“What are you talking about? She -”
“She can’t be here. Talk loud.”
“What?” she whispered back. “What the hell is going on?”
“Come on, you always say you have dementia, talk loud. I need a diversion. Oh my god, I hope no one saw her…” His head popped up and he scanned the general area for her before his eyes caught hers from across the room.
“You want me to talk loud?” Betty whispered with the strangest expression on her face.
“I swear, I’ll explain this all later. Just -”
“WHAT?” She yelled, causing all eyes in the room to focus on her.
“Thank you,” he whispered before excusing himself through the line.
“THANK YOU FOR COMING!” he heard behind him as whispers started erupting throughout the room.
“YES. I AM DOING OK. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE!”
*****
He was coming toward her. Betty was yelling in the background for some odd reason causing the people in line to whisper to each other. Her body turned toward the casket as he neared.
Collect yourself.
He didn’t look too thrilled. He didn’t look sad, he looked…pissed.
Oh god, why did I come? He’s going to make a scene. Within seconds, her arm was clasped in a firm grip and he was whispering into her ear.
“Come with me. You haven’t talked to anyone have you? Jane, you have to go. Don’t say anything, just come with me,” he whispered quickly as he gave a slight tug.
Her eyes widened then focused on something. What was that and why on earth did it look so damn…familiar?
“What is that?” she whispered as he gave another tug.
“Jane? Please just -”
“That…necklace. I’ve seen that…” she stated absently as she stared at it. It was gleaming under the lights from above. The shape…it was a small replica of a police badge. The same thing she saw when she was in Rick’s head.
“What are you talking about? Please Jane…just come with me, please?” He pleaded quietly before giving another tug.
“YES I AM DOING FINE. THANK YOU FOR THE CASSEROLE!”
Why is she yelling? She thought as her eyes shifted to Betty then back to the badge.
An absolute feeling of dread overcame her as her throat started to close up.
“Jane…”
She choked out a gasp as her hand automatically raised up to grab her throat.
“Hi, Joe. I’m so sorry,” he heard a male’s voice behind him as a hand patted him on the shoulder.
“Yeah. Ok…yeah,” he replied absently as he grabbed Jane’s arm with a bit more force and walked toward the double doors.
What the hell was she doing? Small gasping sounds were coming from her throat as he continued into the sparsely occupied hall, out the front door, down the steps and into the parking lot.
Her body stopped, causing him to whirl around and face her.
“What the hell was that? Where’s your car? You need to get the hell out of here right now.” His eyes lifted beyond her to watch the front door of the funeral home.
“That necklace. Who did that belong to?” she stated in a more normal tone.
“What? Jane, did you hear me? You need to go.”
“No! The necklace – “
“My dad. It was my dad’s…Jane, where’s your car?” He turned, scanning the full parking lot.
“I saw that…he was choking Rick. I saw that when I talked to Rick, Joe.”
“You saw my dad?” That caused him to stop and focus on her.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what your dad looks like. Actually, I didn’t see a face…just that necklace.”
He blew out a breath as he gave another glance toward the front door.
“Maybe -” she started.
“Don’t say it,” he interrupted her in a forceful tone before adding, “You really can’t be here,” in a softer tone.
“I know this isn’t the right time, but I’ve been thinking -”
“Jane? Right now is quite possibly the worst time. I need you to go. I need -”
“I’m sorry. I’ll go. I…really am sorry, Joe.” Tears welled in her eyes as she backed away a step. His focus seemed to be centered on the front door of the funeral home for some reason. She took the hint and turned, walking briskly through the parking lot to her car. Stupid tears. Here they come again…
Just as he expected, they started trickling out. Dr. Mike, Gary, Scott, Mark, some of the guys from Dad’s precinct…Tony Silvano. Really?
His head turned and she was gone. He turned back toward the group watching him.
*****
“He’s gonna lose it again,” the softly spoken declaration was met with an almost knowing glance.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” he promised as they watched Joe walk back towards the group.
An older model sedan drove from the parking lot. One of the red tail lights was burned out.
She’s alive.
But not for long.
*****
I feel like I’m in a fishbowl.
People had come and gone. Some lingered. He was being watched by the people closest to him and it was annoying to say the least. He needed to check his phone. Not the one in his pocket, the one stashed in the case in his car. He had no clue where she was and he sincerely hoped D was watching her.
Five more people were in line to offer their condolences. It was rude, his mind was somewhere else but this was possibly life or death. It was the most surreal thing…
“I’m so sorry…”
Hold it together.
*****
“Alright. Tell me. I just made an ass out of myself at my daughter’s viewing. I want to know why,” she whispered.
He watched the last man walk away before his eyes shifted toward Betty.
“Not here, but…thank you for ... just, thank you.”
“What did you say to her? Why’d you hustle her out of here?”
“I can’t tell you. Not yet. I need to go. I need to find her,” he stated before scanning the group that was left. Out of all the faces, there was one that seemed to be the logical choice. He immediately walked up and asked him to drive Betty home.
He returned quickly, his eyes taking one more glance toward the casket before settling on Betty.
“Where did Dad get that necklace?” he asked.
“The badge? It was a present, I think -”
“Who gave it to him?”
*****
Screw Toledo.
Maybe I’ll head North. Maybe…Saginaw or…Flint. They probably have cheap hotels.
I need money. I need clothes. I need to think…
That didn’t go so well. She screwed up. It was obvious he didn’t want her there, and then of course she had to have some kind of episode in front of the casket. No wonder he dragged her out of the funeral home. He was obviously not in the mood to talk but who could blame him? In fact, his demeanor was so completely different from the last time they were together. He had to be heartbroken over Karen, not to mention maybe still pissed off about being tied up. She stuffed her phone in the pocket of her coat on the off-chance he wanted to talk. Wishful thinking.
Her eyes traveled up and down the length of the darkened alley before she jogged to the fire escape. Luckily, her eyes had dried up somewhere about half way to her apartment. The prospect of sneaking into the apartment was a bit unnerving, but so completely necessary unless she wanted to freeze her ass off sleeping in her car. Her head swiveled both ways, eyes on the lookout for any type of movement. She climbed as quickly as possible without tripping on the frost covered metal steps. Her breath misted in a thick swirl in front of her face as she panted from the effort.
The window slid up easily as she stepped through – just like old times, she thought for a wild second before closing the window behind her. She immediately began rooting through her junk drawer, searching for the small flashlight stashed within the tangled mess of
crap. Her fingers closed around the smooth plastic handle as she flicked it on and turned. One second she was walking, the next she was on the hard floor. Her knees hit hard as her hands shot out to catch her fall a bit too late. Her body twisted to the side before her shoulder hit and her head bounced off the floor. Crazy shooting lights shone behind her eyes as she tried to make sense of what just happened.
She tripped. Her eyes blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings. There was nothing there, correction: there wasn’t supposed to be something there…
The light from the flashlight outlined a shoe, connected to…a leg. A scream bubbled up and escaped before she clamped a hand over her mouth. The other hand reached for and grabbed the flashlight as she scooted her body backward, her shaking hand raising up and shining the light on the rest of the body.
It wasn’t moving. She scrambled to stand on shaking legs, the light concentrated on the torso before slowly moving up to the neck, a chin…
Something rang out causing her to jump and scream simultaneously, the beam of light wavering over the face. A face she knew all too well. A face with a perfect black hole in its’ forehead.
She dug the phone from her pocket and hit the accept call button three times before she actually got it right.
“Jane? Thank god, Jane.”
All he could make out was heavy breathing on her end.
“Jane?”
“J…Joe?”
“Yeah. Listen. Get out of your apartment.”
“How,” she started then swallowed loudly as she shined the light on Rick’s face. His eyes were staring back directly at her as she backed away. “How do you know I’m in my apartment?” she whispered on a shaky breath.
“Jane? What’s the matter?”
“Rick’s here,” she whispered, still backing away.
“What?!”
“It’s Ok…he’s…dead,” she choked out.
“Jane, get the fuck out of there! I’m coming to get you. Get out of there, NOW,” he stated forcefully.
The back of her legs hit something, causing a crash to sound in the darkened apartment. The phone flew from her hand as she jumped yet again. Something knocked rhythmically causing a high pitched squeak to burst from her throat before she clamped her lips shut.
More knocking.
The front door. The phone rang again, the screen lit up as she crawled on aching knees to answer it.
“There’s someone at the front door,” she whispered as soon as she placed the phone to her ear.
“Excuse me?”
A man’s voice. A completely unfamiliar man’s voice.
“Jane?”
Her eyes were wide as they darted back and forth in the darkness.
“Who is this?”
“It’s Jim.”
“Jim, who?”
“Your father.”
“Ohmygod.” What?
“Please don’t hang up, I’ve been trying to call you but I didn’t want to leave a message. I just -”
“How did you get my number?” she whispered as another round of knocks sounded from the hallway.
“Your boyfriend. Joe? He tracked me down last week. Jane, why are you whispering?”
“This is not a good time.”
“I have a feeling it won’t ever be a good time for you. I know you think we don’t care, but you’re wrong. You were just so…difficult. And then that whole psychic thing…”
Was this for real?
“You tried to have me committed,” she grated out, gripping the phone tightly.
“Jane, after the accident you…changed. We just wanted to get you some help. “
“The help I needed was maybe parents that would listen to me,” she spat out. His answer was a frustrated sigh on the other end of the phone.
“We did listen. But Jane, really some of the things you would say…they were just…bizarre.”
“Yeah, like your secretary?”
“I never touched her I swear, I just…I was thinking about it and then you just…blurt it out at the dinner table. What was I supposed to think? Your mother…”
“You didn’t believe me and then you tried to cover it up by calling me crazy.”
“You were doing it all of the time! And not just to me, pretty much everyone! Jane…” another long sigh, “That was the past. Even still, I can’t believe you called me a ‘Fucker’. Jane, listen, I know -”
More knocking. Now a strange beep was sounding from the phone announcing another call coming through.
“I really have to go -”
“Your mother and I would like to take you to dinner. There’s so much we need to talk about…”
More knocking. More beeping.
“Jane?” a man’s voice was yelling on the other side of the door.
“I have to go,” she whispered in the phone.
“Dinner? Will you think about it?”
“Sure,” she stated as her eyes stared at the front door.
“Really? Oh Jane! Your mother will be so happy. I’m so happy, when?”
Well, gee Dad…I’m not even sure I’ll be alive, or maybe I’ll be in jail. You see, there’s this dead dude in my apartment…
Knocks turned into bangs. “Jane – I can hear you in there!”
“I’ll call you,” she stated before pressing the screen and tucking the phone back in her pocket. If she ever saw Joe again, she was going to kill him. Of all the meddling, stupid…
“Jane please answer the door, I…need to talk to you.”
Who is that? It was a man’s voice. He sounded desperate.
“I…ah…hold on!” she yelled out, her eyes darting from the door to the body back to the door. Her hair was practically plastered to her forehead with sweat even though it was cold enough to see her breath in the apartment. She stepped on something that caused her right foot to slip on the hardwood floor. Shining the light down, she found a white piece of paper folded in three. Her name was written on the outside.
“Jane? I’m going to ask your landlord for a key.”
Oh, HELL no. Who is that?
“Just give me a second,” she answered breathlessly as she unfolded the paper and started reading.
It was a poem. Joe wrote her a poem. A really weird poem. Was he joking?
Maybe he really IS psychotic. She thought as she folded the paper up, her eyes as big as saucers.
“Jane…”
Whoever was out in the hall - there was no way she was letting him in. How would one explain the body of her ex-boyfriend slash boss slash drug dealer lying dead in her apartment? Her phone started ringing again from inside her pocket as she pushed up and scrambled to the door.
She turned the locks quickly before peering out, surprised at the sight before her.
“What are you doing here?”
“You’re in danger, He’s coming for you; we need to get you out of here.”
“Who? Joe? How did you…how do you know where I live?” she asked nervously, wedging her body to block the opening of the door.
“I’ll explain on the way. Is that your phone?”
“What?” The ringing sounded again.
“If it’s Joe, answer it.”
“Umm…what? I thought…” The ringing stopped as soon as she dug the phone out of her pocket.
“Tell me what’s going on.” She slipped out of the door and closed it firmly behind her.
“It’s Joe. He’s in a…delicate state. We need to get him some help.” The expression on his face was so earnest. His eyes darted to the side as the locks on the neighbor’s door clicked. “We need to go NOW. If he finds you, he will kill you. Come on.” He grabbed her wrist with his gloved hand and tugged her down the hall as her head turned and looked back at her apartment door nervously.
“Why would he kill me?” she asked the back of his head as she jogged to keep up with him.
“I’ll tell you in the car. I’ll explain everything, just hurry,” he pleaded, giving her arm another urgent tug.
She was leaving her apartment. That was good. He would catch up with her easily. He took the last turn a bit too fast, the ass end of his car fishtailing slightly before correcting itself. His foot slammed on the gas as he wove in and out of traffic expertly.
Rick was dead. Rick was dead in her apartment.
Someone killed him and he finally knew who it was.
Thinking back on it, it made perfect sense. The evidence against his dad, the necklace, the visits, the note they found in the attic…
Marcus specifically mentioned one name in particular and Joe wondered if that was because he suspected him. He was watching him the whole time. That piece of shit was watching ALL of them, the whole time…
*****
“Here. You might need this.” He grabbed something from his pocket and handed it to her as he drove. The cool metal object was heavy. When she realized what it was she was holding - she almost dropped it.
“A gun? I can’t…why are you giving me a gun?”
“Just in case he tries anything. Don’t worry; it’s full of salt pellets. You won’t hurt him, you’ll just stun him.”
“I…can’t shoot this. I’ve never shot a gun in my life,” she admitted as she placed it on her lap and stared at it.
“See that piece on the top? You pull it back until it clicks. Then, you aim and pull the trigger,” he stated as he pointed to it. “It’s pretty easy…”
“Can you please tell me what the hell is going on? Where are we going?”
“Joe is very unstable right now. He…he’s done this before. After his Dad’s funeral. He needs to be under observation,” he stated as she watched his profile. “I have some people waiting. When he shows himself, we’ll take care of him, please don’t worry. I couldn’t forgive myself if he hurt another innocent person. He doesn’t even know he’s doing it.”
“Doing what? What did he do?”
“He killed his brother,” he stated simply. “And now, he’s probably going to kill you,” he added.
*****
Where was she going? He bypassed the apartment, continuing past to turn on Conant. She was at least 10 blocks ahead of him as his eyes flitted from his screen to the road ahead. She was turning. He sped up, grabbing the phone from his lap. She needed to stop.
His finger swiped the screen and pressed the last call button and the speaker at the same time as the dial tone rang out in the car.
This Guy Kills Me Page 41