Author's Note: No author's thanks…I just wanted to get this chapter out. Sorry for the wait!
Jack was making a huge amount of noise, but fortunately for the little pup's bladder, Mort quickly led him to the doggie door downstairs. Already awake though, at an ungodly hour in Mort's opinion, he got a can of Mountain Dew to wake him up. He sat down at his kitchen table and looked at the wall across from him where his new phone hung. The one with the answering machine. The one that rang last night. That he couldn't answer. That could've left a message.
Who would call me?
You do have family.
Everyone one of them is nosy. I don't want to talk to them.
Neither do I.
And the sheriff was here…who else calls me?
No one calls you.
Mort paused, where was Jack? He called for him, but nothing came. He sighed and walked to the door and opened it, only to find Jack digging right in the middle of his corn. "Jack!" Mort said sternly. The pup stopped and looked up, not moving. Mort went and picked him up, hitting him softly on the nose, "No digging there!" The dog whined, and was soon let down on the wooden floors of the house. He went scampering to his dish, quickly forgetting the incident.
Mort walked past the phone and stopped in front of it. It wouldn't hurt to check…
You never know.
He sighed and sat down, taking another swig out the can. He turned his head, looking at it and then turned back around. Finally he got up again and pushed the play button forcefully. "You have one new message," the mechanical voice said, it beeped and then played it.
"I usually choose not to think about that, Katie. Why are you asking me these questions?"
Katie sighed. She wasn't getting anywhere. This was the third person she had asked about Mort. If they knew anything and if they wanted to tell her about it. But all of them had responded like that. She thanked the woman and left, making one more stop before going back home.
Closing her eyes tight, as the screen door slammed behind her, Katie remembered the thing about that door and was surprised someone hadn't fixed it. She opened her eyes slowly and moved to the counter. Marlene, the woman who had worked there for years, turned over the cup and Katie quickly put her hand over it before the coffee went into it. "I won't be long…"
"Alright."
"I was wondering if I could ask you some questions though…"
She paused, "Go ahead," she said, putting the coffee carafe back and giving Katie her attention.
"I can't really get any responses from anyone in this town, and I know that you see and hear everything but never tell…but…"
"You want me to?"
Katie smiled, "Yes. That would be quite useful."
"Writin' 'nother one of those stories?"
Katie looked beside her, and saw a local, with a flannel shirt and a trucker hat on. Before she could respond, the man next to him said, "No, Ned, she writes columns."
Ned never took his eyes off her though, "Right. Columns. About Freak Rainey?"
Katie pursed her lips, wanting to smack him, "I'm not writing anything, Mr. Ned. Though maybe you could answer my questions since you so generously opened up the topic," he sneered, but she ignored it, "Freak Rainey, eh? What gives you that impression?"
"He murdered four people. What else would he be called?"
"Guilty," the man next to Ned said.
"Uhm, excuse me, if you're going to talk, then I need to know your name."
He frowned, "Why? You have one of those hidden microphones?" he asked, putting the paper down.
"Tell me your name."
"Charley Babcock …and this is Ned Rivers."
"Thank you," she smiled curtly and then looked at the three of them, straightening her back. "Now…You have any facts of his guilty nature?"
"Read the paper lately, lady? Maybe in the past year? Or are you New Yorkers too busy for the small town hicks like us?" Ned asked.
"The paper said nothing of facts, Mr. Rivers. And I'm here to find them," she paused, "So am I to assume you have none?"
"I have a fact…" Charley said, putting down his paper, "I was here when Mort met Tom Greenleaf and that other guy…then I was here two hours later when Mort came back, looking for them. Marlene wasn't here when they met here the first time, but I was. Said he over slept, when he had met them here only two hours before."
Katie paused, not really sure what to say. Ned started laughing, "You whipped her good, Charley. She's dumb-struck!"
Marlene smiled and shook her head, "My suggestion to you, don't bother. Mort Rainey is a lost cause…they'll find everything they'll need sooner or later and he'll spend the rest of his life in prison."
Katie got up, walking past the laughing Ned and the smug Charley, leaving the store and not caring if the screen door slammed or not.
What does someone do with a message with that? Is there even to do? Mort couldn't seem to find any reason to respond to the message, but it seemed rude not to. He sighed and got up, and pushed play again, listening to the sweet voice for the fourth time, knowing he couldn't be dreaming.
"Hi, Mort…This is Katie Culver…We talked earlier. And…uhm…I'm not really sure how to put this…But it would be nice to catch up with you. But it's up to you…I know writers can be busy…well…uhm…bye."
She doesn't sound very sure of herself. Mort thought, getting an apple from the fruit basket and going into the living room. He shinned it on his robe and was about to take a bite but didn't.
She said 'uhm' a lot too. Is that even an English word?
What do you care?
I like women who know what they want and stick with it.
Unfortunately you haven't met a woman like that yet.
Why would she want to catch up with me? I wasn't aware there was any catching up to do between us.
There isn't. I suggest you don't go.
I can't. The Sheriff would have a cow.
Another good reason for you not to go.
Mort looked behind him, dropping the apple on the couch and getting up. He walked over to the phone and looked at the caller ID. The only new phone number was one Mort didn't recognize. He hit save and then turned sharply and went up the stairs.
The day quickly went by and Katie had gone two days without talking to Juliet. She felt bad for saying the things she said to her best friend, but kept telling herself Juliet knew how she acted, so she should've expected something like this.
So while waiting outside the post office, leaning against Juliet's car, Katie hoped they could still talk like civil adults. When Juliet finally made an appearance, the two women paused, staring at each other, "Here to tell me I'm wrong again?" Juliet asked.
"No…I don't want to talk about the article."
"But you do want to talk about Mort…right?"
Katie shrugged, "If you'll permit me."
Juliet took in a deep breath and got out her keys, "Get in."
"Hi, you've reached Katie's cell, and I'm not here, but if you leave a message, I'll try to call you back!" Mort quickly hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment.
Bad idea. What did Dave say again?
"…I want you to stay away from her…"
"I'm just calling to see if it was her number," Mort responded.
Don't do this Mort…you can't do this…
"I want to know what she wants!" Mort said a little loud, moving away from the phone. He walked to the couch and collapsed on it, considering sleeping there for the night. Jack quickly jumped onto his lap and nestled up on his stomach.
Jack Daniels sounds good…
Good Grief! You're just going down the hole here! No! No Jack Daniels, no calling Katie and no talking to Katie! She will serve no purpose in your life! No good purpose that is.
"I'm just lonely…" Most said quietly, petting the puppy on him.
I know Mort, but it's gonna have to stay that way.
"…Reporters came to the town, looking for Amy and Ted, saying that they knew her ex-husband lived here. They went and questioned him and then talked to Dave, but Mort had no idea what they were talking about and of course denied anything they asked him about any of the other murders.
"A couple days later he came into town, and he was right behind me in line at Bowley's…he had changed completely. He had gotten braces and said he was getting things in his life 'straightened out'. He even started to ask me out, but I left before he got the chance. There's no doubt in my mind that he did it though."
Katie shook her head, "How can you think that?"
"He had the motive and the place to do it. But the thing I don't get, why'd he kill his dog and Ken Karsch – his bodyguard – and Tom…why?"
Katie practically choked on her spit, "He killed Chico? He said…" she paused, quickly catching herself, "I mean, I thought he died of old age."
Juliet eyed Katie but ignored her slip up, "No…we don't know how but there's rumors."
"Oh my gosh! I don't want to hear this! No!"
Juliet shrugged, "You wanted to hear it."
Katie took in a deep breath, "Yes, but I didn't know all this was common knowledge."
"You know Kate, that nothing in this town stays secret. If there's a rumor, it turns into a story and a juicy one at that, making it's rounds at all the hair bouquets."
The other woman nodded, "I know…there's just something about him…I can't believe it. I just can't."
Juliet took in a deep breath, stopping outside of Katie's parents house. Taking one last futile attempt to protect her friend, she said, "Look, your parents have 'Secret Window', start reading it."
Katie paused, "Reason being?"
"You'll start seeing some coincidences. Just do it, will you?"
Katie took in a deep breath, nodding and getting out, "I'll call you later."
Katie was exhausted. The week had been full of ups and downs for her. Emotionally overwhelmed and drained, she got ready for bed early. She had read one chapter of the book she had read over five years ago and had decided that was enough for one day. The more she thought of it, the more the facts were piling up against her. And as much as she wanted to trust and believe Mort, she had a feeling the town might be right.
Getting her cell phone off the dresser, and about to turn it off, she saw she had missed a call. Looking in her call log, it said one word under 'missed calls', Mort.
Halloween had come quickly. The children of the small town started coming to the doors around six, hoping to beat all the others and getting the best selection of candy.
The first door bell to come on the Culver house, Katie wanted to answer. She grabbed the bowl of candy and opened the door, seeing three children, looking like they were in fourth grade.
"Who do we have here?" she asked, recognizing two out of three of the children. One boy was a pirate, another boy looked to be Peter Pan, but the last boy was were thick rimmed glasses and a sweater vest with his hair combed back.
"I'm a pirate," Katie nodded and gave him three pieces.
"I'm Peter Pan," she nodded again and gave him three pieces.
"And I'm Morton Rainey," Katie paused, not moving.
"Mort Rainey? The writer?"
The little boy nodded, holding out his pillow case. She sighed, and gave him two pieces, realizing he was imitating the picture of Mort on Mort's book jackets. She closed the door quickly and dropped the candy on the table. "Did you see that?" she asked her parents. They were all watching 'House on Haunted Hill'.
"See what, sweetie?" her dad asked.
Katie crossed her arms, looking at her parents who obviously didn't notice or didn't care. The plans that she had thought of were sounding more and more appealing as the night was wearing on. She went to her room and grabbed her purse. Going out the front door her parents called after her, "Where are you going?"
"No where! Don't wait up for me!"
Maybe I should kill her on Halloween.
You already have a date, Mort. Don't change it.
But Halloween's perfect!
But so cliché!
Mort sighed and sat back in his chair. He again, was sitting at his computer and looking over his story. Jack was on his pillow, fast asleep.
But one thing you could change is the ending…
"The ending? Why would I change the ending? It's the best part of the story!"
Yes, I'm sure your convinced of that, but this ending…well…it's like all your others.
"All the others had fed us! I'm not changing it."
At least not now.
"Not never!"
A sharp knock sounded on Mort's door right after saying this, and Jack got up, lazily and woke up with every step he took down the stairs. Mort frowned and looked down towards the door. Who would come to the house at this hour?
Who would come to the house period?
But the blinds were closed, and from his spot on the computer, he couldn't see who's car was outside. It's most likely the sheriff though, Mort said, coming down the stairs, he's probably worried I'm scaring the crap out of little demons they call children. He reached the door and opened it, without caring to look out the window to see if it was Dave.
This is not good.
In front of him stood Katie Culver, with a bag of Reese's peanut butter cups and a bottle of what looked like wine. She smiled meekly, "I saw you called me…"
Mort swallowed.
"…and I thought…maybe…you were lonely and wanted some company…maybe…"
He swallowed again, "I don't drink with strangers."
Katie paused, the smile leaving her face, "It's Sparking Cider…"
"Oh."
There was a moment of silence and you could hear Jack dancing wildly around Katie's feet while she paid no attention to him. Mort looked her over, trying to decide.
There's nothing to decide. The answer is no. Get Jack, close the door and lock it.
She has a very large diamond on her left hand…
I don't care! She can't come in here! Remember Dave's warning!
"Are you sure?" Mort clarified, "Dave Newsome seems to think…" he paused, "…that we…I shouldn't see anyone…other than him."
Katie laughed nervously, "Surely he won't be jealous…unless he wears the wedding ring for a disguise."
Mort cracked a smile and looked down at Jack, who had come back into the house but was staring at Katie. She is pretty, isn't she Jack?
You don't like redheads, remember?
Mort shrugged, "Why not?" He opened the door wider and she stepped in slowly. Looking around while he closed the door, Katie thought the small cabin charming.
"Come on in…" Mort said and led her to the kitchen. She set the two things on the table and stayed put while Mort looked for glasses. Not finding anything clean but plastics cups, he brought them to her meekly. "Sit, please…" he said motioning to a chair. She sat and opened the bottle, pouring some of the cider into each cup. She then opened the bag and took out a piece while folding one leg up under her.
"So…" Mort said after a short paused, "What a surprise…"
"I'm sorry to impose…"
He shrugged.
"You were probably doing something terribly important while I was just looking for someone to talk to."
Bad idea. You don't need anyone to talk to.
"I was just writing…"
"Just writing? You mean, you were just earning another ten thousand dollars with another book."
He smiled again, "Whatever you want to call it…"
They paused and she pushed the bag of candy towards him, "You can have one…"
He drew back a little, "I don't like chocolate."
"Oh…shoot…"
"Oh, it's not your fault!"
She shrugged, "I tried. Trying to buy candy for someone you hardly know is difficult."
"I can imagine." There was another pause and Mort cleared his throat, "So, why couldn't your husband talk to you?"
Katie paused, my what? She finally got it, "Oh! Oh…" she looked at the ring on her finger, "Rather grotesque, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't call it that, just…" he paused and Katie waited, "Expensive."
She smiled wide, "I can only imagine what he paid for this…" she looked at it for a moment and then looked back up, taking a drink and then saying, "He's not my husband yet though, the wedding's in March…"
"Oh wow…does he live here?"
"No, Michael, my fiance…well we both live upstate. But I'm just down here visiting."
Mort nodded, and the conversation went on quite well, with Katie telling Mort about things that had been happening since she left and what made her leave Tashmore Lake. As the night wore on, the two started to become closer than anyone would've guessed.