Paul Melko - The Walls of the Universe

“And then you got expelled.”

“Yes.”

“And you started your big Cube idea.”

“Yes.”

“But I was first,” she said.

“Yes.”

“What if you went to some other universe, and some other Casey was there, would you want her?”

“Casey, don’t-”

She rolled over on top of him, and he felt how hot her sex was near his.

“I deserve some answers! Would you date any Casey you came across?”

“No, some are… better than others.”

“Better?”

“Sometimes you’re not… you. You’ve dropped out of school, or gotten pregnant-”

“Like here?”

“-or you’ve run away from home. There you’re not as beautiful, or as… interesting.”

“How many Caseys have there been for you?”

Prime didn’t answer.

“Tell me,” she said, thrusting her hips against him. He groaned.

“Ten,” he said.

“Ten? You fucked ten of me?” She nipped at his neck. “What do they have that I haven’t?”

“Nothing,” Prime said, responding, “You’re the best.”

She bit him. “Now I know you’re lying.”

He yelped, and their lovemaking turned silent, angry, and desperate.

The next Monday, a group of workers combed the plant and assembly area. Prime couldn’t help but hear the rumors: Missing boy. Hadn’t been seen in thirty-six hours. Car missing.

Prime focused on his work, assembling his parts without regard for the person in front of him.

“Slow down, Rayburn!” Sid whispered. “You’re making me look bad.”

Prime glanced at the six partially assembled washing machines hanging on straps between him and Sid. There should have been one.

“Sorry.”

“Hey! You hear about this Ted Carson kid?”

Prime shook his head, though he had.

“Missing for a week now.” Prime bit on his tongue at the incorrect information. “They think he was crushed under a crane. Didn’t have any of his safety quals, but his dad is some union muckety-muck and got him a floor job. Big mess.”

A shop warden came by and asked if anyone wanted to help search the warehouse after shift. Prime grunted noncommittally.

“What, Rayburn? You too good to help look?”

“I’ve got plans after work.”

“More of that Cube business?” the shop warden said with a laugh.

Prime should never have bragged about it. He shook his head.

“We searching on the clock?” Sid asked.

The warden laughed. Sid didn’t volunteer either.

That evening, Casey and Prime almost acted like normal. He caught her glancing at him more than once, but he ignored it. It was easy to lose themselves in caring for Abby, in the mundanity of married life. Without the time he’d spent on the Cube, his evenings were more free than ever, and he had no interest in the novel anymore.

It was as if he had lost everything that he had held sacred up to a week ago, but when it was possible he might lose Casey and Abby what he really valued became clear.

The next day at work, a police officer was questioning the people who had worked with Ted Carson. They led each of Carson’s posse of friends into a small office, one at a time. After fifteen or twenty minutes the next one was led in. Prime had a good view of the office from his position on the line, but they never called him.

He caught one of Ted’s comrades staring at him twice during the day, but he looked away when Prime focused on him.

Was it his imagination?

In the locker room, he found himself standing next to Ted Carson’s father. The room was suddenly empty.

Prime turned and faced him squarely.

“Yeah?”

“I hear there was something between you and my son.”

“So what?”

“In case you haven’t heard, he’s gone missing. If you know something, you need to tell the police.”

Prime barked down a laugh. “I have nothing to say.”

“If you know something-”

“Nothing!”

Carson’s face turned a blotchy purple. Prime wouldn’t have survived a punch if he’d thrown one. The man was squat and muscular, twice the width of Prime.

“I’ll remember that when you need someone to help you,” Carson said. He turned and stalked off.

There was a police car out front of their apartment when Prime got home. For a second, he considered driving on, but he pulled the Trans Am into a street spot.

A uniformed officer and a plain-clothed detective stood in the kitchen. Casey, Abby in her arms, glanced up as Prime entered.

“John, these officers are here to ask about the guy that disappeared.”

“Detective,” the plain-clothed detective said. “Not officer. Detective Duderstadt.” He didn’t offer his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Casey said.

“Ted Carson,” Prime said. “You’re here about Ted Carson.”

“Yes, you know him?”

“Vaguely.”

“Enough to have at least one fight with him,” the detective said. The officer stood with arms on his hips, glaring at Prime. The detective was shorter, with a pencil-thin mustache.

“That was a long time ago,” Prime said, and another John entirely.

“You were expelled because of it.”

“I was expelled for not writing a letter to his mother. It was a matter of principle.”

“Motive could be a matter of principle.”

“Motive for what?” Prime asked. “Didn’t he run off?”

“Could have,” the detective said. “You two had words at the plant too, I hear.”

“He said rude things about Casey,” Prime said. “I didn’t let him get away with it.”

“I see.”

“Carson is a punk. He’s a bully. I learned last year he’s not worth messing with,” Prime said.

“Did he stop by on Thursday night?” the detective asked.

“No,” Prime said. He paused. “Why would he?”

“Seems he was bragging to some comrades how he was going to teach you a lesson. He’d have to stop by to do that.”

“Or he was just flapping his gums,” Prime said.

“Or he was writing a check he couldn’t cash,” the detective said.

“He did-does-that a lot.”

Prime changed his reply in mid-sentence. He had used the past tense. The cop was using the present tense. Had he given himself away?

“He seems that sorta fellow.” The detective glanced around the apartment. “So, you haven’t seen Carson since…?”

“I dunno,” Prime said. “Work on Thursday, I guess.”

“Where you had words in the locker room.”

It wasn’t a question.

“I guess.”

“And you haven’t seen him either?” the detective asked Casey.

“Why would I?”

“If he came around, you’d’ve seen him, right? You here alone taking care of the baby. You’d have seen him if he came by.”

“I would have,” Casey said. “But I didn’t.”

Prime looked for some sign, some tic on her face to give away a shred of guilt. She looked like a bored housewife, uninterested and cool. Prime felt himself relax in reaction.

“Anything else you want?” Prime asked, motioning toward the door.

The detective gave him a pointed stare. “No, I guess that’s it.” He glanced at the other officer. “We’ll be going then. If you happen to suddenly remember seeing Ted Carson on Thursday, you let me know.”

Prime showed them to the door and watched them clomp down the stairs. A sudden squawk from Abby made him jump. He shut the door too quickly and it slammed.

Casey looked at him, her face pale. “We’re going to have to move the body,” she said. “They’re on to us.”

Prime shook his head. “No way. Someone will notice if we have to dig up that ground again.”

“I need to sow some wildflowers then,” she said. “Something to cover up the dirt.”

“It’s too late in the season for flowers.”