Killer in the Autumn Breeze
By
Sunflower-Kun
Chapter One: In the Shadows of Autumn

Susan took a deep breath as she looked around her, the Long Horn was all too quite for it being Friday the traditional payday for the stockman and shopkeepers of the village. Any other time people most men fresh from the fields or the sale floor would rushing in here for there fill of chilled ale and bottles of local wine. And on those rare afternoons one of the sociable ladies of the town will pay the tavern a visit.

“You might as well go home early today Suzie,” Came a voice from behind her. The source of the voice was aged gentleman. The fellow sported a clean shave and wore the tradition clothing of a tavern owner that being a pair of clean olive colored trousers rolled over polished pair of tan cowboy boots. A button up long sleeve white dress shirt completed the look.  The look was enhanced by the presents of a wide brim cowboy hat and sun glass’s that hide the mans gleaming sapphire blue eyes. A fitting image from a man that owned a tavern called the Long Horn.

“Don’t think where going to do anything today bossman?” Asked Susan as she turned around and peered toward the source of the voice. She drew in a deep breath even though going home a little early would cut her out of some much need hours and in turn a little extra spending money it would be worth it. Because today was a very special day and it seemed for once the luck of Bell’s was now on her side.

“Nay, there no silver in town, even with today being Friday. it’s the middle of the month you know. Business is going to be slow everywhere save possible the black smith and the clinic there always packed full of people. Side I think a day off will do both of us good, you can take tomorrow off to, Its on the house.” She said in gentle but tired tone of voice. And with that he turned toward upon his heel.

Susan smiled and nodded her head a bit. “Okay thank you,” And with that she turned around and marched off toward the small little room that held the time clock and a few old leather couch’s and old worn down card table, The room was called the lounge. Once there she reached up and picked out her time card from among the dozen or so other cards. Then with one fluid hand motion she placed the card in the little slit and watched it sunk into the belly of the mechanical clock.

Quickly the clock spit the card right out. With a trained eye she looked down at the tally hours of the week and with a little smile she beheld the number ‘23.40.’ while that might not sound like a lot it really was since jobs where scarce in this little railroad town. Returning her time card to its proper place she started toward the door. The afternoon was hers.

She was just about to leave her place of employment before her bossman once more called out to her.

“Hey Suzie,” He said holding up a small brown leather drawn string bag. “I thought you might need this later on tonight.” He said waving the little brown purse in front of her, “Its your last week’s pay, and as a late labor day present I tossed in a little bit more.” Once in a blue moon the manger could show his kinder and gentler side. This was once such accession.

“Oh thank you,” She said quickly changing. Within a blink of a eye and a twinkle of a nose the leather bag was safety in her hands. With a practiced hand she gave the little brown purse a fell as if judging the weight of the sack. The sack felt pretty heavy for it being a normal pay day and made her wonder just how big her unexpected bonus had been.

With the joys of the unexpected bonus in her mind and with the prospects of being free for a afternoon and a day before her there was little in the way of finical burdens that could dampen her rising spirit. But then something appeared that held the possibility of  damping her spirit. For as she peered toward the heavens from her vantage point upon the stone porch of the Long Horn her eyes beheld the rolling dark storm clouds that held the possibility of ran and even hail.



“Looks like there going to a thunder storm heading are way soon, best hurry up and close shop then. Gotta move the cows in the pastor land. Them sheep too need to be brought in too. You best take care of yourself too Suzie. They say One eye Hooker walks the streets during a thunderstorm. Or at least his ghost does anyway.” Said a voice behind it. The voice did not have the commanding quality of her manger nor was he one to put much stock in varies rumors and wise tales that formed the colorful tapestry of village life.

“I know, I’ve heard of that tale tall before. I think it’s a load of nonsense.” She said puffing out her cheeks and turning around to confront the source of the noise and there standing behind her was none other than the village crazy.  A man simply known as Smith.

Slowly Susan turned away from the man, there was something very unsavory about his whole appearance. Something about his long unkempt bread that seemed to dotted with tiny bits of food from pass meals was one such thing, the next had to been his clothing of something. A long gray teeshirt smelling of many drunken nights in dins of fifth hung sticky to his inward curving chest. The sleeves seemed tattered around the cuffs and soiled as well.

His olive gray shorts where the next thing list, they seemed old and stiff and patches of  grease and oil stained them.  A little further on down one could not help but notice the sad shape his sandal’s seemed to be in, once somebody could have called them a nice pair of shoes for a afternoon upon the golden sands of the local beach, for what was once a almond brown had turned black and toe jam and dirt and grim had taken hold. And finally the crown upon the fifty hand was his hair, long, greasy and black.

“Go away Smith,” She said peering toward him. Only a select group of people where allowed to call Susan by the horrid nickname of ‘Suzie’ that was her mother and father, her lover and her bossman. The last one was allowed simply because he was in a position of power over her and the other more major underline fact was the money was simply too good and they where in dire encomia straights as a couple.

“You mark smith word real good now. Old Hooker gone rise from his grave tonight, somebody made a pack with the father of lies and old Joe going .to be his tool, you knows he sold his soul to the devil. Sound it to kill the man that was hexing his farm.” He said smirking a little as he retreated back into the cool air of the tavern.

A sudden chill passed over Susan despite the skin crawling heat, slowly the chill faded into a distended memory as watched the slow snaking retreat of smith. Sometimes she wished they could call the law on that fellow. Since she was sure he would be better off locked away in a little padded room. Clothed in a nice tight white jacket with several copper snake head locks securing said jacket.

But that thought too once faded from her mind as she stepped onto the cobble stone paved road way, a near by street sign named this section of road. “High Street.” A name traditionally given to the main artery  of a towns shopping district. The street was wide, wide enough for two cars to travel abreast.  Many large shop windows lined the street each window displayed the wares being offered by that one merchant.

The shops ranged from the sociable boutiques of the upper crust of the town, to the simple yet colorful dress shops aimed more toward the women of limited means. And then there was the basic ones like the chemist shop that still sold soda water and ice cream and would even cook you a cheese burger while you waited for your prescription to be filled. Like wise a few mom and pop cafes could be found, some offering dish’s made with local fruits and meats. While others offered something special.

The towns only bakery and clinic could be found her too, along with the bank, post office and varies government offices that handled the upkeep and general management of the town  and finally the trains station the towns only source of outside communication.  The small privately owned ferry did not count.




It was this time that Susan thought the weight of small leather bag was becoming to much, never being the one to carry a lot of lose silver on her person she thought it would be best to swing by the local bank and drop a good bit of this off. After all her accounted was guarded by the government in the bank, if stole she would be reimbursed to her in full, if by chance she was knocked down and looted by one of the few common crooks that every town housed it wound be on her and not a ounce of mercy would be shown to her.

“Best make this stop right now,” She said drawing upon her courage and skipped across the street. She always hated going to the bank. For she felt oddly out of place among the city style displays of wealth that adorned the lobby and the hard glares, the tellers gave her only heighten her feeling of being a simple peasant standing in the presents of the bourgeoisie of the village. For there in the halls surrounded by gilded displays the merchant’s and book keepers talked business and gold and silver was tossed around like it was nothing but cheap paper.

But these fears where soon put to rest the minute she pulled the door to the bank open and stepped into the hallway, a sudden change had taken hold of her persona. She grew bolder and stronger with each step she took, fueling this was a little voice at the back of her mind that was telling her ‘Your just as good if not better than any of these big fat cats or money bags’

And so with her courage restored and she took her place in line, the line moved quickly and soon she found herself face to face with one of the tellers. Small talk was exchanged and the transaction was completed. The weak joint account had been greatly fortified by the influxes of new silver and the word seemed a bit brighter. Though Susan had withheld a small amount of silver for herself and for the special event she had planned.  After all one could not let the three month mile stone pass without a celebration of  some kind.

Once her business was completed she took her deposited slip and place it with a few lose bills in her billfold.  Her spirit was flying higher now as she strolled through the lobby passing a few late business rushing in with there days earning hoping to make a late day deposited before the bank closed for the evening. And soon she found herself looking up at afternoon sky that was now slowly growing darker with each passing second. Huge thunderheads rolled across the sky and the faint crackling of thunder could be heard some twenty miles away.

A soft frown crossed Susan’s face as she beheld the building storm above her head. Traveling to the outlands was an adventure in the best of weather, it was near impossible to get there in foul or stormy weather unless they could catch the trolley that made the loop from Berney Arms halt to the main station. Such an move would require careful planning though.

“Pardon me,” She said turning at once to a nearby passer by, “Do you happen to know when the next trolley leaves from Farmers Cross to Berney Arms?” She asked as she quickly pulled up the long sleeves of her blouse to reveal a pink hello kitty wrist watch.

The man blinked and looked at he as if forming a opining  on her. And after a good thirty seconds of silences he opened his mouth to speak, “Yes if I’m not mistaken the next train leaves a four thirty, you will have to consult the time table at the halt or at Cross for further information.” He said in a very business minded tone of voice and with that being said he reached up and removed his hat and tipped it in her direction. “Good Day,” He said hastily as he returned the hat to his head and stepped away.






“Thank you!” Cry Susan as she watched the man disappear into a crowed. If the time of her watch was to believed she had  a good hour and a half to catch up with her lover and to make tracks to Cross Station. She was positive that Arienette would like to take a bit of time to change into something beside her work clothing. But such time could not be wasted for if she changed she too would be forced to change into something more lady like. And that will start a never ending cycle of grooming that will quickly depleted the little amount of time they had at there command.



Thankfully she did not have fare to travel and soon she found herself surrounded by fine porcelain plates in the pattern of blue willow. Next too the plates where gift baskets, these gift baskets held anything and everything. Some held lotions and potions and shampoos along with special health and beauty items. Others held a simple selection of personal items.  Then there where vase that lay scatted through out the sales floor that seemed to copy the style of Ming Chine.

Rose’s some fresh some plastic had been placed in these to add a bit of flare to over colorful shop.  Slowly Susan drew in a deep breath how she hated this place more than anything in the whole bloody world,  well its not like she hated the people running the shop for those where the nicest ones in the village but the décor gave a felling of petit bourgeoisie a social class she longed to belong to.

“Hey Sue,” Came a voice from behind her. “You got off a little early huh?” The voice rung again.

Quickly Susan turned upon the heel of her foot and then a sudden blush crossed her face as her round pink orbs beheld the finger of a somewhat tall young women with long flowing sapphire blue hair. The hair nicely framed her oval shape face that sat nicely upon her petit finger. The presents of a light springy dress and brown lace up pictures gave the women a very angelic flare.

“Yes, and guess what he also gave me,” Said Susan folding her hands behind her back and leaning toward Arienette.  A playful little smirk crossed her face and her eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim light of the shop.

Arienette took a deep breath and folded her arms under her breast and pouted softy toward Susan. She both hated and loved it when Susan teased her. She also found it adorable the way her eyes twinkled like two stars in the night sky when she was in one of those teasing moods. It was one of the many reason’s she had jumped for joy when the two had concreted there relationship. For to her these little playful motions that they exchanged on a daily bases meaned so much more than the band of white gold that she wore upon her second left finger.

“Hey gave me a day off,  and since its been ages since we’ve been into town I was thinking maybe you and I could catch the early morning express and take a day trip to Forget-Me-Not. You know do a bit of shopping and spend a bit of time being pampered. I heard they just opened up a spa in the square there.” She said walking toward Arienette and looping her arm around her shoulder.

A sudden sakura pink blush crossed Arienette’s face as she felt Susan’s arm being looped around her. Slowly she opened her mouth and whispered softy, “That sounds lovely,” She said moving in a little closer to Susan. “Say I’ve already clocked out and was just about to head your way, I was wondering if you had something planned for night,” She said looking down at the brown caret that covered the whole of the sales floor.

“I do, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Cow Pen.” She said smiling softy as she started to move with Arienette toward the doorway of the shopee. “I’ve heard they have the best steaks in the whole valley. And since its kind of in the outlands its kind of like a adventure you know what I mean.” She said to her as she stepped toward the door. “I gotta all planned out, we can catch the trolley at Cross Station and ride the rails to the halt.  From there is only a short little walk to steak house. And side if we stay over we can always phone the station house.”

“Wow, you have it all planned out don’t you.” She said giggling as little as she felt the sweet breath of autumn blow across her cheek. And because its almost human nature to look up at the sky when exiting a shop or something Arienette did do and the sight that greeted her was one that chilled her blood.




The normal peaceful October sky had become dark and gray and the distended roll of thunder seemed to eco across the rolling green pastors. A few brief flash’s of lighting filled the air followed by a loud boom that shook the earth under toe. If the signs of nature where to believed then it was a perfect night for old Joe to rise from his grave and stalk the land or so the folklorist would proclaim.

  “Hey Susie,” She said using her lovers pet name to covey a greater sense of concern. For Arienette seldom used the popular nickname unless she was fearful or the mood was playful. “I think we should call off are plans for tonight it looks like the weather’s going to take a turn for the worst.

“Oh hush,” Said Susan in a scolding tone, “We’re going to be okay, even if the rain comes I’ll just phone ahead to chophouse and have them send a buggy after us.” She paused and then removed her arm from her shoulder. “After all they aim to please, and the owner is really old fashion I’m sure he won’t mind a bit.” She added in scolding tone being replaced with a more resurging tone of voice.

Arienette felt her cheeks pinken a bit as Susan playfully teased her. And quickly she reached over and gave her bottom a playful swat.

“Well, I’m sure you do have everything planned out to a ‘T’ Miss. Bell, shall be on are way?” She said smiling soft as she withdrew her hand and stepped ahead of her, she tossed her head into the air and reached up with her hand and removed a few brown locks from her shoulder. It took two to tease.

Susan felt a deep blush cross her face as she felt the crack of Arienette’s hand through her light blue skirt. Quickly she turned around and pouted toward her special somebody. But all the same she fell behind the proud lady as they made there way toward the center of town.

End of Chapter I