The Terror Next Door (Based on a True Story)

28)The Reveal

"Toss A Coin To Your Witcher"  (I need help, I can't get this song out of my head. o_o )
***

Although it seemed certain the culprit behind the murder of David Vickers was Jenny Bradshaw, the Summers family was further asked by the leading detective on the case to stay in town so they could provide witness testimony. Sophia's entire family was now sleeping easily at night. Napoleon was lucky to have a full recovery from his injuries while Alex finally got to remove her bandage turban a near month after the murder occurred. Jenny Bradshaw was still missing, but Detective Chase informed the family that her credit card had been used to withdraw a couple thousand in cash around different areas of the United States. She was clearly on the run.

It was moving day for the Summers family. The older children were helping their father load the moving truck while Mrs. Summers was trying grapple some of the smaller kids into clean clothes for the long car trip to Texas.
"You've had the same look on your face for weeks," acknowledged Annie. She and Sophia had just succeeded in lifting a small dresser from their room and into the location on the truck they dad said to them.
"And what look is that?" Sophia had been watching the Bradshaw house that now sat vacant. Dan Bradshaw had picked his boys up the night of the murder. The last two days the Summers had brought the moving truck to their old house they hadn't seen any other cars other than the one that belonged to Mrs. Bradshaw in the driveway.
"Like you're confused about something," replied Annie.
Sophia waited until they walked back through the house and towards her bedroom before she spoke. She didn't want to alarm her mother by talking about anything specific in front of her. "I heard her scream that day, Annie."
"Mrs. Bradshaw?"
"Yeah. She was afraid."
"Maybe her boyfriend hit her or something and that's why she killed him."
"Sure, maybe."
Annie rolled her eyes at Sophia's response. "But you don't think that's the reason."
"No."
"Why not?"
Sophia's memory flashed to finding the body on the perfect white of the shag carpet. The position of the knife. It wasn't a simple razor blade. When the detective had shown her pictures and asked her to identify the knife that was at the crime, Sophia identified the handle easily. It ended up being a seven-inch blade. "Think how small and skinny Mrs. Bradshaw was," said Sophia. "How did she kill that big guy so easily?"
"I don't understand."
The memory of the body haunted Sophia every time she closed her eyes. "There's something I can't stop thinking about. There were no cuts or scrapes on the guy's hands. Nothing."
"Huh?"
"When I saw him..." Sophia's shuddered thinking about the body. "The dead guy. He didn't have any cuts on his hands or body. Nothing to show he fought back."
"So? She took him by surprise."
"No," said Sophia, adamantly shaking her head. "He wasn't wearing a shirt. He was half naked, lying down with the knife shoved into his throat. There was nothing about him other than that where it showed he was fighting with her."
Annie frowned. "I don't understand what you're trying to say. Maybe she just did it after they slept together."
"No," said Sophia again, trying to explain how she felt but coming up empty. "I heard glass breaking. Things falling. Mrs. Bradshaw screaming. Not screaming as in some crazy warrior cry before she killed someone type of scream, a scream like she was in trouble."
Annie finally caught on to what she was saying. She set down her desk stool that she was about to carry out of her room. "Ahh. You think she was a victim too."
"It doesn't make sense. Hiding in our attic? The dead animals? The Valentine?"
"Maybe that's the scariest part of everything," replied Annie. "We may never know the truth."
***
Pizza was ordered for lunch; it was the family's last meal in the house they shared for a long time. No one said a word as they quietly ate. The only sound was plates occasionally being touched or cans of soda being set down after someone took a sip. It was as if everyone was either thinking of the last few months, or, thinking of everything they would be giving up with this move. A sharp knock on the front door sounded. Mr. Summers took a look out the front window. "It's Detective Chase," he acknowledged, going to open the door. "Hello there detective."
"Hello Mr. Summers," he said politely. "May I come in?"
"Sure. We're just eating before we hit the road." The middle-aged detective entered, giving a wave to all of the kids eating. No one dared to say a word, not even the younger kids.
"Smells delicious," the detective commented with a smile. An awkward silence hit once everyone waited for him to speak again. After a long moment of silence he didn't say anything else.
"How can we help you?"
"Just stoppin' by to share some news," said the detective, avoiding eye contact with the watching children. "You guys driving the whole way?" He was already aware of their long move ahead of them.
"Nah, we'll probably stop come nightfall."
After the small exchange of pleasantries, everyone that was in the kitchen looked at the detective expectantly. "Could we, uh...Talk in private," said the detective, keeping his voice lowered.
Mrs. Summers motioned the girls to take the little kids out of the room. Most were finished eating so they went with ease. Colin assisted once one of the younger children started complaining, but they were led out of the room by Annie. The only two who remained in the room were Sophia and Alex. Their parents didn't comment they were still in the room and made no move to dismiss them.
"What have you found out?" asked Mr. Summers promptly once he was sure the younger kids were gone.
"Still no sign of Jennifer Bradshaw," said the detective. "Her bank account was successfully cleared the course of the month; all social media accounts were deactivated." He was quiet after that.
"That's all you have?" asked Alex skeptically. A look from her mother silence her further.
"All signs point to a lovers' quarrel between my victim and the suspect," said the detective, scratching his jaw. "According to David Vickers wife, they were uhh...Seeing other people in their open marriage."
Mr. and Mrs. Summers frowned. They had no idea what he was getting at or why this warranted a personal visit from him.
"Upon our investigation, we found multiple items broken in the house from picture frames, vases, to a glass mirror. There was evidently a struggle of some sort prior to the murder."
Sophia said nothing as she hung on every word the detective spoke. "We found Mr. Vickers car in Missouri. Torched, dropped in a swamp." Detective Chase looked to Sophia and Alex. "No DNA evidence was found for Jennifer Bradshaw. In your statement, you girls were adamant you heard someone upstairs when you came across the body."
"Yes," said Sophia and Alex in unison.
"I've got someone across the street that was home with their sick daughter. She can collaborate my victims car speeding down the street near minutes after you two fled the scene back to your house. She saw it happen from her front yard."
Alex shot a weak thumbs up. "Sophia, can you tell me again why you and your sister went to the Bradshaws?" asked the detective.
Sophia frowned. She had told him and his partner three separate times already what had inspired her to hurry over to the house next door. "I heard Mrs. Bradshaw screaming."
"Screaming how?"
"Screaming like she was in trouble."
Detective Chase nodded. "That's what's in my report and what I've been going back and forth on. If my victim had been violent, her actions would be considered self-defense."
"Agreed," said Mr. Summers. "Sophia wasn't lying-"
"Oh no sir, I don't believe she was. Both of your daughters have been excellent witnesses," said the detective reassuringly. "My puzzlement is in regard to Jennifer Bradshaw screaming in general."
Mr. Summers nodded. If she was in danger, why would she run away?"

Sophia and Alex stared at their father in surprise. In the last month he had tried hard not to bring up the incident of the murder. All they really spoke of was how they would be looking into therapy for the girls the second they were in Texas.
"If you're a victim, you typically wouldn't," said Detective Chase simply. "I've also been having trouble processing why a woman in the midst of a nasty divorce and custody battle would flee town, drain her bank account, and never try making contact with the children she was fighting for."
"It really doesn't add up at all," confessed Mrs. Summers. "But I feel you're not here to talk about what doesn't make sense to you, but something further."
Detective Chase nodded. "I've been told by my superiors that this is simply an open and shut case and it's now closed. But I looked into the police reports you guys have filed, the restraining order, all the weird incidents documented. That's why I'm here today, I've been pursuing this quietly although I was told not to bother."
"Did you find something out?" said Alex with heavy interest.
That was when the detective opened a briefcase, he had with him and brandished a manilla colored envelope. "What I have is evidence that someone has been stalking your family," said Detective Chase. "The problem is, I lack an identity on who this man is."
"Man?" said Alex. "Not boy...?"
Detective Chase smiled grimly as he fished out papers from the envelope. "The night your dog was stabbed we found traces of blood on his muzzle that wasn't his own. He clearly bit his attacker DNA finally came back from the lab."
Sophia noticed that Alex and their parents looked ready to jump out of their skin due to the suspense killing them. "What does it say?!"
"Who does it belong to??"
Sophia suddenly had a dark feeling that this was further proof that Mrs. Bradshaw hadn't simply fled town as people believed her to have done.
"All we have is DNA with an X and Y chromosome that can determine this person is a male. I'm still waiting on more. Why I believe it to be a man and not a boy is because it matches the DNA from a cold case back in 1987."
"I'm...not following," confessed Mr. Summers. "Are you saying the person who broke into my mother's house is someone who committed a crime back in the 80's?"
"Not just any crime," said Sophia at once. "It's a murder, isn't it?"
"You're quick," said Detective Chase with a nod. "The blood wasn't matching anything in Schaumburg's database, but that didn't mean whoever broke in didn't have a rap sheet. I ran the blood in to CODIS, it's a combined DNA index system. Got a match from few murders."
"Jesus. More than one?" said Mr. Summers fearfully.

"Yes, sir. February 21st 1987 in Kentucky, the body of a Days Inn worker was found in a dumpster behind the hotel. She had been brutally raped and murdered. Semen was found on the body and it matched a few other bodies found in the same way around the US. The blood that was found on your dog is a 99.8 percent DNA match to that semen."
"Holy crow," said Alex in astonishment, her eyes as wide as saucers.
Detective Chase looked to her. "I'm looking into those open cases of those that were on your 'murder board' that was hidden in the attic. No hit on DNA but that doesn't mean it's not connected."
Alex blushed while Sophia was stunned.
Mr. Summers finally seemed to get his feelings together. "I'm sorry...A killer's DNA was found on our dog's muzzle? So this guy, what, broke into my mother's house? Whatever for?"
Detective Chase pursed his lips. "The ongoing theory is that the killer of the four known victims stalked out his victims prior to his crimes. It leaves me wondering if all the strange things plaguing Sophia and this family were never done by that Bradshaw boy, but this individual the entire time."
Sophia could only stare at the detective in stunned silence. Mrs. Summers gasped and went to hug her tightly.
Sophia was certain her father's eyes looked ready to burst from his skull they were so wide. "What about my car being tampered with?" said Alex curiously. Her brows were furrowed. All this time she had been dead certain Blake had been behind the tampering.

"I think you were possibly on to something important upon your investigation," admitted Detective Chase. "I think your accident was intentional all though it would be hard to pinpoint who was the culprit behind that specifically. I'm not dismissing anything at this point. I'll be bringing this information to my lieutenant at once."
Alex simply stood in stunned surprise, nothing else coming from her.
"What about Dan Bradshaw?" said Sophia suddenly. She realized he was old enough to fit the demographic for a killer that was from the eighties.
"He offered his DNA willingly," said Detective Chase. "I think he's innocent."
"So it's no one in that crazy family?" said Sophia incredulously. "That can't be right, it has to be the husband!"
No one said anything for the longest time. Although the idea of never knowing who was behind everything had entered their thoughts, this seemed way too impossible to accept. 

"How many murders were committed?" said Mr. Summers.
"Four that investigators around the US know of."
"The DNA found on Napoleon is from a serial killer," said Alex, talking to her feet in shock.
"That's the term for someone who has committed three or more murders," said Detective Chase with a nod. "I'm sorry this isn't closure for any of you, but I wanted you all to know what I discovered before you left town."
"Are we in danger??" said Mrs. Summers worriedly.
"I would say no," allowed Detective Chase although Sophia felt he was simply trying to reassure her and he was clueless to whether they were or weren't. "I'm currently trying to reopen the Vickers murder and Bradshaw's disappearance."
"Could she have been kidnapped??"
"I wouldn't know, ma'am," said the detective. "This investigation is still pending, I'm not even sure if what I've found will be enough to reopen it."

"So that's it," said Sophia with a hint of anger. "All this time and we could never know who was behind everything??"

Detective Chase shook his head slowly. "It's very frustrating and seems impossible, but I can say with certainty who it was to break into your grandmother's house." Everyone looked to him strangely after he paused talking. "The man known as the I-65 Killer."
***
One of Sophia's last memories of Schaumburg Illinois would always be the conversation with Detective Chase. She would never remember any of the happy times her family shared in Illinois, only the absolute terror she felt not only her last day of living there but the months leading up to that last day. It was when everything was packed into the moving truck and every Summers child was safely buckled away in one the family cars did Sophia get the impression she knew the identity of the I-65 Killer. Mr. and Mrs. Summers were talking on the phone about what security companies were going to be the best to install in the new house. There was also talk about getting another very large dog or two besides Napoleon. Mr. Summers and Colin were driving the moving truck down, Alex was driving Colin's car with Annie, and everyone else was in the family van with Mrs. Summers and Sophia. It was forgetting a sippy cup for her little brother on the front porch that inspired Sophia to go and get it before the family left for good. Dan Bradshaw had pulled into the driveway of the Bradshaw residence right before the Summers were about to pull out. Sophia grabbed the cup off the porch step and walked back to the van without acknowledging the Bradshaw patriarch.
"Safe travels. Tell your parents I said goodbye, Sophia," said Dan with a friendly wave. He watched her for a moment longer than completely necessary before he went to unlock the front door.
Sophia said nothing in response. She put herself into the van and closed the door as she watched him enter the house. She was unable shake the feeling that Dan Bradshaw was the perfect age to have been the I-65 killer.
***

Authors Note: 
To this day authorities have not discovered the identity of the I-65 killer.  Further information on the case given to the "Summers" family was that this individual stalked his victims for days or weeks before he committed his gruesome crimes. Although fake names, dates, and locations were used in this story, the woman known as Jenny Bradshaw has still not been found after the murder of one of her many lovers. The real "Bradshaw boys" each have acquired their own rap sheet through the years.  The older brother is currently serving time in a minimum security prison for animal cruelty while the real "Blake" is currently serving time for arson. It is unknown whether "Dan Bradshaw" had his DNA ever tested against the DNA of the I-65 killer. It'll perhaps never become known  as to who was behind the strange events that plagued the Summers family. The real family followed through on moving, getting that security system, and those large dogs spoken of. They also put all of their children in martial arts and self defense classes after their ordeal. The real "Alex" became an indie author and is still paranoid to drive a car anywhere to this day. The real "Sophia" of this story is safe and sound, now living in another city and state far away from where the events of the story actually transpired. Early 2019 she suffered a stroke due to a hereditary blood condition that caused a blood clot to form in her brain. She's having a full recovery, and plans on going to school to become a phlebotomist.