“What about Henry Martin?” Ness questioned. “What about him?” Eddie took another bite of his sandwich.
“Well the way that I see it, you cleaned up my mess which means that you’ve done this before. It may seem like I can just walk away from this but in reality, I can’t. You’re revealing a very dangerous part of your life to me, and you and I both know that I won’t be able to just walk away from this. You will need some insurance to ensure that I don’t go to the police,” Ness crossed her arms over her chest.
Eddie smiled. “Clever girl. But you are missing one thing.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m not here to blackmail you. And there’s nothing that can tie me to cleaning up the scene of Henry Martin’s murder. So, even if you did turn yourself in, there’s nothing that you can say to incriminate me. You see, I’ve been doing this for a long time. The police may suspect me for a while after what you tell them, and they may even come in here and tear my home and bar apart, but they won’t find anything. There is absolutely nothing tying me to the murder.”
“Then what do you really want?” Ness asked as she opened her beer and drank half the can in two large gulps.
“I want to teach you.”
“Why? You don’t even know me.” Eddie sat back and dusted the crumbs off his hands.
“Your full name is Vanessa Anne Elliott. You are 23 years old. You are the daughter of Heck and Sarah Elliott. Your brother, father, and grandfather are police officers in North Utica. Six months ago, you and your mom were involved in a motor vehicle accident where Henry Martin collided with your vehicle. Your mother didn’t survive because of her injuries. Henry Martin wasn’t punished for his crimes, and you decided to take the law into your own hands last night when you took his life . . . and rather savagely, I might add. Shall I continue? There’s a lot more I know about you.”
Ness diverted her gaze and ran her tongue over her teeth, “So what? You’re a stalker now?”
Eddie laughed loudly, “What do you think?” Ness sighed. “I don’t know what to think.”
“Did you like it? Killing Martin?”
“I didn’t feel anything after I did it,” Ness responded flatly.
“Ness, you need to understand that you have a talent. And, unfortunately, you have crossed a dark line that you won’t be able to come back from. You may be able to hide it for a while but killing has become a part of you now. With the right training, you will be able to become one of the best,” Eddie finished his beer.
“Best of what?”
“Serial killers.”
“I’m not a serial killer,” Ness scoffed.
“Not yet you’re not. But last night when I saw you in the bar, I could see the same darkness in your eyes that I see in mine every time when I look in the mirror. I must say that darkness certainly didn’t disappoint,” Eddie smiled and rose from the table. “Come with me.”
Eddie walked out of the kitchen, and Ness followed him into his living room. In the middle of the sparsely but comfortably furnished room was a coffee table that held a large, antique wooden chess set.
“Do you play?” Eddie asked. “Somewhat,” Ness answered by taking a seat on the brown leather recliner near to the table.
“Good. Let’s see what you’ve got,” Eddie sat opposite her at the white pieces.
“Chess? You’re going to teach me to play chess?” Ness pulled a face.
“Do you know what the journalists used to call me when they wrote about me in the papers?” Ness shook her head.
“They used to call me the En Passant Killer.”
Ness’ eyes widened and she gulped drily. “You’re the En Passant Killer?”
Eddie didn’t respond. “My grandfather was looking for you for years, but he could never catch you.”
“I know. But I must say, old Wyatt Elliott Sr. definitely came closer than most. He impressed me, your grandfather. And now he’s retired and living in his dream cabin by the lake. Tell me, why didn’t he ever remarry after your grandmother passed?”
“She was the love of his life,” Ness responded while she touched one of the pieces on the board. Her fingers felt slightly sticky after she returned the piece.
“How did she die?”
“Heart failure.”
Eddie narrowed his eyes at Ness, “Is that right?”
“That’s what my grandfather told us.”
Eddie rose from his seat and moved the coffee table away.
“Why are you asking how my grandmother died?” Eddie didn’t respond and turned to leave. Ness started to rise from her seat—her gaze was looking downward—and then she saw it. Eddie’s leg was accelerating straight for her. She tried to move, but the sole of his boot collided with her squarely in the chest, and Ness was thrown over the back of the leather recliner.
6
Wyatt Elliott Jr. drove home after his shift, and although it was a quiet day, he was very deep in thought. His short conversation with Ness earlier on in the day was bothering him. Wyatt and Ness were very close growing up, but they seemed to drift apart after the accident. Ness seemed darker than normal, and
