Darcy Lewis (tasergoddess) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2018-09-27 17:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, [plot] wild wild west, ~2018 september, ~25 points, ~~dean winchester (boundtothehunt), ~~diana (themysciraborn), ~~~~ darcy lewis (tasergoddess) |
Who: Darcy, the murderer, and Diana
What: A close encounter
Where: Outside the brothel
When: Thursday evening
Warnings: violence and whatnot
Status: complete gdoc
He didn’t frequent the brothel, had been of course, what man hadn’t, but his opinion of the so-called ladies there was so low that he couldn’t bring himself to give them his money when none of them held a candle to his dearly departed wife. Sometimes, when he saw them out on the street in the daylight hours, caught a glimpse from behind when they were wearing skirts and their hair was pinned up, he thought he was seeing her and his heart hurt all over again before he realized how wrong he was, that women like that were a poor example for his daughter and if the sheriff was too busy whoring to do something about it, he would himself.
It was earlier than he usually hunted for women when he saw her, the sun setting but there was fear in town that kept a lot of people inside in the evening hours and it was never quiet on Main Street anymore, between the saloon’s music and chatter and the noise of whores laughing and shouting and clamoring to sully themselves. And in the alley behind the buildings, it was safe enough for him to stroll without gathering any unwanted attention.
He saw her there, out back the brothel, probably thinking she was safe on the walkway and out of sight, and he was struck by her. Dark hair down and the shift she wore reminded him so much of his wife in the privacy of their bed, the pale skin of how sickly she’d looked at the end, and there was no one in town who didn’t know who she was. The madam’s second and the sheriff’s favourite and he hated her for looking so much like the woman he loved while being everything that she was. He reacted without thinking about it.
Shoulders squared and darkness in his eyes, he approached boldly, a voice in the back of his mind telling him how dangerous it was, that he should be smarter about taking her life. He didn’t bother with any of the usual playing he usually indulged in, pretending that he hadn’t already decided she was the one, sidled right up close with a predatory grin. “Invite a fella inside.”
***
It was unusual to see anyone in the alley behind the buildings. At least anyone who didn’t work at one of the businesses along this stretch of road. Darcy knew immediately this man wasn’t one of them though. He looked vaguely familiar and she thought he may have come in a few times, but he was never one of her customers.
Despite there being something unsettling about his grin, she put on her best flirtatious smile. “Didn’t think a fella like you would wait around for an invitation,” she said. “I imagine this isn’t your first time visiting our fair establishment.”
Sometimes the first timers needed some coaxing and encouragement. Everything about this man screamed that he was well experienced.
***
For what he wanted, it most certainly wasn’t his first time. His hands were stained with the blood of several women, every last one of them more vile than the last and every one of them a path of corruption for his daughter and an insult to the memory of his wife. A voice in his head did remind him that it wasn’t their fault they resembled her, didn’t look like her that much beyond a similar frame and the darkness of their hair, but that didn’t matter. He was too far gone to care.
“I’m familiar with a few of your girls,” he said simply, moved toward her to crowd her back against the wall. The sound of girls laughing and the piano inside weren’t enough to muffle her if she decided to scream, but he didn’t care. She was his now. “They’re no longer employed by you.” They were no longer living.
Soon enough she wouldn’t be either. Quickly, a smooth and practiced motion, his hand came to cover her mouth, strength making it easy for him to hold her still against the building while he looked down at her. Hardly dressed and everything on display; if Karolina saw any of that she’d think it was acceptable. She was an impressionable girl. “I can’t imagine why anyone would pay for a woman like you.”
***
Darcy sensed the danger she was in a moment too soon and she immediately squirmed, trying to figure out a way to save herself since she couldn’t scream. With her back against the wall and his hand firmly clamped over her mouth, she realized she didn’t have much of a chance.
Unless Steve happened to come by at just the right time. He’d told her the other day that he was going to have his deputies doing more patrols of the brothel after Lena’s death, but it was probably too much to hope that he or one of them would come by in time to save her. A wave of regret washed over her and she wished that she’d accepted his offer of marriage. She really did care for him and now it was too late to do anything about it.
***
Using his weight to hold her still, his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet, he usually didn’t need to, usually chose better times and better places to satisfy his needs, his other hand came to wrap around her throat. He didn’t have the time to waste making a game of it, it was broad daylight and even in a back alley they weren’t in a private place. It was a gamble to be there at all, but he couldn’t stop himself.
Savouring the fear in her eyes, the squirming that he wouldn’t let her use to escape, he squeezed. It would take longer with only one hand, but he was getting good at finding the right points to apply pressure. He was getting good at making sure he was satisfied with the death he brought
He was getting a lot worse at being satisfied by the kills. He needed it more lately than he had at first.
***
It only took Darcy a moment to realize that her movements were making his work easier, so she went still, hoping to buy herself enough time that someone would save her. Her eyes filled with tears as she struggled to breathe, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before she was unconscious.
Things were getting fuzzy when she thought she heard a noise. Was it her salvation? Or just her mind playing tricks on her as she faded away?
***
No matter what enjoyment was happening in the parlour, Diana kept vigilant. She was maybe more invested in the capture of the murderer now that she knew she had a good chance at a decent life once the man was behind bars. It was less suspicious for her to keep a close eye on the Brothel, though it wasn't like she could stop taking clients. She knew one of her regulars would be in soon and she wanted to check in with Darcy before heading upstairs to make sure the other woman was alright to keep an eye while she was working. They'd been working together for a long time and certainly friendly, plus Darcy cared about the girls just like she did.
"Where did you get to," she muttered to herself as she went through the back. Maybe she'd stepped outside for a moment, though it would have been foolish to go on her own. Diana was maybe too paranoid, though when she poked her head out the back door, she knew immediately she was right to be paranoid.
"Send for the Sheriff!" she screamed over her shoulder into the Brothel before she ran full tilt at the attacker to dislodge him.
***
For a moment he was startled, enough to be jostled off his newest victim, enough that he could register the words the other woman was shouting. The sheriff. She wanted someone to send for him. That gave very little time to get away before there were people coming swarming, gawkers and onlookers and well-meaning help for this town’s precious whores, who it seemed could do no wrong, who could seduce the law and they mayor himself was probably swayed by what lie beneath some woman’s skirts.
There was no time for him to be angry about that and still manage to get away, so with an enraged growl he simply fought the woman who came charging at him, his victim abandoned against the wall as his attention shifted to the attempt to throw the new one off of him.
***
Darcy was nearly unconscious by the time Diana showed up so it took her a few moments to recover and realize what was going on. When she saw her attacker going after Diana, she screamed, though her voice was raspy and she hadn’t caught her breath enough to make it very loud.
Hopefully the commotion would catch the attention of Steve or some of the other deputies and backup would arrive quickly. She had no idea how long Diana might be able to fend off the attacker and knew that if he came after her again, she wouldn’t be able to fight either.
***
Diana was relieved when she felt the man move with her and she gave him a shove, though it didn't seem to do much. He was much stronger than her, but she'd been through enough in her years that she could fend off an attacker for the few minutes it would hopefully take to get the Sheriff or one of his official deputies here. It would be just as important to get a good look at him in the hopes of identifying him, so she tried to get her hair out of the way while simultaneously trying to fend him off.
"Darcy go inside," she urged, so that at the very least, the other woman would be safe from this man's reach. If she was going to be a deputy, Diana knew she'd be in more situations like this and she'd need to be able to hold her own.
***
He stopped, weight balanced a little lower to the ground, realized there was no time to be touselling with a whore. And the longer he was there, the longer he tried to hurt her for interrupting him, the more of a risk he was at. He’d gone this long, months upon months, undiscovered and unsuspected, an upstanding man caring for his daughter after losing his wife several years ago. He treated ladies politely and avoided places like the saloon and the brothel, worked hard and went to church every Sunday.
Until now only God had known it was him behind the killings and he’d been ready to make his peace with it when the day came.
The time couldn’t be today. Today he had made a promise to Karolina and he shouldn’t be making such rash decisions as attacking whores in broad daylight. He quickly retrieved his hat where it had fallen to the ground and pulled it low to obscure his face. Next time. He’d get them next time.
Turning, he bolted before the sheriff could show up.
***
It was hard to follow Diana’s instruction and go inside when she was still trying to catch her breath, so Darcy hadn’t quite made it to the door when the attacker took off. She managed to make her way over to Diana.
“Diana? Are you okay?” she asked as she leaned down. “Do you have any idea who that was?”
He looked vaguely familiar, but Darcy didn’t know his name so she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to give the sheriff any useful information.
***
Diana went to chase after him but she only got a half-step before Darcy caught up to her and her attention shifted to the other woman. "I-" she shook her head. "I know his face." Diana was talking more to herself than anything, but his name was escaping her right now. She turned to face Darcy, looking her over with a critical eye.
"I'm fine. Are you okay?" Darcy had certainly been in the more difficult position, after all. Diana wasn't about to touch her friend's neck, but she certainly looked critically to see if there were any visible marks. It was already starting to bruise, unfortunately. She frowned and started to lead Darcy inside. "Come on, let's get you some tea."
***
“Tea sounds good,” Darcy said, her voice still a little weak. She was going to be horrified when she got a look at herself in the mirror, but at the moment, the bruises were the least of her concerns. What she really wanted was Steve and she hoped that someone had gone to fetch him.
She glanced around nervously, as if expecting her attacker to reappear any moment. That was silly to think since he had to know that the brothel would be swarming with the law soon, but she had a feeling that going out was going to be difficult for a little while.
***
With Darcy's agreement, Diana ushered her friend inside. She stayed close, would likely stay by her side until Steve came for her own peace of mind. Though she didn't think the man would come back anytime soon, they needed to remain vigilant.
"You sit," Diana encouraged. "I'll put the kettle on and fix a nice strong cup." She had half a mind to add some whiskey to it, truthfully, but she busied herself with getting the tea ready. It was more important to be there for her friend though, so once the kettle was on, she went to the icebox and took some ice, wrapped it in a tea towel, and handed it over to Darcy for her neck. Hopefully that man would be caught now that they had a better description of him. All they could do now was sit and wait for the Sheriff to arrive.
***