Blue Macabre

by J. W. DeBrock

  “Yeah, I agree with that. I think Chris is just a little out of Sally’s league – if Sheila hadn’t seen them I just couldn’t go there. Well – Jen said something about all of us – her girlfriend is up from Portland – going to the Mountainwood Inn tonight for dinner.” He cocked his head. “Idea – why don’t you and Kim join us? It’d be a great chance for you to size him up for yourself. I can fix it without any suspicion. How about it?”

  “Sure. Let me know what time.”

  Andy reached for the phone. “Let’s just see.” He dialed Jenny.

  Trooper reappeared at the door and wandered in, his glossy black hair caked with mud. Dave jumped up and shooed him out, shutting the screen door. The dog left muddy pawprints on the rug; he sighed at the mess and went to the kitchen for a couple of towels. Andy said into the phone, “Okay if Dave and Kim join us?” Dave looked up at Andy as he scrubbed the carpet. Andy nodded his head. “I love you too.”

  He smiled as he hung up. “All set.”

  Chris coasted Suzanne’s BMW to a soft stop in front of the restaurant, cautious on the loose gravel. She’d been happy to let him do the driving since she’d spent the afternoon feeling tired and a bit drained. Andy craned his neck from the back seat to look at the other parked cars. “Looks like they’re here.”

  “Who’s here?” asked Chris.

  “My buddy Dave and his girlfriend are meeting us for dinner.”

  Chris blinked his eyes rapidly several times, unobserved by his companions. Considerations darted faster than lightning through his thoughts but he replied evenly, “Sounds great. I’ve been interested in meeting him.” He slid from the leather seat and went around the car to assist Suzanne.

  Dave and Kim had settled at a large table in the back, close to the rough-hewn bar. Dave waved and Andy raised his hand in response. Jenny did the introductions all around, and as Dave extended his hand to Chris, he said “Glad to finally meet you.”

  Instantly Chris absorbed Dave’s true opinion of him. He grasped the trooper’s outstretched hand without hesitation. “Good to meet you too, Dave. I’ve heard Andy speak of you often.” Dave looked at his palm after Chris released it, the skin a bit flushed and red. He glanced at Chris and then ordered a frosty pitcher of beer and five mugs, with a large iced tea for Suzanne.

  “Where’s Karin, Jenny?” asked Kim.

  “Working the late shift tonight. I promised I’d bring her dinner.” She turned to Suzanne. “Don’t let me forget that!”

  “What’s the best thing on the menu, Dave? I get the impression you’re here quite a bit.” Chris studied his new acquaintance.

  “Steak, definitely. Place has something of a reputation around here. It’s the best.”

  “Okay – how about one for everyone, my treat.” His blue eyes danced.

  The small party spent a pleasant evening. The steaks were tender, the baked potatoes rich and slathered with butter and sour cream, the salad created with a nice assortment of greens and sliced vegetables. Chris saw to it the beer pitcher was kept full, and while he drank very little the alcohol wove a predictable spell over the others. By mid-meal he was able to read Andy and Dave rather easily; the most useful information he gleaned concerned the suspicions the two officers harbored against him. Although he could not pick up definite words, he knew they were thinking of him as a suspect in Sally’s death. Vague feelings of fondness for the waitress bobbed in and out of their thoughts. Chris also discovered the presence of another man whom they had suspected but must have exonerated. It was apparent Dave had been doing much of the investigating as Andy’s feelings were less developed than those of his friend. Knowing they were watching his every movement, he played the part of the perfect gentleman, the perfect host and most perfectly considerate brother. He kept his antenna a careful distance from Suzanne, as invisible mirrors between she and him. He’d also felt a little drained when he’d risen this morning and wanted to simply cherish but not relive the feelings he retained from her. He even flirted politely with Kim, and knew she found him charming and attractive. He could ‘read’ that she was leaning toward disagreement with her boyfriend about his possible guilt.

  “Chris, thanks for that fine meal,” Dave said boisterously as they all stood outside later. “I really enjoyed myself, and I know Kim did too.” He squeezed her shoulders a little too tightly. She tried to push him off, without success. She took Chris’s hand. “I did have a great time, and really enjoyed getting to know you a little. I’ve always wondered what you were like since I’ve know Jenny. And now, as you can see, I’m going to drive Dave home.” Dave got in on the passenger side and she shut the door behind him.

  Instantly Chris probed her feelings. He picked up a hazy image of Dave’s apartment, adding to it what he’d gleaned earlier in the evening. These absorptions flashed through his brain and were stored in a file. Kim detected no passage of time as he replied “I’m glad I got to meet you too. It’s always a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman.” She sat in the driver’s seat and beamed, pushing Dave away again after he tried to lean on her.

  On the drive home, Suzanne relaxed in her seat, easing it backward a bit for the sake of the baby and her digestion. “There are some really healthy glows going on in THIS car,” she observed.

  “What do you mean?” asked Chris.

  “Oh, just that all the wonderful food, drink, and company shows up in our auras.”

  “Suzanne is quite psychic, Chris – in addition to her massage therapy she is also an intuitive healer.” Jenny added, “In fact, the last time I was sick with the flu she was able to send me some long distance energy healing and it helped me recover more quickly. I remember so well – about ten minutes after I talked to her on the phone the first night I was ill, I felt her energy settling over me just like a soothing warm blanket. It was absolutely incredible.”

  “Really,” said Chris.

  Suzanne looked at him. “Have you ever had any energy work?”

  He glanced at her, then back at the road. “No – don’t think so. I’m more into the physical side of things.”

  “You know, dear brother, energy healing can be very therapeutic if you can just open yourself up to it. Suzanne has done great things for me more than once.” Jenny looked at him hopefully.

  “I’m sure there’s something to it. I’m certainly willing to admit there are lots of wonderful things that aren’t fully explained in the physical. I just don’t know about it for myself at the moment.” He could feel Jenny prodding, urging him to open up. “I actually feel pretty good and don’t want you to worry.”

  “I do different therapies on different people – case by case,” Suzanne commented. “Some clients need more physical, massage therapy or perhaps reflexology. Others benefit from the energy, at times, spiritual – not religious – work. With your high level of intelligence, if you can be open-minded, I feel you could really benefit.” She reached to adjust her seatbelt. “Ah. It gets tough when what you eat crowds the kid.” She placed her hands on each side of her belly and took a couple of deep, cleansing breaths.

  “Relaxation?” asked Chris.

  “Yes. Comes in handy in a variety of ways.”

  For a moment he enjoyed absorbing her relaxation; as he drove he felt his own tensions ease, a kind of soothing warmth surrounding him. Suzanne watched him. “Feeling something different?”

  “Just a nice warmth – did you do that?”

  “I sent you a few vibes, just to see if you’d notice. I think you’d be a good candidate – keep me in mind, okay? By the way, thanks again for dinner. It was very nice of you – did you get as much out of it as the rest of us?”

  His deep blue eyes flashed as he watched the road. “More than you might think.”

  In the back seat, Andy squeezed Jenny’s hand.

  Jenny brought out the chocolate cake she and Suzanne had concocted earlier in the afternoon. They’d laced its usual ingredients with extra chocolate syrup and chips, and it was For Chocolate Lovers Only. Chri
s made them a pot of decaf; as the ladies indulged in the sweet delight the men teased them about getting fat, to which the ladies replied they couldn’t care less. “You know if you’re a true chocoholic with the threat of extra pounds just doesn’t matter any more,” Suzanne stated. The ladies giggled.

  Andy rose and gave Jenny a kiss on the cheek. “That’s it for me. Call you tomorrow.”

  Chris sat and watched as the girls polished off the dessert. “Ahhh,” Karin mumbled through her last succulent mouthful. “Thanks for dinner and this amazing thing here. You make the best chocolate cake there is. How long have you been making these?”

  “Not long enough.” They all laughed.

  Chris carried their dishes to the sink as they retired to the living room with coffee. He rummaged through the refrigerator and pantry, rustling packages and making substantial noise until Jenny finally asked, “What are you looking for in there?”

  In his mind, he thanked her for noticing. Stuff. Excuses. “Just seeing what there was to fix for breakfast in the morning. I thought I’d make something special since Suzanne will be going home and she’ll be denied the pleasure of my cooking.”

  The girls laughed at him. “As long as WE don’t have to cook, knock yourself out,” Jenny declared.

  “Fine. I’m going to run into town now before the store closes and pick up some things. I’m leaving you three to conspire amongst yourselves, since as the only male left I don’t stand a chance.”

  “Shit happens,” said Jenny. “Can you not get what you need up here at the market?”

  NO

  “Um – I think not, I want some different kinds of cheeses and what not.” He walked to Suzanne and lifted her hand, kissing the back of it. “Might I drive your car once more, m’lady?”

  She giggled and grabbed her keys from her purse. “Be my guest, sire. Anything for breakfast.”

  Nestled in the leather seat, he withdrew his Ipod from his pocket and plugged it in. The same tunes he’d listened to the night he’d been with Sally boomed through the sound system.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Castle Rock was never a major metropolis. Many tourists passed through its streets each year, noting it on ubiquitous postcards as ‘quaint’. It boasted a five and dime, a hardware store, a couple of neighborly auto parts dealers, and several tiny restaurants. It would have looked much the same fifty years earlier. The only major change it had ever sustained came from the volcano sixty miles to the east. The lay of the surrounding land had been forever changed by enormous, flat plains of sodden ash. They’d been left behind from dredging activity as the Cowlitz River had been inundated with mud and debris from the eruption. Travelers speeding by on nearby I-5 saw acres and acres of the stuff, battleship gray in color, flat as a tabletop. Scrubby plants sprouted from it haphazardly like a bad haircut.

  There were not many residential sections to choose from, and as Chris drove around he found most of the apartments in town centrally located, close to the downtown area and adjacent to one of the town’s two groceries. He stopped the car on the fringe of the store parking lot. As the engine idled he shut his eyes and concentrated, transmuting the various thoughts and feelings he’d absorbed from Kim, Dave, and Andy into something of a fragmented treasure map. He meditated for a few minutes and then pulled up to the front entrance of the grocery.

  About half an hour remained until closing. He pushed a cart up and down the aisles, selecting brown eggs, several cheeses, freshly sliced bacon, and orange juice. He returned to the dairy counter a second time and added real butter. He topped off the order with whole milk and a loaf of bakery raisin bread, and pushed the basket to the checkout.

  The woman working the register looked familiar.

  He carried the sacks out to the car and stowed them in the trunk. As the sedan rolled out of the lot he cruised the adjacent streets, instinct guiding his navigation. On the third street he spotted Dave’s patrol car, parallel parked in front of a light colored adobe fourplex. He coasted past, and found the same car he’d seen Dave and Kim in earlier parked two doors down from the cruiser. He circled the block again, making note of the illumined window in the front of the apartment nearest Dave’s cars. Making one final pass around the block he parked in a spot affording him an unobstructed view of both the dwelling and the vehicles.

  Glancing through all the BMW’s windows, he was pleased. He’d placed himself quite conveniently; the house to his immediate left appeared vacant, a FOR SALE sign listing in the yard. The other nearby houses were dark due to the lateness of the hour and a working class of residents. He slouched in the seat and waited.

  Ten minutes later he observed a figure at the large window. He watched Dave reach to turn off a lamp and the room darkened. He also saw a light come on in a nearby tiny window. He counted to himself as he imagined Dave urinating. When the tiny window went dark he closed his eyes, enjoying the tangible sensation of a body stretching out on a bed and relaxing.

  He turned the adjustment that prevented the interior lights from coming on. He slithered from the car, and eased the door closed. As the catch connected with a barely audible click, he was alone in the twilight. Alert, he padded across the street. He stole near the patrol vehicle, and crouching beside it, placed his palms flat against the side of the right front fender. He shut his eyes tightly, the merest hint of a velvet blue glow upon his eyelids.

  He connected precisely three minutes on each of the four fenders. As he relocated himself each time he scouted his surroundings, ready with a story of lost keys or contact lens. He smiled licentiously as he considered the early retiring habits of a small town. When he’d finished at the last fender he rose up just enough to take a final look at Dave’s darkened windows and then padded back to the car.

  Climbing into the driver’s seat, he snuggled his rear into the soft leather, his facial features happy and relaxed. He turned the volume up on a favorite tune, and gave a two-finger salute as he drove off.

  He arrived home to find the house mostly dark. Jenny had crashed on the sofa, nestled in a soft pillow and comforter, a soft breeze from the lake sifting in through a half-open window. Rebecca was lying on top of Jenny’s legs. She watched him approach, refusing to move as he tucked the comforter in more closely around his sister. In the kitchen, he quietly emptied the sacks of groceries onto the counter and without turning on any more light put the items away.

  He was disappointed to find Suzanne had gone to bed as well. He glanced at his watch and saw he’d been gone about an hour and a half. Glancing into his room, his own bed was empty. He tiptoed to Jenny’s door and saw Suzanne fast asleep on Jenny’s four-poster bed. He eased the door closed, and padded silently halfway up the stairs to the loft. Karin’s bed was a shadowy lump.

  Returning to his room, he felt his way around the iron bedstead and groped for the window latch. As his fingers connected with it he pushed the window open, the caress of the fresh breeze clearing his thoughts. Turning back to the bed he undressed, his mind sorting ideas with lightning speed, differentiating categories and creating new files. He stretched out, lying on his back as the breeze stirred the air.

  He looked over at the computer, in the back of his mind expecting to see it turn blue, a little disappointed to see it was black. He propped himself up on one arm, as if his own movement would spur the monitor to illumination. The appliance remained unresponsive. He arose and scooted himself over to the side of the bed near the desk. Frowning, he sat down in the desk chair.

  He reached for the main power switch. He pushed it; nothing happened. He laid both hands palms down on top of the keyboard – no response. Perplexed, he let his hands drop to his lap. As a last resort he placed his hands on the side of the monitor and at this final touch the glass on the meter outside cracked into a million shards and fell into the shrubs below.

  Brilliant blue light shone from the screen, the keyboard, every crack on the device. His hands were riveted to the monitor and his hair stood completely on end. His entire body shi
vered as the computer made its connection. His hands and forearms were translucent with blue as they had previously been, but now the warmth spread throughout his body, every inch of his skin tingling and itching. His penis grew enormously erect; the desire to touch it was horribly intense but he could not free his hands. His eyes were riveted to the screen and white letters materialized in the blue haze

  [download complete]

  Smoke drifted from the front and rear of the machine. Electric blue sparks danced along the connecting cables and wires and skipped onto his arms. He watched with amazement as the ‘on’ light fluttered and went dark. With the next blink the keyboard went dark as well.

  His skin crawled as a final word appeared, barely visible, fading quickly.

  [Donna]

  The monitor went black with a click.

  The shock of seeing her name gave him chills and nausea. Rising from the chair, he stood confused, insanely hoping for some kind of resurrection. His tears feel freely, his loss consuming. A sob escaped his lips and he covered his mouth with his hand. He stepped over to the dresser for a tissue, and as he looked in the mirror he froze. A stream of urine warmed his leg.