Over Her Dead Body

by Bradley Bigato

  “Afraid of what?” Becca snapped in a whisper.

  “After we graduated, that summer,” Michael began, “we went camping. April and I slept together. My condom fell off. I…I never told her. I didn’t see her for over a year after that. She must have gotten pregnant.”

  “What? You think…!” Becca snapped a little too loud. There was a pause and Michael heard a door shut like she stepped outside the house. “You think April had a kid and didn’t tell you? Are you friggn crazy?”

  “Well I…”

  “April has never gotten pregnant much less by you! I can’t believe you would think she would do that! Oh and then what, you think she murdered that girl?” There was a pause. Michael didn’t know what to say. “And they actually let you teach?”

  “I thought you said the DNA matched. How else would you explain it?” Michael asked.

  Becca’s voice calmed down. “We don’t know and neither do they. They had to let her go because she passed a physical exam, xray, and lie detector test.”

  Michael’s mood lifted. April wasn’t a killer…or a liar. His eyes welled up with tears. He shouldn’t have doubted her. “I’m sorry Becca, I…I didn’t know how else to explain it. Will she talk to me?”

  There was a long pause while Becca considered this. “Probably. But she’s sleeping right now. And I’m not waking her.”

  “Becca, I need to speak to her so we can get this figured out. I didn’t do this.”

  There was another long pause. “I believe you. But if she gets caught speaking with you, they can arrest her for that. Do you understand that?” Becca asked.

  “Yes, I understand. This phone can’t be traced to me. Look, we have no choice but to figure this out or the police, news people, and public are going to keep coming at us until they have blood! We’ve got to figure this out.”

  “So what are you saying? What do you want me to tell her?”

  “Tell her to meet me tonight. At the place we first kissed. If we can’t figure it out, you have my word, I’ll turn myself in. Agreed?”

  Another long pause. “Fine. But you better not let anything happen to her Michael Bander or so help me…”

  “I know. I got it. Trust me; I’m more afraid of you than the police anyway.” Michael said.

  Michael could almost feel Becca smile on the other end of the line. “You better be.” She said but in a nice voice.

  “No more surprises?” He asked.

  “No more surprises. I didn’t know they would shoot at you.” She said.

  “I know. I don’t blame you for doing what you did. But I love April. I would never hurt her or anybody else for that matter.”

  “What time should she meet you?”

  “How about six? Would that give her enough sleep?”

  “Ya, it should. But Michael…I can’t promise she’ll agree to meet you. But I will tell her.”

  “That’s ok. I’ll understand either way. And if I can’t figure this thing out soon, I’ll turn myself in no matter what.”

  “Good luck. I hope you figure it out. Because I sure as hell can’t.”

  “Thanks. I’ll need it. Give her a hug for me.” Michael said and hung up the phone. It was all on the line now. Either he walks into a trap or her arms. Michael hoped for the latter. He didn’t think his heart would survive another betrayal. Michael backed out of McDonald's and continued his course to Alexandria Bay. He kept dreaming of the amusement park. Maybe his subconscious was trying to tell him something.

  Chapter 37

  It wasn’t the same without her. That’s what Michael was thinking as he spun around on the scrambler. He had time to kill before meeting April. He had to pay to get in so he figured he might as well enjoy some of the rides. He had to admit that nothing could force a smile on your face quite like a roller coaster. But none of it felt right without April here with him.

  As Michael watched all the people coming and going, he pondered what it was that was so exciting about amusement parks. The laughing, the screaming, the smells of buffalo burgers and funnel cakes; Michael came to the conclusion that it was romantic somehow. It was all about sharing the experience with someone. Michael was spinning around on the scrambler from one side to the other. He was noticing that everybody was with someone. Except him. Which is what drew him to the conclusion; it wasn’t the same without her. Michael was pondering this while being spun around. Out and then in. On the last rotation, Michael’s eyes met up with eyes that were eerily familiar. Everything appeared slow motion as Michael locked eyes with a beautiful woman with long brown, curly hair. She was staring right at him. Time seemed to freeze for a split moment and then it sped up again and Michael was being spun to the other side of the ride. When he circled back around and came to a stop, the woman was gone. Michael’s senses were on high alert. A chill ran up his spine. Had the girl recognized him from the news? Was she just waiting on someone, a child perhaps? If so, then why disappear? Michael decided it was time to lay low until evening arrived. He didn’t want to blow any chances of meeting up with April.

  Michael got his hand stamped so he could return to the park and he headed out to the SUV. He kept looking around half expecting to see police cars flooding the parking lot, but none arrived. Maybe she hadn’t recognized him after all. Michael breathed a sigh of relief and hopped into the vehicle anyway. He started the engine, turned the air on, and jumped into the back seats which he folded down flat so he could lay down. Michael looked at the time on the Toyota’s clock; three o’clock. He still had about three hours until April was supposed to meet him. Michael put the time to good use and drifted off to sleep.

  Michael drifted in and out for the next two and a half hours. As five thirty drew near, Michael decided it was time to head back into the park. Michael looked over the gauges of the car. The gas was still near half a tank. He turned it off and pocketed the keys. When he stepped out of the SUV, Michael suddenly remembered that he could be walking into a trap.

  For a moment, his stomach turned and he felt nauseous. He wasn’t going to run anymore. He had already decided; if April sent the police instead, he would allow himself to be brought in. He figured he didn’t have much of a chance proving his innocence from behind bars, but he doubted he was going to figure it out constantly on the run either. No, he couldn’t put more people at risk. The man in the garage was right. If his family had found out a suspected murderer was camping out in the garage, they might never feel completely safe again and he didn’t want to do that to anybody.

  Michael looked around and not seeing any police, headed for the gates. He held out his hand to be checked for a stamp and once again, he was thrust into the world of sounds, smells, and sights. Michael felt like he must stand out like a fox in a henhouse. He made his way alongside the water until he came to the place he remembered from a long time ago.

  There were small vending machines like the ones that vend skittles or m & m’s. Instead of candy, when you place your quarter into the slot and turned the knob, you were rewarded with a handful of food pellets to feed the fish with. There were a couple of children nearby with palmfulls of pellets and were sprinkling them across the water. The surface of the water was filled with heads and bodies of large carp. Their little sucker mouths opened and closed at the surface making little popping sounds as they slurped down the food pellets. The children were giggling at the sounds they made. Michael looked around. Still no sign of April. It suddenly occurred to Michael that April might not remember where they shared their first kiss. That was all he had told Becca. Have her meet me at the place where we shared our first kiss. He had never forgotten, but it was a selfish assumption to think that she would treasure the same memory that they had shared so many years ago. And if she didn’t remember? Then what? Michael shook his head. It was too soon to worry about it. It was still early. She may even be delayed. Or Becca may not have told her; or she could have called the police…Michael was going crazy running the scenarios through his mind. He looked out across the water
and tried to focus on a small sailboat to take his mind off of it. After a few minutes he felt his heart and mind coming back to reality. He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out a quarter. Michael put the quarter in one of the machines and turned the knob. He caught a handful of pellets in his left hand. Suddenly a voice from behind paralyzed him.

  “Are you going to share some of those?”

  Michael turned around and found April standing there smiling at him. She looked as beautiful as she had on the night they had kissed here so many years ago. April was smiling but her eyes were tearing up. Michael’s hand released the pellets and they fell to the ground as he threw his arms around her and pulled her tight. “I thought I had lost you.” He said.

  April pulled back and looked into his eyes. Tears were falling from each cheek. “Michael…I’m…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to do.” She said. “I thought…when they told me that your DNA matched…I thought…” April’s eyes teared up some more.

  “It’s alright,” Michael said and pulled her back in for another hug, “I’m not mad. I would have done the same thing.” He pulled back a little and looked her in the eyes. Her hair was getting stuck on her wet cheeks. Michael brushed it back behind her ear and wiped away the tears with his thumb. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.” April said smiling. She leaned in and kissed him. “Just like before.” She said as she pulled away.

  “I thought you might have forgotten.” Michael said.

  “Michael Mcreary Bander!” She said sternly. “Do you really think I would forget where we shared our first kiss?” She punched him playfully in the shoulder. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself Mister.” Michael smiled. April reached into her jeans and pulled out a quarter and handed it to him.

  Michael looked at the quarter and then at April. “You want to feed them?” He asked smiling. April nodded. Michael smiled again and put the quarter in the machine and turned the knob for another handful of pellets. He stretched his hand out and poured half into April’s hand. They both walked over to the water’s edge and shared a smiling look before sprinkling the pellets over the water for the fish. April laughed outloud. Something she hadn’t done in a long time. Michael looked over and smiled at the blissful look on her face. April was smiling as if the last few days had never happened. She looked as happy and carefree as she had when they had fed the fish nearly twenty years ago.

  April brushed her hands together out over the water to get the crumbs off. Michael and April both turned toward one another. Michael took April's hands in his and they just looked into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Finally they inched together closer and closer until their foreheads were touching one another. Michael slid his hand around her waist and pulled her in tight. They shared a long passionate kiss. As they separated they both froze and turned their heads slowly away from the water. A woman was standing less than three feet away staring directly at them. She was about April’s height with long brown hair that hung down past her shoulders with a slight curl. The girl had beautiful brown eyes and a fair complexion. Her mouth was slightly ajar. She wasn’t staring out past Michael and April. She was staring at them. Michael recognized her at once as the girl who had been staring at him earlier on the ride. Her sudden presence at such a close proximity startled April and Michael.

  April was about to say something. She opened her mouth and then shut it again as a couple of startling things dawned on her about the girl standing before them. One, she looked a lot like herself only much, much younger. Two, she looked a lot like the girl in the photo. The one the detective had slid across the table at her. She had a twin. And three, she looked a lot like the little girl in her dreams only bigger. You’re my mommy silly. “You’re her sister…” April blurted out. The girl’s reaction was instant. Her eyes welled up with tears and she nodded her head.

  Chapter 38

  Detective James was organizing the evidence. He was laying each item out on his desk side by side. First there was the coroner’s report. The coroner had indicated that the girl had died from a shot to the head. According to the coroner, she would have died anyway from the shot she had taken to the stomach. Then there was the trace analysis. Apparently there was no discernable trace found in the dirt around the body or on the body itself. There were however, shell casings from a nine millimeter semi-automatic pistol found in the woods. No prints. Then there was the ballistics report from the bullets that were removed from the victim. The computer found a match to two other unsolved homicides. Nothing that could be traced to the Banders or any other perps for that matter. There was the DNA reports from both Michael and April. There were crime scene photos taken at the scene and the house where Michael had been taken to. There were pictures of the other evidence collected; the cell phone, clothes that had been identified as belonging to Michael and some belonging to the two officers. He had typed up his notes from the interviews with Mrs. Bander and laid them aside. Dossiers of both Michael, April, and the twins had been dropped off on his desk. They included everything from pictures, to driver’s license numbers, date of births, social security numbers, work history, and more. Detective James carefully organized all his evidence into separate piles.

  “Have you cracked the case yet Detective?” A voice came up from behind him.

  The detective turned around. “Oh hey Doc…that would be wishful thinking. It’s almost like I’m in the middle of one really large hoax.”

  “Oh it’s no hoax Detective I can assure you. But it is a puzzle and it’s yearning to be solved. More lives hang on the balance than just the missing girl I think.” Dr. Crane said.

  The detective was about to reply when his cell phone rang. He flicked his cell open and put it to his ear. “Detective James.” There was a pause. “Mhmm…ok…What? You gotta be shitting me! They are going to fuck this thing up. Call in the locals for backup. Have them apprehend those jerkoffs and you stick to Mr. Bander. Don’t let him get away! Got it? And you don’t know who the other guy is? Did you run the plates? And? Well, keep your eye on him. Bring him in if it’s possible. Ok. Let me know. Thanks.” The detective clicked the phone shut. “Good God Almighty. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” The detective said outloud.

  “This doesn’t sound like a positive turn of events.” Dr. Crane voiced his observation.

  “My guys have been pursuing the wife’s car. We put a tracking device on it.” The detective was shaking his head.

  “And…”

  “And the wife left her sister’s house and headed out of town toward Alexandria Bay.”

  “And you’re concerned about jurisdiction?” Dr. Crane asked.

  “Nope. I’m concerned about the two cars they’ve spotted following her.”

  “Two cars?”

  “Both cars followed her from the sister’s house to the amusement park. One of the cars had one driver; a tall thick man with dark hair. They ran the plates and it came back to some corporation in New York City.”

  Dr. Crane crinkled his forehead. “And the other car?”

  “The other car belongs to Frank. Gary was driving.”

  Dr. Cranes face showed immediate concern. “Oh dear. They don’t know we have the cell phone recording yet do they?”

  The detective shook his head.

  “They don’t know about the warrant either?”

  “Nope,” The detective said, “They’re out to get rid of the evidence. They’re out to kill Michael Bander.”

  Chapter 39

  Michael and April were staring at the girl, not sure what to say. “How…how did you find us?” April finally asked.

  The girl drew a finger across her cheek to catch a stray tear. She was trying to be strong. “I don’t know. I kept dreaming of this place. I would see you and him…” she wiped away another tear, “and my sister. She always got shot.”

  Michael looked perplexed. It sounded like the same exact dream he had been having. April couldn’t stand it anymore; she reached ou
t and hugged the girl. As she hugged her and looked out over her shoulder she noticed two men approaching who seemed a little more than curious about what was going on. Both men had angry looks on their faces. One was walking on crutches and had a cast on his right leg. The one without crutches reached behind him and produced a gun. April released the girl and pulled her back behind her. Michael stepped up beside April. A third man approached from their right. He wore a dark suit and had on sunglasses. He didn’t appear to be aware of the other two men; he was focusing on the girl that was now hiding behind Michael and April. She had her arms around both of them and was watching the situation unfold from between their shoulders.

  “Oh my God,” she said, “That’s the man who killed my sister.”

  “Those are cops,” Michael said low enough the men couldn’t hear. “They’re bad cops.”

  “Not anymore, they’ve been suspended.” April said barely audible. The men were getting closer. They were only about ten feet away. Frank was having trouble with the crutches and Gary was trying to conceal the gun by letting it hang by his side.

  “Not those guys. The man to your right.” The girl behind them whispered in their ears. April and Michael had been focused on the two cops and hadn’t even noticed the other man coming in from the right. The man had his hand inside his suit jacket and was walking toward them. He stopped suddenly aware of the other two men approaching. Frank followed their gaze to the man in the dark suit. He stopped and tapped Gary to stop him. The two cops and the man in the suit had stopped and were staring at each other apparently trying to figure out who the other was and what they were doing there. Michael and April looked back and forth from the two cops to the man in the suit, not sure what was going to happen next.

  April was looking past the man in the suit and had noticed two police officers in uniform staring at the other officers. One of the uniformed officers spoke into his radio attached to his shirt and both drew their weapons. Neither of them seemed to notice Michael or April. They moved in behind the other two officers.