“I’ll be right back,” I said and went back to the house for Gus.
I was dizzy and I felt like I was running through water. My legs were hot rubber. I had no bones. I fell twice before making it to the house and the second time I just wanted to stay down, right there on the ground, and go to sleep. For a moment, I lay there still. I swear I could hear the grass growing and I could smell the water from the well.
I crept up to the kitchen window and could see Autumn in the corner, her eyes like that of a wild animal. Then Dewey entered the kitchen and Autumn shot out from her corner and they started to argue. For a moment, I saw before me old stock footage of my parents arguing in the kitchen on the day my father killed my mother. But I forced myself to remember that it was Autumn and Dewey who were arguing now, not my parents. I saw that Autumn didn’t want Dewey to go past her. She was a big red spider protecting a multicolored web of wires. Autumn didn’t want them to set off the explosives. That was good. At least one of them was not so eager to die.
Dewey tried to push past Autumn and they began to struggle. I could see through the kitchen door that Gus was still trapped in the front room. I ran around the house. Once in front, I peered into the shot-out window and spotted The Barb taking aim at Gus. Then The Barb’s face turned into my father’s and I remember thinking, “Poor Gus, Daddy’s trying to kill him with the shotgun.” It’s not your father, I thought. Don’t be stupid, shoot him! Shoot him! I need a gun, I complained to myself, and then I noticed there was one in my hand. I took aim on my father though I knew it was The Barb. I squeezed off a round, shot my father, hitting him in the right arm, and he spun away with a screech.
Gus took that opportunity to go for the door. Dewey came out from the kitchen and I shot several times. Though my aim was no good, Gus was able to make it out the front door.
Everything became a blur and I could hear gunshots, but I had lost my sense of direction and couldn’t judge where they were coming from. I knew Gus was going for the jeep. He kept calling my name. I started toward his voice but fell on the ground and couldn’t get up. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get back up on my feet, so I slithered across the ground like a snake. I could feel a soft breeze on my face and could actually hear the blades of grass rustling against each other, and then another sound came through, a sweet humming that I recognized with an intense clarity to be the harmony of all existence. Then I heard Gus screaming my name and I slithered toward his voice. Gunshots exploded in my brain, echoing with the sound of my name.
The next thing I remembered was Gus pulling me into the jeep. I was in the front seat. When I looked in the back, I saw my mother cowering on the floor.
Then my mind said, “That’s Paige.” Gus pulled off.
Autumn bolted from the house. She was a streak into the woods, the Raggedy Ann doll clutched in her fist. She transformed into a beast with horns. Fire shot out of her eyes. Zombita or Autumn, or whoever the hell she was, looked like the daughter of Satan. Her hair flowed out behind her, red snakes of Medusa. She moved like some supernatural creature, not human at all.
A strange feeling came over me, as if an invisible wave washed over me, and everything shifted into focus, making my vision crystal clear.
Dewey came running from the house with his dart gun; The Barb was right behind him with the shotgun. But we were pulling away, out of range for either of them. Then Dewey turned and ran back toward the house. The Barb shook his shotgun at us, then followed Dewey into the house as well.
“They’re going to blow the house,” I said. Gus looked at me. “Good thing we got everybody out,” I said
“Yeah, good thing,” said Gus. “There’s Satch,”
I spotted two black SUVs coming around the bend ahead. I could see Satch in one of the 4x4s. He was talking on a handheld radio and directing with hand signals to the other 4x4 at the same time.
A loud explosion came from under the bowels of the earth and I turned to see the house shake. Hundred-foot flames of fire burst into the sky as we pulled away. Fear gripped my heart, but not because of the house. It was what the explosion signified. The beast was let loose into the atmosphere. Alarms went off in my mind and in my body.
“She’s going for the car,” I said.
“You think?” said Gus.
“Yes.”
As we pulled around the bend, we saw Autumn break from the woods on the other side of the creek and jump into the Audi T. She took off, spewing dirt and mud.
“She’s not going to make it,” I said.
Gus looked at me for a second and then back to the road.
We splashed through the creek, and when we came around the next curve in the road, we were just in time to see the back end of the Audi T sailing over the side of the cliff.
And then I passed out.
•••
I WAS HOLDING MY mother’s hand and she was smiling down at me, her face kind and loving. I woke with a start, realizing it was Eddy who was holding my hand. I was in a hospital bed and he was by my side. I mumbled something unintelligible and fell back into a vision of green rolling hills. When I woke again, Eddy was still holding my hand.
“Eduardo Sforza,” he said.
“What?”
“When you woke up last time, you demanded to know my real name. It’s Eduardo Sforza.”
“Oh. That has a ring to it. Sounds like some Italian Baron or something.”
“Duke,” said Eddy.
“What?”
“Sforza was a Duke.”
“Should I bow or something?”
“That won’t be necessary. The castle is a rubble of stones these days. I’m pretty sure I’m the grandson of the bastard son of a bastard so we can forget the formalities.”
“Good, glad to hear it.”
“Are you okay, babe?”
“I think so.”
There was a knock and Gus entered with a bouquet of daisies. Eddy let go of my hand so I could give Gus a hug.
“Are they dead, Gus?”
“They found identifiable pieces of The Barb, but nothing of Dewey yet.”
“What about the old man? The owner of the house?”
“Buried in back. He was a potter, a hermit.”
“And Autumn? Is she alive?”
“She was thrown from the car and knocked unconscious, but she’s going to be okay. They have her secured at the UCLA medical center.”
“How’re Paige and the rest?”
“Everybody’s fine.”
“Katrice, too?” He nodded. “And Tommy?”
“He and Pancho are with their family. His parents asked for your phone number, so I gave it to them.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Thanks.”
“There were a lot of happy reunions. You missed out on all the good stuff.”
I laid there quietly for a moment to let it all sink in.
“Doc says you can go home,” said Gus.
“Good. What was in that dart gun, anyway?” I asked.
“The lab evaluated it and found that it was a cocktail—part hallucinogen, part scopolamine, with a bit of belladonna thrown in for a smooth afterglow.”
“That’s a sophisticated brew,” I said. “Sounds like a Dr. Sheffield recipe.”
“The kind of thing you need a well-equipped lab for, not to mention an organic chemist,” said Gus.
“It had a kick harder than Ozark moonshine, I tell you that.”
Gus and Eddy chuckled. I smiled at them.
“What about Hector?” I asked.
“Well, Hector. He…he died last night around midnight.”
“Oh.”
The silence that filled the room was loud. Sun filtered through the blinds of the window.
Hector. I felt that somewhere in him I had caught a glimpse of his soul, but it had been too late to save it. The evil that he had assisted, had in fact perpetuated, had swallowed him whole.
“Look what I managed to find in the chaparral,” said Gus.
He was hold
ing my Raggedy Ann, a little worse for wear.
•••
EDDY DROVE ME HOME in his insect car. We rode in silence. The day was cool and cloudy. I found myself looking at the people in nearby cars. They appeared so calm and mundane. I couldn’t begin to fathom their simple lives in comparison to mine. I rolled down my window. I could smell the ocean. I said a prayer thanking my mother and my grandmother. I felt their spirits were near. I thought of my father and all that he had taught me, how it served me still. I prayed that his spirit was at peace. I had never done that before. Then I asked my grandmother to collect all the souls of those children, those victims of the Tyler siblings, take them in her arms. I knew she would, and she would comfort them and heal them and guide them to safety, to the light, or however it works. Eddy looked over at me several times while I was deep in these thoughts, which were very much like prayers, but he didn’t say anything. He’s smart like that.
Once inside my own house, I took a bath and fell into bed. I was out by the time I hit the sheets. When I woke again, it was late afternoon. Eddy had tucked my Raggedy Ann doll under the covers next to me. I could hear him in the kitchen. He was humming and rattling pots and pans. Then I recognized the fragrance of fresh coffee and something baking in the oven. I tumbled out of bed and found Eddy in the kitchen covered with flour and beaming with pride.
“Fresh banana nut scones!” he announced.
We slathered them with butter and ate them while they were still hot from the oven. Funny, the way heaven can come to you.
“I didn’t know you could bake,” I said.
“What you don’t know about me…”
“Yes, go on,” I said.
“I can’t think of anything clever. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I probably wouldn’t get it anyway. My head is still pretty thick.”
Eddy had gotten the paper and it was spread out on the kitchen table. The headline read: TEN WOMEN, MISSING BOY AND DOG LIBERATED FROM TOMB.
“I don’t think that was the kind of publicity Zombita was looking for,” I said.
I heard the parrots squawking outside the window. I peered out and watched as they gathered in my banana trees. The big leaves bounced up and down under their weight.
The phone rang and I prepared myself for a barrage of media calls.
“Joan?” It was Tommy.
“Yes.”
“My mother said I could call you.”
“That’s right, Tommy. You can call me anytime.”
Eddy’s eyes flicked over to me when he heard me say Tommy’s name.
“I just wanted to say thank you,” said Tommy.
“You’re welcome, Tommy.”
“Okay, I can’t talk much. I have a lot of things to do.”
“Yes, you have a whole life ahead of you.”
“Bye, now.”
“Bye, Tommy. Take care.”
I hung up and looked at Eddy. “Kids say the damnedest things. He can’t talk because has a lot of things to do.”
“That’s good.”
I sat there in a state of joy, like it was the best thing anybody had ever said to me. That must have lasted about five minutes. The phone rang again; this time it was Gilda confirming dinner plans. Eddy agreed to go with me and we set a date for stargazing.
Then a not-so-pleasant thought occurred to me.
“You know I need to talk to Autumn Riley,” I said.
“Why?”
“I need to hold her accountable.”
“You don’t,” said Eddy.
“I do.”
“She’s going to claim Stockholm syndrome,” he said. “She’s going to say that The Barb drugged her and turned her into his personal slave.”
“Nope, it doesn’t ring true.”
“Joan, she’ll be a classic example. She’s more legit than Patty Hearst. You’re gonna have to live with it.”
“Stop defending her.”
“Joan, I would never presume to tell you what to do, but I feel it’s important…”
“What is it with you men, anyway? What is it about that evil bitch that makes you all want to protect her?”
“You men? You just grouped me with all men.”
“I’m sorry, wasn’t that politically correct?”
“Stop it. Stop that right now. I don’t want to protect her. It’s you I’m concerned about.”
“Who and what do you presume to protect me from?”
“Yourself,” he whispered softly.
•••
I ARRIVED AT THE UCLA Medical Center and quickly learned Autumn’s location. I shot like a bullet straight down the hall to Autumn’s hospital room where two guards stood outside the door.
I walked into her room and found Autumn lying in the bed. Her face was washed clean of makeup. She had a deep gash on her forehead, a black eye, and what looked like a broken arm. I recalled the first time I saw her at the crime scene. Now, she looked at me with bloodshot eyes, then turned away.
“I need to ask you a few questions.”
“Sorry about the doll. I didn’t know it was yours.”
“Why did you have it anyway?” I said to her back.
“Hector said if I kept it with me I’d be protected.”
I paused for a moment, not quite sure which way to go.
“Did you feel you needed protection?” She nodded. “From what?”
She turned to face me.
“I didn’t mind getting high, but that time I, uh, woke up in the morgue, I don’t know. Something wasn’t quite right there. The Barb was trying to get over on me. I mean, that wasn’t even necessary.”
“I got the distinct impression that it was you running the show.”
She looked at the floor.
“I was the talent, I was the creative element, but I really didn’t understand how deeply disturbed The Barb and Dewey were. You can’t possibly believe that I wanted to wake up in the morgue.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was a publicity stunt.”
“I suppose it’s possible The Barb thought it’d be a good promo op, but he didn’t clear it with me.”
“We all thought you died.”
“Yeah, so anyway.”
She turned away from me again.
“You took the drug willingly?”
“Yes, it unleashed things in me,” she said to the wall and sighed. “Creative things. I was soaring. You have no idea. It allowed me to be very creative.”
“It allowed you to do things you wouldn’t normally do?”
She propped herself up in the bed, trying to get comfortable, and now looked at me directly, committing to the conversation.
“Something like that. I became more realized, more potent somehow.”
“Did Dewey indoctrinate you on the ways of voodoo?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
She was lying to me; I knew it like I knew my name.
“What about Paige and the girls in the basement?”
“I don’t know anything about that. I already told the cops. Never saw ’em.”
“I think you did. I heard you tell The Barb that you thought Dewey was having sex with one of them. Plus, Vernice said you had a particular hatred for Paige.”
“You heard wrong, detective. As far as Vernice…I don’t know what’s up with that.”
“What about the boy?”
“What boy?”
“There was a boy down in the basement with the girls.”
“You know, now that you mention it, I sort of remember one of The Barb’s friends, Hector, saying something about a kid named Tommy, that it was on the news or something? But I was out of it. I don’t even remember what he said exactly.”
“Never saw Tommy either?” She shook her head no. “You were staying there, right?”
“I was stoned, completely out of my mind, didn’t know what was up half the time.”
“You weren’t too stoned to learn lyrics or dance routines. Not too st
oned to record a CD. What about that?”
“Yes, but I was busy with that, focused. It’s what I’ve always done, since I was a child. Look, what do you want from me? Maybe you saved my life, you got your doll back, now what?”
“I’m curious to know whether or not you believed that if you sacrificed nine, no, make that ten, beautiful and talented young women that it would help your musical career.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“How many of those girls did you compete against?”
“Excuse me?”
“You know, for the pop star audition or in acting class. Paige beat you out at that pop star audition, didn’t she?”
“What? What pop star audition?”
“Your parents said you came to Los Angeles for a pop star competition but you didn’t make the cut.”
“They said that?” I nodded. “My parents have no clue, okay? I was working a record deal. Dani turned me onto The Barb. I wasn’t thinking about a pop star audition. That’s ridiculous.”
“So, how did it work, Autumn? Did you point out the girls to Dewey and The Barb? Did you lure them into places where Hector could snatch them or what?”
“You’re totally off. Leave me alone.”
“I’m sorry, didn’t you like that question?”
“Not much.”
“Were you lovers with The Barb?” She was silent, looked at the floor again. “Don’t like that question, either?”
Her bloodshot eyes met mine in defiance.
“I wouldn’t say we were lovers.”
“You had sex with him.”
“Sometimes.”
“Only when he promised to make you the center of a market explosion? What about Dani?”
“What about her?”
“Wasn’t she your friend? Did you feel nothing when she was murdered?”
“Yeah, Dani. She was my best friend, ever.”
“And?”
“I don’t know what happened with that. The Barb was upset with her about something. He said Hector was going to take care of her. I thought he meant in a good way, connect her up with some money people or a modeling gig, something like that. I can’t really remember. I was drugged, okay? You don’t seem to get it. I guess you already have your mind made up.”
Body on the Backlot Page 35