"Is she dead?" Lance became frantic. "What about Mrs. Gilliam? Is she all right? Jeez, I never should have left."
The police officer stopped Lance by putting a hand On his shoulder. "Except for the scare, they're okay. The janitor locked the neighbor in a closet and didn't hurt her. Mrs. Wodell's gonna be bruised, but we shot the guy before he could do much damage."
"How did you know he was here?" Colleen asked.
"Another anonymous tip. This time on 911. Got here just in time, too." The officer saw both Colleen and Lance were still distraught and tried to cheer them up. "Look at it this way," he said with a smile. "Looks like this ugly business is over with."
"What do you mean?" asked Colleen.
"We got the bad guy and you kids are safe."
Colleen still wouldn't believe it. "But why would he attack Mrs. Wodell?"
"Who knows? The guy wasn't exactly the great communicator. Maybe she knew something and he was afraid she'd tell when she got better." The police officer didn't seem too concerned with digging any deeper. "Chances are he was crazy anyway. So there it is." Colleen read the look on his face quite clearly: case closed. "Gotta go help wrap this thing up," he told them, and walked away.
Lance was still upset, too, but for different reasons. "I don't know what I'm going to say to Mrs. Gilliam."
"Whatever happened, Lance, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known. She'll understand."
"I still feel terrible." He looked shell-shocked.
"Me, too," Colleen said. "Do you want me to stay until the police leave? I'll just call my parents so they'll know what's going on."
"If you call your parents, they'll just come down here and get you," he said. "I'd better take you home."
They drove back to Colleen's house in silence, each lost in separate trains of thought. Lance was so distracted, he forgot to kiss her good night. Colleen was so distracted, she didn't notice.
Inside Colleen's house, her parents sat glued to the television. Mrs. Martini called her over and pointed to the set.
"We won't have to worry anymore, honey." Tears of relief sprang to her eyes as she hugged Colleen. Colleen weakly hugged back, then sat down to see what the news had to say.
She had to close her eyes when cameras caught a glimpse of Denny's body being loaded into an ambulance. In her commentary, the reporter used the word «monster» several times. She finished her story by pronouncing the end of a "reign of terror." After that, Colleen excused herself and went to her room for the night.
By morning, the newspapers and the entire town had declared the case closed on Denny. One news story even cited a police videotape that showed the janitor «confessing» to his crimes. The realization that this tape was most likely the video made the night she visited Denny depressed her even more. Looking back over the incident, Colleen didn't think Denny had confessed to anything at all. He had simply responded that he knew something about what was going on, not that he had killed anyone. But the chance of anyone believing her at this point was almost nil. For whatever reason, Denny had escaped from jail and had, according to the police, tried to kill Mrs. Wodell. Again, Colleen was left without an explanation.
Chapter 17
Springwood had returned to normal by the next evening. Parents felt it was safe to let their children out of the house. The restaurants and coffee shops seemed to be busier than usual, as if customers were trying to make up for lost time. And since the weather was pleasant, couples again strolled Springwood Park — unaware that they were being stalked.
One such couple, who had become engaged only a month before, walked blissfully down the path enjoying the night air. They were in their own world, oblivious to the dark figure that followed them at a steady distance. A horn honked from somewhere outside the park, causing the couple to look back. They caught a glimpse of the person behind them, but thought nothing of it. Certain he had been seen, the figure took the next fork in the path and split away from the couple.
Damn, Ricky thought to himself. I didn't even get close. As soon as the couple was out of sight, and he was certain no one else could see him on the path, Ricky stepped into the shadow of a tree. His black clothes made him almost invisible.
At the moment, Ricky was out testing a theory that was central to his understanding of horror movies. The theory was simple: People really were as dumb as they seemed to be in the movies. To wit (Ricky loved that phrase): the most frequent complaint about horror movies was that the characters unnecessarily — and unrealistically — put themselves in great danger. Real people wouldn't be that dumb, «they» said. Ricky found this complaint to be invalid, and his «lurking» proved it.
He had often come to the park during the last several months and lurked. He would hide in a certain spot until a person or persons walked past, then he would follow them, gradually closing the distance and going in for "the kill" if possible. Of course, he never actually harmed anyone. Usually, if he did it right, they never even knew he had been there. But his point had been proven again and again: In real life, people just don't pay attention sometimes. They do, in fact, put themselves in great danger. If Ricky had actually been a crazed killer, in several instances he could have gotten away with murder.
Of course, that wasn't always the case. Tonight was an example. By random chance, the couple had seen him before he could «do» anything about it. And the other night, when he and Kirk had been stalking Lance and Colleen, Kirk had made too much noise. Cardinal rule of lurking, Ricky made a mental note to himself: It is only effective with one well-trained individual. Team lurking, especially when a novice lurker was involved, was not recommended. Kirk didn't know the first thing about lurking, always stepping on twigs and shaking bushes. It'd be a while before he would qualify as any kind of respectable psychotic killer.
Ricky, on the other hand, had well-honed skills that were a continuous source of pride. They came from a certainty of vision, willingness to take risks, and courage for follow-through. This last trait was also something Kirk lacked. Otherwise, he would have stuck to their plan. But he had chickened out, not letting Ricky plant one more tarot card on Colleen's locker. It would have been the coup de grace, Ricky thought. But Kirk considered it cruel. Ah, love will make you soft, Ricky thought to himself.
After the incident in the park the other night, Kirk had been desperate to find a way to win Colleen away from Lance. So Ricky had come up with the idea of taking them to Madame Xaviera. It had all been set up ahead of time. Ricky spent a lot of money there — he was very interested in the occult (for research purposes, of course) — and asked the fortune-teller for a little favor. For double her usual fee, she agreed. That part could not have gone better. Ricky had told her about Lance and Colleen, and so the buildup to the Lovers card was perfect. Adding the second Death card had been Ricky's idea. If Colleen bought the reading, which it appeared she had, the effect of the second Death card would be unsettling, to say the least. On Monday he had planned to plant a Lovers card on Colleen's desk. Of course, she would suspect Kirk, but he could truthfully deny that he had put it there. Meanwhile, Kirk would have made a deal with Vicki to step up the harassment. And since most of this would happen at school, who would be there to come to Colleen's defense? Kirk, of course. This would all serve to undermine Colleen's relationship with Lance, who wouldn't be around at the right times. And strengthen Kirk's position.
Ah! The simplicity! Ricky thought grandiosely. It was times like this that he knew he was going to make it. In the world. In Hollywood. Well, that was the world, wasn't it?
Things had gone better than planned. When Tish had disappeared, Ricky saw a golden opportunity to really get to Colleen, and substituted a Death card for the Lovers card. He neglected to tell Kirk of the change in plans. Of course, his friend had been furious, but Ricky ultimately calmed him down. Look, Ricky told him, your horror at the appearance of the card was genuine. Score one for Kirk. Kirk had a hard time buying it. He thought using the Death card was a bit too twisted.
Unfortunately, the deaths had continued. Even so, Ricky was ready to stick to the plan. At the diner last night, he could see the cracks forming in Colleen's relationship with Lance.
Movement in the distance broke Ricky out of his reverie. Back to the task at hand, he thought to himself. Far away, heading in his direction, was another apparently loving couple on a pleasant evening stroll. Ricky licked his lips. Couples were his favorite. Double bonus «kill» points. Of course, couples were easier to stalk than individuals, since they were distracted by each other. Reason enough not to be part of a couple, Ricky thought. And I'm not just saying that because I'm jealous, he added, rather defensively.
Behind him, a creature shuffled through the leaves.
Damn squirrels! he thought. Or rats, more likely. The couple was getting closer, but was still too far away to see him. He didn't want to be given away by some stupid woodland creature, so he kicked a bush behind him to scare the thing away. Leaves shuffled one last time. Then silence.
Now Ricky focused all his attention on the approaching couple. They were close now. As they passed — unaware he was only a few feet away — he heard them talking about the stars and how beautiful they were. Ricky suppressed the urge to gag. Now, there's a couple that deserve to be stalked, he thought. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
He waited another minute, until they were far enough away that they wouldn't see him step out of hiding. The time was now. I'm gonna get real close this time, he thought.
Just as he began to step onto the path, a strong hand clamped over Ricky's mouth. An arm wrapped around his waist, pinning his arms to his sides, and he was pulled violently back into the brush. A snap of a twig was the only indication of a struggle, which ended as Ricky went still a minute later. But the couple ahead on the path heard nothing. They were talking about the stars and thinking about each other.
Chapter 18
Ricky's body was found by a landscaper the next morning, floating in the small lake in the center of Springwood Park. This time, school was closed for the day. Colleen spent much of the day trying to reach Kirk, but could not get through. She figured his parents had taken the phone off the hook. When she spoke to Lance, he said his mother told him that Kirk was taking Ricky's death very hard. Colleen wanted to go to Kirk, but her parents wouldn't let her out of the house.
Staying indoors all day drove Colleen stir-crazy. Her mother tried to entertain her by enlisting her help with some baking, but that didn't last long. Homework was out of the question. Boredom finally overcame Colleen's depression and she switched on the television to watch something, anything. All day she had avoided the expected television updates on Ricky's murder. It didn't take long now for regular programming to be interrupted for a report.
Colleen was going to switch off the television, but morbid curiosity overcame her.
"… very tight-lipped about the whole case," one female reporter was saying. She was standing in front of the lake at Springwood Park. Apparently Ricky's body had been found just behind her. "The police have repeatedly refused all comment, a rare stance to take under such circumstances."
Colleen could only shake her head. This was so sad. Colleen knew she would never walk past that lake again without thinking of Ricky. They hadn't been close, but he'd been Kirk's best friend.
The reporter signed off, and the camera zoomed in on the surface of the lake for dramatic purposes. The screen filled with a shot of a clump of dead leaves, floating. As Ricky's dead body had floated in that same lake. But Colleen noticed another object, among the leaves. She only got a momentary glimpse before the shot was over with, but she knew instantly what it was.
Her heart froze in her chest.
Among the leaves was a Death tarot card.
Leaping from the couch, Colleen snatched the telephone from its cradle. First she dialed Kirk, but again, the line was busy. Then she dialed Lance at Mrs. Wodell's house.
"Lance, it's me," she breathed into the phone.
"Hey, what's…"
Colleen didn't let him finish. "It wasn't Denny. Somebody else is out here killing people."
Lance sighed impatiently. "Is this about Ricky?" he asked evenly.
"Of course! He had a Death card near his body. Like the ones that have been showing up on my locker. It's the same person."
"Death card? What are you talking about?"
"A tarot card. I've gotten two of them, once after Tish disappeared and once when Melina was murdered."
"You never told me this."
"I didn't want to bother you with it," she said in a small voice. "Besides, I told Kirk. I guess I thought he'd tell you. Anyway, I saw one on TV just now in the lake where they found Ricky. It means the killer is the same person who killed Melina. Since Denny's dead, it couldn't have been him."
"Look, Colleen." Lance was not trying to hide his displeasure. "I know you liked Denny, but what happened to the girls is pretty clear. He admitted it."
"No, he didn't. He told me he knew about it, but…"
"What? You knew this when we were talking the other night and you didn't mention it? C'mon, Colleen." Lance was angry now.
"I'm sorry. I don't do everything right. I don't have everything figured out. But I'm close. And I know that a killer is still out there."
"Well, duh," he said meanly. "But you're pretty obsessed about Denny. This is a weird town, in case you haven't noticed. People get killed around here all the time. By different killers. Denny was one of them, apparently. Now there's another, and hopefully the cops will get this guy, too."
In the past, Colleen would have burst into tears over his response. Not this time. "The point isn't even that Denny didn't do it. The point is that someone else did."
"Okay, whatever," Lance said disinterestedly. "Join the police force, then. Tell 'em what they're doing wrong."
Colleen was on the verge of yelling at Lance. He was being so close-minded. "I gotta go," she said instead.
"I do, too," he replied huffily. They both hung up at the same time.
Now Colleen was angry on top of being stir-crazy. She had to get out of the house and talk to someone who'd listen to her. Kirk would. She knew he would. And maybe the chance to get his friend's killer was just what he needed at the moment. After getting another busy signal, Colleen decided on another tack.
She asked her mother if she could use the car. When Mrs. Martini refused, Colleen told her it was so she could see Kirk. For good measure, she said she had talked to him and he had asked her to come over. Finally Mrs. Martini relented and gave Colleen the car keys. Colleen was out the door in a flash, before her mother could change her mind.
Barely acknowledging stop signs, Colleen drove straight to Kirk's house. Mrs. Newman was reluctant to let her in when she arrived.
Colleen pleaded with her. "Your phone's been off the hook. And I've been worried about Kirk."
"I know, dear," Mrs. Newman told her. "We have been, too. Kirk just came from Ricky's parents' house, and he's very upset."
"Would you at least ask him if he can see me? I have to talk to him."
Mrs. Newman considered the request. "I'll tell him you're here." She turned toward the steps, then turned back around. "If he's asleep or too upset, I'll have to ask you to go. Please don't take it personally. It's just that this has been a trying day for Kirk."
"I understand," Colleen answered, and Mrs. Newman climbed the steps. A minute later, she came back down and motioned for Colleen to go up.
She found Kirk in his room, sitting at his computer playing solitaire.
"Hey," she said softly as she entered. "How are you?"
"You tell me," he answered, swiveling around in his chair. "Now I know what it means when someone says 'You look like you lost your best friend'," he said humorlessly. " 'Cause it happened to me."
"I'm sorry, Kirk. Really." She pulled up a chair next to him and sat down. He looked like a sad, pudgy little boy. Maybe it was pity, maybe it was the fact that she had fought with Lance, but Colleen was
wondering why she kept rejecting Kirk. "How are his parents?" she asked him.
"Basket cases. And I don't blame them." He sounded monumentally weary.
"I came to see how you were," Colleen began. The tone of her voice made Kirk look up quizzically. "But I also had to tell you something. You up for it? It's about Ricky."
Kirk furrowed his brow defensively, bracing himself for something unpleasant. "What about him?"
"I was watching the news today. There was a tarot card floating in the lake at the park. A Death card." Kirk said nothing in response, but turned away. "I know. Weird. I want to go to the police, but I don't know what to tell them. I think that links Tish's disappearance with Melina's and Ricky's deaths. But there's more to it than that; I can feel it."
"The cards aren't related, Colleen," Kirk told her carefully.
"They've gotta be. Why else would they show up after every death?" She didn't let him answer. "Of course, not after Denny's, but that was probably to make me think he actually was the killer."
"The cards aren't related," Kirk repeated, more strongly.
"But why me?" Colleen asked out loud, ignoring Kirk's statement. "Why would anyone want to link me with this? Unless it was because I was friends with Denny." Suddenly frightened, she turned to Kirk. "It never occurred to me. Someone might be coming after me!"
Kirk shook his head slowly. A tear ran down his cheek from one eye. "No, Colleen. You have nothing to do with it. The cards are bogus." He swallowed hard. "The card near Ricky probably fell out of his pocket… when he was killed."
With dawning horror, Colleen glimpsed Kirk's meaning. Then he launched into an explanation — frequently breaking down into tears — of Ricky's plan. And his desire to win her from Lance. By the end, Colleen was stunned.
"I'm sorry, Colleen. If you never spoke to me again, I'd understand." He started to reach out to her, but stopped himself. "Ricky was so into it — I know that's no excuse. And you mean so much to me." He hung his head. "I don't know if you've ever been in the situation where you'd do anything for someone. Even stupid things."
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