A whirlwind of thoughts races through Millie's mind as she stares at the phone shaking in her trembling hand. Is Lilly getting revenge from the grave? The words echo in her head. "Revenge from the grave…" she whispers. Millie collapses into the nearest chair. Her body feels drained, like it is no longer able to hold her weight.
Her thoughts drift back to that horrid nightmare of a day two decades ago today. She was busy watching the nurses race back and forth down the hospital corridor when the doctor approached with the news that altered her life forever.
"Your sister succumbed to her injuries," he had said as gently as he possibly could, though his cold, emotionless attitude only heightened the edges of their grief.
Her sister's sudden death had never made sense, knowing that Lilly had shown signs of improvement days before. Lilly had even promised her that they both would make it through. So hearing she'd passed didn't seem logical to her. She refused to believe it until she saw Lily lying motionless in her casket, looking so peaceful, so serene, as if she were sleeping. That specific moment in time continues to haunt her to this day.
"No," Millie mutters, shaking her head. "That's crazy. She couldn't possibly be doing any of these things. So who is it? And how do they know what Lilly said?"
Could she have told someone about her plan? That's possible, but who would she have confided in?
Lilly was in the ICU the entire time, her visitors limited to immediate family. The only person I can think of that would carry such a grudge is our brother—but he was in military school right up until the day of the funeral. And why would anyone wait twenty years to get revenge? Could it be connected to Mother's twentieth death anniversary?
Her gaze returns to the plain cardboard box on the table. Someone had to have delivered it since there's no postage or any addresses. Who could have dropped the package off? Why didn't Steven mention the delivery before he left?
She remembers how frantic the last few days have been. Between the murders at the hospital, Steven's father's funeral, and his unexpected deployment. "It's possible he simply forgot."
The memory of their final night together replays in Millie's mind. She feels warmth between her legs. Smiling, she relives their hot, passionate night and their desperate goodbye. The way they both cluck to the other as though letting go would shatter them both. Her eyes fill with tears as the memory continues to replay in her mind.
Millie stands in the doorway of their modest two-story home. Tears are streaming down her face. A bit of warmth against the cool night air. Her housecoat billowed in the wind, exposing her rosy skin underneath. She lifts her hand in a final wave as Steven's taillights fade down the street.
Millie knows what she signed up for when she said "I do." The sudden departures, being separated for months at a time, but that doesn't soften the ache of uncertainty—the hollow in her chest from not knowing if she will ever see him again.
Her breath catches. "Please come home safe," she whispers into the darkness, the words trembling in the air before the night swallows them.
After a moment, she wipes her cheeks and steps back inside.
Millie wipes the moisture from her face, then glances at the mysterious box again. I don't remember seeing it when I came in yesterday, and it wasn't there when I came down for a late-night snack. She steps toward the alarm panel to find it's still armed. She glances at the box again. Shaking her head, she says, "This whole murder thing is making me paranoid."
***
On the other side of town, Sergeant Rachel Bower is carefully studying the whiteboard crowded with various photographs and scribbled notes, hoping to find a connection between the victims. The brutal killings of her former colleagues have left her mind in a maze of unanswered questions.
The door slides open. Detective Jeff Kirkland steps inside, his large muscular shoulders slumped in defeat. Jeff worked a little over a year in her division. He spent the first five years of his career on foot patrol before passing the detective's exam. Rachel sees promise in the newbie, but there are a few rough edges that need to be smoothed.
Rachel turns. "Bracing for disappointment?" she asks. "What did you find?"
Jeff shakes his head; his disappointment deepens. "Nothing that will help solve our case. Everyone loves Dr. Langston. Most of the staff referred to him as the best surgeon around. Well, everyone except Millie Clark, that is. They apparently had a blow-up over a medication he prescribed. He became irate at being questioned by a 'know-it-all' nurse and kicked her off his team."
Rachel arches a brow. "So she would have a motive for wanting him dead.
"That's not all I found out," the detective continues. "Several staff members claim Millie accused both Evan and the doctor of flirting with her staff. She claimed several family members had complained. She said that his behavior is unprofessional and threatened to go over their head.
"Let me guess, these arguments just happened to be just a few hours before their deaths? Kirk nods. Did you find any disgruntled families?"
"Everyone only had great things to say about him, which is impressive seeing how he's been a lead surgeon for fifteen years."
My cousin Emma dropped by, and she said Millie claimed that it's the EMTs fault that her mother died, that the paramedics pulled her from the car and left."
"So you're thinking this is all for revenge?"
"Rachel points to the board. "All our victims had ties to that crash. I want you to double-check Millie Clark's alibis for every murder. I also want to know if she owns a firearm and find out who else worked the scene that night."
Jeff nods, already pulling out his phone as Rachel turns back to the board.
*****
Millie can't shake her uneasiness. "I have to know if Aunt Marth sent it. Grabbing the phone, she dials her aunt's number.
"Hello, Millie?"
"Hi, Aunt Martha. How are you and Uncle Fred?"
"We're fine, sweetheart. What about you? I read in the paper about your coworkers being shot. Have they figured out who did it yet?"
Millie's voice trembles when she replies. "I'm afraid not. And that's scary, Aunt Martha, not knowing who it is or who might be next. Steven installed an alarm before he left, and I'm carrying pepper spray."
"That's good to know."
"That's not the reason for my call. I found a box on my table this morning without an address on it. I opened it up to see what was in it and found a few of Lilly's things. So, I was wondering if you or Uncle Fred might've dropped it off."
"It's probably the box you took back with you the last time you were here," Martha replies.
Millie frowns. "What box?"
"You don't remember?" Her aunt questions, concerned about her niece's well-being.
Millie thinks back to their last visit. "I… don't recall doing that.
"You picked out a few things from some old boxes and left."
Can you check if the shed is locked?"
"I checked yesterday. Everything's fine."
A sudden thump echoes from the entryway, quickly followed by a quick knock. Millie stiffens. "Someone's at the door. I have to go."
Her heartbeat thuds in her ears as she races across the room. Disabling the alarm, she heads to the door. The crisp night air hits her with an eerie stillness when she opens the wooden barrier. She doesn't see anyone in the entryway, but she sees a small cardboard box identical to the one on the table sitting on the steps. Like the first, there isn't any postage or names.
She steps further outside and scans the street to find it's empty. A chill surges up her spine. She notices a dark red stain seeping from the bottom when she crouches to inspect it. The thick liquid glistens as it trickles through a small crack, inching toward her feet. Gasping, Milly stumbles back a step. A faint cry escapes her lips when she realizes what it is. Blood. It's blood, she whispers into the chilly night.
Millie's eyes frantically dart around to find the street remains still.
She hears tires crunch against the gravel drive. Millie turns and sees a patrol car pulling in. Millie glances at the box again. Panic surges through every pore in her body as a female officer closes the gap.