played on her eyes.
It was enough to make a man like me think twice, or not at all.
“You know what I think about a woman with
hair like you? A woman who leaves her house for hours the day her
daughter disappears?”
She leaned in, ready for the big secret.
“Tell me,” she said.
“A woman like that,” I said. “She’s hiding
something.”
She leaned back and let out a shrill laugh.
Then she reached up and detached the wig. She let it fall to the
ground. Underneath, she was blonde.
“My name is Kerri, Mr. Blue. I wear a wig; I
don’t deny it. Sometimes a woman likes to change things, quickly
and drastically. I wouldn’t expect someone like you to
understand.”
“Where do you keep your pills, Kerri?”
She laughed bitterly. “You’re here for the drugs ? I should’ve known from that look you had.”
“Nah, none for me. I was just thinking you
might’ve skipped a dose or two.”
“It’s entirely possible,” she said.
It was easy to get caught up in her games.
She had a way of focusing the spotlight on the two of us. But the
star of the show was offstage. That just wouldn’t do.
“The night Madeline went missing,” I said.
“You think there was any reason she left?”
At that, Kerri turned somber, reflective.
Her mood swung back and forth like a pendulum.
“The day started off well. It was fine.
Madeline received a progress report. It must’ve said good things.
Madeline went to school that day, and she had her friends at
school…but she also had enemies, of course. Beautiful girls always
have enemies. Then she came home, and she was pleasant, wonderful.
We ate dinner together. I kissed her goodnight…”
She covered her face with her hands and
pretended to cry. She was probably laughing under there.
“And…and when I woke up this morning, she
was gone. I assumed she went to school early. She does that
sometimes. I only phoned the police after I found the note.”
“I need to see that,” I said. “If you still
have it.”
“Of course,” she said. “The phone’s right
here.” She pointed to a black brick on the table.
“Don’t get smart,” I said.
“I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“Begin with the note,” I said.
“Very well,” she said.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a
piece of notebook paper. It looked like the family dog had tried to
eat it. And maybe she had.
She handed me the note. It matched
Madeline’s handwriting from her journal. All the note said was: I’m going to the cave. Goodbye.
I turned the note over. The back was blank.
“That clears things up,” I said.
“Not quite. I know the “cave” she’s talking
about. It’s at a park we used to frequent, back when she was just a
child. I already checked it. She’s not there.”
“You searched an entire cave?”
“It didn’t take long. It’s not even the size
of this room.” She laughed a mocking laugh. Then she took the
letter back from me and tossed it aside.
“You don’t seem too concerned,” I said. “She
pulls stunts like this often?”
“Everything’s happened before. Everything
will happen again.”
“Spare me,” I said. There’s nothing worse
than a drunk philosopher. And I’ve known a few. “Listen, I’ve got a
working timeline. I know two things happened yesterday. One: in the
morning, the lights came on early. That was in her room. Two: last
night, you had a screaming match with her. But it wasn’t much of a
match, because she never screamed back. Right after that, she
left.”
Kerri laughed. “Well, why didn’t you say so
in the first place?”
“I like to feel the other fighter out before
I throw a punch.”
“Are we fighting? I’m having such fun.”
I tipped the bottle of booze over. That
stopped her fun. The drink chugged out onto the ground.
“You idiot!” She ran over and picked up the
bottle like it was her baby. There was a large alcoholic stain on
the floor. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find her licking it
later.
She
It was enough to make a man like me think twice, or not at all.
“You know what I think about a woman with
hair like you? A woman who leaves her house for hours the day her
daughter disappears?”
She leaned in, ready for the big secret.
“Tell me,” she said.
“A woman like that,” I said. “She’s hiding
something.”
She leaned back and let out a shrill laugh.
Then she reached up and detached the wig. She let it fall to the
ground. Underneath, she was blonde.
“My name is Kerri, Mr. Blue. I wear a wig; I
don’t deny it. Sometimes a woman likes to change things, quickly
and drastically. I wouldn’t expect someone like you to
understand.”
“Where do you keep your pills, Kerri?”
She laughed bitterly. “You’re here for the drugs ? I should’ve known from that look you had.”
“Nah, none for me. I was just thinking you
might’ve skipped a dose or two.”
“It’s entirely possible,” she said.
It was easy to get caught up in her games.
She had a way of focusing the spotlight on the two of us. But the
star of the show was offstage. That just wouldn’t do.
“The night Madeline went missing,” I said.
“You think there was any reason she left?”
At that, Kerri turned somber, reflective.
Her mood swung back and forth like a pendulum.
“The day started off well. It was fine.
Madeline received a progress report. It must’ve said good things.
Madeline went to school that day, and she had her friends at
school…but she also had enemies, of course. Beautiful girls always
have enemies. Then she came home, and she was pleasant, wonderful.
We ate dinner together. I kissed her goodnight…”
She covered her face with her hands and
pretended to cry. She was probably laughing under there.
“And…and when I woke up this morning, she
was gone. I assumed she went to school early. She does that
sometimes. I only phoned the police after I found the note.”
“I need to see that,” I said. “If you still
have it.”
“Of course,” she said. “The phone’s right
here.” She pointed to a black brick on the table.
“Don’t get smart,” I said.
“I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“Begin with the note,” I said.
“Very well,” she said.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a
piece of notebook paper. It looked like the family dog had tried to
eat it. And maybe she had.
She handed me the note. It matched
Madeline’s handwriting from her journal. All the note said was: I’m going to the cave. Goodbye.
I turned the note over. The back was blank.
“That clears things up,” I said.
“Not quite. I know the “cave” she’s talking
about. It’s at a park we used to frequent, back when she was just a
child. I already checked it. She’s not there.”
“You searched an entire cave?”
“It didn’t take long. It’s not even the size
of this room.” She laughed a mocking laugh. Then she took the
letter back from me and tossed it aside.
“You don’t seem too concerned,” I said. “She
pulls stunts like this often?”
“Everything’s happened before. Everything
will happen again.”
“Spare me,” I said. There’s nothing worse
than a drunk philosopher. And I’ve known a few. “Listen, I’ve got a
working timeline. I know two things happened yesterday. One: in the
morning, the lights came on early. That was in her room. Two: last
night, you had a screaming match with her. But it wasn’t much of a
match, because she never screamed back. Right after that, she
left.”
Kerri laughed. “Well, why didn’t you say so
in the first place?”
“I like to feel the other fighter out before
I throw a punch.”
“Are we fighting? I’m having such fun.”
I tipped the bottle of booze over. That
stopped her fun. The drink chugged out onto the ground.
“You idiot!” She ran over and picked up the
bottle like it was her baby. There was a large alcoholic stain on
the floor. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find her licking it
later.
She
Similar Books
