Dressed in Blood

The owner of a local salvage yard named Phil, sits in his office talking to one of his employees, a large intimidating man named Black. “Do you know what I had to do to get those?” said Black. Strewn across Phil’s desk are photos of a woman. “You owe me money Black. Remember?” said Phil. “That was a favor,” said Black. Phil leans back in his chair. “Two thousand dollars bail is not a favor my friend, plus I gave you the job as foreman here at the yard,” said Phil. Black turns and faces a picture of an older man on the wall. It is a picture of Phil's father. “Your old man knew how to treat his employees,” said Black. “Let's say you and I are even.” said Phil. “You deal in dirt man; it’s why you hired me. I know the streets.” said Black. Phil lights a cigarette, takes a long slow drag, then blows a ring of smoke in the air. A sign above his head reads, “I swim with the sharks.” Phil has Black by the balls, and he cannot resist letting him know it. “If our business transactions should become public knowledge your job and your freedom could be in jeopardy.” said Phil. “Don't fuck with me man.” said Black. Phil stretches and yawns. “You're a two-time felon. You’re in no position to threaten anyone.” said Phil.

In the lobby of his office Phil’s secretary Lorraine listens to the conversation in Phil’s office. Lorraine’s cell phone begins to ring. It is her boyfriend, Mike. Lorraine tells Mike they are completing the end of the month inventory which means she must work late and will not be able to see him tonight. She promises to make it up to him tomorrow. Lorraine is young, pretty, and vivacious. She has an on again, off again sexual relationship with Phil which she knows contributes to her job security. Black storms out of Phil’s office. He walks past Lorraine’s desk without speaking. Lorraine pulls out a mirror from her desk drawer, checks her hair and makeup then enters Phil’s office. She walks around to the back of Phil’s desk and begins to massage his shoulders. “Will you need me for anything?” said Lorraine. “No, I'm waiting on a phone call and once I’m done, I've got an errand to run. Don’t forget to add the new parts in the warehouse to the inventory.” said Phil. “You work too hard.” said Lorraine. I'm the only one here who does.” said Phil.

Days earlier in a motel room around 4pm, on the other side of town, a man and a woman are in bed under the covers having sex. They finish. The man puts on his clothes. The woman lights a cigarette. He tosses fifty dollars on the nightstand. She reaches over, picks up the money and counts it. “This is all I get?” said the woman. The man zips up his trousers. “It's all your worth.” he says. “Fuck you.” said the woman. “You did.” said the man. He exits the motel room, gets in his car, and drives off. A late model sedan follows him. Several miles later the man arrives at his home. A plate of food is in the microwave. A note on the door of the refrigerator says, “I made lasagna. I am at my mother’s house. I brought her a plate for dinner. Call me. Love you.” The sedan that followed the man home has parked on the corner of an adjoining street. The man’s cellphone begins to ring, but he does not answer it. He checks his voice messages. There are half a dozen calls from the same number. The most recent message comes in the form of a voice with an ominous tone. “You can run, but you cannot hide”. A slender woman of about five feet seven inches tall, dark horn rim glasses, dressed in all red, matching high heel shoes, gloves, and hat walks down the street. She knocks on the man’s front door. The man is in the bedroom packing a suitcase. He leaves a note on the pillow that says, “Going out of town on business. I will be back tomorrow. Love you.” The man hears the knock at the door. When he opens the door the Woman in Red says, “Please forgive me. I am sorry to bother you. I am a representative with the local YWCA, and we are going door to door to ask for donations on behalf of our summer youth program. Would you be able to donate to our program today?”. The man nods and reaches in his pocket for his wallet. He drops his wallet then turns to retrieve it. The Woman in Red looks over her shoulder then pulls out a large hunting knife from her waist band. The man turns around and before he can react the Woman in Red plunges the knife into his sternum then twists and pulls. The man stares into her eyes then drops to the floor. The Woman in Red takes all the money from the man’s wallet, pushes his body inside the house, closes the front door, then strolls down the street.

A car sits at a stoplight. Inside the car the Woman in Red lights a cigarette. A sinister smile appears on her face. The traffic light turns green. She cruises through the intersection. Miles away in a motel room the Woman in Red stares into a mirror. A policeman's badge and a semi-automatic handgun complete with a silencer are on the dresser. She removes her hat, her earrings, and her wig. She laughs aloud. She is a man.

At a baggage claim area inside an airport terminal, a man dressed in Army fatigues and combat boots named Johnny hangs up his cellphone. He takes a seat and checks his watch. It is 7pm. He closes his eyes and begins to twitch and jerk. A little boy and his mother are watching. The little boy's mother whispers, “Don't stare, he's sick.” Johnny sees the little boy watching him. Johnny stands and walks towards the men’s room. Inside the men’s room he splashes water on his face. He twitches. A toilet flushes. From one of the stalls a man comes out adjusting his trousers. The man heads straight for the exit door. Johnny lowers his head and sighs.

Back at his office Phil is studying the photos he got from Black. A newspaper on his desk shows an article about a shady businessperson found dead in their home. Phil's phone begins to ring. He picks up the phone and says, “I've been waiting for you to call.” What Phil tells the other party causes them to scream into the phone. Phil smiles. The other party hangs up. Phil laughs then places the photos from Black in an envelope. He exits the office, gets in his car, and drives down the street. A late model sedan pulls out from a side street and follows him.

At a nearby diner Phil flirts with his server. “Do you have a boyfriend?” he asks. “Not often enough” she replies with a smile. Phil’s cellphone rings. He checks the caller ID but decides not to answer. “What would you like?” said the server. “You, with a burger and fries.” said Phil. The server smiles then goes to place Phil's order. His eyes follow her back to the kitchen area. After about ten minutes she comes back with his meal. “You are fast. Do you ever go slow?” said Phil. “When the time is right” she replies. Phil smiles. He senses this might be his lucky night. He finishes his meal, pays his tab, and gives the server his cell phone number along with instructions to call him later. Phil exits the diner. In a car parked across the street from the diner a pair of eyes watches him. Phil cruises by in his car. The same late model sedan follows him.

The airport is almost empty. Johnny reads his form DD214 from the military. He stares at the phrase "Other Than Honorable (OTH)" under the discharge heading. He checks his watch then turns to go back inside the terminal. A car horn begins to blare. His ride is here. It is Phil. “Hey little bro' it's good to see you.” said Phil. Johnny opens the passenger side door of Phil's car, sits down, and says nothing. Phil smiles at his little brother. “So, you decided to ditch Uncle Sam's army huh?” said Phil. Johnny snaps back, “You’re two hours late.” Phil gives his little brother a long hard stare. “It’s been about ninety-minutes. I had business to take care of.” said Phil. “Bullshit. You like to make people wait so you can feel superior.” said Johnny. Phil laughs. “So now you’re a psychiatrist?” said Phil. “No, I've got a front row seat to the Phil show.” said Johnny. Phil and Johnny stare at each other. Johnny looks away. “Look man I'm tired. I have been on a plane it seems like forever. I want to go home, see Mother, and get some rest.” said Johnny. “Oh yes, right, a mother. We do have that in common.” said Phil. A sibling rivalry fueled in part by their deceased father, who felt a bit of competitiveness would be good for them, lingers on between the brothers. The picture of a young woman dangles from Phil's rearview mirror. “So, why did you discharge?” said Phil. Johnny does not answer, instead he stares at the picture of the young woman. Phil cruises down the street.

Phil texts someone on his cell phone as he and Johnny walk to the front door of their mother's house. The woman from the picture in Phil's car opens the door. She's Julie, Phil's girl. “Hey baby. You look good. Where's Mother?” said Phil. Phil and Julie embrace. Johnny heads straight to the back bedroom. Julie looks puzzled. “Is everything okay?” she said. Mother is in bed. A bottle of pills lay on the nightstand. She turns to see Johnny standing in the doorway. “You've lost weight.” she said. Johnny embraces his mother. He breathes deeply in her arms as tears roll down her cheek. “You look like your father.” she says. Johnny knows the suspicious circumstances surrounding his father’s death have always upset his mother. “Losing him makes me worry even more about you and your brother.” she said. Johnny takes his mother's hand and gazes into her eyes. It is still unknown who murdered Johnny’s father or why. He does not want his mother to worry. He knows it is not good for her heart. “I'm so proud of you. A war hero in the family. How's your back?” she asks. Johnny lowers his head. His mother's eyes follow his movements. Johnny looks at her and begins to speak when Phil and Julie enter the room.

Parked in a sedan across the street from the salvage yard a pair of eyes watches the light in Phil’s office. From inside the sedan a police dispatch operator’s voice says, “HQ to 2214, come in Lieutenant”. The answer comes in the form of a man’s voice. “2214 Lieutenant Abel Morton to HQ over”. The voice belongs to the Woman in Red. Inside Phil’s office Lorraine has cleared off her desk. She is the last one at the yard as usual. Since Phil brushed her off, she called Mike back and told him to meet her at the yard, so she will not be alone. After about thirty minutes Mike shows up at the yard. He and Lorraine greet each other with an enthusiastic kiss. Mike takes things a bit further and touches Lorraine in all the right places. “Wait, wait, come with me to the warehouse, I’ve got to check on some things and once I’m done you can have me.” said Lorraine. Over the past week Phil has had over a dozen wrecked cars towed to the yard, dismantled, and added to the warehouse stock. He needed Lorraine to add the serial numbers from the bins to the current inventory. Upon entering the warehouse Lorraine finds the new parts and adds them to her ledger. Mike sees this as an excellent opportunity to make out with Lorraine. He begins kissing her on the neck. Lorraine makes a feeble attempt to stop him, but Mike is not taking no for an answer. Within seconds his hands are under Lorraine’s dress. He turns her around then bends her over a table. Mike’s pants drop to the floor. Within seconds he is inside her. Lorraine lowers her head. Mike closes his eyes and begins to thrust harder and harder. Unbeknownst to them the Woman in Red has entered the salvage yard and heads towards the warehouse. Lorraine has gone from saying no to begging for more. Mike’s hands are everywhere. The Woman in Red quietly opens the door to the warehouse with a large hunting knife in her hand. She is barefoot. Mike is at the point of no return. He lets out a sustained moan. The Woman in Red comes up behind him and plunges the knife into his back. She jerks upward then twists the knife causing it to go a little bit deeper. Mike’s eyes open wide, his body quivers, he then falls to the floor. Lorraine, still in the fog of climax, says, “Why did you stop?” She turns around and sees the Woman in Red. Lorraine opens her mouth to scream. Her Adams Apple explodes from the force of the hunting knife. Lorraine drops to her knees, then falls over on top of Mike. The Woman in Red heads to Phil’s office and begins to ransack his desk and file cabinets. She does not find what she is looking for. After about ten minutes she exits the salvage yard cursing aloud in the voice of a man. In an envelope, taped underneath the lower right-hand drawer of Phil’s desk, are the photos from Black.

Johnny watches as Julie brings a glass of water and sets it on the nightstand. “It's time to take your heart medicine Mother,” said Julie. Johnny motions to Phil. He wants to speak with him in the next room. Julie looks at Johnny out the corner of her eye then gives Mother her medicine. Phil and Johnny go to the living room. Phil takes a seat on the couch. Johnny stands over him. “When did she start calling her mother?” said Johnny. “Have a seat man you're stressing out.” said Phil. Johnny knows Phil goes through women like socks and does not like the idea of a fuckbuddy acting as a nurse for his mother. “Does she live here?” said Johnny. “You've been gone soldier boy. When Mother got sick, somebody had to take care of her.” said Phil. A bottle of Scotch is sitting on a table. Johnny grabs the bottle and pours himself a drink. “Did they teach you that in basic training?” said Phil. Johnny looks at Phil with disdain. “Are you gonna' bring all the girls you fuck in here to take care of our mother?” said Johnny. “You're jealous. I am closer to Mother than you are. I stuck around to take care of the family while you took off to play war games.” said Phil. Phil's cell phone begins to ring. He gets up and goes into the kitchen. Julie enters the living room. Johnny heads back to his mother's room. “Don't be upset with your brother. I know how he is, but he does take care of me.” said Mother. “You owe him nothing.” said Johnny. Loud voices are coming from the kitchen. Phil and Julie are arguing. “Who was on the phone Phil?” said Julie. “It's business baby. It always is.” said Phil. Julie feels the presence of another woman and lashes out at Phil. “It's Lorraine, isn't it? I see how she caters to you.” said Julie. Julie grabs her purse and keys and heads for the front door. Phil tries to stop her, but she pushes him aside and leaves. Phil turns around to the glaring eyes of his little brother. “You haven't changed a bit, have you?” said Johnny. “She'll be back tomorrow. It is her way of showing how much she loves me. You hungry?” said Phil. Johnny looks at Phil and shakes his head. “What about Mother?” said Johnny. “The medicine puts her to sleep. We will be back before she wakes. My treat.” said Phil. Outside the house a man is walking down the street. He walks up to the front door and knocks. Phil opens the door. “What the hell do you want?” said Phil. The man at the door is Black. “Can I have a moment boss man?” said Black. Johnny sees a familiar face. “You remember Black don’t you little bro’?” He worked for the old man.” said Phil. Johnny and Black shake hands. “What’s on your mind now my friend.” said Phil. Black apologizes to Phil for his outburst earlier and wants to squash the beef between them. Phil accepts Black’s apology with a smile. We are going to grab a bite to eat. Would you like to join us? We can talk about our father and the old days.” said Phil. Black agrees and the three men exit the house. Phil and Johnny cruise down the street. Black follows in his car. A late model sedan pulls out from a side street and follows them.

Phil heads to the diner he visited earlier. He parks his car. He and Johnny enter the diner and take a seat. Shortly afterwards Black joins them. The same girl who waited on Phil earlier comes to their table. Phil winks at her. “What's your pleasure little bro'?” said Phil. Johnny takes a quick look at the menu while Phil undresses the server with his eyes. “I'll take the BLT on wheat and a cup of coffee.” said Johnny. “No pie? You love apple pie.” said Phil. Johnny shrugs his shoulders. “Bring the pie anyway if he doesn’t eat it I will.” said Phil. Black orders a burger and a coke. The server informs them her shift is over. She will place their order but someone else will bring it to them. The server goes to place their order. She then heads to the back of the diner, punches out, grabs her purse, and exits the diner through a backdoor. Phil sees an opening. “I left my cell phone outside. Julie might call. I will be right back. Dinner is on me.” said Phil.

Outside the diner Phil moves his car to the other side of the parking lot. The server from the diner joins him. Phil places his hand on her inner thigh. They begin to kiss. From behind a dumpster a pair of eyes watches them. The server performs fellatio on Phil. They do not notice the shadowy figure approaching them. Phil’s phone begins to ring. He checks the caller ID. It is Julie. “Hey baby. I am so glad you called.” said Phil. The server smiles then continues what she was doing. “Why don’t you meet me at Mother’s place in about an hour. I am having dinner with my brother. We can talk then.” said Phil. Julie hangs up. To make sure Johnny will not interrupt him, Phil calls his little brother and tells him he had to leave due to an emergency involving Julie, but Black can give him a ride home. A broad smile appears on Phil’s face. The server is doing everything she can to please him. In Phil’s mind it has been a good day. The shadowy figure walks up to the driver side door and knocks on the window. The condensation makes it hard to see through the car window. Inside the diner a second server brings Johnny and Black their food. Black takes a sip of his drink then clears his throat. “That was fucked up what happened to your father.” said Black. “My mother thinks about it every day.” said Johnny. “I think I know who killed him.” said Black. Johnny stops eating. Black begins telling Johnny everything from the illegitimate business deals his father and Phil would sometimes engage in, to the photos he gave to Phil. “My father was an honest man you piece of shit.” said Johnny. “Easy my brother. Your father was good to me, but when your mother got sick, those medical bills piled up. He did what he had to do to take care of his family.” said Black. Johnny buries his face in his hands. “So, you think this cat who is trying to shake down Phil for money killed my father?” said Johnny. “I think so, but I can’t prove it.” said Black. Johnny and Black finish their meal. They exit the diner and walk towards Black’s car. “I bet Julie is giving Phil an earful right now.” said Johnny. “I wouldn’t want my sister to date him.” said Black. A pair of eyes watches as they get into Black’s car and leave. On the other side of the parking lot a busser from the diner places trash into a dumpster. As he walks back to the diner, he sees an arm dangling from a car window. The busser looks inside the car and sees Phil and his coworker motionless, both with multiple gunshot wounds. Blood is all over the interior of the car. The busser stumbles, then runs back into the diner.

Black parks his car. He and Johnny walk towards Johnny’s mother’s house. The door of a car parked directly across the street opens. A woman steps out. It is Julie. Johnny, Black and Julie chat briefly. They then enter the house. As the door closes a late model sedan passes by. The driver parks on a side street. After a few minutes the Woman in Red appears with an ominous gait. Several minutes go by. Black exits the house and walks towards his car. He is talking on his phone. Black gets in his car and opens his glove box. From the backseat a shadowy figure appears. It is the Woman in Red. Black hangs up his phone and places the key in the ignition. The cold steel of a silencer presses against the back of his head. Black freezes then gazes into the eyes of the Woman in Red through the rear-view mirror. “It’s you” said Black. The finger on the trigger of the silencer squeezes. Pieces of Black’s skull along with some blood, are deposited on the windshield. Black slumps over into the front passenger seat.

Johnny’s mother wakes up to the sound of Julie screaming at Johnny. “Where is Phil?” she demands. “I don’t know. He told me he was with you,” said Johnny. In the distance a police siren can be heard. The sound gets louder by the second. Johnny and Julie continue to argue. “Phil is with Lorraine. The only reason he keeps her around is because she puts out to him,” said Julie. Johnny’s mother comes out from the bedroom. Suddenly there is a knock at the door. “It must be Black,” said Johnny. He opens the door and two men in business suits and a uniformed police officer are standing at the door. Upon seeing the police at her door Johnny’s mother cries out “No, no, no. Not again. Please Lord not again”. Outside the Woman in Red walks slowly down the street, gets in her car, and drives off into the night.

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