Another smile. “I won’t bite, Ben.”
Ben gave a nervous laugh and scooted closer.
“I’ve been watching you,” she said.
“You have?”
She nodded. “I think you and I have something in common.”
“We do?”
“I don’t think either one of us wants to be here,” she said.
Ben was impressed by her insight. “How did you figure that?”
“You look as uncomfortable as I feel.”
Ben was stunned. If this girl felt uncomfortable, what did she look like when she was comfortable? Ooze?
“I’m okay,” Ben said. “My buddy Devon is cool. It’s just the whole scene I guess.”
“You mean the notice me! notice me! scene?”
Ben smiled. “Exactly.”
“I feel your pain.”
Ben was still a bit confused. Her words contradicted her appearance and demeanor. She was a beautiful girl wearing an outfit that demanded—and received—attention, yet she claimed she wanted none of it. That she was uncomfortable. When she added the kicker, Ben thought it all had to be a cruel joke:
“What I wouldn’t give to be vegging at home right now, watching a movie or playing video games. I’m more of a homebody than a social butterfly,” she said.
Ben nearly stuttered over his words. “You like video games?”
Erin went into her purse and took out a pack of cigarettes. She offered one to Ben. Ben did not smoke, and normally didn’t care for girls that smoked, but this girl could have lit up a crack pipe and he would have remained on board.
“No thanks,” Ben said. “What video games do you like?”
Erin lit her cigarette, exhaled and smiled at him. “You first.”
“I like Call of Duty. I was able to get an advanced copy of Black Ops. It’s amazing.”
Erin said, “You have Black Ops?”
Ben nodded eagerly. “Yup. My uncle was able to hook me up. He’s able to get a lot of advanced copies on games.”
She shoved him on the shoulder. “Lucky.”
First physical contact. His stomach fluttered to the point of light-headedness. The next move was his, and fairly obvious. The ability to carry out that move? Highly questionable.
“You could come by and play it sometime if you want. We can play co-op…or you can play by yourself. I can watch. If you’d rather play by yourself, that’s fine. I can watch. Either way…”
She chuckled. “Are you nervous?”
“No—no, no…”
Erin took a final drag of her cigarette, dropped it to the ground, and stubbed it out with the toe of her sandal. She then took out a stick of gum and folded it into her mouth. “What about movies?”
Ben vaguely recalled what those were. “Huh?”
“You have any good movies? A night watching movies and playing video games sure as hell beats hanging with my aunt.”
The flutter in Ben’s stomach was spreading everywhere. He only prayed he didn’t pitch a tent right then and there.
“I have a lot of movies,” Ben said. “What do you like?”
“Horror.”
Ben was an admitted sissy when it came to scary films. Fortunately, his mom was not. She loved them, and he was positive she had a few lying around the house somewhere.
“I’ve got horror movies.” Just please, please, please don’t ask me which ones.
“Awesome,” Erin said.
Ben just nodded.
“So…” She gave a coquettish smile.
The metaphorical angels were on each of Ben’s shoulders. Except these weren’t good angel and bad angel. These were I Actually Have Balls Angel, and Wrong: I’m A Big Pussy Angel.
The victor should have been obvious to ninety-nine percent of boys his age, but the fear of inadequacy coupled with the safety of complacency made it a fairly even fight.
And then she touched him again—a hand on his knee—and I Actually Have Balls Angel knocked Wrong: I’m A Big Pussy Angel the fuck out.
“You want to maybe come over and hang out?” Ben said.
Erin, aka Kelly Blaine, smiled and said: “Definitely.”
37
“Mom, this is Erin.”
Erin held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Kathy Lennox took Erin’s hand and shook it. “Pleasure to meet you, Erin.”
“Are you an actress?” Erin asked. “You look familiar.”
Kathy nodded. “I am, yes.”
Erin appeared impressed. “I thought so.”
“So, are you here visiting, Erin?”
“My aunt has a place here. I’m staying with her for a couple of weeks.”
“How are you liking it thus far?”
“It’s okay. Takes some getting used to.” She turned and looked at Ben. “I’m glad I ran into Ben. He was the only person I felt I could talk to.”
Ben gave a shy smile. Kathy looked ecstatic.
“We were maybe gonna go watch a movie or something,” Ben said to his mother. “That cool?”
“Of course! Yes, yes, go…” Kathy ushered them towards a side door leading out towards the guest house. “Use the guest house; you’ll have more privacy.”
Ben told Erin to head on out, that he would be right there. When she was gone, he pulled his mother aside.
“Mom,” he whispered, “do you have any—”
“Yes—absolutely.” Kathy left the room for a tick, then returned carrying a small box of condoms. She handed them over to her son. “I’m very proud of you for being responsible.”
Ben looked down at the condoms with disbelief. “Uh…I was going to ask if you had any horror movies I could borrow.”
• • •
They only made it halfway through the movie before Erin made her move. Ben was more than happy to let her take lead. He’d hooked up with girls before, but still felt like a novice. He’d kissed and groped, played with some boobs, even stuck a couple of fingers in once, but no one had ever touched him.
So when Erin took hold of his penis and started to stroke, he came damn near instantly.
“Oh geez,” he said, mortified. “I’m sorry.”
Ben expected her to snort and make fun, or perhaps stand up and leave, disappointed.
Instead, she shocked the hell out of him by pulling him in close, kissing him, and with a big smile, saying: “It’s okay, sweetie; I’m in no hurry.”
38
“So tell me,” Monica said as soon as she and Kelly were in the kitchen the next morning.
“I won the lottery,” Kelly said. “He came the second I touched his dick. No sex.”
“Nice,” Monica said, heading towards the coffee maker and pouring herself a cup.
“I know,” Kelly said. “The guys at Stratton Grove took forever.”
“Pigs. You want a cup?”
“Yeah.”
Monica poured a second cup and set it in front of Kelly. “So would you say things are going according to plan?”
“Definitely. I’m heading over there again tonight.”
Monica headed out of the kitchen towards the stairs, talking over her shoulder. “How much longer you think?”
Kelly grabbed her cup of coffee and followed, talking to Monica’s back as they climbed the stairs. “I’ve already got him. It’s just a matter of the right time.”
Monica headed down the long hallway, high ceilings and ornate walls. “And when will that be?”
“You tell me,” Kelly said.
Monica stopped and opened a door to her left. She stepped inside an extravagant bathroom, Kelly following. “I should be getting the schematics of the house tonight. After that, it’s all about distraction.”
“What do you—?” Kelly stopped mid-sentence, the sight in the bathtub freezing her. She eventually pointed at it. “What the hell is that?”
“Fun. Help me lift him.”
Kelly leaned forward, squinted at the fleshy object hanging out of the dead man’s mouth, then down
where the fleshy object was supposed to be. “Is that his…?”
“Yeah. Come on, grab his legs.”
“Why don’t you call your people or whatever to do it?”
“Stop being such a baby. Grab his legs.”
“Does he explain the black Mercedes in the driveway?”
“Clever girl.” Monica placed both hands under the man’s head, began getting leverage.
“Won’t people come looking for him?”
Monica sighed and dropped the head, the skull hitting the porcelain with a dull thud. She stood upright and faced Kelly. “Do I strike you as the type of person who’s never done this before?”
Kelly shrugged. “Sorry. What did you mean when you said it was all about distraction?”
“Just like it sounds. We need to orchestrate the ideal distraction in order to make it work.”
“What about a party?”
“What do you mean?”
“His mother’s having a party this weekend. He invited me.”
A devilish grin spread slowly across Monica’s face, her eyes glazing over as her mind went elsewhere. “Like another gift from my father,” she whispered.
“Huh?”
Monica shook it away. “Never mind.” She turned back to the tub again. “Come on—grab his legs.”
39
Domino answered on the first ring. “What’s up, girl?”
“Just checking in. I feel bad about the other night.”
“Forget it.”
“You were upset. You didn’t seem as upset when you saw the video of Patrick and I at the beach when you came into my room that night.”
“That stung, but it was bearable. Seeing Patrick and the kids…”
Amy sighed. “Yeah.”
“It’s all good though. I’m good.”
“You didn’t take it, did you?” Amy said.
“Take what?”
“The video.”
“What do you mean?”
“The video we were just talking about. The one in the park.”
“Why would I take it?”
“I don’t know.”
“When would I take it? You saw me leave that night.”
“Yeah, I know, I just thought maybe you came back to the house when I was at work. Maybe you wanted to watch it again or something.”
“I haven’t been by the house since that night. You saying you can’t find it?”
“No.”
“It’s not still in the machine?”
“First place I looked. I had a couple of glasses of wine after you left—thought maybe I spaced and left it in there overnight.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No—one of Carrie’s Disney movies was in there.”
“Well there ya go. Carrie probably set it aside somewhere. Ask her.”
“I did. She says the DVD player was empty when she put her movie in.”
“She probably forgot. Probably set it aside without realizing. Next time I drop by we’ll look for it.”
“I already did, Domino. It’s not here. You sure you didn’t take it? I won’t be upset.”
“Amy, what possible reason would I have for taking it?”
She sighed again. “Okay.”
“We’ll find it, girl.”
“Okay.”
“Talk soon?”
“Yeah.”
40
The party was small but extravagant. Kelly spotted a few actors she’d recognized and was happily introduced by Kathy Lennox as “Ben’s girlfriend.”
Devon had been the only friend of Ben’s other than “Erin” to be invited, and was stopped on a few occasions by guests, asking him what films he’d starred in. When the three of them were eventually alone in the den, Ben said, “Must be nice to be mistaken for a celebrity.”
Devon waved the comment away. “I’d sooner be a politician than an actor.”
Kelly looked at Ben. “Is he always that humble?”
“Sadly, yes. Bastard’s got it all.”
Again, Devon looked uncomfortable with the compliment. “And yet you’re the one with a beautiful bird on your arm.” He held one arm around an imaginary person and waved the other through the empty space. “I’ve got fuck all, mate.”
Kelly looked at Ben. “Did he call me a bird?”
Ben laughed. “It’s a British expression for an attractive girl. It’s a compliment.”
Devon reassured her with a smile and nod.
Ben said to Devon, “You could probably have any bird here at the party you wanted.”
“Bollocks.”
Kelly looked at Ben again. “You saying I’m not a bird?”
Ben stuttered. “Uh, no…I just meant—”
Devon laughed. “It’s the dog house for you, mate.” His head went in all directions. “Any chance we could manage a drink, Bennyboy?”
“I’m sure if you batted your eyes at one of the servers, they’d get you a beer.”
“Well then if I must, I must. See you in a bit?”
Ben nodded and Devon left.
Kelly stood on her toes and leaned in to Ben’s ear. With a sultry whisper she said: “Let’s sneak out to the guest house.”
Ben all but picked her up and sprinted for the door.
41
Ben opened the door to the guest house. The lights were out, and as Ben groped the wall for the panel of switches, Kelly said, “Little pigs, little pigs…”
Ben found a switch, the living room came alive with light, and there Monica stood, gun high and pointed at Ben. “Who you calling a pig?”
Kelly laughed.
Ben, hands up since first sight of the gun, turned to Kelly, his face lost. “What is this?”
Monica said, “It’s called a kidnapping, Ben.”
Ben turned back to Monica, hands still up. He frowned, repeated the word “kidnapping” as if he’d never heard of it.
“Yes siree, Ben,” Monica said.
“I don’t—”
Kelly swung the lead-filled leather sap and caught Ben behind the ear, just as Monica had taught her.
Ben dropped instantly, out cold.
Monica squatted and checked his pulse.
“He’s alive isn’t he?” Kelly asked.
“He’s alive.” Monica took two pairs of plastic string cuffs from her bag and went to work on Ben’s wrists and ankles. She then produced a roll of duct tape and started wrapping it around Ben’s head and mouth. “Anyone see you leave?”
“No. I told him we should sneak out to fool around—like you said. We left immediately without a word.”
“Good. We need to move him out the patio door through the kitchen, not here. There’ll be zero visibility from the main house if we head that way. Once we’re outside we head east. I have a car twenty yards away. As soon as we’re done, you head back to the party and do your ‘Where’s Ben?’ thing. As soon as mom finds the photo and the cell and realizes what’s going on, you let me know. You still have it?”
Kelly produced a dime-shaped transmitter from her pocket and showed it to Monica.
“Good. Just click that when the time’s right and I’ll call.”
Kelly nodded.
Monica took an instant camera from her bag, took a few photos of Ben, studied the photos, decided on one, then placed it in the very center of the room so it would not be missed. She then removed a cell phone from her bag and placed it next to the photo.
Satisfied, Monica headed back to Ben, squatted and placed both hands under his shoulders. She looked up at Kelly. “Ready?”
Kelly squatted and took hold of Ben’s ankles.
The front door opened and Devon walked in, holding a bottle of beer.
Kelly dropped Ben’s ankles, stood and spun to face him. Monica dropped Ben’s shoulders but remained crouched.
Devon frowned at the scene. “What the fuck is this?”
Three muffled thumps, and three holes in Devon’s chest. The bottle of beer hit the carpet and bounced once. Devon hit
the carpet and did not. His lifeless body lay starfish, face up, eyes open, the three wounds on his chest growing circles of wet red that would soon connect and soak his entire front.
Monica, still crouched, gun still aimed at where Devon once stood, glanced over at Kelly and said, “Wrong place, wrong time.” She then paused for a few seconds in thought, came to, and donned one of her devilish grins. “I’ve got an idea.”
42
Kathy Lennox was talking to her agent when Kelly approached.
“Miss Lennox?”
Kathy immediately gave her son’s new girlfriend her full attention. “Hi, Erin. You and Benny having fun? Steve, this is Erin; Ben’s girlfriend.”
The agent shook Kelly’s hand and gave a polite smile. He then polished off the rest of his champagne and gestured that he was going to find another. Kathy smiled and nodded him a goodbye.
Just the two of them now.
“Have you seen Ben?” Kelly asked.
“I thought he was with you.”
“Well he was, but then he and Devon went looking for beer.”
Kathy didn’t seem bothered by the fact that her seventeen-year-old son and his friend went looking for beer. She seemed bothered that he would leave his new girlfriend to fend for herself amongst a group of strangers.
She put her arm around Erin and said, “Typical men, right? Come on, we’ll find them. I’ll even pretend to be mad if they’re drinking beer.”
Kelly feigned amusement and said: “They said they were checking the guest house first.”
Arm still around her, Kathy guided Kelly through the dining room and into the den, towards the sliding glass door that opened onto a stone path. From where they stood, light could be seen in the living room windows of the guest house, some thirty feet away.
Kathy pointed. “Bingo.” She guided Kelly along the stone path.
Kelly started preparing to act shocked and frightened. It was difficult, given how excited she was.
• • •
Kathy Lennox entered first. She took a few steps into the room and did not make a sound. Only stared at Devon’s corpse.
Kelly followed her and immediately screamed. It seemed like the thing to do.
Bad Games- The Complete Series Page 64
