Chapter Thirteen
As Wade worked his way through the
wreckage, the wrecking ball’s operating booth door swung open, and Wade
watched as Melanie hopped down from the chair. She didn’t even
glance at Manning as she stepped over his body, but he was all Wade
could look at. He then stared at Melanie and couldn’t believe his
eyes. She had caused this; she had knowingly killed
Manning. Wade realized that Mel was never around before each
murder, and that she conveniently showed up right after each one
happened, but before the bodies were discovered.
“What the hell! Are you crazy? What were you thinking?” Wade said.
“You’re so stupid, Wade. You’re just like all guys: you think
with your dick and miss the obvious,” Melanie snapped. “I can’t
believe you’re just catching on. There were more than enough
clues.”
So much for Wade helping the
Honig’s move boxes. Wade was glad that he had made up with his
Uncle Depp earlier and told him he was going to talk to Manning at the
city’s asphalt factory. Earlier Wade had been annoyed because he
knew Depp would follow him, but now he was grateful.
Wade had never believed in hitting females, but now he didn’t really
mind the idea so much. He swung his right leg at Melanie’s knees
and watched her go down. Then he pounced on her and pinned her
arms above her head.
“See Wade, you never
got this far because you kiss like a drunk dog, but now that we’re in
this position I think I could start to enjoy it,” Melanie said.
Before Wade could think of a good comeback, he glanced at her face and
realized that the green eyes he adored weren’t real. How
had he missed that they were just colored contacts? Her cold brown eyes
reflected back more disdain than desire.
Mel watched Wade’s eyes glaze over as he realized that their
almost-relationship never really existed and she took advantage of his
stupidity. She kneed Wade and as soon as he let go of her arms,
she thrust her hips up and grabbed the gun that had been digging into
her lower back. Melanie also silently thanked her father for
buying a gun. Wade was in the fetal position moaning for his
throbbing testicles, and he heard the click of a safety being turned
off.
“Things can’t get much worse, huh,” Wade whined.
“Oh, they will,” Mel replied as she sneered. “Get up, we’re going to take a little ride.”
Depp pulled up near the reckage and watched Melanie force Wade into his
truck. He was pretty sure that he saw the barrel of a gun pressed into
the back of Wade’s head. As the truck pulled away, Depp followed
at a distance. He didn’t call for back-up because he was an
experienced cop against a petite girl, and he knew he could handle it.
When Depp arrived at the factory he saw Wade's truck and parked on the
side of the factory. As he walked towards the building he heard
their voices and followed in that direction. Wade and Melanie
were almost at the top of the metal stairs near the grinder. Depp
heard them talking and decided to wait a couple of minutes even if that
meant sacrificing Wade’s safety. Wade and Melanie had stopped
walking up the steps anyway.
“You know, Mel, you still have a shot at meeting Krull, warrior king,” Wade said.
“Don’t you think I’ve seen How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? I felt
him starting to poke me earlier when you so kindly pinned me.
What kind of guy names their member anyway?” Melanie said.
“You’re gonna die soon so why should I ruin your celibacy now?”
“So you shoot me down and my manhood too? Throw me a bone,
Mel. At least tell me something. Like why you killed those
people.”
“Are you so stupid that you
don’t see how the murders all connect? My parents would lose
their business if those selfish, money-hungry developers got their
way. I can’t let all that my parents have worked for go down the
drain as if it didn’t matter.”
Depp
started creeping up the stairs, so focused on Melanie and Wade’s
conversation that his foot fell through the gap between two
steps. Wade watched hopelessly as his Uncle fell to his knees and
hit his forehead on the metal stair that was just four below the one
Wade was standing on.
Wade felt a
tingling in his leg and looked down. He was mesmerized by the
blood soaking his jeans and before he could react he heard another
shot. Wade knew that Depp was dead, and all he could do was look
at his Uncle slumped on two stairs with blood still dripping down his
face and through the grates.
“Mel was that really fucking necessary?” Wade moaned.
Just then he started to feel an awful burning sensation in his leg and
collapsed at the top of the stairs. He vomited on the catwalk and
Melanie stepped away.
“Get up. You’re such a fucking wimp and that’s why I framed you,” Mel said.
Wade struggled to stand and Mel nudged him toward the end of the catwalk near the grinder.
“I’m not gonna bother pleading, but you could just let me go. I
won’t say anything and I don’t have any connections with the
developers,” Wade said.
“Sure, that’s
what you’re supposed to say. Face it Wade, you know too
much. The developers are all dead anyway and besides I know your
leg is barely holding out. How are you gonna explain the wound?”
Melanie said. “And I just killed your beloved Unc. Wouldn’t
you try to get back at me?”
It was
true. Wade was barely able to stand. He decided to go for
it. Wade lunged at Melanie and went for the butt of the gun,
hoping to pop it out of her hand. In the process, he lost his
balance because his leg didn’t support him, and Melanie shot him in the
chest.
“I don’t want to see your pretty
face messed up. I’ll let the grinder finish the job,” Melanie
said.
The momentum of the shot forced
Wade back and he fell down onto the pieces of chunky tar. Melanie
put her dad’s gun down, grabbed the keys out of Depp’s pocket, and
dragged Depp toward the grinder. She watched his limp body fall
in and went down to turn the grinder on. Melanie listened, heard
the sound of crunching, didn’t know if it was bones or asphalt and
didn’t care. She cleaned up the blood from Depp and Wade with
some bleach she found in the gross bathroom near the entrance.
Mel put on her coat and gloves and slipped the gun back beneath her
belt. She found Wade’s keys in the ignition like she expected to
and threw her bike into the bed of Wade’s truck. Melanie drove to
the pier, put the car in neutral and pushed it over. She was
grateful it was the middle of winter because there was no one around.
She walked back to the factory, got into Depp’s car and drove back to
the station. Melanie parked the cruiser in an empty spot and
hoped no one saw her. She walked around the corner to the Café,
went inside and grabbed her apron from the hook. She looked at
the mirror behind the register to make sure that she had covered any
blood splatters on her shirt.
“Hey Mel. Where were you earlier?” her mom came up behind her and asked.
“I was just taking a nap,” Mel answered.
“Well, I’m glad that you’re here on time. Your dad would’ve been upset if you were late.”
Mel kissed her mom on the cheek and slipped the gun back underneath the register.
“Yeah,
I know. I’m sure he would’ve had a cow. Don’t worry Mamá, I
have a feeling everything is going to work out.” Epilogue:
Wade Karver and his uncle Depp are still considered
missing. The police were never able to find any clues because
Depp never told anyone where he was going that day; he just said that
he was meeting Wade for lunch. The police did realize that the
murders were connected, but they can’t find a lead.
Cape May’s Bed
& Breakfast Row was never developed because all of the key players
were killed. Ironically, the Blue Moon Café flourished and
Melanie’s parents never had to worry about money nor was Mel ever
suspected. She played the heartbroken girlfriend
flawlessly. The Café also had their cruddy parking lot repaved
just weeks after Wade’s disappearance. Melanie liked to think
that every time she walked to the car that her parents bought her she
was walking all over Wade. She also liked to think that there
will always be a piece of him at the Café. The murders were never
solved. |
|
|