Under the Moonlight collection

by MaryAnn Kempher

  “What are you thinking about?” asked Katherine. “You have an odd look on your face. Don’t tell me you’re already hungry.”

  Scott laughed. Not for food. “No, not yet.”

  He sat on the couch. Katherine sat next to him.

  “How’s work?” asked Katherine.

  “Oh well you know, it’s just party, party, party.”

  Katherine leaned back, placing her legs over Scott’s lap. “Yeah, I bet. Well, mine’s not much more exciting than yours.”

  “It’s not bad, I guess. Will, my supervisor, he’s pretty cool. Leaves me alone to do what I have to do, and he bakes.”

  “He bakes? Oh my gosh, you should marry him.”

  “Marry Will? No way - you and I are getting married.”

  “Really, when did you make this decision?”

  “When I saw you turn yourself into a contortionist to get that cookie you dropped. I thought, finally a woman who loves food as much as I do, and she can bend her limbs into unnatural positions.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

  Katherine smiled, hit Scott’s arm and said, “You are such a pig.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Monday after work, Katherine met Amy at the nail salon. They sat in spa pedicure chairs, their feet soaking in warm water.

  “You haven’t been around much lately,” said Amy.

  “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Scott, working on our project. When I wasn’t with him, I was usually with Michael. He loves the outdoors or anything that gets us out of the apartment. It’s a good thing I ran into him when I did. Now that the class is over and Scott has a girlfriend, he probably won’t have any time to hang out with me.” She conveniently forgot that they’d just spent a Saturday together.

  “Come on, aren’t you exaggerating some? A one-night stand does not a girlfriend make.”

  “Well, she’s hardly a one-night stand, though I’m not sure she’s his girlfriend either. Anyway, I don’t care if he never sees her again or marries her at a drive-through chapel.”

  “Yeah, you sound like you don’t care. What about Michael? Have you two slept together yet?”

  “Hardly, but we haven’t been seeing each long, and it turns out Michael is religious, so all I’ve gotten from him are a few kisses.”

  Amy turned towards Katherine, a serious look on her face, “Listen, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say. I’m sorry about you and Ray. I know I wasn’t there for you and I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I don’t hurt over him anymore. It feels like it all happened to someone else. One good thing came out of it all though: I feel smarter. More clear about what I want in life.”

  “Do you still want a family?” asked Amy.

  “I don’t believe in that anymore,” answered Katherine, looking away. “I think a happy marriage is the exception, not the rule.”

  “Wow, Ray really did a number on you. Don’t you believe in true love anymore?”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes, absolutely. I believe there’s someone out there for everyone.”

  Katherine shook her head. “And I believe if you give a man enough time, he’ll let you down.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jeanette Churchill stood before her kitchen table, looking down at a coin box. There were slots for two coins; she held one. She was wondering how much she could get for them when she was startled by a loud knocking at her door. She put the coin she’d been holding into the pocket of her robe and went to the door.

  “Christian?” she said. “It’s nearly midnight. What brings you here?”

  “Can I come in?”

  She opened the door wider. Christian grew calmer. Her behavior wasn’t that of a thief. He was relieved.

  “What’s this about?” she asked, directing him toward the couch.

  “My coins. They’re gone and I know who took them.”

  Jeanette’s eyes grew wide. She hadn’t expected that he’d notice so quickly, but why come to her? “You’ve looked everywhere? Around the fireplace, on the floor?”

  Christian leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Jeanette, while you were on that cruise last month, I had cameras installed. The insurers insisted. Why did you take them? Please tell me you have a good reason.”

  Jeanette’s eyes narrowed. When she spoke, her voice held contempt and resentment. “Because they are worth a fortune, that’s why, and you wanted them to sit on that mantle, some kind of shrine to your mother. While I wonder if I’ll ever be able to retire, you are surrounded by expensive things; you have money to burn. I didn’t think I’d get caught—that’s why I took them. I deserve the money they’ll bring.”

  Christian was speechless; the thing was, if she’d taken anything else, he might have forgiven her, but not the coins. She knew how much those coins meant to him. In spite of their history, he couldn’t let such a betrayal go unpunished.

  “Give me my coins, now.”

  “No.”

  Jeanette recognized the look on Christian’s face and the tone in his voice. She’d seen grown men recoil in fear from Christian, once they realized they’d gone too far. Nobody wanted to incur his anger, but instead of fear, she felt exhilaration. It was like poking a rattlesnake.

  Christian was dumbfounded. He almost found the situation funny: his mild-mannered secretary turning into a crazed thief. Am I on “Candid Camera?” he wondered incredulously, but his humor was fleeting. Coherent thought was replaced by a fury that should have been directed at the mother who’d left him in an orphanage and never returned. He grabbed Jeanette and shook her like a rag doll, her head slamming against the wall. Blood dripped down, and still he shook her. Exhausted, he tossed her onto the couch and turned toward the box he’d just noticed on the kitchen table. He picked up the remaining coin, holding it so tight it hurt the palm of his hand.

  She hadn’t understood what the coins meant to him. They were all he had to remind him of his mother. He knew she’d left him for a good reason. But there was only one coin. Where was the other? He looked at Jeanette, his lip curled in contempt. Her eyes were vacant. He kneeled down next to her and checked for a pulse, but there was none. He felt strangely detached, as if he was watching a television show. He reached for the phone but hesitated. Would the police believe it had all been a terrible accident? Would they think this was his fault? It was as if Christian had switched to autopilot, and was only half-aware of what he did next. He went outside and opened the garage door. Luckily, the neighborhood didn’t have many streetlights and the moon was hidden by the clouds. He’d put her in his car, drop her body somewhere secluded, then come back and find the other coin. A part of his mind recoiled at his actions.

  Are you insane? You can’t do this. This is nuts.

  But rational thought had been replaced by anger, pain, and the need for self-preservation.

  After backing his car into the driveway, he went inside and wrapped the body in a blanket and took it to the garage. But just as he was about to put her in the trunk, he heard a noise. He didn’t see anything at first, but then the fast-moving clouds revealed a bright full moon, and a woman. She stood across the street watching him. Their eyes seemed locked.

  He laid Jeanette’s body down and ran toward her. He tried to catch up, but she was fast. Then he tripped and fell, and the coin flew from his hand. He looked for it frantically, but the light was just too dim. Holding very still, he focused his attention on the woman, hoping she would give herself away, but she didn’t. After a few minutes he left - he’d come back to find the coin when it was light out. Back at Jeanette’s house, he took her body inside and began to search her home for the second coin. But when he heard sirens approaching, he quickly left, knowing somehow he’d need to find that woman.

  The next day, Christian took two aspirin and reproached himself for drinking so much the night before. When he arrived at the office, he pretended to be as shocked as an
yone upon hearing of poor Jeanette’s murder.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  As Katherine took her usual walk around Virginia Lake, out of the corner of her eye she could see someone walking behind her, and they were way too close for comfort. As the stranger got closer, she swung around, her apartment key between two fingers. If she was going down, she was taking some asshole’s DNA with her.

  “Oh my God, Jack! You scared the hell out of me!”

  Jack laughed and immediately apologized.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to say hello. You were so into your music, there was no other way to get your attention except to touch your shoulder.”

  “Have you been behind me long?”

  “Yep.”

  “Why didn’t you say hello sooner?”

  He smiled. “I was enjoying the view from behind,” he said with a wink.

  “Oh, brother, Jack. Is that the best you can do?”

  He shrugged. “Sorry, it’s been a long day. How many laps do you usually do?”

  “It depends on how early I get over here.” She looked around. “The light is starting to fade, so it doesn’t look like I’m gonna get around more than once.”

  “Maybe I should walk you home.”

  Katherine laughed. She couldn’t tell if he was concerned for her safety or just flirting. “No, thanks.”

  “You know they still haven’t caught whoever killed that woman; I hope you’re being careful.”

  “I am, see ya.”

  She gave Jack a little wave and started walking. She hoped he didn’t think she’d been rude, but her walking time was also her thinking time and she had things on her mind. Jack watched her go, then sat on a bench.

  The rest of the workweek, Katherine had Scott-withdrawal pains. She wanted to call him, maybe invite him to lunch, but she knew spending more time with him wasn’t a good idea, not if he was serious about someone else.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Saturday morning Scott rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he walked toward the couch. He sat down and looked toward the phone on the end table. He picked it up and dialed his dad’s phone number.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Dad, didn’t wake you, did I?”

  “Yes, but it’s all right. We still on for later? Same place around eight o’clock?”

  “Yeah, works for me. I’ll see you there.”

  Scott had no sooner set the phone down, when it rang again. It was his brother. “Hey, Alex, what’s up?”

  “I wanted to give you a heads up. Mom saw you with Dad the other day.”

  “When? How?”

  “Never mind, she just did. She hasn’t said anything exactly, but I can tell it bothers her. I think she feels you’re being disloyal.”

  “No, I’m not. She’s being unreasonable. I shouldn’t have to ask my mother who I can or cannot spend time with, especially when the person is my own dad.”

  “Look, you need to choose. Whose side are you on?”

  “What are you, ten? I need to go.”

  “Well, don’t say you weren’t warned.”

  “Gotta go, Alex.”

  “Bye.”

  Scott hung up, wondering again why his dad had chosen such a strange way to behave during his midlife crisis. Why couldn’t he have just dyed his hair, or bought a ridiculously expensive sports car? He wished his mom would let go of her anger; it wasn’t doing her or anyone else any good.

  His thoughts wandered to Verna. He felt as though he was falling into a relationship with her almost by accident, and not because of genuine regard. Instead, it seemed more like she’d decided they were a couple and he just hadn’t corrected her. He called Katherine.

  “What are you up to today?”

  “Nothing,” she said, trying to keep from sounding as pleased to hear from him as she felt. “To tell you the truth, I’m not feeling great. I’m going to be staying home today. I think I might be coming down with the flu. Most of the day I’m fine, but then I start feeling queasy.”

  “Is your sister sick, too?”

  “No. Well, she might be, I’m not sure. She’s not here a lot. She’s gotten a job.”

  “Oh yeah? So she’s staying in Reno?”

  “I guess. We haven’t really talked about it.”

  “So where’s this job?”

  “At the hospital, in pediatrics. She’s an assistant of some sort. She always liked working with kids.”

  “Good for her. So, you feel like company?”

  “Sure, come over, but you’ve been warned.”

  “I have to let you go now. Verna’s on call waiting.”

  “Oh, well, we don’t want to keep her waiting. What a tragedy that might be.”

  “Ha ha. So maybe I’ll stop over later.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Right. Bye,” Scott said, and hung up.

  After spending most of the day in bed, Katherine was bored and tired of being inside. She knew the mall inside and out, she’d been to nearly every home décor store, and even walking around Virginia Lake didn’t appeal to her. She got on the web and picked a movie to go see.

  ***

  She settled into her seat, big Coke in her drink holder, licorice in her lap. The movie was about a tragic romance—lots of crying, kissing, and more crying. Two hours later, Katherine wiped her eyes as she left the auditorium. As she was about to leave the building, Jack walked out of the same theater she’d been in.

  “I'm surprised to see you at this movie,” she said. “It’s kind of a chick flick.”

  Jack laughed. “Oh, well, every now and then I like to get in touch with my feminine side, but you’ve got to promise me you’ll never tell a soul you saw me here.”

  Katherine handed him a Kleenex. “Oh, I don't know. I think I may need to arrange a building meeting.”

  “Can you be bribed?”

  “Depends.”

  “Let me buy you dinner.”

  “Maybe another time. I have plans, but your secret is safe with me.”

  She didn’t have plans, but since Katherine wasn’t any better at lying than she was at picking up on hints, it was the best fib she could come up with.

  Jack walked with Katherine to her car, which was coincidentally parked close to his. After he walked away, she sat staring off into space, thinking about how often she’d been running into him. A thought occurred to her - one that she wanted to dismiss but couldn’t. It would have been very easy for Jack to put something on those stairs. He knows my schedule. But why? If I make the leap that Jack is someone I need to be afraid of, then I have to make another even crazier leap—that maybe he’s the guy who killed that woman. No way.

  After driving around for a while, she sneaked back into her building. She went straight to her bedroom, knowing she should have stayed home. She changed, climbed under the covers and turned on her bedroom television. The phone rang.

  “Hey, how you feeling?” asked Scott.

  “The same.”

  “I’m coming over, just for a minute.”

  “I’ll leave the door open.”

  Five minutes later she heard Scott yell, “Hey it’s me.”

  “I’m in my room.”

  When he came in, she muted the television and pulled her covers closer, aware that she was wearing only a thin nightgown.

  Why does it always seem like there’s less air in the room when Scott occupies it? She noticed how good he looked dressed in black jeans and a black sweater. “Why are you all dressed up?”

  “I’m taking Verna out.”

  His dad had called earlier, and their plan to get together had been pushed back, so when Verna had called to say hello, he’d impulsively asked her out to dinner.

  “Your face is pink,” said Scott. “Do you have a fever?”

  Katherine put her palms on her cheeks.

  “Maybe a low one.”

  Scott turned and started out the door.

  “Hey, you just got here. You’re already leaving?”<
br />
  “Yep. Just wanted to stop by, make sure you were still alive and kicking.”

  “I’m sick. Don’t I at least get a hug?”

  He sat on the bed and she sat up, the covers slipping to her waist, her breasts clearly visible through the thin material of her nightgown. She covered herself quickly, but this was too much for Scott - he could feel his erection straining against his jeans, and knew he had to leave before she noticed the effect she was having on him. He stood up quickly.

  “I really have to go.”

  “So go,” said Katherine, trying not to smile at Scott’s obvious discomfort.

  “Fine, I will. See you later.”

  Katherine smiled. Maybe it was wrong of her, but Scott’s reaction to her see-through nightgown was funny, and a nice ego boost. She stared at the doorway for a while before turning the TV’s volume back on.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Katherine spent her Sunday morning watching a home improvement show. By three, she was bored and once again wishing she had some girlfriends to call. Instead, she called Scott.

  “What are you up to?” she asked.

  “I just got up.”

  “Are you for real? Do you know what time it is? Are you alone?”

  “Yes, unfortunately. Feeling better?”

  “Yes, for now. Are you doing anything later?”

  “No. It’s my turn to feel lousy. I think you gave me whatever it is you have”

  “Yeah, right. Can you say hangover?”

  “Why are you screaming at me?” Scott asked, half groaning.

  Katherine laughed. “All right, I’ll let you get back to bed. Call me if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thanks.”

  Scott did have a hangover, but not from drinking with Verna. He and his dad had ended up at a bar and stayed until 2:00 a.m.