Free Serial Date: A Leine Basso Thriller by D.V. Berkom Page A

peppered with little explosions of air. Peter hated locking him in the house, but didn't know what else to do. He couldn't let Edward go to a hospital. Not now. Peter would figure out what to do later, when he had a minute to think.
    “Please, Peter?” Tears streaked Edward's face. “I promise I'll be good. I-I promise I won't leave, ever.”
    Peter sighed. Edward's promises were like air—plentiful and free. He couldn't put it off any longer- he had to look in the freezer. Had to get that last gruesome confirmation of his brother's continued psychosis and somehow destroy the evidence he knew was there. He got up and walked through the kitchen out to the big freezer in the garage, steeling himself for what he'd find.
    He lifted the lid and glanced inside. Among frozen packages of hamburger, vanilla ice cream and lima beans, the freezer held a smattering of small plastic baggies, the contents of which were various shades of brown and black. He reached in and picked a baggie at random, this one with a small tan object, and opened it. Peter's shoulders sagged.
    A frost covered, furry ear. He couldn't tell what kind of animal it was from, but did it really matter?
    Edward stood at the doorway to the kitchen, attention riveted on him. Peter held the bag up for him to see.
    “Where'd you get this?” He looked down at the rest. “And these?”
    Edward raced over and snatched the bag from his hand.
    “They're mine! They were the mean ones. You told me it was okay to punish the mean ones.” He clutched the baggie with both hands.
    Peter leaned over the edge of the freezer and dug through the rest of the baggies, checking the few that appeared to have dissimilar contents. All contained animal parts.
    He shook his head, unable to reconcile sweet, sensitive Edward with psycho-crazy Edward. “Where'd you hide the other…parts?”
    Edward stared at the freezer, then Peter. “No other parts, Peter. I promise.”
    He must have buried them in the back. Peter slammed the freezer door shut and swept past Edward, heading into the house to the backyard. On the way, he grabbed a shovel standing in the corner. Edward shuffled behind him, wiping at the snot running down his nose.
    “Peter, don't be mad at me. I won't do it again, I promise.” Edward stopped at the door. More tears bubbled over, streaking a path down his face. “Please?”
    Peter ignored him and walked down the concrete steps onto the patio. Waiting for his blood pressure to return to normal, he scanned the green lawn and well-kept flower beds. Better hire a service. Don't want the neighbors wondering what happened to Edward. Besides, it would only be for a little while, until Peter could figure out what to do with his brother.
    Peter walked to a suspicious looking clump of grass and attacked it with the shovel. Edward's muffled sobs didn't slow him down. He stopped when his efforts revealed nothing but dirt. Spotting a freshly turned mound of soil surrounding a new lavender plant in the flower bed he yanked out the seedling and dug beneath it, but again found nothing. He rested the shovel against his hip and wiped at the sweat forming on his forehead.
    Nothing else in the yard looked disturbed. Peter headed for the garbage can alongside the detached garage, anxiety dogging his steps. He lifted the lid, breathing a sigh of relief when all he smelled and saw was normal, everyday garbage. After checking inside the garage, he walked back to where Edward was furiously replanting the lavender.
    “Edward,” Peter said, keeping his voice even. “You have to tell me what you did with the other…pieces. I need to know so I can take care of them.”
    Edward continued to firm the dirt around the plant, pretending not to hear him. He sniffled, wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.
    “Edward, have you ever—” Peter cleared his throat, then took a deep breath. “Have you ever eaten any of the mean ones?”
    Edward snapped his head around with a look of