Beneath the Mask of Sanity Read online

  Bentley stood by the bathroom door, but didn’t go in. Jimmy walked up and the smile was gone.

  “Okay, what the fuck do you want?”

  “You’re having a party tomorrow.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m coming.”

  Jimmy put out his hands and backed up a step. “Whoa, listen, Howie, you’re a decent guy, but you’re new here. This party is for a select few friends.”

  Bentley closed the distance between the two of them in a second; Jimmy didn’t have time to back up.

  “You don’t understand,” Bentley said. His face was so close that his nose almost touched the taller boy’s chin. “I’m coming to the party. I’m not asking you. Now either you take what is in my hand and not make a scene when I show up at your house, or you can walk away and I’ll still show up, only you won’t like what happens to you and your select friends when I do come.”

  Jimmy stared at Bentley. His eyes were wide and the fear wasn’t hiding anymore. It was right out in the open. After a few seconds Jimmy held out his hand. Bentley placed a wad of cash in it. It represented about half of the money that had been in Brandon’s wallet.

  Jimmy’s eyes widened further when he saw the cash. “How much…”

  “Put it in your pocket you moron,” Bentley whispered.

  Jimmy shoved his hand down into his jeans.

  “You can count it later. Now, you taking that money means that we have an agreement. I come and you act like you invited me of your own free will, or else.”

  Jimmy’s smile was coming back. “Or else what? You’ll tell my parents?”

  Now it was Bentley’s turn to smile. When he did, it spread across his face slowly, like a cloud of polluted gas spreading across the valley.

  “Jimmy, if you go back on this deal your parents are the last thing you’re going to need to worry about.”

  Bentley turned and walked away, after he’d gotten a few feet, he stopped and turned. “Address?”

  Jimmy balked for a second and then understanding dawned on his face. “7915 Brennely.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Bentley said. “I’ll be there.”

  25.

  Sheila was sitting at the kitchen table when Katie walked through the door. There was a large recipe book open in front of her.

  “Hey sweetie. How was school?”

  “Fine Mom. How was your day?”

  Sheila popped her head up. That sentence marked the most words that Katie had spoken to her in sequence since the day they heard that George had been killed.

  “It was fine. I’m thinking of making Spaghetti tonight. There’s a recipe in here for the sauce that’s supposed to be wonderful.”

  “That’s great Mom.” Katie sat down in the chair across from Sheila. She leaned over the table with a smile on her face. “I have some good news.”

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “Well, Jimmy Sparks invited me to his party tomorrow night.”

  Sheila looked across the table at her daughter for a long time. “And Jimmy’s parents are going to be there of course.”

  Katie rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. “Of course they are mom. Do you think Jimmy’s parents would let him have a party when they’re not there?”

  “No,” Sheila said. “But I’m willing to bet that Jimmy would have a party if his parents weren’t home and wouldn’t tell them.”

  Katie’s smile faltered a little. “Mom.” She reached out and grabbed Sheila’s hands. “After all we’ve been through together, do you think that I would lie to you?”

  Sheila continued to study her daughter. “So you wouldn’t mind if I called Jimmy’s parents?”

  “Mom!” Katie jumped up from her chair. “If you call Jimmy’s parents then I’ll be the joke of the whole school. Everyone will say I’m lame. Can’t you just trust me!”

  “Sit down.”

  Katie complied. Her eyes scanned the table top; her arms were crossed across her chest. Sheila saw the hunched shoulders and remembered what it was like to be a teenager and in love.

  “Katie, I’m not going to make you promise me that Jimmy’s parents are going to be there, because I don’t want you to lie to me.”

  Katie’s head shot up a cross look spread on her face. Sheila raised a hand to silence any barrage that might have been forming in her daughter’s mind.

  “However, I am going to make you promise me that you won’t do anything stupid at this party. That means no drugs, no alcohol, no sex.”

  The smile resurfaced. “So you mean I can go?”

  “If you can promise me that you’re going to behave.”

  “Oh, yes! I promise.”

  Katie jumped out of her seat again, only this time it was to run to the other side of the table and wrap her arms around her mother. She placed a large kiss on her forehead. “Thank you so much Mom.”

  Though it hurt her to do it, Sheila pushed her daughter away a little. As Katie backed up, she looked deep into her eyes.

  “I mean a real promise,” Sheila said. “A promise not only to me but to your Father as well.”

  Katie’s face became serious. “I promise Mom, I promise to you and Dad. I won’t do anything stupid.”

  “Okay,” Sheila said. “Then you can go.”

  Katie kissed her mom again, this time on the cheek. “I love you so much Mom.”

  “I love you too honey.”

  Katie turned to leave the kitchen and then stopped and turned back. “Oh, there’s one more thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I was wondering if you could take me and Brenda to the mall so that I can get something to wear for the party?”

  Sheila sighed. “All right. Do you have money for this?”

  “Oh yeah. I’ve been saving for like months, now I’ve finally got something that I want to buy.”

  “Okay, we can go after dinner.”

  “Thank you Mom, I’ll go call Brenda.”

  26.

  Bentley sat on the slab of marble. It was cold underneath him. All around people

  hustled, as if their time was the most valuable thing to them. Yet, if their time was so important then why were they wasting it in this monument to consumerism?

  Teenagers made up the majority of the occupants, but there were quite a few families as well. A short Latino woman walked by with a large bulge in her stomach. She was with a man that looked like he might be a soccer player. He was also short, only thin; the T-shirt that he wore seemed to balloon around him. They were pushing a blue stroller with a little dark baby inside.

  How many kids will you have? Bentley thought. Probably keep popping them out until your insides can’t take it anymore, and for what? Just to overrun the world with little Spanish speaking, soccer playing bastards that can take my order at McDonalds?

  So many fucking people, but none of them the one that he really wanted, the prize amongst them all.

  Then, she walked in. The main entrance was across from him and he knew it was her as soon as the sliding doors opened. Her walk, her hair, her pale face. As she got closer, it was her eyes. Those sparkling eyes, so alive. Her fear was buried deep, it was hard to see. Bentley saw her and the hunger rose in his own heart. She had finally arrived.

  27.

  Frank didn’t have friends. He didn’t have a girl or anyone to occupy his time. The last girlfriend had been almost two years ago.

  There was only one love in his life, the job. From day one at the police academy he had forsaken all else for the job. There weren’t very many things that a person could do in the world and really make a difference, he cherished the opportunity to be one of those people.

  The condo was silent again, only he wasn’t in his bed. Frank sat on his couch with the television on. His extra copies on the Braddock case file were spread out in front of him. There were some things missing, things that couldn’t be copied, but even if everything had been there it would have been painfully small.

  There just wasn’
t enough there, not nearly enough to make any kind of real headway in the case. They had found the wallet; everything was still in it, except for the money, which supported the robbery theory. There were no prints on the wallet, no fibers, nothing.

  The car had also been a bust, everything had.

  “If all he wanted was the money then why kill Braddock?”

  “Maybe he didn’t want to leave a witness,” he answered himself. Talking to himself out loud was an eccentricity that exhibited itself most often when working on a case. It helped to uncover things that he sometimes missed.

  “Sure, maybe, it seems like he’d been very careful not to leave anything else that we could go on.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “What’s the number one type of person that robs others?”

  “Addicts.”

  “Right, and they’re almost never careful. They’re so intent on getting a few bucks to feed their habit that they rush into things. They get in and get out fast, as much to get to their dealer faster as to avoid getting caught.”

  “So maybe this one is smarter, maybe he doesn’t want to get caught?”

  “Maybe, but if he’s an addict then he’d have to rob on a fairly regular basis and if that was the case then he would have to kill an awful lot of people.”

  “Maybe he normally robs houses when people aren’t home? Maybe he just saw an opportunity and he decided to take it to get his fix?”

  “Or maybe this George Braddock said or did something? Something that changed the normal situation.”

  “Sure, that could be the case. Maybe this guy usually wears a mask and Braddock pulled it off, maybe even by accident?”

  “So where does that leave us?”

  “Square one,” Frank said. “Mother fucking square one. With no leads, no clues, no witnesses, nothing.”

  “…no leads in the murder of Charles Simpson and his wife and teenage son,” the anchor on the television intoned.

  “At least I’m not alone,” Frank said and then snapped off the television. It was time to try to sleep.

  28.

  Sheila and Karen drove around in the parking lot looking for a spot.

  “How come I couldn’t go in with Katie?” Karen asked.

  “Because your sister and her friend want to be alone on their little shopping trip.” Sheila looked down at her daughter’s face. “It’s okay though, because we’re going to do something much more fun.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, we’re going to get ice cream.”

  Katie and Brenda leafed through the dresses on the hanger of The Limited.

  “Uh, there’s nothing here that’s any good at all,” Katie said.

  “I told you, if you want something really hot, we have to go to the GAP.”

  “My Mom’s not going to let me get anything really nice. I’m surprised that she’s being so cool about this at all.”

  Brenda grabbed Katie’s shoulder and spun her around. “Do you want Jimmy to notice you?”

  “Well, I thought he already did, I mean he told you to invite me to the party right?”

  Brenda looked back at Katie without saying anything.

  “Right?”

  “Well maybe he didn’t exactly put it like that.”

  “Well what did he say?”

  “He mentioned you, but it wasn’t like he was really pushing me. It’s just…like…”

  “What’s going on Brenda?”

  “Okay I heard that he might be really like psyched that Jenny Cordasi’s coming.”

  “That fucking skank?”

  “Yeah, I know, which is why you need to look your best. You don’t want Jimmy looking at you and thinking good-girl, do you?”

  Katie looked down.

  “Well do you?”

  “No.”

  “Then, if we’re going to get him to notice you instead of Jenny we need to get to the GAP and like now. We have to meet your Mom and sister soon.”

  “Okay,” Katie said. “Let’s go.”

  29.

  Bentley watched the two little cunts tear through the clothes. It seemed as if they weren’t even looking at any of them. They simply moved through them because that’s what they thought they were supposed to do.

  Then they stopped and started talking. Bentley was too far away to hear what they were saying, but it was clear that his Prize was upset about something. The other one seemed to be trying to explain. In the end, they left the store they were in and began a quick walk to the escalators. Bentley followed behind them. People pushed around him, he turned away from whichever way they were coming, but they seemed to be all around. It was as if he were a pebble in a river of humanity and they were parting around him, but so close that Bentley was close to screaming. Only, he knew he couldn’t do that; he couldn’t do anything that would attract attention. Not with the Prize so close. Instead, he turned away and tried to hold his revulsion inside, but it wasn’t easy.

  30.

  Karen took a big lick of her cone. The ice cream part melted, leaving only the little chocolate shavings and the large ball of cookie dough. She munched these down and went in for another lick.

  “See this is a lot more fun than looking at some crummy clothes isn’t it?”

  Karen nodded; she was attempting to smile through the cold treat on her lips.

  “How’s yours Mommy?”

  Sheila regarded her cone with little interest. “It’s good. It’s good just to be here with you.”

  Karen smiled and took another big lick of her cone.

  “Hey Mommy?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think Daddy’s still up there watching us?”

  “Of course honey.”

  “Is he watching all the time?”

  Sheila thought about the question. “I think he is.”

  “Good.”

  “You know that your Daddy will always be with you, right?”

  “I feel him sometimes,” Karen said.

  “You do?”

  She nodded. “Mostly when I’m in my little girl house. I think he likes it in there. I miss him a lot, but when I’m in there I think he’s in there too.”

  Sheila wrapped an arm around her daughter.

  “You know something, honey, I think you’re right.”

  31.

  The GAP was much better. In only a few minutes Katie had picked out three different outfits that she took into the dressing room.

  Brenda waited outside, idly glancing at a few sweaters that had been neatly folded on one of the tables. Finally, the dressing room door opened and Katie walked out.

  “Well?”

  Brenda looked Katie over. “Turn around.”

  Katie held her arms slightly out with her wrists bent so that her hands were on a perpendicular to her body. Her hair tossed as she moved. When the spin was over, Brenda’s face remained studious.

  “It’s good,” Brenda said. “But, like, not great. Why don’t you try that blue one that you picked out?”

  Katie clasped her hands to her breast. That one’s so tight though.”

  Brenda rolled her eyes. “This is Jimmy Sparks we’re talking about. He’s gonna wanna see some skin.”

  Katie retreated back into the dressing room and Brenda resumed her wait.

  32.

  Bentley watched the entire exchange just inside the store. He didn’t want to be so close, but he needed to hear what the girls were saying.

  When he saw the pink dress that Katie had come out with first he had been surprised by an emotion. The Prize was stunning in it. The dress had been flirty but not too showy; it spoke of a girl that wanted to look good, but knew that she didn’t have to demean herself to do so. Then she disappeared back into the dressing room and Bentley watched with fascination, awaiting her next look.

  33.

  Katie walked out, this time her posture was slumped and there was no smile on her face. The blue thing clung to her body like a sock. There was no hiding in it. Ev
ery little bump in her physique showed. She continually ran her hands down the front of it, as if trying to smooth it out.

  “That’s it!” Brenda squealed. A smile broke out on her face.

  Katie looked at her in puzzlement. “This?” She looked down at her body, the neck line scooped down low, revealing the twin mounds of the top of her breasts.

  “Yeah, Jimmy is gonna like flip over that.”

  “I can’t even breathe in this thing.”

  “That’s how you know it’s good. You should totally get that one.”

  “I don’t know,” Katie said, but her countenance was already changing. She walked over to the mirror next to the dressing room and gazed in.

  Brenda popped up behind her. “You look so hot. God, I wish I had your body.”

  “Really?” The smile that had begun on Katie’s face was gaining more force.

  “Oh totally. Come on, we’ve gotta meet your Mom and sister, take it off and let’s pay for it.”

  Katie looked at herself in the mirror for a second longer. “Okay, give me a second.”

  Smiling, she rushed back into the dressing room.

  34.

  Bentley watched the Prize come out in the uniform of a whore. There was nothing flattering or understated about that dress. Even its blue color seemed to beam off the dress and sear his eyes.

  “Mother fucking cunt,” he whispered. “You and your idiot friend will like that one; it fits your little cunt of a brain.”

  Bentley fixed his eyes on the friend, the idiot that seemed to float around rather than walk, as if the air in her head made her achieve a kind of lift. The need in him grew stronger; it was going to be hard to suppress it for much longer. For the first time, Bentley contemplated just ending everything right here and now, killing the Prize and her bitch of a friend and then facing what would come next. He could see himself doing it and he felt the rush in his bloodstream. Only, that wouldn’t do, the other two would remain. Better to be calm and safe and continue as he knew he needed to. It had taken too long, there had been too much planning to give everything up there.