Six(84)

The wooden steps were misshapen and some dipped, threatening to break.

As we entered, the moonlight shone through holes in the ceiling and broken windows. There were a few chairs and tables, some lying on their sides, others covered in a thick layer of dust. Add in the faded artwork and cobwebs, and I half expected a ghost to appear. Talk about creep-tacular.

The moonlight helped with the lack of light, since Six was holding the flashlight as we moved through the dining area. It was two stories, the upper veranda overlooking the main area with a huge wall of windows. Beyond was a very large wooden deck overlooking the ocean.

Six was silent as we moved, listening for anyone or anything that wasn’t us. I didn’t hear anything but our steps, some creaking, and the crashing of the waves against the cliff below.

He started up the steps, and I followed behind. Up one, then flailing as I caught my toe on the second, nearly falling down.

“Shit!” I grabbed on to the handrail as I lurched forward.

Six turned, shining the light on me. He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t offer anything, just righted myself and continued on.

When we reached the top, he moved left while I went right. It was brighter, large skylights letting the moonlight in. Dilapidated booths and more leftover tables, complete with napkin holders and condiments, lined the wall and balcony rail.

Six moved behind me, his flashlight bouncing around, creating shadows. There was one in the dust of a table that caught my eye, but when the light moved, it remained. It was as if something had brushed against it, wiping it off, exposing the dark top beneath the layer of dust.

As I moved closer, I jumped as a foot came into view. Six stopped, his flashlight pointed at me as I took small steps forward. Legs, then a torso, dark skinned hands, and a familiar face.

“Oh my God.” The words rushed from me as I stared down at the body on the floor.

It was Jason.

“What?” Six asked as he rounded the corner. He stopped just behind me and cursed under his breath.

I kneeled down next to him to examine him closer. With the back of my hand, I reached out and touched his.

The skin wasn’t warm to the touch. “He’s been here a while.”

“How long is a while?”

I shook my head. “I’m no ME. A few hours maybe.”

“It’s the same as the others, isn’t it?”

Was it? Walking around the body, I made sure not to touch or disturb anything.

There wasn’t an exit hole in his skull. There was a crater. “Hard to tell.”

I moved back around to the front and looked closely at the entry wound. Around the entrance was a ring of abrasion and another of soot. The soot was closer to the hole from the bullet at the top than the bottom.

“Close range and at an angle. The top of the barrel was closer to his skin than the bottom.”

I glanced around the room and took in his position. One of his legs was bent, that foot tucked under the other leg that was straight. Once again, I stood and walked to his feet. Raising my arm, I held it at the approximate angle his killer would have if he was on his knees. Sure enough, the splatter from the back lined up.

“Same.”

“You’re getting good.”

My brow scrunched as I looked at him. “What does that mean?”

“I figured that out five minutes ago.”

“How?” He was a dealer of death, not an crime scene investigator.

“Years of practice.”

“Practi… Oh.” I stopped myself, understanding.

Something nagged at me as I held my arm out. Jason was about six foot.

I grabbed on to Six’s arm. “Down on your knees.”

“What?”

“I want to check something.”

Reluctantly, he did as I asked and I held my arm out with my finger gun. “Bang!” I pushed against his forehead and after earning a glare, he caught on and fell back.

I compared the two and they were the same but one thing—Jason’s right leg was sticking out straight while Six’s remained bent.

I held out my hand, and he grabbed hold as I pulled him back up. “Bring your right knee up, like you’re tying your shoe.”

He glanced over to Jason’s body and understood where I was going. Replicating the position, I stuck my finger gun on his forehead again and pulled the imaginary trigger. Six did his fake deadfall and landed in almost the same position.

My brow furrowed, and I shook my head.

“What’s going on in that brain of yours?”

I stared down at Jason. “I don’t think he was expecting it. And it wasn’t someone taller like you, it was someone shorter, like me.”

The nine-inch difference between us meant the one who shot Jason was closer to my five-four than his six-one.

“Otherwise the bullet would be more at the top of his skull.”

“He bent over, probably to tie his shoe or pick something up and when he lifted his head…bang!”

Six immediately pulled out his gun before reaching down and pulling the smaller weapon from around his ankle and handing it to me.

I took hold of it, pulling on the slide before wrapping my other hand around it. “Do you think they’re still here?”

“Yes.”

I stayed behind him as we moved through the building. Silence prevailed as we moved back down the stairs.