Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss (29 page)

“No, Sophie. I’ve never threatened you. I never threatened my father, either. Like I said, I’m unpredictable. If you’re scared of me now then you’re probably safe. It’s when you feel safe that you’ll have a problem. Then again, it may not be you personally who is in danger. Maybe it will be someone else in your fucked-up family who will get hurt. Your sister, your mother…how old is your nephew again? Pretty easy to sneak up on a toddler.”

“You fucking asshole!” I reached into my pocket and fondled the handle of my switchblade. But Kane wasn’t looking at me anymore. He was looking at the cushions on my couch.

“What’s this, Sophie?” he asked, zoning in on a corner of silver.

“Nothing, I—”

But he had it. He was pulling out the digital recorder and his finger was on the play button.

“I NEED TO CALL ANDREA!” I yelled, but it didn’t drown out Andrea’s voice.

Kane threw the recorder down and it smashed against the hardwood floor. “You lying little cunt!”

He lunged at me, but I managed to step aside, fumbling with my knife as I did so. It wasn’t opening like it had in the store. Now I knew why it was legal—it didn’t fucking work! He lunged again and I turned and ran for the door, which almost knocked me out as Marcus swung it open. Unlike me, his weapon was already drawn. He pointed the bottle right at Kane’s face and pressed down on the nozzle.

It wasn’t until Kane had his hands pressed against his eyes and was screaming in agony that I figured out what it was Marcus had just assaulted him with. Aerosol hairspray.

And it was at that moment that the cavalry arrived. The police with their guns drawn had us all put our hands up as Marcus and I tried to babble explanations and Kane moaned in pain.

“The van!” Marcus finally sputtered. “Freak-boy here has this whole place bugged. Everything that happened is recorded in the van.”

The police looked more than a little incredulous, but when two more squad cars arrived one of the officers went to check it out. Another escorted Kane to the bathroom where he could flush out his eyes.

“I’m so glad you came,” I whispered to Marcus as we stood side by side, our hands still on our heads.

“How is it that you always get me into these situations, and why do I let you?”

“I know, but I’ll…I’ll send a troop of male strippers to your apartment to make it up to you.”

“Please, men don’t have to be paid to get undressed for me.”

“Found the van.”

We turned to see that the officer who had left had now returned. “You can put your hands down now,” he said, and then to the other officers, “The van’s right across the street. It’s got an ad on the side of it for some bogus stereo equipment store, but it’s clearly some kind of mobile surveillance unit. It’s registered to one Kane Crammer. I listened to a few minutes of what went down here tonight.”

Kane emerged from the bathroom with his police escort, his face dripping with water.

“Cuff him,” Officer I-found-the-van said. “We’re bringing this guy in.”

And when they were halfway through the Miranda rights, Scott called me. The contract was in the mail. I had won in every sense of the word. I turned to Kane, ready to taunt him with some words of triumph, but something in his expression stopped me. He wasn’t looking at the officers who were in the process of arresting him. He was staring at me. “I’ll get out,” he said. “And then we will be continuing our conversation.”

The cop who had just finished reading him his rights wrinkled his nose. “I’ve gotta remember that one. It’ll make a good talking point in court when the judge is deciding whether or not to grant bail.”

Another two police officers entered and Kane was dragged out the door. I knew what these new officers had for me. Questions, questions and more questions. But for the first time in weeks I had some answers. I didn’t even blink as more and more police showed up. Nor did it bother me when they started wandering around my house collecting bugs, taking photos and finding Kane’s hidden speakers. In fact, I didn’t get flustered until Anatoly showed up. He wasn’t happy.

25

The people who love us frequently hurt us when they’re trying to help us. The people who hate us are much more reliable.

—
The Lighter Side of Death

HE ARRIVED A LITTLE BEFORE ELEVEN WHEN THE LAST OF THE POLICE WERE
leaving. He didn’t come to the front door at first, so it wasn’t until I was walking Marcus out the door that I spotted him. He was standing on the sidewalk, and while it was too dark and foggy for me to really see his eyes, I knew that he was glaring.

“Ooooh, you’re in trouble now, honey!” Marcus laughed.

I slapped him lightly on the arm. “It’s not funny.”

“Wanna bet? I’ll skidoodle so you two can have your little tête à tête.”

“Thanks…I mean, really, thank you.” I reached for his hand now and held it in both of mine. “You saved my life today.”

Marcus smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Anytime, sweetie.” He jogged down my front steps and paused only long enough to say something to Anatoly before popping into his own car and taking off.

And then there were two. Anatoly didn’t even bother to say hello as he stormed past me into the house.

“I thought we agreed on what we were going to do,” he snapped.

“No,” I said, “
we
didn’t.”

“Do I even want to know why the police were here? Do I want to know what suicidal game plan you came up with this time?”

“Probably not. But you might want to know that Kane’s been arrested for bugging my house and killing his father. He’ll probably get convicted for Enrico’s murder, as well, so next time you see her be sure to tell Maria a thank-you card is in order. Oh, and I got Kane to sign the house over to me, so that’s all taken care of, too.”

For the second time in two days Anatoly’s mouth was hanging open. “You did it,” he finally managed. “You saved the day without screwing anything up.”

“Pretty amazing, huh?”

“And you don’t want to tell me the details of how you pulled this off?”

“To be honest, no, I really don’t. You’ll just get mad again and I’m too tired to get into a heated debate. Besides, you decided we shouldn’t argue about things I’ve already done and can’t change.”

Anatoly smiled and shook his head. “I knew I was going to regret that one.”

“I did, too, but you are the one who said it.”

He nodded and fell back on the couch. “All the bugs are gone?”

“The police took every last one as evidence.”

“And this house is really yours.”

“Kane signed the papers.”

“This is before or after you had him arrested?”

“Before, of course.”

“Of course. So, now what?”

“Now,” I said as I sat next to him, “I finish unpacking and we go furniture shopping. Just so you know, your pool table isn’t coming anywhere near this living room.”

He studied me for a moment and Mr. Katz stuck his head out from where he had been hiding in a semifilled box. “You want me to move in.”

“Yes. As soon as possible.”

The corner of his mouth curved up into that sexy little half smile of his. “We drive each other crazy, Sophie. I’m still reeling from what you pulled tonight.”

“A little craziness is good. It makes life interesting.”

“A
little?
” He laughed. “We also can’t keep our hands off each other. If we’re around each other every day how will we get anything done?”

“It’ll be good,” I said as I reached over and traced the outline of his pecs. “I hate going to the gym and if I can do you daily I’ll be able to work off all those Frappuccinos.”

“So I’d be like your personal trainer.”

“More like a good, strong workout partner.”

Anatoly smiled and moved both his hands to my face. He kissed me deeply and then pulled away and stood up. “I need to think about this,” he said.

“What’s to think about? You said not too long ago that you wanted to live with me.”

“I know what I said. But honestly, I’m still a little pissed.”

I swallowed and clasped my hands in my lap. “Will you get over it?”

“Yes, I have to. I’m in love with you.”

If we had been in a movie there would have been some fantastic song playing in the background, extolling the bittersweet virtues of romance. But our soundtrack was Mr. Katz. Somehow that felt right for us.

“You’ll call me tomorrow?” I asked.

“I’ll come by. We’ll have breakfast.”

“I’m a little tired tonight. But tomorrow, if you really promise to forgive me, I’ll give you a great blow job.”

He smiled. “I should get going. You’ll be okay here alone for the night?”

“I’ll be fine. This is my home, after all.”

He nodded and went to the door, but just like this morning he paused once he had opened it. “Sophie?”

“Yes?”

“All your blow jobs are great.”

And then I was alone. In
my
house. I started walking around the room, touching the walls, the moldings; at one point I even bent down and touched the floors. This place had been worth every bit of trouble it had caused me. Its history of love, lust and loathing only made it more complete. This wasn’t a fairytale house. This place had substance. I stopped in front of the photo of my father and this time I didn’t just look at it, I actually touched it, my hand falling just right of the child-hand that caressed his cheek.

“I actually thought you were here with me,” I said quietly. “Even after all these years. But that was Kane, wasn’t it? He planted the lip gloss, he did everything. You…you’re just gone.”

I kissed my free hand and put it against his chin and for a split second I thought I could feel the tickle of his beard against my fingertips. “Goodbye, Dad,” I whispered. “I’ve finally decided to let you go.”

I turned around and there was Mr. Katz watching me approvingly. “Come on,” I said, leading him up the stairs, “let’s go to bed. Our bed in our house.” I laughed at the way that came out. “Our house,” I said again. “Soon it will belong to Anatoly, too. I guess I’m going to have to give up on my dreams of becoming a spinster cat lady.”

I took my time preparing myself for bed, knowing that the lights wouldn’t be turning on and off. Strange brooches wouldn’t be showing up on my bed. Everything was calm. When I finally tucked myself under the covers, Mr. Katz was already asleep on the pillow beside me. Anatoly’s pillow.

If I kept thinking like that I would make myself giddy, and then I would never get to sleep.

So I stopped thinking altogether.

I felt my body get heavier.

Then lighter.

And then I was dreaming.

26

What you don’t know can not only hurt you, it can kill you.

—
The Lighter Side of Death

HE WAS WITH ME, HOLDING MY HAND. I WAS AN ADULT AND HE WAS
…ageless. He wasn’t human at all anymore, I could see that now. The outline of his form was blurred by a brilliant illuminating light that seemed to come from his center. “You don’t need to hold my hand anymore, Dad,” I said. “I’ve already let go of yours.”

“Tonight I do,” he replied. “Before I go, I need to stand beside you one more time. That means you need to stand up, too, Sophie. Stand up right now.”

I felt a tugging on my arm and I cracked open my eyes, but I couldn’t have been fully awake because I could still see him and feel him. That was impossible. He was dead.

And then I smelled the gasoline.

The image of my father was gone. I was alone in the room with a very awake, very alarmed-looking Mr. Katz, and there was someone downstairs moving around, and there was gasoline.

I ran toward the living room, my bare feet pounding out a rapid rhythm down the steps as my inner voice screamed the obvious:
Kane’s back.

I was ready for him when I got down there. His mommy fixation was his weakness and I knew how to use it as a weapon against him.

Except it wasn’t Kane. Standing in the middle of my living room holding a can of gasoline and a lighter was Lorna. At her feet was another gasoline can, but that one was empty, which explained why my feet were now wet.

“Lorna,” I said, hoping that saying her name would help me readjust to this new and unexpected enemy. “Are you trying to kill me?”

She stared at me blankly for a moment. Her eyes had been lined with a sky-blue eyeliner and her mascara had clumped, turning her eyelashes into minidaggers. “No,” she finally answered. “You can leave.”

I put my hands on my hips, now more indignant than frightened. “I can leave?” I repeated. “Gee, how nice of you to let me get out of here before you BURN DOWN MY HOUSE!”

“I have to burn it down,” Lorna said. “He hurt her here. She told me. She said that he sat her down on the couch in this room and he kissed her.”

“Are we talking about your daughter?”

“But I didn’t believe her,” Lorna went blankly on. “I told her that Italians kissed all the time, that it didn’t mean anything. And so she stopped telling me things. And then she died. It all started here.”

“Lorna, I’m really sorry about your daughter. Seriously, I can’t even imagine what I’d do. That said, I think maybe it’s time to talk about all this with a psychiatrist.”

She looked down at the gas can still in her hand. “I came by earlier. I looked through the window and you were talking to Kane. Is Kane still here?”

“No.”

“That’s good. I don’t want to hurt him, either. When you talk to him next, please tell him that I killed Enrico. The bird locked the door behind me. Enrico taught me how to get him to do that. He didn’t know I was there to kill him.”

“And the scythe?” I asked. “Where’d you get that.”

“Maria took it back from Arizona. She didn’t tell you that part. She didn’t tell you that it was in that condo. She didn’t take it with her when she moved. Isn’t that strange? I know why she didn’t tell you, though. She didn’t want you to think she was guilty. Maria’s not guilty of anything but being nice. I really like Maria.”

That was it. I didn’t care what it said in my escrow agreement, I was going to find a way out of being a part of the Specter Society.

“Lorna,” I said carefully, “give me the lighter.”

“My daughter came to me after that…I didn’t see her, and I couldn’t hear her, but I could sense she was near. That’s when I knew she approved. She wanted me to purge the earth of the sins that were committed against her. You can commit a sin against someone, can’t you? Or should I say crimes?”

“Lorna, the lighter. I need it now.”

“I’m going to be with her now, after I do this one thing. You better leave. She doesn’t need me to hurt you.”

“Lorna! You need to come out of your trance and listen to me! Do you have any idea what I had to go through to get this house? Kane is in jail right now for all the shit he tried to pull. Venus is probably sticking pins in a Sophie doll as we speak, and my ex-husband has spent the last few weeks alternating between lying to me, whining to me and trying to get in my pants. It’s been like being married to him all over again and that is
not
a good thing. So no, I’m not going to just walk away and let you destroy the whole place just because you have some sick notion that it’s going to make things right with your late daughter. And by the way, you have another kid and it would really suck for him if you burned yourself alive!”

Lorna held up the lighter. “This is your last chance.”

I knew I needed to be scared, but I was just so incredibly angry! I was going to have to walk away! All my dreams were literally about to go up in smoke and there was nothing I could do about it!

But I couldn’t risk being burned alive, not even if it meant I had a chance to save this house. That had to be where I drew the line. I gritted my teeth and took a side step toward the door. And then it hit me. Something very important was missing.

“I have to get my cat.” It hurt my throat to say the words. I was admitting defeat. I was giving up.

“There’s no time for that, you have to leave now.”

Well, that
really
wasn’t going to happen.

“You’re going to have to wait until I get my cat.”

Lorna shook her head and this time she dumped the remaining gas on the floor. The lighter was still held high in front of her.

“Sorry, Sophie.”

I opened my mouth in a last-ditch attempt to reason with her, but then there was a sudden shift in her expression. It went from psychotic calm to confused to totally awed. Her eyes were glued to something behind me, but I didn’t turn around. I was focused on the lighter and when her grip loosened I rushed her. She went down with a crash and the lighter flew from her hands, but she wriggled free from beneath me using the smelly slickness of the gasoline to slide forward. She grabbed the lighter at the same time I did and we rolled around, wrestling and grunting as we tried to breathe without inhaling. With a sickening feeling I realized that this fight could go either way.

I was yelling at her, yelling so loud I didn’t hear the door open, didn’t hear the footsteps approaching, but I did feel the hands. Strong masculine hands with long manicured nails wedging between me and Lorna and pulling the lighter away from both of us. Lorna and I both stopped and looked up at Venus.

Venus glared down at us. “Lorna,” she said, choking on the name, “were you trying to burn this house down with Sophie in it?”

Lorna curled up in a ball and started rocking back and forth.

“You were trying to kill her,” Venus continued. “And now you’ve put me in the position of having to save this slut’s life! I came here to make her miserable! She found out about me and she told Scott. This…this cunt took him from me and now I have to fucking save her life! Is this some kind of
joke?
”

Lorna didn’t say anything and continued to rock.

I cleared my throat. “Um, Venus, I think we should call the police.”

“Shut up!” she screamed waving the lighter at me like a pointer. “This does not make us friends. You know that, right? I hate you and I will spend the rest of my days trying to make your life a living hell!”

“But you’re not going to set the house on fire, right?”

Venus gave me a withering look and handed me the lighter. “Call the police.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “You saved my life. And my home! And my cat’s life!”

“Fan-fucking-tabulous! Call the damn police!”

“Right, okay, but…um…my cell’s upstairs. Can I use yours?”

“I really hate you,” Venus snarled as she handed me the phone.

“Yeah, I, um, got that.” I dialed 911. “Hey, this is Sophie Katz. You guys were here earlier this evening and I was hoping you might be willing to swing by again. I have another murderer on my hands and it would be great if you could take care of her.”

I continued to give the 911 operator information until I could hear the sirens wail down the street. As I hung up Lorna looked up at me with misty eyes. “That picture moved by itself, just as I was about to set the fire. It just…moved!”

I turned around and there it was. The picture of my father and me at a complete diagonal and underneath it was the lip gloss, just sitting there on the mantel of the fireplace. I knew damned well that wasn’t where I had left it.

The police barged in. This time they didn’t have their guns drawn; they had smelled the gas. “We all need to get out of here right now.”

Speechless I looked up and saw Mr. Katz watching me from the top of the staircase. If I didn’t know better I would have sworn he was smiling.