by Sandi Scott
“He picked you, Georgie Kaye. He can’t be too stupid,” she muttered to herself as she stopped to watch the children play.
Just as Georgie was about to take a seat on a bench near the playground, she saw Xabat. He was slowly pacing back and forth, checking his watch, and looking around as if he were expecting someone.
Where Paula had disappeared to, Georgie didn’t know. But she had the gut feeling if she kept an eye on Xabat, Paula wouldn’t be too far behind. She kept watching him as he watched the people around. Was he checking out the women with their kids?
Georgie couldn’t be sure, but it looked to her that every blonde between the ages of twenty and forty that walked past, or sat at the other benches, was going to get the Xabat Slute once over.
You can’t blame a man for being a man. Georgie thought. There had been plenty of times in their marriage when a woman in a pair of spandex pants and a halter-top would distract Stan for a few seconds as he walked down the sidewalk. That didn’t make Stan a bad guy. And, he was much better looking than Xabat, at least Georgie thought so.
Suddenly, as if he had forgotten he had an appointment, Xabat turned and went into the corn maze. Without thinking, Georgie took off after him.
The sounds of the children quickly faded as the tall, dry yellow stalks blocked the noise from all around. Nothing but Georgie’s own footsteps could be heard. She carefully followed Xabat as he wound his way to the right, to the left, and to the left again. He obviously knew where he was headed.
There were signs and markings that Georgie tried to keep straight as she followed him, but it was no use. He was walking too fast for her to really remember anything, so she trusted that once he got to his destination, she’d be able to find her way back. Besides, it wasn’t the Congo; it was just a corn maze. It wasn’t like no one would ever find her again.
Xabat came to a stop at a large wooden map that had the maze design on it and a marker that read “You Are Here”. At first, Georgie thought he’d gotten himself lost. But then, she heard a female voice call his name. Without hesitation, Xabat slipped behind the big wooden map and disappeared inside the rows of corn.
“Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle,” Georgie muttered and slowly approached the sign. Holding her breath, she listened carefully.
“I can’t believe she’d talk to me like that.” Georgie was sure the woman must be pouting.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Xabat replied. “We just need to wait a little longer.”
“You’ve been saying that for so long. I don’t think you mean it.”
“Of course I do,” Xabat replied. Georgie tried to peek inside the corn, but couldn’t see anything. The conversation was still going, but she was only getting bits and pieces of it. The couple had lowered their voices and there were a few sounds that indicated they were doing a little more than just talking privately among the corn stalks.
“When, Xabat? Just give me an idea when this is all going to be over and done with.”
It had to be Paula. There was no way it could be anyone else.
“Paula, you’ve just got to trust me.”
Georgie nodded her head and patted herself on the back for knowing who the harlot was that Xabat was with.
“I trust you, baby. I do. But...” the conversation dipped and they began speaking in whispers.
“Tony was difficult enough. Don’t you remember?” Xabat said.
“It wasn’t that difficult,” Paula sounded like she was pouting to Xabat, as if she were a child trying to get dessert before eating her Brussels sprouts.
“You didn’t like the zip ties. You said so,” Xabat said. Georgie instantly thought of the restraint marks around Tony’s hands.
How sad it was that a young man was now dead because of the man who was supposed to be his father-in-law. What happened? Why was Tony chosen when he wasn’t even part of the family yet?
Georgie leaned forward and tried to listen. It was of no use. They were whispering again. She had to get closer. Bending down she squinted through the stalks, and just a few feet away from her, she saw Xabat and Paula’s feet among the corn. If she delicately inched her way inside the corn, she might be able to get close enough to hear what they were saying and stay camouflaged by the stalks.
Georgie stood up and walked a few paces to the right. Then, making sure no one saw her, she angled her body sideways to slip inside the maze. Within seconds she, too, was hidden from anyone who might be walking by.
Thankfully, a slight breeze blew just enough to press against the crispy stalks hiding her steps as she moved within earshot of the amorous couple.
“No one suspects anything,” Xabat insisted. “Not even Charlotte.”
“Are you sure?”
“She’s so worried about Veronica that she’s barely paying any attention to herself.”
“And you’re sure Veronica won’t get in the way?”
“She made up her mind that the farming life wasn’t for her a long time ago,” Xabat said. “Now come here and give Daddy some sugar.”
Georgie cringed. When she did, she looked to the right and found herself staring into the eight eyes of a corn spider the size of a grape. Except to Georgie, it wasn’t the size of a grape. It was the size of a Buck.
It was a combination between a gasp, a scream and a hiccup that caught Xabat and Paula’s attention.
“Whose there!” Xabat yelled.
“Oh no!” Paula replied.
“I said who the hell is there?”
Georgie didn’t waste any time pushing herself out of the corn stalks, but as soon as she shook off the heebie-jeebies from the terrifying encounter with the arachnid, she realized she had no idea what direction she should go in.
Chapter 15
“That’s the woman I told you about!” Paula hissed, loud enough for Georgie to hear her.
“What woman?” Xabat replied.
“The one I said was snooping around. The police photographer told me she was some kind of stalker,” Paula replied making Georgie gasp again. Part of her wanted to turn around and argue. But the gravity of the situation quickly escalated as Georgie heard Xabat say, “We’ve got to stop her.”
Georgie didn’t have time to change into a new ensemble as she did yesterday. She could have ducked into the corn stalks again, but the overwhelming fear of an eight-legged devil latching on to her was too great. It was an irrational fear. Especially since, at this very moment, two people who confessed to contributing to Tony’s death were in pursuit. But it consumed her, nonetheless. She’d often wondered if she were to face a deadly tornado, would she have the courage to venture into a web-covered crawlspace for shelter? She remembered that conversation like it was yesterday.
“Just wave good-bye, Aleta, because I’ll never be able to do it.”
“Sure you would. If it were life or death, you’d be able to do it.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. The thought of being whipped around the inside of a twister is not as terrifying as being covered in spider webs and spiders.”
“They’d run away,” Aleta soothed. “They are more scared of you than you are of them.”
“Whose side are you on? Fine. When you find me looking like William Shatner in Kingdom of the Spiders, with arachnids all over my face, you can just remind me then that they are more scared of me than I am of them.”
“Georgie, you’re impossible.”
The memory of that discussion disappeared from Georgie’s mind as she focused on what direction she was heading in.
Quickly, she dodged to her right and then immediately to her left and hurried to the edge of the row to take another left. If she could just stop for a second and catch her breath and try and listen, she might be able to hear where the playground was. She might be able to center herself. But the sound of footsteps kept her moving.
Each row she went down, each turn she took, she was sure it would lead her directly into the clutches of Xabat and Paula. They had to know the corn maze like the ba
ck of their hands, right? She looked behind her and saw that she was alone. But that wasn’t good enough. She had to keep moving and praying that she wouldn’t circle around right into their clutches.
Everything looked the same. There were no markers or posts or anything to let one know they were on the right track. It was torture being in these rows. But still, Georgie kept hustling.
“Is anyone else in here?” she panted. “Am I the only one besides Xabat and Paula?” The idea that she was so alone and isolated from everyone made her heart pound even harder. This was turning into a nightmare. Even if she weren’t being chased, if she fell or hurt herself, it would take days for anyone to find her. Still, she kept moving. Down a dead end, she double backed, even more disoriented than before. She was sure she was heading deeper and deeper into the maze and further away from the populated parts of the orchard.
Then, she heard the footsteps, at least she thought she did. Were they gaining on her? Were they closing in, getting her to run in the direction they wanted to so they could corner her and do away with her? And what did that police photographer have to say about her to these people? Who does that?
Georgie’s shirt stuck to the sweat pouring down her back. Her feet were throbbing, as these adorable boots were not made for jogging. She wanted to scream for help but was afraid she’d alert Xabat and Paula as to where she was.
You’re going to have to do it, that pesky inner voice said. Georgie pushed her way through a few corn stalks coming out into another narrow path of the maze. “Not yet,” she muttered under her breath. There was no sign of Xabat and Paula as she quickly glanced from right to left.
Scream; it’s the only way you’ll be safe. The voice wasn’t giving up, but Georgie was certain she heard people and children just a few rows away. “I’m almost there.” she insisted to please the voice and make herself feel better.
You’re hearing things because you want to. The voice wasn’t letting her off that easy.
“Just around this corner,” Georgie argued with herself to keep her momentum going, doing her best to ignore the self-doubt her brain was churning out with every move. You’re going to get turned around again. “Not if I go this way,” Georgie insisted, trying to quiet the voice. “It has to be this way!”
Georgie’s mind was racing as she knew Xabat and Paula were gaining. If she could just round this corner and see the opening, she’d be okay. She knew it was children she heard, or was it just wishful thinking? Was it the blood rushing in her ears? She couldn’t take it anymore.
Around the next corner was nothing but corn stalks. Another dead end. She stopped, swaying slightly from fatigue as her chest rose and fell. Finally, she heard the sound of children. They were laughing and giggling.
You’re so close. Just do it!
Georgie took a deep breath and—screaming the entire way—carved her own path through the dry, brittle cornstalks. Using both arms to pull herself through the last few feet, Georgie screamed and howled as her mind convinced her that she was carrying at least a hundred spiders in her hair. Still, she pushed through. She stomped. She swatted. Her hands and cheeks were scratched up. Her clothes were snagged and tugged. Finally, she fell through a barricade of haystacks spilling back onto the playground.
“Get ‘em off me! Get em off me!” she screamed as she did a jig shaking her head and jumping up and down.
“Georgie?” Aleta rushed up to her sister.
“Aleta?” she nearly collapsed in her sister’s arms. “You won’t believe it!”
“My God, Georgie!” Stan was standing right there behind Aleta. “What the hell happened?”
“You want to know what happened? Ask Xabat Slute and Paula Hemmingsworth.”
Georgie continued to frantically brush herself off while she repeated what she’d heard Xabat and Paula saying. As she finished her story, the duo emerged from the corn maze, looking awkward together. Everyone was staring at the spectacle that had just taken place.
“Ask them!” Georgie pointed, finally catching her breath. “Ask them how difficult it was to take care of Tony.” Georgie continued, “Oh, and while you’re at it,” she glared at Stan, “You might want to ask your police photographer why she is telling suspects in a murder investigation that I’m a stalker.”
Georgie brushed the remaining shreds of stalk from the front as Aleta pulled them from her back.
“Please tell me there are no spiders on me,” Georgie said, near exhaustion.
“No, honey. I don’t see any,” Aleta replied.
“Well, this is great!” Xabat yelled. “What do you think you are doing wrecking my maze? Do you know how much it costs to get this organized and cut? You’ve caused several hundred dollars worth of damage.”
Georgie watched in shock as Xabat made the accusation that she owed them money. Paula stood smugly behind Xabat with her arms folded and nodding her head.
“So? Who is going to pay for this?” Xabat demanded.
“Mr. Slute,” Stan interrupted. “Would you and Miss. Hemmingsworth mind coming with me?”
“Yes. We would mind. This woman caused damage to our property and you want to arrest me?” Paula hissed.
“To whose property?” Aleta asked.
“To... the Slute property,” Paula corrected, not before her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She looked up at Xabat who was equally embarrassed.
“Like I said, I’ll need you to come with me,” Stan said after radioing in for back-up. Xabat was a big man and Paula looked like she might do anything she had to in order to get out of trouble.
Xabat and Paula were escorted to the gift shop by Stan and made to wait for the squad cars to arrive. Xabat was placed in the back of one car while Paula was in the back of the other car. They were not handcuffed and their rights had not been read to them since they were just being taken in for questions.
“Georgie, can you meet me at the station?” Stan asked, politely.
“Of course. I’ve had enough of this place,” she smiled, weakly.
“Let’s get you back to the castle and in a hot tub. You’re going to catch pneumonia out here after sweating and running around,” Aleta looked at Stan. “We’ll get cleaned up and meet you.”
Stan nodded and followed the two squad cars out of the apple orchard.
“Do you remember when I said how quaint and lovely this place was?” Georgie said as Aleta got behind Pablo’s steering wheel and started the car up.
“Yes,” Aleta smiled and shifted the gears.
“Let’s not come back.”
“Fine by me,” Aleta chuckled. “But what made you push through all that corn and haystacks? You’ve got cuts and scrapes all over you.”
Georgie relived the terror of the corn spider so close to her face and its freakishly large size.
“That made you run through the corn?”
“No. That made me run. I had to face that fear in order to run through the corn.”
“Wow. Georgie, I am so proud of you. You really faced your fear and overcame it. You deserve a slice of pie before we go to the station.”
“A slice of pie? Is that all?”
“What else do you want?”
“I’m sure there is a medal of some kind I should be given. Maybe I should be knighted or something.”
“Knighted? I’ll put a call in to the Queen of England.”
“Well, I just think that facing a debilitating fear is worth a little more than a slice of pie.”
“Debilitating? You were anything but paralyzed. You were flailing and swooping and I‘ll bet half those kids are going to require trauma counselors after witnessing that spectacle.”
“Trauma counselors?”
“Some crazy older lady comes barreling out of the corn fields during Halloween time at a place where just a few days ago there was a murder?” Aleta nodded her head. “Definitely trauma counselors.”
Georgie clicked her tongue, “I was almost killed by those two people and you are worried about kids gett
ing spooked... during Halloween. Are you kidding? This will be the best Halloween they ever had. Just think of the stories they are all going to tell tonight around the dinner table.”
“So, are you still scared of spiders?”
“Now, more than ever,” Georgie admitted.
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“I’ll make sure there aren’t any in the tub before you climb in,” Aleta soothed.
“Thanks,” Georgie replied.
“It’s the least I can do for my big sister.”
Georgie smiled.
“My big, yellow-bellied, lily-livered, scaredy-cat sister,” Aleta smirked as she drove to Betty’s Bed & Breakfast.
Chapter 16
By the time Georgie had washed up, changed clothes and had Aleta check them out of the castle, she was feeling refreshed. The drive back to the local police station to meet Stan was a pleasant one with light traffic.
“Georgie,” Stan smiled when he saw her. It was that same sly smile she’d known their whole life together and it sent a shiver up her spine. She hated him for it.
“You look like the cat that swallowed the canary,” Georgie said.
“We’ve got a very interesting development.”
“What is that?” Aleta asked, after giving Stan a “hello” hug. Georgie did the same and really hated that Stan smelled so good.
“Come with me.” He took the Kaye sisters into the observation room that was situated between the two interrogation rooms. Without turning on the light, they could see Paula sitting in one room. She was nervously twisting her hair. The high-strung, double-talker had disappeared and was replaced with a fragile, damsel in distress.
In the other room was Xabat Slute. His arms were folded over his broad chest. He had a frown on his face, but it was the remorseful kind.
“It was all her idea. She’s the one who hit Tony over the head with the shovel. She’s the one who tied his arms behind his back,” he told the officer in the room who was getting his statement. “She had this idea that with my family out of the way, we could run the orchard the way we wanted.”