by Dave Dykema
Melissa thought that was an odd request, but was excited at the prospect of his tone. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
He spun around and locked eyes with her again. “That’s what I want. If it goes beyond that, I will terminate the interview.”
“Okay. Fair enough,” Melissa said, joining him on his feet.
“What time should I expect you?”
“Three hours? That would give me enough time to make the proper arrangements.”
“Three hours, then,” he said. “Let me escort you out.”
*3*
Dan and Melissa ate lunch before the interview at a dinner. The jukebox played “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me),” and Dan wondered if the title was intended for him. Everything regarding Stone and Janet would be over in a couple hours. They’d waltz in, set up the camera, conduct the Q & A, and waltz back out, the job done. But for some inexplicable reason, Dan had trouble seeing this come true. He had a gut feeling that if they proceeded with the interview without him telling Mel about Janet there would be hell to pay.
“You seem deep in thought,” Melissa commented.
Dan blinked his eyes, refocusing. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“That clinches it. You haven’t said more than two words since we got here. What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing important,” Dan said, quickly taking a bite of his sandwich.
Melissa lowered an eyebrow and looked Dan over. He wore the same pasty look he had last night when they pulled into the parking lot of Stone’s church. She now remembered that she meant to ask him about it, but then they got in that stupid argument on the way home and she forgot to.
“Hmm,” was all Melissa said as she returned to her meal. It was an explicitly ambiguous remark meant to goad the subject into responding.
Dan had the privileged knowledge of Melissa’s methods of getting information from working with her on a daily basis, but he was still suckered by her brush off.
“I was thinking about Stone, and your interview,” he said, not being completely truthful.
“Why do you insist on being so paranoid about him? I admit he’s a little off-kilter, but I don’t think he’s anything to worry about.”
“That’s because you don’t know what he does to people,” he blurted out.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
There it was. He had said it. Now that he started, he couldn’t very well pull back.
Dan thought he’d better add a disclaimer first. “This is going to sound pretty strange. I’ve been trying to find the right opportunity to tell you, but to be honest, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to. I thought maybe after today I could try to forget it, but I know that won’t happen.”
Melissa looked at him with some concern. She didn’t have a clue to what any of this was about. He was suddenly so serious. Then a sudden absurd thought struck her: “Were you a member of Stone’s church?!” she asked, disbelieving.
“God, no! Nothing like that.”
“Then what—?”
“Will you please just let me finish?” he said, his voice rising. He was getting discouraged, and he had yet to begin.
“I’m sorry. Go on.”
He sighed, took a quick swig of Diet Coke, and began: “You know that I had a girlfriend when I first met you, but that we were at the end of our relationship. Her name was Janet. Things weren’t going well, we hardly talked anymore, and it seemed like she was avoiding me. When we did talk, it was very scripted, as if we were playing roles, reciting dialogue someone else wrote. Nothing was natural or open anymore. She wasn’t the same person I first dated. It was gradual though. I never even noticed that it happened except in hindsight. Even then, I thought I was just waxing nostalgic. How sure can you be about feelings you felt a year ago?”
His question was rhetorical, but Melissa answered anyway. “You can’t be. Memories are clouded over time.”
“Exactly. That’s what I thought. And there were still good times. Hearing this, you’ll never understand it completely. But living it—it’s perfectly clear.
“Anyway, about the same time this was going on, a movie named Stalker came out. I thought it was terrifying, brilliant. You’ve seen the poster in my living room.”
Melissa nodded that she had.
Dan could no longer meet her eyes. He looked down at his plate and began tearing at his napkin, wishing he didn’t have to confess this next part. Including Jerry was one thing, but then they were drunk and it was for fun. He didn’t think Melissa would understand the game behind it. Hell, he wasn’t sure himself.
“It influenced me more than it should have, to the point of obsession. It became more than a movie to me, but a way of life. I guess maybe it was because of what I was going through with Janet, but I’m probably making up excuses. I don’t know why I did it.”
He laughed out loud, a small, desperate burst of sound. He realized that he hadn’t even told Mel what he had done yet. Surely she must be confused, thinking she was teamed with someone certifiable. He found it absurdly humorous.
“I got to wondering how the killer in the film was able to creep around so silently, his victims never aware he was right behind them. It began accidentally, when, without realizing it, I was practically stalking this woman and her kids outside the theatre after the movie and they never heard me. That blew my mind. It didn’t seem possible, but I was doing it, and well. I began to follow people on a regular basis, to simply see if I could do it without being noticed.”
Melissa tried to picture him stalking. To her surprise, it wasn’t that difficult. She always thought that he was into the horror stuff a bit much. But instead of shirking from him, she found his story weirdly fascinating.
“Getting back to the changes in Janet, I was beginning to think that maybe she was seeing another guy. It was Jerry’s idea that I try to ‘stalk’ her and see if I found anything out. I had my doubts about doing it—it didn’t seem right. But that hadn’t stopped me any of the other times, and finally one night I went out to spy on her. I was basically hoping to catch her in a compromising position.
“I know you must be thinking that you’re going out with some kind of voyeuristic sicko peeping Tom, and I admit listening to myself, that’s exactly what it sounds like. I need you to know that I haven’t done any of this for over a month.” He emphasized the next sentence, pausing for effect. “The last time I did it was when I followed Janet to Stone’s church.”
Melissa gasped. “When you said her name was Janet, I had a feeling you were leading up to that, but I still can’t believe it. The Janet that’s been teaching me must be her…” Her voice trailed off, awed.
“Holy shit! Janet’s been teaching you?”
“This is just too incredible to believe. What happened when you followed her to Stone’s?”
He shrugged, looked away, and then tore his napkin in half. “Nothing. I just saw her go in and that was the end of it. I had no idea it was any sort of cult thing until I dropped you off there last night.”
“That explains why your face went so pale,” Melissa noted.
“It was that obvious?” he said. “I was trying to hide it.”
“Not very well, let me assure you.”
She allowed a small chuckle. It relieved Dan to hear it. He thought she might run screaming from him, thinking he was crazy.
While Dan felt a great burden lifted, Melissa thought back to something Kim first told her: I have to let you know that if you are really serious there are sacrifices to be made…right now your plans are more important to you than meeting us. That will change. I want you to know that we expect that of you. In time, you will learn to expect that from yourself if you stay with us, but you’ll see it more as a privilege than a duty. These words really didn’t sink in with her when she first heard them, but now, hearing the story of Janet, they began to assume a life of their own. So far there had been no mention of personal sacrifices or anything else that was expected of her—it h
ad been purely social.
What did they expect? When would they tell her? Why would friends abandon her? What sacrifices were necessary?
“The point I’m trying to make,” he continued, “is that once Janet joined the cult, she changed. She’s nothing like she used to be.”
Melissa looked at her watch and let the words sink in.
“We’d better go,” she said, getting up.
Suddenly the topics of discussion with Stone changed radically. This new information about Janet voided her earlier promise to Stone. She had a feeling her interview might be more interesting than she possibly dreamed, and she couldn’t wait to get there.
*4*
Normally Kim wouldn’t call Janet. They were on pleasant terms, but Kim was a little intimidated by her. She was above her in the hierarchy, after all, and Kim also saw how Reverend Stone seemed to care for her. Kim just wanted what all novitiates did: full acceptance into the church. A good word from Janet might speed that along.
After initial pleasantries, Kim said, “I wanted to know how Melissa’s instruction went. I didn’t get a chance to talk with her last night.”
“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”
“I tried calling, but she wasn’t there. She’s probably at work. I thought you might be home if you weren’t showing a house.”
“You’re in luck. You caught me napping.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s time for me to get up and get busy anyway. I’ve already wasted half the day.”
Kim felt like a teenager discussing boys over the phone, giddy with excitement. “I think Melissa will make a great member, don’t you?”
Janet yawned. “So far she’s progressing rapidly. She does ask a lot of questions, though.”
“I noticed that too. I think she’s eager to learn and make new friends. I wish she’d bring her boyfriend Dan along. Then she’d have someone to learn with. I think it goes easier that way.”
Janet wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. “What’s her boyfriend’s name?”
“Dan…something. I don’t know his last name. He works with her. Why?”
Janet was no longer yawning, but suddenly alert. “Just to make conversation next time,” she lied, trying to think of how to get Kim off the phone. She decided on an old reliable scam. “Whoa! Look at the time! I guess I slept longer than I thought. I really have to run, Kim. I hope you don’t mind.”
“That’s okay,” Kim said, hiding her disappointment. “In a way, I guess it was a good thing that I woke you after all.”
“Yes. It was,” Janet said. “See you next week.”
She hung up before Kim could reply.
Janet was horrified. She didn’t like the idea of Melissa hanging around the church to begin with. The opportunities were too great for her to find something out, something that implicated Janet with the killings. She kept away from specifics during their session last night for that very reason. But she had always assumed Melissa was lonely, and came to the meetings longing for companionship. Kim had told her how they met one day.
But Melissa didn’t need companionship. She was with Dan, and it was still new, not old and tired like it became in her case. That meant she might be there for other reasons. Maybe she suspected something. Janet thought to the other day when Jim was over and talked about Melissa…
She had to warn him. Quickly she put on some shoes, grabbed her coat, and ran out the door.
*5*
Bill Cambridge approached his teacher.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Reverend Stone?”
Cambridge had followed Reverend Jim Stone from California. He was one of Stone’s first students.
“Don’t you think I’ve gone over the possibilities in my head already Bill?”
Cambridge backed off a bit, intimidated by Stone’s presence. He was a medium-sized man and a couple years beyond his prime.
“It just seems suicidal.”
Reverend Stone was never this open to the press in California. Cambridge couldn’t understand what he was thinking.
“Could I have dissuaded her? Is that what you’re asking?”
Cambridge hesitantly nodded.
“She’s a persistent woman,” Stone continued. “One way or another she’s gonna get her story. If she didn’t get the story from me, she’d get it from someone else, perhaps Janet, but more likely Kim. Kim doesn’t know the full commitment required for membership yet, but she could still say some damning things.”
Cambridge stepped forward again. “But even so—”
Stone raised a hand to silence him. “I’m glad you’ve been with me for so long, and I appreciate your concern. However, it’s misplaced. It’s better for me to handle her personally, having full control over the interview.”
“Do you need media exposure? If the police didn’t know about you before, they sure will now.”
Stone smiled. He was relieved that she was only interested in doing a piece about his “New Religion” as she called it. He could envision the quotes around it. If he really used his imagination, he could picture the animated graphics that would go with it. When he thought back to the heart-stopping panic he’d felt when he first saw her, he had to laugh. He thought she was somehow onto his use of sacrificial victims in the blood ceremonies. Her revelation this morning was a great weight lifted off his mind.
“And what will they know about me? Only that which I choose to share.”
Cambridge grumbled, but tried not to let on.
“Relax my friend. In another hour or so, this will all be over.”
*6*
Small white puffs of steam escaped from Janet’s mouth as she ran, the moisture condensing as it contacted the cold air. The sun was out, but it was cold for this time of year. Winter would come early.
When she got to the church she hunkered over, catching her breath, her lungs feeling the cold pangs from the blustery air. Then she looked back up and saw the van parked in the lot. The call letters WKBC were clearly marked on the outside. She was too late.
Or was she? She could make out Dan and Melissa just getting out of the vehicle. Could she run inside before they got there?
As she hesitated those few seconds in debate, Stone exited the building and walked over to greet them. Janet overheard a little of their discussion when the wind blew the right way.
“Melissa dear, glad you could make it.”
“I wasn’t about to let you down and not show up. We’re just unloading the van now.”
Janet ducked behind a tree and quietly watched the proceedings. She thought about yelling to Reverend Stone, but decided to wait it out for now.
“Let me help you with that,” Stone said, coming over and taking a small bag filled with power cords, tapes, and extra batteries for the camera from her. As he did so, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Then, he escorted her inside the building with one arm around her, leaving Dan to carry the heavy stuff.
A green surge of jealously passed through Janet. If Stone kissed every member of his congregation when they arrived she wouldn’t have felt hurt. But he didn’t. He was almost cold, impartial, except to her. Amend that, she thought. Add Melissa.
She thought he singled her out and sought her company the day he came over and they made love. What had been fulfilling now caused her to seethe with anger. The thought of him lying between her legs made her feel violated.
Keeping her mouth shut, she withdrew quietly and went home, conflicting signals battling in her brain.
The Interview
*1*
Stone conducted them into his office.
“What shall I do?” he asked.
“Nothing for now,” Dan said. “It’ll take a minute to set up.”
He set down his tripod, perched his camera on top and locked it into place. Next he worked on the lights. Throughout the setup Melissa and Stone chatted pleasantly. She sat opposite him and produced a notebook full of questions and ideas, jotting more things
down as they occurred to her. Stone casually tried to peer over the binding and read the queries.
“No peeking,” Melissa said playfully, holding the pad close to her chest after she caught him spying.
As Dan wired him with a microphone, Stone recognized him as the man in the car picking up Melissa last night, but he didn’t say so. He stared contemptuously at him, not liking Dan’s fingers fondling and smoothing his jacket.
“Fire away when ready,” Stone said as Dan turned on the lights. They were brighter than he expected.
“For now I just want to keep talking. Dan will get shots of us chatting. They’re mostly shots of me nodding my head and listening to you and looking stupid that we use for cutaways when we edit. It would be impossible without them,” Melissa explained.
Dan circled around the two of them, getting tight shots and wide shots from various angles for variety. He monitored Stone’s audio levels through an earpiece, tweaking knobs to get his normal speaking tone of voice. Too often nervous interviewees would speak incredibly soft in the preliminaries, only to shout once the questions began. He and Melissa liked to do this pre-interview whenever they had time. It gave the subject a chance to get used to the camera as Mel asked him earth shattering questions like what he had for breakfast or what good books he had read lately.
Finally, Dan returned to his position across from Stone, shooting just over Melissa’s shoulder. He zoomed in, checked his focus, and then pulled out to a fairly tight shot. He would stay this way for most of the interview.
“I’m ready,” Dan announced. “We can begin whenever.”
*2*
MELISSA: When did you begin your church?
REV. STONE: I guess that would be five years ago…yes, five years next month.
MELISSA: Does your church have an official name or title?
REV. STONE: No. I don’t suppose I’ve ever thought of it, though you’d think I would have by now (laughs).
