Mysteries and Suspense Short Stories Collection by Tamikio L. Reardon (that summer book TXT) 📖

have to make a mental note to go the university office nobody mentioned anything to me about new students in my class in the first place. I sat down watching all three of the boys while they were watching me. All three had the same grave, hostile, angry look on their faces. Trying to hide my nervousness I sat down at the desk chair and looked at the boys. “Well class it seems we have another new student….would you stand up and introduce you to the class please?” The third boy stood up still staring at me this time I stared back. “Name please?” “Ricky Casada.” Frowning my nose I stood up and excused myself from class I think it’s time I went to the university and deans office something is not adding up here. “Excuse me class please take a five or ten minute recession I have to make a run please. The class started to get a bit disruptive chatting with their friends, the three boys continued to stare at me as I walked out the classroom door.

 

I stood at the dean’s office and lightly knocked on the office door. Mr. Boycott had his head down looking at the paper. He looked up with a smile and recognition on his face. “Why hello Mr. Mennard please come in and has a seat.” “What seems to bring you in today?” “I am concerned about the three new students I have in my class…no one mentioned that I had any new students attending the course this week?” Mr. Boycott looked at me as if he was lost. “New students? We have new students? I was not informed of this either.” I looked at Mr. Boycott something was very wrong here and I will find out what it is. “What are their names? Girl or boy?” “Three boys, Timothy, Carlos and Rickey …but the strange thing is that all three boys have the same last name Casada.” “Mr. Boycott looked up at me with wide eyes….that last name sounds very familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. “Is there something wrong?” “Well no not really I thought it was odd to have three new students in one week with the same last name and plus they all had no materials for class I am not sure if they are some kind of gang or pranksters. “Mr. Boycott stood up and came around his deck standing in front of me. “You go back to class and teach the course is almost up for the day I will go to the university office and check on this.” I nodded my head and started towards the door. When I entered class again I found that the three Casada boys were gone.

 

 

5.

Driving up in the driveway I was hoping that Leigh was home I really need someone to talk to. I unlocked the front door dropping my briefcase onto the floor. Leigh came out of the kitchen. “Hi daddy sorry but I made sandwiched today I have a lot of homework to get started on.” I sat at the dining room table and looked at the wall. Leigh sat across from me. “Daddy is something wrong?” I looked up and rubbed my eyes with an irritating look on my face. “I must admit there might be…..I have had three new students into my class this week all three are boys and they are really weird and creepy. Leigh looked and me and laughed. “What are so creepy about three new boy students?” “They all have the same last name Casada and neither of the three is related. Leigh dropped her smile and looked wide eye at me she jumped up from the table and screamed “Daddy how could you!” she ran off up the hallway stairs and slammed the door to her bedroom. I sat at the dining room table stunned and in shock. This is going to be more trouble than I thought.

 

Wednesday was another dreaded day to go to the college university to teach. Again the class was all settled in and I was the last one to enter the room. I had to get my thoughts together fearing I would see fourth boy in the room today. As I put my briefcase on my desk I looked up slowly at the class. The three boys were not in class at all. Kind of relieved I let out a breath of fresh air and sat at my desk getting ready to teach class. There was a knock on the classroom door it was Mr. Boycott mentioning for me to met him outside the classroom door. I excused myself from class and quietly went outside the door. “Sorry to bother you now Mr. Menards but I thought you might want to know the information on the three new boy students in your class?” “Oh yes I certainly would.” “ Well I checked in with the university registration and records its seem there is no recognition or registration of any three new boys in your course this term, in fact there is not registration of any new students at all to the university this term.”” I slightly feel up against the wall and buried my face into it. “Are you sure there were three new boy students in your class Mr. Mennard?” “Yes sir I am positive.” Mr. Boycott looked at me shaking his head. “Mr. Mennard I think you should take some time off from teaching and rest up you have not had time off since your wife died a year ago.” I looked at Mr. Boycott and totally agree with him this time. I do need to be away from this classroom I don’t want to be in the space with the three weird young boys for awhile. “I will get a substitute to fill in for you for a week, is a week enough time for you?” “Yes sir and thank you.” He patted me on the back and told me to go home we would just send the students home for the remainder of the day.

 

Waking up from my nap that afternoon I thought I heard Leigh come inside the house. She had not spoken to me since the talk about the three boys yesterday I was too distracted to talk to her about it. Why has she stormed off screaming like that? I got up and went downstairs the house was dark and gloomy. I thought I heard Leigh come in why didn’t she turn on any light in the house? Entering the kitchen I turned on the light to find the refrigerator door wide open with a carton of milk spilled all over the floor. Baffled, I went to the paper towel rack and grabbed a hand full of paper towel. As I began to

6.

kneel down and wipe up the contents of the mess off the floor I heard footsteps in the living room. Wiping up the spilled milk and throwing away the nasty paper towel, I grabbed the biggest knife from the knife rack on the counter. If this was Leigh in the house she would have been in the kitchen door by now with a lot of noise. I slow and caution made my way to the living room. The tree branches were blowing vigorously against the glass picture window in the front room. It was mid July and a bit warm inside the house. I heard the footsteps going toward the stairwell so I circled back through the kitchen and stood at the bottoms of the stairs. Looking up into the stairwell I saw a shadow turn towards the bedrooms in the hall. I started to go up the stairs quietly taking each step with a pause. As I came around the corner of the hall I saw the shadow go into Leigh’s room and slammed the bedroom door. I jumped startled losing the knife to the floor. I picked up the knife and started slowly again towards her room. Hand tightly around the door knob I pushed opens the door to find a dark empty room. I went for the light switch but it seem the light were out. The wind howled loudly outside of the bedroom window. As I looked towards Leigh’s bed there was somebody in the bed. I walked towards the bed….”Leigh?” There was no answer or movement from the figure in her bed. Sweating, I drew back a deep breath and pulled back the bed sheets. “Holy shit!” I jumped back dropping the knife to the floor once again what I saw could not be real. There was a dead boy laying Leigh’s bed. The boy was beaten beyond recognition and shot at least 10 times in the head. I screamed and the lights came on inside the room. “Daddy! What are you doing in here?” I turned with a wild look on my face to find Leigh standing in the bedroom door. I gasp for air and looked at Leigh she was very angry at me I guess for coming into her room without her permission. I pointed towards the bed and yelled for her to look. When I turned around there was no one in her bed the bed was empty and still made up neatly.

 

Sitting at the table having breakfast I was glad I didn’t have to teach today. This break would do me some good. Leigh left for school this morning still not specking to me. I will have to talk to her today once and for all after she gets home. I will have to find something to occupy my time while I am on leave of absence from teaching. I watched the news with no interest drinking the drop of my coffee. I knew what I could do today and it needs to be done anyway….I needed do cleaning in the attic and get rid of the rest of Linda’s stuff it has to be done its over a year and half now. Making my way up to the attic, I closed the door behind me this would take a while I do have time. I had not noticed there was a lot of stuff in the attic that needs to be thrown away. Now I am figuring out where should I start? Leigh would not be home early today she is going over to a friend’s house I will be up to talk to her later. I sat on the small stool in front of the small attic window. I looked to my left and saw a large box of old newspapers and paper clippings that could have been about three or four years old. I would get rid of them first; I still had to muster up the courage to even touch Linda’s things. I grabbed the box of newspapers and clipping and decide to go through them before I throw them away. At the bottom of the stack of newspapers there was a folded up piece of newspapers clipping. I opened up the paper and read the headlines…..

 

7.

Mary grove, Los Angeles Newspapers

June 10, 1994

 

The Casada Murders

 

Three young boys were found beating beyond recognition; all three were shot in the head multiple times with gunshot wounds. All three were identifies as the Casada Brothers. 16 year old Timothy Casada, 17 year old Carlos Casada and 18 year old Ricky Casada who lived on East 5th st. All three brothers were accused of raping a 16 year girl multiple times putting her in critical condition. During the 1994 trial all three young boys were found not guilty. Still more to come on the murders of all three Casada Boys.

Dropping the clipping to the floor in disbelief I jumped from the stool and fell against the floor falling up against the attic wall. A half hour later I woke up to still find myself on the floor in the attic. I stood up