Chapter Text
The night was silent and still while the lush trees lined along the highway. Countless sleepless nights and thoughts of failure were behind you in that wretched town now. All the countless physical abuses and insulting words that your fiancée had thrown at you was all behind you, back in that dingy little town of Blackwell, Oklahoma. Shaking hands kept your car as steady as you could, eyes twitching at any car that would pass by you.
You made sure that your fiancée had fallen into deep sleep before even daring to move in the bed. The suitcase that contained some of your belongings and an envelope full of cash had been held by one of the church ladies that guided you in this plan. Even though you fully could not trust everyone in this city, especially not those close to law enforcement, the middle-aged lady from your church group took sympathy on you. It was an honest mistake, you forgot to cover up the bruise on your arm with the cream makeup base, and your sleeve had exposed it for a split second while you both were talking alone. It only took a few simple words of comfort for the floodgates of your tears to open.
“I can’t stand to see you crying, dearie. As much as I believe a wife should submit to her husband, her husband should also be sweet and respectful to her.”
The lady had instructed you on how to placate your fiancée and land him into a drunken stupor that would render him into unconsciousness. As she had said to you, “A little bit of alcohol can really make a man useless.” She had also told you about a property that one of her relatives was willing to give to her for cheap in the city of San Antonio, Texas. While the trip was going to be a lengthy one, it gave you comfort that you would be far away from the man that you once had loved. “I’ll give you the address to the apartment complex,” she said to you, handing you a piece of paper with the location of your new home. “If your fiancée doesn’t fall asleep, tell him you are going to pick up some medicine. You gather up everything, and you get the hell away! Don’t tell your fiancée, don’t tell anyone else. Just go, never come back if you want to stay happy!”
The exact turning point of your relationship was still unclear to you. Your fiancée had been such a gentleman and a sweetheart to you in the beginning of your relationship. There were no red flags that would make you think twice about agreeing to be his wife. At least, in your eyes there had been nothing strange about him. However, as soon as you said yes to him, he began to slip his mask. It started with a few remarks about your body, and then quickly spiraled into physical fights that ended with a couple bruises that were all around your body. It all became too much for you to handle. His degrading remarks had turned into plausible death threats. There was no way to tell if he was bluffing or not. After all, there had been an urban legend among your community that dead wives were a lot more common than one would imagine.
The flashing red and blue lights that were showing up parked onto the side of the highway had heightened your anxiety and snapped you out of your dark memories. It appeared to just be any run-of-the-mill highway patrol cop, stopping anyone from going above the speed limit. It had been a few minutes after you had passed him that you finally had your breathing under control. Your fiancée, while not rich himself, had connections to many prominent men in your town. Having been a mechanic, he would often fix the cars for the police unit in the town, often with low prices and high quality. It would be a no-brainer to assume that he has at least some friends that would be willing to return the favor to him.
The highway would stretch out and the surroundings began to blend with each other. The sun began to peek through, shining its welcoming light onto you. Its bright rays somewhat brought you comfort, it signified the start of a new life. A new life away from Blackwell, a new life away from your abusive fiancée, and a new life where you could be someone new in an unfamiliar city. The thought of finally being able to pursue your dream of being a nurse excited you. The engagement and his bouts of rage had paused your studies, which added another sector of hopelessness in your relationship.
Glancing at the gas meter, it was evident that you would need to park at a gas station soon to refill the gas tank. Fortunately for you, there seemed to be one coming up on your side soon. Steering your car towards the small gas station, you decided to check out if there were any small snacks that you could have until arriving at the motel that you would be staying over for the night. Pushing the door open, the smell of coffee and sweat immediately invaded your nose. It was not too bad, but it definitely took you in for a surprise. Walking down the aisles, you eventually picked out a few snacks and a water bottle to have for the road trip. The cashier, a country boy with short golden hair, rang up your total. There had been a question you had had in your mind for a few hours now, and the cashier looked like he might give a good answer.
“Excuse me, do you know how far away we are from Blackwell, Oklahoma?”
Bagging up your items, he shot you a warm smile.
“Ya shouldn’t be too far off. Think it might be two to three hours away from here, I bet. But certainly not anywhere near that town, yet.”
Relief flooded all over you. It may not seem far away to most, but just the thought of being hours away from the hellhole made a smile flash across your face.
Filling your car’s gas tank, you continued your wayward journey onto a better life. One where you would not have to cower in fear in the place that was supposed to offer comfort and safety from the uncertain outside.
…
The strong smell of booze and tobacco spread across the seedy club. Half-naked dancers performed for the crowds of men that would gather here, unbeknownst to their wives back at home. Even if it was still early in the day, one in the afternoon, there were still a handful of men already satiating their temptations so early in the day. He would never have stepped foot in this place, he had no reason to. After all, he had a woman back home.
Keyword: had.
He awoke to you leaving the home, leaving him in a disheveled state and an enormous hangover headache. There had been no clue to where you had run off to. No one in the town of Blackwell had been close to you, as far as he knew anyways. It gave him some sort of ego boost, being the only one you were close to. He felt like a protector against the savage men in this town. And he had stepped foot into their den in order to seek out a certain, foul-mouthed man.
Even with the dim lighting, there was no way that he would have missed who was sitting near the stage. After all, the son of a bitch always wore those aviator glasses wherever and whenever he could. It only took a few minutes for the man to pry his eyes off of the topless dancer for him to finally acknowledge who was in front of him.
“Well, ain’t this a fuckin’ surprise. Thought you were satisfied with the lady back home,” he cackled.
A sigh escaped his mouth. He hated Coyle’s snarky remarks, and the current situation he was dealing with did not help his irritability at all.
“Well, that’s if she was still there,” he pulled aside a chair. “Gone up and left me out of fucking nowhere.”
The smirk that the sergeant held immediately switched to one of curiosity. It was not every day that you heard of a bride running away. Hell, he had some experience with it himself. Not that anyone knew the exact details. Taking out a cigarette from the box that rested on his jacket’s pocket, he motioned it towards his colleague. A dissatisfied wave of his hand and he knew that this was no laughing matter.
“‘N you thought that your best solution was to come to little ol’ me and not high-tail the bitch yourself?”
A waitress stopped by the table that the men were sitting at, ready to take orders and sleezy remarks. The distressed man ordered two beers while Coyle motioned the waitress away. It was not to pass up on the opportunity of alcohol, but rather to keep anyone from eavesdropping from this conversation. After all, he knew that most people in the town had treated the man a little funny due to his roots being from up north, only coming down here to Blackwell with his fiancée for better business as a car mechanic. After all, the police took high pride in their vehicles.
“I would’ve done that if I knew where the hell she would have run off to,” he grumbled.
It only took about a few minutes for the waitress to bring in two big mugs of fizzy beer to the man. With how he immediately started gulping down the drink, Coyle knew that this situation had definitely blown his ego to pieces. If it were up to him, he would have not even let her through the door. Would have taught her a lesson she would have never forgotten.
“That’s why I’m coming to you for help,” he spoke with a slight slur to his voice. The alcohol must have taken effect already on him.
“What the hell do you think I’m even able to do? I’m just shit outta luck as you are.” He took a long drag of his cigarette before averting his gaze to the blonde dancer up on stage. God almighty, were some of these women just talented in igniting a passion within him.
“Coyle, stop fucking around. You and I both know you hold an iron grip on this town. If anyone was able to make anyone cough up with any information, it would be you,” the man growled.
The wuss was right. He had a whole badge to prove his influence over the town.
“You owe me a favor as well. I shut up about what I saw you doing to that convenience store burglar. Jesus Christ, I even directed to you the place to dump the body-”
“Don’t you fuckin’ dare threaten a man of the law!” Coyle yelled at him. He made sure to not cause too much of a scene, or else things would have been made much more awkward. The mere mention of the result of his swift discipline to a law-breaking animal had made him lose his cool. He thought that he would have had the mechanic’s lip shut tight, but he guessed that he was willing to air out his dirty little secret if he did not comply with his request. Hell, he might as well do it as a way to signify his appreciation of fine handiwork on his precious vehicle.
“Fine, I’ll go do my work as a law-abiding man while you can sit on your ass and mope around an empty home. I’m only doin’ this because we both know that our dirty secrets would ruin our reputation around this town. Not that I’m the one that should be worried about it the most.”
The man just rolled his eyes at him. Being an outsider would apparently be even worse than a sergeant being accused of murder. After all, who would trust the word of some blue-collar worker over a cop? He started digging into his jacket, pulling out a manila folder. Coyle took the folder and immediately began thumbing through its contents.
Coyle himself knew very little about the man’s wife. After all, she would often keep to herself. The only few times that he really caught a glimpse of you were during Sunday service and the occasional neighborhood get-togethers. Though, he wished he could have seen you more often. Pretty little thing you were, in his eyes. Shame that you were tied down to a measly caricature of a man, one that could not even provide for you. If you were with him, he would make sure to give you his love every way that he would have wanted to.
“You just got yourself a deal,” he hopped off the chair that he was sitting on and headed towards the door. “Might as well return the favor for my gratitude and pay for the tab yerself, ya seem like the one contributin’ the majority of it.”
Settling down onto his cop car, Coyle glanced more at the photos of the man’s wife. Lord knows where she would have run off to. Even if the couple seemed estranged from most of the town, he knew that there must have been at least one person– a churchgoer, most probably– that knew you more than anyone else. Hitting the gas pedal, the home of the man and his runaway bride was his first stop. After all, no one can clear up their tracks quite well enough to evade the eventual sweep of justice. Unlike him, of course.
The air breezed through his hair. Surveying the calm surroundings near his dear old city, a sinister grin formed upon his face.
Looks like it might be a more exciting day at his job.
…
It did not take you long to arrive at the motel at the halfway point of your road trip. Admiring the various landscapes along your journey, you longed for the new life that was just only a few hours ahead of you. A deep longing for the city skylines that you were used to in the early years of your life were satiated with passing by the metropolitan city of Fort Worth, Texas. It only took you an hour or so to find a motel that seemed nice enough. You were not expecting the quality of a hotel, but for only using this as a way to stop by and get some much needed rest, it would be sufficient enough.
Handing in the man at the front desk the cash sum for the hours that you were expected to be there, you made your way towards the room, key in hand. Opening the door, the stench of cigarette smoke was immediately apparent. It was a given, of course, but you still could not help but scrunch your nose at such an appalling smell. You always hated it, from when you were little and playing outside in the backyard with your chain-smoker grandmother, to now, having to sit there and stand the aroma whenever your ex-fiancée brought you to a neighborhood get-together back in Blackwell. You always tried to avoid the group of men generally, but you made an extra note to avoid a particular cop with aviator glasses that seemed to always have a lit cigarette resting on his tongue.
Crashing onto the less-than-comfortable bed, you stared up at the ceiling.
Ex-fiancée. The title rolled off your tongue so naturally. It only was a day ago that you were still under his thumb, scared that you might not live another day.
You rolled over to the bedstand and set an alarm to wake you up at eleven in the morning. At the time it was currently, eight in the morning, your ex-fiancée would have still been sound asleep with all the alcohol that he took that night. A nice nap would certainly be good to jog up your energy to finish out the last half of the road trip. Lying on your side and closing your eyes, you began to imagine all the dreams that you will now be able to accomplish once you set foot in San Antonio. You did not know much about it, only that it was a military city and that a beautiful river snaked across the downtown of the city. The prospect of the unknown only helped fuel your excitement. Slowly, you started drifting off to sleep, with happiness being just at the touch of your fingers. You knew that nothing would go wrong, you had made sure that no one would find out where you were headed.
Even before you set foot in the new city, you were already starting to love this new, little life.
…
Papers were strewn all over the floor. The cop had practically combed all throughout the home to no avail. There was no evidence left by her to indicate where the hell she ran off to. From under the tiles of the bathroom to the bottom of the mattress, everything seemed spotless. Frustration and anger quickly started to rise up from him. There would be no way in hell that a scumbag criminal would fly under his radar with nothing left in their wake, much less a female scum.
He was about to start stirring shit around the house just to blow off some steam when a ripped piece of paper had caught his attention. Quickly sorting away the other papers on the floor, he picked it up and examined its written contents. Once he realized what the paper contained, a sense of accomplishment flowed through him. Walking out of the family home, he knew exactly where his little target had run off to.
He was such a good cop.
Though, a nagging feeling had started crawling up on him. Whose to say that the coward of a man that he was doing this favor for would not backstab him after being so merciful and accepting his request. All that charity work going to shit if the mechanic were to run his mouth off, the nancy having his pretty little wife back in his arms and leaving Coyle with his dick in his hand after all that hard work. After all, he knew there were men who would just be inching to take his position as someone with influence over the town. There was only one way to really settle this dispute in the most favorable way, in a way that benefitted him the most, of course. It would not be the first time he has done this method, and certainly not the last. He would make sure that he would continue living in this town without someone breathing down his neck, ready to expose his dirty little secret.
Hell, he might as well comfort the soon-to-be widow of the mechanic. That is the least a gentleman can do.
…
You had luckily woken up by the alarm, not wanting to delay the time that you would reach your destination. Exiting out of the motel room with the small luggage of hygiene products you brought with you, you headed towards your car and continued on with your journey. It did not take long for you to finally start arriving at your destination. While the city was not as grandiose as Forth Worth, it still took your breath away. You were hoping to have some time to visit the riverwalk and some of the parks in the city. To breathe in the crisp air and finally live life with no fear. The sky was already beginning to dim, preparing to bring in the night time, so you began to make your way to your new home before it would become too dark for you to drive.
Driving into the parking lot of the apartment complex, you stand outside the door with the key’s number on it. It was now or never. Take this risk of starting a new life alone or go back to your old life. Choose happiness or comfort.
It did not take long for you to make a decision.
Opening the door, you found yourself in an already lightly furnished home. It was small, yes, but it would not take long for it to feel like home for you. Just a few special touches and everything would look perfect. Heading back to the car, you opened the trunk to haul out the luggage case that you had brought with you. There was not a lot of clothes, but it was enough for you to survive for a month. A bigger wardrobe would await you once you found a decent job, either as a waitress or secretary at an office.
It had only been a moment since you had set your luggage on the bed that the phone in the kitchen rang. A sudden uneasiness began creeping upon you. The only person who would have known about the phone number for this home would have been the church lady that had helped you. While the most obvious reason for the phone call would have been to make sure that you got there safely, your gut had told you that that was not the case.
Hesitantly, you picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Oh, thank goodness, you’re okay. I was worried sick about you when I heard the news.”
Already this was sounding suspicious. You were not liking this one bit.
“Yes, I got here at the apartment safely. Just a few moments ago, actually,” you stated,
A sigh of relief washed over here.
“If I may ask, why be so worried about me? I appreciate that you called me either way, but what sort of news would have caused you to worry for me?”
Nothing could have prepared you for what bombshell would have been dropped on you, barely a few moments into your supposed new life.
“I’m calling you because there had been an electrical fire at your old home. It was only an hour ago or so. The police and fire department don’t know the exact cause yet,” she shakily responded.
“Your ex-fiancée was found dead in the wreckage of your home, charred to death.”