by Tilty Edin
“Nothing?” Tod asked jokingly.
“Oookay,” she said, wiping away the smirk.
He smiled. “You speak no more English?”
“I try,” she said. “It funny. I live with my five brother and sister. They want to go back in Mexico. Just me, I like America.”
“You do?” he asked.
She looked at him happily, her sweet dark eyes flashed under a passing street light.
"In America, I like you," she said.
He could almost feel her radiating excitement.
“Want to go on a boat?” he asked. “I have a boat.”
“Boat?” she repeated. "Wow."
“You never been, huh?” he said. “They are a lot of fun. Especially at night.”
She nodded. “Si senior. I go on boat.”
“You’ll like it.”
The ocean came into plain view when he parked in a small lot hidden behind trees. They watched whitecaps crash in the dark navy water for a while.
“Beautiful,” she said.
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Let’s go,” he said.
They got out of the car and walked down the grassy hill to docks where a little building owned by Sandler's rested. His hand quickly dug deep inside his pockets and reached for the keys. His fingers trembled to get the door open.
"The keys for the boat are in here," he said.
Maria walked in first to cool dark tile, a service desk, and some papers under the moonlight streaming through the windows.
Tod shut the door and locked it behind him.
Maria turned to him in the dark. A warm, luring look in his eyes changed to something almost deviant.
He walked over and sat on one of the plastic chairs against the wall, watching her stand alone. He leaned in his back forward and reached out his hand.
She came closer to him, slowly, timidly until her shaky hand met his.
He pulled her in.
Her lips trembled, but she managed a content smirk. “May I, porfavor?”
“You may.”
After she pulled off her shirt, he grabbed her and lifted her petite body onto his lap and coldly kissed her.
Maria arched her back and pressed her chest up against him. He ran his hands up and down her back, then picked her up and sat her on the counter. With one hand he reached for his pocket, feeling around.
"Hang on," he whispered in her ear.
Ecstasy tangled in her labored breathing as he vanished from her. She waited loyally in the quiet, but the next thing she knew, she was leaned backwards. Heavy, thick tape was wrapping itself around her arms, then her face, covering her mouth. She flailed, trying to escape it but she fell over and hit the ground, knocking the wind out of her.
Tod turned her over, looking her straight in her terrified shining eyes that watched him pull out a jagged knife.
Tears streamed down the tape on her face. With brutal force, he stabbed her, then stabbed her again. Over and over, tearing flesh from the many different regions of her body.
He watched excitedly as one moment her tear filled eyes would helplessly watch herself being torn apart and the next they sealed shut. When she opened them again, he made sure he was gone.
He watched her wait for a while in the stiffening silence, and after too long, tried to move her wounded legs towards the door in the massive pools of her blood. After making it over a few feet, she stopped, paralyzed in fear at the sight of a progressing shadow on the wall.
He pulled her back and hovered over her with a hammer in his hands, and by the time it reached her skull to crush it, she was gone.
30
3:00am
Leanne's eyes fluttered open to the dark of the hotel room. She took a gasping breath for comforts sake, as if she had just woken from the worst nightmare she couldn't remember.
She turned over on the bed, hearing the springs moan. Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears. She would cry hysterically if she had the energy, but she barely had enough to breathe. Acid rising from her stomach spewed and burned.
What the hell? What happened to me?
She struggled to turn over again and inched her way over to the edge of the bed near the phone, thinking about calling an ambulance.
“Tod?” she croaked in the dark.
She cried, feeling nauseated as her head straightened and blood managed to rush back up into it. Once she was close enough to the edge she cried and vomited all over the floor.
She gasped. “I was fucking drugged.”
She couldn't remember what she had seen last. Was it the bar? Was it that strange, eerie looking man Luey who might have slipped something in her drink? She certainly remembered looking away from him plenty enough times to give him the chance.
She lowered her head. Puke and spit dripped from her chin and mouth. She cried until the tears put her back to sleep.
31
3:36am
Tod carried big black bags and wrapped them tightly around Maria's mangled body. Once sealed, he bleached the entire building and bagged up every last bit and piece of lingering flesh. There were so much, and he feared he wouldn't have the time to clean it all up. Blood spatter was no better. The stains found homes in all kinds of places; the ceilings, tiny crevices and random objects. He scrubbed every corner and within the hour, he tricked the room into looking like it had seen no wrong.
He stumbled into one of the closets and grabbed anchors, tying it up to the bags wrapped tight around Maria's body. With it he strung up the bags of rags, blood stained clothing and empty cleaning agents and walked over to the back door leading straight out to the bay of the ocean. He never had a problem with a body ever rising to the surface, but leaving one so close to where he worked was a bold move.
He looked to the bag, then to the horizon in exasperation. The sun would rise in just minutes.
He let go of the body. Plop. The anchor did the rest of the work.
I should've just taken out the damn boat.
But it was too late. Maria’s body was already halfway to the bottom.
He ran his hands threw his hair and walked back in. He needed a shower.
“Damn it,” he said to himself. “I need to get back to Leanne.”
He walked in a tiny bathroom. A toilet on one side of the yellow tile, a shower head on the other, and one big rusty drain in the middle.
His head pounded. He reached in his pocket for the pill bottle, rummaging threw it when he realized the ketamine and LSD should be tossed. If he was smart.
He walked back out to the ocean and dumped it too.
The whole trip had been close to nothing to him so far but close calls. With the light of dawn on his back, he slyly returned to the building and locked the door.
32
6:00am
Leanne woke to the white noise of the shower running. She touched her smoothed over face. The puke was wiped off and cleaned from the floor. Her hair was tied up and eyes were dried. A cup of water sat on the bed stand.
She closed her eyes again and felt a wet nudge.
Water dripped on her cold body from his hair, sliding down her bare skin. "Leanne?" Tod said.
A tear escaped her eyes.
He choked up. "We can end this trip whenever you want," he said.
She gasped quietly. "Where were you last night?"
His pupils dilated. He watched her wrapped up in blankets, crying, angry, and confused and saw something tragic in it all he somehow could never see clearly before.
He slightly backed away.
She swallowed the maddening thoughts. "Tod, I was drugged."
He took a deep breath. "I thought so," he said finally. “I’m almost certain it was him.”
Her lips trembled. She held on tighter to the blankets.
"I couldn't find out who." he said. "He must have slipped something into your drink. It's all I can think of. You became very sick very fast, but I thought you'd be alright. I made sure you were hydrated and got some rest w
hile I went out to beat the living shit out of him, but by the time I got back to the bar, he was gone."
"You went back?"
"I did,” he said. “And good thing for him. I would have killed him."
She lifted herself up slowly from the bed and wiped her soaked face.
He grabbed a clean towel on the bed stand and gently patted down her neck.
“I’m so sorry Leanne,” he said with sincerity in his eyes. "This wasn't in our plans."
She took his arm and held it for a moment, then stood up, shaking profusely. He wanted to help her but she shrugged him off.
33
3:50pm
Into a quiet afternoon Leanne laid tucked into bed. She was watching an episode of the Twilight Zone when she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," she called hoarsely.
"No housekeeping."
The knock persisted.
She forced herself out of the bed as the knock grew louder. It didn’t sound like Tod forgot his key. It sounded urgent.
“I’m coming,” she moaned. Before she opened the door, she squinted an eye through the peeping hole. It was a middle aged police officer.
She opened the door.
"Good afternoon Miss," he said. "I'm Officer John Wilson. Are you Leanne Robinson?”
She tilted her head, noticing his mouth was a little wide for his face.“Y-es,” she said.
“Good,” he said. “I'm just here to ask you a few questions regarding an investigation of a missing young woman two nights ago at the Getaway Resort bar."
She brought her hand to her lip.
He narrowed his blue eyes. “The missing woman’s name is Maria Rodriguez," he went on. "Did you see her at any time the night you were reported there by a witness?”
“I was drinking a lot,” she said. “I can’t remember too much about that night. But yes, I do remember seeing a young hispanic woman. She was our waitress.”
"Did you know her, or anyone else that you knew of?" he asked.
“She asked us what we wanted to drink and that was all,” she said. “I don’t usually know my waitresses.”
He glared.
She scratched her neck. "Sorry, Officer." She watched him scribble more notes. “I'm still trying to recover. But, if it’s any help, there was a man there who made me a little uncomfortable that night, and later I was drugged," she went on. "I was sitting next to him and he must have slipped in a drug when my boyfriend wasn't around and I wasn't looking."
He looked up with expectant eyes. "Did you inform anyone?"
"Well, no Officer," she said. "I don't know what happened to him. My boyfriend went to take care of it, but by the time he got back, the strange man was gone."
Wilson jotted on his ink pad. “Did you get the name by chance?” he asked.
“No Officer,” she said. “I forgot. My boyfriend, he should remember.”
"Where’s your boyfriend currently and his name?"
She crossed her arms. "Tod Hagen,” she said. “He’s at Sandler’s boat rentals a few miles away. He should be there. He works there."
"Can you tell me what the man who you think drugged you looked like?" he asked.
"He was thin," she said. "Brown hair and a mustache. And he had very light eyes. Must have been in his early 40's. He’s a regular there I suppose...I can't remember anything else."
"And you're saying you know for sure it was him?"
Leanne shrugged. "I don’t know who else could have done it.”
“I first spoke to Clara and Fred Jones about this. They were the ones who gave names. Could you confirm that you were there with them?”
Leanne nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, thank you for all your help Miss Robinson,” he said quickly. “I'll let you get some rest. If you have any more information, please feel free to contact us. In this case, anything helps.
“I feel horrible she’s missing. I hope you find her.”
“And I can find your boyfriend, Tod Hagan, at Sandler’s rental boats?”
Leanne nodded carefully. “He should be there,” she confirmed.
34
4:20pm
The Sandler’s building windows proped wide open, letting a silent breeze rush in around Tod that oddly serene late afternoon at the counter. He was writing an estimate of needed supplies when he wasn't busy wishing he was done already.
An unexpected knock came at the door.
He got up and opened it to officer Wilson, standing firmly like a statue. "Tod Hagan?" he asked intently.
He nodded. “I’m Tod,” he said.
"Officer John Wilson."
Tod shook his hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you."
"I just visited your girlfriend, Leanne Robinson. I'm here in regards to an investigation nearly two nights ago at the Getaway Resort bar. A young woman, Maria Rodriguez is missing and her family is concerned about her disappearance."
He handed Tod the picture of her.
He took it and looked at it for a few seconds. "I don’t think I’ve seen her," he said smoothly. "Actually,” he looked at the picture again. “I think she was our waitress"
"She was. According to your girlfriend and the other witnesses.”
Tod shrugged. “I’m sorry,” he said. "No, I don't recall what happened to her. What?She’s missing?"
Wilson nodded. “Unfortunately,” he said. “This happens every so often at that bar, especially with foreign families. It’s hard to tell what the real situation is, where to look and how it happened.”
Tod crossed his arms and eyed Wilson intently. "I bet you already heard my ordeal," he said. "I was very worried about my girlfriend that night. If it helps any to know, we believe she was drugged by someone."
Wilson tapped his foot and shifted his weight. "And she said she was drugged by one of the men you supposedly went to find and take care of yourself?” he asked.
"Yeah,” Tod said. “Strange guy," he mused. "I guess he goes there a lot. His name was Luey”
“Luey, huh?”
Tod nodded. “I truly think he put some sort of drug in my girlfriend's drink when she wasn't looking,” he frowned. “It was a hard night. I was so outraged and at first I wasn't sure if it was really him."
"Did you see him do it?"
"He was sitting close to my girlfriend when I found her at the bar," Tod said. "And I'm not sure if he'll be back there anytime soon. Last I heard, he hasn’t been."
Wilson furrowed a brow. "And your friend Frederick Jones stated that when you were away from your girlfriend, you were helping him when he was drunk?”
“That’s correct.”
"That doesn't quite make him a valid aliby, but I'm going with it for now," Wilson said. "He also stated that at some point during a card game, you got up and went to the bathroom and you didn’t come back for some time."
Tod smirked. "I went downstairs and met a man by the name of Victor who knew my father."
“And you never saw Maria, the waitress?”
Tod eyed him directly. “No, Sir,” he replied. “I saw her once when she went to get my drink and that was all the contact I ever had with her.”
“Listen, we've been trying to get a hold of just about everyone who’s been at that bar," Wilson said. "It's been rough, I'll tell you. A lot of people there are commer and goers. A lot of travelers just stopping by."
“I'm sure Luey will be back," Tod said. "From what I heard, he didn't show up last night, and I guess that's unusual. Hell, I want to find him myself. If he could dry drugging my girlfriend he probably tried it with Maria."
Wilson nodded.“How much longer will you be on vacation?"
Tod pulled out a cigarette. “"We’ll be leaving tomorrow. My girlfriend and I," he replied. “Cigarette?”
Wilson eyed it. “Sure,” he said. "And you work for Sandler’s?"
"The one up in Washington," Tod said, lighting them up. "I started in maintenance and now I'm setting up this place. If you need to know anything else, you can con
tact me there. In fact, please do."
Wilson half smiled. “I’m sure I will,” he said. “It’s been nice talking to you. Actually, you’ve been a help. And thanks for the cigarette.”
35
10:30am
On their last morning in California, Tod took Leanne out on one of the boats like he promised. There's was nothing worse than trying to make a quick get-a-way after the cops had just done an short investigation. Staying calm was something he was good at. It was something he knew to be vital.
It had turned out to be a good morning for him, but there was no denying Leanne’s silence. He could feel she was tapering off with him somewhere, irritated but wasn't saying a word about it. She probably wouldn't until they returned home.
She slouched hopelessly on the boat, watching the line where the endless skies and ocean met, her knees pressed together, uncomfortably sticking with the heat.
The tensions keeping them separated were uncomforting. She kept glancing to him, as if waiting for him to say something, anything, but he lit a cigarette and put on a pair of sunglasses as if finalizing the separation.
She stood up and strolled over to the railing, her hair waved around her neck wildly in the wind.
He watched her climb over it and jumped.
"Leanne!"
He stopped the boat and ran to the back, took off his shirt and jumped in. He swam to where she treaded, trying to keep her head above water.
"Are you crazy?” he huffed. “You could have gotten hurt. You can’t just do that."
“But I just did,” she gasped. “I feel better now.”
“You know what else is going to feel good?”
She spit water at him. “What?”
“When a shark pulls one of us in,” he said. “Come on. We’re way too far out.”
Her tamed eyes searched endlessly into his, looking completely unafraid at the thought of swarming sharks beneath their feet.