If Looks Could Kill, page 13
“And the trees?” Winston added. “The birds?”
“Everything we’ve been fighting for?”
Raven had no answers. No good answers. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” She made a move for the door.
“That’s all? You’re just quitting?” Winston yelled.
“Hey, Raven, what gives?” Jess Gardner asked.
Raven could feel her eyes stinging with humiliation and frustration. “I can’t help it …” she blurted.
She fled from the room without looking back.
CHAPTER 24
Lacey leaned against the wall of metal gym lockers. She was red in the face and breathing hard, fighting to catch her breath.
“It was only two laps around the gym, Lacey,” Penny teased.
“Give me a break, Pen.” Lacey wiped the sweat from her brow. “Not everyone is a jock like you.”
Lacey got up and took her dress and tights out of her locker. Without saying a word, she headed for one of the private stalls, hoping Penny wouldn’t ask any questions. Lacey couldn’t wait to get dressed and go home. This had been one of the most humiliating days ever. From the moment she set foot on the front lawn of school, she had received nothing but dirty looks and accusations from practically the entire student body. Murderer. Accomplice. Daughter of a murderer. Ex-girlfriend of a murderer. No matter whom they accused, Lacey was involved.
Lacey thought about her encounter with Willa Flicker earlier that morning. It would probably be on the front page of the Record. What would the article say this time? How much worse could it get? And what would Daddy do in response to the embarrassment the article would cause the family?
Mother and Daddy. Lacey shuddered. Pulling her tights up over her legs, she felt a dull pain. It was nothing compared to the ache she’d feel if people saw the bruises. The reaction to her black eye gave Lacey an indication of how people might respond to seeing her marred legs. At least everyone still thought Vaughn was the culprit.
But Daddy’s the real horror, Lacey thought. He was the one who was responsible for Lacey having to sneak into the bathroom to slip on a pair of tights.
“Hey, get out of here!” a voice screamed from the showers.
“Girls only, jerk!” another angry girl shrieked.
As Lacey returned to her gym locker, she saw Eddie Hagenspitzel being chased out of the locker room. A group of half-dressed girls were flinging their wet towels at him.
Penny was laughing. “What a perv. Boys never grow up.”
“I’m glad I missed him,” Lacey said. She stuffed her sweats back in her locker. “Hey. Where’s my shoe? One of my shoes is missing.”
“Hagenspitzel!” Penny gasped. “He stole it right out from under my nose! I didn’t even see him.”
Lacey’s face returned to the deep red it had been just a few minutes ago. She remembered Eddie’s comment earlier about her feet being the same size as the murderer’s.
“I’ll kill him,” Lacey fumed. She bolted out of the locker room, the lone shoe in her hand.
“Where’s Hagenspitzel?” Lacey asked Hal Bemis, who was walking out of the boys’ locker room. “Which way did that fat worm go?”
Hal pointed in the direction of the main entrance to the school. “Better hurry, Lacey. He was moving fast. Like he was on a mission.”
Lacey ran down the hall. When she found Eddie, he was standing by the front door, holding the shoe up high over his head. A crowd had gathered around him. And Willa Flicker was among them with her cameraman loyally by her side.
Eddie was hamming it up for every possible “ooh” and “ah.” “Step right up, folks, and get a firsthand look at THE shoe. The largest shoe ever belonging to a murderer. Female murderer, that is. Yessirree, this is it, everyone. No doubt about it. Step right up and see for yourselves.”
Lacey didn’t know what to do. She held the other shoe behind her back, shielding it from view. Lacey caught Eddie’s eye. The look on his face told her he was not about to stop.
He pointed to Lacey. “There she is, folks. The pretty little lady with the big feet. Missing something, Lacey? I think I found it. Or is it Noah’s lost ark?”
Lacey was speechless. She was too embarrassed to claim the shoe. But her cover was blown already. Standing there barefoot, and obviously hiding something behind her back, she was a dead giveaway.
She was right back where she had been earlier the same day. Everybody’s object of ridicule. Now she had to bear the smirks and nasty comments of the onlookers. She did all that she could to block out the chorus of “She’s the one,” “Prettiest darn murderer I’ve ever seen,” and “Big foot strikes again!”
There was an extra burst of excitement as somebody spotted Vaughn coming through the front door to the school with Hope. Vaughn looked livid.
“Here comes Lacey’s cohort, the jailbird!” someone shouted.
“Who sprung him loose so quickly?” another voice yelled.
“Did Calvin Pinkerton pay your bail, Vaughn?” Bubba Dole quipped.
Vaughn barreled through the crowd, pushing aside anything that got in his way. “Out of my way, Bubba. I’ll deal with you later.” He came right up to Lacey and grabbed her arm, yanking her around to face him. “I hope you’re satisfied now. You almost put me in jail, you liar.”
“What’s the matter, Vaughn?” Eddie asked. “Did Lacey’s check bounce?”
The crowd roared with laughter.
Vaughn gave Eddie a threatening look. “You want to eat that shoe?”
Eddie turned bright red. “I didn’t mean it.”
Lacey tried to yank herself free from Vaughn’s grip. But he wouldn’t let her loose. “Leave me alone, Vaughn. You’re hurting me.”
Obeying Willa Flicker’s orders, the photographer focused in close on Vaughn and Lacey.
“Vaughn, stop.” Lacey tried to scratch at Vaughn with her free hand, but he grabbed it and twisted it around her back. “Let me go,” she pleaded.
“Not until you admit the truth. Come on, Lacey. Tell them about the check. Tell them that the money wasn’t from your father. It was to keep him away!”
Willa was there, front and center, enjoying every little juicy detail to the fullest.
Lacey was in tears. “Vaughn, stop!” With all her strength she pulled herself away, falling backward with such force that she caromed off the photographer and fell to the ground.
But Vaughn wouldn’t let up. He was furious. He looked down at Lacey. “Tell them, Lacey! Tell the truth. Tell them how that money was used to pay Jess for fixing your car. You paid me so that your father would never know what you’d done. And you were too embarrassed, after you broke up with Jess, to ask him yourself. You knew he was too mad at you to do it unless I convinced him. Go ahead. Tell them, Lacey.”
Lacey lay on the ground crying as Vaughn stormed off. Why doesn’t everyone leave me alone? I can’t stand it anymore. The noise level had reached thunderous proportions. The camera continued to click away.
“That’s enough!” Principal Appleby was outraged. “Ms. Flicker, out. You are trespassing. Leave these premises at once. And take the photographer with you. If I see one picture of this school in the paper, you will force me to consult a lawyer. You will not turn my school into a gossip headquarters. Out!”
“But Mr. Appleby. The evidence!” Eddie Hagenspitzel held up Lacey’s shoe.
“I’ll take that.” Mr. Appleby grabbed Lacey’s shoe. “If you’ll excuse me.” He pushed through the crowd and made his way to Lacey. “Here you are, Lacey.”
The crowd had quieted to a low hum. Lots of “shhh’s” and “quiet’s” as Mr. Appleby commanded attention.
“I am shocked. I used to think of my school as a model of what a stimulating academic and social environment should be. What’s gotten into you all? I thought you were groovy high school students. Not babies. You guys are bumming me out. From now on, in my school, you will behave like the young adults that you are. Or else.”
“Or else what?” someone blurted.
Mr. Appleby was flustered. “I mean it, dudes. Stop the games.” He turned and walked away, leaving an anxious crowd unsure of what to do next.
“The Dweeb is right!” Penny shouted. “We’re all blaming everybody else, because we’ve been avoiding the real murderer.”
“There she is!” cried Eddie, pointing to Lacey. “Just measure the foot.”
“Don’t be a fool, Hagenspitzel,” Penny said. “Lacey’s not the killer.”
“What makes you so sure?” asked Janice Campbell, poking her head up from behind Eddie.
“Because I know who did it,” Penny said, hushing the crowd to a whisper.
“So tell us, then,” Janice said quietly. “Who killed April, Penny?”
Penny looked nervous. Lacey picked herself up off the floor. All eyes were on Penny. She wrinkled her face in a tight frown. “Well, the murderer is …” Was she searching for a name? “Spike Navarrone,” Penny finally said. “Isn’t it obvious? You all remember him, don’t you? April’s boyfriend? The father of her baby? The one who’s missing. The one who the police still have an APB out on.”
“I don’t believe you,” brutish Bubba Dole squawked, stepping up to Penny. “I liked Spike,” he snorted.
“Yeah,” Eddie backed him up. “How do we know you’re not just covering up for Lacey? Like you always do.”
Come on, Penny, keep fighting for me, Lacey prayed.
“You’re so stupid, Hagenspitzel,” Penny sneered, waving a fist at him. “First of all, Lacey’s got an alibi. She was with me the night April was murdered. I slept over at her house that night. We were together all night. So you can forget about blaming Lacey.” Penny went over to Lacey and put a supportive arm around her. “Come on, Lacey, we don’t need this. Let’s split.”
Lacey followed Penny out the door, quivering at the sounds of the snickers and hisses.
“We still love you, Lacey.”
“I’ll visit you in Folsom. Promise.”
“Don’t worry, Lacey. With any luck at all, you’ll be out by your fortieth birthday.”
“Stay away from your father, Lacey. He’s the real killer.”
CHAPTER 25
Kiki clutched a bouquet of purple and yellow tulips close to her heart. The cemetery was quiet and empty, a world apart from the way it had been when a shocked crowd had gathered for April’s funeral. It smelled of freshly cut grass, and as Kiki made her way to April’s grave, she found herself thinking that the cemetery was like a carefully manicured lawn that bloomed with gravestones instead of flowers.
Kiki wondered how many of her classmates had made this visit. April hadn’t even been dead for two weeks, but it sometimes seemed as if she were already consigned to the past. Sure, the murder was still the major topic of conversation, but it seemed like one part fear and one part gossip. Where was the part about April Lovewell the person? Where was the part about someone who was gone? Kiki and April hadn’t been all that close, but Kiki had liked April Lovewell—and she felt sad that she’d never be able to get to know her better. With all the talk about the murder, Kiki felt it was only right to pay a visit.
She trod softly across the grave sites to where April was buried. It should be right about there, blocked from view by the thick trunk of a peach tree, bursting with snowy blossoms. Kiki buried her nose in the tulips she had bought for April and breathed in their perfume for comfort.
Suddenly, she heard a male voice rising in despair from the direction of April’s grave. “I’m sorry!” he cried out. “April, I’m sorry!”
Kiki’s heart skipped a terrified beat. She had company in the cemetery. Someone who was sorry for something he’d done to April! The killer! Her pulse raced with fear.
And then she saw him as he shifted position and was no longer fully hidden by the peach tree. Even from the back, his leather vest and dark thick head of hair were instantly recognizable. It was Spike. He was the murderer.
Kiki let out a panicked gasp. Spike turned toward the sound. Kiki’s legs seemed to move on their own. Her feet pounded against the grass. Horror rose up in her throat as she ran.
“Kiki!” She heard Spike yell. She ran as hard as she could. The tulips fell from her hands. “Stop! Kiki!” His voice was getting closer. He was coming after her!
Kiki wove through the tombstones. She pumped her legs, but they were weak with fear. Go! she told herself. Faster!
But her own scream split the air as she felt herself grabbed by the arm. “Kiki,” Spike said.
Kiki was gasping for breath. His face only inches from hers, Spike was breathing hard too. “Please,” he said, “please, Kiki, don’t turn me in. I didn’t kill April.” Kiki saw that his eyes were moist.
“But I heard you. I heard you apologizing to her, Spike. And they know about the wrench that you used.” Don’t kill me too, she prayed silently. Help me, someone!
“You’ve got it wrong, Kiki,” Spike said. “You’ve got to believe me. I am sorry for April. Yeah. Sorry I loved her so much that I got her pregnant. Sorry I couldn’t protect her from the killer. Sorry I hurt so bad I don’t know what to do …” Spike’s voice cracked. Beads of sweat stood out on his face, and he seemed as scared as Kiki. She looked into his large dark eyes and found herself believing every word he was saying.
Then she took a step back, breaking free of his hold. April had looked into those dark intense eyes too. April had believed in Spike. And now … Kiki’s gaze shifted to the spot where April was buried, then back to Spike. “If you’re innocent, why did you run away?”
Spike gave an empty laugh. “I wish I could have run away. All the rumors, all the feelings I couldn’t handle—can’t handle now … but I never got past the county line.”
Kiki studied him, trying to gauge whether he was telling the truth.
“My little brothers—I couldn’t split on them.” Spike made no attempt to grab hold of Kiki again. “I couldn’t split on April, either.” His voice got teary. He paused a moment and swallowed back his pain. “I’ve been hiding out in the woods behind our trailer,” he said. “There’s an abandoned car on our property. At night, I sneak in there and sleep. My brothers swore not to tell. As little as they are, they know this isn’t a game.”
Kiki heard the tenderness in Spike’s words. How could a guy like this be a murderer? She faced him silently. He held her gaze.
Suddenly, the moment was shattered by the wail of sirens. The police! Spike began to run. Kiki called after him, “Don’t, Spike! You’ll just make it worse! Stay while there’s still a chance!” Spike slowed down and looked over his shoulder, but he didn’t stop.
Kiki began to follow him. “If you run, you’re admitting you’re guilty!” she yelled over the sirens. “Spike!”
He stopped and looked at her, then turned toward the sirens. They grew louder and louder. Over by the cemetery gate, two cars with flashing lights squealed to a halt.
“If you’re innocent, stay and defend yourself,” Kiki pleaded as she caught up with him. She held out her hand.
Spike reached toward her. She felt an electric tingle as their fingers met. By the gate, the sheriff and two police officers were getting out of the cars.
Spike pulled his hand away. Suddenly, he was running again.
“Spike!” Kiki called. She put her hand to her lips. He kept going, weaving wildly between the tombstones, as if he were running for his life. Then he was gone.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © by Eileen Goudge
Cover design by Mauricio Díaz
ISBN: 978-1-5040-8859-6
Produced by Alloy Entertainment LLC
This edition published in 2023 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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New York, NY 10038
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Eileen Goudge, If Looks Could Kill
