Teacher's Pet

by Richie T Cusick

  “Because he’s a writer. He tells stories. He manipulates people, remember?”

  “But this isn’t his new novel,” Tawney spoke up solemnly. “This is real-life horror.”

  “How do you know? Maybe he’s testing out a new plot. Maybe Rowena is really his wife, huh? Did you ever think of that?”

  “Ooh.” Tawney shivered. “I never did! That’s even scarier!”

  “For all you know,” Denzil faced Kate in disgust, “Rowena might be his worst childhood nightmare.”

  The three fell silent, a strange coldness between them.

  “Well, come on,” Denzil insisted, “the guy had a breakdown. There’s something missing upstairs, and you have to admit—”

  “Denzil, I don’t want to hear any more of this,” Kate said angrily. “You and I both saw the grave. And Pearce talked about Rowena, too—”

  “We saw a stone with a name on it. Christ, Pearce might be humoring Gideon just ’cause he’s afraid of him!”

  “You’re the one we’re humoring, listening to all this! I saw Rowena—does that make me crazy, too?”

  Their eyes met and held. Kate saw the regret behind the glasses… the pity… and she started for the door.

  “Kate, come one, they’re just theories!”

  “I don’t like your theories, Denzil. I think they’re stupid and insensitive.”

  “Kate!”

  She put her hands over her ears and ran, his words echoing over and over in her mind. She didn’t want to think about it anymore—couldn’t think about it anymore—she’d go crazy with fear and doubts and questions—

  Rowena could be anywhere. As Kate slowed to a walk, her stomach churned in sudden dread. And would it come without warning, some terrible surprise, would it be quick—being aware of the horror but not believing, not ever believing it could happen to me—

  She locked her door and huddled there in her cabin, in the dark, afraid to move, to think, afraid to even leave again. Why didn’t I ask Tawney if I could stay with her tonight? Kate, you’re so stupid! Maybe she could just get a ride to the village, catch the train back—but it’s a joke, I’m playing right into their hands, getting scared, running away, giving them the satisfaction. But what about Merriam? Had Merriam run away, too, had Merriam known what was happening when the fire started, when she couldn’t get out—

  “Kate? Kate, are you in there?”

  “Tawney!” Flinging open the door, Kate hugged her friend tightly, trying not to cry as Tawney patted her gently on the back.

  “Oh, Kate, I don’t think you should stay here. Let’s go back to my cabin, okay?”

  “Yes,” Kate said gratefully. “Yes. I’m so glad you thought of it.”

  She grabbed some things and within minutes they set off. Tawney was rambling on about a new poem she’d written when Kate suddenly grabbed her arm.

  “Tawney, do you hear something?”

  The other girl stopped beside her and tilted her head, listening. “I don’t think so. Why? Do you?”

  “I… I’m not sure….” Keeping hold of Tawney’s arm, Kate started walking again, then froze almost immediately. “There,” she whispered. “Just now.”

  Tawney’s eyes grew large, and she looked around in alarm. “What is it?” she mouthed.

  Kate took another hesitant step… stopped… listened. Her grip tightened on Tawney, and she gave her a shove.

  “Someone’s following us!” she hissed. “Run!”

  Stumbling over each other, they didn’t look back until they were safely inside Tawney’s cabin. Kate leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, so weak she could hardly stand.

  As a knock came suddenly at the door, they both jumped, and Kate forced herself to sound calm.

  “Who is it?”

  “Me,” said Denzil. “Let me in.”

  Kate yanked open the door. “Denzil, where have you been?”

  Denzil looked from Kate to Tawney and back again. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

  “Someone was following us—back there in the woods.” Kate tried to peer around him to search the dark clearing beyond. “You must have seen someone—they sounded so close—”

  For a moment Denzil looked mystified. “I did see someone on the road. Just now, on my way from the kitchen.” And as Tawney and Kate stared at him, he shook his head slowly. “It was really too dark,” he said uncomfortably, “but… I think…” His voice trailed off, but Kate filled in the pieces.

  “It was Gideon,” she murmured. “Wasn’t it?” And even though she felt ready to drop, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

  The morning dawned gloomy. Standing with her forehead against the windowpane, Kate saw the sun’s futile struggle for survival as it drowned helplessly in swirls of gray clouds.

  “That horror hunt thing’s tonight,” Tawney said, slipping into her clothes. “Maybe it’ll rain and they’ll call it off. Are you going?”

  Kate shrugged apathetically. “I don’t know. Do we have to?”

  “Denzil says they’re fun. But then”—she frowned—“Denzil has a pretty strange sense of humor.”

  Kate had to smile. “Denzil’s strange—period.”

  “When I first knew him, I thought he was really funny ’cause he was always complaining about Gideon Drewe and his class and how much he hated it, only he kept going. Even after Gideon told him how untalented he was. You know what I think?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think Denzil wants to get back at Gideon. I think Denzil wants to prove to Gideon how smart he is—no, smart’s maybe not the best word. Clever… or… or sly. He told me once that he’d love to write a mystery where he’d have everybody completely fooled and the ending would be totally unexpected.”

  Buttoning her shirt, Kate paused, raising an eyebrow. “Denzil said that?”

  “Yes, lots of times. And I bet he does it someday. He’s just that stubborn. Oh, well”—Tawney stretched and yawned—“I’d better get to work. What are you doing today?”

  “I don’t know.” Kate finished dressing and took another look at the dreary sky. “I have class this afternoon, and I’d like to drop in on Miss Bunceton again if I can get a ride.”

  “Someone’s probably going,” Tawney assured her. “I’ll ask around.”

  “Thanks.” Kate reached out and hugged her. “And thanks for letting me stay.”

  “That’s okay,” Tawney insisted. “Just plan on staying with me for the rest of the conference.”

  Kate felt a little better as they walked to the dining hall. Denzil didn’t seem to be anywhere around, and after one look at the busy kitchen crew, Kate didn’t think anyone would be going into the village. Deciding to check in the lodge, she told Tawney good-bye and was surprised to see Gideon out front getting into the van. She stared at his bent head, his hand on the door. It was really too dark to see…. Of course it could have been anyone that Denzil had spotted on the road last night, anyone at all, and even if it had been Gideon, that certainly didn’t prove he’d been following her. He owned the camp, after all… he could go anywhere he pleased… nothing suspicious about that….

  “Good morning.”

  Kate started, so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she hadn’t realized she’d been seen. Gideon’s smile was tired. There was a gauntness to his face and his eyes looked hollow.

  “Morning.” She took a step closer, returning his smile with a thin one of her own. “Where are you off to so early?”

  “To get Pearce. He called me last night—I think he’s feeling rather desperate.”

  About you, Kate wanted to say, but didn’t. “They’re not going to let him come home so soon, are they?”

  “I told you they’d be begging me to take him off their hands.” He gave a dry laugh. “Anyway, he can rest as well here as there, and his mood will be very much improved, I’ve no doubt.”

  “Is there room for me to come with you?” Kate asked. “I’d like to make sure Miss Bunceto
n’s doing okay.”

  “Of course. I’d be glad for the company.” He opened the door and then hesitated, finally turning to face her. “Kate… I’m sorry for yesterday. I was feeling… well… overwhelmed. I shouldn’t have burdened you the way I did. It’s just been…” He seemed at a loss for words, and Kate touched his arm.

  “It’s all right,” she said. “You don’t have to be sorry about anything.” She gazed deep into his eyes and felt herself drawn into their violet depths—deeper—deeper—and what secrets are there, Gideon? What secrets do you know that I don’t, or are you a victim just like me?

  “Kate? Are you all right?”

  “Yes.” He was holding her arms, holding her up, and she hadn’t even realized how dizzy she was all of a sudden.

  “Maybe you should go back inside. Did you eat breakfast?”

  “I’m fine.” He was studying her so intently that she managed a smile and pulled free. “I promise I won’t faint on you.”

  “Well…” He smiled back. “I promise I’ll look after you if you do.”

  They didn’t say much on the ride to the clinic. Pearce was in his usual surly humor when they got there, and though Kate tried to pretend his indifference didn’t matter, deep down it still hurt and confused her. She didn’t want to admit to herself that she liked him as much as she did, but ever since the night of his injury, her feelings for him had changed. Pearce and Gideon were so different, so opposite in every way—and now, being with both of them at the same time was uncomfortable. She felt transparent somehow, and wondered if her attraction for each was picked up by the other. She was glad to escape to Miss Bunceton’s room where they laughed and joked awhile—but when Gideon came for her, a strange trepidation fluttered in the pit of her stomach. She just couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

  Gideon pulled the van in front while Kate and a nurse helped Pearce to the curb. It was an easy matter to get Pearce situated comfortably on blankets in the back, and as the nurse left, Kate tucked an extra quilt around him while he scowled and tried to shove it off. Determined, Kate tucked it around again, and Gideon stood by impatiently, waiting to close the door.

  “Kate, you dropped this.” Gideon stooped and picked up a piece of paper that had fallen open on the floor next to Pearce.

  Kate turned in surprise. “What? I don’t think that’s—” And as her hand went automatically to her shirt pocket, she saw Gideon’s expression freeze, zeroed in on the paper, even as her own face went pale.

  “Where’d this come from?” he murmured, and Pearce was staring, too, at the slow strange emotion crawling over Gideon’s face. “Where did you get this, Kate—answer me!” His arm flew out and caught her, and she gave a cry of pain and surprise.

  “Gideon, let go!”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  “I was going to—I was! Only you had so much on your mind and I didn’t want to—”

  Pearce was staring as if Gideon had lost his mind. “Gideon, let her go! Can’t you see you’re hurting her?”

  “Read this.” Gideon’s voice was calm now, cold, chilling calm, as he thrust the paper beneath Pearce’s nose. “Read it,” he said. “Read it!”

  Pearce scanned the note, his eyes, his hands faltering. He shook his head, his voice scarcely a whisper. “No …”

  “She is alive, isn’t she?” Gideon said flatly. And then suddenly his hands were on Pearce’s shoulders, lifting him from the floor, and Kate was screaming but he didn’t seem to hear, just lifting Pearce and pinning him back against the wall while Pearce moaned in pain. “Isn’t she?! She’s alive, isn’t she?”

  “Yes!” Pearce shouted. And as Gideon’s hold on him loosened, he fell back upon the blanket, his face sweaty and ghostly pale, his eyes dark and haunted and… scared. “Yes, Gideon, yes, that’s what you want to hear, isn’t it? That’s what you want me to say, isn’t it? Well, now you know. Now you know at last.” His eyes, black and wide and frighteningly empty, flashed to Gideon’s face. “Yes,” he whispered. “Yes. Rowena is alive.”

  Silence fell, sick and frightening. From some remote corner of her mind, Kate stared out at the strange tableau—Pearce lying back on the floor as if all the life were drained from him… Gideon now in the driver’s seat, head bent upon the steering wheel, shoulders slumped… and me… sitting here in the middle of all this madness, waiting for someone to kill me… waiting to die….

  She was surprised at how calm she felt. So calm that it seemed hours had dragged by, yet the clock on the dash told her that they had sat there only minutes….

  “Where is she?” Gideon said at last.

  Pearce shrugged and turned his head away.

  “I need to know where she is. She’s threatened Kate.”

  “I… I know.” Pearce stared at the floor, and Gideon whirled in his seat, his voice seething.

  “You have a lot of explaining to do, Pearce. But right now I’m concerned about Kate and her safety. I need to know how bad this all is—if Rowena’s where we least expect it—”

  “You won’t find her in any crowd,” Pearce said softly. “She… doesn’t have a face.”

  “Oh, my God.” Gideon made a choking sound in his throat and bent his head, taking deep breaths. “Tell me where she is.”

  “It won’t do you any good,” Pearce said hollowly. “She’ll never want you to be happy… or love anyone… or have a good life… because hers is ruined—”

  “Tell me,” Gideon said again. His hands grabbed Pearce’s shoulders, shook them. “Where is she?”

  “She’ll never let you go,” said Pearce. “Or me. We’ll never really be free of her, Gideon, you know that—”

  “I know I’m afraid for Kate!” Gideon’s voice rose. “And I don’t want her hurt, no matter what I have to do. I know I haven’t cared about anyone in a long time the way I care for Kate—“

  “Then why don’t you tell her the truth!” Pearce burst out. “About Rowena and the way things were! That Rowena was crazy—that you and William were hiding her! That the reason no one got her out is because no one even knew she was there! Go on! Tell Kate about Rowena! Why you two looked so much alike—because you were twins! Tell her! How you locked Rowena up because she was insane!”

  As Kate looked on in silent horror, Gideon’s hands slowly fell from Pearce’s shoulders, his face rigid and pale as their eyes locked and held. For a long time there was no sound at all in the van… and then, at last, Pearce dropped his head and spoke.

  “I know you care about Kate, Gideon. I care about her, too.” Immediately his eyes shifted away, away from Kate and Gideon and their shocked stares. “Since the very first time I saw her, I…” He took a shaky breath. “I’m sorry, Gideon. It’s not her fault she’s caught up in this.”

  Gideon stared at him.

  “Rowena did kill William, didn’t she?”

  “I think so.”

  “Have you found him?”

  For another long moment there was silence. “Parts of him,” Pearce said at last.

  “My God… we have to go to the police.”

  “You can’t do that. You can’t tell anyone. We’ll have to handle it ourselves.”

  “Pearce”—Gideon leaned forward again, his expression pleading—“where is she? You’ve got to tell me. Where… is… Rowena?”

  Something crept across Pearce’s face… something like a shadow… a sad, sad smile. “Don’t you know, Gideon?” he whispered. “Don’t you?” Kate heard the motor rev up, felt the van tear out of the driveway.

  She stared at Pearce, but he wouldn’t look at her the rest of the way.

  Chapter 19

  WHEN THE VAN FINALLY reached camp, Gideon dropped off Kate at the dining hall with a specific set of instructions.

  “I want you to stay with your friends, understand? Don’t go anywhere alone, not anywhere.”

  Kate looked at him beseechingly, keeping her voice low. “Can’t I stay with you?”


  “No. The worst thing you could do right now is be with me, or Pearce. Stay with your friends.”

  He started to pull away, but once more she stopped him. “Do you… think you know where she is?”

  He leaned out the window and gazed off into the thick, tangled woods. “I’ll just have to wait until she’s ready to show herself,” he murmured and was gone.

  Kate couldn’t find Denzil or Tawney anywhere. After a thorough search of the dining hall and their cabins, she found another employee who thought they might have gone into the village on errands. With Gideon’s warning ringing in her ears, she hung around the kitchen for a while, then sat on the lodge porch pretending to read a magazine and nearly jumping out of her skin every time the door opened and closed. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the trees, the cabin windows, the shadows hovering beside the road. She almost cried with relief when she saw Denzil and Tawney drive in with several other kids, then jump out, as the car sped away again.

  “Hi, Kate!” Tawney waved. “Come in and have some ice cream!”

  “Hey, kiddo, we looked for you.” Denzil grinned. “We got some time off and saw a movie—where were you, anyway?”

  Kate stared at him and said nothing as Tawney went inside.

  “Actually, you didn’t miss much. It was your standard run-of-the-mill horror story, right? Boy meets girl… boy butchers girl… boy—” He broke off as Kate flung her arms around him, squeezing his breath away. “Hey—what’s wrong?”

  “Oh, Denzil”—her voice was muffled against his shirt, but he could still hear the fear—“Rowena’s alive. She killed William.”

  “Whoa!” He squirmed out of her grasp, his eyes as big as his glasses. “What did you—?”

  “And now she’s after me. Pearce didn’t want me to tell, but—”

  “Wait. Back up. Start over. Nice and easy.” He listened while Kate related the whole thing. Tawney poked her head out the door, but he waved her back inside. “Let’s keep this quiet,” he warned Kate. “Tawney’ll see psychos in every shadow.”

  “Oh, Denzil, what should I do?” Kate looked near tears, and Denzil put an arm around her, sitting her down on the steps. “Gideon dropped me off and told me to stay with you—that it’d be too dangerous right now to be with him or Pearce.”