by Gibson, Jo
Nita stepped back just as the killer’s arm came down, narrowly missing her head. She tried to run, but her foot was tangled in an electrical cable. She tugged, hard, and something snapped. The jungle noises stopped abruptly, and all she could hear was her own tortured breathing. And then she caught sight of the killer’s face, grotesque with rage. Nita opened her mouth to scream, but the tire iron came down too fast for her to utter a single sound.
Eighteen
Judy took a sip of water. Her hands were trembling, and her mouth was dry. After the guard had found Nita’s body, Detective Davis had asked them all to come down to the station to give statements.
“And what did you do when Miss Cordoza didn’t come back to join you?”
Judy sighed deeply. “I said I’d go see if she was all right. I had heard her say that she was going to the ladies’ room.”
“What did you do when you discovered that she wasn’t there?”
“I looked around in the halls. I thought maybe she’d stopped at some exhibit and lost track of the time.”
“How long was it before you went back to get the boys?”
Judy sighed again. “I don’t know for sure. I didn’t look at my watch.”
“What happened when you got back to pre-Columbian room?”
“I told the guys that I couldn’t find Nita, and we split up to look for her.” Judy took another sip of water. “We were all wearing watches so we agreed to look for twenty minutes, and meet back in the lobby.’
“You didn’t think there was anything wrong?”
“No.” Judy shook her head. “We just thought Nita was looking at something on her own. I don’t think any of us even thought about . . . about the killer.”
“And when you all met in the lobby after your search, you notified the guard?”
Judy nodded. “That’s right, sir. By then we were getting nervous. Nita had been missing for a long time. That’s when I thought about the killer. But I didn’t say anything to Michael or Berto.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t want to say it because . . . well . . . I was afraid that if I’d said it out loud, it might come true. I guess that’s kind of crazy, isn’t it?”
“No, not really.” Detective Davis looked very understanding. “Now I want you to tell me what was running through your mind when you all split up to look for Nita. Where did you go?”
“I looked in the restaurant first. I thought maybe she might have gotten hungry and gone in there to buy a snack. And I checked the patio area where we’d eaten our lunch. After that, I retraced our footsteps, all the way back to the entrance.”
“Why did you do that?”
Judy frowned slightly. “I thought maybe Nita had dropped something, and she’d gone back to try to find it. I kept thinking I’d run into her any second, standing in front of some display, reading one of those little plaques. Nita always read the plaques.”
“Did you look in the diorama section?”
Judy nodded. “Yes, I did. That’s where we were going next, and it occurred to me that Nita might be waiting for us there. I went to the North American section first, the one with the polar bears, and the penguins. I ran into an elderly couple standing in front of the wolves. She was sketching the grey wolf, so I figured they’d been there for awhile. I asked them if they’d seen Nita, and they told me that no one else had come in for at least an hour.”
“And then you went across the hall to the other diorama section?”
“Yes.” Judy’s voice started to shake. “I walked through the whole thing. And I noticed that the sound system wasn’t working at the . . . the big diorama at the end of the hall. But I had no idea that Nina’s foot was tangled in the speaker cords!”
Judy’s voice quavered, and she took the tissue Detective Davis handed her to wipe her eyes. “I’ll never forgive myself, Detective Davis. I should have told the guard that the sound system wasn’t working!”
“That’s all right, Miss Lampert.” Detective Davis’ voice was kind. “There’s no way you could have known that your friend was inside the diorama.”
“But I should have been smart enough to realize that something was wrong! If I’d just mentioned it to the guard, he would have found Nita right away. And then we could have called for an ambulance and . . .”
“Look, Miss Lampert . . .” Detective Davis interrupted her. “An ambulance wouldn’t have helped. Your friend died instantly.”
Judy shuddered, and took another sip of her water.
“I have only a few more questions, if you feel up to it.”
“Of course.” Judy drew a deep, shaking breath. “I’d like to help, but I don’t know what else I can tell you.”
“Let’s go back to the last time you saw Miss Cordoza. You were in the pre-Columbian room?”
“No. We were looking at a display of rocks and minerals in the hallway. That’s when Nita excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.”
“And Miss Cordoza’s brother and Michael Warden were with you?”
Judy nodded. “Michael told Nita that she should take her time. We’d go on to the pre-Columbian room and she could meet us in there.”
“What happened after Miss Cordoza left?”
“We looked at the rock exhibit for a while, and then we went into the pre-Columbian room. We looked at everything so it must have taken us at least fifteen minutes or so. I was showing Michael and Berto the scale model of the Aztec temple when I realized that Nita had been gone for quite a while.”
“The two boys were with you all that time?”
“Yes.” Judy nodded. “I left to look for Nita in the ladies’ room and they stayed right there in front of the temple. When I came back to tell them that I couldn’t find Nita, we split up to search for her. I already told you where I went.”
Detective Davis looked down at his notes. “You went to the restaurant first. And then you went back to all the exhibits you’d seen before. Is that right?”
“That’s right. And then I went to the diorama, and—oh! I almost forgot to tell you. I went out to the parking lot again, to see if I recognized any of the cars.”
“Why did you do that?”
“I told everybody at Covers that we were coming to the museum. I thought maybe Nita had run into somebody she knew, and was sitting out in the car with them. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense, I guess I was starting to panic.”
Detective Davis jotted down a note. “You say you told everyone at Covers that you were going to the museum?”
“That’s right. I asked them to join us if they could. But nobody showed up.”
“Thank you, Miss Lampert.” Detective Davis stood up. “You’ve been very helpful. If you remember anything else, I want you to call me.”
Judy stood up. The interview was over. “Yes, sir. Was there . . . uh . . . did you find another arrow?”
Detective Davis looked grim as he nodded. “You’re free to go, Miss Lampert. Thank you for your cooperation. I’ll have someone transcribe your statement, and I’d like you to drop by tomorrow to sign it.”
“I’ll be glad to do that.” Judy started for the door. “Is Berto through yet?”
“He left with his family, right after we finished taking his statement.”
“Oh. Of course.” Judy winced slightly. “Poor Berto. Is he all right?”
Detective Davis nodded. “He’s doing fine, under the circumstances. We told him he could wait until tomorrow to be interviewed, but he said he’d rather do it tonight, when things were fresh in his mind.”
“How about Michael? He rode with me.”
“I think you’d better go on without him. He’ll be here for a while.”
Judy began to frown. That sounded very ominous. Surely they didn’t think Michael had anything to do with Nita’s death? “Will it be long? I could wait,” she said.
“That’s not necessary, Miss Lampert. We’ll give him a ride home when we’re through questioning him.”
Judy walked o
ut to the parking lot, her heart pounding hard in her chest. Detective Davis said they were “questioning” Michael, and he’d referred to the statements they’d taken from her and from Berto as “interviews.” They did suspect Michael!
Judy’s hands were shaking as she took out her keys and opened the door to her Volvo. She was going to drive straight home, and wait for the police to bring Michael back. She’d catch him before he went into his house, and find out exactly what Detective Davis had asked him. Michael hadn’t killed Nita. That was one thing she knew for certain!
It took only a few minutes to get home. It was seven o’clock on a Sunday night, and there was very little traffic. Judy pulled into the garage, shut off the engine, and leaned back in the seat with a sigh. Michael would be very upset when he came home from the police station, and he’d mentioned that his parents were gone for the weekend. There was no way she was going to let him go home to an empty house with no one to talk to.
Judy got out of her car, and headed for the house with a smile on her face. She’d tell Marta to make some of her special sandwiches, and she’d watch for Michael to come home. Then she’d invite him to come over and have a bite to eat. They’d sit out on the patio, and Judy would be sure to turn on the jacuzzi so that they could relax in the hot, steamy water. Michael would need a friend tonight . . . a very special friend who could love and comfort him. Tonight was the night. Tonight Michael would finally realize that Judy was the one girl in the world who would always be there for him.
Nineteen
It was almost midnight, and Judy and Michael were in the jacuzzi, sipping wine. Judy had set a tray of snacks right next to the jacuzzi, but Michael had barely touched his favorite aged cheddar or the hard salami Judy knew he loved. He’d told her he was too upset to eat, and Judy couldn’t blame him. He’d looked awful when the police had brought him home around eleven. There had been dark circles under his eyes, and his hands had been shaking. Judy knew he’d had a terrible experience at police headquarters, but he hadn’t wanted to talk about it then. He’d told her that they would discuss it later, and Judy was patiently waiting for Michael to bring it up.
“Thanks, Jude.” Michael leaned back in the steamy water, and sighed deeply. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You always seem to be there when I’m feeling awful.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Judy’s voice was soft. “I love you, Michael.”
Michael draped a friendly arm around her shoulders. “And I love you, too. You’re one in a million, little sis.”
Judy could feel her frustration grow. Michael was so near and yet so far. His arm was warm around her shoulder, and he’d told her that he loved her. The action was right. The words were perfect. But she knew he still thought of her as his little sister.
“I’m not your sister, Michael.” Judy kept her voice soft, but she could hear the tension behind her words. “We’re not even related.”
Michael grinned. It came out lopsided, but Judy didn’t mind. “Don’t tell that to Detective Davis. I’m trying to pass you off as my sister so he’ll let you visit me in jail.”
It was a lame joke, but Judy laughed. At least Michael was trying. And hearing him try to joke was better than watching him stare at the surface of the water with troubled eyes. Then the full implication of what he’d said hit her like a blow to the stomach. “Jail? What do you mean?”
“They asked me about the arrows, Jude.” Michael pulled her a little closer until she was snuggled up against his side. “I had to tell them. They would have found out from my parents, anyway.”
Judy nodded. “Did you tell them the shed wasn’t locked?”
“I told them, but I don’t think it made any difference. They think I’m the serial killer.”
Judy stared up at Michael’s face. He looked very anxious. “Don’t worry, Michael. They can’t arrest you unless they have proof. And they can’t prove you killed anybody!”
“I know. But innocent people have been convicted before.”
Judy shivered. Michael had a point. She’d read about people convicted for murder who weren’t released until years later, after the real killer confessed. “I don’t understand, Michael. You had no reason to kill those girls. Why do they think you did it?”
“They’ve got this crazy theory. They think I was angry with the girls because they wouldn’t sleep with me. And so I . . . I killed them.”
“That is crazy!” Judy wrapped her arms around Michael’s waist and held him tightly. “You have to prove them wrong.”
“That’s easy for you to say. How am I going to do that?”
Judy almost laughed out loud as an idea popped into her head. It was brilliant and it accomplished exactly what she’d set out to do tonight. “It’s simple, Michael. You sleep with a girl, and you don’t kill her. That’ll prove their theory is wrong.”
Michael threw back his head and laughed. “Very funny, Jude. I’m sure there are millions of girls out there who would love to sleep with me, just so I can prove I won’t kill them. All I have to do is ask, right?”
“That’s right.” Judy gave him a big smile. “Ask me. I’ll do it.”
Michael’s mouth dropped open. “What?!”
“I’ll sleep with you. And then I’ll go down to police headquarters in the morning, and I’ll tell them exactly what happened. That ought to shoot their silly theory all to hell.”
Michael blinked, and stared at her hard. “You’d actually—I mean, you really would—Jude!”
“I shocked you.” Judy managed to sound contrite. “I’m sorry, Michael. But I do love you. And it would solve all your problems.”
“That’s insane. That’s utterly, completely insane!”
“Why?” Judy put on her sexiest smile, and ran her fingertips over his chest. “Don’t you want to sleep with me?”
“I . . . look, Jude. I never really thought about it before. I mean, you’re like a little sister to me. It would be like—like incest!”
“I told you before, we’re not related. So it couldn’t possibly be incest. Don’t you find me attractive, Michael?”
Michael swallowed hard. “Sure. I mean, you’re very pretty, and you’re my best friend and all, but . . . look, Jude. This whole thing is crazy. It won’t work.”
Judy knew it was time to take charge. Michael obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. But she was. Since he’d never considered her as a possible lover, it would take him awhile to get used to the idea. In the meantime, she’d help him out a little by proving to him that she was sexy and desirable.
“It will work, Michael. I’ll show you.” Judy slipped her arms around Michael’s shoulders and brushed her lips against his neck. She heard him gasp, and she smiled. Michael might not realize it, but it was working just fine. His heart was racing and she’d heard him groan, low in his throat. “See? I told you it would work. Just relax, Michael. I’ll take care of everything.”
Before Michael could react, Judy pulled his face to hers and kissed him. She had to be careful. She didn’t want to scare him with the depth of her passion. She kissed him softly at first, just brushing her lips against his. But then her self-control began to slip. The man of her dreams was in her arms. She’d waited so long for this moment!
Michael groaned again as her tongue began to probe his mouth. He was fighting to keep from kissing her back. But he couldn’t resist for long, Judy knew that. And he didn’t. He grabbed her roughly and pulled her tightly against him, almost bruising her lips with the intensity of his kiss.
“Oh, yes!” Judy rubbed her body against his, her breasts pressing tightly against his chest. Michael wasn’t resisting now. His hands moved swiftly over her back, rubbing, caressing her satiny skin, releasing the hook on the top of her bikini.
Together, they moved into deeper water, feeling the hot, rushing water flow past their joined bodies. Judy felt as if she were floating on a sea of pure, heavenly heat. She ground her body against his, and he pulled her even more tightly against him. Th
ere was no stopping now. She would be one with the man she’d loved in secret for so long.
And then, abruptly, he thrust her from him so fiercely that she almost fell. There was anguish in his eyes as he stood and faced her. And then he spoke the words that drove arrows of pain straight into her heart.
“No, Jude. It’s not right. I’d never forgive myself if I took advantage of you.”
“But you aren’t taking advantage of me!” Judy rose from the water like a modern Venus, her breasts marble white in the moonlight. The night was cool, and the sudden chill in the air matched the bleak void that had suddenly invaded her heart. “I want you, Michael. I want you so much!”
“I told you, Jude. This isn’t right. Don’t you see? We’re friends. We’re good friends. I don’t want to be more than that.”
Judy felt a flash of pure rage. It rushed through her body like a raging fire, and suddenly she wasn’t cold any longer. Michael had kissed all those other girls. He’d hugged them and caressed them and made love to them. Why was he was playing hard to get with her?
Because she was the one who mattered to him. The moment it occurred to her, Judy began to smile. Of course! Michael hadn’t really cared what the other girls thought of him. He hadn’t wanted a lasting relationship with any of them. But he did with her. And that was the reason he didn’t want to spoil things between them by rushing into bed with her.
“Oh, Michael!” Judy threw her arms around his neck again, and rubbed her breasts against his warm chest “I understand. Really, I do. But you don’t have to worry that you’re rushing me. I’m ready, Michael. I know that we were born to be together.”
Michael stood there like a statue, but that didn’t matter. Judy pulled his head down and forced his lips against hers. She’d make him respond to her! One taste of her willing lips, and he’d forget all about his worries.
“Jude . . . please.”
Michael stepped back so quickly, Judy almost fell. But she wasn’t discouraged. She’d felt his lips warm against hers, right before he’d pulled away. And he was trembling, another sign that he wanted her. Michael wasn’t immune to her charms. Far from it. All she had to do was give him no choice.