Murder in Wax Read online

  Murder in Wax

  Holly Copella

  Copyright © 2018 Holly Copella

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1947694103

  ISBN-13: 978-1-947694-10-1

  To Crystal Koch

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Copella Books: First Paperback Edition 2018

  Cover Artist: Fantasyart

  SelfPubBookCovers.com/ Fantasyart

  Printed by CreateSpace, An Amazon.com Company

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-one

  Chapter Forty-two

  Chapter Forty-three

  Chapter Forty-four

  Chapter Forty-five

  Chapter Forty-six

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Chapter Forty-nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-one

  Chapter Fifty-two

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Chapter Fifty-four

  Chapter Fifty-five

  Chapter Fifty-six

  Chapter Fifty-seven

  Other books by Holly Copella!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Chapter One

  The once charming stone bridge had seen better days. Considered impassable by cars for years, it was mostly used by young lovers embarking on romantic interludes. Despite its reputation for kids in love, it had been dubbed ‘lover’s leap’ decades ago. Although not a fantastic drop, the shallow water below and many rocks meant certain death to anyone attempting to jump from it. Despite its nickname, only two kids had ever committed suicide by jumping from the bridge in its one hundred or more years in existence.

  Not far from the infamous bridge, a young woman just barely eighteen walked through a nearby meadow filled with lush grass and wildflowers. She carried her sandals and a small bouquet of flowers. Chelsea Smyth was a raving beauty with long, golden blonde hair. She had a flawless, makeup-free complexion, sparkling blue eyes, and a radiant smile that almost certainly indicated a woman in love. Despite her ample curves, she dressed conservatively in jean shorts and a tank top covered with a button shirt, which she left open on the warm, sunny afternoon.

  Chelsea’s perfect afternoon was quickly ruined when she heard the sounds of girls’ giggling from nearby. The smile disappeared from her face at the familiar sound. She glanced across the meadow and saw four girls, all sixteen years of age. Her younger sister, Jamie, was the ringleader while Tamara, Paula, and Christine were her devoted minions. Chelsea was in too good of a mood to deal with her narcissistic and possibly sadistic sister. She ignored them and headed across the meadow toward the woods, hoping to avoid a confrontation.

  “Looks like someone has a hot date,” Jamie teased while they followed Chelsea.

  “Go away,” Chelsea scoffed without looking back at the menacing four.

  Jamie was attractive in her own rights, although she couldn’t quite compete with her older sister. She shared the same long, blonde hair as Chelsea, but her beauty came from layers of makeup rather than naturally. Her three friends were also attractive young ladies with the same flair for makeup, which seemed to be their signature trademark. Chelsea ignored her sister and continued on her path for the woods.

  “Does mom know you’re out here meeting boys?” Jamie continued while pursuing her, now at a faster pace to catch up.

  “I’m not meeting boys,” Chelsea insisted without looking at Jamie. “Leave me alone.”

  Jamie laughed with what could only be described as a banshee war cry. Developing the fake laugh took a few years to perfect.

  “Not meeting boys, huh?” Jamie continued as her friends giggled from a few feet behind. “Judging by that radiant glow, I’d say you’ve been doing a lot more than just meeting boys. Wait until mom finds out you gave up your virginity.”

  Chelsea spun and faced her sister. Her look was now enraged as her eyes narrowed. “I’m being preached to by the town slut?” she hissed.

  On cue, Jamie’s friends mocked her with cackling laughter. Jamie sneered at the insult and snatched the flowers from her sister.

  “She doesn’t care what I do,” Jamie snapped then raised her sinister brows. “You, on the other hand, are her little angel. Wait until she finds out just how dirty you are.”

  Chelsea glared at her sister and attempted to reclaim her flowers despite that there was an entire meadow filled with them. Jamie pulled them back, keeping her from having them.

  “Give them back,” Chelsea snarled becoming angry to the point of lashing out at her sister.

  “Are they from him?” Jamie teased while grinning. “Are they from your lover?”

  “Give them back,” Chelsea cried out and again attempted to snatch them.

  Jamie carelessly tossed them over her shoulder while her friends watched them scatter and fall.

  “Dinner tonight should be fun,” Jamie announced with her signature giggle. “I can’t wait to see the look on mother’s face.”

  Chelsea just glared at her sister, silently seething, although avoiding a physical altercation. Jamie turned to her friends while grinning mischievously.

  “Come on, girls,” she ordered and snapped her fingers as she walked past them, being certain to trample the discarded flowers.

  All three obediently fell in line and followed her, making certain to trample the discarded flowers as well. Chelsea frowned and attempted to pick up the flowers. Most had been crushed by her sister and her minions as they trampled them when they left. Chelsea threw the bent and broken flowers down with disgust then picked up the remaining, unharmed flower. She stared at the flower a moment, and her smile returned. Even Jamie couldn’t ruin her mood entirely.

  Chapter Two

  As Jamie led her friends through the woods, she was silently seething despite her obvious victory over her sister. The three remaining girls talked and giggled about things only important to a teenage girl. Jamie could hear someone else rustling around in the woods and held her hand up to her friends.

  “Shut up,” she ordered, silencing all three.

 
; They looked around the woods then saw a man in the near distance walking along a different path. Although he wore a baseball cap, concealing his identity, what little they saw of him, they were certain he wasn’t from town.

  “Who the hell is that?” Paula suddenly chirped.

  The man was too far away to hear or notice them. Judging by his old jeans and dirty jacket, he was possibly a drifter. His age was unclear, although he was almost certainly in his early twenties.

  “I suggest we don’t find out,” Christine muttered. “He looks scary.”

  “You’re such a wuss,” Jamie snapped back at her friend.

  Once he was out of sight, the four continued on their way through the woods. The three girls resumed their earlier conversation.

  “Why were you called into the principal’s office?” Tamara finally asked Christine.

  “It was stupid,” Christine explained while rolling her eyes. “Someone keyed Mr. Rowling’s car in the parking lot, and the principal questioned me about it.” She shook her head in disgust. “As if I’d vandalize a teacher’s car. I’m not that stupid.”

  Jamie suddenly stopped and spun to face her friends. She glared at Christine. “What did he ask?” she demanded.

  “He just asked where I was during lunch,” Christine replied then shrugged. “Uh, in the cafeteria. Where else would I be?”

  Jamie’s eyes widened with horror then anger as she stared at her friend. “You idiot! You were supposed to tell him you were with me cleaning up in the gym after the pep rally.”

  “Relax, Jamie,” Christine groaned. “He knows you didn’t key Mr. Rowling’s car.”

  “How does he know that?” Jamie demanded.

  “Because he asked if you were in Mr. Paterson’s room helping him clean his classroom,” Christine remarked. “You’re in the clear.”

  “You stupid bitch,” Jamie cried out in rage, surprising all three friends. “I told you to tell anyone who asked that I was with you in the gym!”

  “What’s the big deal?” Christine asked with surprise. “He knows you didn’t key that car. You were with Mr. Paterson. He’ll give you an alibi.”

  Jamie suddenly slammed her palms against Christine’s shoulders and cast her backward. “He wasn’t supposed to know I was with Mr. Paterson in his room,” she cried out in anger. “That was supposed to be a secret!”

  “What?” Christine gasped. “Why?”

  “Because I was flunking history, and he gave me passing grades in trade,” she cried out and again slammed her palms against Christine’s shoulders.

  Christine stumbled backward and fell to the ground. She looked up at Jamie with surprise while Tamara and Paula stared at their enraged friend, uncertain how to react to the outburst.

  “The principal was already suspicious,” Jamie cried out. “That’s why you were supposed to tell anyone who asked that I was with you in the gym!”

  “I didn’t know,” Christine cried out. “You didn’t tell me why you wanted me to lie.”

  “You ruined everything,” Jamie screamed and kicked Christine in the side.

  “Jamie,” Tamara gasped with surprise and attempted to stop her.

  Jamie pushed Tamara aside.

  “I didn’t know,” Christine cried out while cowering on the ground.

  “Now I’m going to be expelled, and Mr. Paterson will lose his job,” Jamie screamed and kicked Christine in the head. “Everyone will know I slept with my teacher!” She kicked her in the head again. “My mother will know I slept with my teacher. She’ll throw me out of the house!” Jamie kicked Christine in the head again.

  She was about to kick her again when Paula stopped her. They stared at their friend on the ground. She was bleeding from the head and wasn’t moving.

  Paula suddenly gasped. “Is she--?”

  All three stood motionless while staring at their fallen friend. Jamie placed her hand to her mouth and took a step back. Tamara rushed to Christine’s side and gently nudged her.

  “Christine?” she choked on her words.

  There was no response. Tamara looked up at her friends with horror.

  “I don’t think she’s breathing,” Tamara gasped.

  “I think you’re supposed to check for a pulse or something,” Paula cried out while running trembling fingers through her hair.

  Tamara touched Christine’s neck and felt around in several places. She sprang to her feet and looked at her friends as the color drained from her face.

  “She’s dead,” Tamara gasped.

  “We need to call an ambulance,” Paula cried out while sobbing.

  “She’s already dead, you twit,” Jamie snapped.

  “We have to tell someone,” Tamara announced while nervously rubbing her chilled arms.

  Jamie was silent a moment while her friends sobbed. “Shut up,” she cried out. Once they both silenced, she glared at them and pointed a warning finger. “No one can know about this.”

  “What?” Tamara gasped. “It was an accident. You didn’t mean to kill her.”

  “That’s not going to matter,” Jamie lashed out. “They’re going to throw me in jail for it.” She eyed each of her friends with an unpredictably psychotic look. “You don’t want me going to jail, do you?”

  There was a moment of silence.

  “Do you?” Jamie cried out.

  “No, of course not,” Tamara announced while Paula just shook her head.

  “We’ll move her off the path, cover her over with leaves, and pretend this never happened,” Jamie informed them.

  “Pretend it never happened? Her parents need to know,” Tamara protested as tears streaked her face. “They’ll want to bury her.”

  “She’ll be found,” Jamie replied then considered the comment. “Eventually.”

  “Won’t they be able to tell how she died?” Paula asked then looked at her friends. “On all those forensic shows, they’re able to find cause of death.”

  “That’s true,” Tamara agreed. “They’ll figure out she’d been kicked in the head. They’ll be able to tell it was a girl’s foot from the size of the bruises or something like that.”

  “Then we’ll need to make sure they can’t do that,” Jamie informed them.

  Tamara and Paula gave her a strange look.

  “Help me move her,” Jamie ordered and indicated an area off the path where no one traveled.

  Both girls reluctantly helped her pick up their dead friend and move the body into the secluded area. Jamie walked the area and looked around.

  “Find branches and things to toss over her,” Jamie informed them.

  Tamara and Paula exchanged frowns and did as they were told. A strange cracking sound was heard. Both girls spun around and watched in horror as Jamie struck Christine in the head with a large rock. She hit the dead girl repeatedly in the head until her skull split open. Tamara and Paula held back their cries. They heard a startled gasp. All three turned and saw Chelsea standing on the path staring at them. Chelsea stared at the bloodied rock in Jamie’s hands and then Christine’s mutilated head. Jamie dropped the rock and stared at her sister, unable to speak.

  “What have you done?” Chelsea gasped as the flower fell from her hand.

  “You aren’t going to tell anyone,” Jamie lashed out in anger. “You’re going to keep your mouth shut!”

  Chelsea stared at her sister with horror clearly on her face. She shook her head. “You’re a monster,” she suddenly gasped then took off through the woods.

  “We need to stop her,” Jamie cried out and ran after her. She paused and looked back at her friends.

  Tamara and Paula just stared at her.

  “And do what?” Tamara suddenly asked with surprise. “Kill her?”

  “You’re already screwed,” Jamie informed them with anger showing in her eyes. “If I go down; you’re going down with me. Now get her!”

  Jamie took off through the woods and ran down the path after her sister. Tamara and Paula exchanged frightened looks then ran after
them.

  Chapter Three

  Chelsea ran through the woods and into the meadow with Jamie closing in behind her. Chelsea’s sandals weren’t helping gain traction in the grass. She managed to kick them off while she ran and was able to pick up speed. Jamie continued her pursuit with her friends several yards behind screaming for her to stop. Chelsea ran across the stone bridge with Jamie directly on her heels.

  Jamie tackled her sister, knocking her into the crumbling half wall on the bridge. Chelsea hit the stone with force. It crumbled slightly under her weight. She attempted to pull away. Jamie grabbed her by the shirt with her blood-covered hands and slammed her back against the crumbling wall. She glared into her sister’s eyes.

  “You’re not going to tell anyone about this,” Jamie screamed in anger. “I want to hear you say it! You won’t tell anyone, or I swear I’ll kill you!”

  Chelsea struggled against her sister’s grip and attempted to break free. Jamie again slammed her against the half wall. Tamara and Paula slowed when they saw Jamie slamming her sister’s back against the stone wall with increasing force.

  “Say it,” Jamie screamed like a mad woman while nearly ripping the shirt clutched in her hands.

  On the fourth time she’d slammed her against the half wall, the stone gave away, and Chelsea slipped backward from the bridge, her shirt slipping through Jamie’s clenched fists. Paula and Tamara ran onto the bridge and peered down to the creek that was barely a trickle. Chelsea lay in an awkward position, bent and broken, below the bridge near the bank among the rocks. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she lay motionless. The three stood on the bridge for several minutes, unable to move or look away from the horrible image.

  “You killed your sister,” Paula finally gasped, snapping them out of their trances.

  Jamie spun to face her friends. “It was an accident,” she insisted. “She fell.”

  “We have to do something,” Tamara announced while panicking and pacing the bridge.

  Paula attempted to run across the bridge to get help. Jamie ran after her and caught her.