Beneath the Mask of Sanity Read online

  “You left it in the car. I suppose you could have another one on you, but hell, I’ve got this one pointed right at you, and I’ll bet that I can squeeze this trigger faster than you can reach it.”

  “You did this?” Frank asked, indicating the room.

  “You know I did.”

  Frank stood, not sure how to continue.

  “You know, you shouldn’t leave your car unlocked in this neighborhood, it’s a bad area.”

  “I see that.”

  “Plus, the gun in the car, what the fuck is that about?”

  Frank saw an opening. The old fuck, he was out there watching, he must have seen this guy walk in. If he did, then he was going to get the police. If Frank could keep the fuck talking long enough, there still might be time.

  “Well, the gun I took out when I had my lunch. I always do, fact is, I don’t really like to carry it at all. Of course, my car was locked at that time. When I saw this place, I must have just forgotten it.”

  That wasn’t really true. The gun that the bald fucko was holding was a spare that he kept in the car, just in case. His actual sidearm was still in the holster on his shoulder, but the asshole had been right about one thing, he’d never have time to reach it. Unless…Unless he believes that I really don’t have a gun and he turns his back on me at some point.

  “That doesn’t sound like an officer of the law,” Bentley said.

  Frank shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a pretty bad cop.”

  “You know what I think? I think that you have another gun. What do you think?”

  Frank opened his mouth.

  “If you lie to me, I’ll know. And if you lie to me then I can assure you that this will not end happily for you.”

  “How else can it end?”

  “True,” Bentley said. “Still, I’d like you to slowly reach into your coat and pull out your gun. Then you can put it on the ground and back away a little from it.”

  Frank sighed and reached in. He pulled the gun out and laid it on the ground. Then he took two steps back.

  “Good. Now we can talk.”

  “I see you’re still keeping that gun.”

  “You’ll soon find that I’m not an idiot, officer.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Bentley. That’s my name, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Well that’s a start.”

  “And you are?”

  “Frank.”

  “Nice to meet you Officer Frank.”

  “It’s actually detective.”

  Bentley’s left hand, the one not holding the gun, flew to his chest and he rolled his head back for a second. “Oh, please forgive me, Detective Frank.”

  Bentley took three steps into the shed. Frank could see the outside behind him now.

  “So you came here to find me, I suppose. Were you a friend of that husk over there?”

  “No, I was investigating a murder out on the freeway.”

  Bentley’s face twisted into surprise. It was the first emotion that he had shown, and for some reason, Frank’s heart jumped at the sight of it.

  “George? Yes, you found George much sooner than I thought you would. I saw it in the paper. How did you know to look for me here?”

  Now it was Frank’s turn to look surprised. For a second, his brain simply refused to give him anything to say.

  “You killed George Braddock?”

  “Isn’t that why you’re here?”

  “So you are a drug user?”

  Bentley’s face hardened. “No. I have never done drugs. Is that why you think I’m out here?”

  “That’s why I came. There’s a lot of drug rings around here.”

  Realization dawned on Bentley’s face. “Oh, you think that I killed George for drug money. Sure, that makes sense. I guess I should have selected a location more cautiously. You’ve taught me a valuable lesson for the future.”

  “What the hell are you?”

  Bentley smiled. “You know what I am detective, I can see it on your face. You probably didn’t think about it before, but I think now you know.”

  “That girl in the picture, you killed her?”

  “Of course. She was an early one. I like that picture quite a bit. I jerk off looking at it some nights. I was never much of a camera guy, but I think I really captured the moment in that particular picture.”

  “How did you get it developed?”

  “College darkroom. I posed as a student, it was rather easy. You ask quite a few questions, even for a detective.”

  Don’t let him control the conversation, Frank thought. Keep him talking.

  “Questions are pretty much all I have.”

  “You’re very curious. I like that.”

  “If you are a serial killer what the hell are you doing still in the area?” Frank asked. “I mean, shouldn’t you be looking for…” Frank cut off as his face froze in shock.

  “Ding, ding, ding,” Bentley said. “You are quick aren’t you?”

  “The girls, you can’t…”

  “I can do whatever I want!” Bentley paused, seemed to compose himself. “And I will. I’ll do what I have to do. Now please kneel down and turn away from me.”

  “Why should I? If you’re going to kill me anyway?”

  “Because we are alone, Detective. It’s just you and I. And I think you know that I can make this very quick or very painful. I have a knife in my pocket. That is what I like. I like to use the knife. You’ll be my first Burkowitz. Or, I could pull out the knife and we can see what that leads to.”

  Frank stared at the man for a long time. “I’ll agree to cooperate if you agree to leave the girls alone, find someone else.”

  “It’s too late for that,” Bentley said. “And you’re in no position to make demands of me. Now, are you going to listen and follow, or are we going to have to unleash the fun?”

  “I could fight. Maybe I’d even win.”

  “Not against a bullet.”

  Where the fuck is that old motherfucker? Frank thought.

  Gone. You trusted your life to an old rummy.

  “Well it seems like I don’t have a choice.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  Frank got down on his knees and shimmied around to face the wall. Behind him, he heard Bentley approaching.

  “I admire your courage detective. I really do.”

  The gun cracked out five reports and then was silent.

  48.

  Chuck watched the guy walk towards the house. He shrunk back a little, and the guy hesitated a second. His stringy hair bobbed in front of his eyes and his breath stopped. It wasn’t a voluntary thing, his lungs just closed off. Then the guy continued walking and Chuck was able to breathe again.

  When the guy walked into the house and started talking, Chuck got up and headed for the freeway.

  Poor fucking bastard, he thought. Guess I’ll have to look for a new house, that asshole’ll never leave.

  49.

  Brenda and Katie walked to the party. Katie had suggested that they get a ride from Brenda’s Mom, but she was horrified at the suggestion.

  “If my Mom took us she’d want to come in and see Jimmy’s parents. Besides it’s not that far of a walk.”

  Now Katie was glad they were walking, the night air filled her with a happiness that she hadn’t felt since her Dad had died.

  “Aren’t you, like, totally excited?” Brenda asked.

  Katie turned, her face was aglow. “Yeah, I really am.”

  “I know, this is gonna be so fun!”

  “Which house is Jimmy’s?”

  Brenda pointed. The house looked like most of the others on the block, the major difference being the number of cars in front of it.

  “Those must be the seniors,” Brenda said. She grabbed Katie’s shoulders and shook. “We are so lucky.”

  The front door was open and the girls could hear music pouring out onto the porch. Voices, some muted, others animated to near shouting, mingled together to fo
rm a cacophony that signaled one thing, party.

  “Should we just go in?” Brenda asked.

  Katie brushed past her and opened the screen door. Once inside, the noise intensified. It reminded Katie of the concert that she and Brenda had gone to last year. They had gotten what Brenda classified as good seats. As it turned out, they were situated a scant three rows from the large speakers that were meant to boom the band’s sound into the back rows. Katie thought the ringing in her ears would never end. After the concert she felt as if someone had buried cotton next to her eardrums.

  Several people were already in attendance. A large area had been cleared in front of the flat screen television that hung on the wall, and several of the party-goers were dancing in tandem.

  Others were spotted near the periphery of the action. Most of them held plastic cups in their hands and occasionally leaned over to chat with one another.

  “I’m gonna get us some drinks,” Brenda shouted.

  Katie nodded assent, while her eyes scanned the room. A brown leather couch dominated the far wall. Two people were sitting on it, Jimmy and Jenny.

  Brenda appeared in front of Katie’s sightline holding two plastic cups with a dark red liquid in them.

  “I told you we should have gotten a ride,” Katie said, leaning forward to be heard. “Look at that little bitch over there with Jimmy.”

  Brenda started to turn and Katie put a hand on her shoulder. “Well don’t look now. I mean be discreet about it.”

  “Just take your drink.”

  She offered the cup and Katie grabbed it from her and swallowed a bit. A heavy, medicinal taste filled her mouth, and she spit it back into the cup.

  “Aw, sick Katie.”

  ”What the hell is in this?”

  “I don’t know; it’s just this punch in a big bowl.”

  ”I don’t want it.” Katie made to hand the cup back.

  Brenda stared at her. “What? You’re gonna be the only one not drinking here.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t what it.” She continued to hold the cup out, but Brenda made no

  move to grab it.

  “Do you want Jimmy to think you’re lame or something?”

  “I don’t care what he thinks. I’m not drinking this.” Katie looked around and saw a small wooden end-table. She set the cup down on it and wiped the moister from her hands on the front of her jeans.

  “Maybe this was a bad idea. I think we should leave.”

  “Leave!”

  Katie moved in closer and put a hand on Brenda’s shoulder. “Not so loud, you’re going to embarrass us.”

  “I don’t get you sometimes,” Brenda said. “You’re so fucking moody.”

  Katie spun and headed for the door. Before she got three steps, Brenda grabbed her arm.

  “I’m sorry. Fuck. Just stay. Come on, let’s try and have fun. You don’t have to drink if you don’t want to.”

  Katie turned back. “Fine. Let’s just find something to do.”

  “Okay. Could you at least act a little drunk though?”

  Katie laughed, she couldn’t help it.

  50.

  Bentley knew the address, although he could have found the house fairly easily without it.

  Dumb shit’s either going to get the cops out here or have his neighbors out him to his parents, he thought.

  He walked inside and his eyes found Katie. She was standing by the wall with her cunt of a friend. The glance was brief, nothing more than a passing of the eyes, but it was enough.

  It seemed as if half the school was crammed into Jimmy’s house. Bentley’s left hand found his wrist and felt the pulse beating a staccato underneath the skin.

  “Hey Howie!” Some bastard that Bentley didn’t even recognize shouted. The bastard caught eyes with him for a second and then quickly passed on his way to the punch bowl.

  Bentley walked over to the couch were Jimmy sat and smiled.

  “The party seems to be a success,” he said.

  Jimmy looked up and his eyes widened. For a second, Bentley wondered if Jimmy had even expected him to show up.

  “Yeah, it looks like it.”

  “What’s Howie doing here?” The blonde cunt sitting next to Jimmy asked.

  “Jimmy invited me,” Bentley said. “And as a token of my appreciation. He held out a small tan envelope. Jimmy stared at him for a second and then took it.

  “Go on, open it.”

  Jimmy’s fingers trembled they ripped the paper from the top. A small white greeting card was inside. Jimmy looked from the card back up at Bentley then back to card again.

  “You know, it’s not my birthday or anything.”

  “If you don’t want it, then I’ll take it back.”

  “No! It’s not that. I just mean, you didn’t have to do this.”

  “Isn’t it traditional to bring gifts when someone invites you into their home?”

  “Howie, you must be the most clueless fuck in the world,” the blond cunt said.

  “Jenny! Shut up.”

  Jenny’s look of sick amusement fell and she turned towards Jimmy. “Excuse me.”

  “Brandon is my friend. Don’t talk to him like that.”

  Bentley didn’t pay any attention. His eyes were focused on Jimmy. “Go ahead, read it.”

  Jimmy looked down at the card and forced a smile. “Thanks a million,” he read from the front of the card. Jimmy flipped the card opened and stared at it for a second. Then he looked up at Bentley. “There’s nothing written,” he said.

  “Did you see the money?”

  Jimmy lifted the twenty out of the card and stared at it. “Uh, yeah, thanks.”

  “That’s right isn’t it? Don’t you put money in greeting cards?”

  “Well…”

  “I’m getting a drink,” Jenny said and stood up. “This is all a little too weird for me.”

  Bentley watched her go and then turned back to Jimmy. “I just wanted to thank you for inviting me.”

  “You didn’t have to,” Jimmy said. “Why don’t you take your money back?” Jimmy held out the bill. Bentley stared at it for a second.

  “You don’t want it?”

  “I mean it’s just not necessary.”

  Bentley grabbed the twenty. “Fine, I guess I didn’t understand the courtesy of greeting cards.”

  “Brandon, you’re a nice guy but…” That’s when the screaming began.

  51.

  “Here she comes,” Brenda said.

  Katie glanced and saw Jenny get up from the couch. Jenny had the bitch look if any girl ever did. Her mouth was tight set and her eyes held contempt for all that she saw.

  “Now’s your chance to go talk to Jimmy. I’ll distract that creepy kid.”

  Katie opened her mouth to give a reply, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Jenny standing with one hand on her hip. Her upper body was tilted to one side.

  “You’re not going over there,” she said.

  Katie blinked in surprise. “What?”

  “I said you’re not going over there. If you think that Jimmy would want some little bitch like you, then you can think again. He’s mine.”

  “Like he’d want some dried up little skank like you,” Brenda said.

  “You fucking slut!”

  “Slut! I’m not the one that fucked Kyle Mosley in the girl’s bathroom!”

  Oh shit,” Jimmy said. He made to get up, but Bentley didn’t give him the chance.

  “Hey, you!” He called.

  All three girls looked over.

  “I’m talking to the blonde one. You know the one that looks like she’s just finished sucking on a lemon.”

  “You stay out of this, you fucking bald freak!”

  “Sure make fun of the kid that had cancer, from what I’ve observed tonight that is your style.”

  “You had cancer?” Jimmy asked. The rest of the party-goers had similar looks of shock on their face. Bentley ignored them all. He had his sights set on the
little cunt in front of him.

  “You are nothing but an insecure little bitch that looks for acceptance anyway she can get it. You let anyone use your body, because you don’t care about it. The only thing your body provides you is a means to get someone to love you. You think that if some guy wants to shove his cock in your little hole then that means he really cares. But I think deep down you know that isn’t the case. You let all these men use you, because that’s all you know.”

  Bentley took a breath. His chest rose and fell in rapid succession. The other kids had started to back away, clearing a path between Bentley and Jenny. It was as if they were two gunfighters in the old west ready to unload on each other.

  “You are nothing but a dirty slut with an inflated sense of self-worth. You try to make everyone else feel inferior, because to do so makes you feel better about yourself. You will never love anyone, and no one will ever love you.”

  Bentley pointed to Katie.

  “Do you see that girl? She’s a person of actual worth. I would never waste my time on someone like you. You are already dead inside. That girl has an actual soul. She has value. You are nothing.”

  Bentley turned his gaze on the rest of the people.

  “As for the rest of you sheeple. Mark this moment. This is when your little, insignificant high school lives stopped for a moment and someone actually made a salient point.”

  Bentley walked across the floor and out the door. No one said anything right away. They simply stood their ground, unable to react to such an outburst.

  Finally, Jenny let out a nervous laugh. “Can you believe that freak?”

  The others stared at her, but none of them offered any words of agreement.

  52.

  Bentley walked slowly. This was another part of it. He didn’t want to rush, nor did he want to seem like he was waiting. A voice spoke up behind him and he smiled.

  “Hey, wait!”

  Bentley turned. It was Katie, of course it was.

  “You had cancer?”

  “I did. I beat that son of a bitch though. Beat it to death.”

  Katie smiled. “Hey, thanks for that. Someone had to take that bitch down a notch.”