After Midnight (20 page)
For another thing, why risk leaving evidence of myself inside or near the tent? I happen to know that people
always
leave stuff behind at crime scenes: a telltale hair or fingerprint; samples of their own blood, saliva, semen, etc.; maybe a hat, maybe a glove. This one serial killer in L.A. actually got caught because he lost his
wallet
at the scene of a crime and it had his driver’s license in it. Talk about morons!
But here’s the deal. I couldn’t possibly leave any evidence of myself in or around the tent if I stayed a safe distance away from it.
So I avoided the tent and headed for Judy.
She was all golden and gleaming in the firelight, standing there straight and rigid with her arms high, like before. The gag was gone, but she was breathing hard, anyway.
Gasping for air and staring at me.
“You saved my life,” she said. Her voice sounded rough and shaky.
“I know.”
“I’m not your enemy.”
“Who said you are?”
“Nobody. But look…I know you think I’ll tell on you, but I won’t.”
“Tell about what?”
Looking me straight in the eyes, she said, “You killed Tony.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “That was his wallet you threw in the fire, wasn’t it? His wallet and keys.”
“Who’s to say?”
“Me. You killed Tony. Then you were trying to cover it up, but you came over to my place by mistake. So then you figured you had to kill me, too. Because I’d be able to recognize you. And you
still
want to kill me, don’t you?”
“That’s right, Sherlock.”
“Well, don’t. Okay? You don’t have to.”
“Afraid I do.”
“No, look. Like I said, you saved my life. I’m not going to do anything that’ll hurt you or get you thrown in jail or anything.”
“It doesn’t bother you that I killed your old lover-boy?”
She didn’t answer right away.
“Come up with a good one,” I suggested.
“It bothers me,” she said. “Sure it does. We
were
in love. But maybe he deserved what he got.”
“And maybe he didn’t,” I said.
“Either way, he became my enemy when he attacked me. And you
became
my friend when you killed Milo.”
“Fatso? You know his name?”
She nodded. “Milo. That’s all I know. And I know that you saved me from him. I would’ve ended up in the tent.” She shuddered, and I actually saw her chin tremble. She said, “
You’re
my friend now. And forever. I won’t betray you.”
“There’s only one way I can be sure of that,” I told her.
She glanced at the knife in my hand. Then, very quickly, she said, “No, look, I’ve got a plan.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “The plan is for me
not
to kill you.”
“Will you
listen
?”
“I’ve got places to go…”
“I’m Milo’s
victim!
” Judy blurted. “I’ve got his sperm in me to prove it!”
“You do?”
“What do you think? The first thing he did was rape me. He got me about ten minutes after I ran away from you.”
The idea of it sickened me. That filthy, bloody slob, grunting and drooling on top of Judy while he shoved his vile cock into her.
“I’ll tell the cops
I
killed him,” she said.
“Sure.”
“No, listen. I’ll say that Tony and I came over to park and mess around. We were going at it on the picnic table when all of a sudden this
stranger
jumps us and kills Tony. See? That gets you off the hook for Tony.”
“I’ll be off the hook for Tony the second I kill you.”
“I wouldn’t know about that. Maybe, maybe not. But I don’t think you really
want
to kill me. You don’t, do you?”
“Just go on with your story.”
“Okay. So Milo kills Tony, and I make a break for it. But he catches up to me. I can show the cops right where it happened. My clothes’ll be there. Most of them, anyway.”
“Yeah. Your panties are over by the picnic table somewhere. In pieces.”
“I’ll say Tony did that. He
has
done it.”
“Yeah.”
“But they’ll find everything else in the place where Milo got me. They’ll find other stuff there, too, if they really look for it.”
“Like what?”
“You know.”
“Your blood and his semen?”
Nodding slightly, she said, “And I guess our footprints. Anyway, it’ll all back up my story. And then I’ll explain about him bringing me to the camp, here, and hanging me up like this.”
“Which he did,” I threw in.
“Right! And the cops’ll find that poor woman in the tent, and they’ll know I would’ve been next. They’ll figure Milo was some kind of Dahmer. I’ll be a hero for killing him. And you’ll never enter the picture.”
“How do you plan to explain killing him?”
“Easy. While Milo was asleep in the tent, I got my hands loose and found his gun.”
I switched the knife to my other hand, then reached into my pocket and pulled out the pistol. I raised it in front of her. “This one, right?”
“Right.”
“It’s Tony’s gun,” I explained. “How do
you
get hold of it?”
“Easy.” A smile twitched at the unhurt corner of Judy’s mouth. “Tony took it with him when we were making out on the picnic table. He would’ve
done
that, too. We came here sometimes, did I tell you that? We hardly ever stepped a foot out of the car, but Tony knew this was sort of a dangerous area, so he always brought his .22 along, just in case.”
“Why didn’t he use it when Milo attacked?”
“It was in the pocket of his jeans, and his jeans were down around his ankles. He couldn’t reach it in time. Then, after he was dead, Milo took the pistol. And kept it.”
“Where?”
“In a pocket.”
“A pocket of what?” I asked.
“He was wearing overalls most of the time. You know,
bib
overalls?”
“Cute. The pig dressed up like a farmer.”
“Yeah. And he kept the gun in his pocket. So when I finally got my hands free, I snuck into his tent and found it. But he woke up and came after me. That’s when I start shooting him. Just like you did. From there on, my whole story can be almost exactly the same as how it really happened, but it’ll be me instead of you.”
“I could leave you the loafers to wear,” I suggested. “That way, you’d match the footprints.”
“Good idea.”
I nodded, frowning, wondering. “It’s not a bad plan,” I admitted. “Almost sounds like something
I
might’ve come up with.”
“It’ll work.”
“That’s what
you
think.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Lots of stuff.”
“Like what?” Judy asked. “What’s wrong with my plan? Tell me. Maybe we can work it out.”
“I’m running out of time, here.”
“Alice, look. I’m giving you a chance to walk away from everything. If we can work this out, the cops will think nobody was involved but me, Tony and Milo.”
“Here’s one little problem,” I told her. “Tony’s body is in the trunk of his car. Which is parked in the garage of
your
apartment building.”
She gaped at me. For a few seconds, she looked stunned and lost. But she recovered fast. “Easy,” she said. “Take my car. Drive to my place, put my car back where we got it, and come back here in Tony’s car. Park it where mine is, now. Then just leave his body in the trunk and be on your way. I’ll say Milo put him in the trunk. Hey, that’ll be perfect! He knocked me out and left me on the picnic table. That way, I’m out cold while he hauls Tony’s body over to the car. But before he can make it back, I come to and run into the woods. Then he hunts me down and, you know…the rest.”
“That sounds okay. But where are you while I’m driving the cars back and forth?”
“I’ll stay right here in camp.”
“Like a good little girl,” I muttered.
“Okay. Well, leave me tied up. But if you do, you’ll have to come back and cut me loose after you’ve dropped off Tony’s car. I mean, I can’t exactly be found like this or it’ll blow the whole story.”
“It’ll blow the story if I help you. They’ll wanta know who cut the rope.”
“Then just untie the knot.”
I shook my head.
She stared into my eyes and said nothing for a few moments. Then, in a softer voice, she said, “You don’t have to do it now. It can wait till you come back.”
“When I come back?”
“From switching the cars.”
“Oh. Right.” I pulled one of the bandanas out of my pocket, wiped the knife clean, and tossed the knife to the ground. Then I stepped behind Judy.
“What’re you doing?” she asked.
“I don’t want you yelling for help.”
“I won’t. I promise. Don’t put that on me. Please.”
“There are other ways to shut you up,” I said.
She didn’t argue after that, but just stood motionless while I put the gag into her mouth and tied it behind her neck.
Then I stepped around to the front.
She stared into my eyes. She was breathing hard again, air hissing through her nostrils.
“I’m not switching the cars,” I explained. “It’s a stupid idea. Somebody’d probably see me. Anyway, I’m too tired to play any more games. What I’m going to do, Judy, is leave you here just as you are.”
She nodded slightly.
“I’m not going to kill you. Okay?”
Her nod grew a little more enthusiastic.
“I mean, you helped me out with Fatso. If you hadn’t kicked him in the head…I don’t know, maybe he would’ve gotten me. So I owe you for that. Besides, none of this is your fault. I just bumped into you by mistake. Wrong address. I was afraid Tony might have a redial button…Whoa!”
Judy’s eyebrows lifted.
We needed to talk.
Instead of bothering to untie the gag, I hooked a forefinger underneath it at each corner of her mouth, pulled roughly, and dragged it down over her chin. The bandana hung around her neck like a dog scarf.
And like a dog, she panted for air.
“What about redial?” I asked. “Did Tony have it?”
“Just…wait.”
“Come on. Did he? I know he moved to a new apartment and you’ve never been there, but what sort of phone did he have at his old place? He might’ve taken it with him. Did it have redial?”
“If I tell…”
“You’d
better
tell, unless you wanta die right now!”
“No gag, okay? Please?”
I punched her in the belly. A good hard one. Her breath gushed against my face. She couldn’t fold over because of the way she was hanging; instead, the blow made her knees jump up and sent her swinging backward.
When she swung forward, I caught her by the sides. I stopped her, held her steady for a moment, then took a couple of steps backward so I could see her better.
Mouth agape, she wheezed for breath. Her eyes were shut tightly. She kept her knees high, so all that held her up was the rope around her wrists.
She
really
looked as if she were being stretched. Her arms and torso actually seemed longer and skinnier than before. Her belly was sunken in. Her ribcage was high and bulging. Her breasts were pulled almost flat against her chest.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Put your feet down.”
She just kept hanging there, gasping.
“Put them down and stand up.”
She didn’t.
Instead, she blurted, “I just…I just…You didn’t have to…”
“Shut up and tell me about his redial!”
“Okay. Okay.”
“Stand up!”
She lowered her legs until her feet met the ground. Though she still had to stand tall, she no longer looked as if she were being pulled apart on the rack.
“Now,” I said, “what about it?”
“He doesn’t. Have it.”
“Have you been to his new place?
She shook her head.
“Then how do you know what kind of phone he has?”
“I…gave it to him.”
“What?”
“His phone. I gave it to him. When we were…going together. He…I don’t think he’d…get rid of it.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” I said. “Not if it came from you. And it didn’t have redial?”
“No. Huh-uh.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“You’ve told me a lot of lies tonight,” I pointed out. “How do I know this isn’t another one?”
“I swear. Honest to God.”
“Why’d you buy him a phone that didn’t have redial?”
Her face contorted with confusion or pain or disgust—hard to tell which, since it was sort of battered. She said, “Huh?”
“If you’re buying your boyfriend a new telephone, why do you get him one that doesn’t have a redial button?”
“I don’t know. It didn’t…I didn’t
buy
it for him. It was my
old
phone. I got a new one…I was going to throw it away, but…he asked me for it. So I gave it to him.”
“Why do you want to lie about a thing like this?” I asked her.
“I’m not lying.”
“Did you forget about Tony’s
answering machine
?”
“No. That’s what it was…an answering machine. The one I gave him.”
“I don’t think so. Tony told me that you never
had
an answering machine.”
“But…That’s not so.”
“Oh, yes it is. Why did you lie about it?”
“I didn’t. Honest.”
“You lie like a rug, Judy.”
“So do you.”
“But I’m
running
this show,” I said, and started to unbuckle my belt.
“What’re you doing?”
I pulled the belt out of its loops, and my cut-offs fell down. I stepped out of them.
“Hey,” Judy said. She sounded like a kid again. “Come on, Alice. Don’t.”
“Admit you lied.”
“Haven’t you hurt me enough?”
“I saved your life. Remember? You said I can do anything I want.”
“Why do you want to
hurt
me?”
“Because you lied. Admit you lied.”
“Okay. I lied. Okay?”
“You didn’t give him his phone?”
“No.”
“You wanted me to leave here thinking he
didn’t
have redial. Why?”
“I don’t know.”
