Excerpt from "Skin Deep" by Jamie Cortland

James tossed and turned. In his dream, he lived a nightmare of the past. He tried to block out the scene that played on the canvas of his mind, but neither the images nor the voices would disappear.

“Go then, and good riddance.” Brakes screeched as a fire-engine red Pontiac raced over the bridge and struck Elaine. Her shrill scream cut through the early evening hours. She flew up onto the hood of the car, bounced twice, and landed hard on the pavement. Traffic on Palmento Park Road backed up for miles as she lay dying just across the street from her favorite restaurant. Blood oozed from her head and puddle on the hot asphalt.

James sat straight up in bed. Perspiration beaded on his forehead. Screams echoed in his mind, along with a vision of his wife dying just a few feet away from him. He’d had this dream on every anniversary of Elaine’s death for the past twelve years. Had he pushed her? He might have wanted to, but in his right mind, he would never have killed anyone. Even though he’d never been baptized, he’d been brought up Christian. By the time he was six years old, he knew the Ten Commandments.

Though the fatal accident had happened years ago, the day remained crystal clear in his mind. When he’d awakened that morning, he’d gone for his usual walk on the beach. It was hot and humid, unbearable so for 6:30 a.m., although this weather was not unusual for Florida. The heavy, rain-laden clouds and warm waters of the Atlantic promised that a tropical storm was brewing.

Lately, his mind had been as stormy as the weather forecast. He’d been hearing voices again, voices that drove him past the edge of sanity. When Elaine had been killed, Bobby had only been three years old. After that day, he’d raised his son alone. Perhaps Bobby had been better off without a mother, like the voices had said.

Elaine had been unfaithful to him for as long as he could remember. Steve had told he’d seen her in restaurants with men when he’d been out of town. Since Steve had been a friend of his mother’s for most of her life, he had no reason to doubt him. When he’d accused Elaine, she’d denied it. She’d wanted a divorce, full custody of their son, alimony child support and their home. He’d desperately wanted her out of the way. Maybe he had pushed her. Was this Elaine’s way of punishing him if he had? By haunting him?