Forgive Me, Alex (27 page)

What are you saying? I can't believe this!

"Thank you, Chief Radlon," Jackson said. "Now, Tony, I'm sure you can see our dilemma. In our experience, family is almost always involved in—"

"You're out of your damned mind if you think I did this!" I leaned over the table, having almost jumped out of my chair. Every inch of me shook under a volcano of molten anger.

"Let us calm down, shall we?"

"
Calm down?
Is that a joke? What's wrong with you people? My brother is dead! And my girlfriend is missing! And you... you...." This was the part where, had this been a cartoon, my head would have exploded into a rainbow of confetti.

Jackson held up his hand to silence me, and leaned back in his chair. He looked at the chief, who seemed... well, I'd swear he was on my side.

Jackson sighed and said, "All right, then, let's talk about this Mitchell Norton. The chief has told us about your concerns regarding Norton, but I think it would be best if we heard it directly from you."

I glanced at the chief, who smiled almost imperceptibly and nodded. I took a deep breath and tried to relax my shoulders, which felt like nine tons of concrete, and sat back.

I recounted the entire story for them exactly as I'd told the chief, but with a special emphasis on the coincidental nature of the two encounters. It would have been a hell of a lot easier if I could have told them about the hypnosis. I was so damned tempted to do so, but I couldn't betray Frank.

There had to be another way. They had to see the truth.

"It's just that he was in those places," I said, "watching us. What other reason could there be? I mean, I suppose one instance is nothing, but two? And there was something about the guy, especially the way he looked at Diana. He was creepy."

"I'm sure you know we can't arrest someone for being
creepy
," Jackson said.

"Yeah, I think I get that!"
Geez, this guy is starting to get on my nerves!
"But can't you question him? Intimidate him, like you're doing to me?"

He gave a slight smile, like a politician about to pick my pocket. "We don't mean to intimidate you, Mr. Hooper."

Sure, Dick Tracy, whatever you say.

"Let's step back for a moment," he said. "First, there is no current evidence to support the idea that your brother's murder and these disappearances are related. I believe the chief will concur with that."

Chief Radlon nodded.

Good grief, this is hardly rocket science. Why don't you understand?

"However," Jackson continued, "neither is there evidence to preclude such a possibility. Therefore, we will keep an open mind."

Geez, don't do me any favors, Deputy Dog!

"Tell me, Mr. Hooper, why do
you
think those events are related?"

"Are you kidding?" I ticked the reasons off on my fingers. "First, my little brother is murdered. A week later, my girlfriend disappears. Shortly thereafter, three more kids disappear. You don't find that too coincidental?"

Nobody answered. They just stared at me.

"Ah geez, we're back to me being a suspect. I can't believe this is happening."

"No one has been able to confirm an alibi for you on either of those two occasions, and you yourself said you were the last to see each of them. One problem: no one can confirm that you left them safely at home."

What could I say? I stared at him for a moment.

Then it occurred to me. "What about these last three disappearances? You
will
be able to confirm my alibis for those. Are you suggesting those are also coincidental to Alex and Diana? Do you think I'm responsible for killing the two people I love more than anyone in the world, and that
someone else
is responsible for the other three? All this in sleepy little Algonquin, where such things are—What were your words?—
rare indeed
? Is that what you're suggesting?"

Nothing terribly positive happened after that. They asked me if I could think of anyone who might want to hurt me by hurting those close to me. All I could say was that I didn't think so. Since I couldn't tell them about the hypnosis, I couldn't explain how I knew—I
knew
—that it
must
be Mitchell Norton.

If they wouldn't follow him, I would, and if he hadn't killed her already, he
would
lead me to Diana. He must. I was drowning here.

You must stay alive, Diana. Please, whatever it takes, just stay alive.

I ate dinner with the family again, a nice break after nothing but sandwiches with Diana. I made up a story about the previous two days, telling them that Frankie Walters and I had this marathon
Risk
tournament in the works, and that we'd probably spend a few days finishing the games.

After a quick phone call, Frankie said he'd cover for me—so long as he didn't get too stoned to remember.

I called work and said I had to deal with a family emergency. Since I rarely asked for time off, my boss said he understood, and that he'd have his idiot son cover for me.

Just after six o'clock, I packed my supplies into the van, anxious to return to the shop. With the distraction of Chief Radlon's visit, I hadn't given adequate thought to Diana.

I would do that back at the shop.

I'd keep her foul mouth gagged so she couldn't light into me with more of that vile language. Such a display! I couldn't believe she'd fucked with me like that, but lying bound, gagged and naked for the last thirty hours had probably brought some sense to her. Come to think of it, thirty hours was a long time to hold it. She'd probably pissed all over herself.

It served her right.

I climbed into the van, but something about the chief's visit still bothered me. Why was I so nervous? Everything appeared normal around the neighborhood, but my sphincter puckered like a girl about to lose her virginity.

If the police were onto me, wouldn't they be watching me? I couldn't shake the feeling.

I stepped back inside, grabbed my dad's binoculars from the den, and ran upstairs to the attic. I crawled to the south window and looked down the street. Two blocks south, someone had parked an unusual car with tinted windows, and there was definite movement inside. The driver slouched down in the seat, as if that made him the fuckin' Invisible Man.

That car did not belong in this neighborhood—must be hard to hide a car where residents rarely parked on the road, especially when the entire street was only three blocks long. Officer Dumbass down there had almost pulled it off. Almost.

Shit, I'll have to figure out how to lose him before returning to the shop.

The east and west windows looked on other homes—nothing suspicious there. I crawled to the north window and looked toward Pioneer Road.

Another car sat there with someone inside, also slouched down in his seat, but definitely watching the house.

Wait one fuckin' minute! Isn't that...? Well, I'll be damned.

I'd have recognized that old Bonneville anywhere. The cops must not have known about him; they'd never allow such a thing. My nemesis had jumped into the game.

How did you find out about the game, Hooper?

Diana would clearly have to wait. Another phone call was in order, but I'd have to be careful; couldn't let on that I knew who Hooper was.

Fifteen minutes later, things were about to get interesting. If Officer Dumbass hadn't known that the chief was stopping by, he was gonna have a cow.

I stood on the lawn as he pulled into the driveway. "Thanks for coming by, Chief."

He popped the door open and grunted as he stood up. "You said you have some urgent news about the case?"

"Not exactly, but I wasn't sure how else to get you out here."

His eyes narrowed. "Excuse me? What's going on here, Mr. Norton? Are you looking for trouble?"

"Listen, if anyone should be upset, it should be me. Your visit earlier was bad enough, quite annoying in fact, but this is over the top."

"What are you talking about?"

Without looking, I pointed up the road and put on my best
betrayed
voice. "Come on, we both know I'm talking about your men watching me. Are they supposed to follow me wherever I go?"

I thought I'd played this right, pointing out Hooper without naming him. The chief must have been trying to figure out the plural "men" now.

"And which men are those, Mr. Norton?"

"Let's see, there's that black Chevy parked south a couple blocks...." I looked down the street to point it out, but it was gone.

"What Chevy is that?"

"What the hell? It was there, and I know it was a cop."

"I think you may be confused."

Bullshit!

He must have radioed Officer Dumbass after I'd phoned in. I hadn't seen the car leave, but I damn sure knew it didn't belong in this neighborhood, and someone had been inside.

"Well done," I said. "You got me on that one, but we still have the blue Pontiac on Pioneer Road. That old bucket of bolts is a nice touch, by the way—truly undercover. I probably wouldn't have thought much of it if it weren't for your man in the Chevy." I held a hand up. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You don't know nothin' about that. What about the guy in the Pontiac?"

He looked north, and when he spotted the Bonneville, a strange look overtook his face.

This was my chance. "What's the matter, Chief, no response? Screw this shit!"

I darted toward Hooper's car before the chief could stop me.

"Wait one minute!"

"No chance," I yelled back as he followed me. "I've had enough of this harassment."

Nice indignation again,
the Reaper said.
Damn, you're getting good at this.

I approached the car, and the face of my nemesis.... How precious! He looked stunned, nervous and confused. He could only sit there and wait. Perfect.

The chief came fast on my heels and still yelled, but I ignored him and pressed on. When I got alongside the car, I smiled at Hooper. The look on his face was hilarious—like he'd tried to swallow an entire lemon. I'd have laughed my ass off if I hadn't been so fuckin' mad.

Radlon arrived three steps behind me.

"You're hiring them young, aren't you, Chief?"

He motioned for Hooper to get out of the car, and I waited for the whole thing to blow up in Hooper's face.

"Tony, what are you doing here?" The chief's voice dripped with disappointment. "I told you to leave it to us."

This was my chance. I yelled, "What? He's not a cop? Who the hell is this.... Wait a damn minute! Did you say
Tony
? That article I read about the Hooper kid—it said he had a brother named Tony and.... Are you kidding me?
He's
watching my house?
This
is Tony Hooper?"

"Calm down, Mr. Norton," the chief said. "I'll take care of this."

"Calm down? Bullshit! I want this guy arrested."

"That's quite amusing, Mitchell." A new voice—the quiet, confident voice of my nemesis—spoke.

He seemed way too calm for my tastes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The chief jumped in. "Look, I want you two to—"

"I know you recognize me, Mitchell, just as I know what you've done, even if Chief Radlon can't prove it yet."

How the hell was that possible? There was no fucking way he could know.

"Now wait one damned minute," the chief yelled. "I'll do the talking from here on in."

This was pissing me off. "But Chief—"

"Shut up, Mr. Norton! I said
I'll
do the talking and I meant it. Tony, I want you to get into your car and drive directly to the station. I'll be there shortly. Now!"

Hooper looked at him with puppy dog eyes, and with a hint of what might have been shame, but he hopped in his car and drove off.

Good. I
definitely
needed to put an end to this shit.

Radlon waited until that fuckin' Hooper was gone. "Mr. Norton, I want you to return home. I will deal with Mr. Hooper."

"And what about the officer you removed, the one in the black Chevy?"

"Are we on that again? I can't speak to a car that's not there. If you'll excuse me...." He spun back toward my house.

Fuckin' liar.
"Maybe I should get myself a lawyer."

"Why do you think you need one?"

"I think I may have to file a nice lawsuit. How would that be?"

"You have no grounds for a lawsuit, but it's your money if you want to waste it."

"What I want is to go about my business undisturbed. Waste or not, the next time I spot a tail I
will
call a lawyer."

"I don't see any
tail
, Mr. Norton."

I screamed, "Bullshit! You must have called him off. I want to get on with my life without interference!"

Whoa!
the Reaper said.
Easy, Mitchell, you're losing your cool.

"Okay." The chief kept his voice low and calm, and smiled. "Why don't we leave you to that?"

"You're goddamned straight. I ain't gonna put up with no more of this shit."

Angry silence accompanied my walk back home. Radlon got in his car and backed out without even looking at me.

Free to contemplate my next move, I couldn't think straight. I needed to return to the shop, to address my special plans for Diana, but everything had gone to shit-on-a-stick.

"I gotta get rid of that bitch, make sure they never find her body."

You're good at that, aren't you, Mitchell?

"Damn straight."

I needed to give it a little time to cool down—couldn't have none of them fuckheads following me. I needed the darkness of night.

Diana would have to wait awhile longer. She'd probably piss herself some more, but that was too fuckin' bad. Suddenly, I didn't give one stinkin' pile of
shit
about the queen bitch, Diana Gregario.

"She's dead meat."

As it should be, Mitchell.