Under Abnormal Conditions (23 page)

“Get the hell out of my house. It’s none of
your business.”

“What about the police? Is it their business?
I’m sure they would want to know you knew Sherry and Phil were
sleeping together,” I said.

“I didn’t know. I hired the detective and he
said he had something, but he didn’t want to say it over the
phone,” his broken voice said. “We were supposed to meet to go over
his report but he never called me back. Now I can’t get in touch
with him.

I had to see for myself whether or not he
could be the killer. He had no idea Phil was seeing Sara. He had
the detective following the wrong one. The shattered man before me
was no killer. I hated to admit I was right where I started before
I was locked up.

There was nothing I could say that would have
given him comfort. I left him there - alone, confused,
disheartened, and broken. As bad as things were I was still in
better condition than, the cold lonely man I left inside that
house.

Chapter 33

I circled my neighborhood a few times before
I finally parked. The drive home left me paranoid and confused. I
locked my car and walked to the front door. I was so sure Phil was
the murderer, then James. But if it wasn’t James that set me up,
who was it? Every time I thought I had figured it out, everything
seemed to fall apart.

Seeing the door ajar halted my thoughts.

I crept into the house, desperately trying to
be quiet. I wondered if Ricky had decided to come back. I went
straight to my bedroom. I checked the closet and under the bed, and
there was nothing there. I searched the entire house, and I was
definitely alone.

If someone had been there, nothing seemed to
be missing. Maybe Ricky forgot something, but he should have been
halfway to California by now. Well, it didn’t matter. It was not
like I was going to call the police or anything.

I needed to find something to eat. The
gourmet meal I was served in jail didn’t do anything for me.

I remembered I had picked up a few things
from the store the night before I was arrested. I opened the door,
and there was a pot with a note on it.

Michael,

I made dinner last night and I had a little
extra.

Enjoy,

Sara.

I wondered if she had waited here for me that
night. I didn’t think I could have possibly been more confused, but
I was. I don’t think I could have been as loyal if I was in the
same position. Maybe she had a good reason for thinking I didn’t
murder Sherry. Maybe she needed me after all, but not the way I
originally thought. She had some explaining to do.

Don’t trust anybody.

I crumbled up the note and walked out to the
trash. It was already full, full of tomato sauce cans and empty
spaghetti packages.

She had cooked here.

I guess that solved the mystery of who broke
in. I took the pot out of the refrigerator and warmed it on the
stove. The smell that filled the house was almost enough to make me
forget my night in jail.

I finished my meal and headed to the office.
I sat at my desk and picked up the phone. Sara should be home. As I
waited for her to pick up, I turned on my computer.

“Hello”

“Hey, it’s Michael. I don’t know if you have
talked to your father yet, but-”

“Yes, we talked just before he left.”

“He left?” I wanted to ask if she knew where
he was going but I had to feel her out first.

“Are you upset?” It was a stupid question,
but I didn’t know what else to say.

“I was at first, but I know the way it looks.
If I were someone else, I would think he was guilty too. Either him
or you.”

“Thanks,” I answered as my thoughts
questioned where she was when Sherry and Phil were murdered. “We
need to talk about something.”

“No. That’s not what I meant. I know you
didn’t do it, but I know my dad didn’t either,” she answered as if
she was just going to ignore my question.

“The police know about you and Phil.”

Just then my computer started to beep
frantically, and then just stopped.

“What’s all that noise?”

“It’s just the computer. Did you use it while
you were here?” I asked.

“No. I can barely use mine. The only thing I
can do is email and chat.”

Before I realized what was happening, a small
fire had broken out inside my computer. It whizzed and whirred as
smoke poured out of it. I threw the phone down and reached behind
the desk to unplug it. Then I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the
fire extinguisher. I shot it a couple of times until I was sure the
fire was out.

“What happened?” I could hear her yelling
into the phone.

I picked it up and answered, “My computer was
on fire. Either Ricky did something or . . . wait a second.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I rented a laptop from the bookstore at the
beginning of the semester. I hadn’t had to use it since I got this
one. Hold on and let me find it.” It was on the top shelf in my
closet. I took it out and began hooking it up.

“OK, I’m back.”

“What do you think happened?” she asked.

“I have no idea. Whoever did it wanted to
keep me from finding something, but all I had on it was my
schoolwork. I’m going to log on and see if I have any email
messages.”

1 message

FROM: [email protected]

TO: [email protected]

SUBJECT: Final Project

RECEIVED 12/15/029:00 AM

Michael,

I understand the circumstances of your
current situation. After class we can discuss an alternate project
for your final assignment.

M.PIERRE

“I want to explain, you know, about Phil,”
she said.

“I just want to know why you didn’t tell me
earlier. It would have saved both of us a lot of trouble. I feel
like a fool.

“I’m sorry. I’m not proud of it and I didn’t
want you to think badly of me.”

“Wait a second. I got a message from Dr.
Pierre.”

“What did he want?”

“It’s an old message. He’s going to let me do
something else for my final project.”

“He knows about the murder?” she asked.

“Yeah, I talked to him about it early
yesterday after . . . look, let me call you back. I’ve got an
idea.

“Michael, I’m sorry. Please can I help
you?”

“No, you have done enough and I need to do
this alone. I’ll call back later.”

I hung up the phone and flipped through my
wallet. I found Sharon Bryant’s number and called her at once.

“Hello, I need to speak to Ms. Bryant
please.”

“And this is regarding?”

“The Club Cool Breeze robbery and murder,” I
answered.

“Well, let me see. Hold just a moment.”

Almost immediately she answered, “Drake is
that you?”

“Yes, Sharon. I need your help.”

“It’s about time. I brought a camera crew to
the parish prison for an interview, and you weren’t there. You
still owe me!”

“I’m sorry, but I was released. I hope the
fact I’m not guilty doesn’t ruin your story.”

“It never does. So what do you need from
me?”

“I need to know exactly what happened to Phil
Reighton?”

“Is that supposed to be a joke? That’s what I
should be asking you.”

“I’m serious. All I know is they found him
with his head caved in at the club’s parking lot. I need
details.”

“That about sums it up. What else do you need
to know?”

“Whatever else you have.”

“Hold on a second.” I could hear her flip
through papers. “He was killed between three and four o’clock that
morning. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
They estimate he was hit five times. Where are you?”

“With what? What was he hit with?” I asked,
ignoring her question.

“A tire iron. It was found right next to the
body. You didn’t know that?” she said as if I had been playing her
for a fool.

“Thanks, I owe you,” I said and I slammed the
phone down. The surprise of being locked up and so quickly, made me
lose track of all reasonable thought. I didn’t ask the questions I
should have, but at that point I knew where to get all the answers
I needed.

Chapter 34

I quickly retrieved my school bag and pulled
out my notebook. I searched through it until I found my syllabus
for Dr. Pierre’s class. I found his phone number and took less than
a second to gather my thoughts before I picked up the phone.

“Hello?” a sleepy woman’s voice answered.

“Yes. May I speak to Dr. Pierre?” I asked
cautiously.

“Hold on, please.”

“Yes?” his familiar voice returned.

“I need your help. I may have finally figured
out who set me up. You are the only one I can trust now. Can you
meet me somewhere tonight?”

“Michael?”

“Yes. Doctor, I need to see you. You are the
only one that can help me right now. Please meet me.”

“I don’t know. I understand-”

“Thank you,” I interrupted. “I’ll meet you at
midnight at the First Baptist Church right next to the club where I
work. It’s right off of Summer Street.” I hung up before he had a
chance to answer. I was taking a gamble. If I were right, it would
mean my freedom, but if I were wrong - it would cost me my life. I
grabbed my keys and set out to the church. I ended up arriving a
little bit early, so I parked at the far end of the church parking
lot where I could see all of the incoming and outgoing traffic. I
wanted to be ready when the doctor arrived. I was still very tired,
so I set the alarm on my watch, just in case I fell asleep.

The lot across the way was empty. A few hours
earlier, I was sure the parking lot buzzed with crime scene
investigators studying Phil’s body. There was still crime scene
tape up and the parking lot was completely closed.

The time was approaching midnight, so I got
out of the car and walked over to the back of the church. The
doctor was already there waiting.

“Dr. Pierre.”

Startled, the good doctor answered, “Michael,
is that you?”

“Yeah, who else would it be?”

“Why did you call me here? There’s nothing I
can do for you now,” said the doctor.

“How did you know about the subject of my
project?”

“Because you told me,” he said without
hesitation. “What do you want with me?”

“Then why did you show up?” I asked.

“You are a student in trouble, and I wanted
to try and help you. If you just go turn yourself in to the
police-”

“So they can pin everything on me,” I broke
in. “I don’t think so. The way I see it, you are the only link to
all my troubles. How did you know I would have to change the
subject of my project, if you didn’t already know she was dead?” I
said as I intently walked towards him.

“Michael you really need to come back to
reality. I’m sure all your questions can be answered in the proper
forum. Violence is not the answer.”

“I should have checked my email earlier.”

“If this is about your assignment.”

“Your email was dated the day before I talked
to you, Doctor,” I interrupted. “How did you know?”

“Know what?” he asked.

“You couldn’t have known I was going to have
to change the subject of my project. In my message to you, I never
said why. I wanted to tell you face to face, and I did, a day
later. All I want to know is why?” the sight of his gun stopped my
charge.

“I didn’t want it to be this way. I didn’t
have a choice,” he said nervously.

“Why? Why me?” I asked, never taking my eyes
off the gun.

“You have no idea who I am do you?”

“Should I?” I asked.

“Should you? Should you? You are only the man
that ruined my life, but why should you remember that? You had
everything. You had it all and I had to work hard for everything I
had. I had just accepted a job to teach at LSU. You ruined that.
You ruined me.

“What are you talking about? I don’t even
know who you are!

“Unbelievable. Let me set the picture for
you. It was a dark and stormy night driving east on highway 190.
Does that little tidbit get your synapses firing?”

“The accident.” I answered.

“Yes. I lost everything and you had to pay
for it! You had to pay.”

The way he was shaking, I was afraid the gun
would go off. He had already killed three people so I’m sure one
more wouldn’t matter. “Why did you have to kill Phil? What did he
have to do with it?” I asked.

“I didn’t want to do it. He made me. I didn’t
want to do it!” he cried.

In the blink of an eye he raised the gun to
the side of his temple. He was weeping vigorously and repeating ‘He
made me do it. I didn’t want to.’ As much as I wanted him dead for
what he did to me. I needed him alive. Without him, no one would
believe that story.”

I walked towards him and said, “Listen
Doctor, just relax. We can work this out. Put the gun down, and we
can talk to the police. They’ll get you the help you need.”

“It had to be this way. Now it is almost
done. The final piece is in place.”

“What else is there? Haven’t you had enough?
Everything in my life is over. I have nothing. What else can you
take from me?”

“It’s not nearly as bad as it is going to
get. It won’t take the police long to piece everything together
once they find Michelle’s body.” Before I could do or say anything,
he pointed the gun at me and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit my
left shoulder like a hot knife piercing my skin. I fell to my back
and grabbed my arm. The red liquid flowed through my fingertips as
I tried to stop the bleeding.

“The plan was perfect. Even you couldn’t have
ruined it.”

I tried to get back to my feet, but the pain
was paralyzing. I pleaded with him to put the gun down, but he
already had his mind made up. Even before pulling the trigger, he
already had the eyes of a dead man.