, and so quickly. That hurt. Jake put his hand over his heart and feigned a painful expression.

Nothing like you hurt me, Laura thought, but she replied, Just move your Jeep, please.

How about I move it and you agree to dinner with me tonight? he teased.

I…I…can’t. He was starting to fluster her and she needed to distance herself. She turned and started back to her house.

There was another lull in the traffic, so Jake walked closer to her, Laura, wait. Look, I never got to tell you how sorry I was about Bill. My mom called me when it happened. I wanted to send you a card or something at the time, but it seemed...inappropriate considering our history…the three of us, you know what I mean? I don’t want to upset you. If you want me to stay away I will. But I’m not sure that’s what you really want.

That last comment landed on her in a bad way. How do you know what I want? You don’t even know me anymore. Her face was burning with anger.

I did know you, Laura. There’s a lot of history between us. He had a way of locking her in his intense gaze, making it almost impossible to look away. Just like he did all those years ago. Now that he was closer, she could see the deep blue of his eyes. They were intoxicating. Old feelings began to stir in her stomach, feelings she forgot she was capable of having.

This, combined with his comment, caught her off guard. She snapped herself back to reality. She wasn’t little Laura MacIntosh anymore who would swoon over Jake Callaway. She needed to end this conversation, fast.

Just move your Jeep so I can get out of my driveway. Please. She broke the intense gaze, and turned to walk towards the house with Sam. Jake yelled, Only if you promise to have dinner with me.

I will not have dinner with you, she yelled over her shoulder. Move your Jeep!

Great, I’ll pick you up at seven, he playfully yelled as he got into his vehicle and pulled it down the street.

I am not having dinner with you! she yelled back, although she knew he couldn’t hear her.

Four

The day was predicted to be a scorcher for June. Even though early in the season, rain had been scarce, meaning the possibility of small brush fires popping up was strong. Jake would keep his cell phone handy and stay in the vicinity.

He also needed to stop at the office to check on a story. He had landed a reporting job with the local paper. Nothing like what he left in New York, yet he felt it was just what he wanted. When he left this town for the city all those years ago, he took with him his dream of becoming a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter. Now that he had checked that box, he set his sights on more modest endeavors, such as writing for the local paper and marrying his high school sweetheart. By the looks of things, the former was turning out to be a lot easier than the latter. But Jake was never one to walk away from a challenge.

He loved the city at first. It was just what he needed at that time. Eventually, he felt something was lacking.