Teacher's Pet

by Richie T Cusick

  “Just go, Kate. Go now.”

  And as she stood there watching helplessly, he turned and disappeared into the woods.

  Chapter 9

  “DON’T TELL ME.” DENZIL threw up his arms as Kate ran over to the van. “You thought I said two days, not two hours—”

  “I hope you’re satisfied.” Kate glared at him. “I just hope you’re satisfied!”

  “That you’re here? Of course I’m satisfied. We’re late and now we can go!”

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

  As Denzil calmly appraised her expression, he leaned back against the van with a groan. “Oh, please, why me? Now what?”

  “Don’t play so innocent, Denzil. What happened was awful.”

  “Oh, no.” Tawney stuck her head out the door, nodding sympathetically. “You lost your watch, I bet. No wonder you’re so late.”

  “No, I didn’t lose my watch.” Kate shut her eyes and counted to ten. When she opened them again, Denzil and Tawney were watching her expectantly. “You followed me into the woods. You spied on me and Gideon—”

  “Spied on you and Gideon?” Denzil’s eyes widened in mock alarm. “What were you and Gideon doing?”

  “And then you planted that stupid glove—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Uh-unh. Not this glove thing again—I can’t take it—”

  “You know you did it, and that I’m on to you! Why don’t you just admit it and cut all this—”

  “Go on, Tawney, tell her I didn’t do it.”

  “Didn’t do what?” Tawney’s eyes widened in usual confusion. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

  “Hey”—Denzil grinned—“me neither! Kate, Tawney and I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now can we go?”

  “I’d really like that.” Tawney brightened. “Then we can have lunch that somebody else fixes for a change.”

  Exasperated, Kate climbed into the van beside Tawney. Denzil slid into the front, and within minutes they were bumping their way to the village. At first no one spoke, but finally Denzil gave a huge sigh that demanded Kate’s attention.

  “Now. What about what glove?”

  Kate stared at his reflection in the rearview mirror. “Denzil, please. Gideon was so upset, it’s nothing to joke about.”

  “Then tell me the joke.” He looked so innocent that Kate felt her resolve weakening. “I’d really like to know.”

  Kate withdrew her accusing stare. “The glove. It was on the path when Gideon and I started back. It looked like the one you don’t believe I really saw. The one with the hand—” She bit her lip. “The one I took away from Pet by my cabin.”

  “Right. The severed hand.” Denzil rolled his eyes.

  “Yecch,” said Tawney.

  “Remember I told you that Gideon and I had a meeting this morning so he could critique my story? And then we took a walk—”

  “Oh,” Tawney sighed, “how romantic. I think Gideon is so romantic, don’t you, Kate?”

  “Don’t you, Kate?” Denzil grinned, shifting into low gear as they maneuvered their way down a steep, winding hill.

  “We were talking about writing,” Kate said indignantly. “It was purely professional.”

  “Hey, I believe you.” Denzil nodded. “If anyone believes you, it’s me.”

  “As I was saying”—Kate sighed—“we ended up in the woods and then we came back, and I fell and that’s when I found it—only first I thought I heard something—only Gideon looked so strange—he got so upset about it —”

  “Whoa!” Denzil yelled. He clamped one hand down on his hat and swiveled around, trying to keep one eye on the road. “Hold it right there. Just back up and let me have it again—nice and slow-like.”

  So Kate took a deep breath and started all over, and by the time they reached town, Denzil and Tawney were as perplexed as she was.

  “It’s weird, all right,” Denzil agreed, pulling into a parking lot behind a small grocery store. “That glove must have some kind of meaning to Gideon for him to act that way.”

  “He said he knew it,” Kate said seriously. “Whatever that means. He really wanted me out of there in a hurry.”

  “Maybe he had to go to the bathroom.” Tawney nodded. “That always makes me want to hurry.”

  “Right. Gloves just affect some guys that way.” Denzil leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. “Jeez, Tawney—”

  “He did look kind of sick.” Kate placated her. “His whole face went white.”

  “Probably expensive gloves,” Denzil said, trying not to smile. “Made him sick thinking of all that money down the drain.”

  “And what about the sounds I heard?” Kate persisted.

  “What about them? It was probably just some animal.” Denzil thought a minute. “Probably the same animal that ate your swimsuit. He has your scent now, and you don’t have a chance. Wherever you go, he’ll be following… waiting to rip off your clothes.”

  “Denzil —”

  “Okay, forget I said that.” Denzil jumped from the van, clapping his hands. “Who gets groceries and who goes to the post office and who—?”

  “You pick up the mail,” Tawney said. “And Kate and I will get what we need and meet you in an hour.”

  “An hour.” Denzil looked dubious. “That’s an hour, Kate. Sixty minutes. High noon.”

  Kate jerked his hat down over his eyes. “I’ll see if I can manage it, hombre.”

  The shopping went faster than expected, so the girls loaded up the van and went off in search of Denzil to have lunch. They finally found him talking to the attendant at the gas station, and as the three of them set off for the drugstore, Denzil suddenly stopped and pointed.

  “Look—the creature walks among us.”

  They ducked into a doorway as Pearce came around the corner, his arms loaded with boxes. Unaware that he was being watched, he loaded the pickup at the curb, then went back the way he’d come.

  “Why are we hiding?” Kate asked, annoyed.

  “Because we’re spying on him.” Denzil grinned.

  “Why are we spying on him?”

  “’Cause it’s fun.”

  “I think he’s handsome,” Tawney sighed. “Even if he does make me feel creepy.”

  Denzil cast her a reproachful look. “You think everyone’s handsome.”

  “That’s not true.” Tawney sounded offended. “I don’t think you’re handsome.”

  Kate burst out laughing, but Denzil grabbed her arm.

  “Ssh—here he comes again.”

  They watched as Pearce reappeared and loaded a second armful of boxes onto the bed of the truck.

  “He’s just picking up supplies like he always does,” Tawney sighed. “I don’t know what’s so interesting about that.”

  “How do you know it’s supplies?” Denzil asked out of the corner of his mouth. “How do you know it’s not surgical instruments… or pieces of his victims….”

  “Look.” Kate shushed them and pulled farther back into cover. “Something’s happening.”

  As they refocused their attention on the sidewalk, a car veered to the curb, brakes squealing as it slammed to a halt. Pearce stepped back, frowning, and a second later the car door flung open as Gideon burst out.

  “Oh, dear,” Tawney whispered. “He looks really upset.”

  “I wish I could hear what they’re saying.” Denzil craned his neck, but Kate jerked him back.

  Gideon did look upset. As the three friends watched in dismay, he advanced on Pearce, backing him up against a wall, his voice raising as he shoved something into Pearce’s face. For a moment Pearce stared, expressionless, then slowly reached out and took it from Gideon.

  Squinting to see, Kate saw Pearce lift the thing up into the sunlight… and felt her own breath catch in her throat.

  It was a brown glove.

  Forgetting caution, she inched closer, scarcely aware of Denzil’s grip on her shirt, yanking her back. Pearce was talking no
w, in low, even tones, and the look on Gideon’s face was frightened—almost desperate. And then, to their amazement, Pearce caught Gideon’s shoulders in a quick hug and hurried him back into his car. A second later Pearce jumped into the pickup and followed Gideon out of sight.

  “Well, I’ll be.” Denzil stepped out into the sunlight. “Whaddya know about that.”

  “Why, I just think that’s so sweet.” Tawney’s eyes misted. “Gideon was so upset, and Pearce was really caring about him.” She thought a moment as Denzil and Kate stared at her. “Let’s not ever tell him we saw. He might get embarrassed.”

  “Good idea,” Denzil agreed. “Let’s go.” He herded them down the sidewalk and into the drugstore. “I’m plumb starved—I could eat a horse.”

  Kate glanced at him in surprise. For someone who’d been so eager to spy, he seemed suspiciously uninterested now. She waited till they sat down and ordered and Tawney went to find a bathroom before she confronted him.

  “Okay, Denzil. You’re being awfully casual about all this.”

  “Wait.” He shot a glance around the room. “I don’t want Tawney hearing anything. She’ll have nightmares the rest of her natural life.”

  Kate leaned over and gazed at his frown. “What’s up?”

  “What’s up?” he echoed. “That was the glove, wasn’t it? The one you told me about—the one you accused me of leaving there.”

  Kate nodded reluctantly. “I think so. I mean, from what I could see, I’m pretty sure it was. Denzil, Gideon looked beside himself—if you really did plant that glove, you’d better say so because something is very wrong here.”

  “You’re telling me?” Denzil bent forward, his head practically touching hers. “Why would a glove cause such a crisis? Huh? You tell me why one little glove would make somebody come apart the way Gideon was coming apart back there.”

  “Because…”—Kate’s shoulders lifted in a slow shrug—“he lost it? He’s been looking for it for a long time?”

  “What if it’s not his?”

  A strange feeling of unease was creeping along the back of her neck. “Someone else lost it?”

  “William.”

  Kate’s heart exploded, sending chills racing along her arms. “God, Denzil, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying maybe it’s William’s glove, and William’s missing. Didn’t Gideon recognize it right before he told you to leave?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Jeez, Kate, think about it. He drives all the way here, looking for Pearce—they have a scene—Pearce leaves with him—all because Gideon holds up that glove.”

  Kate leaned back against the booth, suddenly weak. “It had stains on it.”

  This time it was Denzil who looked uncomfortable. “It’s a work glove. It’s supposed to have stains on it.”

  “No, this was different. This was dark, and there’d been a lot of it.” She reached out for her water, fingers trembling around the glass. “Then… what you’re saying is—”

  “What I’m saying is that it’s weird!” Denzil squirmed, his voice almost angry. “That’s what I’m saying—”

  “That something happened to William—”

  “Kate.” Denzil shook his head warningly. “That maybe he’s disappeared because he’s dead—”

  “Ssh—here comes Tawney—”

  “That—oh, God, Denzil—” She clutched his arm, fear brimming in her eyes. “Then that glove—that Pet had in her mouth—”

  “Come on, Kate, don’t do this—”

  “Was really… William Drewe’s hand.” Denzil stared at her, his expression grim. “If it was,” he whispered, “where’s the rest of him?”

  Chapter 10

  “WELL, I DON’T KNOW why you two couldn’t eat, and now you’re being so quiet—I think we had a wonderful day.” Tawney beamed.

  Behind the steering wheel Denzil grunted. “Oh, you betcha. And seeing Pearce and Gideon just gave it that perfect touch.”

  Tawney’s eyes went wide with concern, his sarcasm lost on her. “I felt sorry for Gideon. Maybe he’d even been crying or something, the way he was waving his handkerchief around.”

  Without thinking, Kate mumbled, “That wasn’t a handkerchief, Tawney, it was a—”

  “Wallet!” Denzil shouted. “At least,” his voice lowered, “it looked like a wallet.”

  “Well, I don’t know, I couldn’t see that far, anyway.” Tawney sighed. “Maybe he needs money… Poor Gideon, I hope more people take classes from him if he needs money.”

  “And speaking of classes, Denzil”—Kate kept her eyes on the passing scenery—“why didn’t you tell me you took a class with Gideon before? I hear you were quite the troublemaker.”

  “Did he tell you that?” Denzil snorted. “Don’t believe everything you hear—especially from Gideon Drewe.”

  “I remember that,” Tawney spoke up. “Didn’t he tell you that all your stories were predictable, and that there wasn’t any suspense, and that you couldn’t scare anybody and—”

  “Tawney,” Denzil muttered between clenched teeth.

  “What?”

  “Just… Shut… Up.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  Denzil gunned the engine, urging the van up the hillside. Tawney closed her eyes, humming to herself. Kate stared into her own thoughts, a confused jumble of darkness…. The next thing she knew, Tawney was shaking her arm.

  “Kate?”

  She looked up into Tawney’s worried face.

  “Kate, are you okay? We’re home now.”

  “Gosh, I must have dozed off.” Kate shook her head, trying to clear it, and began handing supplies out the door to Denzil. “Gideon’s supposed to have a class this afternoon—are you going?”

  Denzil swung the bags to the kitchen porch and wouldn’t look at her. “Reckon I’ll have to miss this one. I’m on grub duty.”

  “I’ll take notes for you then.” Kate reached out and brushed his arm, relieved when he nodded.

  “Much obliged.” He grinned as she started back to her cabin.

  She was already reaching for her purse when she remembered she still didn’t have a key. Grumbling, she gave the doorknob an irritated twist and was surprised when it opened.

  “Miss Bunceton?” Peering into the cabin, Kate caught her breath and clutched at the wall.

  Someone had been in here, but it hadn’t been her teacher.

  And there had been only one victim in mind.

  Everything in Kate’s half of the room had been ransacked, her suitcase emptied out, contents strewn wildly about. Clothes had been flung everywhere, some of them ripped, and as she stared in growing horror at her bed she saw long slash marks through her pillow. The thick silence was suddenly dangerous. As she slowly backed away she realized that the bathroom light was on, and something bright red gleamed at her from just beyond the door….

  “Oh, God…”

  She froze, her heart straining. I’ll go get Denzil… I’ll call the police… Gideon will know what to do…. But instead she felt herself drawn by a horrible curiosity, drawn helplessly to the bathroom door, her breath choking her, her hands pressed to her mouth to hold back her panic….

  Blood.

  Blood was everywhere… splattered on the walls… the tile… dripping from the sink… smeared in wide, greasy arcs across the floor….

  The door to the shower stall was closed. Dark stains spread out from beneath it, already congealing into thick, puddinglike masses upon the soaked rug.

  As Kate’s eyes fell upon the mirror, she saw herself looking back, her pale, frightened face framed by long slashes of red….

  And beneath her face… just beneath her red-slashed reflection, the savagely scribbled words:

  TEACHER’S PET

  For one split second the room swayed around her, throbbing red, the scent of death thick in her throat. Kate backed up slowly, feeling behind her for the door, and when she felt herself stumble back out onto the porch, she turned and ran all the way to the
kitchen.

  “Denzil!”

  Looking up from the stove, Denzil saluted as Kate burst through the door. “Hey! Long time no—whoa!”

  Kate pulled him out the back door, out of earshot of the kitchen crew. “Denzil, hurry, someone’s been in my room—”

  A joke formed on Denzil’s lips, then froze there as he studied Kate’s face. “You’re serious.”

  “Of course I’m serious! There’s blood all over—they messed up my stuff—there’s a message on the bathroom mirror—”

  “What?”

  “Don’t tell Tawney. Don’t tell anyone yet. I don’t know what to do!”

  “Okay, calm down. Let’s take a look.”

  “But can you leave? Don’t you have to work? I just—”

  “Hey, Tawney.” Denzil stuck his head back inside the door. “I’ve gotta get something over at the lodge. I’ll be right back.” He closed the door with a jaunty wave then grabbed Kate’s arm, practically pulling her down the road. “Is anything missing? Did they steal anything?”

  “I didn’t even check. I remembered I didn’t have a key, but the door was open when I got there. I think there might be something in the shower!”

  “Do you think Miss B left it unlocked for you, and someone just came in?”

  “No, all our things are in there. I don’t think she’d do that.”

  “Is any of her stuff stolen?”

  “They didn’t even touch her stuff. Just mine. Oh, please, hurry—”

  They didn’t start running until they were well out of sight of the road. When they reached the cabin, Denzil went in first, staring openmouthed at the confusion.

  “In here.” Kate pushed him into the bathroom, holding her nose against the smell. Despite his shocked reaction, she felt a little safer now with both their faces reflected there in the mirror. Denzil’s incredulous gaze swept over the room, then fixed on the words smeared across the glass.

  “A jealous colleague? What the hell does it mean?”

  “I don’t know. I think there might be something in there.” She pointed to the shower stall, then stepped away as Denzil cautiously inched open the door.

  “God…”

  “Oh, Denzil, what is it? Is someone—?”