Help Wanted

by David Bergantino

  Doug was echoing what many people had been saying for a long time, but Laura didn't point that out. Instead, she asked, "Do you think you and she can be friends?"

  Doug chuckled stiffly. "Let's just say I think you and I both should stay out of her path for a while."

  "Me?" Laura asked, but really, she knew what he was talking about. Just as Chester had been jealous of Doug, no doubt Rayne blamed Laura for her problems with Doug. Oh well. Doug had the right idea. Stay clear and eventually Rayne would get over it. Maybe Rayne and Chester should hook up, she thought grimly. Now that would be a pair.

  "So how are things with you and that Buck guy?" Doug asked suddenly.

  "Doug! I only met him yesterday."

  "I know," Doug said sheepishly. "But you seem to like him."

  "Well, that's a complicated one," Laura assured him. She would need Doug's help figuring out some of Buck's behavior.

  Just as she was about to begin describing Buck, she heard soft footsteps approaching. Laura spun around and discovered Shelby standing in the doorway.

  "You're home?" Laura asked in surprise.

  "You called me, remember?" answered Doug.

  "I'm talking to Shelby. Let me call you back, okay?"

  "Okay. Talk to you later."

  After hanging up, Laura turned back to Shelby.

  "I thought you and Mom went out."

  "Mom wanted to," she said in a yawn. "But I was tired, so I went up for a nap. I guess Mom went out anyway. Who was that on the phone?"

  "Doug. He asked how you are."

  "That's nice of him," Shelby answered with a tired smile. "What else did he have to say?"

  "He and Rayne broke up," Laura told her. She was about to go on when the phone rang.

  "Hiya, gorgeous!" sang Buck. "You're hard to get ahold of. Your phone's been busy forever!"

  Buck's cheerful tone caught her off guard. It seemed forced. "What's up?"

  "Nothing," he said, his voice nearly singsong. "So who were ya talking to?" His tone couldn't disguise the suspicion in his voice.

  "A friend called," she stated simply. Laura had no reason to lie to Buck, but it wasn't any of his business if she didn't want it to be. Still, he persisted in his overly pleasant interview.

  "Anybody I know?"

  "An out-of-town friend," she replied, vaguely annoyed. His questions had the ring of a jealous boyfriend.

  "Let's go to a movie tonight," he proposed, abruptly changing the subject. "My treat!"

  "Well," she answered slowly. She turned and noticed that Shelby had left the room. "I have to check with Shelby. Now that she's home, she may want to do something tonight."

  "She can come with us," Buck offered.

  "I don't know, Buck. This might be a girls'-night-out kinda thing. You understand."

  "Sure, I understand," he said brightly. "But your sister gets to see you every day. I'm not that lucky!"

  And this time, Laura knew she wasn't misreading him. Buck apparently was way ahead of her in the relationship department — he seemed to think they were having one. This was a bad way to start, but Laura thought that if she communicated her feelings up front, maybe Buck would understand. That way a relationship might develop more naturally.

  "That's very sweet, Buck," she told him, unable to purge the slightly patronizing taint from her voice. "I like you, and would like to go out with you again, but I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now. I have a lot of other things to deal with right now. Can we slow down and just be friends?" Laura was impressed with her own ability to come up with the right words at the right moment. Usually she just let things go, hoping they'd get better, until they got out of hand. The way it had gone with Chester. Luckily, Buck took her little jerk on his reins fairly well.

  "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I can be a little over-eager. I mean, you're the first person I've met here, and you seem real nice. Can I call you later, though? Just to talk? Or tomorrow if you want me to hold off longer?"

  Laura had to smile. "Of course you can call," she told Buck. "I'm sorry if I'm being a little resistant, but you know why, right?"

  "I was there last night, remember?" Laura winced a bit, remembering. "I'm sorry I won't be seeing you tonight, but I understand. I'll call you later to see how you're doing."

  That sounded fine to Laura, who told him so and then said good-bye.

  She found Shelby in the kitchen trying to decide what to do about dinner. While Laura set the table, she related the story of her encounter with Chester.

  "Then he said he thought you were cute," Laura said, concluding the story. "But it came out as more of a threat than a compliment." She watched Shelby for her reaction, hoping her scrutiny wasn't too obvious.

  "Yuk!" Shelby answered with great distaste.

  "I was worried you would be flattered." This only made Shelby laugh.

  "Big hairy NOT!" she giggled. "He's such a jerk. I'd have to be a total moron to listen to anything he said, after the way he treated you, and after what happened last night."

  Laura's relief was so profound that she didn't mind if Shelby saw it. "Good. But like I said, he sounded threatening, like he might come after you — I mean hit on you — to make me jealous or something." Shelby laughed once more.

  "Oh, come on!" Shelby wasn't taking her seriously now, but at least she didn't have to be convinced that Chester was bad news. "Don't worry, if he tries anything, he won't get anywhere."

  That issue dealt with, Laura and Shelby discussed the party, the accident — Shelby was shocked to hear about the disappearance of Warner Holbert — Doug and Rayne's breakup, and Buck. Shelby listened, as usual, patiently and with interest.

  "Buck definitely has a crush on you," she stated flatly when Laura finished. "Anyone could see that a mile away."

  "But he hardly knows me. Or me, him," Laura pointed out.

  Shelby shrugged. "You did the right thing laying it out for him right off the bat like that."

  "I want to be friends, but I don't want to lead him on.

  Shelby wrapped a consoling arm around her sister. "Don't worry. If he can't take just being friends with you, it won't be your fault. I just wonder…?" Her voice trailed off cryptically.

  "What?"

  "Buck may accept that you feel purely platonic right now, but still may think he's got a chance. He may be trying to figure out just what will win you over." Shelby stopped to think, then said, "It could be just a lot of phone calls, a lot of talking so you learn more about him."

  "He did want to call and talk later," Laura remembered. If her sister was right, he may not have backed off after all, but just chosen a different tactic. But Shelby shook her head.

  "No, after what you've told me, Buck is more a man of action. It's nothing he'll say that will win you over. It will have to be something he must do." Shelby nodded slowly, the idea slowly dawning on her. "Yes, he will perform some act of chivalry, just for you."

  "Like what?" asked Laura, dreading a prospect that she could not yet conceive.

  "I don't know," Shelby told her. "But prepare to be swept off your feet."

  "I hope not," Laura groaned. "I don't want him to be trying hard to please me. It might rain whatever feelings I do have for him."

  Pushing aside such worries, Laura finished helping Shelby with dinner. Their mother came home, and the three enjoyed a meal, followed by a Brad Pitt movie. All three women sighed. Brad was so dreamy.

  Buck called twice during the movie. The first time, Laura took the call, but cut the conversation short because she didn't want to miss one frame of Brad. Buck gladly hung up. He called again before the end of the movie, but Laura, Shelby, and their mother had all agreed to let the answering machine pick up. Buck's voice on the machine seemed oddly anxious. He asked Laura to call him. She considered it for a moment, then decided she'd rather see another movie first. Their mother begged off immediately, citing exhaustion from a long day. Shelby went to bed early as well.

  Left to watch the second movie alone, Laura fel
l asleep in front of the television. She dreamed that Chester and Buck were preparing to duel — ten paces, turn and shoot — for her affections. In the dream, Laura had secretly rigged their guns to explode, killing both of them. When this happened, she rode off into the sunset with her chosen suitor: Brad Pitt.

  * * *

  The Springwood mall was always closed by ten o'clock. But on some nights, movement could be detected inside Fair Warning well after the closing. These were the evenings that Allison Heath was the closing manager. As a key employee, it was her responsibility to lock the store up at the end of the business day. Allison considered this a privilege — particularly on the day of a big shipment. Often she would stay for hours, winding down from her day, indulging in her favorite hobby: trying on new clothes. Happily, a particularly large shipment of fabulous fall fashions had just arrived.

  Allison had a lot of winding down to do. The stress of supervising the receipt and display of new clothing was almost more than Allison could take.

  Slipping into a sleek, black skirt, she sighed heavily, trying to exhale her day. The last few had been hell. She had endured the party, the accident, and finally, her fight with that loser Chester.

  To hell with him, Allison thought mildly, getting a significant thrill from the faux-diamond bracelet she clipped to her wrist. Chester was officially cut loose.

  Buck Lochner, however, was another story. The thought of him made her pulse quicken. He had actually stopped by the store! If only she had been there. When Beth had told her that Buck and Laura had stopped by, she didn't know how to take it at first. Of course, Buck's suspicions were right on target: Laura would have been hired in an instant had anyone at Fair Warning's management ever seen her resume. But Allison had buried it first — in the trashcan. She had been the last to see it, unless someone on the janitorial staff had caught a glimpse of it late at night.

  A smile crept over Allison's lips. She looked at the black velvet cocktail shoes she had slipped on her feet. They were ultraslim and sleek, with low heels. They looked as good as they felt.

  Laura's resume. Somehow, Buck had figured it out and had threatened to go to the managers. It all seemed like a joke at first. But as the day wore on, the humor of the situation wore off. Soon she was left with the growing fear that Buck would actually carry out his threat. She kept telling herself that he had no proof, but even that didn't dispel her fears. Allison had practically forced Beth down the managers' throats, and Beth wasn't turning out to be a very good employee. She wasn't well liked by the other staff at all.

  So Allison's fears took firm root and grew strong. Then Buck appeared at the front of the store about ten minutes before closing. He stopped, looked in directly at her, and glared. His look clearly suggested that he intended to do more than just complain to the managers about her. Allison was frightened. But just as she turned to pick up the phone to call security, his expression changed. He smiled, then just walked away.

  Allison shooed out the rest of the employees and closed the store quickly. Finally alone, she wondered if she could still call security after all. Had Buck gone, or could he be waiting for her out by her car? Just then, a stray piece of packing popcorn on the register counter reminded her of the new shipment of clothing. This brought a certain clarity and focus to her mind. She certainly wasn't going to let Buck spoil her ritual. If he was out there, he'd have a long wait.

  Damn the torpedoes! Allison Heath had clothes to try on.

  For the two hours that followed, Allison pretended to be every type of runway model, wearing every combination of outfit available to her. She saved the best — the sleek black dress — for last. It was simple and sexy — perfect for a night of clubbing. Unfortunately, she wasn't old enough to get into bars yet, but she'd been to a funeral or two, and this skirt might just be perfect for that, too.

  Allison stepped out of the dressing room and in front of the three-way mirror. Then she gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock.

  She looked ten times sexier than she had expected. Twirling the skirt, she tossed her head at the same time, pretending she was in slow motion like in a shampoo commercial on television. No doubt about it, she thought: In this dress, she could ruin a funeral by bringing the dead guy back to life.

  Her exultation was cut short by a movement. Behind her, a shape rose up. The mirrors showed six people: three reflections of Allison and three of her visitor. Twelve eyes. But six of them burned with utter hatred.

  Spinning around, Allison tried to stifle her fear.

  "Hey! What are you doing here?"

  Allison wanted to say more, but lost her voice when caught in the cold gaze of the visitor. She stood paralyzed, and for a moment, resembled one of the impossibly slim, but fashionably dressed, mannequins in her store. The next moment found her moving again — clawing at the belt that the visitor had looped deftly around her throat. The belt was biting into Allison's neck, cutting off her air. It didn't even occur to Allison to hit or claw her attacker. She just kept trying to loosen the belt around her throat, digging into her own skin with French-manicured nails.

  Suddenly Allison was jerked upward as her attacker lifted her with impossible strength. Since the belt was used as a handle, the sudden motion nearly broke her neck. That would have been merciful. Instead, it merely constricted her throat more, crushing her larynx with great pain, but not killing her. The attacker wrapped the end of the belt securely around the light fixture hanging from the ceiling, then stepped back.

  Allison's body went limp. As she awaited death, spinning slowly in midair, she thought of her parents, of how she had been such a bitch to so many people. She thought of school and of hotels and chicken wings. Her oxygen-starved brain was shutting down. Her vision was dimming. During one revolution, she caught sight of herself in a mirror and her last thought was of how hot she looked in black velvet.

  Chapter 7

  Months had passed since any bizarre murders had taken place in Springwood. Some had started to believe that Death had taken a summer vacation. But the summer died along with Allison Heath. The shattering of optimism resulted in feelings of devastation and hopelessness that were greater than usual. A winter cloud passed over and remained.

  Laura's first thought when she heard the news shocked her even more than the murder itself. Instead of sympathy for Allison, a cold part of her mind homed in on the fact that there was now a job opening at Fair Warning. Even as she recoiled from the thought, her desire to be employed pushed her back toward it. Laura was so appalled with herself that she became withdrawn, not even confiding in Shelby, who could tell something was wrong. During Laura's internal struggle, Buck called.

  "Jeez!" he chuckled. "I know you thought that job was to die for, but to kill for?"

  "What are you suggesting?" Laura snapped. An immense sense of guilt overwhelmed her.

  "Whoa, nelly! I was only kidding."

  "I don't think that was very funny. Allison and I may not have gotten along, but she didn't deserve what happened. And I would never have hurt her."

  Buck's tone became conciliatory. "Of course not. I was totally out of line and I'm sorry." He uttered a self-conscious chuckle. "Boy, am I the charmer or what?"

  "Don't worry," Laura sighed. "I'm just kinda freaked out."

  "I am, too," admitted Buck. Then he added awkwardly, "I guess I was just trying to beat you to the punch."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I figured you'd think I did it," he said quietly.

  "Because of what you said at the mall?" Laura was finally able to laugh. "That's about as silly as you thinking I did it. I mean, it was just a crummy little job."

  "I'm glad you think that way," Buck replied. But oddly, he was not joining in on the joke. "So then you wouldn't be afraid to go to a movie with me?"

  "Of course not!" Buck might act strangely sometimes, she thought, but he was no one to be afraid of.

  "Great! Then I'll pick you up in an hour."

  "Tonight?" she asked, a bit taken off
guard.

  "Perfect. It'll take your mind of all this bad stuff. See у a later!"

  Then the line went dead. Somehow, he had managed to wrangle a date with her when she least expected it. She certainly didn't want to go out. Depressing the receiver button, Laura prepared to call him back to cancel, but stopped her fingers before she dialed. Maybe he had ambushed her because he knew it was the only way to get her to agree. And maybe that wasn't so bad. Laura found herself surprisingly calm now. Buck's phone call had grounded her, stopped her mind from spinning in the same maddening circles it had been spinning in all day. Perhaps his new perspective was just what she needed.

  As she went up to her room to change, though, Laura felt her mind slipping backward. She remembered her conversation with Shelby. Shelby had predicted Buck would try to find some way to prove himself to Laura.

  That would be totally out of proportion to whatever «crime» Allison had committed against Laura. Buck would have to be crazy.

  Crazy.

  Laura gulped. When told she didn't suspect him, he'd simply said he was glad. No laughing. Just relief. Relief because he was innocent? Or relief because he was guilty and wanted to make sure the only person who would know he had a motive was on his side?

  Stop it! Laura shouted inside her head. Crazy? I'll give you crazy! Thinking that a guy you just met would hurt, let alone kill, another person just because he had a crush on you. Now, that was crazy. And arrogant. He couldn't like her that much.

  Could he?

  Laura was pulled from the quicksand of suspicion this time by the ringing of the phone. She picked it up at the same time Shelby picked up in her room. They both said hello at the same time. There was a moment of silence, then a click, followed by a dial tone.

  "That's the third one today!" Shelby said, annoyed.