CHAPTER FIVE
When I wake in the morning, it’s to the sound of Kerri’s cheery voice waking Shiloh up for the day. I try to shut my eyes again; I was having such a pleasant dream. The voices had not been silent last night, but the monsters sure did have some creative ideas. Ideas, I need to shop for today.
I get up and do my morning ritual before I say goodbye to Shiloh and Kerri, and remind Shiloh of what we talked about.
She nods numbly and I leave for the hardware store.
I take a cart and take my time going through each aisle. Sizing up the tools that are available to me. I get some planks of wood, a nail gun, carpet grippers, nails, hammers, superglue, and a host of other things that I know I can use tonight. It’ll barely fit in my car, but I need it to because I need to take it with me tonight.
I am standing in the queue waiting to be checked out when my mind drifts to Shiloh and what she is doing. She is so perfect; I want her to be able to accomplish her dreams, but she needs to overcome this. I’ve given her a timeline. It’s the same timeline I’m on, so I’m hoping she can be there for the final display.
I want her to be there. I want to share that moment with her.
Disposing of Kerri will be a piece of cake. Just drive her to La Douleur Folle and use the crematorium there.
Shiloh just needs to fulfill her end of the bargain and then we can celebrate together.
I check out and pay with my credit card before I refuse the assistant who wants to help me load my car. I have enough muscle power to see to it myself.
I push the cart to my car and load everything in neat order before I push the cart back to the loading bay and park it with the other carts.
Everything in its place.
I go back home and find that Shiloh and Kerri are out. I reheat some leftovers, and eat quietly before I go down to the basement. The one place that Kerri is not allowed. She doesn’t know Shiloh is, or that Shiloh knows the code for the keypad that locks the door at the bottom of the stairs.
It’s necessary, because how else will Shiloh access the toys?
I key in the four-digit code and open the door before going inside. I turn the light on and look around the room at the various blades and tools that hang on the walls.
There’s so much to choose from. I don’t know why Shiloh is having a difficult time. Maybe I must mention that she can use more than one if she’s scared.
I’ve told her where to cut to end Kerri quickly and then how to dismember her. It really isn’t that difficult. She’s helped me cook before, so she knows how to cut things.
I hear them upstairs and shut the light off and exit the basement. Shiloh pauses at the top of the stairs and looks down at me with wide eyes. I smile and nod.
Shiloh nods and then leaves again.
Kerri is in the living room when I come upstairs, and she is setting up Shiloh’s homeschooling for the afternoon. No doubt they took a trip to a museum or something enriching this morning, which I do appreciate. But au pairs are a dime a dozen, and anyone can do that. Good help is easy to find in a country where there’s an employment crisis.
I imagine Kerri’s pretty little neck slit and bleeding, and I beam.
“Hello, Esther,” she says with a smile. “You’re home early.”
“I didn’t have work today,” I say. “I’m on leave for a week. Taking some time for myself.”
“It’s great being your own boss, isn’t it?” she asks. “You have so much free time.”
“It is nice, but it isn’t easy. I work really hard.”
And I mean, I work really hard.
Whether it’s here or at La Douleur Folle.
“Getting Shiloh ready for the afternoon?” I ask. “Why don’t you take a nap afterwards? You look tired.”
“She ran me off my feet this morning,” Kerri admits. “Maybe we can both take a nap this afternoon.”
I smile broadly. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I am going to run a few more errands before I go out for the evening. You’ll be fine with Shiloh the next few nights, won’t you? I have a little pet project I’m working on just for her.”
“Sounds great. What is it?”
“Oh, it’s a surprise,” I say menacingly, but she doesn’t pick up on it. She never notices when my tone changes. “A surprise for both of you.”
“I look forward to it.” Kerri smiles. “Enjoy your errands.”
“Enjoy your nap,” I say and leave the house. I don’t really have errands to run, but I want to give Shiloh time to maybe get on with our little promise today.
I drive around aimlessly for an hour or two, then I stop at the pharmacy and get a few items to patch up the boy with. The more I patch, the more I can hurt. Give them hope and take it away. That’s the best satisfaction you can get. Oh, look, I’m healing you, just so I can cut you again, you little fucker.
I giggle at myself, and the pharmacist looks at me curiously. “Sorry, inside joke.”
He nods and I take my things and go back home. When I get home, both Kerri and Shiloh are asleep and I’m angry to see nothing has been done to Kerri. I’m almost tempted to wake Shiloh up and make her do it while I’m there, but that would defeat the object of the task I’ve set for her. She needs to obey.