Empty House

Detective McGirth was lazy beyond his years.  Between his love of pork, pork rinds, mashed potatoes and dessert, he grew in size year after year.  A man waiting for a heart attack, some would say.

His wife, Lizzie had been pilfering from the community homeowner's association for years.  He enjoyed the run off from that money.  Shortly after he learned of this, the deputies told him they would cover for her crimes.  After all, police have a code of conduct.  And it isn't one for the citizen; it is a code for one another.  They do not squeal on fellow officers.  Ever.

Living in a small town, everyone knew or were related to everyone else.  The detective's wife was best friends with Julie's sister.  The wife knew about the affair and was happy Julie's sister had finally found a good man. As any man knows, when mama isn't happy, no one is happy.  McGirth would keep his wife's secret. He would also cover up the murder of Julie's boyfriend.

McGirth knew what was going on.  He only had to look at the lights that were on in Julie's bedroom and see the white van in her driveway to know.  When the lights slowly dimmed throughout the house, he knew.  McGirth was lazy, not stupid.

Julie didn't have a history of making good choices.  She, like her best friend, was also a spiteful kind of person.  When another woman, Carlie,  went after Julie's boyfriend, Julie wasn't about to give up so easy.

Carlie was highly allergic to bee stings.  She carried an Epi-pen with her at all times. Julie suggested Carlie and she hike in the mountains.  When Carlie went to the restroom, Julie put her her cloth clothes and removed her Epi-pen from her backpack and hid it.  She neatly tucked her cloth clothes back into her own backpack.  Since Carlie didn't know the trails, Julie volunteered to be her guide.

It was a hot day with no relief in sight.  A bee stung Carlie near her jugular vein and collapsed instantly.  Death ensued within ten minutes.

Julie lifted Carlie into the white van and covered her in 6 mil plastic and drove around until she stopped on a ridge near her best friend, Lizzie.  Lizzie would know what to do. But she wasn't sure she wanted to involve Lizzie.  When she heard the crushing of leaves as though someone or something was walking in her direction, she hid under the plastic.  As he footsteps got closer, she panicked and came out of the van.  She thought that no one would dare look inside so she could have time to conjure up a story.

Just then, Beth, Lizzie's neighbor who also knew Julie and her sister appeared by the white van.

They say families often have pathology. Or traits even.  Spitefulness was in Julie's family.  They would get even no matter the cost.  Betrayal was a curse throughout generations.


And get even they did. When Lizzie returned home, she found a note from Julie's inside her detective husband's jeans.

"Honey, meet me for coffee in town."

     -   Julie

Detective McGirth had been leaving for work early the past few months.

"It's quite an involved case," he told Lizzie.

But Lizzie suspected her best friend.  She had done it to others.  And she had no standards.

That night when the detective returned from work, Lizzie had her own surprise for him.

A large red sign hung from the second bedroom.

"Honey, meet me for coffee in town."
         - your girlfriend, Julie

McGirth stopped his patrol car dead in the driveway looking up.  He slowly walked to the front door and opened it.  The house was totally empty.