The Dead Parade (10 page)

“
I’m at Sue’s house. I might stay here a while.”

“
Which Sue are you talking about? You don’t mean—?”

“
Suzy, the cute black chick. The one that throws those parties… you know who I’m talking about, right? We were at her place for––”

“
The Christmas party! She has that little Siamese cat.”

James nodded thinking, not anymore she doesn’t. She has a Siamese cat corpse. “Yeah. That’s her.”

“
Oh shit. She’s dead?”

“
Yeah.”

“
What happened? Did Sue kill herself too?”

“
I think so.”

Debra expelled a large mouthful of air. She was speechless. A moment ago she wanted to yell at James but now her thoughts were spinning. She still felt angry but she couldn’t yell. Not now. She wanted more information.

“
Oh man,” she said. “This is bad.”

James opened his mouth but said nothing. He wanted to explain it all: the car, the fire, the incident at the school, the disturbing things he had seen in the basement, the things he had done and the reason he was standing in Suzy house. But as soon as he tried to put his day into words he broke down. Suddenly his chest was heaving and his bottom lip was trembling. His fingers strangled the phone, turning white around the knuckles.

“
Oh my God, I don’t know what happened,” he said. Then he cried for a few seconds, and in-between breaths he spat out, “My brother is dead and I don’t know what to do!” After that, tears ran down his face and dropped to the floor like rain.

Thirty odd seconds passed before Debra said, “Shit baby, you’re scaring me. Are you okay?” Her voice was calm and soothing.

“
No, I’m not okay! Everything is so fucked up!”

“
Have you called the police? They can figure this stuff out for you. If people are dead it’s a police matter.”

“
I can’t call them.”

“
Why?”

“
They’ll think that I did it!”

“
That’s ridiculous.”

“
No it’s not!” James barked. Then he slammed an open hand against the wall. A photograph of Sue’s grandparents rattled, threatening to fall.

Debra let him have his moment. When he was finished, she said, “Why would the police think
you’re
involved?” There was an uncomfortable silence followed by a moment of uncertainty. “Are you involved, James? Why are you at Sue’s house?”

“
Something’s chasing me.”

“
What’s chasing you? You’re not making any sense.”

“
I don’t know what it is… no… wait!” James wiped the tears from his eyes; he reached into his pocket and retrieved the paper that he had scribbled on. “I need you to check something for me.”

“
James, listen to me. I’ve got to ask you something.”

“
What?”

“
Did you do something wrong? Tell me the truth now, okay? I want to help you but I need to know what the situation is.”

“
No. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“
Honest?”

“
Yes.”

There was a pause in the conversation. “Okay then,” she said. “I’m calling the police. Sorry James, but it’s for the best.”

40

“
No!” James barked.

“
Why not?”

“
Because the police will think I’m responsible! And…”

“
And?”

The words got caught in his throat. He wondered if he should tell her. He wondered if he should explain.

“
Who cares what the police think?” Debra said. “You didn’t do anything wrong, remember? Just tell them what happened and sooner or later they’ll believe you.”

“
You don’t understand.”

“
Then explain, what don’t I understand? What are you not telling me?”

James couldn’t go on. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch someone. He wanted to kill himself. “Fuck Debra!” He screamed abruptly. “Don’t call the police! I mean it!”

“
You don’t have to yell.”

“
But you’re not listening to me!”

“
Well come to my place so we can talk about it, alright?” Her words were soft like butter, like she cared a great deal.

James shook his head and hung it low. “Oh God, I don’t know. You have no idea what you’re asking me.”

“
I’m asking you to come to my place. Is that so bad?”

“
I don’t know…”

“
What do you mean,
you don’t know?
If you don’t come over, sooner or later I’m calling the police. You know that, right? I’ll have no choice.”

“
Debra, don’t.”

“
What else can I do?”

“
If you call the cops we’re finished.”

“
Yeah right,” Debra said, completely unthreatened.

“
I mean it.”

She wondered if he did. He probably was being truthful, but that didn’t mean anything. She could always bring him around again. All she had to do was caress him physically and give him the affection he rarely received. He would come around, he always did. James was an easy instrument to play. And when it came to playing men, Debra had developed her fair share of skills.

“
Come to my place and talk to me,” she said. “I’ll make lunch for the two of us. We can cuddle up on the couch and have a drink and find our way through this together, okay? Don’t force me to do something we’ll both regret, James. I want to help; you know that, don’t you? Please let me help you.”

“
Stay away from the bloody phone, is that so fucking hard?”

“
You told me that people are dying. This is a police matter. You know it and I know it.”

“
Okay,” James huffed. “Fine. I’ll come over. But don’t get mad when something bad happens.”

“‘
Something bad’ is
not
going to happen.”

“
You don’t know that.”

“
Are you coming over?”

“
I don’t know.”

“
Are you coming, yes or no?”

James expelled a deep, displeased breath. “Okay, I’ll come.”

“
That’s all that matters.”

“
Alright, whatever. Whatever you want. We’ll do it your way… we always do it your way.”

“
That’s not true,” Debra said, knowing that it
was
true. They always did things her way. She often wondered why he allowed it. “Don’t say that.”

James felt conquered. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just stressed out and I’ve had a bad day, a very bad day. God. I can’t even believe this is happening, and I need a favor. I need you to do something for me.”

“
Okay baby. Whatever you want.”

“
Is your internet working?”

Debra raised an eyebrow. She wondered if someone had posted some photos of girls-night online. She wondered what photographs had been taken. Did James see something incriminating? Did someone write a party review on a message board? Did someone tell him something? She hoped not. Sooner or later he’d find out the truth about her, sure. It was inevitable. It’s hard to keep people fooled forever; it’s a full time job, really. But she didn’t want the relationship over. Not yet. Not today. She didn’t want the relationship over until she had another man lined up. And she hadn’t soured James completely. He was still good for a while; he could still buy her things and take her places. Plus her condo needed to be painted and her bathroom could use a renovation. She wasn’t finished with him yet.

Cautiously, Debra said, “I think my internet’s working. Why?”

“
I need you to check something.”

“
Oh, okay. What is it?”

James unfolded the paper that was in his hand. He said, “Congo Basin Minkisi Bakisi.”

41

James rode his bicycle with a loaded shotgun and a box of shells sitting across his lap. It was an awkward journey, but in time he learned to pedal comfortably and balance his belongings like an acrobat. He didn’t rush. He didn’t feel the need. Keeping aware, that was the important thing now. Seeing things clearly was job number one.

A car turned a corner and trouble arrived, showing its face in the form of a woman: Tina Comfrey. He had met her earlier. She was the large woman in the overly frayed nightdress, the one that called James a bastard.

Passing James inside a Honda Civic, Tina shouted, “Stop the car!”

Without inquiring, the man behind the wheel did what he was told; he parked the car a short distance in front of James. He looked very bookish.

James predicted trouble and decided to face it head on. He stopped peddling and slammed on the brakes.

Tina stepped out of the car and faced James.

Her outfit had changed. It now consisted of Nike shoes, faded gray track-pants, and an oversized t-shirt with the words NEW YORK CITY printed in glittery letters on the front. A fashion queen she was not.

“
That’s him.” Tina said, announcing her findings to the world. “That’s the guy the cops are after. I should know. I’m the star witness and I watched the bastard run away. This son-of-a-bitch should hang. Mark my words, he killed five people.”

James was stunned; he didn’t know what to do. Should he run? Should he hide? Should he try to explain himself? As he struggled for answers, Tina said, “Hand me your cell phone, Elmer. I’m calling the cops on this asshole.”

Everything became crystal clear: James was at war, and this was a war he could win. He said, “You’re calling the cops on me?”

“
Of course I am. The cops are looking for you and I found you. You’re a murdering prick. It’s my duty.”

“
I’m not a killer.” James challenged.

“
Yes you are, and you’re going to jail. That’s what happens when you kill people and run away like a coward. You go to jail.”

“
That’s not what happened.”

“
Yes it is. I should know. I saw it with my own two eyes. Mark my words, asshole… you murdered five people and like it or not, you’re going to pay for it.”

James grinned. “You positive?”

Elmer handed Tina his phone. He could feel the tension mounting, but he couldn’t see what James had sitting on his lap. Neither of them could.

“
Yeah,” Tina said, hesitantly. I’m positive… you’re a killer, all right, and I’m phoning the cops. What do you think of that?”

James dropped the bike and the ammunition together. The bike did that thing that bicycles do: it bounced and settled and the front wheel went spinning. The box of ammo broke open and shells spilled across the pavement. James raised the shotgun to his shoulder and walked towards the car, pointing the barrels straight at Tina’s face. From less than twenty feet and closing the odds of missing his target were almost non-existent.

Tina suddenly realized who was in charge, and it wasn’t her. She gasped at her new revelation and held the phone out in front of her, proffering it to James unconditionally. It was a peace offering. Her feet seemed to be glued in place.

The man inside the car didn’t move.

James saw the phone and the nervous look in Tina’s big round eyes. He didn’t care; he enjoyed watching her squirm. He bridged the gap between them until he was close enough to press the gun against her head, and then he forced her to step back.

“
What are you doing?” Tina said. “You can’t be serious! You can’t shoot me! Tell me you’re not serious!”

James grinned. “I’m a murdering prick, remember? It’s what I do.”

“
No, no you don’t, I made a mistake… that’s all!”

“
Oh, now you’ve made a mistake. Five seconds ago you didn’t care what my story was and now you’ve found compassion? Now you’re ready to talk about it? Is that it?”

“
Yes! That’s it, that’s it!”

“
No it isn’t.”

“
Yes it is!”

“
Fuck you.”

Tina’s eyes opened wider than before. She gained a deeper understanding of her predicament. “Oh God,” she said. “Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!”

“
But I’ve already murdered five people, remember? What’s one or two more?”

“
It was an accident, right? That’s what you’re sayin’ isn’t it?”

“
No.” James said, sarcastically. “You were right the first time. I’m a dangerous killer that needs to be locked away. You should call the cops. It’s your duty… it doesn’t matter what my day has been like. It doesn’t matter what I’ve been through. As long as you do your duty, right? Is that the way it is? You don’t care about me at all, do you? You don’t care about my situation. No, you don’t. You don’t care if my brother is dead, so why shouldn’t I pull the trigger? You’re not my friend. You don’t care about me.”

Tina began panicking. “What the hell, man? What do want from me? You drove a car into somebody’s house! It’s my responsibility to call the cops! People died! This is a job for the police! Everybody knows that!”

“
Then why are
you
involved? Huh? Can you tell me that?”

Feeling almost embarrassed, Tina quietly said, “I’m the star witness. You know… I saw it happen. I was there first.”