She found another ride that just opened up, and she claimed it slowly went up and down. She said that it was more of a scenic ride, and I would like it. So, I took her word for it and got on. We were belted down in the seats and the shoulder bars came down securing us in. The seats began to rise and turn slowly revealing a miraculous view of Georgia. There were layers of different tree colors and birds were gliding on the wind. It was beautiful and calm. The sounds of the park began to fade away. When we got to the very top, I knew what the trees felt like. I reached for a distant cloud. I laughed at myself knowing full well I would never touch it. The sky was gorgeous. Then all of a sudden our seats jerked downward really fast and then stopped all of a sudden. I looked at Tanie terrified, and she had this huge grin on her face. She gave me two thumbs up, and that freaking thing started blazing down fast. I screamed all the way down, and it finally slowed down and stopped near the bottom. Tanie was laughing her butt off. I was trying to reach over to choke the shit out of her, but I couldn’t reach her. She took off as soon as she could get away. I was running behind her. We were running like idiots through the park. I finally stopped running when I saw I wasn’t going to catch her. I flopped down on a patch of grass to catch my breath. She ran back to me and pulled me back on my feet.
I said to her still out of breath, “If I wasn’t so damn tired, I’d wrap my hands around your throat.”
Tanie started laughing and said, “You want to do that again?”
“Hell no,” I exclaimed.
Tanie took my hand, and I followed her to the game booths. I was surprised to hear the attendant ask for money to play.
I asked the guy at the first booth, “Why do we have to pay when we already paid to get into the park?”
He simply repeated the amount. That wasn’t okay with me at first, but I wanted to play. So, I paid my dollar, sat down on one of the stools behind a water gun that was built into the table. He quickly explained the game, and the buzzer went off. Tanie screamed from out of nowhere scaring me half to death. She had her water gun aimed at the bulls-eye, and her fish was climbing the scale fast. I tried my best to beat her, but she won without much of a contest. The guy gave her a medium sized stuffed orange fish, and I turned my nose up at it.
“Is that all you get?” I asked.
We played other games and I won some stuff, too. Every time I won I would start dancing, and Tanie did the same when she won, too. With all the stuff we got, we weren’t getting on anymore rides and that was fine with me.
When it was time to eat, we were determined to try whatever we could. We had funnel cakes, and the powder sugar got all over my face and clothes. I didn’t care. I pigged out on cotton candy, and that was a mouthful of confusion, but I liked it. It stuck to my fingers, and I was trying to stick it to Tanie’s face, and we almost ended up having a cotton candy food fight in the middle of the park. The ice cream sandwiches came later with the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla combination. I could have eaten ten of those. They were so yummy. With all the sweets we ate at the park, I felt like a little kid. Actually, I never experienced things like this as a kid. I missed out on a lot. I liked being able to eat whatever I wanted, do whatever I wanted, and not worry about a thing.
Several hours in the park, and we didn’t want to leave. But it was getting late. Just when we walked out the main gate, Tanie hit me with one of her stuffed animals. I swung one of mine at hers, and she took off running again. I was too tired to run, and I watched her as she sprinted across the huge parking lot. I finally caught up with her and we both dragged to the car. I have never been so exhausted.
She said, “Isn’t this better than cleaning up old people shit?”
I answered as I started laughing, “Ten times better.”
We were both giggling out of control.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
Tanie and I were both drinking, but a lot less than the night before. As I was applying my make-up, I thought about Jason’s mom, and how the other day she came to me. We shared the same grief, that same emptiness that comes with the loss of a family member.
I said to Tanie who was putting lotion on her legs, “Jason’s mother talked to me the other day.”
“I thought she hated your guts.”
“She still does. She mentioned Andrea.”
“Giving you condolences, huh? I thought she might have come over to bite your head off or something. You better mark that on your calendar, call it a national holiday, because that will be the last time she’s nice to you.”
I started giggling. It was so true.
Tanie and I went to a hotel, and we ate a really good meal. She ordered a medium well done steak, sweet potato with a little bit of butter, and asparagus. Now, I haven’t tried asparagus before, and from what I can tell, I wasn’t going to try it in the future, either. I ordered shrimp and pasta. It had little green peas and a white sauce, and I devoured it like it was my last meal. We usually talked when we sat down to eat a meal, but this time, the food was just too good. Tanie was hitting around ordering wine, but she wasn’t old enough, and that place wasn’t going to let her order alcohol. I told her to just enjoy the tea and water. I didn’t want to cause a scene over something we couldn’t have in the first place, and plus, we were in a big city in a nice restaurant. So, I just wanted to lay low this time.
We ordered dessert. I didn’t like mine. It had lady fingers in it. I was trying to take Tanie’s advice and try something new and different. I regretted it because my dessert was nasty. Something tasted like coffee, and I was no fan of coffee. Tanie offered a piece of her cheesecake which was big enough to feed three people from the height and size of the slice. I declined. It reminded me too much of Alex.
I laughed thinking back to how I called it a cheese pie. I said to Tanie, “I wanted to marry him.”
Tanie was chewing on her dessert when she said, “You wanted to marry both of them.”
“I know. It’s sad really.”
“Well, you’re on a losing streak. Maybe, you should be a lesbian like you said before.” Tanie busted out laughing, and a piece of cheesecake fell out of her mouth right onto her shirt. She moved quickly to get it back in her mouth.
“You are crazy as hell, Tanie.” I looked at her. She’d been as nutty as a fruit cake all day.
“I’m just repeating what you said.” She was trying to stop laughing. I started laughing, too.
We finished our meal, and we left the restaurant for a movie. We watched some kind of action movie that I thought was absolutely stupid, but Tanie was into it. I started drifting off into my own thoughts. I wished everything was different. I wished that I had a better past, where my family had more money and my mother was alive. It would have been great to live in a big house, be a part of the affluent society in Colum. Jason would have NEVER been in the picture. I would meet Alex, and we would hit it off right away. His parents would be more accepting, welcomed me into their home, have me over for several dinners, and Alex would eventually propose. His parents would be standing by watching as he got down on one knee. His mother would be in tears, and his father proudly watching as he held his wife’s hand. Sherrie would probably have that same sour attitude, and his little brother may even be happy for us. And then the wedding day with white tents, white tables, and a catered dinner that could feed everyone in Colum. All of the important people would be there. After the ceremony, we would ride off in a white carriage drawn by white horses that pranced while they galloped. The bubbles would float in the air, and I would throw the bouquet. Olivia would catch it, and my mom and Andrea would be so giddy.
And after all that dreaming, I came back to reality and thought how stupid the dream was. Marry Alex Westing? I don’t know why I even thought I had a chance. I was delusional. I got pissed off all over again.
My reality stunk. I had a total of two ex-boyfriends. One of them slept with my youngest sister, and the other one’s brother killed my oldest sister. Then, I killed them both. Two family members were dead
, and Olivia left town. I guess I’m not in complete misery because I had my best friend beside me. I sat back in the chair, and I decided to shut my eyes. I just wanted to shut down and get some rest.
Tanie loved the movie and couldn’t stop talking about it after we left. At least, she had a good time. She asked if there was something I wanted to do, and I told her no. I was done for the day.
When we returned to the hotel room, Tanie went to sleep, and I simply sat in the living room watching a late movie. I didn’t watch it long because the movie was in black and white, and it wasn’t interesting. So, I retired to bed.
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2009
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
“It’s time to go.” Tanie remarked as she stood over me. I lay flat on my back trying to hide my eyes from the blinding sun. I turned my back to the window and sat up stretching. She was packing her things from the bathroom into her overnight bag.
“Can I take a shower before we leave?”
“Sure, you can take a shower. What kind of question is that?”
“You look like you’re in a hurry to get out of here.”
“I am sort of, but we got time.”
My hair was a mess, and I combed it and tied it up before taking a shower. After I was finished, I cleaned up my makeup from the bathroom, and I put them in my bag. I didn’t have a lot to pack up. So, I was done in no time.
After checking the entire room and making sure we weren’t leaving anything behind, we walked out of the room carrying all of our things. When we got to the lobby, Tanie slapped the money we owed on the counter, and we were out of there. Time seemed to pass by so fast. It felt like we just got to Atlanta.
I asked, “Where are we going now?”
“We are going home.”
“But what about the package we’re picking up?”
“It’s done. I got the message this morning.”
I didn’t understand what happened, and I decided not to ask. I figured when I have to make a run on my own I will fully understand what needs to be done. Tanie was back on the bypass and driving back the way we came. I didn’t want to leave Atlanta. I loved being there. Every day we did something different, and I loved getting out in the world and looking at strange animals, watching women in pink, and partying all night long.
I said to Tanie, “I don’t want to go back to Colum.”
Tanie smiled understanding fully.
“I loved Atlanta. I still want to move there.”
“You know you can’t do that.”
“I don’t think it’s fair.”
“I know, Angela.”
“I have to start over, Tanie. I have no reason to stay in Colum anymore. My entire family is gone.”
“Roscoe won’t let you go.”
“I’m not letting anyone control my life and that includes Roscoe Madison.”
“This isn’t just about you. He’ll come after me, too.”
“No, he won’t. Roscoe trusts you.” I refuse to believe what she was saying. As long as she’s worked for him, her trust has been proven each and every time, and he’s going to kill her because of what I decide to do. It didn’t make sense.
“If you leave, it won’t matter.”
I made up my mind. After the trip to Atlanta and all those wonderful experiences, I learned there was more to life than the nonsense in Colum. That was a town that swallowed its inhabitants, kept them there forever, and I wanted to be one of the lucky ones that got away. I wanted to say that I saw the world with my own eyes, and I became a part of it. I got away from a place that was meaningless and hopeless, and I made it.
I wasn’t going to sit and wait for Roscoe to tell me what to do. I wasn’t going to live my life wondering which drug deals were going to take my life. Tanie knew her life was in danger every time she left town. My life was more important than that, and I wasn’t about to go to jail for someone who cared no more for me than a pot hole in the road.
I decided not talk about it with Tanie anymore. I decided I would leave and not tell her. I would leave Roscoe’s car behind and leave his cell phone behind. I would leave everything that belonged to Roscoe. I was going to just take whatever money I made and leave. But I had to plan this right, and I had to leave when Tanie least expected it.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
I closed my eyes and went to sleep. I knew Tanie would drive all the way through to Colum, and I would get plenty of rest. She stopped only once for gas, and by the time we made it back to the town limits, I was stretching and waking up. This little town was not missed. The same old oak tree still reaching for the same spot in the sky, the same wide stretching fields with cows that did nothing but chew and stare at nothing, and the same farmers riding their rusted old equipment up and down the fields planting whatever it is they planted. Why stay here? This place was depressing. There was a life here only for the comfortable rich, the farmers, and the business people. I was neither, and I was ready to leave.
Tanie drove to a different meeting place this time. We were down a road I never knew existed. Her trunk was emptied. She was immediately paid, and Tanie gave me some money out of her envelope. I thanked her and I decided to wait to count it. I figured she must have given me close to $1,000 dollars. Honestly, the money was great, but I still didn’t want to stick around and work for Roscoe. I didn’t like the feeling I was owned. It wasn’t right.
When we were on our way again, Tanie asked, “You want to come over to my apartment later on? I can invite a couple of folks over to play cards or something.”
“Sure.” I lied. Playing cards was mediocre compared to what I just experienced the last few days. I wasn’t playing anymore card games in this town.
When she drove into the parking lot where I lived, I saw Pritchard’s car. Why in the world was he in the apartment? He was pissing me off!
“I know I told him to get out of my apartment!” I yelled. “I forgot to take the house keys from him.”
“Who,” Tanie asked confused.
“Pritchard,” I answered.
When Tanie pulled up beside his car, I got out and stormed right in. Tanie was right behind me as I walked into the empty living room. Pritchard was sitting at the kitchen table where Andrea used to sit, and he was looking ahead.
I yelled at him as I walked towards him, “I told you to get out of here! I haven’t…”
“Angela.” Olivia came into sight when I got close to Pritchard. She was standing in the kitchen with her father, Tony.
I was speechless, astonished to see her. She had her arms crossed, and her father was handing Pritchard a cup of coffee.
Tony spoke to me, but I didn’t say a word. I knew why Olivia was there, and I felt my heart drop to my stomach.
I asked in a fake cheerful way, “What’s going on?” I knew exactly what was going on.
Olivia remarked angrily. “Can I talk to you in the bedroom? You know, away from everyone.”
“Yea, I guess.” I looked at Pritchard who never looked my way.
Olivia said to Tanie with sarcasm, “I guess since my sister is dead you feel like you can come in here now.”
Tanie cleared her throat and walked out. I was going to stick up for her, but it didn’t seem like the appropriate time. I followed Olivia to my room, and she closed the door when we were both inside.
She stood beside the door and I stood across the room from her. I wanted to keep my distance. If we were going to fight it was going to be verbal. I wasn’t going anywhere near her.
I asked, “When did you find out?”
“Friday afternoon. Pritchard told me.”
“She died a few days before then. I’m surprised he didn’t contact you sooner.” That really wasn’t the right thing to say, but it was out there. I didn’t think it through all the way.
“You should have contacted me, Angela!” Olivia stated with clear anger in her voice.
I couldn’t tell her that I didn’t keep her phone number. After Helen tried to give it to me, I still tossed
it aside.
“Pritchard has been trying to bury her, and he tells me you’re not helping him.”
“How am I supposed to help, Olivia?” I remarked. “There isn’t any money!”
Olivia remarked, “My father and I would have handled the arrangements. We would have paid for everything! All you had to do was call!”
My heart was beating uncontrollably. I didn’t see Olivia like she was at that moment. I saw Olivia with Jason two weeks ago in the very room we stood in. I saw clear vengeance she was exacting on me, and I couldn’t think about anything else. I knew she was mad about Andrea, but damn! There was still unfinished business between me and her.
I stated, “The one thing you’re not going to do is berate me, Olivia. You haven’t called me since you left. How am I supposed to know you and your dad would take care of the funeral costs?”
“You would have known if you called when she first died.”
I couldn’t let it go. The vision of them was strong in my mind. “We need to talk about the night before you left.”
“Excuse me?” Olivia was confused.
“The night I caught you with Jason. I need to know why you slept with him.”
“Are you kidding me? You want to talk about that now?”
“You damn right I do!” I was trembling. I was blind angry staring at her.
Olivia looked at me like I was crazy. “What is wrong with you? Andrea is dead, and you’re worried about a guy you’re not even dating anymore!”
The Ex Killer Series Page 30
