Chapter 42

 

It was hard to believe that things could go downhill from there, but they did. In fact, they went way downhill.

Amy’s eyes were about the size of small planets. Maybe it had something to do with the butcher knife at her throat.

“Or should I say good morning?”

He was dressed in all black. He wore black gloves and a black ski mask with those hideous little holes for the eyes and mouth. I wasn’t positive, but he looked about Officer Mike-size.

“Run, Kim!” Amy cried suddenly. Then Amy started to scream, but he quickly covered her mouth with his gloved hand.

“You run, I cut her throat.” I couldn’t help but notice that he’d dropped the Nightmare on Elm Street voice, but in any voice, I never would have doubted his intentions for a minute.

“I’m not going anywhere.”‘

“What a good friend you are.” He seemed to relax some. “Now, why don’t we all go into the living room and get comfortable?”

Amy squirmed bravely, but he shook her hard, like a rag doll. His rough handling left a bloody cut on Amy’s neck. Freddy Kruger had nothing on this guy. He motioned for me to go ahead of them and I complied. With his free hand he shoved me into a wing chair next to the fireplace, and he pulled Amy down on the couch next to him. It was real comfy all right.

 

“Darn it,” he said. “I didn’t wanna have to kill you girls, too, but you didn’t listen to me, did you?”

I said nothing and Amy didn’t have a choice. He still had his black glove over her mouth and I could tell that she was having trouble breathing.

“The others, they had to die, but not you and Cutie Puss here, but I can’t feel too bad about this. You brought it on yourselves, now didn’t you?”

 

We had nothing to lose at this point. It was desperate measures time. I thought I’d play a quick round of Twenty Questions with him and any other party game I could think of, anything to stall the inevitable. Hell, it might even make for a nice diversion until he made us both into Hooker-Handy Funeral Home material.

“So, why’d you kill Jimmy Jacobs?”

“I already told you. I had to.”

“Why? What did he do to you?”

“Well, if you must know, Jimmy Jacobs tried to blackmail me. Fuckin’ greaseball wanted in on my action.”

His action? What action?

“Go on, I’m a great listener.”

Apparently, he needed a great listener. He went on. “You see, darling Charlene told Jimmy Jacobs a little too much, but, hey. That was my fault. I got sloppy with the pillow talk.” He shook his head. “Happens to the best of us. Ask JFK.”

Amy squirmed and he shook her again. “Feeling feisty, are we?”

“Go on.” I desperately wanted to get his attention off Amy.

“You see, Ms. Claypoole, I was misled. I really thought I meant something to Charlene, but I was a dirty trick, just like all the rest of ‘em. Oh well,” he shrugged. “She got hers.” She certainly had.

“What about my cousin Abbott?”

“Ah, I feel a little bad about that, but I was still hurtin’ over Charlene dumpin’ me like she did, then I see her out with Abbott one night and for all I know, she’s blabbed to him, too, and well, I guess I just lost my head.”

I wasn’t ready to bring up the missing dicks quite yet. So I took a left turn.

“Who’s Larry White?”

He chuckled like the demented party clown he was.

“You’re a smart girl, aren’t you? You got all the right questions.”

Amy’s eyes rolled around in her head. She gasped for breath.

“You think you could give her some air?” 

“Oh,” he said, taking his hand away, “I’m so sorry. Was I suffocating you?” Then he laughed again like a sick hyena while Amy gulped for air. “Now, keep your fuckin’ mouth shut and you’ll get to breathe a little while longer,” he said. Then his eyes shifted back over at me. “I’m sorry. Where were we?”

“Larry White and the land deal. What’s the angle?”

“You think I’m gonna tell you everything?”

I shrugged. “Why not? You’re gonna kill us anyway.” Amy shot me hostile look. I guess I didn’t really need to remind him.

“You know what? I think it’s time we got down to business.” Then he yanked the knife up under Amy’s chin. “Don’t you think so, Cutie Puss?”

It was up to me. I had to do something fast, but what?

Keep distracting him, said the voice in my head.

“I guess you’re the boss,” I said to him, “but first, why don’t you stop acting like a chickenshit?”

“A chickenshit?”

“Gee, it’s no wonder Charlene dumped you.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look at you. What’s with the mask? Why don’t you stop hiding? Be a real man for once in your life.”

“Listen, bitch,” he said, pointing the knife at me. “I am a real man.”

“Then prove it, Officer Mike.”

It was morosely quiet. Not one of us moved a fraction of an inch. I was sure that I’d shoved him over the line. It was all over now. It was curtain time for Amy and then I’d get my turn, but he started to laugh. He laughed and he laughed until I didn’t think I could stand it any longer.

“What so fucking funny?” 

“Sorry! That guess is incorrect, but thank you for being such a good contestant,” he said like a deranged game show host. Then he yanked off his mask.