7: Newspapers
Friday 11th September 1998
When Lisa arrived at Raccoon City High School, she was just a little surprised to see Jack already sitting on the steps, watching every newcomer intently as if he was looking out for somebody. "Somebody" turned out to be her.
"Hey, Lise," he said, as she approached. "I gotta talk to you."
"Yes? What is it, Jack?" said Lisa.
"Listen, I see somethin' real weird in downtown last night," said Jack.
"What did you see?" said Lisa, sitting down next to him.
"The ghost of some dead skater guy all in black. Now my amigos say somethin' real bad gonna happen real soon," said Jack gloomily.
"Really? Like what?" said Lisa.
"Well, the last time someone see the ghost of that guy, they get hit by an ice-cream truck. I dunt think I gonna die, Lise, but I get the feelin' somethin' awful gonna happen. I mean, there be all this stuff 'bout that murder case an' the guy who get hurt by crows, an' there be all these weirdos that be hangin' round lately. I dunt know what be goin' on in this town, but somethin' ain't right."
Lisa nodded; she agreed wholeheartedly with him.
"You believe in stuff like this, Lise?" Jack asked her.
"I don't know," said Lisa. "I've never really thought about it before. Why, are you scared?"
"No. I ain't scared," said Jack. "Just worried."
"Well, I'm not sure what to say to you, Jack," said Lisa, frowning slightly. "If I decide I believe in curses and say "Oh no! The Skater Guy of Doom! You're going to die!", I mean, I'm going to worry myself sick about you and scare you half to death. But if I smile and say "No such thing as death omens", then you'll cross the road and the last thing you see will be a Mister Softee van approaching at great speed."
Jack grinned despite himself.
"All I can suggest is be careful when you cross the road, and don't go down any dark alleys," said Lisa, patting him on the shoulder.
As she touched him, Jack shivered a little. He didn't know how he could feel as if he was burning and freezing at the same time, but that was what she did to him. She confused him in the nicest possible way. He felt like blurting out everything, confessing his undying love and begging her to run away with him. Never before had he wanted something as badly as this.
Lisa also noticed the way he shivered at her touch. What did she feel? Pity? Regret? Longing? Desire, even? No, no, this was crazy. What on earth was she thinking? She couldn't … her parents would go nuts. And he was her friend, for crying out loud. Kissing her best friend would be – well, weird.
A tap on the shoulder startled Lisa out of her reverie, and she looked up at a group of her uptown friends – Leonie Brown, Sarah Lee-Robertson, Mary Perceval, Luanne Wade and her official best friend, Julie Wilberforce.
"Hey, Lisa! Ditch the downtown puppy and come and see this!" said Sarah, giving Jack a scornful glance.
Jack flushed, and looked away quickly. Lisa saw the wounded look on his face, though, and felt awful. Torn between sticking up for her best friend and trying to fit in with everyone else, she didn't know what to do. Even a compromise was impossible.
"What is it?" she said at last.
"Come over and see for yourself," said Mary.
"Fine," said Lisa, a little more sharply than she'd intended, and the other girls drifted away. She turned back to Jack.
"Jack, just ignore them," she told him. "They don't know you like I do. I know you're a lovely guy, even if they don't. Keep your chin up, okay? I'll be back in a minute."
Jack nodded. Still feeling guilty for leaving him, Lisa got up and went over to talk to the girls.
"Ah, Lisa! You managed to get away from your devoted doggy," said Julie.
"Don't call him that!" snapped Lisa. "He's my friend. Not a pet."
"Whatever," said Julie, shrugging. "Anyway, take a look at this!"
She thrust a magazine at Lisa; in the middle of an article was a photograph of Matt Black, the latest teen heartthrob. Lisa regarded it without any real interest.
"Isn't he just the cutest?" sighed Leonie.
"I've seen cuter," said Lisa dismissively, and handed the magazine back.
"No way," said Sarah. "No-one's cuter than Matt Black."
"Although that faithful follower of yours is pretty cute himself," said Luanne, grinning wickedly. "Any chance of a date with him?"
"You keep your damn hands off him, Luanne," said Lisa shortly. "He's already in love with someone else. Besides, the way you girls treat him makes me want to puke. You don't deserve a nice guy like him."
"Oooh!" the girls chorused. "Sounds like Lisa's pretty fond of the downtown puppy herself! What are you waiting for, honey? Go fetch! He'll come running faster than you can say "Heel!""
The bell rang for the start of school. Furious, Lisa turned away from them and headed back towards Jack. But Jack was already heading towards the door. He looked upset.
"Damn them all to hell," snarled Lisa, and hurried after him.
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However, she didn't find him. Somewhere in between going through the door and stepping into the crowded corridor, Jack seemed to have disappeared into thin air. He didn't turn up for class, was nowhere to be seen at lunch, and still hadn't materialised at the end of the day.
As Lisa walked home, she wondered where he was. Was he all right? She silently cursed the girls for their needless cruelty. Why did they have to be so mean to him?
Lisa had just passed the boutique where her mother bought all her clothes when she happened to glance at a vending machine for the local newspaper. She stared at the headlines for a moment, then she fished in her pocket for a quarter and bought a copy of The Raccoon Times.
When Lisa got home, she found Beatrice Wrigley standing in the hallway. Her arms were folded and she didn't look at all happy.
"Where have you been?" she demanded to know. "You're late home."
"Sorry, Mrs Wrigley," said Lisa, taken aback. "I only stopped to buy a paper."
"Your dad already bought it this morning," Beatrice said brusquely. "It's on the kitchen table."
"Oh," said Lisa, surprised. "I didn't know that."
"Yeah, right. So where were you? Were you with that downtown kid?"
"No, actually, I wasn't," retorted Lisa. "I haven't seen Jack since the start of class. Look, I didn't know my dad bought the paper already. If I'd known, I wouldn't have wasted my money, would I?"
"Well, where else were you, then? It doesn't take twenty minutes to buy a newspaper," snapped Beatrice.
"It does when the vending machine keeps spitting the quarter back out," said Lisa, annoyed. "It's not my fault it wouldn't take any coin minted since Eisenhower was President."
"All right. Now tell the truth. Where were you?"
"I already told you," said Lisa, struggling to control her temper. "I left school and I decided to buy a newspaper on the way home!"
"Where were you? Tell me or I'll tell your mom!"
"Am I speaking Swahili or something? "What part of "I only bought a newspaper" don't you understand? Listen, I was not with Jack! I don't even know where he is, I haven't seen him since this morning!"
"I don't believe you."
"Well that's your problem!" said Lisa, finally snapping. "You can believe what you want, Mrs Wrigley, but I'm telling you the truth, so stop interrogating me!"
Beatrice opened her mouth to say something, then she gave a little cry and her knees gave way. A startled Lisa caught her just in time.
"What's wrong, Mrs Wrigley?" Lisa asked her. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call a doctor?"
"No," said Beatrice faintly. "I'm all right."
"Are you sure? You don't look so good," said Lisa, noticing how pale and tired her neighbour looked.
"I'm all right," Beatrice insisted, struggling to her feet. "Really. I've been feeling a bit rundown lately. Out of sorts. I've snapped at everyone today. Sorry I shouted at you."
"That's okay," said Lisa. "Can I get you anything?"
"Something to eat and drink would be nice," said Beatrice, as Lisa led her to a chair in the next room, and she sat down. "I've been really hungry and thirsty these past few days; it doesn't matter how much I eat or drink, I'm still not satisfied. Do you think I caught something when that rat bit me? My whole arm has been itching like crazy – elbow, shoulder, wrist, all over, and the finger it bit is the worst of all, I just can't stop scratching it!"
"Maybe," said Lisa. "Shall I call my mom and dad and tell them you're ill? You really don't look well, Mrs Wrigley. I think you should go home and rest."
"Okay," said Beatrice.
Lisa went back into the hall, picked up the phone and dialled her parents' work number.
"Good afternoon, this is the Raccoon City branch of Umbrella Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. How may I help you?" said a woman.
"Uh, hi, I'd like to speak to Dr Elizabeth Hartley, please," said Lisa.
"I'm sorry, she's busy at the moment," said the woman. "Would you like to leave a message?"
"No, that's okay," said Lisa. "Could I speak to Dr Jonathan Hartley instead?"
"Who's calling, please?"
"I'm his daughter, Lisa. Is he there? It's pretty important," said Lisa.
"I'll put you through now," said the woman.
Lisa heard a beep as the call was put through, and she waited. After several rings, her father answered the phone.
"Ah, Dr Hazlitt. I was waiting for you to call. The L-Project is – "
"Dad? It's me, Lisa," said Lisa.
"Hi, honey," said her father quickly. "Listen, is this important? Only I'm pretty busy right now, I'm expecting a call, and – "
"Dad, it's Mrs Wrigley. She's not feeling too good, and I thought I'd better let you know," said Lisa.
"What's wrong?" her father asked.
"She says she's been feeling rundown lately, and she's hungry and thirsty all the time, and her arm's itching. She looks all pale and tired and she's been pretty cranky, too," she told him.
Lisa heard her father inhale sharply.
"Dad, what is it?" she asked, and it was a while before he answered.
"Nothing," he said at last. "Nothing. Tell Beatrice to stay where she is. We'll be right over, okay?"
"Okay. Bye, Dad," said Lisa, and put the phone down.
Ten minutes later, Lisa's mother and father arrived. Her father hurried into the next room to see Beatrice, and her mother waited outside in the hall.
"Hi, Mom," said Lisa. "Sorry to call you out from work."
"No, that's okay. This is more important," said her mother. "Thanks for letting us know. You're feeling all right, aren't you?" she added.
Lisa nodded.
"No tiredness? No itching? No nausea?"
"No, Mom. I feel fine," said Lisa, slightly puzzled. "Why?"
"Just checking. But if you feel ill, tell me right away, okay?" said her mother.
"Sure," said Lisa.
"Good girl," said her mother, smiling a little bit.
It was the first time Lisa had seen her mother smile in days; more to the point, it was the first time in days that her mother had shown more than a passing interest in her welfare.
Her father came into the hall, looking grim.
"Infected," he said shortly. "I suspected as much."
"We need to get her to the hospital," said her mother. "The old one near St Michael's Clock Tower. It's more private and better equipped, and they can treat her right away. Besides, Raccoon City General Hospital has enough on its hands already with the new patients."
"I agree. Come on, I'll carry her out to the car. Liz, you contact Rodney and let him know what's happened. Lisa, we're going to have to leave you here. Will you be okay on your own for a while?" asked her father.
"Yes, I'll be fine," said Lisa. "I'll catch up on my reading."
When her parents and Beatrice had gone, Lisa looked around. She didn't mind being on her own – in fact, she quite liked having the house to herself.
Lisa found the newspaper that she'd bought, and settled down at the kitchen table to read it.
CANNIBAL KILLER STRIKES AGAIN
Reported by Donna Rothes
Just two days after the gruesome discovery of murdered couple Josef and Susan Leidermann in Raccoon Park comes a further distressing incident which Raccoon City police believe to be related – the murder of twin girls Hilary and Jessica Ratchet, aged nine.
The girls were last seen alive walking home from Raccoon City Elementary School on Thursday afternoon. When by dusk the twins had still not returned home, their concerned parents called the police, who began a citywide search for the twins. Sadly, their spirited efforts came too late for Hilary and Jessica, who were both found dead in an alley near Raccoon City Hall.
"This is a terrible tragedy," said Raccoon City Mayor Michael Warren this morning. "Our hearts go out to the family of these poor, innocent children, and our police officers have vowed to catch the person responsible for this monstrous crime. Whoever has done this will be brought to justice."
Unsurprisingly the girls' parents, Judith and Mark Ratchet, were too distressed to comment on their daughters' deaths.
The causes of death were loss of blood and the massive injuries sustained by both children. Saliva samples and marks corresponding to human tooth-marks were found on the girls' necks and torsos, and police suspect that whoever killed the Leidermanns is also responsible for this horrific crime.
"It looks as if we may be dealing with cannibalism," commented a member of the Raccoon Police Department. "Something took some pretty big bites out of these poor kids, and it wasn't an animal, that's for sure. These were human bite marks."
Locals have already begun referring to the Leidermann and Ratchet murder cases as "the Hannibal Lecter murders", and they may not be far from the truth, although the STARS unit's reports of cannibal monsters in Raccoon Forest have twice been dismissed as untrue by the Chief of Police.
The RPD reminds the public to be on their guard and to report anything that seems suspicious, since even the smallest piece of evidence might provide an important lead. We can only hope that they succeed in finding the cannibal killer before he – or she – strikes again.
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Meanwhile, in an apartment in downtown Raccoon City, Jack was reading the same article. Marco's words kept running through his head:
Whenever someone sees the ghost of Dmitri Marovski, somethin' terrible will happen to 'em…
Something like this, perhaps? Would he, too, fall victim to the cannibal murderer on his way home from school?
Jack tried to convince himself that there really was no such thing as curses, or ghosts for that matter, but failed miserably. If there was no such thing as ghosts, then why had he seen the shade of the Dark Skater? There was no doubting that he'd seen it. And if there was such a thing as ghosts, then any associated curses probably existed too. That meant he was in trouble.
"Auntie," he said, as his aunt drifted by, "Do you believe in ghosts?"
She looked blank. Jack sighed, and repeated the question in Spanish.
"Yes," she replied, "I believe in ghosts."
"What about curses?" asked Jack.
His aunt shook her head.
"No, I don't believe in curses," she said. "Why? You still thinking about that junk Marco told you about that poor soul's ghost being a death omen?"
Jack nodded.
"Don't you worry about that, Jack," she told him. "There's no such thing as curses. He's probably just winding you up. So forget about it. You're fine. Okay?"
She ruffled his hair affectionately; he grinned, and ducked away, then hugged her tightly.
"Thanks, Aunt Rosa," he said gratefully. "I feel a lot better now."
"That's good," said Aunt Rosa, smiling. "Now throw that paper in the trash right now and stop scaring yourself, you hear?"
Jack picked up the newspaper, rolled it up and threw it straight into the wastepaper basket. His aunt nodded her approval, and Jack felt his spirits lift. Somehow his aunt always made him feel better when he was worried; she always knew exactly what to say to dispel his fears. In a way she reminded him of his mother before he found her lying on the floor one morning, pale and cold and stiff, sleeping the sleep that nobody ever wakes up from. And while Aunt Rosa could never truly replace his mother, she was the closest he had. In fact, she was all he had. Mother dead, father in prison, no brothers or sisters or grandparents – just Aunt Rosa, who did her best.
"Auntie?" he said.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I'm glad I've got you."
Aunt Rosa laughed, and kissed him on the cheek.
"You're a good boy, Jack," she told him. "I'm glad you're my nephew."
And for a while, things didn't seem quite so bad.