by Taylor Storm
The first time it happened, Nina thought someone had broken in the basement. When she made it to the top step, she was a little rattled because she’d never seen her stone cold strong father act like that before. She just closed the door. When he passed out on the floor she checked on him and wrapped him up in a blanket they had left in storage in case of a winter storm watch. Neither of them spoke of those events, even though they would glance at each other in the morning with a sad, knowing look. She had begun to make things more cozy down in the basement. Without a word, she made sure it was clean, and that there were warm blankets nearby. Anything she could do to ease his pain of loss.
Those same despondent eyes had looked at her tonight. He knew she was deep with trouble, but he didn’t want to broadcast it to the world. And the police! What the hell! What were they all going to do? She glanced at her car, but didn’t dare go over there. She imagined Bob huddled down deep into the floorboard, but gosh he was a big guy. A smiled tried to break open as she imagined that huge body of his trying to fit into a tiny cave of safety. She prayed to St. Jude that he was either in the deserted car or he had simply escaped on foot during Susan’s fit. She hoped he was safe in a hotel room somewhere trying to find answers to who could have committed such a heinous murder of a man most people adored.
With a sinking heart, Nina realized they had lied to the police! Now that the whole thing had turned into a murder case they were in the worst position imaginable. She and Susan had looked terribly guilty as they had lied, and to make matters worse, the investigation began right there on her dad’s front lawn! Nina’s dad was not worried because he knew his daughter was gentle and kind. Just look at how she took care of that crazy Susan girl! But damn they were obviously in something deep and something ugly.
“What should I have done instead of lie? Should I have told the police that Bob was in my car? He could have answered his own questions, and then she and Susan would be in the clear. As it stood now, she had given safety and provided safe passage to a murderer! Nina flinched, “A murderer? Bob? Surely not!” she mumbled as she paced the floor. Besides, if it really was him, I’ll be blamed as an accomplice! At least Susan could just plead insanity and get off…wait, now I’m the one who is talking crazy. Just calm down, Nina. We could all be arrested! No way! Bob is not like that,” Nina told herself looking at Susan sobbing into her mother’s shoulder.
Nina jumped. Her phone rang and she hissed, “Oh, shit! Shut up!” with the lyrics to We stay up all night to get lucky blaring out of her pocket. She killed the ringer and switched it to vibrate. Since she didn’t recognize the number, she let it go to voicemail. A second later, her phone started vibrating again and she finally stood up and snuck behind her dad’s toolshed to take the call. She was over the top, but she wanted to see who was bugging her. It was Bob.
“Oh, no. Nina whispered in shock. “What should I do, think Nina think.” She looked at Susan. Her deep heaving sobs had subsided and her mother looked tired. She got a quick idea. She blurted into the phone.
“Hang up, I’ll call right back.” Nina smoothed her dress and walked back out onto the front lawn. Her dad raised his eyebrows and she ignored him. He still had his arms crossed and was in his bathrobe. At least he’d gone inside to get his ball cap, but that made him look a little silly instead of a like a macho guy defending his house.
“Mrs. Christiansen, you look exhausted,” Nina comforted. She put a big hugging arm around her as she sat down next to the two on the porch. Susan looked up with her mascara streaked and plopped her head back down on her mother’s shoulder. Mrs. Christiansen’s eyes were hollow, looking out at the band. She’d logged too many hours with Susan, and instead of the wedding fixing it all, it looked like she was going to be chained to Susan’s illness for a very long time. Nina felt sorry for her. “Mrs. Christiansen, why I don’t take over.”
“You don’t have to do that, Nina. You’ve already helped so much today. We all know how much you’ve given up to take care of your father and being such a good friend to Susan.”
“He’s my dad, and Susan is one of the only friends I’ve got.” Nina smiled through some tears that came across her cheeks without any notice. She wiped them and barreled on.
“Let me take the night shift with Susan, and we’ll make sure to get her some sleep and maybe another appointment with Dr. Freudette. Why don’t you go on home with Mr. Christiansen and get some sleep?”
“I think that would be a great plan.” Nina’s dad suddenly broke into action. Giving Nina a stern look, he continued: “Nina and Susan will have the privacy of the house tonight. The best thing any of you can do is get some rest. You won’t solve anything tonight being so tired and upset. Better for everyone to just go home and sleep some of it off. The girls will be safe here, and they will be able to think a lot clearer come the morning.” Nina felt an overwhelming sense of love and gratefulness to her old dad in that moment. At least he had bought the girls some time. But time to do what?
It didn’t take much for Mrs. Christiansen to agree. She handed Susan over to Nina, and with slumped shoulders made her way over to Mr. Christiansen. He hugged her shoulders and let her cry against him for a moment. Then they both hunched over and walked out of sight to their car. You could hear the ignition start and the gravel start to groan against the acceleration of their station wagon. Nina took up the position that Mrs. Christiansen had, and rocked Susan back and forth. Aware that the police were still there, she just rocked and sang, and finally murmured in Susan’s ear.
“Don’t make any sudden moves. I know you can hear me and that you’re all drained from the episode. When I was behind the tool shed, Bob called me.” Susan jolted, as if she was going to sit upright, but Nina held her tight so she couldn’t move. “No sudden moves. The police are still here and we’ve got to figure out how to get out of this.” Susan relaxed again, whimpering and Nina went back to stroking her hair and rocking back and forth. A small snore arose from Susan and Nina got an idea.
“Officers?” Nina kind of yelled.
“Yes, miss?”
“Well, it’s been a rough day on everyone and the bride has just fallen asleep. Is there any chance I can bring her by in the morning after she’s had a chance to recover?” The two officers glanced at each other and compared notes. They must have realized after seeing the seizure that this was going to take longer than they expected.
“I guess you’re right. But don’t leave the country, you hear?” Officer Joe joked weakly as he closed his little notebook.
“You can count on it.” Nina gave a tired smile and resumed rocking back and forth with Susan. The police officers got into their car. They killed the red and blue lights before driving out of sight. The band was still there, playing.
“You mind telling me what’s going on?” Nina’s dad piped up, stepping out into the light and sitting down next to Nina.
“Nothing, Dad. Just a screwed up day with Susan again compounded by a murder. Seems to just be one of those days.”
“You think I don’t know when things are up? Just like you used to think I didn’t know when you climbed out the window to go to those keggers after the football games. Don’t act so shocked. We’re all stupid kids once. Hell, I climbed out of a couple windows myself. The game changes, though, when there’s a dead body. That’s nothing to screw around with, honey.”
“We’re fine, Dad.”
“Well, you just make sure. I’ve already lost one of you and I won’t survive if I lost both of you.” Surprisingly, her dad kissed her on the top of the head and went into the house. Nina didn’t trust it totally, so she kept her voice down as she rocked Susan. “Now don’t do anything stupid. We need to figure this out. Bob called.” Susan didn’t budge. Nina continued. “Nod yes into my shoulder if you understand.” Susan nodded. “Now what you’re going to do is go in quietly and ask my dad if you can use the restroom. He’ll be sitting in his Lazyboy and watching the highlights of the game. I’ll be in there in just a second
. Nod if you understand.” Susan nodded. “And one more thing. I know you are exhausted and upset, but you’ve got to pull it together a little because we don’t know why Harris is dead and we don’t want to get in the middle of it. Understood?” Susan nodded quickly and then started to cry again. It took Nina a little while to get her calmed down again. “It’s okay. We’ll just take it a step at a time. Now dust yourself off and go into the bathroom. Meet me in my bedroom is a few minutes. I’m going to make dad his snack.” Susan nodded.
Susan stood up and opened the screen door. Nina could hear their muffled voices and then heard water running in the downstairs bathroom. She waited a couple of beats and then walked on into the kitchen to make her dad his snack. His diabetes hit him earlier than all his sisters and even though he didn’t take great care of himself, at least he knew he needed a little food in his stomach to keep his blood sugars up. Nina tried to keep sweets out of the house, but it was a lost cause. He would just always bring in candy after his shift, so she gave up.
“Here’s your roast beef on rye, Dad,” she offered, putting it down on his TV tray. His glazed eyes just tried to maneuver around her so he could keep watching the news.
“You got the coffee with the sweetener?” he grumbled.
“Just like you like it. They say it causes cancer, you know. Maybe you ought to try drinking more water. It might be healthier, and you just might live longer.”
“Everybody’s got to die someday.” It was a standard joke between the two of them, but he kind of readjusted his weight in his chair after the words came out, realizing what the police were on his front porch for. “Sorry, honey. That just slipped out.”
“Don’t worry, dad. We’re all a little out of sorts. I’m just going to go check on Susan.” Nina turned and watched her sweet old Dad for a moment and realized how lucky she was.
“Thank you Dad. Earlier when you invited Susan to stay with us, that was a good thing you did-for her and for me. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it honey, but be sure you make some good decisions tonight. Your life may count on it.” Nina marveled at her father’s ability to stay out of this terrible business she had gotten them both into. She did not want to tell him anything because it might make him culpable in the eyes of the law. For certain, he did not ask for information because that would make it impossible for him to offer help legally to his daughter and her troubled friend. Nina again paused for a quick thank you to God for giving her such a good, strong dad.
When she got to the bathroom, Susan was all but passed out on the floor. The washroom sink was already running, but Susan had sat down in the middle of the floor in exhaustion.
Just to be safe, Nina turned on the shower so her dad couldn’t hear.
“Susan, Susan! Please wake up. We have to talk.” She looked up at the door as she shook her friend by the shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” she mumbled. Susan sound pitiful as Nina took a washcloth and softly, but gently wiped her best friend’s face. The rivers of tears had piled up a couple of streaks on her cheeks, and her eyes were puffy and red. Susan whimpered as reality pushed viciously into her conscious thoughts. Susan just continued.
“Oh Nina, how could things be any worse than they are?”
“They can’t get worse,” Nina whispered, “now listen up! This is serious!”
“Bob is calling.” Susan’s cries suddenly softened and her body stiffened.
“What?”
“Yes, he is on the phone, thank God I switched it on to vibrate! He has been calling even with the police here, but I could not answer. It is still ringing in my pocket every now and then, but I don’t know what you want to do.”
“Well, what should I do?” Susan was suddenly sitting upright against the tub and trying to track the conversation.
“I don’t know, whatever you can think of.”
“What do you mean, whatever I can think of?”
“All I know is that if I was the one who suggested you contact him and they trace his phone to my phone, then I’m in deeper shit that I already am.”
“What do you mean, I would be the one?”
“Well, I did tell you to marry him.”
“So?”
“Well if Bob has been murdering people, my whole family is far worse than busted, sweetheart.”
“No, Bob didn’t do that. He’s not like that!” Susan sat up as she felt a new resolve forming inside her. “We have to think.”
“Keep your voice down. Yeah right, what about the calls being made to Harris?”
“I don’t know. It might be some mistake. Come on, you know him too.”
“Yes, that’s what I am afraid of.”
They both, while talking and moving slowly, and hugging each other, got up and tried to fix what was left of their make-up.
“Well, should you answer your phone?”
“Well, you do it.”
Susan took both her pinky fingers and tapped on her puffy eyelids. She grabbed a brush off the counter and tried to make sense of her tangles in the mirror. She was coming back to the land of the living after the episode, and her voice was quiet but stronger.
“Listen Nina, I know Bob. I love him and it is weird, but I am his wife, no matter what. I know, he is innocent, okay, so you need to please help me out of this. It could be something planned from the Isaksen brothers. That’s what my Dad thinks. Anything is possible. If you’re acting like this, then the next thing I know, you’ll think it was me. For Pete’s sake give me your phone, Nina. My husband is calling!”
Chapter Twelve
“Seventy-nine, ninety-five, like I told you last time, Billy. It doesn’t matter that you are using that technology Darth Vader thing to mask your voice. You call me every couple of weeks to see if you can rent a room and the answer is no! If you don’t stop calling me, then I’m going to call your mother and tell her that you want to sleep with Angeline.” The voice on the other line dropped the techno voice.
“No! You can’t call my mother! She’ll call Angeline’s mother and I’ll look like a douche! Come on! I’m your cousin. Didn’t you do something like this when you were a kid?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m telling you now. Just because we all did something stupid in the past doesn’t mean you have to repeat it. I mean it, Billy. Stop calling me here.”
Wow, I’m almost all the way through Mom’s casserole. I suppose that was supposed to last me a couple more days until I get paid by Uncle Lars. Got to love the old skin flint.
You’d think those copper pennies were pennies from heaven the way he hordes them away. I tried to tell him that they won’t allow cruise ships on Lake Carlos, but he just ignores me. He’s going to take Aunt Sheila on that Alaskan cruise and buy his new fishing boat if it kills him…or at least if I die of starvation trying to squeeze pennies out of this place.” Where was I…”
***
Nina was getting skittish. “But promise me, after you have a word with Bob, you will tell that weird officer out there that you have spoken to Bob and called him here. If Bob is involved somehow, we don’t want to be implicated in the crime just because you two wanted to get married today on the spur of the moment. There is no need to hide facts. Please Susan, try to understand this damn situation. We don’t want to get busted, but we’re getting in too deep. We’ve got to come clean.”
Susan kept adjusting her hair in the mirror and was quietly brushing as if the mirror was the window to some other world. Not meeting Nina’s gaze, she answered. “Got it. No need to hide my husband anymore.” Susan started humming, and then pulled the brush through her hair in a steady rhythm.
Nina called Bob’s number. “Hi. It’s me. Sorry it took so long. Susan’s going to clear it all up.” She handed the phone to Susan, who put the brush down to answer, assuring Nina it was all going to be okay.
“Hi, yes, Bob, yes, okay, right, aha, fine, I will do that, great. Bye,” and handed the phone back to Nina after she hung up.
“What now?
What? What did he say? Why didn’t you tell him what has happened? Damn it!” It was Nina’s turn to freak out.
“Well I’m going to at least say that it’s good news.”
Susan slightly smiled, and started to turn out of the bathroom to make her way to Nina’s room, waving at her dad, who was still glued to the TV. She paused and stepped back in.
“Let me just come take a break and pee. After all it’s a bathroom, all right? I haven’t been there all day. I mean since morning, everything is happening so fast that the day got really long, huh?”
“Whatever,” Nina replied, stepping out into the hallway.
“Okay, just wait, and I will be out in no time,” Susan assured her. The water was still making all the racket, and Nina was looking out at her dad to find him not even paying attention.
“Fine.”
For a while Nina waited patiently, but then knocked at the bathroom door. “Susan? Are you okay? Honey?”
She didn’t want to arouse her dad’s suspicions, so she hissed through the door. “Susan! This is Nina! Open the door!” There was no answer. Nina panicked and started banging the door, but there was no sound.
Nina ran outside around the back of the house. Ten minutes passed. Still no Susan. No answer. “Shit!” Nina was muttering to herself.