Obsessed (44 page)

“Cran-lemon? I’ve never seen that one before.” Carla looked mystified.

“Oh, I’m sure they’ve got it. It was in practically every store when I lived in Washington.”

“Okay.” Carla headed for the door.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right, alone?” Michael called out after her. “We could all go.”

“I’ll be fine. There’s a Von’s Market about ten blocks away. I’ll be back just as soon as I can.”

Angela waited until the door had closed behind Carla, and then she turned to Michael with a smile. “She’s just wonderful, Michael. I can see why you’re in love with her.”

“In love?” Michael looked uncomfortable. “I like Carla a lot, but I’m not sure I’m in love with her.”

“Of course you are! If you weren’t in love with Carla, you would have kissed me by now. After all, I want you to.” Michael looked even more uncom fortable, but Angela went right on with her plan. “How about one kiss for your best pal?”

Before Michael could say yes or no, Angela moved in. She wound her arms around his neck, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. At first Michael was hesitant, but the heat of Angela’s lips began to thaw his re solve, and Angela almost laughed out loud as he be gan to respond to her.

“Angela . . .” Michael looked uncertain as Angela pulled him toward the couch at the back of the stage. “I don’t think we’d better . . .”

Angela silenced him with another kiss, and this time she let her tongue slide over his lips in a very sensual way. Everything began to happen very fast then, everything that Angela had wanted to happen, and exactly according to her plan.

Carla gave an exasperated sigh as she headed back toward the entrance. She couldn’t believe she’d walked off without her purse. It was a good thing she realized it before she’d gone more than a couple of blocks, but she felt like an idiot for forgetting it in the first place.

The door was unlocked, and that was another thing she’d forgotten to do. Carla sighed again, as she turned the knob. She was obviously rattled and she knew the reason why. Just as she’d feared, Angela and Michael had sounded wonderful together. And that meant that Nate Rose was bound to sign both of them.

Carla hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. What if she came back and said she couldn’t find any Cran- lemon juice? Without it, Angela’s voice might be strained tomorrow night and she wouldn’t be able to audition for Nate Rose.

No, she couldn’t do that. Carla knew she’d feel terribly guilty if she told an outright lie. She’d have to get the juice, and she’d have to give it to Angela. She’d promised she would, and she’d never broken a promise in her life.

Carla pushed open the door and stepped inside. And then she realized that there was no music. An gela’s guitar was propped up against a stool, and Mi chael’s was in its case. They must have stopped practicing. The stage was deserted, except for . . .

Carla’s eyes were drawn to the back of the stage, where Marc had stored the old couch they used in one of the comedy routines. As she stared in terrible fascination, Angela’s blouse slithered over the back, and fell in a heap on the floor. Her bra came next. And then her wrap-around skirt. Carla didn’t wait for the next item of clothing to fall. She just turned on her heel and ran through the door, heading for her car.

It took her several minutes to stop crying. But as her tears dried, a raging anger took their place. An gela had duped her. She hadn’t needed Cran-lemon juice for her throat. She’d just wanted Carla out of the way so that she could make love to Michael!

Carla wiped away her tears, and stared out at the palm tree at the back of the parking lot. Angela was a bitch. She’d pretended to be so sweet and friendly, but all the time she’d been planning to make a move on Michael. A girl like Angela didn’t deserve Mi chael’s love. There had to be something that she could do to make sure that Angela didn’t succeed.

There was a rustling in the bushes at the side of the building, and Carla reached out to lock her doors. Was someone out there? And would that someone sneak into the building, thinking it was deserted for the night? Carla had a sudden mental picture of the Cupid Killer taking revenge on Angela, and she shiv ered a bit. Perhaps it wasn’t fair, but she found herself hoping that the killer would strike again, and make Angela the next victim!

*  *  *

“What was that?!” Michael sat up, startled, and glanced out over the back of the couch. “Hurry up, Angela. Put on your clothes! I think I heard some body!”

Angela laughed, a deep throaty sound that she knew was incredibly sexy. “It’s just your imagina tion, Michael. Take off your clothes and come here.”

“That’s not a good idea.” Michael stood up, and began to button his shirt. “Carla could come back any second.”

Angela laughed, and made a grab for his arm, but Michael stepped back. She pouted, and then she licked her lips. “She won’t be back for hours. I per sonally guarantee it. So come on back here, and show me what an incredible lover you are.”

“What do you mean, she won’t be back?” Michael began to frown. “The grocery store’s only a few blocks away.”

“But she won’t find any Cran-lemon juice there.”

Michael’s frown deepened. “Why not?”

“Because there’s no such thing. I sent her on a wild goose chase so we could be alone. If I know Carla, she’ll go to at least three different stores before she comes back and tells us she can’t find it.”

Michael’s eyes were hard as he stared at Angela. “That was a rotten thing to do!”

“Maybe.” Angela shrugged, and then she smiled again. “But all’s fair in love and war. And I want you to love me, Michael.”

The expression on Michael’s face was fierce, and Angela shuddered slightly. He really looked mad about the dirty trick she’d played, and she was afraid she’d underestimated his feelings for Carla.

“Hey . . . I’m sorry.” Angela managed to look contrite. “I’ll apologize when she comes back. But Carla was in the way. Can’t you understand? I really needed to be alone with you.”

“You don’t need to be alone with me. You just need to be alone, period.” Michael grabbed his guitar case, and climbed down the steps that led from the stage. When he got to the door, he turned and glared at Angela. “I’m going to wait for Carla outside. And when she comes, I’m going to ask her for a ride home.”

Angela sighed, and grabbed her clothes from the back of the couch. Michael was stubborn, but that made him even more of a challenge. Now she had to find a way to get back in his good graces.

It didn’t take long for Angela to dress again. She’d purposely worn clothes that were easy to take on and off. As she was climbing down the steps to go out and placate Michael, she remembered the deli food they’d picked up on their way to Covers. Her mother had always said that the best way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. She’d fix Michael a sand wich, and take it to him as a peace offering. That should put him in a much better mood. And after he’d eaten, she’d appeal to his male ego. She’d promise him that she’d do her absolute best to resist him, even though he was terribly sexy.

Angela was smiling as she opened the packages she’d bought at the deli. There was rare roast beef, Black Forest ham, and three kinds of imported cheese. She slathered two thick slices of freshly baked rye bread with hot German mustard, and be gan to make a sandwich that Michael wouldn’t be able to resist. When she was through, she arranged it all on a paper plate and popped it in the micro wave for a few seconds.

The microwave beeped, and Angela reached out for the catch to release the door. But as her finger touched the lever, all the lights went out. What rotten luck! She’d blown a fuse!

Angela reached into the interior of the microwave, and picked up the sandwich. At least it was hot. Dim light from the parking lot filtered in through the high kitchen window, and Angela carried the sandwich across the kitchen floor. But she stopped and gave a little gasp of fright as she came to the kitchen door. It was closed, and she distinctly remembered leaving it open.

That was when she heard it, soft breathing coming from the dark shadows near the walk~in cooler. An gela shivered, and stepped back so far, she bumped against the wall. Suddenly she remembered the sto ries she’d heard about the food thief and the Cupid Killer, and she began to panic. Someone was in the kitchen with her!

“Michael?” Angela’s voice was shaking, she was so frightened. “Is that you?”

But no one answered. There was only silence and that terrible breathing. In, out. In, out. The breathing got faster and faster. Angela felt her hands begin to tremble, and she flung the sandwich toward the dark est shadow as she turned and ran toward the other kitchen door, the one that led outside.

Her hands found the knob and she twisted desper ately, but the door wouldn’t pull open. She knew there must be a second lock, but where? Her shaking fingers had just located the deadbolt, when strong arms grabbed her from behind. It was too dark to see the arrow, and she didn’t even have time to scream before something hard and heavy crashed down on her head, and endless darkness closed in.

Nineteen

“And you found her?!” Linda looked shocked as Carla nodded. “Was Michael with you?”

Carla nodded again. “Michael was waiting for me when I drove up. Von’s didn’t have any Cran-lemon juice, so I bought a quart of Cran-apple.”

“Cran-lemon?” Linda looked puzzled. “I didn’t know they made that kind.”

“They don’t. It was just Angela’s excuse to get me out of the way so she’d have time to put her moves on Michael.”

Linda sighed. “I know it isn’t nice to say, under the circumstances, but Angela was really a bitch.”

“That’s true. I knew all that when I went out for the juice, but I’d promised, so I did it. The trip to the store helped. I needed the time to cool off.”

“I’ll bet!” Linda raised her eyebrows. Carla had already told her how she’d gone back inside and dis covered Angela and Michael on the couch. “I don’t think I would have gone back.”

“I wasn’t going to, at first. I felt like driving straight home, but then I remembered that I’d only seen Angela’s clothes draped over the back of the couch.”

Linda nodded. “And you were hoping that maybe she was just changing into another outfit?”

“I knew better than that.” Carla gave a small laugh. “But I decided it was only fair to give Michael the benefit of the doubt. After all, I didn’t see any of his clothes. As it turned out, I was right. Angela did her best to seduce Michael, but he got so mad when she admitted that she’d tricked me, he grabbed his guitar and left.”

“And he forgot his keys?”

“That’s right. The door locked behind him, and he couldn’t get back in. That’s the reason he was waiting outside.”

“Did Michael know what was happening inside?” Linda winced a little.

“No. He didn’t even know that the lights were off, until I unlocked the front door.”

“Were you scared?” Linda shivered again.

“Of course. Michael remembered how the lights had gone off when Heidi was killed, and neither one of us really wanted to go inside.”

“But you did.”

“Only after we called out for Angela, and she didn’t answer. That’s when we knew that something was wrong. I got the flashlight from my car, and Mi chael picked up a big branch to use as a club. And then . . .” Carla stopped and swallowed hard. “And then we went inside.”

Linda looked worried as she saw how pale Carla was. “You don’t have to tell me any more if you don’t want to.”

“Thanks, Linda.” Carla smiled at her friend. “But I don’t mind telling you. I’ve already gone over it twice for the police, and once more won’t matter. But I’ll never forget how scared I was, shining that flashlight around in the dark.”

“Did you find Angela right away?”

“No. We went straight to the light box, and Michael turned on the lights. The killer had turned them off with the master switch.”

“Just like he did the last time!” Linda took a deep breath, and let it out with a shuddering sigh. “That was when you knew, right?”

“That was when we suspected. But we were still hoping that Angela was all right. We looked on the stage, and she wasn’t there, and then we went to . . . to the kitchen to see if she’d run out that way.”

“And you found her there, by the outside door?”

“That’s right.” Carla nodded. “We thought maybe she was still alive, but then Michael saw the shaft of the arrow, and we knew for sure that she wasn’t.”

Linda reached out to pat Carla’s shoulder. “This is going to sound strange, but I’m glad you were there with Michael. At least the police can’t suspect him this time.”

“Oh, yes they can!” Carla’s voice was bitter. “Don’t forget that I was gone for at least twenty minutes, getting that juice. All they have is Michael’s word that he was outside when Angela was killed. There was no one else there to verify it.”

“So he’s a suspect again?”

Carla nodded. “I’m afraid so. I know that Michael didn’t kill Angela, but the police think he did.”

“Are they going to arrest him?”

“Andy says it’s only a matter of time. His uncle told him they’re ninety-nine percent sure that Mi chael’s the Cupid Killer.”

“That’s awful! What are you going to do?” Linda looked nervous.

“I’m not sure, but I have to do something.” Carla shivered, although the hot afternoon sun was stream ing through the office window. “I’m going to prove that Michael’s innocent, even if I have to catch the Cupid Killer myself!”