Chapter 18
~~~~*~~~~~~~~
Exhausted, Gary opened the door slowly to
his loft, and right away the smell of something
burning assaulted his nostrils. His eyes moved
towards the window in front of the sofa, noticing
that it had been slightly opened.
Looking around, traces of April graced his small
loft. Her purse on the entertainment center and
her shoes placed neatly in a corner. Everything
was neat and tidy. His bed had been carefully
made which was something Gary never did when
he rushed out in the mornings.
The coffee table had been carefully covered with
one of Lois's laced table cloths where on top, two
wine glasses sat across from each other, a vase full
of fresh flowers graced the middle of it all; but,
Gary's thoughts were far away from the cozy little
scene in his apartment. His mind was on what
Brigatti had revealed to him down at the police
station. Brigatti told him that she wanted to
question April about some things, and not wanting
to have her subpoenaed, she entrusted Gary to
bring her down to her office.
The sound of the door closing caught April's
attention and she appeared suddenly from
the kitchen.
"Gary," she smiled, running out in her stocking
feet to greet him. Throwing her arms about his
neck, she planted a sweet kiss on his lips then
pulled back suddenly to look at him.
"Where have you been ... where do you go
everyday?" she questioned, scolding him in a
loving tone while helping him out of his jacket.
Gary loved seeing April happy. It was as if she
was experiencing a whole new lease on life and
he enjoyed every moment of it. But tonight he felt
guilty being the bearer of bad news.
Jacket removed, April wrapped her arms about his
waist and drew him close, her face looking up at
him. She didn't care where he went everyday as long
as he came back to her.
HIs heart felt heavy as he bent to kiss her tenderly
and April's eyes grew wide, sensing something wrong
in his demeanor.
"What's the matter?" she whispered, against his lips.
"Just tired," he sighed rubbing his face in his hands. He
didn't know how he would confront her about what he
had just learned. He was in love her, which was a blow in
itself, and now he had been told some pretty questionable
things concerning her. But the picture of her on the lap of
another man upset him even more.... a man who had been
murdered.
"Poor baby," she said sympathetically. Cupping both sides of his
face lovingly in her hands, she kissed his lips again.
"Hungry?" she asked hanging up his coat, "I made pasta but
I burned it. So I ordered a pizza. Hope you don't mind."
"Oh..no. I ah, like pizza," he said sliding a hand through his
hair. The corners of his mouth curled into a lazy smile
as he pictured her trying to cook for him. She wasn't
a great cook, and he had found out the hard way
when he dug his fork into a huge serving of lasagna
she had prepared for him one day, only to find that
the noodles hadn't been thoroughly cooked.
Tonight, he had grabbed a bite of something to eat
from the kitchen downstairs just before coming up
and wasn't hungry. He couldn't remember what it
was that he had eaten, but he didn't have the heart
to tell April that he wasn't hungry. He also didn't
have the heart to tell her what he was about to tell
her now.
Troubled, he sank down on the sofa and watched
as April hurried into the kitchen and returned a few
minutes later carrying a large steaming pizza and
placed it carefully on the coffee table in front of him.
Quietly he watched her, his eyes taking her in, still
mesmerized by her beauty. The black leather skirt she
wore graced her soft curves fitting her perfectly, and
the powder blue cashmere sweater she wore complimented
her pretty blue eyes and honey brown hair that spilled
about her shoulders.
Aware of his gaze upon her, April stuck out her tongue
and made a funny face at him and tugged the rather
snugged fitting skirt up slightly to bend her knees and
she knelt down on the floor in front of the coffee table.
With her legs tucked comfortably under her, she sat
looking up at him, her pretty eyes blinking, waiting for
him to join her.
Staring at her, the picture Brigatti had shown him and
everything he had been told that evening was tormenting
his mind right now. He bent his head to rub his tired
face in his hands.
Why did he have to fall in love with her. He thought
to himself as he contemplated how he would start
the conversation. He was thankful that Brigatti had
trusted him, giving him time to talk to her. He knew
Brigatti would come looking for her sooner or later.
It was now or never.
"April...w-we need to talk" he said straight
forwardly.
April sat quietly looking up at him perplexed
by his worried look. Gary rubbed his jaw, trying
to figure out a way to start the conversation.
"I-I just came from the police station..." he
began. His voice was shaky as he proceeded
to tell her everything he had been told by Brigatti.
He mentioned the pictures Brigatti had shown him,
the men April had allegedly dated and the murders.
When he was finished, there was dead silence in the
room, broken only by the sound of a police siren wailing
somewhere in the distance.
April's face was flushed pink as she sat staring up at
him. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about everything
Gary had just told her. She wanted to run, but she knew
that she could no longer hide the terrible secret that had
tormented her for months. Glancing down at her hands,
her lips began to tremble as she answered. "I-I'm a bad
person Gary, and I've done some terrible things."
Speechless, Gary sat staring at her, trying to let
what she had just confessed make sense in his
tired mind. It didn't.
"What are you talking about?" he said with a frown,"You're not
bad April. W-What are you talking about?"
April's body began to quake suddenly. Covering her face
with her hands, she broke down crying. "Bad...horrible,
things and then I can't remember them."
Gary was stunned as her words resonated around
in his head. He couldn't imagine what she could
have possibly done that would warrant such a
horrible confession. He had to know.
"Like what!?" he asked simply, resisting the urge
to reach out to hold her.
April couldn't answer from crying.
"April...tell me...things like what!? he demanded
trying to keep his voice calm, while not really sure
he wanted to know.
"I have to go," April said in a small voice. She rose,
from the floor wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
This scenario had played out once before. Not about
to let her get away with it this time, Gary jumped up
quickly from the sofa, blocking her path.
"Oh no you don''t! N-Not that again April, w-we
have to talk!"
"What do you want to know." She asked.
"What do I--!?" Gary began then stopped abruptly,
clearly frustrated with her now. He ran a hand through
his hair and glanced off, trying hard to keep his
composure. She was still covering up something. What
the hell was she hiding from him? He drew in an angry
breath then turned to face her again.
"Tell me what kind of trouble are you talking about,
th-things like what?"
Looking up from her hands, April answered. "Like...murder."
There! She had finally said it!
Whoa! Shocked registered in Gary's eyes as he stood
there staring at her. Not sure he had heard her correctly,
turn an ear towards her. "E-Excuse me?"
"Gary, don't make me say it again!" she cried.
"D-Do you know what you are saying!?" he whispered
looking around the loft, as if the walls had ears.
"I-I suppose I-I block it out somehow.... I don't know."
she continued tearfully.
"Well...h-how can you not remember doing something!?" Gary was
livid.
"I-I don't know !" she cried. " I only know that whenever
I go out with a guy-- or show interest, h-he winds up-- dead."
Grabbing a tissue from the box on the table, she pressed it to
her eyes."That's why I didn't feel right coming here, to be with
you. I-I didn't want anything to h-happen to you."
Silence engulfed the room as Gary sat staring at her. He was
completely dumbfounded and didn't know what to say to her.
April, feeling totally helpless, stood looking up at him, knowing
she had lost him. Tears spilled over on the blue sweater
Gary had thought looked so pretty on her and his heart softened.
There had to be another explanation for all of this. This beautiful
lady was no murderer.
Closing his eyes, he drew in a long breath and blew it out slowly.
"C'mere," he reached for her.
April went to him, wrapping her arms about his neck. She buried her
face against his shoulder and cried, her small frame convulsing as
thoughts of what she had become flooded her mind. The thought of
losing Gary tore her apart. She had finally found love and now her
whole world had fallen apart.
In shock, Gary held her, his eyes clenched tight. He kept thinking
to himself that this couldn't be happening. He could feel April's
arms tight about his neck, crying. Her breath hot on his shoulder
already damp from her tears and after a moment, he pulled her
back gently to look her squarely in the face. He had to know more.
"April," he whispered, shaking her gently to get her attention. "Did you
know a Mr. Danano?"
Crying.
"April !" Gary's voice was more forceful this time. God he hated
using that tone with her and he hated seeing her cry but he had
to get through to her. "Did you know a Mr. Danano?" he asked again.
"Y-Yes!" she admitted tearfully.
Gary blinked, "Well--how?!" he asked, not wanting to picture her
with anyone else. The photo had disturbed him deeply and when
Brigatti mentioned that there were others, he thought he
would certainly lose it.
With her head still buried in his shoulder, April tried explaining
as best she could. "He was one of the lawyers at the law firm
that I work for. W-We dated for a little-while---but I didn't know
that he was married Gary, I swear," she cried her voice muffled
against his shoulder.
"A-And then what happened?"
April pulled back wiping her eyes. She knew that she had to tell
him everything and that eventually, the killings would have to stop.
She felt she could trust him and that she could tell him anything.
"Tell me." Gary asked again, his tone softening.
"I-I don't know really." she said, her body jerking as she drew in a
breath. Pressing the tissue into her eyes she continued, "H-He didn't
show up at work for days a-after our last date. I called and called
the number had given me, but I-I never got an an-answer. His body
was found days later."
Listening to all of this, Gary knew that they were cooked! He dropped
back down on the sofa, letting her body slumped against his, waiting
patiently until she was able to compose herself to answer some
more questions that he had for her, and there were many.
In a daze Gary held April gently, her back shaking uncontrollably
as she cried. The awful truth was now exposed. But was it true?
Was this beautiful woman really a killer?
The gun! He blinked, thinking frantically for anything that
might help them out of what seemed like a hopeless situation.
April had never mentioned that she owned a gun. Anxious, Gary
held his breath, getting ready to asked her a question the whole
awful question.
"April," he called to her softly. It was a few minutes before he
heard a barely audible murmur against his neck, as she finally
responded.
"Mm?"
"I-I need to know something. D-Do you have a gun?"
After a moment, she pulled back to look at him pausing
to blow her nose on the wadded tissue she held in her hand.
The pretty eyes that were once a clear blue, were now red-rimmed as
she blinked thinking about the question Gary had just asked her. As
if to suddenly remember, her mouth stretched open. "Yeesss!!!"
she wailed falling onto his chest again crying.
His mind frantic, Gary remembered that Brigatti had said
that a special caliber gun that had been used in the murders. One
that had been specially made. He would have to see her gun.
"Do you have the gun with you?" he asked.
April nodded against his chest and pulled back wiping her eyes
with the tissue. As if in a daze she rose from the sofa
and moved slowly towards the entertainment center to retrieve
her purse. Gary got up and followed, standing close behind her.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a white handkerchief and
began to slowly unwrap what was inside. A small, strange looking
revolver came into view as she pulled back the last layer of the cloth.
It was a weird looking contraption that fit perfectly her hand. Gary's
heart stopped. He reached over, snatching it out of her hand.
"Where did you get this!?" he asked as he examined the gun.
"P-Peter gave it t-to me." She stammered.
Peter? Gary's mind raced, trying to remember if she had ever
spoken of any one named Peter.
"Who the heck is Peter?" He asked, looking over at her.
"M-My ex..." April responded, "My ex fian...fiancee," she sniffed.
" I told you about him. He gave me the gun to use for my pro-protection
when I left New York. He wanted me to be safe."
"Oh yeah." Gary murmured sliding a hand through his hair.
Gary examined the gun more closely, turning it over in his hand
before opening it up, to take a look inside of the chamber. There
was two bullets left in the chamber and he emptied them out into
the palm of his hand.
They were odd looking things, much smaller than any bullets
he'd ever seen, which might explain the strange wounds found
on the victims.
Wrapping the bullets in a tissue, he placed them carefully on the
table then snapped the gun closed. Examining the barrel of the gun
again, he noticed the darkened color of the barrel and that it smelled
of smoke.
"It's been fired!" he glanced over at her.
April's lips quivered and she gave a slight shrug, seeming to be
as much in the dark as he. She opened her mouth to speak but
nothing came out.
"W-We have to tell the police." Gary murmured subconsciously.
"Gary, no!" April cried, "Please Gary!"
Painfully, he studied her tear streaked face pleading with him
not to tell, and it tore him up inside. He loved her and in his
heart he knew that he couldn't turn her in. Not now, maybe not ever.
"Maybe we can hold off of telling for now," he said scratching his head.
He wrapped the gun back into the cloth and placed it on the coffee
table beside the bullets. Then without a word he put an arm around
April and together they sank back down on the sofa with April crying
softly against his chest.
He clicked off the lights and for a long while the two sat quietly,
holding each other. He thought about Brigatti. Oh boy! They
were cooked!
When April felt calm enough to talk, only then was she able to
tell Gary the horrendous details of her life. Growing up in a foster
home, being moved from place to place, abused and mistreated.
She told how she had grown to detest men, especially married men.
They were the worse. Wanting to mold her to be what they wanted
her to be only to be dumped by them later. She was just decoration.
She felt that she was a monster for feeling the way she felt about
men and when the bodies of the men she had dated started
turning up dead, she assumed she had killed them. There was
no other explanation for it. She was a monster!
"Were there others?" Gary asked hesitantly.
She simply nodded.
Gary's heart sank.
He thought about Robert Norse, the man from the Golden Spoon
restaurant and the woman in the red wig.
"D-Did you know a man by the name Robert Norse?" he asked
reluctantly.
April nodded slowly. "I saw you when you came into the
Golden Spoon restaurant that night. You said something to him
and then he canceled our date."
"So that was you in the red wig?"
She nodded again, "Yes...he wanted me to wear it"
Silence.
"Gary"
"Yeah."
"No matter how it appears...I never slept with any of those
men...except Peter. I'm sorry."
Gary closed his eyes shaking his head. "It's okay." he assured
her softly.
For a long moment April sat staring at him. Leaning back
against his chest she murmured softly, "I've always felt safe with you.
You never once tried to take advantage of me. You never expected anything
from me," she pulled back to look at him again. "Even now." Her
eyes searched his face, "I-I love you Gary," she whispered.
At that moment, Gary's heart never felt heavier. She had endured
an horrendous life growing up and it wasn't fair that she would have
suffered the things that she had. She looked so helpless now and
Gary felt that he needed to protect her now.
"I love you too." he whispered back. He studied her face for a
moment, resigned to his feelings for her and leaned in, kissing
her gently. Gary had never told April that he loved her before....
in fact, not since Marcia had he dared to utter those words to any
woman, and it surprised even him.
April on the other hand had heard those words numerous of times,
but her eyes widened with surprise upon hearing them come from
him. She closed her eyes and settled against his chest again.
"Do you want me to go to the police tomorrow?" she asked
softly, her eyes still closed.
"We'll sort everything out in the morning," Gary sighed. "It'll be
okay."
Somehow those words coming from him meant so much to April.
She was relieved that she had finally told someone about her torment.
That it was the man she loved and trusted.
Leaning against his firm body, she could feel him breathing
and could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest. She inhaled
the smell of him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.
Gary, on the other hand sat in silence, agonizing over their situation,
knowing that if everything was as it appeared, he was holding a
murderer. But here had to be another explanation for all of this
there just had to be! Careful not to awaken April, he leaned over,
sliding the paper from his back pocket to take a look. Nothing.
Maybe April could get help--psychological help. Maybe she could
plead temporary insanity or something. Gary didn't know. HIs mind
a torment, he laid the paper aside thinking about what he was
going to tell Brigatti in the morning.
Oh boy! Brigatti. He blew out a tired breath and close his eyes.
It wasn't long before he drifted off into a restless sleep.
To be continued..................
~~~~*~~~~~~~~
Exhausted, Gary opened the door slowly to
his loft, and right away the smell of something
burning assaulted his nostrils. His eyes moved
towards the window in front of the sofa, noticing
that it had been slightly opened.
Looking around, traces of April graced his small
loft. Her purse on the entertainment center and
her shoes placed neatly in a corner. Everything
was neat and tidy. His bed had been carefully
made which was something Gary never did when
he rushed out in the mornings.
The coffee table had been carefully covered with
one of Lois's laced table cloths where on top, two
wine glasses sat across from each other, a vase full
of fresh flowers graced the middle of it all; but,
Gary's thoughts were far away from the cozy little
scene in his apartment. His mind was on what
Brigatti had revealed to him down at the police
station. Brigatti told him that she wanted to
question April about some things, and not wanting
to have her subpoenaed, she entrusted Gary to
bring her down to her office.
The sound of the door closing caught April's
attention and she appeared suddenly from
the kitchen.
"Gary," she smiled, running out in her stocking
feet to greet him. Throwing her arms about his
neck, she planted a sweet kiss on his lips then
pulled back suddenly to look at him.
"Where have you been ... where do you go
everyday?" she questioned, scolding him in a
loving tone while helping him out of his jacket.
Gary loved seeing April happy. It was as if she
was experiencing a whole new lease on life and
he enjoyed every moment of it. But tonight he felt
guilty being the bearer of bad news.
Jacket removed, April wrapped her arms about his
waist and drew him close, her face looking up at
him. She didn't care where he went everyday as long
as he came back to her.
HIs heart felt heavy as he bent to kiss her tenderly
and April's eyes grew wide, sensing something wrong
in his demeanor.
"What's the matter?" she whispered, against his lips.
"Just tired," he sighed rubbing his face in his hands. He
didn't know how he would confront her about what he
had just learned. He was in love her, which was a blow in
itself, and now he had been told some pretty questionable
things concerning her. But the picture of her on the lap of
another man upset him even more.... a man who had been
murdered.
"Poor baby," she said sympathetically. Cupping both sides of his
face lovingly in her hands, she kissed his lips again.
"Hungry?" she asked hanging up his coat, "I made pasta but
I burned it. So I ordered a pizza. Hope you don't mind."
"Oh..no. I ah, like pizza," he said sliding a hand through his
hair. The corners of his mouth curled into a lazy smile
as he pictured her trying to cook for him. She wasn't
a great cook, and he had found out the hard way
when he dug his fork into a huge serving of lasagna
she had prepared for him one day, only to find that
the noodles hadn't been thoroughly cooked.
Tonight, he had grabbed a bite of something to eat
from the kitchen downstairs just before coming up
and wasn't hungry. He couldn't remember what it
was that he had eaten, but he didn't have the heart
to tell April that he wasn't hungry. He also didn't
have the heart to tell her what he was about to tell
her now.
Troubled, he sank down on the sofa and watched
as April hurried into the kitchen and returned a few
minutes later carrying a large steaming pizza and
placed it carefully on the coffee table in front of him.
Quietly he watched her, his eyes taking her in, still
mesmerized by her beauty. The black leather skirt she
wore graced her soft curves fitting her perfectly, and
the powder blue cashmere sweater she wore complimented
her pretty blue eyes and honey brown hair that spilled
about her shoulders.
Aware of his gaze upon her, April stuck out her tongue
and made a funny face at him and tugged the rather
snugged fitting skirt up slightly to bend her knees and
she knelt down on the floor in front of the coffee table.
With her legs tucked comfortably under her, she sat
looking up at him, her pretty eyes blinking, waiting for
him to join her.
Staring at her, the picture Brigatti had shown him and
everything he had been told that evening was tormenting
his mind right now. He bent his head to rub his tired
face in his hands.
Why did he have to fall in love with her. He thought
to himself as he contemplated how he would start
the conversation. He was thankful that Brigatti had
trusted him, giving him time to talk to her. He knew
Brigatti would come looking for her sooner or later.
It was now or never.
"April...w-we need to talk" he said straight
forwardly.
April sat quietly looking up at him perplexed
by his worried look. Gary rubbed his jaw, trying
to figure out a way to start the conversation.
"I-I just came from the police station..." he
began. His voice was shaky as he proceeded
to tell her everything he had been told by Brigatti.
He mentioned the pictures Brigatti had shown him,
the men April had allegedly dated and the murders.
When he was finished, there was dead silence in the
room, broken only by the sound of a police siren wailing
somewhere in the distance.
April's face was flushed pink as she sat staring up at
him. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about everything
Gary had just told her. She wanted to run, but she knew
that she could no longer hide the terrible secret that had
tormented her for months. Glancing down at her hands,
her lips began to tremble as she answered. "I-I'm a bad
person Gary, and I've done some terrible things."
Speechless, Gary sat staring at her, trying to let
what she had just confessed make sense in his
tired mind. It didn't.
"What are you talking about?" he said with a frown,"You're not
bad April. W-What are you talking about?"
April's body began to quake suddenly. Covering her face
with her hands, she broke down crying. "Bad...horrible,
things and then I can't remember them."
Gary was stunned as her words resonated around
in his head. He couldn't imagine what she could
have possibly done that would warrant such a
horrible confession. He had to know.
"Like what!?" he asked simply, resisting the urge
to reach out to hold her.
April couldn't answer from crying.
"April...tell me...things like what!? he demanded
trying to keep his voice calm, while not really sure
he wanted to know.
"I have to go," April said in a small voice. She rose,
from the floor wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
This scenario had played out once before. Not about
to let her get away with it this time, Gary jumped up
quickly from the sofa, blocking her path.
"Oh no you don''t! N-Not that again April, w-we
have to talk!"
"What do you want to know." She asked.
"What do I--!?" Gary began then stopped abruptly,
clearly frustrated with her now. He ran a hand through
his hair and glanced off, trying hard to keep his
composure. She was still covering up something. What
the hell was she hiding from him? He drew in an angry
breath then turned to face her again.
"Tell me what kind of trouble are you talking about,
th-things like what?"
Looking up from her hands, April answered. "Like...murder."
There! She had finally said it!
Whoa! Shocked registered in Gary's eyes as he stood
there staring at her. Not sure he had heard her correctly,
turn an ear towards her. "E-Excuse me?"
"Gary, don't make me say it again!" she cried.
"D-Do you know what you are saying!?" he whispered
looking around the loft, as if the walls had ears.
"I-I suppose I-I block it out somehow.... I don't know."
she continued tearfully.
"Well...h-how can you not remember doing something!?" Gary was
livid.
"I-I don't know !" she cried. " I only know that whenever
I go out with a guy-- or show interest, h-he winds up-- dead."
Grabbing a tissue from the box on the table, she pressed it to
her eyes."That's why I didn't feel right coming here, to be with
you. I-I didn't want anything to h-happen to you."
Silence engulfed the room as Gary sat staring at her. He was
completely dumbfounded and didn't know what to say to her.
April, feeling totally helpless, stood looking up at him, knowing
she had lost him. Tears spilled over on the blue sweater
Gary had thought looked so pretty on her and his heart softened.
There had to be another explanation for all of this. This beautiful
lady was no murderer.
Closing his eyes, he drew in a long breath and blew it out slowly.
"C'mere," he reached for her.
April went to him, wrapping her arms about his neck. She buried her
face against his shoulder and cried, her small frame convulsing as
thoughts of what she had become flooded her mind. The thought of
losing Gary tore her apart. She had finally found love and now her
whole world had fallen apart.
In shock, Gary held her, his eyes clenched tight. He kept thinking
to himself that this couldn't be happening. He could feel April's
arms tight about his neck, crying. Her breath hot on his shoulder
already damp from her tears and after a moment, he pulled her
back gently to look her squarely in the face. He had to know more.
"April," he whispered, shaking her gently to get her attention. "Did you
know a Mr. Danano?"
Crying.
"April !" Gary's voice was more forceful this time. God he hated
using that tone with her and he hated seeing her cry but he had
to get through to her. "Did you know a Mr. Danano?" he asked again.
"Y-Yes!" she admitted tearfully.
Gary blinked, "Well--how?!" he asked, not wanting to picture her
with anyone else. The photo had disturbed him deeply and when
Brigatti mentioned that there were others, he thought he
would certainly lose it.
With her head still buried in his shoulder, April tried explaining
as best she could. "He was one of the lawyers at the law firm
that I work for. W-We dated for a little-while---but I didn't know
that he was married Gary, I swear," she cried her voice muffled
against his shoulder.
"A-And then what happened?"
April pulled back wiping her eyes. She knew that she had to tell
him everything and that eventually, the killings would have to stop.
She felt she could trust him and that she could tell him anything.
"Tell me." Gary asked again, his tone softening.
"I-I don't know really." she said, her body jerking as she drew in a
breath. Pressing the tissue into her eyes she continued, "H-He didn't
show up at work for days a-after our last date. I called and called
the number had given me, but I-I never got an an-answer. His body
was found days later."
Listening to all of this, Gary knew that they were cooked! He dropped
back down on the sofa, letting her body slumped against his, waiting
patiently until she was able to compose herself to answer some
more questions that he had for her, and there were many.
In a daze Gary held April gently, her back shaking uncontrollably
as she cried. The awful truth was now exposed. But was it true?
Was this beautiful woman really a killer?
The gun! He blinked, thinking frantically for anything that
might help them out of what seemed like a hopeless situation.
April had never mentioned that she owned a gun. Anxious, Gary
held his breath, getting ready to asked her a question the whole
awful question.
"April," he called to her softly. It was a few minutes before he
heard a barely audible murmur against his neck, as she finally
responded.
"Mm?"
"I-I need to know something. D-Do you have a gun?"
After a moment, she pulled back to look at him pausing
to blow her nose on the wadded tissue she held in her hand.
The pretty eyes that were once a clear blue, were now red-rimmed as
she blinked thinking about the question Gary had just asked her. As
if to suddenly remember, her mouth stretched open. "Yeesss!!!"
she wailed falling onto his chest again crying.
His mind frantic, Gary remembered that Brigatti had said
that a special caliber gun that had been used in the murders. One
that had been specially made. He would have to see her gun.
"Do you have the gun with you?" he asked.
April nodded against his chest and pulled back wiping her eyes
with the tissue. As if in a daze she rose from the sofa
and moved slowly towards the entertainment center to retrieve
her purse. Gary got up and followed, standing close behind her.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a white handkerchief and
began to slowly unwrap what was inside. A small, strange looking
revolver came into view as she pulled back the last layer of the cloth.
It was a weird looking contraption that fit perfectly her hand. Gary's
heart stopped. He reached over, snatching it out of her hand.
"Where did you get this!?" he asked as he examined the gun.
"P-Peter gave it t-to me." She stammered.
Peter? Gary's mind raced, trying to remember if she had ever
spoken of any one named Peter.
"Who the heck is Peter?" He asked, looking over at her.
"M-My ex..." April responded, "My ex fian...fiancee," she sniffed.
" I told you about him. He gave me the gun to use for my pro-protection
when I left New York. He wanted me to be safe."
"Oh yeah." Gary murmured sliding a hand through his hair.
Gary examined the gun more closely, turning it over in his hand
before opening it up, to take a look inside of the chamber. There
was two bullets left in the chamber and he emptied them out into
the palm of his hand.
They were odd looking things, much smaller than any bullets
he'd ever seen, which might explain the strange wounds found
on the victims.
Wrapping the bullets in a tissue, he placed them carefully on the
table then snapped the gun closed. Examining the barrel of the gun
again, he noticed the darkened color of the barrel and that it smelled
of smoke.
"It's been fired!" he glanced over at her.
April's lips quivered and she gave a slight shrug, seeming to be
as much in the dark as he. She opened her mouth to speak but
nothing came out.
"W-We have to tell the police." Gary murmured subconsciously.
"Gary, no!" April cried, "Please Gary!"
Painfully, he studied her tear streaked face pleading with him
not to tell, and it tore him up inside. He loved her and in his
heart he knew that he couldn't turn her in. Not now, maybe not ever.
"Maybe we can hold off of telling for now," he said scratching his head.
He wrapped the gun back into the cloth and placed it on the coffee
table beside the bullets. Then without a word he put an arm around
April and together they sank back down on the sofa with April crying
softly against his chest.
He clicked off the lights and for a long while the two sat quietly,
holding each other. He thought about Brigatti. Oh boy! They
were cooked!
When April felt calm enough to talk, only then was she able to
tell Gary the horrendous details of her life. Growing up in a foster
home, being moved from place to place, abused and mistreated.
She told how she had grown to detest men, especially married men.
They were the worse. Wanting to mold her to be what they wanted
her to be only to be dumped by them later. She was just decoration.
She felt that she was a monster for feeling the way she felt about
men and when the bodies of the men she had dated started
turning up dead, she assumed she had killed them. There was
no other explanation for it. She was a monster!
"Were there others?" Gary asked hesitantly.
She simply nodded.
Gary's heart sank.
He thought about Robert Norse, the man from the Golden Spoon
restaurant and the woman in the red wig.
"D-Did you know a man by the name Robert Norse?" he asked
reluctantly.
April nodded slowly. "I saw you when you came into the
Golden Spoon restaurant that night. You said something to him
and then he canceled our date."
"So that was you in the red wig?"
She nodded again, "Yes...he wanted me to wear it"
Silence.
"Gary"
"Yeah."
"No matter how it appears...I never slept with any of those
men...except Peter. I'm sorry."
Gary closed his eyes shaking his head. "It's okay." he assured
her softly.
For a long moment April sat staring at him. Leaning back
against his chest she murmured softly, "I've always felt safe with you.
You never once tried to take advantage of me. You never expected anything
from me," she pulled back to look at him again. "Even now." Her
eyes searched his face, "I-I love you Gary," she whispered.
At that moment, Gary's heart never felt heavier. She had endured
an horrendous life growing up and it wasn't fair that she would have
suffered the things that she had. She looked so helpless now and
Gary felt that he needed to protect her now.
"I love you too." he whispered back. He studied her face for a
moment, resigned to his feelings for her and leaned in, kissing
her gently. Gary had never told April that he loved her before....
in fact, not since Marcia had he dared to utter those words to any
woman, and it surprised even him.
April on the other hand had heard those words numerous of times,
but her eyes widened with surprise upon hearing them come from
him. She closed her eyes and settled against his chest again.
"Do you want me to go to the police tomorrow?" she asked
softly, her eyes still closed.
"We'll sort everything out in the morning," Gary sighed. "It'll be
okay."
Somehow those words coming from him meant so much to April.
She was relieved that she had finally told someone about her torment.
That it was the man she loved and trusted.
Leaning against his firm body, she could feel him breathing
and could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest. She inhaled
the smell of him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.
Gary, on the other hand sat in silence, agonizing over their situation,
knowing that if everything was as it appeared, he was holding a
murderer. But here had to be another explanation for all of this
there just had to be! Careful not to awaken April, he leaned over,
sliding the paper from his back pocket to take a look. Nothing.
Maybe April could get help--psychological help. Maybe she could
plead temporary insanity or something. Gary didn't know. HIs mind
a torment, he laid the paper aside thinking about what he was
going to tell Brigatti in the morning.
Oh boy! Brigatti. He blew out a tired breath and close his eyes.
It wasn't long before he drifted off into a restless sleep.
To be continued..................