Ghost Peppers - Chapter 3

Part 1, Chapter 3

Penny and Tony stepped back into the morning's chill, leaving the Carter house's dark heaviness behind. The bright sun seemed indifferent to the horror they'd just witnessed, casting a harsh light over the quiet neighborhood. The peaceful facade of Heritage Lane now felt like a thin veil, hiding layers of darkness that Penny was only beginning to sense.

They began knocking on doors, speaking to neighbors who’d seen or heard little to nothing. The first was a young couple in their early twenties, looking sleep-rumpled and nervous as they cracked open their door.

“No, officers, we didn’t hear anything unusual last night,” the man said, running a hand through his hair. “We both work late shifts, so we’re usually pretty wiped.”

The woman beside him nodded. “We just... keep to ourselves. Adam and Alice were nice enough when we saw them around, but, well…” She trailed off, her face showing signs of worry.

After a brief conversation, they thanked the couple and moved on. They continued down the street, knocking on doors, receiving variations of the same story. It was a quiet neighborhood, nothing out of the ordinary, nobody noticed anything strange.

When they approached the home of an elderly woman who was sitting outside on her porch, she gave them a nod, as if she’d been expecting them. Her name was Ruth Evans, a widow who’d lived on Heritage Lane for more than twenty years.

“Well, I can’t say I heard anything unusual last night,” she said, pulling a cardigan tighter around her shoulders. “But I did see something this morning.”

Penny perked up. “You did? Can you tell us more, Ms. Evans?”

Ruth nodded, gesturing for them to come a bit closer. Her eyes, darted back and forth down the street, making sure no one was listening. “Around six this morning, I was getting my coffee, like I do every day, and I saw an Amazon truck pull up down there.” She pointed toward the end of the block, just past the Carters’ house.

“Amazon truck?” Tony asked, jotting that down. “That’s early for deliveries, isn’t it?”

“Exactly,” Ruth replied, leaning forward with a conspiratorial look. “It struck me as odd. I watch the street every morning while I have my coffee, you know, and I’ve never seen one around here at that hour.”

Penny shared a quick look with Tony, feeling a prick of interest. “Did you see the driver, by any chance?”

Ruth shook her head. “No, dear, I didn’t see anyone get out. But what was strange is that the truck just sat there. I was expecting someone to get out, drop off a package, something. But nothing. The truck just stayed there until about nine. Then, it drove off without delivering a thing from what i could tell.”

“Three hours,” Penny murmured, glancing down at her notes. “Did you notice anything else? Maybe a description of the truck or any other activity around it?”

Ruth squinted, trying to recall details. “It was one of those newer Amazon trucks—no special markings that I could see other than the usual logo. I didn’t see anyone approach the truck, either. Just sat there.”

“That’s very helpful, Ms. Evans,” Tony said, offering a reassuring smile. “Did you happen to see the driver or if anyone entered or exited the Carters’ house this morning?”

Ruth thought for a moment. “I wish I could be of more help, dear, but no… no one I saw, anyway. Just that truck, sitting there.”

Penny nodded, feeling a sense of unease grow. The length of time the truck sat there, its purpose unknown, was suspicious and, combined with the unmarked box found in the Carter home, felt more than coincidental.

“If you remember anything else,” Penny said, pulling a card from her pocket and handing it to Ruth, “please call us. Even a small detail could be important.”

Ruth nodded, slipping the card into her cardigan pocket. “I’ll do that, Detective. I hope you find who did this… poor Alice. She didn’t deserve any of this, and that husband of hers, well, he was never much of a kind man, if you ask me.”

Penny caught the flicker of disdain in Ruth’s expression. She exchanged a glance with Tony, noting the implication.

“You knew them well?” Penny asked gently, gauging how much Ruth might know.

“Not as well as you might think, but well enough. Adam was… well, let’s just say he had a short fuse. I’d sometimes hear Alice crying. Poor thing. But she always put on a brave face when she came outside.” Ruth shook her head, her lips pressed tight. “She deserved better.”

A pinch of sympathy tugged at Penny’s chest. Alice’s sad, quiet life, combined with Jasmine’s subtle resentment of her father, hinted at layers beneath the clean, suburban exterior.

“We appreciate your time Ms. Evans,” Penny said sincerely. “If you think of anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

Ruth gave them a sad, small smile. “I appreciate that, Detective. And good luck… I imagine you’ll need it with a case like this.”

As they moved on, Penny and Tony mulled over Ruth’s story. The Amazon truck raised questions they couldn’t ignore. Three hours of idle waiting wasn’t normal, especially if it hadn’t even made a delivery.

Tony looked at Penny thoughtfully. “If that truck’s connected to this, we’re either looking at someone brazenly confident or very careful.”

Penny nodded, tucking her notebook away. “We’ll need to follow up with Amazon, see if any deliveries were scheduled or logged. But if this was staged to look like an Amazon delivery without any records to match… it points to premeditation. Someone who knew exactly what they were doing.”

Tony nodded in agreement. “And if Ruth’s right, this wasn’t a crime of passion. That truck was a calculated move. Someone was setting this up, piece by piece.”

The thought sent a chill through Penny. Whoever was behind this was meticulous, willing to bide their time. The red lingerie, the pillowcase with the initial, the strange delivery, everything had been left to make an impression, to taunt or even send a message.
As they climbed back into their car, Penny couldn’t help but feel the weight of the morning’s revelations pressing down on her.