by Lee Hollis
“Mason? Are you here?”
Hayley and Mason momentarily froze.
Hayley’s arms in the air.
Mason’s hands wrapped around her wrists.
Their faces close like they were locked in some kind of dancer’s embrace in the middle of a macabre waltz and the music had suddenly stopped.
Sabrina walked into the room.
The sight of them still like statues startled her.
“What’s . . . what’s going on here?”
Mason released his grip on Hayley but kept his eyes firmly fixed on her as he spoke quietly to Sabrina. “Hayley just dropped by for an unannounced visit . . . again.”
“I saw that you called, Hayley. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to get back to you. I was—”
Mason interrupted her. “Your instincts were right, Hayley. I thought about taking her out on the boat. It would have been so quick and easy. All I had to do was ask her for a beer and when she was bent over the cooler I could just pick her up by the legs and toss her over the side . . .”
“Mason, what are you talking about?”
“But why rush it? I love it here in Bar Harbor. I’m having such a good time. Sightseeing in the park, gorging on lobster, whale watching. Tomorrow I’m even thinking of renting a kayak. Doesn’t that sound like fun? If I knocked off Sabrina too early, there would be all this drama and I’d have to cut my vacation short. At least with Ivy and Nykki there was no real personal connection so the police didn’t hound me too much.”
Sabrina rushed him. “Ivy? Nykki? Mason, are you saying—?”
He slapped her hard across the face.
She yelped and fell back on the bed.
Hayley eyed the door.
But Mason was too fast for her.
He rushed over and slammed it shut.
And then he stood in front of it like a guard dog.
Trapping all of them inside the bedroom.
“How did you find out about how your father really died?”
“A little homeless woman told me,” Mason sneered.
“Vanda Spears?”
“Once I figured out who my father was, I had to know the truth about his death. I never believed the official story. So I traveled to the town where it happened. Bar Harbor, Maine. And I started asking questions. I found the now retired real estate agent who rented the place to him and she happened to mention the crazy fan who constantly hung around outside the gate of the estate hoping to get a glimpse of her idol. That’s what put me into Vanda Spears’ orbit. She wasn’t hard to find. I just had to drive up and down Cottage Street a few times before I spotted her pushing her grocery cart and muttering to herself. The good Samaritan I am I offered to buy her lunch. I managed to get her liquored up real good to the point where she started singing about what she saw that night. Three stuck up bitches running away from the scene leaving my father face down in a swimming pool to drown!”
“Mason, you don’t know the whole story,” Sabrina said, choking on tears.
“Shut up! You don’t get to talk! It’s my turn to talk!”
Sabrina buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
“Once you had their names, I’m sure it was easy to get close to one of them by following her posts on Facebook. Sabrina was a recent divorcee. Visiting her sister in San Diego. Maybe open to the idea of a fling with a younger man after a bitter and exhausting divorce,” Hayley spat out.
“You came looking for me?” Sabrina screamed, infuriated.
Mason ignored her. He kept his eyes on Hayley. “She checked in on Facebook at an ocean front cafe and tagged her sister. I was there within ten minutes. I just happened to casually stroll by their table and stop to introduce myself. I made up being a high diver at Sea World because I knew it would be a real turn on for her. What woman wouldn’t want to bed a stud in a rubber suit who swims with dolphins?” Mason said. “It was so damn easy. She was so damn easy.”
Sabrina sat upright, eyes burning with contempt. But she noticed Mason’s hands both rolled into threatening fists so she remained silent.
He had already hit her once.
“After that, it was a whirlwind romance. I followed her around like a puppy dog and heaped compliments on her about how beautiful she was, how lucky I was to have a woman like her in my life, blah, blah, blah. I didn’t mean a word of it but it certainly did the trick. I had access to her whole life. Her house. Her car. Her old diary I found stuffed in the back of a dresser drawer. That was a real page turner. The desperate scribblings of an eighteen-year-old-girl with a big dark secret. Yearning to relieve herself of all that guilt but there was no one she could share it with because she had made this pact with her two girlfriends never to breathe another word about it. So she took to writing it all down as a way to deal with the trauma.”
“So once the facts were confirmed, you set your plan in motion,” Hayley said. “First Ivy, then Nykki, and now Sabrina.”
“Yes, but unfortunately, I need to add one more name to the list,” Mason said, abruptly turning his head to the left and cracking his neck. “You.”
Before Hayley had time to react, Mason sprinted forward, his hands outstretched, about to wrap them around Hayley’s throat, but Sabrina was suddenly off the bed and seized a lamp off the nightstand and smashed it over Mason’s head, shattering the lamp into pieces.
Mason dropped to the floor, blood running down his forehead.
“Sabrina, run!” Hayley shrieked as she jumped over Mason’s body, grabbing Sabrina by the hand, throwing open the bedroom door, and dragging her out of the room, not looking back.
They were half way across the living room, the front door within reach, when Hayley sensed someone running up fast behind her.
Sabrina flung open the door and ran outside screaming.
Before Hayley could pass the threshold, she felt a tug on her shirt collar and then she was being jerked back inside.
She struggled in the iron tight grasp of Mason, who violently hurled her to the floor. Her head cracked on the hard wood and for a moment she was disoriented.
She turned over and looked up at Mason, who was now standing over her, his chest heaving, blood all over his face, a wild murderous look in his eyes.
Hayley tried to get up but he pinned her to the floor with a foot to the chest. Then he looked around, his eyes settling on the Paul Bunyan statue on the wooden desk. It was within arm’s reach. He grabbed it in his fist and raised it over his head.
He gripped it with both hands.
He was going to bludgeon her to death.
Just like he did to Ivy Foster.
She fought with all her might to escape but he was too strong. He then dropped to one knee, using his other to pin Hayley firmly to the floor. He was close enough now to get the job done.
Just as he swung the statue down to strike his first blow, a loud gun shot rang out.
Hayley screamed and squeezed her eyes shut.
There were a few moments of silence.
When she opened her eyes, Mason was still kneeling there, the statue still in his hand, a surprised look on his face.
And then he toppled over, landing on the hard wood floor next to Hayley, breathing heavily and moaning in pain.
Hayley looked up to see Sergio, gripping his pistol, shell shocked that he actually had to use it.
Randy was in the doorway with a distraught, almost catatonic Sabrina, gripping her arm so she didn’t faint and drop to the floor.
Sergio marched over to Mason and rolled him over. “Just a flesh wound. He’ll live.”
Randy left Sabrina quivering at the door and bolted over to his sister and leaned down and drew her into a tight hug.
“I thought I was a goner,” Hayley said, fighting back tears.
“Did you honestly think I was going to let you come here alone? Of course I called Sergio immediately and told him we had to get over here to make sure nothing happened to my favorite sister.”
“I’m your only sister,” Hayley s
aid, smiling.
“Semantics,” Randy said, gently holding Hayley close to him while kissing her on the top of the head.
Chapter 36
Hayley drove Sabrina, who was too shaken up to do anything, least of all drive, to the police station personally. They had left a few minutes after Randy and Sergio, who drove off with Mason Cassidy handcuffed in the back of the squad car. It took that long for Hayley to try and calm down Sabrina, who wasn’t having an easy time after such a close brush with death. But finally, her sobs and whimpering subsided and she was ready to go to the police station and come clean about everything.
Hayley felt sorry for the former county coroner, who just stared out the passenger side window the entire ride, a blank look on her face.
When Hayley pulled her car into an empty space in the police station lot, she turned to Sabrina, trying to find the right words to say.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through this,” Hayley said in a whisper. “But at least it’s finally over.”
Sabrina plucked some tissue out of her bag and dabbed at her cheeks. “I wish it was over, Hayley, but I’m afraid this ordeal is just beginning. We both know I’ll probably go to prison for the part I played in Julian Reed’s death.”
Hayley was at a loss for words.
The idea of Sabrina Merryweather doing hard time was beyond comprehension.
With a steely resolve, Sabrina took a deep breath and got out of the car.
Hayley jumped out and rushed to catch up to her as she ascended the steps into the lobby of the station.
Hayley squeezed Sabrina’s shoulder as a show of moral support.
Officer Donnie was there waiting for them and escorted Sabrina to the interrogation room.
Sergio came out of the booking room with Mason Cassidy, who had already been patched up at the hospital. He kept his head down, his face sullen, as Sergio led him to a jail cell, deposited him inside with little fanfare, and locked him up.
He walked back to Hayley.
“Booked him on two murders and two attempted murders. He’s going down for quite some time,” Sergio said.
“What about Sabrina?”
“I don’t see the district attorney prosecuting her after hearing all the facts of the case. But I’ve been wrong before. Keep your fingers crossed.”
Randy scooted out of Sergio’s office where he had been waiting for his sister to arrive. “You look like you could use a drink. On me. Let’s go to my bar.”
“You’re the best brother ever,” Hayley sighed as she kissed him on the cheek.
Her cell phone buzzed and she scooped it out of her pants pocket.
“It’s a text from Aaron. He’s at my house waiting for me.”
“Did you two have a date planned for tonight?” Randy asked.
“No. He probably just wants to fill me in on his night chauffeuring Gemma and Oliver to their senior prom. Raincheck?”
“Absolutely! Just promise me you’ll tell me everything!” Randy said, smiling as Hayley turned and hurried out the door.
When she pulled into the driveway at her two story house on Glen Mary Road, she saw Aaron’s car parked in front. She entered through the back into the kitchen but there was no sign of him.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kids were obviously not home.
“Aaron?”
No answer.
She went to grab a bottled water out of the fridge when she noticed a note tacked to the refrigerator door with a Wonder Woman magnet.
Dustin loved Wonder Woman.
Come down to the basement was scrawled on a torn piece of yellow lined notebook paper.
Under normal circumstances, Hayley wouldn’t have hesitated.
But she had just nearly been beaten to death by a crazed killer.
Her nerves were frayed.
She cautiously walked to the battered door that led down to the basement underneath the house. As she slowly opened it, the door creaking, the hinges in need of some oil, she heard music playing.
It was a ballad.
Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”
Hayley’s favorite song from freshman year.
She played it so many nights on her CD player in her bedroom whenever one of her high school crushes ended in disaster.
The song still resonated.
She warily descended to the bottom of the staircase and gasped at what was around the corner.
Her basement was decorated in crepe paper.
There was a mirrored disco ball hung from the ceiling that slowly circled around a makeshift dance floor.
A card table with a blue paper tissue table cloth was set up with finger foods and a large bowl filled with a cherry flavored 7 Up punch. Next to it was a half empty bottle of vodka that was undoubtedly used to spike it.
Taped to the wall was a large printed sign that said, “Welcome Class of ’95.”
Finally, standing in the middle of the dance floor, his face dotted with the reflections from the disco ball, was Aaron, decked out in a retro powder blue tuxedo and spiffy black shoes.
He held his hand out for her to join him.
“What . . . what is all this?” Hayley said, stunned.
“Your senior prom was such a lousy experience for you, I thought it might be nice to recreate it and start all over. Only this time with a better date.”
“Oh, you think so?”
“Come on! I bet that deadbeat you let take you didn’t turn out to be a handsome successful veterinarian, now did he?”
“Actually, he’s a very successful state senator now.”
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, that’s a lie. I think he might be in jail last I heard.”
“I just want you to have a happier night to remember. You deserve it.”
Hayley just stared at him.
“Be honest. Is this coming off sweet or creepy?”
She laughed. “Maybe a little of both.”
“Trust me. I was going for sweet,” Aaron said, his arm still extended, his hand waiting for hers.
Hayley broke into a wide smile and then stepped over to join him.
He took her in his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder.
They held each other tight and did a slow waltz to the song.
“You could’ve picked a song that was a little more upbeat,” Hayley said.
“Gemma told me this was one of your all time favorites.”
“Yes. But whenever I listen to it I want to rip my heart out.”
“Well, it was between this and “Do You Wanna Get Funky,” by C+C Music Factory, and I figured with a slow song I’d get to grope you more.”
“I love a man with a plan.”
Aaron raised Hayley’s head up with a finger underneath her chin and leaned in to gently brush his lips across hers once before going in for a hotter, harder, more forceful kiss.
Hayley’s face flushed.
Her body shivered.
She felt warm and giddy.
And she hadn’t even had one cup of the spiked cherry punch yet.
This guy Aaron knew exactly what he was doing.
And he was certainly right about one thing.
This was going to be a night to remember.
Island Food & Spirits by Hayley Powell
I am tickled pink to announce that I am now the proud mother of a bonafide high school graduate. And I’m just thankful everything went off without a hitch.
Well, almost.
Yesterday we all arrived early to the graduation ceremonies at the high school gym in order to get good seats to watch my daughter graduate.
In tow was my son Dustin, Gemma’s Uncles Randy and Sergio, and honorary Aunts Mona and Liddy.
Mona was carrying a cooler, which she placed on the floor in front of her feet. I assumed it was for the congratulatory get together after the ceremony.
I was wrong.
I had stocked up on plenty of tissues since at times li
ke these I tend to get a little emotional, and I had felt myself on the verge of tears all morning long.
As usual the gym was ungodly hot with all the family and friends of the graduates packed in to view this momentous occasion in their children’s lives.
I couldn’t help but think that it seemed like only yesterday when Mona, Liddy, and I were standing in the back hallway waiting to begin the march through the gym in front of our parents, family, and friends, wearing those green and gold robes and funny little hats with tassels.
I could feel the sweat forming on my skin in the stifling hot gym, so I was grateful for Mona’s foresight when she opened her cooler and started pouring us all some ice cold pink lemonade into plastic cups from the containers she had stashed in the cooler to quench our thirst.
I grabbed mine and practically downed the whole glass in one gulp as did everyone else in our group (except my son who was thankfully nursing a soda)!
Suddenly my eyes bugged out of my head as the drink hit my stomach and exploded.
Oh my god!
She had spiked the lemonade!
All I could squeak out was one word . . . “Mona!”
And cool as a cucumber, she smiled and mouthed the words, “You’re welcome!”
She then looked straight ahead at the stage with that smile still plastered on her face, casually pouring herself some more “lemonade” into her plastic cup.
I could already see tomorrow’s headline in the Island Times . . . “Mother, Her Family, and Friends Arrested for Public Drinking during High School Graduation!”
I would never live that down!
I glanced at Liddy, who was sitting to Mona’s right. She seemed quite content sipping away on her cool lemonade drink. I glanced to my left and saw Randy staring wide-eyed at me and silently mouthing, “I’m already feeling it!”
Sergio, seated to Randy’s left, wouldn’t even look at me. He was the chief of police and he didn’t want to arrest himself so he gently set his cup of “lemonade” down by his feet and pretended to ignore the rest of us.
I just shook my head and thought to myself, “Well, when in Rome . . .”