Tuesday Morning, Continued
“No I’m not,” I said.
“Maggie is dead if you don’t.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to, Benji? You’ll kill Maggie if I shoot myself.” A shadow moved in the woods. I hoped it wasn’t Maggie. She’d better be working her way out of the park. Getting to safety.
“I need you to write a suicide note. Be sure to confess to killing Sarah and Paisley. I left your laptop on the table on your back porch. I’m sure the police will be fascinated about how you ended up with all sorts of private photos and files from Gin’s parents. Especially since you posted the photos online earlier today with the user name SoccerStar13.”
A stick crunched in the forest behind us. Benji wheeled around, holding the gun in the direction of the noise. Two squirrels ran through the clearing.
As soon as Benji’s back was to me, I vaulted through the air, driving my shoulder into his back. He fell to his knees then tried to jump up and ended up on one knee, half-twisted to face me. The gun dropped into the dirt in front of him.
I kicked at his head as hard as I could, but my boot glanced off the side of his face as he ducked. He reached for the gun, so I stamped on his hand and kicked the gun away. He grabbed my ankle and dragged me to the ground. He punched me in the eye and red lights burst around me.
He grabbed my neck with both hands and rolled so he was on top of me. I clawed at his hands, digging my fingernails in deep, trying to do anything to breathe.
A shadow came up beside us and crashed against Benji, knocking him off of me. He rolled and grabbed the shadow, pulling it down to the ground with him with a flash of red.
I gasped but didn’t have time to take in more than a breath. I rolled over, crawled a few feet, and grabbed the gun. I pushed myself to my feet, trying to see straight.
Benji was on top of Maggie, and she fought against him as he tried to wrap his hands around her neck like he’d done to me. I rushed forward, and brought the gun down on the side of his head. He slumped over. I shoved him, one hand on his hip and the other on his shoulder as Maggie rolled out from under him.
I stood over Benji for a second before winding up and kicking him in the ribs, but he didn’t move. I couldn’t make myself lean over and touch the artery in his neck to see if his black heart was still beating. Maggie gasped for breath beside me with her hands on her knees.
I pulled the phone out of the pocket of his cargo pants, my nose wrinkled as I touched his hip. I scooted back a few feet, holding the gun at my side in case Benji was just playing possum, although I didn’t think so.
I looked at Maggie, who was still staring at Benji. I waved to get her attention.
You okay?
She nodded. One of her eyes was watering, and was already bruising. She’d have a shiner tomorrow. I swallowed hard. A black eye is a much better fate than what could have been.
Get a hold of yourself, Harper. I took a deep breath, and looked down at the phone.
I dialed 9-1-1.
“You need to send the police to Dry Hollow Park. I think I killed someone.”