It Takes a Killer

by Natalia Hale

  “That was dramatic,” Jonathan stated. There was a little smirk on his lips, the one he only got when he was reminded of something from his time serving his country. Hannah had only ever seen it when he had his navy buddies over or when they visited the cemetery. It had never been directed at her, and she thought he might have been proud of the way she didn’t shy away and hide. Hannah knew she had nothing to hide, but as much pleasure as she had gotten by winning whatever had just happened, she didn’t like how it had affected Mariana.

  “Do you need to use the washroom?” Hannah suggested over the table. Mariana was even paler than before. She’d never been one to love attention, unless it was from a boy telling her she was pretty. Hannah hated what she had just made her friend go through.

  Mariana nodded and stood. Hannah could practically hear the woman’s knees knocking together. When Hannah went to join her, or simply make sure she didn’t pass out on the way to the washroom, Mariana held up one hand. “I’ll be fine…I just…need to splash some water on my face.” Her eyes went over the crowd, as did Hannah’s. A few of the people were glancing in their direction, or hissing hushed orders to their kids to stop asking questions. “Excuse me.”

  Jonathan and Hannah watched her go. As the door swung back and forth Hannah caught a glimpse of the figure-eight rope that was hung on it. The blue background matched the paneling on the floor and the cushions everyone sat on, as well as each and every frame in the place. In Hannah’s opinion it was too much blue, but the citizens of Garnet’s Lake loved it. Anything nautical was loved in Garnet’s Lake, it seemed, even though they were five hundred miles from the ocean.

  “Your mother wanted me to give you this,” Jonathan said, sliding something towards Hannah. She faced him, finding a small package made of brown paper in front of her.

  “What’s this?” she asked, smiling. “A present?”

  “It was your mother’s idea,” Jonathan replied. “She’s worried about you.”

  Hannah had a feeling she knew what was in the package, but she was still a little surprised. “A crucifix. I already have one.”

  “She’s worried about you,” Jonathan repeated. “About your soul.”

  Hannah didn’t know what to say. Her mother had been on her case since she first stopped going to church, and using the excuse of work wasn’t cutting it anymore. And while Jonathan didn’t question her about it, she knew he was just as disappointed in her decision.

  “You ask too many questions,” he’d always said. Ever since she was a child Hannah had questioned why they went to church. For a while she accepted that it was just what people did—everyone went to church in Garnet’s Lake. The entire town practically shut down every Sunday morning. But as Hannah grew up the questions just piled one on top of the other, and one day they broke her. She started taking every Sunday shift she could at the hotel, and before she knew it it had been five years since she stepped foot in a church. Suffice to say, Jessica Best had been trying to save her daughter’s soul for a very long time.

  Today, though, that didn’t bother Hannah. She was suddenly extremely touched by her mother’s care, even though Jessica wasn’t there. She could picture her mother sitting on the back porch at home, a bible in hand and praying for Hannah to find the light. “I’ll go over soon. Maybe for dinner?”

  Hannah hung the small silver crucifix around her neck. It weighed on her collarbone with a heaviness that burned her but it was a good kind of burn, she thought. Jonathan arched one brow. “She’d like that.”

  Hannah grinned. “You don’t have to look so shocked.”

  Mariana gingerly sat down beside Jonathan.

  Hannah looked over her friend, spotting the beads of water on the edges of her dark hair. She really had splashed water on her face, Hannah realized. It was a serious move for Mariana, since she always wore makeup, but that was when Hannah noticed Mariana wasn’t wearing makeup. Her nails were still pristine, her hair in a perfectly placed messy bun, blue dress immaculate on her thick frame. But no makeup.

  As the waiter came to take their order Hannah felt the urge to hold the menu in front of her so she wouldn’t have to face Mariana. Here she was thinking of her own victories—of herself as some kind of hero—when her friend was a wreck. The very thought of eating made her sick so all she ordered was chamomile tea. It seemed Jonathan and Mariana felt the same, and the chocolate scone was a long forgotten dream.

  Hannah wondered how long it would take them to return to normal. She couldn’t remember what her normal was anymore, and all it had taken was a split-second decision to make to make the entire town crumble around her. And Hannah wasn’t sure if she wanted to be there when it was built back up.

  No matter how many times Hannah called her mother that week there was no answer. And while it would be simple enough to walk the five blocks to her childhood home, she couldn’t find the energy or the will to do it. Instead she called into work to check when her next shift was, and ignored her boss when he said she should take some time for herself. She thought she heard someone in the background suggesting she return to work sooner rather than later because that would help her adjust. She thought it was Dane, the chef that had looked at her with such…something. Hannah still wasn’t sure what the look he’d given her was about.

  It took some convincing, but eventually she was added back to the schedule. She was set up as an extra, and while they didn’t say it she knew it was because her boss feared she would have a breakdown mid shift. She was insulted, but she didn’t want to argue in fear of being forced to stay home.

  As much as Hannah wanted to get back to work, standing behind the front desk of the Lux Hotel was a rude awakening. Guests lined up on either side of her, choosing to deal with the long lines at her coworkers desks rather than exchange pleasantries for even a moment with her. Still, she stood with her back straight, hands folded in front of her, and slight glower on her lips. She couldn’t seem to get that professional smile to show tonight.

  “Hannah,” her manager said. Mr. Cavan was a short man with thick hair and thin glasses and a penchant for anything pinstripe. “Why don’t you take a break and let Melissa take over, hm?”

  Normally his hand was always placed on the centre of someone’s back. It wasn’t harassment in any way, but his own way of pushing a person somewhere else. Hannah anticipated it the second she heard his voice but as she turned to face him before he could touch her she saw a wide five foot gap between them. Mr. Cavan’s professional smile was there, but it didn’t reach his eyes as it normally did.

  Forced, Hannah thought. It was the very same kind of smile he’d said she had when she first started working for him. Melissa stood beside him, a happy blank grin on her lips. She was never allowed to work the front computers because when she did she somehow managed to overbook twenty rooms. Mr. Cavan swore to never let her use the phone again, and yet…

  “All right,” Hannah agreed. “I could use a coffee.” Her feet were starting to ache anyway from standing still for so long. From having nothing to think about for three hours other than the fact that everyone in the hotel was avoiding meeting her gaze. Hannah hurried towards the back offices in hopes of drowning some of her frustration in a large cup of coffee but before she made it Dane stopped her.

  He smiled at her, meeting her eyes with ease. “You know if you’re looking for coffee what we have in the kitchen is better.”

  Hannah flinched. She hadn’t meant to, but it was too unexpected that Dane would talk to her. He was on another level than her, and he’d barely even glanced in her direction since he started at the hotel last year. He rarely paid attention to any woman that wasn’t a guest or married. Hannah was struck by the blinding radiance that surrounded him.

  “I thought you didn’t like anyone in the kitchen that wasn’t part of the kitchen staff,” Hannah said. She gave herself credit for how coolly it came out.

  Dane tilted his head back and forth. “I’ve noticed that you’re sort of on your own today; I thought
you might want someone to talk to. Someone that was…there.” His smile faded a bit, but nothing about it seemed malicious. Hannah wanted to pat him down and check for some kind of recording device, anything that would prove he was a jerk. Everyone in the hotel loved Dane, no matter how many married women he slept with; Hannah kind of loved him too, even though she’d seen him go into countless rooms. She wanted to know how he did it.

  “I would like that,” Hannah said. She smiled, professional and polite. Mr. Cavan would be proud if he wasn’t so busy pretending to be busy.

  Dane led Hannah into the kitchen where he poured two cups of coffee. The machine was closest to the door leading outside, the very one Hannah and Mariana had snuck through in an attempt to avoid the guests out front; Hannah could never leave through the front door without being asked at least five questions even though she was clearly leaving with her coat on and bag in hand.

  Hannah took a sip of coffee and moaned. “Oh my God.”

  Dane chuckled. “I love that sound.”

  Hannah took another drink of the soft liquid, letting it flow over her tongue and down her throat. It was a dark roast, one she normally hated, and she was drinking it black. No sugar, no cream, just the original coffee. Her toes curled in her shoes, something she’d never done before. “This is amazing.”

  “Now you know how I made this place go from a two star to a five star,” Dane replied with a grin.

  Nobody in the kitchen was paying any attention to them, and Hannah thought that might have to do with Dane’s status. While he was a well-loved man he wasn’t someone anybody messed with. If he chose to have coffee with the woman that just killed someone, not five feet away from where they stood, it wasn’t going to be questioned. As long as he was around nobody would look twice in their direction. Hannah thought that might be why he chose to talk to her tonight.

  “So is there a reason you’ve asked me to coffee?” Hannah asked. Her feet still hurt, but she resisted moving her weight from one foot to the other; she didn’t want to appear anxious in front of Dane. His eyes dropped to her feet, as if knowing exactly what she was thinking.

  “I thought I told you,” he answered, flicking his gaze back up.

  “We both know you’re not the kind of man to do a good deed without expecting something in return.” Hannah brought the black mug to her lips but didn’t drink. Instead she inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of the roast. It was mixed with the chicken cooking nearby, as well as some kind of tomato sauce that sat on the burner in the centre of the room. Hannah blinked slowly before brining her eyes to Dane’s.

  His brow had lowered, not so much that it was furrowed, but like he was no longer interested in smiling so enthusiastically. Like a guard had dropped, and Hannah got a glimpse of the man beneath. But it was too quick; she thought it might have been her imagination. The shiver that ran through her entire body, that raised the hairs on her arms to their ends, wasn’t something that went unnoticed by either of them. Hannah wet her lips.

  “Like I said,” Dane replied. “Just thought you might want to have coffee with someone that isn’t afraid of you.”

  Hannah furrowed her brow. “Nobody’s afraid of me.”

  “No?” Dane said. “You can’t feel it? Can’t see it?”

  Hannah took a drink of coffee. For the past week she’d been feeling like all eyes were on her, because they were. But she hadn’t thought it was because the town feared her. What did they have to fear from her? It wasn’t like she purposely went out to kill someone. It was self-defence, exactly as the news reported, and exactly as the police reported.

  Dane set his own mug on the counter, whiter than the coat he wore. The top two buttons were undone, giving Hannah a peek at the black tee shirt he wore. He leaned closer to her and pressed his palm over the top of her mug, pushing it away from her lips. His broad shoulders blocked her view of the rest of the kitchen, but even if she could see anything other than those clever grey eyes she wouldn’t want to. There wasn’t any sign of stubble on Dane’s cheeks, his skin perfectly smooth as he leaned closer to her.

  “You’re right,” he said, his voice low. Hannah felt his breath brush across her lips and on it she could taste the coffee. She held her own breath out of instinct. She felt like prey now. “I’m not the kind of man to do a good deed without expecting something in return.”

  Dane leaned back and picked up his mug. He took a drink before setting it back down with a satisfied sigh, and walked away. The clattering dishes and clicking of stoves being turned on and off faded from Hannah’s mind as she listened to Dane’s footsteps. They wrapped around her, making her skin flush and chest heave.

  Taking in a sudden breath, Hannah twisted her neck to see where Dane had gone, but he’d vanished out the front door. The cup in her hands felt too heavy to hold and she put it down for fear of dropping it. There was a warmth in her lower abdomen that was as pleasurable as it was torture. Hannah leaned on the counter and tried to catch her breath.

  She wasn’t sure when she last felt like this.

  Hannah wanted to take the kitchen door to the alley after work. She wanted to march past Dane to show that his charms had no affect on her, but her knees were so weak she wasn’t sure she could even get up off the chair in the break room let alone march. All that strength she’d thought she had was swallowed up by hormones and desire. And damn, did she have a desire at that moment. It felt like she’d just lost a staring contest. Her mother’s mantra of “you win some you lose some” wasn’t helping her now. She wanted to win against Dane as much as she wanted to lose.

  “He’s a pervert,” she muttered to herself, coming to a stand. Her chair screeched against the tiles. “He’s only interested because of what you did.”

  And it was true, but that didn’t make the heat between her legs go away any faster. Hannah knew this must be how all those married women felt, the feeling of wrong and right mixed into one. Once Dane decided to turn his attention on her there was no escape. Hannah didn’t think she wanted to escape anyway. But Dane had never shown interest in someone that worked at the Lux, no matter how much the other employees tried. He was careful to only pounce on those that would be around for a week at most, and gone by breakfast.

  Hannah wanted to show him up. She wanted to prove that she could stare at him and not blink, show him that she wasn’t going to turn into one of his special conquests. The fact that he was flirting with her after she killed someone was sick enough as it was…but that only made her question if he was flirting with her. Maybe it wasn’t sex he wanted, but something else. What that something else could be, however, she had no idea.

  With a shake of her head Hannah grabbed her bag off the counter and headed for the kitchen door. She prayed to the crucifix that hung around her neck that her legs wouldn’t give out as she crossed the threshold to the kitchen, or as she walked through the alleyway.

  The edges of her vision were blurry as she walked, completely focused on the door. It was beige with a small square window at the top that was kept perfectly clean even though guests never saw it. Everything around Dane seemed perfectly clean. Hannah wrinkled her nose and pushed the door open, letting it bang against the counter on the other side.

  A few of the chefs looked up, and one busboy practically leapt onto a stove in fear. But after that they looked away. Nobody sees anything when it comes to Dane’s girls. Hannah furrowed her brow, knowing it would only make her look more threatening.

  Her steps weren’t quite a march, but they weren’t exactly slow either. They were quiet and undemanding yet powerful and sure. It was a good combination, Hannah thought, and if Dane were there she knew for a fact that he would only get hot and bothered by it.

  If he were there. Hannah’s eyes swept over the kitchen staff but one familiar head of perfectly cut hair wasn’t there. His shift wasn’t done yet, and she knew he wasn’t one to leave the kitchen so easily, yet he wasn’t there. Hannah’s footsteps hit a little harder against the tiles and within a moment she was
in the alleyway, cool air rushing over her skin.

  There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky to block out the half-moon or the stars. A light breeze drifted through the trees across the street, and in the distance Hannah could hear a dog barking. These things were familiar pleasantries to her, something she’d been seeing and hearing all her life. They reminded her of home, of safety. The fact that she was standing in the exact spot she killed a man didn’t change that feeling. If anything it amplified it.

  Hannah didn’t remember moving the few feet from the door to the formally bloodied spot. She’d been possessed as she lifted one foot after the other to face the brick wall, completely cleaned. There was no evidence of anything happening there, and if there was it was now buried under five bags of trash. Hannah looked over her shoulder at the empty dumpster, wondering who chose to throw the trash on the ground instead.

  They’re scared of you, she thought. Just as Dane had said. Hannah tried to convince herself that it was merely the thought that they could have been victims of a terrible mugging themselves, but Dane’s words had had an affect on her. Another shiver ran up her spine, a titillating feeling. Hannah took a sudden breath and started walking.

  As she turned the corner of the alley Hannah found the street empty. The Lux Hotel was on the edge of town, closer to the lake, but it was usually filled with people on a night like this. It was only a fifteen minute walk to the lake, and a twenty minute walk to Stormi’s, yet nobody was there. She looked back at the alley and knew exactly why. She felt stupid for thinking things would return to normal in a single week. Mariana wasn’t even thinking of returning to work yet, and Hannah’s mother wouldn’t return her calls.

  Hannah started walking again, if only to get off of her feet and away from the Lux. Crickets chipped in the night, happily making noise around her without gawking. Hannah rolled her eyes at herself…since when had crickets made her happy?