James Andrus - The Perfect Scream

Peep stared at the photo for a second, then nodded his head. “I know the boy. He’s been trying to creep into my territory for a long time. As if I don’t have enough trouble with the black guys from Arlington, now I have snotty-nosed college kids thinking they’re Scarface and can sell pot easier than me.”

“When’s the last time you saw him?”

“I don’t know. At least a month. I remember him because couple of years ago he and another college kid had a big hassle out on the street about who should be selling pot. I guess it was just a college thing. It went on for a couple of weeks. I saw the two of them get in a shouting match once. I heard about one or two other encounters between them. They were friends and knew each other, but apparently they didn’t work well together.”

Stallings assessed his informant, then said, “If you see either this boy or this girl in the photo you need to get ahold of me immediately.”

“What’s it worth to you?”

“If it’s information that helps me find them, you can write your own ticket.”

“Stall, you never said that before.”

“I never needed to find anyone this bad before.”

The smell of salt water and the sound of the boats passing by on their way out to sea had a calming effect on Kyle Lee. He was shaken by the cop coming down to Winter Park and he didn’t like having to call a meeting of the brothers who may be affected. But here, on the jetty, next to the dock, waiting for the deep-sea fishing boats that docked about this time, he felt the most relaxed he had all weekend.

There was just something about the dock, whether it had fishermen on it or not. Tonight he was all alone, but that wasn’t uncommon for a Monday. He knew later on, the older guys who had families or jobs that kept them a late would show up and try to hook a snapper but settle for perch.

Kyle had first discovered this marina, east of the city, along the St. Johns, when he’d come here with Zach Halston to sell pot to some of the fishermen on Friday and Saturday nights. They’d done great until an off-duty Gainesville police officer took offense at their offer of cheap pot and chased them a half a mile. Zach had been smart enough to split up, double back, grab their car, and pick up Kyle before the cop was able to catch him. It had been a wild night that Zach had thought was great but that had made Kyle vomit as soon as they were a few miles away.

He didn’t miss going out with Zach as he made his rounds, but he would like to hear from his friend. That was one of the reasons he’d decided to come down here and throw a line in the water for an hour or two. He was waiting for the deep-sea fishing boat called the Catch ’Em All to arrive from its regular afternoon outing. He loved to see what fishermen had caught a few miles off the coast and enjoyed chatting with the first mate.

He caught the first glimpse of the professional fishing boat coming up the river and started to reel in his line. A thrill rushed through him like he was a little kid. The sun had just set, the temperature was very mild, and, for a change, it wasn’t raining. This was a good night.

Lynn finished payroll in record time. She’d been afraid she’d be distracted by the comments Dale had made until she realized he was just a big, dumb redneck who wouldn’t be able to figure anything out anyway. She had agreed to have a drink with him later in the week just to make sure she was right.

She’d not seen Dr. Ferrero in the afternoon when she stopped by to reconcile his accounts. He sometimes left early to go for a run before it got dark and this time of year the days were getting shorter and shorter. By Christmastime he’d have to leave around 4:30 to finish his run before dark and that was only if wasn’t raining. But it always seemed to rain in Jacksonville.

The work she’d been doing to plan everything so well involved following Kyle and the fraternity brothers around at different times. She knew that Kyle Lee often fished from the dock of a public marina out toward the beach. She didn’t know why he kept going to the same place because it didn’t seem like he’d ever catch anything. All she could figure was he was selling pot to the fishermen. She knew that was how Zach had started.

She didn’t push her Nissan Sentra too hard because the last thing she needed was a smart cop to see she got a ticket near the site of a murder. Lynn drove past the marina one time, then turned around and pulled into the lot. Kyle’s truck was parked in front near the water. A few other vehicles were scattered across the lot. It looked quiet enough for her to do what she had to do.

It was early for Patty to eat dinner, just after six. She’d grown used to the weird hours for everything-eating, sleeping, living. That was one of the major factors in her drug use and she’d been disappointed that a “normal” relationship with someone outside police work had not lessened her dependence on the various prescriptions she used. She also worried that Ken, being a podiatrist, and able to write prescriptions, might notice her pop a Xanax or painkiller. They’d yet to spend the night together so she wasn’t worried about him picking up on her Ambien use. In the months she was with Tony Mazzetti, he’d never had a clue. At least she didn’t think he had a clue about her drug use.

Ken met her at the restaurant, a slightly stuffy, high-end natural food place. He nodded to the waitress like he knew her and the manager came by and said hello. Ken looked fresh, like he had just showered after a workout.

Ken said, “Sorry, my appointment ran late.”

“Did you have to give someone an examination?”

“No, manicure and pedicure.”

Patty tried to hide her astonishment. “You got a mani-pedi?”

“As a podiatrist, I know how important nail care is. Besides, it makes me feel good.”

“You didn’t get nail polish too, did you?” She let a snicker slip out.

“Just a coat of clear on my toenails.” He was completely serious.

Patty wondered if she should worry about who the man in the relationship was. This was definitely a conversation she would’ve never had with Tony Mazzetti.

Lynn left her car to stalk Kyle like a wildcat. After she had learned about Zach and Kyle’s business venture in the marina, she’d seen Kyle twice during the semester fishing here. Both times it was on a Monday night. She thought it had something to do with the fishing boat schedule. He seemed to know one of the boat workers and they talked after the Catch ’Em All docked.

Being an organized, numbers person, she had a checklist that she often went through before taking action. First, she had to make sure he didn’t notice her. She wanted complete surprise and shock on her side. Second, no one else in the near-empty marina should notice her so she could slip away without the police getting a description. Third, and most important, she had to get her timing just right. She’d wait for the few deep-sea-fishing customers to wander out to their cars, then move in quick. She felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought of using the knife for the first time. The familiar thrill and satisfaction once it was done excited her, but there were also a few nerves.

Lynn watched as he gathered up his tackle box and rod and stood as the forty-foot fishing vessel rumbled up toward the dock. She had the knife tucked in her front pocket. It would be nothing to flick it open, but then the question became, neck or kidney? Whatever she did she’d have to be quick and it would be out in the open. She intended to strike and move.

John Stallings was drained. The excitement he’d felt earlier in the day looking for Jeanie himself had turned to disappointment and frustration that seem to sap him of all his energy. But now, all he wanted to do was get back to his rented house and collapse in bed. Instead, he found himself at the community center where his father volunteered.