Oblivion

by Karolyn Cairns

  Chapter Eleven

  Lindsay managed to avoid Cameron another couple days. He caught her leaving her apartment, pulling up behind the station wagon and blocking her from backing out. Fear hammered in her chest as she saw him get out of the black Mustang and approach the car window. He was smiling, despite his loathsome actions towards her. The urge to run him over was strong when he came up behind the car.

  “Hey stranger,” he said pleasantly, a question in his blue eyes. He sounded friendly but his eyes held a glimmer of anger in them. “I heard you were sick. You don’t look sick.”

  Lindsay looked at him in stunned silence for about a full minute; unable to understand how he could act like nothing ever happened.

  “Are you for real, Cameron? Are you really going to pretend you didn’t put something in the schnapps? I didn’t drink enough to get that wasted!”

  He grinned and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you needed a little help loosening up, Lindsay. Come on, I didn’t do anything to you. I got an eyeful, but that’s it.”

  She resisted the urge to scream for help, her fear coursing through her in waves at his casual dismissal of drugging her. The thought of his seeing her unclothed that night made her feel bile rise in the back of her throat.

  “Get away from my car, Cameron,” she said coldly and eyed him like an insect. “Maybe some girls around here don’t mind being date-raped by you, but I have a real problem with it. You’re lucky you didn’t do more than look. I certainly won’t put myself in that position again.”

  “We both know before Jace died you were dying to get laid,” he said smugly and rolled his eyes. “I was just helping it along.”

  “Help yourself away from my car if you know what’s good for you!” she snapped and was infuriated by his laughing at her.

  “Really Lindsay, the way you horde that pretty little body of yours makes me wonder if somebody didn’t do Jace a favor by putting him out of his misery.”

  It was all she could do to keep from going off, her anger out of control now. He was baiting her and she knew it. She calmed herself with remarkable ease and glared at him, revving her engine.

  “Unless you want a piece of me imbedded in the side of that car; I suggest you move it,” she warned threateningly and the station wagon jerked backward before she slammed on the brake. “Stay away from me Cameron. You come near me again; I go to the sheriff and tell him how you score so many girls around here. They might stay quiet, but I won’t.”

  He looked angry now, his eyes filled with fury. “Yeah, I heard you already talked to the cops. What did you tell them, Lindsay?”

  She could see he knew something. When Sheriff Wilson came over to fit her for the wire he warned her things would happen very fast now. Cameron would be arrested and make bail as soon as his fancy lawyer was called from Helena. Obviously this was the reason for his visit today. She was glad she wore the wire just to get used to it, even if she was only going to meet her dad for lunch.

  “The truth; that you’re a total psycho who drugs girls to get them into bed and kills their boyfriends, you sick miserable piece of shit!”

  That seemed to awaken the sleeping demon within Cameron. His eyes filled with rage, darkening and growing frightening. She knew real fear then. They were behind Merriman’s grocery store with no witnesses about. She was warned to get him in public for her own safety. His baiting her and her fear had made her speak rashly.

  “I think Jace’s death must have caused a breakdown, Lindsay,” he said smoothly despite his obvious anger. “I didn’t kill him.”

  “It must be hard to know you killed Jace and got the scholarship that was his,” she taunted with a smile. “All that work and we both know you aren’t even smart enough to take the SAT and use it.”

  “Shut up!” he said harshly and bore down on her, forcing her back inside the car; his face filling the open window. “I got a new tutor! One that’s better than you! I’ll pass, no thanks to you.”

  “I found the ring, Cameron. I know you took it from Jace the day you killed him,” she continued, seeing him unravel before her eyes. He was shaking and livid now. “I went to the cops and I hope you fry for what you did to him!”

  “They can’t prove anything!” he snapped and smiled coldly, his hand reaching out to touch her. She shrank back from him.

  “Keep thinking that, Cameron. I plan on being at your execution,” she jeered and laughed as she saw him stiffen and his face flushed almost beet red. “You think you got away with it, but they know it was you!”

  “Like I said, Lindsay,” he informed her through clenched teeth. “I’d like to see them prove it. My lawyer says I’m going to beat this. I’ll see you in Georgia, baby. You’ll pay for going to the police; you and Marnie.”

  “You leave her alone!” Lindsay cried and slapped him away from her car window, her eyes wide with fright. “She didn’t tell them anything they didn’t already know, Cam! You set yourself up when you stole the ring.”

  Cameron stood back and folded his arms across his chest and looked unimpressed.

  “Oh come on, since when do you stick up for Marnie? The little whore sold you down the river and told me you forced her to go to the cops. My lawyer tells me I can beat that. All I have to say is Jace gave it to me to hold onto for him and I forgot about it. It proves nothing, Lindsay. If I were you; I’d be careful about throwing accusations around.”

  “You don’t scare me, Cameron,” she said harshly, tears in her eyes. “You don’t have the element of surprise anymore like you did with Jace. I see you coming.”

  “Actually you won’t see it coming at all, Lindsay,” he warned her coldly. “I heard your ma is moving in with Miller and you’re going to be all alone here. Just think, one night you come home I might be up there waiting for you, babe.”

  Revulsion shone in her gaze. “Are you threatening me, Cam? Not a good idea now that you’re being charged for killing Jace. If I were you, I wouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  He looked really mad then, but he still hadn’t admitted to killing Jace. She just needed to push him harder to get him to confess.

  “It must be hard being second best to Jace all your life, Cam. Even Marnie said Jace was better in bed his first time than you ever were.”

  Cameron’s face looked white with fury and he reached for her then, his hands clawing at her and trying to yank her out of the car window, his hands digging into her arm. She kicked at him and dragged herself into the passenger seat to get away.

  “You snotty little bitch! You’re gonna pay for this!” he snarled and came in the window after her.

  She was out the door before he realized it. She kept the car between them.

  “You better kill me, Cameron, because if I find you waiting for me one night, you aren’t leaving my apartment alive.”

  He punched the top of the car and glared at her.

  “Why did you have to go and screw things up, Lindsay? You couldn’t leave it alone, could you? No, you went snooping around my room and had to go run to the police. When I get out of this, and I will, I won’t forget this.”

  “I’m going to make sure you burn for what you did to Jace, Cameron,” she flung and enjoyed the uneasy look in his eyes.

  “We both know he couldn’t make you happy. He’s a Turner! You would marry trash like that? It would have all been perfect if you hadn’t found that ring, Lindsay. Watch your back, babe. I have something you don’t. I got friends. When I put the word out you fingered me to the cops; you won’t have a peaceful moment in this town.”

  “Anything happens to me or Marnie and it all points to you, Cameron,” she snarled and laughed at him with courage she was far from feeling.

  He shrugged. “Like I said; they got nothing on me. They can’t convict me, Lindsay. Your little detective mission failed.”

  Lindsay watched him walk away, heart beating frantically in fear as she watched him get in his car and peel out of the parking lot. She bit her lip and tears fil
led her gaze, blinding her to hear him practically brag about how he would get away with killing Jace.

  Lindsay trembled as she got back into the car. She was going to Sheriff Wilson with what was captured from the wire. She wanted this over. She did it for Jace, but she was scared witless now.

  His threats to come after her were very real. Marnie telling him they went to the police was stupid, but she reasoned Cam scared her too, enough to tell everything. She felt anger to know Marnie was so weak when it came to Cam.

  She still thought he would come through for her, after everything. She pulled into the Sheriff’s department and nearly ran inside. Bob was behind the counter. He looked at her in concern.

  “You ok, Lindsay?” the cop asked in concern, seeing her panicked expression.

  “I need to talk to Sheriff Wilson,” she said in a rush.

  “Hold on, let me see if he’s off the phone,” the deputy said and left her to stand in the lobby.

  Sheriff Wilson arrived and looked grave as he ushered her to his office. She waited until the door was shut to yank the wire from under her tank top and hoodie.

  “Get this off of me!” she cried and tears coursed down her cheeks. “Cam just came to my apartment and threatened me and Marnie. He knows we told. It’s all on the recorder.”

  “Did he confess, Lindsay?” the Sheriff asked urgently as he came forward to help her remove the wire.

  “More or less,” she said and grimaced as the tape was removed from her back. “He didn’t deny it. He made threats against me and Marnie too. It’s all on there.”

  Sheriff Wilson looked relieved. “Alright, let’s see what you got.”

  Lindsay and the Sheriff listened to the conversation three times before he shut off the recorder, frowning.

  “He didn’t confess to it, Lindsay,” he said wearily and rubbed his eyebrows. “He’s smart. He knows unless he states quite clearly he killed Jace; we can’t use this. He made serious threats to you; that’s all. I can charge him for that and get Dan to patrol the lot, but I can’t get the prosecutor to admit this as evidence in the case.”

  “He said he put Jace out of his misery! How can that not be a confession?”

  “He implied someone did, but he didn’t admit to it.”

  “I don’t believe this!” she snapped angrily as she stood up from her seat. “I put myself out on the line for you so you could get Cameron, and now you tell me it was all for nothing? He’s after me now! Thanks a lot! When he kills me I hope he uses the right wording when he confesses to it!”

  “Lindsay, he’s guilty as sin and we both know it, but I can’t use that tape unless he says the words! It’s the law! I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is,” he said angrily and stood, his grey eyes meeting hers with a solemn look in them. “We’ll do everything we can to protect you until you leave for school, Lindsay. He’s going to be tied up in court. He can’t go anywhere for a while.”

  “Yeah, but he’s planning on making every minute I’m here miserable and we both know he can. You can’t protect me!”

  “Lindsay, you need to keep wearing the wire. Sooner or later he’ll come back to taunt you more. He came close to admitting it. Had you pushed him harder; he would have snapped.”

  “No way! I’m all done with this! I did what you asked and nearly got raped and now he’s threatening to kill me!” she stormed angrily. “I’m out of this!”

  “Lindsay, he’s got months before this goes to court. A lot can and will happen. Do you want him to get away with this?”

  “I want him dead!” she seethed, her eyes filled with fury. “I want him as dead as Jace! I’m sorry, but I can’t do this, even for Jace. I’m too close to this. I can’t do it.”

  “Lindsay, unless we have a confession he’ll walk,” the Sheriff said wearily and regarded her sadly. “Think about that. Do you think Jace will be the last person he kills? I’ve seen it before. He’ll kill again, Lindsay. He has a taste for it now. Don’t let Jace die in vain. Think about what I said.”

  She did consider every word but her terror was such she couldn’t imagine getting close enough to Cameron again to get the confession they needed.

  “He won’t approach me again. He said what he came to say. I’m a target now for every one of his friends. He won’t dare dirty his hands, not while he’s under the microscope.”

  The sheriff sighed and sat back down and lit a cigarette.

  “Then you have to step it up and confront him every time you see him until you get him to break, Lindsay. I never said this would be easy. This will be the hardest thing you ever have to do in your life, but if you don’t, he’ll walk.”

  “When is the hearing?” she asked tightly.

  “He was arraigned this morning and made bail. His first court appearance is in June.”

  Her eyes widened. “Why so far off? This is a murder.”

  Sheriff Wilson looked grim. “His attorney will likely drag this out, Lindsay. That can be to our advantage. It buys us time to work him over. He thought he scared you today. Come back right at him and let him know you aren’t running away. He won’t expect it and he’ll make mistakes.”

  “I’m scared,” she admitted in a small voice. “You didn’t see his face or his eyes. He killed Jace and he feels absolutely nothing.”

  “Lindsay, I’ve put animals like him away for thirty years. You don’t need to tell me what a ruthless creep the kid is. Just get him on tape confessing to the murder and we have him.”

  “I want protection!” she demanded and pointed to the door. “Out there I’m on my own. He didn’t make idle threats, Sheriff. He thinks he can get away with murder and he has up until now. What guarantee do I have your department will be there when he comes for me?”

  “Lindsay, if I have to sit in your lot and guard you every night myself, I will. He won’t get to you. He’s got enough problems of his own right now. When they arrested him this morning they confiscated quite a bit of illegal drugs from his room. He’s up on drug charges too. Either way, he lost the scholarship. His parents might pay for an attorney, but they’ve had it with him. I don’t think I ever saw Dick Chase so mad when he dragged his son out of here.”

  Lindsay had some satisfaction knowing the drug charge would stick and he would lose the LBHS scholarship. Even if he walked for killing Jace; his entry into any top-rated school for football was slim and none. For that, he would be out for blood. Hers, she thought with a chill down her spine.

  “Let’s hope he starts losing it real quick then. I can’t take much more of this,” she lamented and sighed. “Jace hasn’t been dead a month. Instead of grieving him I’m chasing his killer around.”

  “Don’t you have girlfriends, Lindsay?” he asked curiously.

  She laughed bitterly and shook her head. “That’s the price of dating the cutest, most popular boy in school, Sheriff. No, Jace was my only friend.”

  She could see the Sheriff felt sorry for her. It was an old argument with her mother too. She hated the fact Lindsay wrapped her world around Jason Turner and didn’t run with a pack of girlfriends. When he was alive she didn’t need friends. Now that he was gone, she never felt so alone.

  “It’s a shame kids have to be so spiteful. You’re going to have to make the best of it. You got four months and you’re out of here.”

  “Yeah, it’s too bad Jace isn’t going with me.”

  “Lindsay, the best thing you can do for Jace is to do this. It’ll help you find some sense of justice if anything. You have your whole life ahead of you now. Don’t look back when you leave here. Just keep going forward and know you did the right thing.”

  She thought about that conversation on her way to Reddy’s to meet her dad, dwelled upon it when she arrived to see him texting Margene and ignoring her while she nibbled at her burger and fries.

  He was so wrapped up in his own life, he hardly touched on what happened to Jace, just mumbling how tragic it was and telling her he was sorry.

  She despised
him for that as she watched him communicate with his girlfriend and not her. For the first time in years, she could understand what made her mother so miserable to live with. Bill Morgan didn’t have a thoughtful bone in his body.

  She finished and pushed her plate away. “Dad, I’m going home.”

  No response as he typed into his phone, nodding absently. She got up and walked out of the diner, knowing next week she wouldn’t come back to meet him. He made his choice when he chose Margene over his family. In his mind, he did his job and his role of a parent ended when she turned eighteen. Now she could understand why Lance left.

  Thinking about her brother made her tense. Jace’s murder was broadcast all over the country. She suspected he was at Aunt Billie’s in Savannah and heard about Jace. Her brother adored Jace and called him his little brother when he was at home. Knowing he was Jace’s half brother had to come as a shock to him.

  She missed him badly and wished he’d come home. Her older brother wouldn’t let any of Cam’s friends torment her. Lance Morgan was about as tough as they came. No one ever messed with Lance. He got his size from Everett obviously and his orneriness.

  Lance had to come home some time and deal with knowing Everett was his father. He’d been gone for months and her mother was worried sick. She privately thought her mother knew Lance was at her sister’s place and didn’t push to know how he was. If she knew Aunt Billie; she was working him over but good. He would come home eventually.

  Eventually came sooner than she thought when she arrived home and saw a strange car in the lot with Georgia plates. She was tense as she went up the stairs. Her mom was packing for her and Sara and a moving truck was backed into the stairs. They moved in with Jack today and she was scared to death to be alone in the apartment after her run-in with Cameron.

  She opened the door and stepped over boxes and around bins to get to the living room. She froze when she saw Lance sitting with her mother. He looked the same, but had a more mature look in his dark eyes she’d never seen. He had a tan and looked fit in the jeans and a sport shirt. With a squeal of surprise she ran and launched herself into his arms, hugging him with joy.

  “Oh God, we were so worried about you, Lance,” she breathed as she drew back, looking up at him reproachfully. “You could have called me.”

  Now that she knew he was Everett Turner’s son she could see the resemblance. He was tall like Jace and had the same dark hair and eyes. He was handsome and had the same brooding look Jace often wore in repose. She knew he wasn’t aware she knew why he left. She would wait for him to confide in her. They’d always been close.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you, Linds,” he said gruffly and smiled sadly down at her. “It’s been rough for you.”

  She felt tears form and wiped them away. “Yeah, it’s been pretty bad, Lance.”

  “They catch the guy yet?” he asked coldly. She shivered from the look. Obviously Lance didn’t hold it against Jace they were brothers. She could see his pain and anger to know his brother was now dead.

  “They arrested Cameron Chase.”

  Lance looked at their mother and a look passed between them. “Mom, can I talk to Lindsay alone for a minute.”

  “Yeah, I got a lot of packing to do. You two catch up,” Deborah said and looked relieved her son was home. She looked like she had been crying too.

  When Deborah left the room, Lance looked down at her and his expression was stern. “Mom and I talked about it and you’re going back to Savannah with me until school starts, Lindsay.”

  She looked confused and then angry. “Nobody discussed anything with me. I’m not going anywhere until Jace’s murderer is behind bars.”

  Lance sighed and shook his head. “Mom told me what Jack knows and this could get ugly really fast, Lindsay. You can’t stay here by yourself now. Every kid in town buys dope from Cameron. You think they aren’t going to make your life miserable now?”

  “I see news travels fast,” she commented, disgusted to know everyone in town knew she informed on Cameron.

  Lance looked outraged. “Lindsay, I mean it. You’re the only sister I got. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

  “Nothing is going to happen!”

  “Lindsay, he’s a drug dealer. Do you think he doesn’t have friends that could make your life Hell?”

  “Losing Jace was Hell! I can stand this for a couple more months,” she argued, determined to stay.

  “No, you’re not. When I leave; you leave with me. Mom agreed. It’s not safe for you here anymore.”

  “When are you leaving?” she asked curiously, not that she planned to go with him.

  “A couple months, no more,” he replied and glared down at her. “I’m staying to see you walk across that stage to get your diploma and we’re out of here.”

  “I’m helping the police. I can’t leave,” she protested and saw his face fill with disapproval at her words.

  “You keep that to yourself, Lindsay. It was bad enough that Mom called Aunt Billie in the middle of the night freaking out because she heard things from Jack. What were you thinking?” he demanded and shook his head. “You can’t bring him back.”

  “I know that,” she replied hollowly and looked down. “I can’t let a murderer get away with it either. That’s not who I am. Jace deserves his justice.”

  “Let the police get it for him, Lindsay! Jace would never want you doing this snitching for the cops!”

  “I have to do it,” she insisted and looked at her brother with a forlorn look. “I owe it to Jace. I don’t expect you to understand, but I can’t move on with my life unless I do this.”

  “Lindsay, these kids in this town are going to make your life miserable,” he predicted with a fierce expression. “Cam is the drug king pin around here.”

  “I didn’t realize Cam had so much pull.”

  “You were too wrapped up in Jace to see it,” he told her grimly. “And right now, everybody is talking about how you and Marnie turned him in. Think about her, Lindsay. She’s even more of a sitting duck than you.”

  “I didn’t twist her arm, Lance. She wanted to do the right thing.”

  “The right thing could get you both hurt, Lindsay. It’s not a risk I’m willing to take. When you graduate; we leave here.”

  She could see Lance made up his mind. Lance had the Turner’s stubborn streak. Once his mind was set; forget it.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said and refused to discuss it further.

  Lance gave her that look that said she was an idiot. “You’ll go if I have to drag you all the way there, little sister.”

  “What are you doing down there anyway?”

  “I work for Uncle Ed now,” he said proudly and shrugged. “Its steady work and the money is good. I was never a brainiac like you, Lindsay. School isn’t in the cards. I barely graduated from high school.”

  “Why didn’t you call?”

  “We can talk about that another time,” he said and looked away. “Right now, I want your promise you’ll stay away from Cam and the guys he hangs out with. Let Wilson and Dooley do their jobs, Lindsay.”

  “Jace is dead, Lance!” she cried in outrage. “You expect me to just let them handle it?”

  “It’s their job!”

  “Yeah, well they let Cam walk!”

  Lance made a noise and his expression was angry. “Lindsay, he’s out on bail! That means you stay away from him; get it?”

  Lindsay looked mutinous and spun around and left him in the living room. She slammed into her bedroom where Sara was packing. She looked up from the box she was packing and looked sad.

  “They let Cam go, didn’t they?” she asked.

  “You heard?”

  “You guys were yelling,” she admitted and smiled. “You sound like me and Jace used to.”

  Sara looked away then. Lindsay could see the girl suffered missing her brother. She remained stoic for Dougie’s benefit, but she could see Sara was barely hold
ing it together.

  “He’s going down if I have anything to say about it.”

  “Jace didn’t know about the drugs,” Sara said and looked back at her. “He would have never hung out with Cam if he’d known.”

  “How is it Cam is the biggest drug dealer in Little Bend and Jace didn’t know?”

  “Did you know?” Sara countered with a disgusted look that made Lindsay feel ashamed for her accusing tone.

  “No, it’s news to me.”

  “My brother was pretty much wrapped up in us and you, and our pa. He didn’t see it.”

  “Did you know?” Lindsay asked and saw Sara’s guilty look. “Did you?”

  “He sells up at the middle school; everybody knew.”

  Lindsay was disgusted by this news and was eager to see Cam put out of business. She knew now that he was charged with drug possession he wouldn’t dare try to sell drugs around Little Bend.

  “If it’s the last thing I do I’m going to see him punished for what he did to Jace,” she assured Sara.

  “It won’t bring my brother back.”

  Lindsay felt a pang of sorrow as Sara packed. She felt a hollow ache knowing it was true. The emptiness inside her each day that passed reminded her that Jace was gone. Something beautiful and rare was taken from her. The anger and remorse would never be assuaged until Cameron Chase paid for what he did.