Twisted

by Jo Gibson

  He wrote the names carefully and stuck the tags on the packages. He was almost ready. But first he had to make certain that there would be no interference. He had the master key, and he would lock the guys in the basement. Then Santa would be free to lure the two naughty girls close to the rail, and push them to their deaths.

  Diana and Cindy had moved out to a bench near the door to the pub. There was no way they could stay locked up inside, imagining the worst. They were close enough to run for cover if they spotted the killer, but they felt much better now that they could see the whole mall.

  Both girls were nervous, and their eyes scanned the length of the mall, checking for any movement. And then Diana gave a little gasp. “Did you see what I just saw?”

  “You mean way down there by those offices?”

  Diana nodded. “I swear I saw someone. But when I blinked, he was gone.”

  “I saw him, too.” Cindy stood up. “Let’s go check it out. Maybe it’s Hal.”

  Diana frowned and shook her head. “We promised the guys we’d wait for them here.”

  “I know, but we also promised we’d warn Hal if we saw him.”

  “That’s true.” Diana began to waver.

  “Come on, Diana . . . we’ll be safe if we stick together. We’ve both got canisters of mace.”

  Diana gave a little laugh. “That’s not very comforting. I don’t know how to use mace. And by the time I read the instructions, it’ll be too late.”

  “I know how. It’s just like perfume. If the killer tries to grab you, all you have to do is point it and spray.”

  “Okay.” Diana took a deep breath and stood up. “You go first and I’ll bring up the rear. If I hear something, I’ll tap you on the shoulder.”

  Nothing was moving as they made their way to the other end of the mall. They kept to the center of the walkway, so they’d have plenty of time to whirl around and spray their mace if someone rushed out of one of the stores.

  “I think he came out of here.” Cindy motioned to a wood-paneled door. “Get ready, Diana . . . I’m going to open it.”

  Cindy turned the knob and the door slowly opened. It was an office of some kind, with metal filing cabinets and a desk. The room was deserted, but the lights were still on. And there were two packages sitting on top of the desk, one pink and one silver.

  “Uh, oh!” Cindy moved forward to read the tags. And when she turned back to Diana there was fear in her eyes. “They’re for us!”

  Diana’s lips tightened into a thin line as she stepped into the office and locked the door behind her. “We’d better open them.”

  “Let’s just get out of here!” Cindy’s voice was shaking. “He could come back any minute!”

  “The door’s locked and we’ve both got mace. Hurry up, Cindy. We’ve got to know for sure.”

  Cindy was the first to get her package open, and she lifted out the note with shaking fingers. “Here . . . you read it. I don’t want to!”

  “He knows if you’ve been bad or good.” Diana read the words that were written on the paper, and then she unfolded her note. “So be good for goodness sake.”

  They stared at each other with horror on their faces. They didn’t have to say what they were thinking. They were next. And the person they’d seen was the killer!

  They were moving back down the walkway when Diana heard a noise behind them. She whirled, her finger on the trigger of the mace canister, and gave a relieved sigh as she recognized Hal.

  “Hal!” Cindy spotted him at the same time, and she rushed up to hug him. “Thank God it’s you! We thought it was the killer!”

  Hal looked very puzzled. “What killer? And where is everybody? I just checked the pub, but Jay and Paul weren’t there.”

  “We’ve got something awful to tell you.” Diana’s voice was shaking. “The elevator fell, and Heather’s dead. Jay and Paul are down in the basement, taking care of . . . you know.”

  Hal looked dazed, and he shook his head. “That’s horrible! But you said . . . a killer? Here?”

  “There’s somebody else out here at the mall.” Cindy took over the explanation. “All those deaths . . . Sue, Dave, Larry. They weren’t accidents. And we don’t think the elevator fell by accident, either. Somebody’s trying to kill us!”

  “Are you sure?”

  Diana nodded. “We’re positive. We caught a glimpse of him a couple of minutes ago. He was coming out of that door down the hall. Cindy and I checked it out and we found presents on the desk. Our names were on the tags and there were notes inside.”

  “Lyrics to ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town?’ ”

  “Exactly!” Cindy nodded. “He’s going after us next, and that’s why we were so glad to see you!”

  Hal squared his shoulders. “Don’t worry, girls. I’ll take care of you until the guys get back. I’ll get a knife, or an axe or something like that. The hardware store’s right up there.”

  “We’ll go with you.”‘ Diana grabbed his arm. “We’re safer if we stick together.”

  They walked through the mall, glancing around warily, until they reached the escalator. Cindy was in the lead, and she was about to step on when she heard a loud shout.

  “Cindy! We’re back!”

  Cindy stepped back quickly, away from the escalator, almost bowling Diana and Hal over. “Boy, am I glad to see you! What took you so long?”

  “The basement door locked behind us. We had to use the freight elevator to get back up here.”

  They all stood in a tight little group, glad to be back together again. And then Jay turned to Hal.

  “I’m glad the girls found you, Hal. We thought maybe . . .” Jay stopped and swallowed hard. “Did the girls tell you what happened?”

  Hal nodded. “We were just going up to the hardware store. I figured I’d need an axe or something, in case he tried to attack us.”

  “I think we’ll be okay if we all stay together.” Paul put his arm around Cindy’s shoulders and gave her a hug. Then he frowned as he realized that she was trembling. “What happened, Cindy?”

  “We saw him! He was down there at the end of the mall.”

  “Did you recognize him?”

  “No.” Cindy shook her head. “We just caught a glimpse of him. He was coming out of one of those offices, so we . . . uh . . . we went down there to check it out.”

  Jay’s arm was shaking as he pulled Diana close to his side. “You promised me you’d stay at the pub.”

  “I know, but we had our mace, and we were getting nervous just sitting there. And at first, we thought it was Hal. You told us to warn him if we saw him.”

  Hal looked very concerned. “Hey . . . let’s not argue. The girls are okay, and that’s what matters, isn’t it?”

  “You’re right.” Jay nodded, and turned to Diana again. “Sorry. I was just worried about you, that’s all. You didn’t see him again, did you?”

  “No. But we found the office he was using, and there were two presents sitting on top of the desk. They were for us.”

  “You opened them?”

  Jay was hugging her so tightly, Diana could barely breathe, but she was so glad he was here, she didn’t care. “We had to know if we were right.”

  “There were lyrics inside.” Hal nodded gravely. “The next two lines from ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town,’ one in each package.”

  “I think we’d better get out of here.” Jay’s voice was hard. “Any suggestions?”

  There was an uncomfortable silence while they thought it over. Then Cindy spoke up. “We can’t walk. We’ll freeze to death before we reach the nearest farmhouse. It’s over five miles away.”

  “We might be able to make it to the truck I left on the highway.” Paul frowned slightly. “But there’s no guarantee it’ll start.”

  Diana nodded. “I guess we’re stuck here. We’ll just have to hole up in the . . .”

  “What is it, Diana?” Jay looked puzzled as she started to smile.

  “The snowmobiles! T
hey’re all gassed up and ready to go!”

  “Are you sure?” Hal frowned slightly.

  “I’m positive. While Cindy and I were waiting for our job interviews, one of the maintenance men came in. The secretary asked if he’d gassed up the snowmobiles and he said he had.”

  “Diana’s right.” Cindy nodded. “The secretary told us they were going to tape a commercial for the mall at the drawing. Two Santas were supposed to escort the winners to their snowmobiles and drive them right out the front door of the mall.”

  “That’s why they asked us if we could drive a snowmobile!” Jay started to grin. “Come on. Let’s go check them out. If you girls are right, we can be out of here in no time flat!”

  Twenty

  Things were never as easy as they sounded, and they discovered that when they arrived at the snowmobiles. They were on a ramp, and the gas tanks were full, but they were chained down with a heavy padlock.

  “No problem.” Diana spoke up. “I’ll just run up to the hardware store and get a pair of bolt-cutters.”

  Jay grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “No, Diana. There’s no way any of us are going anywhere alone.”

  “Hey, let’s think this out.” Hal began to frown. “We’re going to need warm parkas, ski masks, gloves, and boots. Somebody’s going to have to go to the ski shop for those. And we should have someone stay with the snowmobiles, just in case the killer tries something to sabotage them.”

  Cindy shrugged. “What could he do? They’re chained down.”

  “He could steal the spark plugs, or loosen the ignition wires. He could even pour water in the gas tanks.” Hal looked very serious. “If the killer knows anything about mechanics at all, he could really mess us up.”

  Jay nodded. “Hal’s right. Two of us should stay by the snowmobiles to stand guard. The other three can go for the bolt-cutters, and then they can pick up the survival gear we need.”

  “It’s going to take more time that way.” Hal shook his head. “The hardware store’s on the upper level, and the ski shop’s down here. How about if we split up? Cindy and I can go up to the hardware store, while Jay and Diana get the stuff at the ski shop. Paul can stay here to guard the snowmobiles.”

  “But then Paul will be alone.” Cindy looked worried.

  “That’s okay.” Paul patted his pocket. “I’ve got a knife, and I can see the whole mall from here. I’ll holler if I see anything moving.”

  “Well . . . okay.” Cindy still looked very uncomfortable, and Diana knew she wanted to stay with Paul. But she was going to hurt Hal’s feelings if she wasn’t careful.

  Diana turned to smile at Hal. “I’ll go to the hardware store with you. Cindy’s never seen a pair of bolt-cutters in her life. She can go with Jay and get the stuff at the ski shop. Is that okay?”

  “Sure. That’s fine with me.”

  Hal smiled, but Diana could tell he was disappointed. He’d really wanted to go with Cindy. But why? Was it possible that Cindy, the girl who’d complained that no guy was ever going to ask her out, had attracted two guys at once?

  He wasn’t happy as he got into his Santa costume. Cindy should have been the one to come to the hardware store. After all, her present had contained the next line of the lyrics. But things didn’t always happen according to plan, and Diana had taken Cindy’s place. The situation was irritating, but he guessed he couldn’t be that choosy. Diana was here, and he’d just have to break with the tradition he’d established and punish her first. When opportunity knocked, it was wise to answer the door immediately. After all, there was very little time left.

  He glanced toward the back of the store, and smiled as he saw her, trying keys in the case that contained the bolt-cutters. All the expensive tools were locked in cases, and it would take her some time to find the proper key. It was a pity he couldn’t use the rail for her punishment but the others would see and he couldn’t take a chance like that. He had to choose another means of punishment, another way to assure her death.

  There were plenty of choices. His eyes traveled over the row of chainsaws, but he quickly discarded that idea. Too noisy. The rest of them would come running if he fired up a chainsaw, and then he would be at a disadvantage. He needed something quiet and deadly, some way to dole out her punishment without a sound. And he’d have to be very careful that she didn’t see him before he struck. He didn’t want to give her time to scream.

  A hunting knife could be deadly, but that was also risky. She’d be able to scream if he hit a non-vital spot. That was also true with an axe, or even a sledgehammer. And none of them looked like mall-related accidents. He really hated to abandon his plan to blame the mall for their deaths.

  Suddenly, the perfect solution struck him, and he began to smile. He didn’t have to kill her now. He could simply immobilize her. The others would come looking for her, and he’d immobilize them, too, one by one. And then he’d drag them all out to the spot where he’d loosened the bolts on the rail, and punish them all together.

  Cindy’s hands were trembling as she got a big plastic bag from the roll behind the counter. “Here, Jay. You get the parkas.”

  “What size?”

  “Large. That’ll work for everybody.”

  “But won’t a large be too big for Diana?” Jay looked puzzled. “She’s awfully small. She wears a size seven dress.”

  Cindy almost laughed out loud. “How do you know that?”

  “I asked her. I thought I should know her sizes so I could get her a Christmas present.”

  Cindy nodded, and stifled a giggle. “What’s her ring size?”

  “Five and a half.” Jay rattled it off, and then he looked embarrassed. “You never know when you might need information like that. Come on, Cindy. Let’s hurry.”

  “Right. You get the parkas and the gloves. I’ll go for the boots and ski masks.”

  Cindy grabbed another bag, and hurried over to the boot section to get five pairs of moon boots. She stuffed them in her bag, and swept a pile of woolen scarves off a counter into the bag. Ski masks were next and she grabbed five of those. “I’m ready. How about you?”

  “Let’s go!” Jay grabbed a parka and stuffed it under his arm. “Hurry up, Cindy. I’m a little worried about Paul.”

  “But why?” Cindy was puffing as she pulled the heavy bag across the floor to the door.

  “He’s the only one who’s alone. I want to make sure he’s all right.”

  But Paul was fine, and he shouldered his camera the moment he saw them. Cindy groaned as he taped them running down the walkway toward him, pulling the heavy bags behind them. She probably looked like hell.

  “Good job.” Paul met her halfway, and took the bag. “You were gone less than ten minutes.”

  “I wonder what’s taking Hal and Diana so long.” Cindy began to get worried. “I mean . . . how much time can it take to get a pair of bolt-cutters and a toolbox? Do you think we should check on them?”

  Jay nodded. “We’ll go up there if they don’t show up in the next couple of minutes. Let’s spread all this stuff out in piles, so we can get dressed and get out of here.”

  “Okay. I got the bolt-cutters.” Diana lifted the heavy tool from the rack and gave a sigh of relief. “You might know it. It was the last key on the ring. Did you find the right kind of toolbox?”

  There was silence from the front of the store, and Diana frowned. “Hal? Are you there?”

  Again, there was only silence, and the hair on the back of Diana’s neck started to prickle. Was Hal all right?

  “Hal! Where are you?!”

  Diana’s heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest, and she fought down the urge to panic. Hal could be hurt . . . or dead. And she could be alone in the hardware store with the killer!

  There was a sound behind her. An indrawn breath that seemed very loud in the sudden stillness. Diana didn’t take time to think. There was a light switch right next to the case, and she reached up to flick it off, plunging the store into darkness. She heard a muff
led exclamation as she dropped to her knees, and started to crawl from counter to counter, the bolt-cutters grasped tightly in her hand. The killer was here, and he was after her!

  Diana had always been good at playing hide and seek, but this was different. This game wasn’t something you played after dark with your friends, popping up from behind a bush to streak toward home before your friend could tag you. This was a deadly contest, and the stakes were much higher. The only way Diana could win was to escape with her life!

  It would help if she knew who was stalking her. Perhaps he had a weakness, and she could use it to her advantage. As Diana crawled along in the darkness, carefully feeling in front of her so she wouldn’t accidentally knock something over and give away her position, her mind was going through the possibilities. The killer was someone they knew, someone who wanted to make the murders look like accidents. The planter. The two-twenty circuit. The pane of glass that had mysteriously fallen out of its frame. The elevator. The killer was trying to blame the mall for the murders he had committed. But why? What possible grudge could he have against the mall?

  Diana stopped moving as another thought occurred to her, a thought so disturbing, she almost gasped out loud. Hal’s grandparents had owned this land. She remembered coming out here once, to ask his grandmother to bake pies for a charity bake sale. And that first night, when Hal and Paul had been talking, she’d heard Hal say that he planned to farm someday, on the land he would inherit from his grandparents. But Hal couldn’t inherit this land. The mall corporation had bought it. And they’d never sell it back to him . . . unless the mall failed.

  No. It was impossible. Diana shoved her knuckle in her mouth, and bit down so hard, she tasted blood. Hal wasn’t killing them to try get his inheritance back. Only a crazy person would do something like that. And she didn’t really have any proof. It was just her mind, playing tricks on her.