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Beau sucked in the stale air-conditioned smell of the school hallway and slammed his locker door. He caught a few whispers of students passing by. Not as much as a few days ago, but the gossip about him, Dawn, or his probation still got to him. For the past week, he’d been a model student, abiding by every letter of his probation, and following his father’s rules at home and at the brewery.
The confining schedule cut into his time observing Leslie. He had analyzed her every nod, smile, frown or faraway look to read her mood. He’d memorized the clothes she wore and what she ate for lunch. Beau kept close tabs on her at school—following her to her classes, staying out of sight and sitting not too far away at lunch. She ignored him, of course, but knew he was there. He could see it in her stony gaze.
Unfortunately, his father kept him very busy after school, which brought the pursuit of his Leslie fantasy to a slow crawl. So, he turned to another outlet to relieve his tension—the internet. He spent hours searching for ways to hurt a woman. Sites on rape, torture, and how to get rid of a body became a late-night thrill.
Mitch came up to his locker. “Any word if you are back on the team?”
“No, not yet.” He didn’t see the ass-kissing interloper scurrying behind Mitch like he always did. “Where’s Josh? I haven’t seen him for the past week.”
Mitch shook his head, frowning. “Don’t know what’s up with that boy. He’s missin’ practice, skippin’ classes. Been real nervous lately, too. Like he’s scared or somethin’. He says he’s got the flu, but I’m not buyin’ it.”
He remembered the sensation of choking his ex-friend. “Must be some flu.”
Mitch slapped his back and guided him down the hall to the school entrance. “If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about football. The team didn’t do half as well without you at quarterback last Friday night.” Mitch ambled along in his slow style as students went around them, eager to leave the school. “And it was an away game. Nobody came from the school.”
“And the river?” Beau kept a nonchalant quality in his voice. “How was that?”
“Nobody went to the river last weekend. After they found that dead girl there, people have been stayin’ away. Plus, the cops have been patrollin’ like crazy.”
“I’m sure it will cool down by this weekend.” Beau scanned the hall for Leslie; he usually saw her about this time. “Won’t be a proper Halloween celebration unless we’re at the river.”
Mitch stopped. “You’re gonna be there? I thought you were grounded?”
He still had to convince his father to let him out of curfew for one night. But he would come up with a way to get to the party. He had to.
“I’m working on my old man to let me go.”
Taylor trudged down the hall, hugging her book bag and wrapped in a lumpy black sweater.
You’re next on my list, darlin’.
He gave her a long, cold stare, hoping to intimidate her. After her antics at the football game, he had been keeping an eye on her, too.
Before she turned into the bathroom, she shot him the finger.
Mitch chuckled. “What was that about?”
“What’s it always about.” He cracked a grin, anxious to start spreading a little gossip of his own. “She’s mad I turned her down. When word got out about Dawn and me splitting up, she came sniffing around. I don’t want anything to do with that twisted bitch.”
With a slap on Mitch’s back, Beau guided him to the entrance of the school.
While descending the steps to the quad, Sara sped past and purposefully knocked him with her shoulder.
Her eyes seared into his.
Hers was the next name on his list. When he cleaned house, he would do it in a big way.
Girls will be filling the river.
“What’s her problem?” Mitch ogled Sara’s short leather skirt and long legs.
“Man, didn’t you hear?” He sneered at her back, formulating his smear campaign. “She got caught with some guys in the gym, having their own little bondage party. Ropes, handcuffs, you name it. There’s pictures on Snapchat.”
“No way!” Mitch gave Sara a second look. “I got to check that out.”
Beau chuckled, knowing anything he told Mitch would get around the school faster than the truth. He needed to get some serious revenge on the bitch who had put him in the doghouse with Dawn.
“Be careful with Sara. She charges. Works for one of them bondage sites.”
Mitch covered his mouth and his eyes grew. “Are you shittin’ me? How come you know this?”
“She told me at the river.” He headed across the grassy quad, ready to drive the stake through Sara’s dead heart. “She confided in me. She does it to help pay the bills. Her old man’s a drunk. My father is getting ready to fire him, but nobody knows yet so keep it under your belt.”
Beau had a spring in his step as the sun hit his face. He would have her transferring to another high school by Thanksgiving.
“Oh, boy.” Mitch directed his gaze to the parking lot. “Try and keep your tongue in your mouth this time when you see her.”
The sun dipped behind a cloud, covering him in shadows. “What are you talking about?”
Derek, along with Leslie and Dawn, passed right in front of him, heading to the parking lot. While they chatted, Derek held Leslie’s hand. He hated that. She belonged to him.
Dawn leaned over and whispered in her sister’s ear, then giggled. The sound turned his stomach.
“When was the last time you two talked?” Mitch’s deep voice intruded.
“Last week when you were there in the lot.” He kept his eye on them as they got in their car. “The week apart did me some good. I’ve wanted to end it for a while. That girl likes to put her hooks in deep.”
Mitch snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Then why you keep starin’ at her when you’re at school? You need to move on.”
Mitch was right. He did need to stop following Leslie around school, especially if someone as dense as Mitch had noticed. Besides, he wouldn’t get the information on her habits and lifestyle at school. One thing he had learned from football, if a defensive line keeps blocking your every attempt to pass, then they’re reading your plays. You have to shake things up and do the unexpected.
“I gotta go.” Beau yanked his keys from his pocket. “Got to head to the brewery. My old man will be waiting.”
He took off across the quad at a slow jog, antsy to get in his car and follow Leslie. It was time to finish with his obsession. Once Leslie was dog food, and the others on his list joined Andrea in the river, he could move on with his life; pursue other women and explore other interests. By then, he would have to expand his sights beyond St. Benedict.
Good thing New Orleans is close by.
* * *
There was still enough sunlight branching across the sky for Beau to keep an eye on the Accord as it headed down the busier part of Main Street. He stayed back, not wanting to crowd them. Passersby on the sidewalk who recognized his car waved, and he returned the welcoming gesture. The windows down, a mellow tune coming from his speakers, he appeared the same casual Beau everyone knew.
Their car took a right at the neon pizza sign hanging over Carl’s parking lot.
Perfect!
He followed their car into the lot and parked. Then he pulled out his phone, pretending to send a text as he waited for them to walk inside.
Through the large windows facing Main Street, he watched as they took a seat at a booth—Leslie and Derek on one side, Dawn on the other.
From his vantage point, he couldn’t see Leslie’s face but could discern a few of her hand gestures.
She didn’t use her hands as much as Dawn, and he preferred it. It made her more sophisticated. He relaxed in his seat, his phone forgotten as the calm she gave him permeated his soul.
It didn’t take long for his reconnaissance to frustrate him. He yearned to hear her voice, her laughter, so he would know how she sounded when happy. To remember it when he made her scream.
Would she be high-pitched like Taylor or more muffled shrieks like Kelly? Shame he’d never gotten Andrea to scream. Might give him something to compare to Leslie when the time came.
He clenched his steering wheel as he summoned the image of Andrea on his cot, her neck in his hands, bending, bending, and then, snap.
It was a wonderful sound. One he would recreate again and again.
He yearned to leave Leslie a present. Something to let her know how he felt.
Beau spotted his book bag on the seat next to him. An idea blossomed.
He picked up the bag and rummaged for a pen and piece of paper.
The note he scribbled was short and to the point. Soon all his fantasies would be realized. How delicious would his life be then?
Before he climbed from his car, he cast his eyes to the white Accord.
Time to make my little Leslie sweat.
