Chapter 12:

"I feel so much better," Katrina exclaimed happily as she combed the last snarl out of her curls. "I'm so glad they had shampoo. And conditioner! I smell like orange blossoms . . . not really my thing, you know . . . but at least I'm clean." She glanced over at Vera, who was tied up on the bed. "I'm going shopping today, with Bo. I'm going to use your brother's money. Or maybe I should use your credit card, Vera."

Katrina stood up and began dressing; putting on the same white slipdress she had been wearing the night before. "Well, that's a bitch," she said, noticing grass stains on the hem. Shrugging, Katrina pulled on some black boots she had filched from Vera's bag.

The sight of the boots seemed to snap Vera back into reality. "You're going to Hell," she whispered. "You and those . . . those . . . monsters."

"You're going there before me," Katrina told her as she finished lacing the ties on the boots.

"Why did you kill him?"

"Who? Victor?"

"You killed my brother!"

"Your brother tried to rape me!" Katrina snarled. "He got what was coming to him."

"And what about Jessie? What about me?" Vera cried. "I don't deserve this!" She began to sob. "I don't want to die!"

Katrina shrugged. "Everything happens for a reason, Vera. Cheer up. You'll be immortal. Beautiful and bald until the end of time. Or however long wax lasts, anyway."

"They'll kill you too, you know."

"I don't think so, Ver. You see, Bo and Vince and I . . . we share many interests."

"You kill people!"

Katrina began to laugh. "So what if I kill people? I just kill their bodies. You kill reputations. What about that girl Yvonne that killed herself because of you?" She leaned in close to the other girl. "We're not much different, dearie."

Vera collapsed into a fit of sobs, murmuring "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

Someone knocked on the door, and Katrina hurried to open it, hoping it was Vincent.

"Hello there," said Lester.

Katrina took a step back.

"I didn't frighten you, did I?" he asked timidly.

She shook her head. "No. I just wasn't expecting you."

Lester nodded towards Vera. "I'm to take her now."

Katrina opened the door wider. "Be my guest." She held out her hand. "I'm Katrina, by the way."

He looked a bit surprised, but then smiled at her with genuine happiness and shook her hand. "Lester."

She smiled back, getting the feeling that people usually weren't so kind to him. It also helped that he had showered, although the dead, rotting smell still clung faintly to his clothing.

Lester walked over to Vera and pulled her up from the bed. Vera began to scream and fight. It was all Lester could do just to hold on to the girl. Katrina began to laugh.

"Here you go, Les." She reached back and punched Vera in the jaw, so hard that she fell backwards onto the floor. Katrina smirked. "She'll behave herself now."

He grinned at her. "Thankee much."

"Anytime."

She followed him down the hallway, nodding to him as he went into one of the bedrooms and shut the door. Stifling a giggle, Katrina headed down the stairs.

"Dear God, it stinks in here," she said as she walked through the kitchen and out onto the porch where Bo was smoking another cigarette.

"Are you sure you want to go shopping looking like you've been hit by a car?" he asked.

She bit her lip, staring down at the bruises on her legs and arms. "I can wear one of your shirts over the dress."

Bo shrugged. "Well, we'll probably get there this evening anyway. You can't see the shit that much in the dark. And we can always say you did get hit by a car."

Katrina laughed. "That's true."

"Anyway," he continued, "I found more money in the fat bitches' purse. There was some in Vera's purse too. Nowhere near how much that other fucker had, though. But enough for some better food, as you're too good for what we have."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not healthy to eat only canned food. All that sodium's going to give you a heart attack, you know."

He crushed the butt of his cigarette on the porch rail. "I didn't know my health was so important to you."

"Well . . . you did help me with my pa and all that."

"Plus, I didn't kill you."

Katrina mock punched his arm. "How can you be so sure I wouldn't have killed you?"

He laughed at this. "You are an evil little shit. I'm sure it would have been a fun little tussle. But I would have won."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Better watch yourself, or I'll cut that thing off," he warned. "Anyway, Kitty Kat, I'm going to go kill that dumb bitch upstairs. I'm tired of her already. Why don't you go down and tell Vincent we're gonna be goin' in a bit."

"All righty," she said.

"Be back here in half an hour. I wanna take my time with my precious Vera."

Laughing, Katrina waved a hand and jogged towards the House of Wax.