Hyde (Dark Musicals Trilogy)

by Laura DeLuca

  The rest of the cast and crew were informed no one could leave until all the interviews were complete. They weren’t even allowed to go to the dressing rooms to change. Across the dining room, she saw Steve and Petya in an animated conversation with Nino. It appeared Officer Weston had relinquished Justyn to his superior because he was busy interrogating Victoria and showing no sympathy for her recent loss. At least he didn’t reserve his contempt for only Rebecca’s circle of friends. Still, Rebecca was starting to feel like she’d stepped into a bad episode of Law & Order.

  Carmen only huffed and crossed her arms at the news of their containment. “So much for our night in Atlantic City,” she complained. “Sorry you have to deal with all this crap on your birthday, Becca. This bites.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “As long as I get to take my fiancé home with me tonight, it will be the best birthday ever.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much, my dear.” Robert patted her shoulder as he stepped up to them from behind the closed curtains. “If they had any proof he was guilty, they wouldn’t waste time with pretenses. They would have simply taken him away. Though, I still feel you should proceed with caution with your young man. I know all about young love, but your wellbeing should come first.”

  Robert looked so frail and tired as he waited to talk to the police, Rebecca didn’t have the heart to argue with him. It was a shame everyone at the theater had to get dragged into the drama. She knew Robert meant well and was only taking his role of the doting father to heart. She sort of wished her real dad had stated his thoughts about Justyn with Robert’s calm demeanor. At least when they disagreed, it was a civil argument and not a screaming match.

  Rebecca shook her head to cast the unpleasant thoughts aside. This whole situation was horrible enough without thinking about her last conversation with her father. If she went there, she was going to lose the thin grasp she had on her self-control and burst into tears.

  “Well, I’ll tell you one thing,” Rebecca confided, “there’s no way I’m going to let Justyn go down for Albert’s murder or this whole drug-dealing nonsense without a fight. I’m going to prove he’s innocent, one way or another. I’m close to the truth. I know it.”

  “You are certainly one determined young woman. I’ll give you that,” Robert observed. “Justyn is very lucky to have your loyalty. I do wish you’d be more careful though, Rebecca, especially in your condition. After what’s happened to poor Albert…” He shook his head sadly. “Well, we all know this isn’t a game.”

  “Tell us about it.” Carmen rolled her eyes.

  Rebecca was only half-listening to them. She noticed Nino had finished talking to one of the chorus girls, and Rebecca was more than happy to volunteer to be his next interview. He was just the guy she needed to chat with if she was going to make any headway in her unofficial investigation. She was nearly to his side when he noticed her approach and gave her a small wave. He didn’t look happy though, and that made Rebecca nervous.

  “Oh, Nino, this isn’t good, is it?”

  “Well, you guys definitely know how to get yourselves mixed up into some crazy shit,” Nino stated. He ran a hand along his buzzed hair. “But I do have some good news … and some not-so-good news.”

  “Oh God.” Rebecca plopped down in one of the dining room chairs that had been carried backstage for the questioning. “Give me the bad news first, so we can get it out of the way.”

  “The bad news is you two aren’t very popular around here,” Nino confided. “Almost everyone we’ve talked to is pointing the finger at Justyn.”

  Rebecca grunted. “That’s no surprise. He has that effect on people. What about the good news?”

  Nino sat beside her and leaned in a little closer so she would be able to hear him whisper. “The good news is … and I shouldn’t be telling you this … but there’s nothing to tie Justyn to the crime scene. Neither Justyn or anyone connected to him has any history with firearms. So he’s got that workin’ in his favor. If we can’t tie him to the weapon and he’s got an alibi for the time of death, Justyn’ll be in the clear. Same with Tom, though to be honest, Weston is pushin’ hard for Justyn to go down. He’s been accused of profiling before, but he’s taking this case against Justyn to extremes. I don’t know what his deal is. But the problem is he’s usually right in cases like this. He’s the best narcotics cop on the force.”

  Rebecca could tell Nino was nervous talking to her so publicly, especially about his partner. He was starting to babble a bit and managed to make his whole speech in one agitated breath. Rebecca tried to get him back on track. “There’s no problem with the alibi. I’ve been with Justyn nonstop since the fight. I even took the last few days off my other job because we’re planning our wedding.”

  Nino released a deep breath, relieved. He took out his notebook. “Good. So, the coroner has the approximate time of death between four and five a.m. on Friday morning. Can you give me a statement that Justyn was with you at that time?”

  Yes! I-I…”

  Rebecca started out enthusiastic, but then she felt her face drain of color, and her words died on her lips. Thursday was the night she and Justyn had fought. He ran off in a huff and took Darlene’s car. He was gone for at least an hour, probably more. Was it long enough to drive all the way to Cape May and back? Rebecca had no idea because she’d fallen asleep. When she woke, it was already daybreak. Not that she even considered for a moment Justyn had gone on a Hyde-like rampage, but…

  “Becca?” Nino prodded, interrupting her dark thoughts, “you can give Justyn an alibi for that night, right?”

  “I-I…” Rebecca stuttered, suddenly feeling queasy again for the first time in a while. She didn’t want to lie to Nino, especially when he was helping her, but she also didn’t want to say anything incriminating against Justyn. She was thrilled when she thought of a quick way to change the subject. “Andy!”

  “Andy?” Nino was baffled. “Andy is Justyn’s alibi? What are you talking about, Becca? Who the hell is Andy?”

  “No.” Rebecca shook her head almost too vigorously. It made her a little dizzy. Or maybe it was simply her adrenaline pumping. “I just remembered. Last night I overheard someone talking on the phone about Albert. Something about whatever happened to him not being part of the plan. I was hiding so I didn’t see who was talking, but he kept calling the person on the other end of the line Andy.”

  “Hmmm. Andy … Andy.” Nino rested his chin in his hands for a minute and twisted his lip in thought. Then his eyes widened and he turned almost as pale as Rebecca had only moments earlier. “Andy!” he exclaimed. “Shit! It all makes sense now.”

  “What?” Rebecca felt like she’d missed the punch line. “What do you mean? Does that name mean something to you? Is he a known dealer?”

  Nino studied her as though he’d forgotten she was there. “I … I can’t say anything more. Not yet. I need … I need some time to look into things on my end. I wouldn’t want to get your hopes up for nothing. Just trust me, okay? I’m on your side and not only ‘cause we went to school together. My gut’s been tellin’ me something’s not right with this case since the get-go, and I trust my instincts. It’s why I became a cop in the first place.”

  “Cusella!” Officer Weston finished with Victoria and stomped over to his partner. He gave them both a suspicious glare when he saw them acting so casual together. He stared hard at Rebecca with beady eyes that made her want to melt into her chair, even though he spoke to Nino, “The detective has Patko in the back. He said his girlfriend can verify his alibi. He claims he was home all night with her after the incident in the parking lot.”

  Suddenly terrified and on the verge of hyperventilating, Rebecca clamped her mouth shut so hard she was afraid she might have chipped a tooth. She looked toward Nino for guidance. The young rookie was still little flustered himself, but he was nodding.

  “Yes, sir,” Nino announced. “Miss Hope already stated she was with Mr. Patko at the time of death.”

 
Officer Weston was hardly overjoyed by the news. He frowned and plodded back toward Fernando’s office without another word, obviously disappointed things weren’t going his way when he was used to being the top cop. Nino told her he had to move on as well if any of them ever hoped to get home before the sun came up. Rebecca only nodded, still uncertain whether she should speak, not even sure she was capable of speech. Nino didn’t seem to realize it, but she had never actually said she was with Justyn the night Albert was killed. Nino made that assumption when their conversation got sidetracked, when she purposely sidetracked it. Rebecca tried to console her conscience by telling herself she hadn’t actually lied to the police.

  The only problem was, apparently, Justyn had.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Thank God that’s over!” Carmen grumbled as they packed their street clothes. At least this time she had no trouble getting out of her girdle. “This was like the worst night ever.”

  “Tell me about it,” Rebecca agreed with an audible sigh. “I’m completely exhausted. This day really didn’t turn out the way I expected.”

  “I’m sorry, girl,” Carmen apologized. “Here I am whining when you’re the one whose twenty-first birthday went down the toilet. This is supposed to be one of those awesome landmark days you’ll never forget.”

  “Oh, I’m not going to forget it,” Rebecca promised. “But, Carmen, it’s not my birthday I’m worried about. I feel like my whole life is spinning out of control. I mean, I think Justyn might have…”

  Rebecca paused in mid-sentence. As much as she loved Carmen, she wasn’t sure she should confide in her about what was happening. If Rebecca revealed Justyn had given the police a phony alibi, she would be putting her friend in an uncomfortable position. Carmen would either have to keep the secret from the police, putting herself at risk of aiding and abetting, or she would have to turn Justyn in. Since Rebecca didn’t like either of those options, she held her tongue. Luckily, Carmen jumped to her own conclusions.

  “I get it.” Carmen sympathized. “You’re worried about this whole Albert thing. Really, Becca, this could be good for Justyn. Well, not that anyone dying is ever a good thing,” she added quickly when Rebecca’s eyes widened. “I guess not even that creep deserved to get shot. But whoever offed Albert—and my money is totally on Steve—whoever did it is most likely the same guy who framed Justyn. Once those jackass cops start doing their job instead of harassing us in between donut-dunking, they’ll have to drop the charges against Justyn.”

  “Yeah, maybe.”

  Rebecca tried to force a smile for Carmen’s benefit, but she doubted the police were going to get off Justyn’s case that easily. Weston was enjoying himself way too much to back down. Besides, even if Albert was dealing in more heroin than the Mexican cartel, it wasn’t going to change the fact the drugs were found in Justyn’s car. After all, hadn’t Albert called him a rival? That would suggest he honestly believed Justyn was invading his turf, which in turn implied someone else planted the drugs. Maybe it was the same person who killed Albert. That made the situation twice as dangerous, because it meant it wasn’t only Justyn’s freedom, but their lives, on the line.

  Rebecca stayed in her sullen melancholy the whole walk to the car. Even being reunited with Justyn didn’t ease her troubled thoughts. She wanted to ask him about his conversation with the police, but she needed to wait until they were alone. He didn’t seem in the mood for conversation anyway. His face was still pale, and the dark shadows under his eyes had nothing to do with his black eyeliner. Actually, no one talked much on the way to the parking lot. Hours of questioning left them all nerve-wracked and exhausted.

  “How’s your head?” Rebecca asked through a yawn as they climbed into the backseat of Carmen’s sedan.

  He shrugged. “It’s not that bad.”

  Normally, Rebecca would have offered to massage his neck, but she was so deliriously tired she dozed off almost as soon as the car started moving. However, it wasn’t a pleasant sleep. Her dreams were haunted by a decrepit stage made from warping wood and moth-eaten curtains. On the platform was a troupe of masked men, dancing to music only they heard. Each mask was a replica of one of the men she worked with at the theater. The features were recognizable, but distorted. Steve’s skin was melting away. Fernando was a wicked imp, and Robert was so wrinkled he looked ancient. Even Tom was there with a grin like a clown. Worst of all was Albert’s still body lying on the floor on the stage. Rebecca only recognized him from his chef’s uniform and tattoos, as his face was covered with the semblance of a skull.

  Despite the discernible features, each man wore a top hat upon their tousled hair, reminding her disturbingly of Hyde. Every time Rebecca tried to unmask one of them to look beyond their façade, she found yet another disguise. Soon the floor was littered with the discarded masks. The figures danced in agile motions, pulling her along as they circled the stage, making her dizzy and ill. The masks continued to fall until Albert’s whole body was concealed, except for the gaping, hallow eyes. Those eyes glared at her accusingly, even in death. Rebecca screamed when the corpse rose to join the dance. Albert lifted a claw-like hand and pointed it in her direction. She could hear his words even though his skeletal lips didn’t move.

  What’s behind your façade?

  The answering cry came from the men all around her, each one pointing an accusing finger. Unable to control herself, she glanced back at them and saw Justyn glaring at her, his face multiplied by four.

  You’re a liar! We’re both liars, Becca!

  Rebecca jolted awake at the sound of her name.

  “Becca, wake up,” Justyn repeated, his voice abnormally flat. “We’re home.”

  “Sorry. I guess I fell asleep.”

  Rebecca blinked a few times and realized they were parked outside Justyn’s house. A quick glance at Carmen’s dashboard told her it was almost three in the morning. At least her terrible birthday was officially over. She could only hope the coming year would bring her better fortune.

  “Try to get some rest, guys.” Tom hung his head out the passenger window as Rebecca and Justyn walked up the driveway. “Hopefully the worst of this crap is behind us.”

  Carmen leaned over his shoulder. “And don’t forget, you two are getting married on Monday! You best cheer the hell up, or this is gonna be the gloomiest wedding in history. I mean … I know Justyn is into all that dark and dreary Goth stuff, but this is ridiculous.”

  Carmen was only trying to lighten the mood with a little good-natured teasing, but it wasn’t working. Justyn huffed and walked toward the door. Rebecca could only shrug and wave before watching their friends pull away. She couldn’t even muster a smile of encouragement for their benefit. Justyn acted as desolate as she felt. She wondered if he was worried about whether she’d backed up his alibi. Did he think the cops were going to show up on the doorstep at any minute with a warrant in hand? Rebecca was anxious about the same thing. Her heart was still pounding from her dream and she realized her nightmares were trying to tell her something. She felt guilty about not being completely upfront with Nino, especially when he was putting his career on the line to help them. She decided she and Justyn were going to have to talk about what he’d told the police, but first, there was something else that demanded her attention.

  “I really have to use the ladies’ room,” Rebecca announced as soon as they stepped into the foyer. “I’ll meet you upstairs in a few minutes, okay?”

  Rebecca didn’t wait for a reply. Her need was too urgent. She felt like her bladder was going to explode. Another one of those fun perks of pregnancy. Once she had the situation under control, she crept up the stairs as silently as possible, not wanting to wake Justyn’s family. Nevertheless, as quiet as she was, she never expected to be able to slip into the room unnoticed.

  Perhaps it was because he was lost in his own thoughts, but Justyn didn’t lift his head when Rebecca stepped inside. Instead, she found him sitting in his desk chair, staring at his own refl
ection in the mirror, wearing only a pair of black shorts. From her vantage point, Rebecca could see his image in the glass. He had loosened the hair tie that held his dark waves in place so it fell over his eyes, partially masking them. His lips were pressed into a tight frown. He looked so serious and angry; he bore a closer resemblance to Hyde than her beloved fiancé. It made Rebecca shiver. It was even more disturbing when Justyn reached out to touch his reflection and very quietly whispered the lines Jekyll screams to Hyde in their climatic battle to win control of the body they shared.

  “Your evil lives within me, but it’s a monster I must fight.

  The end of your control on me is within my sight.

  You cannot control me. I will not disappear.

  You know your end is coming. I can sense your fear.”

  The last few words held none of the conviction they should have. The ballad didn’t sound like Justyn’s sweet tenor, but instead, a raspy, desperate moan she didn’t even recognize. This wasn’t a man winning the battle over his dark side. Rebecca was listening to someone plunging into despair. There was no fight left in Justyn’s voice. It was as if Hyde had already won and all that was good was quietly slipping into the background. She half expected his angry reflection to take over Hyde’s rebuttal with a much more powerful retort. But there was no reply, no more strange recitations. Justyn put his head in his hands and fell into an eerie silence that was almost as crippling to Rebecca as the heart-wrenching song before it.

  “Oh, Justyn.”

  Rebecca felt a tear slip down her cheek, but her voice was so hushed he didn’t seem to hear her. Rebecca couldn’t bear to see the man she loved so lost and vulnerable. She took another step into the room, daring to get a little closer. She watched him lift his head. He picked up one of the gargoyle statues from the dresser and studied it as though he were seeing it for the first time. At first, Rebecca thought he was weeping and she wanted to console him. But before she reached his side, the quiet sadness vanished, and in his mirror image she saw only pure, uninhibited rage. Hyde’s lines were a fitting testimony to that anger.