The May Day Murders (15 page)

“
Would you mind a little
music?” Jerry suddenly asked.

“
No, not at all.”

He turned on the stereo and inserted a
CD. Ann immediately recognized the song,
Gimme Some Lovin’
by The Spencer Davis Group.

It’s an oldies collection,” Jerry
explained. “They don’t make songs like this anymore.”

Ann smiled at him. “You can say that
again. Amy plays some of the most nerve-wracking stuff imaginable!
Rap music. Heavy metal. And she always plays it so
loud!”

Jerry gasped. “That must be dreadful!
How do you deal with it?”

“
I put as much distance as
possible between her bedroom and myself.”

He laughed. “How’s she doing in
school?”

“
Passing by the skin of her
teeth. Amy’s a bright kid, but her social life takes precedence
over her studies. She used to get all A’s and B’s through middle
school, but she simply doesn’t apply herself anymore. I don’t think
she realizes that it’s all going to catch up with her in the end if
she doesn’t start shaping up.”

Jerry said, “She’ll come around, Ann.
Most of the kids her age that I’ve worked with at church have the
same problem. It’s not easy becoming an adult nowadays—the old,
innocent days of
Leave It To Beaver
and
Ozzie and
Harriet
are extinct. I think the family structure in today’s
society is partially to blame for a lot of this generation’s
problems.”

“
Divorce doesn’t help much,
either,” Ann muttered half aloud.

“
What was that?”

Ann sighed. “I said that divorce
doesn’t help matters any, either.”

Jerry hesitated a moment, then said,
“Divorce is an unfortunate fact of life. But it certainly doesn’t
have to destroy a child’s life. As long as there’s plenty of love
and understanding at home, they can adjust eventually.”

“
How about the theory that
two-parent families are more stable for children?”

“
I won’t argue with that.
But remember, a divorce needn’t be a death sentence, Ann. Many
parents remarry and experience successful relationships between
stepparent and child.”

This was something Ann had given little
thought to. “Are you sure you don’t have any children, Jerry?” Ann
said, grinning. “I mean, you seem so well-versed on the
topic.”

He chuckled, then his expression turned
somber. “I wish I did, Ann. I really do. Marie and I tried for
years to have a child but never had any luck. We were seriously
considering adoption just before she passed away.”

“
I’m so sorry, Jerry,” Ann
said quietly.

“
It’s all right. At least I
have my kids at the church, and believe me—they’re quite a
handful!”

Ann smiled and fell silent. For the
first time, she realized just how lonely Jerry Rankin must be and
felt sorry for him. Beneath the surface of that rugged physique and
handsome, confident face beat a lonely heart—Jerry Rankin was a
vulnerable soul who obviously loved kids and sorely missed his
lately departed wife.

To look at him, who would ever have
guessed?

The restaurant was crowded when they
arrived. Once they were shown to their table, they each ordered a
glass of wine and began looking over the menu. After they’d given
the waiter their orders, Ann stared across the table at Jerry and
said, “This is wonderful, Jerry. I’m glad you suggested
it.”

“
The food is just as
impressive as the atmosphere. If you like Italian food, this is the
place to be.” he replied.

“
There’s something I’ve been
dying to ask you. Are you English, by any chance?”

“
Not hardly!” he laughed. “I
spent several years in Europe before I got married—I met Marie in
England, as a matter of fact. After we were married, I brought her
back to the States and we settled down in Cleveland, which is my
hometown. Between the time spent in Europe and being around Marie
all those years, I seem to have picked up a bit of an accent in the
process.”

“
I’ll bet I’m not the first
to ask you then, am I?” Ann said.

“
No, actually, you’re not,”
he replied. “Have you ever been to Europe, Ann?”

“
No. I’ve never even been
out of the continental United States. I guess you could say I’ve
led a sheltered existence.”

“
You really should go some
time. It’s marvelous–especially France.”

“
So I’ve heard.”

The waiter came over and they ordered
another glass of wine. Ann felt herself becoming pleasantly buzzed
by the time their food arrived. Jerry had loosened up considerably,
too. His somewhat formal way of speaking became markedly more
relaxed as the evening progressed and his dry sense of humor began
to surface. By the time they’d eaten and had one more drink, the
two were carrying on as though they were lifelong friends. Ann
wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or Jerry’s company that had put
her in such high spirits—maybe a combination of both. All she knew
was that she was thoroughly enjoying herself for the first time in
what seemed like ages.

It was raining steadily when they left
the restaurant so they made a mad dash for the car. Jerry cranked
up the volume on the car stereo and they sang to the oldies on the
way back to Ann’s house. When they pulled into the driveway, Ann
hesitated only a moment before inviting Jerry Rankin in for a
nightcap, halfheartedly stressing the fact that it was to be for
only one drink and afterwards they would be calling it a night.
Jerry happily accepted.

Inside, Jerry helped Ann off with her
coat and followed her to the family room.

“
My favorite room in the
house,” Ann declared as she turned on the lights.

“
It’s wonderful,” Jerry
commented, surveying the room.

Ann went over to the bar and set a pair
of wine glasses on the counter. “There’s still a few things I’d
like to do in here before it’s all finished,” she remarked. “One is
to replace that old sofa and chair. I’ve had them both for a couple
of eons.”

Jerry joined her at the bar. “Need any
help with that?” he asked just as Ann pulled the cork from the wine
bottle. Ann shook her head, poured them both a glass and handed one
to Jerry.

“
Thanks,” he said as he
followed Ann over to the sofa and sat down beside her. He eyed the
romance novel lying on the coffee table curiously and picked it up.
“Are you reading this?”

Ann blushed and giggled. “Yes, I must
confess. I’m a real sucker for a good love story.”

“
I didn’t mean to embarrass
you,” Jerry said. “I’ve heard that you can tell a lot about a
person by what he reads. I, for instance, like a good crime story;
especially the ones based on actual events. I guess you could say
I’m a sucker for intrigue and suspense.”

Ann laughed. “For a moment there I
thought you were going to tell me that you were a
criminal!”

He chuckled. “I feel like a criminal
sometimes when I land a big, juicy real estate deal!”

“
I take it you’re doing
pretty well.”

“
I certainly can’t complain.
I’m trying not to let the money overwhelm me, however. I like to
live comfortably but not too extravagantly. I’ve never been a
flashy person.”

“
I’m really glad to hear
that,” Ann said.

“
I have one weakness though:
I love the great outdoors. And that’s my excuse for the country
retreat I just purchased last spring in Hocking County. It’s an
A-frame nestled in the foothills complete with a pond and forty
acres of nothing but trees and wildlife.”

“
Sounds nice,” Ann
said.

“
It’s beautiful. Maybe you’d
like to see it sometime.”

Ann spoke before thinking. “I’d like
that.”

“
Great! Perhaps we could
swing down that way some weekend before winter sets in,” Jerry
suggested enthusiastically.

Ann hesitated. “Well, let’s just wait
and see how things go in the meantime, Jerry.”

For the second time that night, Ann
caught the faint glimpse of hurt in his eyes, which he promptly
attempted to cover up. He said, “I’m sorry, Ann. I didn’t mean to
be so pushy. Please forgive me.”

“
It’s okay, Jerry. I just
don’t want to jump into anything right now.”

“
And I understand
completely,” he said with a shrug. “I guess I was jumping the gun a
bit.”

Ann didn’t like seeing him like this.
She wished now that she had been a little more tactful. “I hope I
haven’t scared you off by that last comment of mine. What I really
meant to say was that I don’t want to rush things. I really have
enjoyed this evening, Jerry, and I hope we can get together again… soon.”

Jerry Rankin leaned toward her. “I’m
really happy to hear you say that, Ann. I feel a lot better
suddenly. My problem is that I get a little carried away sometimes
and end up sounding incredibly presumptuous. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed
myself as well. You’re a lovely lady and lots of fun. So let’s make
it a point to go out again soon and just take one step at a time,
okay?” he offered, tipping his wine glass toward her.

“
All right, we’ll just do
that!” Ann declared, tipping his glass. They both took a sip and
Jerry said, “So how do you usually spend your weekends?”

Ann replied with a frown, “Housework,
mostly. And running errands.”

“
Does Amy help you out
any?”

She laughed. “You’ve got to be joking!
I can’t even get her to keep her room looking halfway decent, much
less get any help out of her with the rest of the house. She’s a
hopeless case in that category, I’m afraid.”

“
And I suppose you can’t
somehow make her give you hand? Like threatening to cut her
allowance off or grounding her?”

“
I’ve tried everything,
believe me. She’s incorrigible. I don’t like fighting and we get
into a quarrel every time I try to discipline her, so I’ve all but
thrown in the towel. I just don’t seem to have any control over the
child anymore.”

“
Did she mind her
father?”

“
Oh yes, she did. But she
was a year younger when Sam and I were still together. I’m not so
sure she’d even mind him now, if he were still in the
picture.”

“
It’s amazing how much
difference a year can make, isn’t it?”

“
You can say that again,”
Ann replied.

Just then the telephone rang. Ann stood
up and went over to the wall phone behind the bar.

“
Hello?”

There was nothing but silence on the
other end.

“
Hello?” Ann
repeated.

Suddenly she heard heavy breathing. At
first Ann thought that who ever was on the other end might be hurt
or in trouble; perhaps even Amy. “Who is this?” she asked
uncomfortably.

Then a hoarse voice wheezed, “I’m going
to fuck you!”

“
You what …?” Ann
blurted, then slammed down the receiver.

“
What was that all about?”
Jerry asked.

Ann’s back was still facing him as she
struggled to compose herself. “Just a crank call,” she finally
answered.

She turned and saw the concerned look
on Jerry’s face.

“
You’re white as a sheet,
Ann!” he exclaimed. He stood up and ran over to her.

“
Who was that on the phone?”
he demanded.

Ann wasn’t sure why she felt so
helplessly terrified right at that moment. Perhaps it was due to
the hideous manner in which the caller had breathed those awful
words and the fact that it was still giving her goose bumps. Or
maybe it was because she now realized for the first time just how
mortified she was of living alone in this house with her teenage
daughter in a strange town and not having Sam around to protect
them …

All she was really sure of was that
there was a man there now and that she was grateful beyond
words.

“
God, Jerry,” she moaned,
burying her head in his chest. Jerry put his arms around her as she
felt herself trembling uncontrollably in his embrace. Ann felt the
urge to cry in her frustration but willed herself not to. Instead,
she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be held securely in
Jerry’s arms until she finally calmed down enough to face
him.

“
Thanks, Jerry.” she said
weakly.

His eyes were filled with concern and
passion as he said, “What happened, Ann?”

Ann looked away a moment, and then
replied, “It was an obscene phone caller. He said that he was going
to, you know, do it to me. God, it was awful!” she cried. “I’m so
stupid! I should have hung up the moment I heard him breathing… just as I told Amy to do.”

“
He’s called
before?”

Ann nodded slowly. “Last weekend. In
the middle of the night.”

Jerry led Ann over to the sofa and
motioned for her to sit down. “He talked to your daughter that
way?” he asked incredulously.

“
Yes,” Ann replied, draining
her wine glass dry. “He said the same thing to Amy. I’ll be honest,
Jerry, I’m scared to death. Not only have we been getting obscene
phone calls but I thought I heard a prowler in the back yard last
Saturday night. And to top it all off, I’ve just heard from my
ex-husband that the man who murdered my best friend a couple of
weeks ago also murdered another woman that I went to high school
with! In New York City, no less.”