Splitting Nines (1)
Page 21
Chapter 20. Pretty in Pink
With a large pink towel wrapped around her, Linda sat alone in a sauna. Wondering what was keeping her friend. Normally she was very punctual.
Cookie, wearing a white towel, entered the small room and sat down next to Cookie.
“How’s your love life?” asked Cookie.
“He hasn’t got close, believe me.”
“A trip already? Good job.”
“Yeah, I’m a born again. We’re gonna celebrate at the Grand Canyon.”
“Be careful.”
“You know me, I’m always careful.”
“So was my dad.”
Linda and Gene sat at a table next a window overlooking the Grand Canyon. Gene looked around the restaurant. “I thought it would be crowded in here. Only two other couples.”
“Most people eat lunch a little later. We have to drive to the Grandview trail. Then we’ll have over a two mile hike.” Linda peers out the window. “This is breathtaking. It
really is.”
“It’s almost as breathtaking as you.”
“Well, thank you, Gene. You’re so sweet.”
“The first time you smiled at me when we met...you took my breath away. I felt the
same reaction when I first saw the Grand Canyon. Except when we met, my heart went wild. Before every date it races.”
“We gotta get going, Romeo.”
Gene picked up the bill and scanned it as Linda placed her steak knife on the cloth napkin on her lap. She wrapped the knife and placed it into her handbag.
A blue Lincoln Town car traveled along the south rim of the canyon for a mile. It drove off the road and parked by a sign that read, ‘GRANDVIEW TRAIL’. Gene and Linda stepped out of the car and headed for the narrow trail.
It was just a short walk to the first look out point, Horseshoe Mesa. They admired the breathtaking view. “Isn’t that beautiful?”
“Not as beautiful as you, Linda.” Gene went down on one knee. “Linda - will you marry me?”
Linda stared at Gene. She looked confused. Then she smiled. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
They embraced. Gene kissed her on the lips.
She immediately broke loose from his hug. “Later. I want to walk the trail before it gets too late.”
Gene and Linda walked near the top of the Grandview Trail. They stepped onto a flat white cliff that overlooked a very small section of the canyon.
Mario came out from behind a green bush by the edge of the cliff. “Hello, little buddy.”
Sean, grinning, his silver tooth shining, stepped onto the trail, blocking an escape.
Gene glanced at the two men as Linda moved away from him. Gene turned to Linda. “You were in on this?”
Linda nodded and whispered, “Sorry.”
Gene jumped into the air and dropped kicked Mario in the chest. Mario went over the edge of the cliff SCREAMING. Gene landed on his feet, slipped and fell flat on his back
near the edge of the cliff. Sean hurried towards him. Gene rolled over on to his stomach and grabbed Sean’s left leg with both hands. He got up on his knees and flipped Sean to the ground. He landed on his back. Gene grabbed Sean’s other leg and stood upright. With all his strength dragged Sean across the cliff. He turned and whipped him towards the edge.
Sean grabbed at the flat rock surface with his fingers. His head went over the edge of the cliff. He looked down into the canyon and then at Gene. “Please.”
Without hesitation Gene pushed him over the edge. Sean SCREAMED.
Gene turned and glared at Linda. She stared back as she put her hand into her handbag.
“Don’t come near me.”
Gene took a step towards her. “You set me up.”
“I warned ya, don’t come any closer.”
“Those guys made me confess to killing my neighbor. I never touched that bitch.”
Linda stabbed Gene in the throat with the steak knife. He brought a hand to his throat. Blood flowed between his fingers. He stared at Linda as she wiped off the handle of the knife with her shirt. She tossed it into the canyon.
Gene took a step toward Linda. She turned and walked down the trail. He followed close behind, staggering down the trail. His shirt covered in blood. Linda stopped and turned. She watched Gene wobble towards her. “Why don’t ya sit down? I’ll run for help.”
Gene stumbled toward Linda. He held his throat as he tried to talk. “I love you.”
Linda stood still.
Gene took his hand away from his throat. Blood pumped out of the narrow slit. He ran up to Linda and put his hands around her throat. Linda’s eyes opened wide. She grabbed his wrists. She tried to remove them. Gene gazed at her face and smiled. Linda kneed Gene. His knees bent slightly. With his hands still around Linda’s neck, he fell forward. They fell to the ground. Gene landed on top. He lost his grip momentarily. Linda inhaled some air. Gene gripped her neck again as he straighten his arms. His blood flew onto Linda. She moved her head to the side and grabbed him between the legs. She squeezed hard. He winced as he let go and fell to the side. Linda quickly got on her feet. She looked down on Gene. The blood stopped flowing from his neck and his eyes remained open as if he was staring into space. He wasn’t.
Linda met with two detectives. “I never saw them before. They wanted our money. Gene acted quickly. He kicked one off the cliff. When he got on his feet, the other guy stabbed him in the neck. That’s when I pushed him over the cliff.”
“They’re from Conimicut.”
“Really. It’s a small world.”
The two detectives looked at Linda and then at each other.
Linda stood with the other passengers waiting for her luggage in the baggage area of the airport. Shortman approached her. Several of the other passengers, with their mouths wide open, looked up at Shortman. “How was your trip, Linda?”
Linda looked up at Shortman, smiled and pointed her finger. “You must be that giant everybody talks about.”
“Whatever Cookie paid you, it wasn’t worth it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Linda spotted her suitcase. “There it is. I gotta go. Nice talkin' to ya.”
“Still no word on Jimmy?” asked Linda.
“Nothing,” answered Cookie, sitting next to Dave on their sofa. “Dave set up a trust fund for Lumpy’s children.”
“That was nice of you, Dave.”
“That’s the least I could do.” Dave picked up a photo album off the coffee table and opened it up. He showed a picture of Jimmy and himself wearing Boy Scout uniforms standing on a cliff overlooking the Grand Canyon.
“You were a good looking boy, Dave.”
“Of all the lookout points and trails you picked Grandview. Why there?”
Linda turned to Cookie for aid and all she got was a half-smile. “From your photos it looked like a good place for an accident.”
Dave glared at Cookie. “Are you insane - hiring my father’s stooge and killing him there?” He pointed at the photo.
Cookie shrugged. “It didn’t go as planned, sorry. It gets worse. Shortman called. He wants you and your lawyer
to stop by the police station.”