Red Queen (10 page)

“A penny for your thoughts,” he said when I fell silent.

I smiled faintly. “I was just thinking of the first time we made love.”

“Damn. And I was hoping you were thinking about last night.”

“Why?”

“I like to think that I've improved with practice.”

“Us girls are silly. The first time is always the best time.” I paused. “Do you remember how I didn't answer the door? I knew it was you. But I knew you'd hear the water running and come in.”

Jimmy rubbed at the water in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Do you need a blow-by-blow? That Saturday afternoon. You came over after work. My mother was out and I was in the shower. You said you knocked but I didn't answer. You stuck your head in my bedroom and called out. You must have known I was in the shower.” I leaned over and kissed him. “You must have known I'd invite you in.”

He didn't smile like I assumed he would. Instead, he looked puzzled. “No offense, Jessie, but that's not what happened. I never had sex with you right after work. The first time we did it was at night after we went to the movies. It was late. Your mother was asleep in the next room.”

“Excuse me. We only went to two movies. On our first date and our last.” I pushed him away. “You bastard, you're thinking of Kari.”

“No. I swear, I'm not.”

“I don't care. I'm right and you're wrong.”

“Hold on a second, don't get mad. Remember back to that afternoon you're talking about. I came over and asked if I could take a shower in your bathroom. I'd just gotten off work. I'm a mechanic, my hands were covered in oil. Whenever I leave work, I have to soak my hands in a solvent to loosen the oil. Then I have to scrub them with a harsh soap. But you didn't have all that stuff so my hands were still pretty grimy even after the shower. Think, Jessie, I would never have taken you to bed—especially for the first time—with dirty fingers.”

“Are you saying you didn't take a shower with me?”

“I did. But it wasn't after I got off work.”

“Jimmy, this is ridiculous. You can't be getting senile already. We didn't jump straight into bed. You joined me in the shower and we washed each other for a long time. I cleaned your hands. You shampooed my hair. That's what made it so romantic. That's why it's such a special memory to me.” My voice cracked, I was getting emotional. “It upsets me you can't even remember it.”

He raised a hand. “Hold on, let me give you another clue that might help jog your memory. Let's go back to that afternoon you're talking about, or you think you're talking about. When we got into bed and were lying there, facing each other, were you lying on your right side or your left side?”

“I was lying on my left side most of the time. Standing at the foot and facing the bed, I was on the left side.”

“That's impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because that means I would have had to be lying on my right side. And two weeks after we started dating I broke three ribs on that side and it was still tender when we first made love. I couldn't lie on my right side, it was too painful.”

“How were you able to make love to me?”

“It was a month after the injury and it was less painful. But I was still careful to lie on my left side, not my right.”

“Wrong. Wrong. We made love four weeks after we started dating, not six weeks. And you lay on your right side plenty.”

“Only later. Only during the weeks before Christmas.”

“That's bullshit. That day was precious to me. Everything that happened that day—I've played it over and over again in my memory. How could I be so wrong?”

I had even had what many would call a mystical experience after we made love. I saw a white light, and heard a sound that was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. It was more like a pure vibration, something no musical instrument could make. It sent a thrill through my whole body.

“The stuff about my oily hands and my broken ribs are facts. I didn't make them up.” He paused. “I didn't mean to upset you. I just . . . I don't know.”

“What? Say it.”

He shook his head. “It's not important.”

“But it is important! That's what I'm trying to tell you. That's why I'm upset. The most important day of my life seems to have meant nothing to you.”

“Jessie.”

“My diary! I wrote down everything that happened in my diary! When we get back to the hotel, I can show it to you.”

“You told me you don't keep a diary.”

“I lied.”

“Why did you bring it to Las Vegas?”

“I couldn't leave it at home. My mother might find it.”

“Oh.”

“I'll let you read the pages about that afternoon. I wrote them down that same night. You'll see, it's all there, and it's not like I would have written down stuff that didn't happen. I don't lie to myself.”

Jimmy continued to look troubled. “I'm not saying you do. I'm sorry.”

My anger left as quickly as it had come. I reached out and touched his face. “I'm the one who should apologize for snapping at you. I'm sorry.”

“It's all right. It's just our minds playing tricks on us.”

A cold, eerie feeling swept over me right then at his remark, even though the sun was blazing down on us and the water was as warm as a bathtub. Suddenly, when I thought back to that day we were discussing, I couldn't remember exactly what had happened. Yet the memory had been so clear a few minutes ago. Now, it was weird, it was like a part of me was starting to remember it the way he was describing it.

“When was your first entry about me?” Jimmy asked.

“It was when we were freshmen,” I said.

“Why did you write about me then?”

Because I got a crush on him the moment I met him. But I couldn't tell him that. “We had just met. You seemed like an interesting person,” I said.

“Oh.” I could tell he was still preoccupied.

“Do you get déjà vu much?” I asked.

“All the time.”

“How come you never told me?”

“Why should I have?”

“Because I get it all the time, too.” I paused. “But déjà vu doesn't relate to memory, not directly.”

He stared at me. “Now you sound like you are trying to convince yourself. What's wrong, Jessie?”

I hesitated. “This argument sort of scares me. I sometimes wonder if I do have a problem with my memory. My mom often complains that she's told me to do an errand—like pick up some milk or bread at the store—and I'll have no recollection of it. Or else I'll remember it slightly different. I'll pick up eggs and butter instead. Does that ever happen to you?”

“Since my dad never talks to me, I'd have to say no.” He paused. “Can I ask where you were last night?”

“I was just out, goofing off.”

“But you weren't with Alex?”

“No.”

“It's none of my business. The only reason I ask is because
the whole night I was searching for you, it felt like one long déjà vu.”

My chill deepened. Because hanging out with Russ had been like one long déjà vu. The whole time I had been with him, I had felt like I knew him from somewhere. It had not helped that he had treated me like an old friend.

I still could not believe he had given me so much money.

I still had the key to his room.

But what was the room number? Four-three-four-one? That was not right. It didn't matter, it had been the corner suite on the top floor. I would always be able to find it.

“I know what you mean,” I whispered.

Jimmy forced a smile. “Meet some hot guy?”

“What if I did?”

He shrugged. “Like I said, it's none of my business.”

“Good.”

“As long as you didn't sleep with him.”

“You're the only one I've ever slept with,” I replied.

I wished the same were true for him. Especially when we returned to shore, two hours later, and he left to return the boat while I went for the car. Kari met me in the parking lot, not far from the edge of the lake. She was sitting in the sand by the shore and only glanced up at my approach. To say I was shocked would be putting it mildly. Jimmy had been certain Kari hadn't come to Las Vegas.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she said before turning back to
stare at the water. I had to remind myself the girl had just lost a child. Otherwise, I'd have wrung her neck.

“I didn't know you were here,” I said.

She had on blue shorts, a white T-shirt. Her feet were bare. She stretched her legs over the sand, still looking out at the water.

“I'm not in the habit of sharing my itinerary with you.”

“Are you in the habit of following me?” I asked.

“No.” She finally looked at me. “I'm not stalking you.”

I nodded to Alex's Camry. “But you recognized the car.”

“Yeah.” She stood and took a step toward me. Kari was a head shorter than me, a blond beauty. Except for her height, she could have been a natural model. Indeed, she'd worked with a few magazines. Her smile was the brightest in the school. It looked like she had lost most of her pregnancy weight. I felt disgusted at myself that she intimidated me.

“Where's Jimmy?” she asked.

“He'll be here in a few minutes.”

“Did you have fun on the lake?”

“A blast.” I paused. “Why are you here, Kari?”

She shrugged. “It's our graduation party. One long weekend of thrills and chills. Why shouldn't I be here?”

“Jimmy told me what happened.” She didn't respond and I added, “I want to tell you how sorry I am.”

She smiled right then, it was spooky. “Why are you sorry? It wasn't your fault.”

“You must be going through hell.”

“You have no idea what I'm going through.”

I wanted to be compassionate. “Do you want to speak to Jimmy? I can go for a walk if you need time alone with him.”

She shook her head. “I'm not here to see him.”

“Why are you here?” I repeated.

“To warn you.”

“Warn me? About what?”

“The same thing is going to happen to you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Huck. Jimmy told you his name, didn't he? I see that he did. It's good, you should know. At least that way you can't say I didn't warn you.”

“Huh?”

“They never take just one, Jessie. They always take both.”

“Kari, I'm sorry. I haven't a clue what you're talking about.”

She smiled again, faintly, and casually walked past me. For an instant I was sure she was going to attack. I held my breath, prepared to respond. But all she did was brush my side.

“Good luck,” she said.

Jimmy arrived minutes later. By that time Kari was long gone. He knew I was upset. I had to tell him what had happened. We spoke in the car in the lake parking lot, then he reached for his cell.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Calling her. She has no right to stalk us like that.”

“Please don't. Let her be.”

Jimmy hesitated, then put the phone away. It was clear he didn't want to talk to her. “The loss of Huck was hard on her. I think she's having a nervous breakdown. What else did she say?”

“I told you everything,” I said. Except how deeply her weird remarks had shaken me. I felt as if I needed help, protection even, but I didn't know who to turn to.

“Come by when you don't know what else to do.”

Why had Russ told me that? It was almost like he had foreseen this moment and understood how confused I would feel. A sudden strong desire to see him again swept over me.

I knew then that my theory on how he had beaten the casino was seriously flawed. He had won using magic. He really was the magic man. If I could see him again, he would know what I should do next. At least, like with cards, he would know whether I should act or hold.

“Take me back to the hotel,” I told Jimmy.

Our suite was deserted when we reached the MGM. There was a note from Alex that said to call her on her cell but that was it. I told Jimmy I was tired and wanted to take a nap—alone. He was sensitive to my moods. He said he would go out for a walk, come back in an hour or so. I told him to make it two hours. He kissed me before he left but my mind was elsewhere and he sensed that as well.

“Are we okay?” he asked.

I forced a smile. “We're fine.”

“She told me she wasn't coming. She swore it.”

“Swear too much and it loses all meaning.”

He hesitated. “Good-bye, Jessie.”

“Good-bye, Jimmy.”

There was something frightening in the sound of our farewells. Like they had the potential of being permanent.

With Jimmy gone, I took a quick shower and dressed in the new clothes I had purchased, the short black skirt and the red silk blouse. I picked up the phone to warn Russ I was coming over. I had to go through a switchboard. I asked for him by name, not by room number. He answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Russ. It's Jessie.”

“Jessie.” He sounded pleased. “I wasn't sure if I'd hear from you again.”

“Don't be silly, I had a great time last night.”

“So did I.”

“Hey, would it be okay if I stopped by and said hello?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. There's some stuff that's going on and, well, I guess I could use your opinion on what to do about it.” I added, “But I can come later if that would be better.”

“Now is fine. But come right away. I have to go out later.”

“I'll be there in ten minutes.”

“Take a taxi, don't walk. It's a thousand degrees outside.”

“Don't I know it,” I said.

I went downstairs and exited through the main entrance and got in line for a taxi. His hotel was only a quarter of a mile from mine. It seemed silly to waste money on a cab. Yet I was tired from our hours on the water, and although the sun was heading toward the horizon, the temperature was still over a hundred. I was lucky the line for the taxis was short.