Blood Money

Every day my life was the same, get up check the mail and go to work. Day in and out was the same boring routine until one day it wasn’t. I had just finished my cup of coffee and was getting ready to check the mail when the phone rang it was my mother, she sounded different not upset more like shocked. Her bother had just passed, I didn’t know she had a brother. There was something else apparently my mother and where the only family that he had left, that being the case he left me large inheritance but left my mother nothing. I told my mother that I was sorry about her lose and I would be over to see her after I got off work.

 That day drug on and on, it was almost like all time had stopped. By the time the day was over I was mentally and physically exhausted and much as just wanted to go home and change into my pajamas and enjoy a really good book, I had made a promise to my mother that I would go and see her, when I pulled up to my mother’s house, she was sitting on the front porch having a cigarette she must have been rattled because I haven’t seen her smoke in years I wanted to remind her that smoking is not the best thing for her because of her medical condition but judging by the look on her face she was in no mood for a lecture. She didn’t say anything just handed me an envelope that has clearly been opened but I knew that already because of the conversation that we had on the phone. The letter didn’t say much just that my uncle Billy had passed and that I was to meet with his lawyer at my earlier convenience. I tried to get my mother to talk about her brother, but she refused, hopefully I would be able to get something from his lawyer.

 The very next day I was sitting in an office across from a man who looked more a crypt keeper then a lawyer, there was a long awkward silence then finally he spoke.

“Miss Becket as you know your uncle was a wealthy man and he left it all to you.”

I shifted in my chair; the whole thing made me extremely uncomfortable.

“Actually Mr….”

“Please call me Harold.” He stared back at me with cold dark eyes, I shivered covering my shoulders up with my jacket. Even though it was the middle of summer I was freezing cold and it had nothing to due with the temperature of the room.

“Harold, I knew nothing about my uncle I didn’t even know my mother had a brother until yesterday, and when I asked her about it, she was very tight lipped about the whole thing.”

“Your mother and uncle where never close even as children but then again, he was never close with any of the family, he left home at fifteen and never went back. But let us get back to the matter at hand, shall we? Your uncle is leaving you an exceptionally large sum of money but there is a catch, but there is always in isn’t there?”

“Not really, this is the first time ever that I have seen an inheritance come with strings, whatever it is I can handle it, its not like he wants me to kill anyone.” I giggled nervously fidgeting in my chair.  

Harold sat forward and looked at me with a stone face, I think if he ever smiled it would crack his face.

“Your uncle had many friends but he also many enemies.” He slid over the file folder that he had by his side the whole conversation. I slowly opened it and found a list of four names along with pictures and personal information. I felt sick to my stomach, could I really do what he was asking of me? It was obvious that he didn’t want to give each and everyone of these people a gift basked. But instead of jumping to conclusions I thought it would be better to ask then to assume even if I already knew the answer.

“What the hell is this?”

“When you each person is dispatched you need to take photo evidence to prove that you got the job done. I know that all of this seems crazy but just think what you will be able to do with all that money not to mention your uncle’s estate. You would be able to afford that operation that your mother so desperately needs. Money like that would move you right up to the front of the line on the kidney donor list after all you can’t possibly give your mother your other kidney or you will die, normal people can function with one but not your mother her medical condition requires two functioning kidneys.”

“How do you know all of this? You said my mother hasn’t seen or heard from her brother in years, all of that information is private. I glared at the sinister looking man sitting across me.

“My darling Jessica just because you didn’t know about your uncle doesn’t mean he didn’t know about you or what has been going on with your mother, that man has eyes every where.”

“Why me?” I felt tears rolling down my cheeks, could I possible do what was asked of me. I glared at the open folder once again and the nauseous feeling returned once more.

“Why not you, your uncle choose you for a reason, he that even though it would be against your moral compass to take a life, you would do it save your mother.”

“Couldn’t I say that I did it and you could just give me the money, I mean my uncle is dead he wouldn’t know any different.”

He stared at me with soulless eye’s, the cold feeling washed over me once again.

“Yes, but I would.” He looked over his shoulder as if something where watching him and whispered; “And he would as well.”

“And if I don’t.” I pushed the folder away.

“Then we find someone else who will, either way these people are not long for this earth, so what are you going to do young lady? I have a terribly busy schedule and I told enjoy the company of those who waste my time.”

I took the folder and stuck it in my bag, maybe if I made it quick and painless for these people, I would be able to live with myself.

“Good choice miss Becket, all the information you need is in there, including where to send the photos.”

I quickly collected my things and left the room; I had no idea what I was going to tell my mother, but I had to think of something and fast.

The ride home was a complete blur, my mother called half a dozen times from the time I left the lawyers office until I pulled into my driveway which was a hole ten-minute drive. I knew that I could not avoid her forever so the next time my phone rang I picked it up the phone, of course she had a million questions all of which I did not care to answer. 

Over the next few weeks, I did research on the fasted ways to kill someone and get rid of the body without getting caught, I was sure that I would get away with it once but not four times. I kept going over and over in my head what these people could have do to make my uncle so mad that he wanted to kill them, but I could not let that concern me, what matter the most was getting the funds for my mothers’ operation the rest of money can be given to charity and the estate well the lawyer can do what ever he wants with it because I don’t want it.

My uncles lawyer contacted me a few times, he sounded very impatient and wanted to make sure that I did not have cold feet. I assured him that my uncles last wishes would be carried out and that I would let him know when the jobs where done. Every time I hung up the phone with that unpleasant man, I became physically ill.

 The first victim Marry-Lynn Hayes was easy, she had taken a sleeping pill so as soon as fell asleep I held a pillow over her face and within a matter of minutes she was gone. I took her picture saved into a secure file on my phone, then I disposed of the body by dumping into in the river that was located behind the house. I weighted down her body with rocks so that I would not float to the surface.

The other three where not as easy and required clean up, the second and third victim I shot in the head while they were sleeping in bed, the gun I used was bought from a young man that just so happen to know my uncles’ lawyer, both the gun and the bullets where untraceable. The disposal was more difficult because unlike the first they other two lived no where near a body of water. But with a little creativity I made sure their bodies will never be found.

The fourth and finally victim put a fight which resulted in us tumbling down a couple flights of stairs, I was sure the noise was going to wake up the neighbors, but luck was on my side, I also had time to shoot him before he had a chance to attack me again. Of course, I had to drag him back up the stairs which was no easy feat, then I had to go back and wash all the blood off the floor and stairs. I hide the body where I knew where no one would find it and came back and got rid of it the very next day.

Once I emailed the pictures to the address that was given to me in the file, I waited for Harold to get back to me, finally the day came when he called me up for a meeting, he sounded incredibly pleased that I had done what was asked of me. I told him my plans for the money, and he told me that under no circumstances was I to sell my uncles estate and I must take the whole lump some of the inheritance or get non of it. At first I was angry about the whole thing but when I found out that my mothers kidney transplant plus home care would take up a far chunk of that money it I decided that it wouldn’t be so bad, it was the estate that really bothered me my mother was on the other hand was absolutely elated when she found out that my uncle had left me the estate, it had been in her family for centuries and was more then upset when she found out my grandparents had left it to my uncle. At first, she refused to let me pay for her transplant, but I told her that it was already done and that she was scheduled for surgery at the end of the week.

Two weeks after the surgery my mother and I moved into the estate and I set her up with home care, normally the nurse would come in once a week but because we had the space and the funds, she had around the clock care.

I still can’t look at my self in the mirror, I had horrible nightmares about the murders. I try to justify what I had done by telling myself that I had to be done to save my mother and to give her the life she deserves, but it doesn’t help because at the end of the day it all came from blood money.