Chapter 4

"So why do you have a mask on today?" Katrina asked as she wrung water out of her hair.

Vincent shrugged. He was still getting used to the idea of the way this victim was acting.

"I like you better without the mask," she continued before braiding her wet locks into a single braid. She stepped out of the water, reaching for the towel she had made him hold.

"Why?" Vincent asked, trying not to stare at her nakedness.

"You don't look fake."

He thought for a moment. "But I . . ."

"You have a tiny little problem, that's all," she said, pulling on some clothes. "Lots of people have problems. A kid I know back home has a big fat mole on her face, with a hair sticking out of it. That's a lot grosser than you, Vincent."

"But . . ."

"But nothing. Just shut up and listen to what I'm saying."

He was silent, thinking hard.

"Okie-dokie," Katrina said with a smile. "I'm all done. So after you were going to kill me, where were you going to take me? I wanna see."

Vincent was completely taken aback. "I'll let Bo handle this . . ." he thought, watching her skip up the riverbank. "Too bad she's going to die. I rather like her."

Back in Ambrose . . .

Bo stood on the porch of his house, tapping his foot impatiently. "Where the fuck is that bastard freak?" he thought, squinting in the darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two shadowy figures emerging from the woods. He turned to see Vincent, accompanied by a beautiful girl that could be none other than the infamous Katrina walking out of the path Vincent took to the river.

Bo's eyebrow shot up, wondering what the hell was going on.

The girl was short and thin, with small breasts and flared hips accentuated by the tight black silk tank top and short sparkly denim skirt she wore. Her hair cascaded down her back in black curls almost to her waist. Her face was pale, with a pointed chin, full lips, and huge slanted dark blue eyes.

He grinned. "This one's definitely going to be played with first," he said quietly to himself as he stepped off the porch to greet the pair.

"Wow, you guys are twins!" Katrina said happily, pulling herself up to sit on the porch rail.

Bo glanced at Vincent, who shrugged.

"And you are?" Bo asked.

"Katrina. You can call me Kat."

"I'm . . ."

"Bo . . . yes, yes, I know your name. Vincent told me. But I think I'll call you Bo-Bo, it's much cuter."

Bo's mouth dropped open. He stared at the girl in confusion. Behind him, he heard the raspy chuckle of his brother.

"I'm looking for someone, Bo-Bo," Katrina continued.

Bo regained his composure. "I wanna show you somethin' downstairs," he told the girl, thinking that things should move along.

He was absolutely shocked when she started to laugh.

"That had to mean one of two things," she said, still laughing. "One, you're trying to come on to me, or two, you're trying to lure me down there so you can do something mean like rape me or kill me. Either way, Bo-Bo honey, that line was terrible. If you're trying to come on to me, that was cheesy as hell. If you're trying to kill me or something, you couldn't have been more obvious."

Bo had nothing to say to this. Never had a victim acted this way before.

"Anyway, Bo-Bo, I'm looking for someone. Two girls, one fat and annoying, the other skinny and annoying. Some smelly guy met them out at the camp and walked off with them."

"It's rude to . . ."

"To call someone smelly? Yes, I know. But it's also rude to smell so bad no one wants to be around you. What do you have to say about that, Bo-Bo?"

Bo was taken aback. His fingers played listlessly with his knife. "Who did you say you were looking for?"

"Two. Girls. Fat Bitch and Skinny Bitch," Katrina said, running a finger along a silver ring stuck in her pierced navel. "God, you boys look just like each other, but already I can tell one of you got all the brains."

"Just like me? Vincent?" Bo asked in horror. "That deformed freak doesn't look like me."

"That wasn't very nice, Bo-Bo. Especially since Vincent is a lot better looking and much nicer than you."

Bo laughed so hard he choked. "I don't think you know Vince too well if you think that, darlin'."

Katrina just smiled. "Maybe. Anyway, where are the two bitches? I've got something I'd like to say to them. But you'll have to excuse me when I say that you guys can't watch what I'll do to them. I'm already in trouble with Vinnie here. He caught me doing something bad."

Bo began to laugh. "What the hell were you doing that Vincent would call bad?" He glanced at his brother, waiting for an answer.

Vincent moved his arm up and down in a stabbing motion.

"Vin-cent!" Katrina cried. "You weren't supposed to tell!" She leaned in closer to Bo. "I killed somebody, Bo-Bo. Aren't I just the baddest little girl?" She grinned over at Vincent. "Maybe Vincent should punish me. A spanking would be rather nice."

Bo burst into wild laughter as Vincent's neck turned beet red. He slapped his leg in amusement.

"What's so funny?" Katrina asked innocently.

"Come this way," Bo said, still laughing. I'll take her down to the workshop and let the freak kill her while I watch, he thought.

Katrina and Vincent followed Bo through the town to the House of Wax. She smiled as he opened the door for her.

"Ladies first," he said, grinning.

She walked in and drew in her breath. "This is beautiful," she whispered. "Vincent did you do all this?"

Vincent nodded. "How . . ."

"How did I know? Easy. You have artist's hands, sweetheart."

Bo smirked as Vincent's neck turned rosy again. "Him and our ma did this place up. Now come on, I'll show you where the bitches . . . as you like to call them . . . are."

They walked down a few corridors before stopping at a trapdoor in the wax floor.

"After you, darlin'," Bo said with a smirk.