by Joy Elbel
“How long did you date? Did she talk about him at all after that night?” I could almost see the wheels turn as Rachel tried to wrap her brain around the mystery. Maybe her love of Shelly’s novels would pay off once again.
“We were together for about five months when she went missing. I asked about Mr. Fantastic a few times but she said she hadn’t heard from him. I believed her until shortly before she disappeared. She acted strange those last few weeks. I last saw her in February—Valentine’s Day to be exact.”
The room filled with sadness as Drake recounted that last night with Allison. “She started to become distant. I thought there might be another guy so I asked her what was wrong. She told me she missed her family. She stayed at school through all of the breaks so we could spend time together so it seemed legit. I suggested that she go home for the weekend but she told me she didn’t have the money for bus fare. When I said I would drive her, she freaked out. I just figured she wasn’t ready to introduce me to her parents yet so I offered to buy her a bus ticket. She didn’t want to take my money but in the end, she agreed and said that she would find a way to pay me back. Buying her that ticket is my biggest regret in life.”
Ahh, regret. I knew it well. Even though I couldn’t take my own advice, I was the first one to dish it out to anyone else who needed it. “It’s not your fault, Drake! Ticket or no ticket she probably would have died anyway!”
Drake had been nursing a beer since the beginning of his story but downed what was left of it in one gulp and cracked open another. “Maybe. But she never would have been at that bus station without me. She never would have met her killer there.”
Drake stared off into space for a minute and we all let him take his time. “So anyway, I said I would drop her off at the station on Friday night. Allison was due back Sunday afternoon but I had other plans and couldn’t be there to meet her. Her roommate volunteered to pick her up so her plans were set. We got to the bus station early and I was going to wait for her but she knew I had to catch an early flight the next morning. I was flying down to Sarasota State to tour the campus and meet with the coaches and stuff so I had a lot to do that night. She said she would be okay so I kissed her goodbye and went home. That’s my last memory of her.”
With that, Drake broke down in tears. There was something so unnerving about watching that hulk of a man cry like a baby. Was this how Zach would be if he lost me— even five years later? Why did love have to be so sad sometimes? We let him cry in silence until he was ready to talk again. This had to be the saddest date I’d had in a while.
Once Drake regained his composure, I asked, “So what happened after that? How long was she missing before they found her.…” I couldn’t bring myself to use the word ‘body’— it sounded way too cold and impersonal so I just stopped there.
“We searched everywhere for her but there wasn’t a trace of her. The bus station attendant said he saw her get into a black car and drive away. The only problem was that I drove a black car at the time. The cops stopped looking for her and started looking at me instead. Two months later they found her on the church steps dressed in a wedding gown.”
I wanted to ask questions but I didn’t know how to do it. How do you ask someone for details about the torture and murder of their girlfriend? I breathed a mental sigh of relief when Rachel asked instead.
“I know this must be tough for you, Drake, but we need to know what that monster did to her,” she said placing her hand comfortingly on Drake’s arm.
Drake wouldn’t look us in the eyes. Instead, he stared at the ceiling and rattled off a list of the most horrendous acts I’d ever heard in one sentence. “Broken neck and legs, severe bruising, and some random burn marks. And that’s just the details the cops released. You know they always hold some information back, too.”
I could see what this conversation was doing to him. Now more than ever, I knew I had to do everything in my power to find Crimson and help Drake put this all in the past. “Do you know where she’s buried?” Her gravesite would be the best place to start.
He nodded his head slowly. “Right here in Charlotte’s Grove. Her family moved here from New York to be closer to the investigation. They buried her in the Heaven’s Gate Cemetery out by the hospital. They stayed in town for about a year hoping that the crime would be solved but once the case went cold they moved back to New York.”
“Where did Allison like to hang out?” Rachel quizzed him like an ace reporter hot on the trail of a story. “She spent most of her time at either the coffee shop or the library,” Drake answered. A coffee shop and a library— harmless enough. But when he added, “Oh, and the Bantam Theater,” my blood froze in my veins.
Rachel shot me a look of pure terror. That place was creepy—it just looked like it would be full of horrendous things. Could my dream be something more than a coincidence? Allison was found wearing a wedding dress and so was I in the dream. It felt like I just set foot into a field of landmines—willingly.
“The Bantam Theater?” I asked, hoping that maybe I’d misheard him. “Yeah, she was part of that college theater group that tried to reopen it that year. They didn’t get far—there was some sort of falling out between the college and the man who owned the Bantam.”
Okay, just talking about that creepy old place made my skin crawl so I decided to change the subject. “Do you have any pictures of her?” I asked. Drake pulled out his wallet and handed me a photo. It was a picture of Allison taken in front of the Bantam Theater. She was pretty in a unique sort of way. Her face and its features were small and pixie-like. Her hair was short and spiky with flecks of red woven in with her natural brown coloring. Despite the lack of facial piercings, she instantly reminded me of someone. That someone was Crimson.
Drake finished his beer and stood up. “I don’t know how you guys think you can help but I appreciate the gesture. Just be careful and don’t forget—you’re dealing with a killer.”
He walked away quietly but his words hung in the air, repeating over and over again in my mind. “You’re dealing with a killer.”
8. Melt, Refreeze
Rachel and I hatched a quick plan to scope out the coffee shop and the cemetery after work on Sunday. Neither of us even mentioned the Bantam Theater. I felt an unspoken agreement that we would investigate the theater only as a last resort. Zach drove me home and promised to pick me up Saturday at eight for our mystery date. After hearing Drake’s sad story of love tragically cut short, Zach and I held each other longer than usual before we said goodbye.
Work sucked on Saturday. With only three weeks to go until Christmas, it looked like everyone in town was going to find a candle or two under their trees. I was already overwhelmed with “holiday cheer” even before two old ladies started wrestling over a Baby Jesus candle. I broke up the melee then retreated to the stockroom to break out a new box of babies.
As I was pulling them down from the shelf, my phone started to vibrate in my pocket. Taking a quick peek out into the shop to be sure the brawling grannies were still behaving, I pulled out my phone and checked to see who the message was from. It was from Lucas.
“Bored in Burgh. Wish u were here. ” He wished I was in Pittsburgh with him? I was flattered. But I shouldn’t be flattered—should I? And what was up with the smiley face—was he just being friendly or was it something more? I was contemplating an appropriate response when the grannies started fighting over yet another candle. I had to get out there before they knocked each other’s dentures out. Quickly, I typed out a reply.
“Work sucks. Wish I was in the Burgh. ” I was too busy to think about Lucas for the rest of my shift. But after the door was locked and I was finally alone, his text and my reply were at the forefront of my thoughts.
Would he misinterpret my reply to mean that I wished I could be with him? I left my phone in the back after sending it so I had no idea if the conversation ended there. I snatched it from the stockroom on my way to the safe and saw that I had two unread texts.
Once the money was safely locked up, I sat down at Rita’s desk to read them. One was from Zach, the other from Lucas.
I read Zach’s first. His consisted of a reminder to bundle up for our date. Passing it over without a reply, I clicked on the one from Lucas.
“Comin back next weekend—wanna join?” I could swear that my heart stopped for a millisecond then beat doubly fast to make up for it. Why was I surprised? Just because he apologized for hitting on me didn’t mean he stopped liking me. Did he think I was hinting for an invite when I sent him that text? Out of nowhere my phone started to vibrate and I nearly dropped it. It was Lucas again.
“2 search 4 my adoption records 2gether.” Was that relief I felt or disappointment? Was it possible to feel both emotions at the same time? It had to be because I did. Relief because his offer was innocent and I wouldn’t have to argue with Zach over Lucas’s intentions. Disappointment because…why exactly was I disappointed? The whole situation was super confusing.
I couldn’t dwell on it now. Zach had something fun planned for me tonight. He was so good at it, too—he always knew just the right things to say and do. The only date we ever had that went badly due to anything he could control was Boone’s pool party. Now that Zach’s anger and jealousy were under control, I would never have to worry about a night like that one again. Quickly, I finished closing the shop and texted Lucas back to let him know I was onboard for the search. I texted Zach to let him know I wouldn’t forget to dress warm and then I was on my way.
Dressed in my favorite tunic sweater, the skinniest jeans I owned and boots that left me breathless the first time I saw them, I got into Zach’s car with a confident smile on my face. I wasn’t going to let recent events spoil our date. I deserved a good night out with my boyfriend just as much as the next girl—even more, as a matter of fact.
“You look beautiful, sweetie—warm, too!” Zach said as I settled into the passenger seat of his Neon and threw my parka in the backseat.
“Thanks. You said to bundle up so I took advantage of it and broke out my favorite sweater. You look great, too, by the way.”
Great was hardly the word for it. Being the Norse god that he was, winter looked amazing on him. His eyes were bluer against the snowy backdrop and I could easily picture him sailing an icy Scandinavian sea. Or snuggled up with me by a roaring fire. Winter was such a cozy, romantic season anyway but looking the way he did only magnified it.
“Where are we going?” I asked, sliding as close to him as I could manage without actually climbing into his seat with him.
“You’ll see,” he said smiling proudly. “You’re gonna love it.” He drove in the opposite direction we normally took and away from town. Despite the warmth of my sweater, when we drove past the sign to Silver Lake, a cold shiver crept its way along the length of my spine.
Clay. I knew ghosts couldn’t feel the biting chill of the wind but the idea of him haunting that desolate spot alone made me unexpectedly sad. Now that I knew he was dead, he didn’t seem half as creepy to me as he did when I thought he was flesh and blood. Wow—that sounded freakish even to me. I was now more comfortable with ghosts than I was with living people. What was my world coming to?
Snow started to fall as we made our way down the winding back road. We passed several cars heading the other direction but it still felt incredibly remote. It was kind of like a scene from a horror movie. You know, the ones where an unsuspecting couple breaks down on an unfamiliar stretch of highway and gets killed by some crazy family of cannibals. But that didn’t happen in real life, did it? Just in case, I asked Zach to lock the doors.
“So the girl who willingly seeks out ghosts is afraid of something after all?” Zach teased me with a laugh.
It was a little silly so I laughed, too. “I’ve watched too many horror movies I guess.” The thick of the trees thinned out until a field of parked cars was visible. Just past the cars, I could see what brought us here in the first place. Ice skating.
“Oh Zach! I’ve always wanted to learn how to ice skate—how did you know?” I couldn’t take my eyes off of the skaters as they glided around on the ice.
Zach looked pleased. “I didn’t know—I just thought it would be something romantic you might enjoy. Looks like I was right.”
He parked the car and we walked out to the ice hand in hand—another perfect date courtesy of Zach Mason. There was no conflict in my head or my heart—he was the boy of my dreams. It felt like I was at the top of the Ladder of Ultimate Happiness. Not a single thing could possibly ruin this night. So instead, a series of events chipped away at my happiness until not a trace of it was left.
It all started with Misty. Okay, she didn’t actually do anything to me—for once—but her mere presence was enough to affect my mood. Knock me down one rung on the Ladder.
Hate her or not, Misty was an excellent skater. Not only was she good at the actual skating part, she had an incredible presence on the ice. If I didn’t already know how supremely evil she was, I would have thought she was an angel. Misty was dressed in ivory tights and a light pink tunic sweater—a fluffy confection of cashmere cotton candy. Her hair flew around her like a blond halo, fluttering softly back into place as she came to a stop. I was going to look like as graceful as a lumberjack next to her.
A small trailer by the side of the ice bore a sign proclaiming “Skate Rentals”. Zach led me over and told the attendant what sizes we needed. I was definitely impressed that he knew what size shoe I wore. How many boyfriends would pay that much attention, right?
We sat down on an empty bench and changed into our skates. Zach stood up on the thin blades effortlessly so I assumed I would do the same. Wrong, wrong, extremely wrong. Another backslide down that Ladder.
As I put my weight down on the blades, my ankles buckled and I wobbled back onto the bench. “How do you make that look so easy?”
“I don’t know,” Zach said with a puzzled look. “I’ve never seen anyone have that much trouble. Maybe your laces just aren’t tight enough—let me see.”
I lugged my heavy, bladed foot across his lap. Zach tightened the laces until I thought my foot was going to fall off and then did the same for my other leg.
“There—now try.”
He seemed positive that he had fixed the problem so I stood up fully expecting to look like a pro. Wrong again. At least this time I could stand—barely. I took one step and nearly fell. Frustrated, I sat back down on the bench and watched Misty as she glided effortlessly around the ice. Immediately, I slipped into self-pity mode.
“You go ahead—I’ll just sit here and watch you.” This was one of those moments meant to test your relationship. He was not supposed to go out on that ice and leave me alone on the bench regardless of what I was telling him to do.
Zach frowned. “I can’t just leave you here while I go have fun without you.” That was the right answer. But I decided to push it anyway. “No, go ahead—I’ll be fine.” What can I say? I was PMSing pretty hard and watching perfect Misty do her perfect turns in her perfect outfit made me want to just sit there and be perfectly pissy.
Zach studied me like he was questioning my sincerity but in the end he took my words at face value. “Okay, if you don’t mind. I just want to take a few laps around then we’ll leave and go find something else to do.”
The Ladder of Ultimate Happiness now felt more like a sliding board. I sat there stewing over the fact that Zach did what I told him to do. Any good boyfriend should know that you have to read between the lines in situations like this, shouldn’t he? How could he not know that “I’ll be fine” was girlfriend code for “Don’t you dare have fun without me!”?
I took off the skates and sat there watching Zach fly around the ice like a hockey star. Misty kept her distance from him but I caught her staring as Zach shifted his foot, came to a quick stop and sent a spray of ice crystals into the air.
“Show off,” I grumbled under my breath and then looked around quickly to see if anyon
e heard me. Of course they didn’t, they were all out on the ice, too.
Show off or not, he was true to his word and returned to the bench after only three laps. “I’m sorry this didn’t work out like I planned, sweetie,” Zach said as he removed his skates and returned both pairs to the man in the rental trailer. “Since my plan was an epic failure, I’ll let you decide what you want to do instead now.”
Good question. What did I want to do? I wanted to put those skates back on and magically turn into an Olympic figure skater but that was never going to happen. So my second choice was to go home and wallow in my misery.
“Just take me home—we can watch a movie or something.” Preferably not a movie involving ice skating.
“Are you sure? You look so pretty tonight. You should be out having fun instead of sitting at home!”
His cheerful attitude was starting to annoy me. “I’m positive.”
“Okay, then,” he replied quietly, suddenly seeming to get that I wasn’t even remotely happy. We got into the Neon and started to drive back to Rosewood. About a mile from the skating rink, the car began to swerve out of Zach’s control and he fought the steering wheel to stay on the road. Thump, thump, thump! The noise came from somewhere on the passenger side. Something was definitely wrong with his car.
“Dammit!” Zach exclaimed as he eased on the brakes and brought us to a stop. “What’s wrong? What was that noise?” I asked. My dismal time at the rink was overshadowed by the fact that his car now seemed to be trying to kill us.
After a long string of curse words, Zach slumped against the steering wheel and mumbled, “Flat tire.” Whew. What I thought was the start of a fiery explosion was just a flat tire. Zach knew enough about cars that it should be no problem at all. “Oh,” I said happily, “That’s a relief! I thought the Neon was transforming into a Decepticon or something.”
“I would rather it did,” Zach said miserably.