Fatal Footsteps

by Brenda Donelan

  “No idea what she was doing,” Eddie said.

  “How about Cami? How did you meet her?” Marlee asked.

  “I’d see her when I stopped in to 7-11. She gave me her number. I called her, and she came over. End of story.”

  “What did Beth think of you and Cami being together? Did she get jealous?” Marlee asked.

  “Don’t know. Like I said, baby, I’m a rocker, and I don’t have any use for a girlfriend. Now, unless you’re going to take your clothes off, I think it’s time for you to go,” Eddie said, getting to his feet more quickly than Marlee would have predicted.

  She jumped to her feet and edged toward the door. “Yeah, thanks for your time, Eddie.” She opened the door and was nearing the car when the door opened.

  “See you around,” Eddie said, giving Marlee a lecherous look.

  Marlee jogged to Cami’s car and swung open the passenger side door. “What a pig! What do you see in him?”

  Cami jumped. She’d been so into Night Songs by Cinderella that she hadn’t noticed Marlee approach the vehicle. “Whoa!” she shouted in surprise. “What happened?”

  She took a deep breath, wondering how much of Eddie’s creepy behavior she should share with Cami. Erring on the side of caution, Marlee said, “I’d be careful around him if I were you.”

  “Why? What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Um, well, I think he has a lot of girlfriends. He seemed to think you two were just casually seeing each other rather than in a serious relationship,” Marlee said gently. She and Cami were not friends. In fact, Marlee didn’t have much time for her, but she didn’t want to see Cami or any woman involved with this loser.

  “Hmmm… looks like somebody’s jealous,” snapped Cami as she put the car into gear and drove away.

  “Yeah, that’s it,” Marlee said, all of a sudden not really caring if Cami was being used by Eddie.

  They rode home in silence, and Cami fast-walked ahead of Marlee into the dorm, slamming the entry door behind her as Marlee approached. She went to her room to find Jasmine back from her group project.

  “How’s the group project going?” Marlee asked, not really caring, but trying to think of something to discuss other than Beth.

  “You’ll never guess who’s in my group now!” Jasmine shouted, not waiting for Marlee to guess. “It’s Nick, the guy who’s always talking to me! I’m so pissed!”

  For the first time that day, Marlee laughed. It felt good to find something funny, even if it was at her roommate’s expense. “Jazz, I bet you two will end up together before the end of the semester.”

  “Sick! I don’t think so,” Jasmine said, making a face. “He’s totally not my type.”

  “You sure spend a lot of time talking about a guy that’s not your type,” Marlee observed. “Maybe you like him more than you think.”

  “Instead of interfering in my love life, maybe you should focus on your own,” snapped Jasmine, not ready to accept Marlee’s assertion. “By the way, how’s it going with Paul?” she asked, knowing full well that Marlee’s one and only contact with him had been at the party at Stairway to Hell.

  “I have class with him tomorrow afternoon. I’ll probably talk to him then.”

  “Yeah, right,” Jasmine mumbled under her breath.

  “You think I won’t?” Marlee challenged.

  “That’s exactly what I think. You’re too chicken to do anything,” Jasmine said.

  Getting agitated, Marlee temporarily forgot her anxiety about approaching Paul. “I think you might be very surprised at what I have to report tomorrow after class.” She had no idea what she was talking about, but in the next twenty hours she should be able to think of something.

  “Riiiiiight,” said Jasmine in a dismissive tone. “Let’s go to supper. I’m hungry.”

  Marlee’s hunger overrode her agitation with her roommate. Jasmine could attract men right and left, to Marlee’s chagrin. She didn’t harbor jealousy toward her roommate, but wondered how she could go about gaining male interest at the drop of a hat. Maybe Marlee was a little jealous.

  They went upstairs to the dorm cafeteria, and after selecting their meal, they sat at a small table, eating in silence. Marlee selected a hamburger, onion rings, and a large orange juice. Jasmine ate a grilled ham and cheese with fries and a Coke. The silence didn’t last long, as Cami and her posse strode by and stopped near their table.

  “That’s her,” Cami shrieked, pointing at Marlee. “She’s the one who tried to steal my boyfriend!”

  Friends can be the biggest backstabbers of them all. At least that’s my experience.

  Chapter 9

  “Are you mental?” Marlee yelled, standing up to confront Cami who stood before them with her hands on her hips.

  “I just called Eddie, and he told me everything! He said you hit on him and told him that I was seeing other guys,” Cami hissed, her face getting redder with each sentence.

  “Are you kidding me? Eddie is one of the grossest guys I’ve ever met. He’s old, dirty, and not a nice guy. I wouldn’t go out with him if you paid me five hundred dollars,” Marlee said.

  “You lie! I’ve had to deal with girls like you my whole life. You act all nice then try to take what’s mine,” Cami said, her voice cracking with emotion.

  “I swear that I didn’t hit on Eddie. He said if I wasn’t going to take my clothes off, then I should leave,” Marlee reported, shuddering at the memory.

  “Yeah, right,” Cami bellowed as she reached over and slapped Marlee hard across the face. “Stay away from Eddie, or you’ll be sorry!”

  The cafeteria, normally loud and bustling with activity, was completely quiet. Marlee blushed and put her hand to her sore cheek. She was in pain, but more than anything, she was embarrassed. Everyone in the cafeteria heard the accusations by Cami and saw her slap Marlee.

  Jasmine stood up and grabbed their dining trays. “Come on. Let’s go.” Marlee walked self-consciously out of the dining room while her roommate dumped the remainder of their unfinished meals and caught up to her. Marlee had never been more thankful in her life. The accusations and the slap had both paralyzed her into inaction. Jasmine took the reins and led Marlee back to their room.

  “Is this one of those things you can’t tell me about?” Jasmine asked, once they were in the privacy of their room.

  Marlee hesitated. Officer Stevens asked her to talk to Cami, but going over to Eddie’s trailer had been her own idea. She decided to confide in Jasmine with at least some of the information. “After you and Kristie told me what Cami said about Beth being pregnant, I went to talk to her. She finally admitted that she was seeing Eddie, Beth’s former boyfriend. I had her take me over to his trailer, and I talked to him alone for a bit. He’s so gross. Anyway, he admitted sleeping with both Beth and Cami, but denied he was the father of Beth’s baby. Eddie was concerned about women trying to trap him with a child, so he showed me his big stash of condoms.”

  “Ick!” Jasmine made a face. “Cami was seeing the same guy Beth was dating?”

  “He’s so gross, Jazz. I have no idea what Beth or Cami saw in him. He told me he isn’t dating anyone, he’s just having a good time. What I said earlier about him telling me to take off my clothes is true.”

  “Why did Cami say you were trying to lure him away from her?”

  “He probably told her that to cover his tracks. Eddie’s just interested in sex and wants to make sure Cami keeps coming over. I bet he thought I told her about him hitting on me,” Marlee said.

  “Why didn’t you tell her what he said and did?” Jasmine asked.

  “Because I was trying to spare her feelings. I’m no fan of Cami’s, but he said some really cruel things that would crush her. I didn’t want to tell her. I just wanted to warn her that he was a major pig,” Marlee declared. “Now I don’t really care about her feelings. Next time I see Cami, I’m going to tell her everything Eddie said.” Marlee checked her face in the mirror. Her left cheek was red from the slap and ten
der to the touch.

  “At least she didn’t punch you in the eye. Or break your nose.” Jasmine tried to lighten the mood. She was normally the one who saw the worst in every situation, but now she stepped up and helped bolster her roommate’s spirits.

  After catching up on her reading for Monday’s classes, Marlee took her notebook and went to bed. She turned on the small reading light she had next to the wall on her lofted bed. Before going to sleep, she recorded everything that happened that day pertinent to Beth’s case; the conversation with Officer Stevens, her talk with Cami, meeting Eddie at his trailer, and Cami’s confrontation in the cafeteria. Her head swam with information, none of which seemed to fit together. Why would Beth be involved with Eddie, a guy that anyone could see was a total loser? Beth drank too much, even by college standards, but she was cute, fun, and smart. She wouldn’t have any problem finding a decent guy. Why Beth spent time with Eddie was nearly as mysterious as her death. The more Marlee found out about Beth, the less she understood her friend.

  Classes the next day went as normally as could be expected, given the death of a student. Rumors continued to circulate, and Marlee heard claims that Beth was a drug dealer, that she had ties to a Satanic cult, and that she died as a result of a hit-and-run accident. Although she didn’t believe any of the stories, she listened carefully as the students in her classes discussed Beth. Marlee wondered how many of them actually knew her.

  Death has a tendency to make people think they had a closer relationship to the deceased than actually existed. A mere acquaintance becomes a dear friend once death makes a visit. In psych class last semester, they discussed how people want to feel important and will place themselves at the center of a disaster even if they have no involvement in it. Another thing Marlee learned was that information is power. It doesn’t even have to be correct, it’s just important that the teller have an audience. That’s why gossip is so powerful. The person spreading the information, whether it’s true, false, or both, identifies as the dispenser of knowledge. In uncertain times, people want information, and that’s what gossips provide.

  Anxious to continue eavesdropping on conversations about Beth, Marlee ate lunch by herself in the Student Union rather than going back to her dorm room. After that, she went to the library to listen in on more conversations and see if she knew anyone she could visit with about the tragedy.

  At long last, it was time for criminology class, and she would be meeting with Officer Stevens to share their findings. She was anxious to hear of the autopsy results. Making her way to her usual seat in the second row, Marlee glanced around looking for Officer Stevens. He wasn’t there, but one of the guys he usually sat with was present. Toward the back of classroom sat Paul. Marlee smiled at him and he gave her a nod.

  Dr. Eisner walked in and began chatting with students in the first row. He was a portly man, always sporting a nondescript suit and tie. He was eccentric, as most university professors tend to be. His main idiosyncrasy was rearranging his office five times each semester, including the floor-to-ceiling bookcases.

  As Professor Eisner paced back and forth, glancing at his watch every thirty seconds, he continued talking about a recent episode of Cheers and his thoughts about it. Marlee was fascinated by all topics this man chose to espouse upon. She was a sponge and soaked up everything he had to say. It always pleased her that Dr. Eisner knew her name. She assumed she was a nobody in the large classrooms and when she needed to meet with her professors she always introduced herself and mentioned the class of theirs she was taking. After the second time she did this, Dr. Eisner said, “Yes, Marlee. I know who you are.”

  When it was time for class to begin, the professor activated the projector and darkened the room. He flipped a flimsy, plastic overhead on the projector and began talking about mala in se and mala prohibita crimes. “Mala in se crimes are those acts we believe are evil; like murder. On the other hand, mala prohibita crimes are acts that are criminalized just because we think they should be. An example is driving under the influence. It’s not an evil act, but as a society we prohibit drinking and driving because of the possibility of car accidents and deaths.” Dr. Eisner engaged the class in a discussion, challenging them to justify why a crime was mala in se or mala prohibita. Marlee was so engaged, she forgot to look behind her to see if Barry Stevens had slipped in during the discussion.

  Class ended way too soon for Marlee’s liking. She knew she would take every class she could with Dr. Eisner because he was so intelligent and interesting. As she gathered up her belongings, she remembered Barry Stevens and glanced around looking for him. He exited the classroom without even glancing in her direction.

  “Barry, wait!” Marlee called out as she ran after the police officer. He didn’t turn around and kept walking down the hallway toward the exit. She caught up to him and grabbed the arm of his coat.

  “Let go,” he hissed as he jerked his arm free. “I can’t be seen with you.” He continued to walk and talk out of the side of his mouth as if that would fool people into thinking he wasn’t actually talking to her.

  “What’s the deal? I want to find out about the autopsy results” Marlee said, nearly jogging to keep up with Barry.

  “I can’t tell you anything. We had a meeting before my shift, and the captain said anyone leaking information about the case will get suspended. I’m hoping for promotion as soon as I get my degree, so I can’t talk to you. There is another officer taking this class, and I don’t want him to see me talking to you.” Barry continued walking and talking in low tones.

  Marlee had to do some quick thinking, or she would lose her source of information. “Barry, you’re not married are you?”

  “What?” He looked at her like she was a crazy woman.

  “Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?” Marlee asked.

  “No. Why? What does that have to do anything?” Barry asked, irritated.

  Marlee dropped her coat and book bag in the hallway. When she saw the other officer from criminology approaching, she grabbed Barry, pushed him against the wall, and kissed him. To her surprise, Barry responded with enthusiasm. A few students made rude comments as they walked by, and somebody whistled.

  When they broke free, Barry looked at Marlee with a dopey expression, instantly falling for her. “I didn’t know you thought…”

  Marlee interrupted him before things could get out of hand. “Now everyone will assume we’re going out. So, you can tell me what’s going on in the case.” She picked her things up from the floor and grabbed Barry’s hand as they continued to walk.

  Barry Stevens was a dim bulb, and she felt bad for giving him the wrong idea. Marlee was no more interested in the police officer than she was the Easter Bunny. He wore a befuddled expression, unsure if he and Marlee had a connection. His lips tried to form words, but no sound came out of his mouth. After a few tries, he gave up.

  They walked, hand in hand, out to the parking lot. When they got to his car, Marlee let herself in the unlocked passenger door. When he was settled inside, she clarified what was happening. “Thanks for playing along. I know the guy you sit with works at the PD, so I made sure he saw us kissing. Now all you have to do is tell him we’re going out, and he will probably spread the word all over the department. Then you won’t have to worry about someone thinking you’re telling me secrets about the case.”

  Beginning to clue in to the ruse, Barry put both hands on the steering wheel, deep in thought. The more he thought, the redder his face became. “So, I’m supposed to make it known that we’re going out, but we really aren’t?”

  “Right,” Marlee said, still feeling guilty. “I hope you didn’t get the wrong idea...”

  “Oh, no, no, not at all!” Barry spoke a little too loudly and a little too nonchalantly to be believable, still blushing. “This should work perfectly. I assume you’ll tell your friends about us.”

  Marlee hadn’t thought about that. She planned to carry on as usual and let Barry tell his friends and co-
workers of their pretend-dating status. She didn’t want to be weighed down with a boyfriend, not even a pretend one.

  “I guess if it comes up, I’ll tell them,” Marlee said. She didn’t want to ruin her chances with Paul. Barry looked hurt, but didn’t comment.

  “So, what were the results of the autopsy?” Marlee asked, finally getting back to the real reason they were meeting; the investigation into the death of Beth Van Dam.

  “The coroner didn’t find any injuries other than broken fingers. He thought she broke them when she fell to the frozen ground. There was nothing to indicate she had been shot, stabbed, strangled, or otherwise killed by another person. Beth’s blood alcohol level was 0.42, which is nearly dead. He ruled her death accidental. Based on the autopsy and the crime scene, it looks like Beth drank way too much and then tried to walk back to the dorm but fell down and passed out. Then she froze to death before anyone found her,” Barry reported. “With that amount of alcohol in her system, she was on the verge of passing out. When Beth hit the ground, she either knocked herself out or passed out right away. Either way, she wouldn’t have felt any pain when she died.”

  “There weren’t any drugs in her system? Just alcohol?” Marlee asked.

  “No drugs, but the amount of alcohol was at a lethal level. The heart can stop and so can respiration when someone has that much to drink. She could have just as easily died inside the party from the amount she drank.”

  “Was Beth pregnant?” Marlee asked, wondering if Cami’s claims were true.

  “Yes, she was. About six weeks along,” Barry said. “Here’s what makes me mad. Why was Beth drinking if she knew she was pregnant? Everybody knows it’s bad for the baby if the mother drinks.”

  Marlee was at a loss for words as she thought about Beth’s pregnancy and her gross ex-boyfriend who might be the father of the child. “I talked with Beth’s ex-boyfriend, Eddie, and he said they slept together several times but that he always wore protection. He laughed when I asked him if they were exclusive. Apparently, Eddie isn’t exclusive with anyone. When I asked him if Beth was seeing other guys, he said he didn’t know. And I don’t think he really cared.” Marlee detailed the rest of her conversations with Eddie and Cami, including Cami’s assertion that she tried to steal Eddie away.