Bad Juju (30 page)

Chapter 3
5

Candy packed up her puzzle books, rolled up her posters, and cleaned out her desk.  There was still plenty to do before getting the principal to sign off for the summer, but she’d wait until Monday to finish.  It was a mandatory half-day.

She pulled out Henry’s and Brittany’s home addresses from her Rolodex and slid them into the side pocket of her tote.  She grabbed Henry’s Nike backpack and headed out.

It was almost dinner time, a good time to catch both of their parents.  Candy formed a theory based on Henry’s creepy Voodoo book
she
needed to share in person. 
Plus, a phone call could be screened and a message could be erased.

Ca
ndy was a
n open-minded
spiritual
woman
,
but
Voodoo was too farfetched to
believe in
. 
She supposed
all religions bordered on the incredulous; they would have to.  If they were filled with logic, faith wouldn’t be required.  Even though s
he doubted Voodoo spells worked, the power of suggestion
could be magical
.  She
believed
someone much older and more sophisticated put the book together for Henry. 
His parents needed to know what he was reading
.

Candy drove around Lake Hayward and easily found Henry’s
lake house
.  It was the smallest of the manses that she had passed, but, to her,
it was
the most tranquil, the perfect subject for a Thomas
Kinkade
painting.

A beautiful stained glass cross hung in the bay window.  Candy was reminded o
f
how religious Henry’s family was.  They weren’t going to like their son’s interest in Voodoo. 

Candy held the backpack and rang the bell.  Through the sidelights she saw Natalie and Henry racing to the door.

“It’s my teacher,” Henry said.

“You in trouble?” Natalie asked.

“No.  She’s got my backpack.  I must have left it at school.  Now go.  Let me open the door,” Henry said.  Both were unaware the windows were open and Candy could hear them.

“Hi Miss Fontana,” Henry said.  “I see you got my backpack.”  He looked at the black and gray sack in her hand.

“Yes.  It might have something of importance
inside
, like a book?” she asked, nudging for a reaction.  As usual, he remained stoned-faced.

“Thanks,” he said and grabbed it from her.

“Could I speak to your mom or dad?” Candy asked pleasantly.  She didn’t want Henry to think he was in trouble, and to her knowledge he wasn’t.  However, intuition told h
er
that this creepy book might raise some questions.

“They’re both running errands for our trip tomorrow.  Should be home soon, like an hour or so.  You can eat dinner with us if you want,” Henry invited.

Almost feeling guilty for stirring the pot, Candy replied, “No.  I just wanted to wish you all a great trip.  You know, I’ve got another errand.  I’ll come by later.”

Candy had every intention
of
keeping that promise, but first she headed downtown to Brittany’s house.  Maybe Brittany’s mother was the most logical place to begin
spouting
her theory. 
Ms.
Bonaducci
, I believe your daughter has been the victim of
a
Voodoo
love curse
.  There can be no other excuse for her obsession with Henry Novak.  Ms.
Bonaducci
, in my
fourteen
years of experience never has a girl as beautiful and popular as your daughter taken an interest in someone who has special needs…  Ridiculous!
 
Yes it was crazy, but Candy was
compelled to disclose
her thoughts to Brittany’s
mother.

The navigation in her
cream colored
Edge took her straight to Brittany’s house.  It was a small, well-kept, brick ranch on a nice street
,
one block away from the downtown area.  She pulled in the driveway, relieved to see another car already there. It had to be her mom’s car.  It was too nice to be
Brittany’s
.

Candy approached the door and was about to knock, but heard yelling
and then it stopped
.  The door was ajar.
  Worry and curiosity took over.  She took her phone out of her purse in case she needed to call 911.

“Hello?  Brittany?  Ms.
Bonaducci
?  It’s Candy Fontana,” she announced as she crept through the hallway.  She heard movement coming from the back of the house.  Within a few steps, she was by the kitchen.  She rounded the corner and saw trails of blood on the ceramic floor. 

Candy stood still and dialed 9… 

Something warm was dripping down her back.  She reached around and touched her lower back.  Her hand was wet and sticky.  “No!” she screamed and then turned around.  “
Rio
?  Is that you?  Why would…”  She took a few steps forward and then folded to the floor.  She saw Brittany lying on the floor by the kitchen table.  Blood was everywhere.  Her field of vision diminished, and then faded to
nothingness
.

***

Rio read Brittany’s Facebook posting.  Infuriated by her humiliating comments, he hopped in his car and drove over to her house needing closure.  Now that school was officially over, he could no longer get into trouble.  A tiny part of him still wanted her.  He deluded himself into thinking she missed him as well.

He rang the bell and knocked on the door.  He saw her stagger down the hallway.

“Go away!” she screamed
.

“I’ll go away after I get my final say,” Rio said.

Brittany wouldn’t open the door.  Rio turned the doorknob and found it unlocked.  He entered her home uninvited and followed her into the kitchen.  By her walk and speech, he knew she was intoxicated.

“Brit, you been drinking?  Don’t think I ever saw you this hammered.”  Rio’s eyes scanned the kitchen.  There was a cutting board with lime rinds sitting by the sink, tequila, mix, and a glass pitcher on the otherwise clear surface of the kitchen island.

“Yeah, I had a few.  So what?” she slurred.

Rio’s eyes continued to observe the area.  He wondered if she was alone.  “Your boyfriend, Henry?  He drinking with you?”

“Oh no. 
I drink alone, with nobody else
…,” she sang.  “You know that old song?  And he’s no longer my boyfriend.  He wants nothing to do with me.  I know.  I deserve it, right?”

Although great news, Rio was alarmed by the big knife she held in her right hand.  Was she using it for the lime
s
?  He then noticed her shirt and shorts were blotted with blood.  “Brit, you’re bleeding.  Should I call an ambulance?”  Rio slowly approached her.

“Don’t you dare!  I know I’m bleeding!  I’m trying to…You wouldn’t understand,” she said.

“What are you trying to do?  Cut yourself up?”  He spotted a razor blade by the cutting board.  “Are you a cutter?”

“No, you fucking moron!  I’m pregnant, okay?  And I thought I could…” Brittany garbled.

“Give yourself an abortion?  Let me call the ambulance,” Rio said.

“I said no!”  Brittany lifted her hand and pointed the blade at him.

“I get it.  At least let me call your mom.  She’s a nurse and she’ll…”

“Fuck that!  Fuck everything!” she shouted.

“But you could die,” Rio whispered.

“Fuck life.  It’s so overrated.  And why do you care anyway?” Brittany sneered.

“Because I care about you.”

“Why?  I’m a god-damned whore.  Don’t even know who the father is.  Could be yours for all I know,” Brittany said.

“Mine?  If it was mine, I’d stick around, help raise it.  Why don’t you give me the knife?” Rio begged.

“Why are you here?  You said something about a final say?” Brittany asked.

“It doesn’t matter.  Look, I was mad about the shit you said on Facebook, but I’m not mad anymore,” Rio replied.  His only concern was getting her help.  Fate was what brought him here.  It was up to him to save her from killing herself.  “I don’t care who the father is.  I bet your mom doesn’t care either.  Please put the knife down and trust me.”

“Right.  You’re a fucking wife beater.  You make me sick!  Just get out before I call the police!” she exclaimed.

Rio lunged toward the phone.  “Call them!  Go ahead, call the police!” he screamed.

“You asshole!”  Brittany was erratically waving the knife around and then slashed Rio’s hand as he reached for the phone.

“You crazy bitch!” he screamed while his hand leaked blood all over.  He reached for the phone with his other hand.  Before he could punch in the numbers, Brittany lifted up her shirt and ripped another seam down her stomach.  Blood ran down her hips and legs.

“Stop it!” Rio screamed.

She defiantly continued carving up her abdomen, looking possessed, unrecognizable.

Rio dove at her right hand, trying to wrangle the knife free.  She turned to the side and he missed, but pushed her against the wall.  With both hands she grabbed the knife and pointed the tip between her breasts.  Using the wall as a brace for her forearms, she threw her torso down onto the knife.  The blade slid into her like a grapefruit.  Blood gushed out, staining the wall.

“No!  I love you!” Rio screeched.

She slid to the floor.  A pool of blood quickly formed underneath her body.

Rio rushed over to her and plucked the knife out of her sternum.  It made a horrifying suction sound that made him dizzy.  He heard a faint voice coming from the front door.

“Brittany?  Ms.
Bonaducci
?  It’s Candy Fontana.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck!  I’m covered with blood, holding a knife, standing next to my dead girlfriend.  She’s never going to believe me.  No one will.  I’m not going down for this,
he thought.  There was only one way out.

Once she entered the kitchen, he made his move and pounded the knife into her back.  She quickly sank to the floor.  Her phone bounced across the kitchen.  She was alive, calling his name.  There was no turning back.

Rio grabbed the heavy glass pitcher and smashed it on his teacher’s head
.  Now she’s dead
.  He took a moment to collect his thoughts. 
I’ve got to clean this place up
.

He wrapped up his bleeding hand and got busy.  Within an hour, he had the kitchen floors and countertop sparkling clean. 
The place reeked of ammonia. 
He found some of Brittany’s sweats that fit him and changed clothes, throwing his old clothes with the bloody towels into a gym bag he found from Brittany’s closet.  He did a comprehensive walk-thru.  Convinced no one could ever prove that he was there, he swung the gym bag over his shoulder and drove home.

Once in his room, he hid the bag and then cried.  He had never been so scared in his life.  His fear wasn’t from watching Brittany throw herself onto a knife, or even killing Ms. Fontana.  What scared him more than anything was getting caught.

Part II

Summer Vacation

Chapter 36

Haiti, June 2010

First Week of Haitian Mission

The panic of the day bled into desperation throughout the night.  News of Henry’s disappearance had spread throughout the volunteer community and Haitian law enforcement.  Jessica remembered Henry’s passport.  The picture was copied by the police and circulated around the Port-au-Prince area. 

The
Novaks
’ parish and new
campsite friends formed their own search and rescue squads.  Because of the high crime rate, all agreed to arm themselves.  The women and a few men were ordered to stay back for protection.  Tom
kept
a look out for Henry.  Unlike the other women, Jessica refused.  She wore a flannel shirt and stuffed her long brown hair into a baseball hat.  Even without makeup and the butch outfit, her dainty features could not mask her femininity. 
T
he disguise was enough to blend in with the other men.

“What about Natalie?  Shouldn’t you stay back with her?” Tom asked, wanting to keep her out of harm’s way.

“No, she’s with Carol, Keith’s wife.  I’m going with you no matter what.  So don’t try to talk me out of it.”

“I won’t.  Do you blame me for this?  Honesty, please,” Tom asked.

“No, of course not.  Kids wander off all the time.  Could have just as easily happened on my watch.”

“I doubt that.  Just about impossible.  You’re a good parent,” Tom interjected.