The Killing Kind

by Bryan Smith

  “I do. And it’s totally workable. Look…I haven’t even been gone a week yet. I can still go home and make excuses. I’ll say I met you and took off on a wild, romantic adventure. And everyone will buy it, because you’ll be there with me. When they get a look at you, they’ll totally get why I did it.”

  Roxie chewed on a thumbnail. “I don’t know about this. Where would we stay?”

  “I already have an apartment. You’ll move in with me. You’ll just be my new girlfriend.” He saw the doubt in her expression and pressed on. “You have to see how perfect this is. We can have a normal life together. Doesn’t that appeal to you at all?”

  She stared at the floor and toed a tear in the carpet. “What about Lindsey?”

  “What about her?”

  “This shit would piss her off. It wouldn’t work.”

  “You don’t even know her.”

  “She’s a girl. She lives with you. She wants you. I can feel it.”

  “That’s crazy. You sound fucking crazy right now. I know Lindsey. Trust me, she won’t—”

  “What about me?” Julie’s voice, quieter than usual. “I notice you’re not talking about me at all.”

  Rob looked at her and didn’t say anything.

  Julie scowled. “I don’t fit into this big plan at all, do I? I guess I’m supposed to slink back home and make with the big apologies to Mom and Dad.”

  “I’ve heard worse ideas,” Rob said.

  “Fuck that and fuck you.”

  “Fuck me? Listen, girl—”

  “Shut up!”

  Roxie’s strident tone silenced them. She sighed. “Rob. Baby. I love you. You know that. But I’m not gonna settle down into some nice fairy-tale life. I need to move around. Constantly. That’ll never change. And Julie’s welcome to stay with us as long as she likes. End of story.”

  “That’s that, huh?”

  “Yes. What I say goes. Thought we’d already established that.”

  Julie loudly cleared her throat. “A-hem. Besides, your plan isn’t a realistic option anymore.”

  Rob looked at her. “What?”

  Julie turned the laptop screen toward him. “Looks like you’re about to become as famous as me.”

  Rob got up and walked over to the computer. The first thing he saw was a picture of the abandoned Galaxie. That was bad enough. It accompanied a story about his disappearance on a Nashville paper’s website. As he began to read it, a sense of dread took root deep within him.

  “Oh, shit. Fuck. I am so fucked.”

  “Okay, maybe not as famous as me, because I’m pretty fucking famous. I’m like a real deal movie star. You’re more of a B-lister.”

  Julie grinned at him from the other side of the table. His life was falling apart and she was amused by it. Fucking snide little bitch.

  “You think this is funny? Shut your face, you little cunt.”

  Julie’s grin froze. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

  Roxie hushed them again. “When was the last time you talked to Lindsey or your uncle?”

  “Shit. Fucking shit. The day after you took me.”

  Roxie came over to stand next to him. “Looks like you were reported as a missing person the next day.”

  Rob scrolled down some more and groaned. “Goddamn. They found that guy you shot in the woods.”

  “I see that.”

  “They’ve connected me to that. I’m a fucking person of interest in a fucking murder, Roxie.”

  Roxie laughed. “That’s wild.”

  He turned on her, his features twisting in disbelief. “Wild? That’s all you’ve got to say? It’s fucking wild? I can’t believe this. What about this is fucking funny? Both of you are insane. Please tell me what it is about the end of my world that’s so hilarious. I’d really like to know.”

  Roxie shrugged. “This is no big deal.”

  “How can you say that? There’s nothing about you in this article. No hint of an accomplice at all. So maybe this isn’t a big deal to you. Hell, maybe it just makes it easier to ditch me later. I mean, that’s what you’re planning anyway, right? After you’re done having your fun with me?”

  She shoved him against the table and got right up in his face, giving him a forceful reminder of how intimidating she could be. “It’s not a big deal because I’m used to dealing with shit like this. I’ve been in the news before, too. For stuff I’ve actually done. I killed my whole rotten family. Butchered them. People freaked the fuck out and it was all over the news. But I didn’t get caught and the press forgot about me after a while. Same thing’s gonna happen with you. I’ve gotten real good at figuring out how to stay free. When to lay low. When to move. How to look different. I can help you do the same. They’ll never catch up to you as long as you’re with me.”

  Her face was little more than an inch from his own. He trembled. He was in awe of her. It was like being within grabbing distance of the twitching, exposed end of a live electrical wire. He was afraid to touch her. He cleared his throat. “You promise?”

  She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I fucking promise.” Then she squeezed harder, digging her fingers painfully into his flesh. “And if you ever accuse me of planning to ditch you again, I’ll fuck your shit up but good. That’s a promise, too. Understand?”

  Rob nodded. “Jesus. Yeah. I understand.”

  Roxie relaxed the pressure on his shoulder and looked at Julie. “How do you think my man would look as a blond?”

  Julie tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, studying him. “Could work, maybe. Do that really bright blond thing and cut his hair, make it spiky.”

  Rob shook his head. “No. No way.”

  Roxie laughed. “Sorry, Rob. What I say goes, remember?”

  Julie clapped her hands and hopped up and down in her chair. “It’s fugitive make over time!”

  An emotional numbness came over him as he listened to them talk excitedly about look possibilities, and he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Once he was inside, he closed the door and locked it. Then he sat on the toilet seat and covered his face with his hands.

  How do I get out of this?

  He sighed.

  He didn’t share Roxie’s confidence in her abilities to keep him beyond the reach of the law indefinitely. That would be a far easier thing for one person traveling alone to manage.

  Face it, he thought. You’re fucked.

  He was. He was sure of it.

  And he had a sinking feeling they were just about at the end of the line.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  March 26

  The rhythms of the tide were even more soothing at night. The ocean was a mass of shifting darkness out there beyond the pale slice of beach. There was something more suggestive of the primordial about the dark waters at night, a feeling that instilled her with a level of peace that was elusive in her regular life.

  The door behind her opened and Annalisa stepped out on the balcony with a drink in hand. She wore shorts and a purple halter. Her mop of strawberry blonde curls was still wet from the ocean and hung almost straight, the lustrous tips brushing her shoulders. “Mind if I join you?”

  Zoe forced a smile. “Of course not.”

  She did mind. A little. The time alone had been nice. There had been precious little of it since their arrival in Myrtle Beach. And she felt a little weird around Annalisa in light of what Emily had told her about Sean. Still, Annalisa was her friend. She wasn’t to blame for Sean’s boorishness.

  Annalisa sat in the rocking chair next to the one occupied by Zoe. “Nice out here.”

  Zoe’s smile became genuine. “Mmm…yeah.”

  Annalisa cleared her throat. “I sort of had sex with Emily.”

  Zoe’s eyes became perfectly round for a moment and she twisted around in the chair to look fully at her friend. “What? Are you fucking serious?”

  Annalisa winced. “Yeah.”

  Zoe gaped at her. “How do you ‘sort of’
have sex with somebody? Either you did or you didn’t.”

  Annalisa raised the glass to her mouth and took a sip. She licked her lips and stared out at the ocean. “Right. Okay. I did. I had sex with her.”

  “I can’t believe this. Jesus.”

  “Sorry. I know I’ve kind of blindsided you with this.”

  “What about Sean?”

  Annalisa grunted. “What about him? This doesn’t change anything. It was just a fun experiment.”

  “I thought you hated her.”

  “Still don’t like her. I’m not dumb. I know she’s just using me somehow, the way she does with everybody else.” Annalisa stared at her lap and rolled the glass between her hands. “But, shit, Zoe, she’s just so ridiculously hot. It’s like I was helpless. I knew better, but couldn’t stop myself.”

  Tell me about it, Zoe thought.

  “That face. That body. So exquisite.” She laughed and knocked back some more of her drink. “Plus…I was sort of sloshed. Had something like four or five margaritas before she cornered me.”

  “Funny how often alcohol’s involved when you do things you wouldn’t normally ever consider.”

  Annalisa laughed again. “I’m such a fucking cliché. Getting wasted and getting it on with a chick on spring break. Only thing missing was the Girls Gone Wild camera crew.”

  Zoe chuckled. “Yeah. I’m sorry, but you’re right.”

  Annalisa groaned. “I know, I know.” She shook the glass. “I need a refill.” She started to rise. “Can I get you something?”

  “No thanks.”

  Annalisa paused with her hand on the door’s handle. “You don’t seem to be partying very much. Something wrong?”

  “No. I just don’t feel like getting wasted. Maybe tomorrow night.”

  “Suit yourself, party pooper.”

  Annalisa opened the door and stepped back inside.

  Zoe was happy to be alone again. The only person she wouldn’t mind spending some time with was Chuck, but he was too busy slamming the drinks back with the guys. And there was a nasty edge in the ongoing banter between Chuck and Joe. She kept expecting them to come to blows. It hadn’t happened yet, but it seemed like a real possibility. And it wasn’t just those two. Something had happened to poison the atmosphere between all of them. No. Not something. Someone. She knew who was to blame. She wasn’t completely blind. But it wasn’t something she wanted to deal with right now. It raised too many hard questions.

  A strong and sudden impulse to be away from it all got her up and moving. A staircase at the left side of the balcony led down to the swimming pool. She hurried down the stairs and padded across the cement deck to the gate at the back of the pool. She opened the gate and glanced back at the house. The second and third floor balconies were both empty.

  Good.

  No one to see. No one to know where I’ve gone.

  She closed the gate and crossed the short bridge to the barrier dune. She paused at the far side of the bridge to remove her sandals. Then she was moving down the beach, relishing the gritty feel of the sand beneath her bare feet. The gritty texture gave way to a spongy feel as she neared the water. The tide was louder down here. More primal. It was like the roar of some great and ancient beast. She waded into the dark depths, kept going until the water was nearly over her shoulders. She took a deep breath and dove.

  Darkness enveloped her.

  It was like floating in an endless, sightless void.

  She wished she could stay there forever.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  March 27

  The twenty-four-hour Walgreens on South Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach wasn’t exactly jumping at two in the morning. The three fugitives arguing in the hair-products aisle became the only customers in the store after an old lady with rollers in her pink hair hobbled out with her Geritol purchase.

  “You’re going blond and that’s final.”

  “You know, you keep saying ‘that’s final’ about things. You sound like a fucking dictator, Roxie.”

  “That’s what I am.”

  “I just don’t think blond is the way to go. It’s too obvious.”

  Roxie snorted and rolled her eyes.

  “I’m totally serious. My hair is very dark, almost black. A lighter shade of brown would be more subtle, less likely to draw a second look. You could even put in a bit of gel, I guess. How’s that for a compromise?”

  Roxie smacked his chest with a box of Clairol Born Blonde. “Fuck your compromise.”

  Rob stared aghast at the package pressed against his chest. “Come on, Roxie. This is for chicks. I’ll look ridiculous.”

  Roxie seethed. “Rob. Pay attention. I’m starting to get pissed. Now think about that a minute. You really want me to lose it right here in the middle of this store?”

  Rob groaned.

  “AHHHHHHH!”

  Julie couldn’t take it anymore. The scream just came out. It was a full-volume blast of rage and exasperation. Probably not the brightest thing she’d ever done, given that they were supposedly trying to avoid attention. But the nearly identical shocked expressions on her companions’ faces were totally worth it.

  A lean black man in spectacles and a Walgreens vest poked his head in the aisle and said, “There a problem?”

  Roxie summoned a high-wattage smile and batted her eyes at him. “No, sir. Just having a little disagreement. We’ll keep the volume down, I promise.”

  His expression conveyed doubt, but after a pause he gave a terse nod. “If you need any help, let me know. My name’s Tod and I’m the manager.”

  Roxie kept smiling. “Thanks so much.”

  Tod turned and left them without another word.

  Roxie sneered. “Gay.”

  Rob shook his head. “Let me guess. Any guy who doesn’t fall down drooling at your feet is queer, right?”

  “Obviously.”

  “What about the frat boy you’re planning to—”

  Roxie slapped a hand over his mouth. “Shut up. Fuck’s sake, Rob, you know not to talk about that shit where people might hear.”

  Rob pushed her hand away. “And why should I care? Like it matters. Like there’s any way this thing ends in anything other than total disaster.”

  Their voices had been rising again and Julie was unsurprised to see Tod the manager reappear at the end of the aisle. “Ladies. Sir. Please keep it down. You’re disturbing the other customers. If it continues, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

  Roxie’s brow creased. “What? Seriously? There aren’t any other customers.”

  Tod’s expression remained stern. “Nonetheless. This is my store. So, respectfully, please be quiet. I won’t ask again.”

  He retreated again.

  Roxie scowled. “That miserable little—”

  “Fuck this shit.”

  Julie started walking away from them.

  Roxie called after her. “Hey! Where are you going?”

  Julie stalked quickly down the aisle and soon saw the automatic doors at the front of the store come into view. “Outside for some fresh fucking air. Problem with that?”

  The door opened and she stepped out into the cool night air. The door whisked shut behind her, mercifully blocking the sounds of the ongoing feud. She moved a few yards down the sidewalk and dug into her purse for a pack of Marlboro menthols. The cop car pulled into the parking lot just as she was lighting up. The headlights hit her and she felt frozen to the spot.

  Aw, shit. This just fucking figures.

  She lit the cigarette and inhaled as the cruiser pulled smoothly into the spot directly facing her.

  Well, this is it. Game over. Time to go home.

  Or to jail.

  Whatever.

  The car idled there for more than a minute. Julie squinted against the headlight glare and was able to make out the shape of a big man behind the wheel. He didn’t appear to be doing anything other than just staring at her. She smoked the cigarette down to the butt and thought about lighting anot
her. But she was too spooked to reach into her purse again. Too afraid to move at all. Finally, after several minutes, the driver-side door opened and a big man in a uniform stepped out. He was really buff, filling out his striped trousers and crisply pressed shirt in interesting ways. He saw her looking and smiled, an expression that lit up a face that was just shy of handsome. His eyes were a little too close together and his lips were too thin, but he had a strong jawline. Given the rest of the package, the face was more than passable.

  The cop slammed the cruiser’s door shut and stepped up onto the sidewalk. The car’s engine was still running, the key still in the ignition. How arrogant was that? Fucking cops.

  “Evenin’.”

  Julie smiled. “Hey.”

  The cop stroked his chin with a thumb and forefinger as he walked in a slow circle around her, looking her up and down. “Mmm…”

  Julie swiveled her head but didn’t turn as he circled her again. “See anything you like?”

  He moved in close behind her, leaned down some, and pushed his crotch against her ass, letting her feel his enormous erection. His hands gripped her by the waist. “Feel something I like.” He chuckled, his breath warm and stinking of whiskey. “Like to break me off a piece.”

  Julie did a slow grind against his crotch. “Yeah. Maybe I’ll let you. Mmm…but what about the surveillance equipment in your cruiser?”

  He kissed the back of her head and slid rough fingers under the silky fabric of her halter. “The…what?”

  “You know. The video camera. Like on Cops?”

  “Um…”

  “Isn’t this the kind of thing you could get in trouble for?”

  “I don’t know. Is it?”

  His hands moved to her breasts and gave them a none-too-gentle squeeze. She faked a groan of pleasure and said, “Yeah. Like that. I don’t know. I guess I just thought soliciting a prostitute was still a crime in most places.”

  “That what you are, girl? A whore?”

  Julie wiggled against him. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  The cop laughed. “Yeah. Knew you were a pro. Can spot ’em a mile away. You’re fresher meat than I usually see, though. You can’t be any more than, what, seventeen?”