True Terror Times Two

First time here? Checkout part one of this story below.

Everyone at work kept saying, "You think the ghost got him Lois?" which only got my wheels cranking even faster.

"Ghosts don't kill people." I almost convinced myself.

A little more than creeped out than I had been during the strange interview, I called my buddy over at the sheriff's department. He said he planned to call me to ask if the guy said anything in the interview (He read the ghost story.) that might be a clue. Was anyone after him? Did he mention any names? Who did he hangout with?

I met the sheriff at the coroner's office. He interviewed me as the autopsy was being conducted in the same room. The dead guy was found a couple days after he was murdered, which only made the morgue, that much more disgusting for me personally.

We talked about what I knew about the guy. I gave him my notes and micro-cassette tapes. He told me he knew it wasn't the ghost as we kind of giggled nervously. He also said they pulled some fingerprints off of the newspaper, which was turned to the story I wrote about his haunted house. The story I wrote had the murder suspect's finger prints on it, yikes!

It only took a about a month before two suspects were arrested. One of which, the fingerprints on the newspaper belonged to, and he was no ghost. Both suspects were visiting this guy, who they had been friends with. They partied together had beer and pizza the night the man was murdered.

I felt a little better knowing these guys were in jail. Until the trial came up recently.

At suspect one's trial, he offered testimony, saying the other guy did the shooting. He claimed that the second suspect, who left his fingerprints behind, shot the guy in the head over a fight they had about the haunted house story. The story that I wrote!

Reading this testimony, I couldn't help but feel bad that my story led to some guy's murder. Could this possibly be motive to kill someone? The guy shared a haunted tale around Halloween and he gets shot in the back of the head because of it? That's fucking crazy!

It took half of the day before I decided, if I didn't write the story, the guy would have told the suspects about his ghost and chances are, they would have fought and the guy would have been killed anyhow.

For a good chunk of the day I felt like I actually pulled the trigger. Not a good feeling.

Late last night I read the nightly local news. Suspect one was found guilty of first degree murder. Suspect two was earlier convicted of home invasion and robbery and is expected to serve 15 years in prison. Sentencing for suspect one is scheduled for May, although his attorney said they intend to appeal the judge's decision.

Every time my digital clock has the numbers 3:07, I still get Goosebumps.