Imola (21 page)

Why don’t you just take off? You have what you need to disappear
.

Her foot pushed on the gas pedal and the GTO lurched. She tried to remain calm. It was too soon to get agitated.

Please don’t do this
.

She had to back off. The speedometer needle pointed past eighty. She brought the car down slowly, along with her breathing. If she concentrated on her respiration, she could get Agnes out of her mind.

You can’t
.

Then you’ll come for the ride in a front row seat again. You know what we’re going for, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

You don’t have to do it this way
.

What do you suggest? Solve it with logic? Dealing with threats that way just doesn’t work. Threats are neutralized by greater threats. Violence by greater violence.

You’re not doing this because of any threat
.

How would you know? You back away at the slightest difficulty, threat or not. Doing it your way, you’d have me caught by now. I’m still free, and I intend to stay that way. That’s because I deal with threats; I don’t sidestep them. All of your threats are still hanging around. None have gone away. I make mine go away.

Was the student a threat to you? How about the car salesman?

The GTO lurched again.

I needed the cars. I was threatened if I didn’t have them.

You know that’s not why you killed them
.

What do you know about it?

You know you didn’t have to kill them to get the cars
.

Lilin spoke aloud, in a shout. “You want to know why I do what I do? When we were young, you just stood and watched. You didn’t do anything to help me. You let yourself go away. I couldn’t go away. I had to be there. And this is what I got for it.” The speedometer swept passed ninety. She backed off the pedal and breathed deeply.

You know the truth about that, too
.

There’s nothing I can do about it now. All I know is that I have to deal with everything I see as a threat.

Why are you going out of your way looking for one tonight?

You know why. This person is dangerous.

You only think so
.

I know so. I’ve got news for you. What I deal withtonight is only secondary to my major threat. But this is the only way to deal with that primary threat right now. Sometimes a challenge can’t be dealt with directly.

You’re still dodging the truth. You do it for the thrill. The threat is your way of rationalizing it. You do it because it makes you feel good, emotionally and physically. Nothing else
.

I don’t see a problem in mixing business with pleasure. And you’re right about that one thing. You know how good it feels to finally yank a wood splinter from your finger. It’s almost worth the pain and irritation of the original injury. To me, it’s more than worth it. The pain is just an expense. Overhead. No, not overhead. More like an investment. The payoff is everything—and the more it festers, the greater the payoff. Do you know how long my festering has been going on?

You react that way because you’re weak
.

Lilin’s fist crashed down on the steering wheel, and the GTO swerved. She corrected and hit the accelerator, pushing her back into the seat. Her voice filled the car. “That’s why I’m going to Santa Rosa tonight. I have to deal with the person who makes you feel this way. Because you are the threat to me. It’s you I have to defeat.” She let off the accelerator.

“That’s why you’re going to have your hand on the razor along with me tonight. You’re going to watch it all. Experience it all. Do it all. Feel it all. Especially the final pleasure. An important part of you will die tonight, at your own hands. And that territory will be mine. I’m taking you apart piece by piece, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Lilin turned off Highway 101 and pulled into the parking lot of a twenty-four-hour supermarket. In the back, a flower display had large, mixed bouquets for $7.95 plus tax. She grabbed one and hurried to the checkout counter, thrusting a ten-dollar bill in the cashier’s hand. By the time the change rolled down the automatic dispenser and into the tray, she was already gone.

Lilin weaved the car along the surface streets of Santa Rosa. She knew the way. She’d followed Jason around before Agnes’s arrest.

The GTO pulled into the complex, and she slipped it into a parking space between two generic SUVs. It was late—most people would be in for the night. No foot traffic.

The walk to the front door started slowly, but she picked up the pace as she neared the welcome mat. Her pulse raced, but nowhere near her red line. That would come later.

Holding the flowers high, in front of her face, she pushed the doorbell button. She expected caution, a telltale blink of light from the peephole viewer. But the dooropened without the squeak of hesitation. She pushed the flowers forward a little, still in front of her face, and took a small step. The threshold was only inches from her toes.

“Yes? Can I help you?”

Lilin lowered the flowers in a quick swipe and pushed her way into the entryway, knocking April Leahy backward.

The element of surprise has a strange effect on the surprised.

April’s eyes bulged and her mouth gaped, but she made no sound. Lilin kicked the door shut and continued pushing April into the living room. The flowers fell to the floor.

“Sit down and shut up, and nothing will happen to you.”

You lie
.

April sat. Her mouth moved, but no words came out.

Lilin sat on the coffee table, directly in front of April. Her knees forced April’s legs apart slightly. “You need to do me a favor tonight.”

April found her voice, but it was tentative. “Agnes?”

Lilin slapped her knees into April’s inner thighs. “No! Not Agnes. Guess again.”

“Agnes, what’s going on? You need to turn yourself in. You’ve messed up all the progress we made.”

A cackle-like laugh accompanied Lilin’s second knee slap. If Dr. Leahy was trying to sound professional, she’d failed. She sounded scared. “If you made so much progress, then why am I here instead of in Imola? And why is it me instead of Agnes?”

April’s lips moved again, but again no sound came out. Her eyes watered.

She can help you
.

Lilin leaned forward. “Do you want to know about your progress? The latest killings—Agnes did them with me. She was there. She helped. And she enjoyed herself. With me.”

April’s hands shook in her lap. “Agnes? Why are you saying this? Why are you pretending to be Lilin? Lilin is dead. She died when you were four years old.”

“I didn’t die. I’m here. Right now. Agnes is the one who’s gone.”

Tears released onto April’s cheeks. “What do you want from me? You need to turn yourself in. I can help you.”

Lilin rested her hands on April’s knees. “I want you to admit that you failed. I was there the whole time you talked to Agnes. You kept talking about breakthroughs, but your breakthroughs were with me. And you didn’t even know it.” She squeezed April’s knees. “Tell me you failed. Tell Agnes you failed. You didn’t make Agnes stronger. You made me stronger. Tell her that. Tell her.”

April took a deep breath. “Agnes? Remember what you did to Stuart the Stud? He tried to intimidate you. You gave it back to him. That’s what you need to do now—”

The slap knocked April over onto the couch cushions. She rose slowly. “Agnes. Don’t be intimidated.”

Lilin reached in her purse.

No. You’re not going to do that
.

Lilin hesitated, but her hand stayed in the purse.

April’s eyes fell to the purse. “You can do it, Agnes.”

Take your hand out of the purse
.

Lilin’s hand eased back but stayed close.

April rubbed her jaw and grimaced. “People who intimidate are weak. You’re strong, Agnes.”

Lilin looked into April’s eyes. “Tell her that you failed.”

She didn’t fail. It’s you who will fail. You’re the weak one
.

Lilin brought her hand back up to April’s knee. She spoke, but not to April. “Weak? Where have you been the past few days? What did you see? Was that weakness, what happened to those men? The predator doesn’t survive if it’s weaker than the prey.”

April sat still. Her eyes stayed on Lilin’s hands.

You’re not a predator. You’re just a run-of-the-mill, cowardly murderer. You seduce. You surprise. But you’re just a coward
.

“I’ll show you who’s a coward.” Lilin reached for the purse again.

April flinched backward.

No. I won’t let you. Not this time
.

“You can’t stop me.”

Yes. I can
.

Lilin rummaged in the purse.

I’m in charge now. Take your hand out of the purse
.

April inched back and pulled one leg up on the couch cushion, hugging it to her chest.

Lilin pulled her hand up and slid it behind her knee. “You can’t stop me.”

I just did. Let her get up. She didn’t fail. You did. You underestimated her. You underestimated me. It’s over now. Let her get up
.

Lilin leaned back a little. She nodded at April. “You can get up.”

April moved slowly. She lifted her leg across Lilin’s knees and pushed herself from the seat back. She scooted over and stood.

Lilin didn’t move, but her eyes locked onto April’s eyes.

Now let her walk away
.

Lilin nodded for April to move away.

April took a step and turned to face Lilin. “Thank you, Agnes. You’re much stronger than Lilin.”

A snarl puckered Lilin’s upper lip, and she lunged. The stun gun she held behind her knee dug into April’s rib cage and three hundred thousand volts surged into April’s body. She went rigid and collapsed on the rug. Lilin fell to her knees and leaned over her convulsing victim.

No. Don’t
.

Too late. She’s mine now. No. Ours.

I won’t let you
.

Okay. Then you’ll have to do it.

Lilin’s hand went to her purse again and came out with the razor. She unfolded it.

You can’t. I won’t let you
.

You’re right. You’re the strong one.

Put the razor down
.

Lilin put the razor on the coffee table.

Move back away from her
.

Lilin stood and moved back a step. April still twitched.

Now we’re going to make a phone call
.

Lilin laughed. She reached down and picked up the razor.

You’re not going to kill her. I’m in charge now
.

You’re right. I won’t kill her.

Then put the razor down
.

Lilin held the razor out at arm’s length.

You’re going to do it.

You can’t make me do that
.

Lilin’s lips tightened into a narrow grin.

Yes. I can. Who do you think she’s been seeing since you went into Imola? Who do you think she’s been fucking? Right here in this apartment. Your precious Jason.

I won’t
.

You feel it, don’t you? That’s anger. It’s not much now, but it can build. It can make you do things you didn’t think you could do. You feel it.

No.

Lilin sat down on the arm of the couch.

I’ll bet she fucked him right here on this couch. Her head was probably right here on this arm. Moaning. She probably told him how much she loved him.

No
.

And right over there, in front of the fireplace. She fucked him right there, too.

No!

Now you feel it. You can feel the power. It’s getting stronger. It’s making you strong.

Lilin unbuttoned her blouse with her free hand and slipped it from her shoulders. Here’s the razor, and here’s the shirt you can hold over the incision. Just like I showed you. You’re going to do it. Because she’s fucking the man you love.

You can’t… make… me
.

Lilin held out the razor.

She pulled the razor across April’s neck and pushed the shirt behind it. April’s twitching stopped, and her breathing went shallow.

Good girl. You did it. You were in charge through it all.

Silence.

Nothing to say? You’re not done yet. You still have the best part to go. I’ll just watch.

She lowered her Levi’s and panties to her ankles.

Not a man, you say? Then you’ll break new ground. I’ll leave it to you. You can find a way, but be quick. While your pulse is still up.

She bent and pulled on April’s right index finger. She pushed the razor to the bone and then worked it through the joint. She held the digit up in front of her face.

You know what to do now. Don’t worry. You don’t have to say anything. That’s right. You know what to do.