Scratched Off Read online

  Scratched Off

  By Julie C. Gilbert

  Copyright © 2018 Julie C. Gilbert.

  All rights reserved.

  Aletheia Pyralis Publishers

  http://www.juliecgilbert.com/

  https://sites.google.com/view/juliecgilbert-writer/

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  Table of Contents:

  Foreword:

  Dedication:

  Prologue: Luck of the Draw

  Chapter 1: Fortune and Glory

  Chapter 2: Mystery Dust

  Chapter 3: Good Brothers

  Chapter 4: The Big One

  Chapter 5: Good Guys are Gone

  Chapter 6: Choosing Victims

  Chapter 7: Winter Cash Windfall

  Chapter 8: Innocent

  Chapter 9: Matchmakers

  Chapter 10: First Date

  Chapter 11: Tech Savvy Perp

  Chapter 12: Media Primer

  Chapter 13: Would You Like to Play a Game?

  Chapter 14: Pulse of Life

  Chapter 15: A Regular Sight

  Chapter 16: Deadly Disenchantment

  Chapter 17: A Late Second Date

  Chapter 18: Tools of the Trade

  Chapter 19: A Mountain of Evidence

  Chapter 20: Complicated Capture

  Chapter 21: Explosive Statement

  Chapter 22: Ten Bucks and a Dream

  Chapter 23: High Dump

  Chapter 24: Changing Luck

  Chapter 25: Guild Power

  Chapter 26: On the Prowl

  Chapter 27: One Will Live

  Chapter 28: Drowning Sorrows

  Chapter 29: Scratch-off Killer

  Chapter 30: The Apprentice Test

  Chapter 31: Convenience Store Canvass

  Chapter 32: Calling Card

  Chapter 33: Dark Web

  Chapter 34: Open Season

  Chapter 35: Dying Wish

  Chapter 36: Special Delivery

  Chapter 37: Messages

  Chapter 38: High Stakes

  Chapter 39: Slightly Illegal

  Chapter 40: End of the Line

  Chapter 41: Reunion

  Chapter 42: Everybody Gets a Turn

  Chapter 43: Trespassing Triumph

  Chapter 44: Brother vs. Brother

  Chapter 45: Psycho67

  Epilogue: Old Bet, Fresh Start

  Thank You:

  Foreword:

  Dear Reader,

  I typically don’t like forewords, yet here I am writing one. Personally, I’m like “give me the story, you fiend,” but I write in a wide variety of genres, including squeaky clean Christian mysteries. If that’s more your thing, please go check out the Heartfelt Cases series. The first in the series, The Collins Case (and much of my backlist) should be free.

  This is also a contemporary mystery story, but it’s quite a bit more intense than Heartfelt Cases. While still free of curse words and “adult” scenes, it’s about a serial killer, so there are definitely some disturbing scenes. For what it’s worth, if it were a TV show, I’d rate it TV-14.

  Thanks for your time. If you’re still invested in checking out the story, welcome and I hope you enjoy Scratched Off.

  Sincerely,

  Julie C. Gilbert

  Dedication:

  To Erin Finigan for being one of the first readers.

  To murder mystery fans everywhere, those lovely, morbid people.

  (I’m right there with you.)

  Disclaimer: The events and descriptions herein are the product of my imagination.

  They should not reflect poorly upon any entity, state, or company.

  Fair Warning: some descriptions are of a disturbing nature.

  Reader discretion is advised.

  Prologue:

  Luck of the Draw

  Hillsborough High School

  Hillsborough, New Jersey

  Melissa Novak stood with a few thousand strangers and tried to remember what it felt like to not feel disgustingly sweaty. Breathing had been a chore since she had exited her tiny apartment hours earlier. Her ancient little Civic had not pumped air conditioning in years, but at least it had the decency to not break down on her too often. The humidity played havoc with her long dark hair, so she confined it to a messy, bun-like thing at the back of her head.

  Music filled the thick air as the graduates slowly filed in. Melissa pitied the poor band students, especially those wielding a trombone or a trumpet. Her brass instrument career had ended in the eighth grade when her mom entered round one of her lung cancer battle, but Melissa still remembered how much effort it took. With almost six hundred graduates to accompany, the students would be playing for a while.

  “Here they come!” a nearby woman exclaimed, swatting her husband’s arm to catch his attention.

  That’s usually what “Pomp and Circumstance” means.

  Aware the heat made her cranky, Melissa concentrated on not rolling her blue eyes at the woman. She watched in amusement as parents, grandparents, siblings, and really good friends whipped out phones, cameras, and other recording devices to preserve the moment. She’d have to make do with memories. She doubted her phone would have done anything but blink at her if she tried to take a picture with it. Besides, she was out of minutes and couldn’t afford to pay for more right now. Dinner would about kill her credit card, but it would be worth every penny. She could worry about the mounting debt crisis later.

  Rank upon rank of red-gowned graduates shuffled by. Her brothers, Josh and Andy, were surprisingly close to the front, so she did her sisterly duty of waving like mad then let her mind wander.

  Too bad Josie couldn’t make it.

  Despite the thought, Melissa couldn’t help but feel an immense sense of relief that Josie’s coworker at Paul’s Coffee Café had called in sick. Josephine Miller, their neighbor, had practically grown up with the twins. She’d even dated them both off and on throughout high school. Being two years older than the boys made her three years younger than Melissa. The age gap had never mattered much to Melissa, who counted Josie as one of her best friends. If Josie had come, she naturally would have been invited to the celebratory dinner. She probably would have offered to pay for dinner too, but Melissa couldn’t allow that. This way, the entire awkward situation was avoided.

  Mom would’ve loved to be here too.

  The thought sent a jolt of guilt through Melissa. If she’d fought harder, maybe the doctor would have signed off on Elena Novak undertaking such an excursion. Dragging around the oxygen tank would have been hard work, but the bigger issue would have been her mother’s energy level. Dinner would be out of the question. Melissa would barely get to greet her brothers before having to dash back to the hospital to return their mother.

  Maybe Dad got the easier end of the deal.

  She didn’t mean that. Her father had died of a heart attack about a year before Elena’s diagnosis of lung cancer. The numerous health issues made Melissa grateful she was adopted. Better to have family health history be a big question mark than worry about a weak heart or the possibility of cancer. Still, the boys seemed healthy, and that was reason enough to celebrate.

  Tuning out the speeches, Melissa craned her neck to study her baby brothers. From this distance and with the cardboard caps on, she had to squint carefully to decide which was which. They weren’t identical twins, but from this distance, they might as well have been. Without the caps, it would have been easy. Josh kept his dirty blond hair cropped short, while Andy usually needed several reminders his hair needed cutting before he dealt with it. Josh was an
hour older and had bushier eyebrows, a broader forehead, steady blue eyes much like Melissa’s, high cheekbones, a subtle nose, a deep tan, and wider shoulders. Andy was slighter with green eyes, thinner lips, and a paler complexion.

  Young men.

  At eighteen, they’d reached the threshold of adulthood, but they’d probably forever be “boys” in Melissa’s mind. She tried not to think about it. If she got too sentimental, she’d turn into a blubbery mess. Even now, she sniffled and tried to blink back tears. They’d made it, thanks in no small part to her. When she’d graduated high school, their mother had suffered a serious relapse, changing Melissa’s college plans. She’d attended community college for three years so she could work and keep the boys on a halfway decent schedule. All that hard work finally paid off. This graduation didn’t quite mark the end of her self-imposed duties, but at least now she could see light at the end of the long tunnel.

  In a few months, Josh would enter Raritan Valley Community College to take health and emergency medical training classes in order to prepare for a career as a fireman. She was proud of him. He’d always enjoyed rescuing lost cats, and besides, he had a service-oriented heart.

  At least I have a couple of months to adjust to the idea.

  Not so with Andy. In a matter of days, he would move to California to work as an intern for a professor he’d been corresponding with for months now. Melissa’s heart ached at the thought of him moving so far away, even though she knew the partially needs-based, full-ride scholarship to the University of California—Berkley meant the world to him. This was one instance where the financial struggle had actually worked in their favor. The meager government aid and insurance paid most of the hospital bills, but everything Melissa made got sucked into the never-ending cycle of bills.

  She refocused when the graduates started filing forward to receive their empty diploma folders. Because of the sheer number of students, the school had arranged for two different vice-principals to read the tiny scraps of paper upon which the graduates had scrawled their names. The ingenious system kept the line moving forward without having one of the readers pass out. Still, whole minutes ticked by while 577 names were read in a respectful, yet steady, pace.

  Melissa’s ears perked up when she heard one of the VPs call Joshua Gordon Novak. Leaping to her feet, Melissa clapped hard and cheered. Luckily, she wasn’t the only one. Several sharp whistles rang out both from the grandstands and from the ranks of graduates.

  Josh had always made friends easily. Ever the showman, he went down the line shaking hands enthusiastically, like a politician greeting big donors. When he finished, Josh held both hands up, waved quickly then executed a full theatrical bow. Straightening, he waved again and danced off the platform.

  Another name got called from the other vice principal before the second name Melissa had been waiting for rang out: Andrew Frederick Novak.

  Once again, Melissa jumped up and clapped like crazy. A few scattered, half-hearted cheers joined her, but this time, she was definitely the most enthusiastic one. She chalked it up to Andy liking his alone time more than Josh. She didn’t care. The difference had earned Andy a golden ticket out of this small town life. He’d worked hard, and she determined not to begrudge him the freedom.

  Unlike Josh, Andy chose to mark the moment with firm handshakes and curt nods, moving as quickly down the line as he could.

  The rest of the commencement ceremony dragged for Melissa. She couldn’t wait to take the boys out to dinner, even though it was barely past 4:30. They’d hang out and have ice cream sodas if they needed to wait. She’d opted to take them to The Riverview Diner, which they all enjoyed. When she’d asked for their suggestions, Andy had shrugged and Josh had chosen a steakhouse that would have required a second mortgage on the house. Selling the house would be the next big hurdle for Melissa. She didn’t want to kill the mood, but she’d have to discuss that with her brothers at some point. Andy’s pending journey sort of put a timer on that conversation. A lump formed in her throat when she considered this might be the last family dinner outing for many years.

  A massive cheer momentarily drove away gloomy thoughts. A torrent of red hats went flying, and then the graduates promptly scrambled to grab a new one. Melissa smiled, recalling the rule that one didn’t receive the actual diploma until they traded in both the flimsy cap and the blood-red gown. She lost sight of Andy as he headed in to get his diploma. Josh bounded up the bleachers toward her and swept her up in a huge hug.

  “You made it!” Josh cried. Sobering, he set her down, and asked, “How’s Mom?”

  He towered over her.

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Melissa said. She reached up and patted Josh’s cheek. “Mom’s same as always. She wishes she could be here.”

  Melissa hadn’t gotten to talk to their mother, but she knew the sentiment would hold true, even if she’d not actually heard the words. These days, Mom spent most of her time sleeping to escape the pain.

  “Where’s Andy?” Josh scanned the nearby bleachers.

  “I saw him headed back to the school,” Melissa said, hesitating this time. She sensed the shift in Josh’s mood.

  “He didn’t even stop by to say ‘hi’?” Josh looked offended on her behalf. “What’s wrong with him?”

  Sometimes Melissa asked herself that very question. Her brothers might look similar, but their eating habits and attitudes could hardly be more different.

  “He probably just wanted to get out of the sun.” Melissa shrugged and masked the tinge of hurt. “Don’t worry about it. He’ll meet us by the car when he’s ready.” She grinned. “Having the only set of car keys is good for something.”

  After soothing Josh’s ruffled feathers, Melissa sent him in to exchange the cap and robe for that all-important piece of paper. She spent the waiting time by the car, eager to get to an air conditioned restaurant. The wait gave her a moment to move the carefully wrapped gifts to the trunk where they would be out of sight until the appropriate time.

  The twenty-minute drive to the diner was somewhat tense. Josh sat in the front passenger seat, having flat-out sprinted to obtain the honor, while Andy sulked in the back. Melissa could tell they were still miffed at each other, but she didn’t try to moderate. Deep down, they loved each other, even if they did turn everything into a competition. She figured it was just as well Andy’s love for computers set him on a different path. If he and Josh both became firemen, they’d likely get hurt on the quest to outperform each other.

  Once the drinks arrived, the ride was forgotten, and both boys chattered about past events, present plans, and future dreams. The diner held many families celebrating graduations. Some parties were huge, spanning several tables. These also tended to feature hundreds of dollars in pricey balloons. From time to time, Melissa would notice Andy’s eyes flicker over to the shiny balloons. She wished she could have afforded some for them, but she thought they’d enjoy her small gift more.

  She didn’t have to remind them they could order what they wanted; they exercised the privilege with ease. Melissa ordered a burger. Andy chose the Hungry Man breakfast—three eggs over easy, two sausage links, two strips of bacon, and two pieces of toast. Slightly more health conscious, Josh went with a chicken Caesar salad. Both brothers cleared their plates and helped her with half her burger and the fries. Living in her apartment with three other girls the last six months, Melissa had forgotten how much boys could eat. It was one thing to do the weekly shopping and another to actually watch her brothers consume food.

  They dragged out the meal as long as possible, ordering a round of coffee and cherry pie. By this time, a new round of guests had arrived, and Melissa caught the waitresses holding a conference over how to speed them along. Waving for the check, she dug out her credit card, not even wanting to see the damages done. It wasn’t as bad as she’d feared, but the bill still hurt. She hurried over to the cash register and paid as quickly as possible, wanting the pain over and done with.

  Once outs
ide, Josh and Andy thanked her for the great meal.

  “I’ve got one more surprise for you,” said Melissa, walking past the driver’s door toward the trunk. She stabbed the open trunk button and was delighted to see the back pop open. Reaching in, she plucked up the two tiny, identically wrapped packages.

  “What is it?” Josh said, making his tone childish. His eyes sparkled. He knew exactly what the packages contained. It was family tradition, after all. “Which do you want?” he asked Andy. Receiving a shrug, Josh took the left package and ripped into it. “This one feels lucky.”

  Melissa handed the other package to Andy, and then dug out a quarter for each of them. Josh was right. His lottery ticket proved to be a winner to the tune of $5.00, the price of the actual ticket. Andy tried to stuff his into his back pocket, but neither Melissa, nor Josh, would accept that. Reluctantly, he opened the package, took out the ticket, and scratched off the play area with infuriating slowness. The meticulous work paid off, however, revealing a win of $500. The win resulted in a brilliant smile and good-natured teasing from Andy. His mood was so good he let Josh claim the front seat for the ride home. Josh bore the ribbing with grace.

  Melissa decided to put off the “sell the house” and “mom’s current health” conversations for a few hours. She was enjoying the carefree moment where everything looked like it would work out for her little brothers.

  Chapter 1:

  Fortune and Glory

  About eleven years later …

  The Killer’s Lair

  Undisclosed Location

  Gloves, mask, and apron. Check.

  The list amused him because it sounded like the equipment needed for life-saving surgery, not the things needed to deal death. His body trembled with anticipation as he donned the items one by one. The victim was primed and ready, chained to the wall as planned. The things one could buy on the internet amazed him. In addition to the chains on the wall, he also had a modified dental chair. He looked forward to testing that out, but this occasion called for more traditional symbolism.