Kevin O'Brien - One Last Scream

“I can wait,” he said with a crooked grin.

Karen started to shake her head. “Well, I’m afraid you…”

She fell silent at the sight of someone coming up the driveway toward them. She wore jeans, a red blouse, and a black cardigan, and nervously clutched a big leather purse to her side. Her hair was swept back and up from her neck with a barrette. “Amelia?” Karen whispered. She could see she was wearing makeup, a rarity for her. The crimson lipstick and dark mascara looked startling against her creamy complexion.

Koehler turned and glanced at the 19-year-old. Obviously he liked what he saw. Karen noticed the shift in his posture, and even with only a quarter of his face in view she saw a smirk on his face that was almost predatory. “Well, well, Amelia Faraday, at last we meet,” he said.

Stopping a few steps from him, she seemed bewildered.

“This is Detective Russ Koehler, with the Seattle Police,” Karen piped up.

Wide-eyed, she politely nodded at him.

He grabbed her hand and shook it. “Sorry for your loss. Listen, I’d really like to chat with you-”

“Amelia, I need to see you inside for a minute,” Karen said loudly, cutting him off.

“Oh, okay,” she murmured, still looking baffled. She turned away from Koehler and started toward the doorway.

But he took hold of her arm. “Now, wait a minute-”

From the doorway, Karen shot him a look. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He froze for a moment, then let go of the 19-year-old. “Okay, fine,” he grumbled. “Everything’s cool.”

“Wait here, please.” Karen shut the door on Koehler, and ushered her into the house. “Come on, Amelia.” Passing the study, she called out, “Laird? I’ll be with you in a minute!”

They hurried into the kitchen. Rufus backed away, and barked at them. He even growled a little. “Stop that,” Karen hissed. “You know Amelia, for God’s sake.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know,” Karen said, reaching into the cookie jar. “Too much excitement around here, I guess.” She fished out a dog biscuit, opened the basement door, and tossed it down the stairs. Rufus let out a final bark, then eagerly chased after the treat. Karen shut the basement door after him.

“Amelia, where have you been?” she whispered, taking hold of her arm. “I left you four messages yesterday.”

“Oh, Karen, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I needed to get away. So I rented a car and just started driving. I didn’t check my messages. Please, don’t be mad-”

“I’m not mad. I’m just confused, and worried about you.” Karen patted her shoulder. “Listen, I need you to be honest with me about something. It’s important. What were you doing yesterday around five o’clock?”

She shrugged. “I’m really not sure. I’ve been driving all over. I think I was up near Deception Pass, but that might have been earlier in the day. Why are you asking?”

“You didn’t stop by the Sandpoint View Convalescent Home yesterday?”

She shook her head. “I don’t even know where that is, Karen.”

“Do you recall running down a gray stairwell to a basement area with a boiler room, and another room that was a storage area?”

She shook her head again. “No-”

“Think hard, Amelia. You don’t remember a storage area full of boxes and hospital equipment? There were broken lights on the ceiling, and it was dark. There was a fire door-”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She backed into the hallway.

“You don’t have any memory of it at all? Not even fragments?”

“Goddamn it, no!” she cried angrily. “Why are you asking me all these fucking questions? Why are you picking on me?”

Dumbstruck, Karen stared at her. Amelia had never snapped at her like that before. And for a moment, Karen wondered if she was talking to the other Amelia right now. Between the makeup and her manner, she almost seemed like a different person. Then again, maybe Karen was looking too hard for a different Amelia right now.

She took a deep breath, and tried to smile. “I thought I saw you yesterday at the rest home where my father’s staying,” she said calmly. She took a small step toward her. “I–I must have been mistaken. I didn’t mean to jump on your case.”

“Well, you’re scaring me, Karen,” she said with a shaky voice. “I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. What happened?” She glanced toward the front door. “What’s that police detective doing here?”

“If I seem on edge, he’s one reason why,” Karen explained. “He’s unofficially investigating the deaths of your parents and aunt. By unofficially , I mean he’s snooping around on his own without any backing from the police department. At least, he doesn’t have any backing, yet. He’s got a bunch of crazy theories and notions about what might have happened last weekend. This guy’s bad news, Amelia. You shouldn’t talk to him. And you don’t have to-”

The doorbell rang. Rufus started barking and scratching on the other side of the basement door. The doorbell rang again and again until the chiming was continuous. The study door slid open, and Laird stuck his head out. “Is anyone going to answer that?” he asked, over the incessant ringing and the dog’s yelping.

Karen moved down the hallway, and gave her client a gentle push back into the study. “Laird, I’ll be with you in just one more minute. Sorry about the interruption.” She shut the door to the study. “Rufus, can it!” she yelled. Then she swiveled around and yanked open the front door to find Russ Koehler, with his finger on the bell. “Do you mind?” she growled.

“As a matter of fact, I do mind,” he replied, finally taking his finger off the doorbell. “I’m going to talk with your client whether you like it or not. And the more trouble you give me, the more trouble I’ll make for you-and believe me, I can deliver on that.”

Not backing down, Karen shook her head at him. “Amelia doesn’t have to talk to you-”

“Oh, Karen, never mind, really, please,” she interrupted. She touched Karen’s shoulder as she edged past her toward Koehler. “I don’t want you getting in trouble on my account. I’ll talk to him. It’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”

“No, Amelia, wait-”

But she hurried out the door.

Koehler took hold of her arm, and he grinned back at Karen. “You heard what Amelia said. Don’t worry .” Then he led her toward the driveway. “My car’s parked just down the block. We can go for a drive.” He handed her the Starbucks container. “Could you use a tall latte? I bought it for Karen, but she didn’t want it.”

She took the drink, then glanced over her shoulder at Karen. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

From her front door, Karen watched them start down the sidewalk together. “Damn it,” she muttered.

They disappeared behind some tall hedges bordering the neighbor’s yard. But she could still hear Russ Koehler talking. “You know, Amelia, I had no idea you were such a lovely girl….”

Then his voice faded in the distance, and Karen couldn’t hear him anymore.

“I swear, I don’t remember much about that night at all,” she said, quietly sobbing in the passenger seat.

She’d finished the latte he’d given her about ten minutes ago when they’d taken the Issaquah exit off Interstate 90, about a half hour east of Seattle. The empty container was in the cup holder between them. Russ had been a little worried about potential spilling on the plush interior of his new Audi TT Coupe (one of the benefits of marrying into money). He reminded her a few times to be careful with the coffee. Now he could relax a little, and he focused on getting a confession out of this tasty-looking young thing. He figured her Uncle George probably couldn’t keep his hands off her. He couldn’t really blame the guy, either. He was convinced the uncle had manipulated her into helping him kill his wife and her parents.