Decisions, decisions.
I get into the car while I wait and close my eyes, giving myself some time to think. The car door opens and one of them gets into the vehicle where I’ve found a comfortable spot to rest. They start the car and begin to drive as I wonder what kind of adventure they’re taking me on. They never turn around to look while I question if they’re leading me off to the safety of their home. What would they do if I simply let myself inside?
“How long are you going to just chill back there like a fucking creep?”
I let out a laugh, feeling like I should be surprised they noticed me, but I’m not quite sure I am. I sit up and wrap my arms around the driver’s shoulders. It’d be so easy to squeeze their neck from this position… wrap the seat belt around it. “Your poker face is something to be fascinated by.”
“I think… a part of me wasn’t even surprised you figured it out. The moment I heard your name, I knew it was over.” They pull off on the side of the road and push my arms away before turning around. “What was it? What gave me away?”
“You were sloppy, Jesse. You were very sloppy.”
He laughs as he shakes his head, but it’s such a despairing sound. “Was I?”
I get out of the car, well aware he could drive off as I do so, but where exactly is he going to go? I know where he works. I know where he lives. And now I know that he helped commit a murder.
I get into the passenger seat and raise an eyebrow. “Take a right up here.”
“Are you driving me to the police station? Because I happen to know where that is.”
“Not yet. I’m like a cat; I like to play with my food before eating it.”
“Of course you fucking do,” Jesse says as he starts to drive. He turns where I tell him and stops where I tell him to. He says nothing, he doesn’t try to plead for his freedom, but I can see the way his knuckles are white on the steering wheel.
His entire life is spiraling out of control.
“Park here,” I say as I point, and when he does, I get out of the vehicle and head over to the door.
He doesn’t get out. He stays in the car. Does he think he can drive off? Does he think there’s absolutely any way he could win any part of this?
I’m excited to find out.
I unlock the door and let myself in. I flip two chairs down off the table from where the cleaning crew had stacked them so they could mop, slide them under the table, then head into the back of my diner to see what I can find. I plate up two pieces of chocolate cream pie and slide them onto the table where I sit down and wait.
It takes him seven minutes to get out of his car and come in. When Jesse steps inside, I’m busy eating my pie, but I do stop to grin at him.
The grin seems to unsettle him, and I question if I need to work on my execution. “Why are you doing this?” he asks, almost sounding pleading.
“Thought you’d like one last taste of freedom,” I say as I wave to the pie.
He sits down but doesn’t pick up the fork. Instead, he stares at the pie like it might either kill him or save him, and I’m not quite sure which way he’s leaning.
His brown eyes lock on mine. “How did you figure it out? Was it just because I had the tab up on the poisonous insects?”
“No, but it played a part. I knew the person needed an accomplice. It was a lot to do in a short period of time. I knew that the killer—let’s call her Lacey, just for fun—I knew that Lacey wanted to kill Zach, but she needed the perfect way to kill him with minimal work on her end. And oddly enough, the venom from a black mamba would fall right into that category. My guess is she had planned to do it somewhere discreet because Zach’s death seems both premeditated but also rash. Was it Zach’s stalking of Nadine that pushed her to act sooner than planned?”
“Yes.”
“So you knew Lacey was going to kill Zach?”
Jesse rubs his head. “Can I have some water? I need some water.”
“Of course. Don’t tamper with my pie while I’m gone,” I say with a smirk before I head off to get him a glass. I set it down in front of him and poke at my pie. “Is it safe?”
“I would never hurt you… but why are we having the talk here? Are you recording this?”
“I’m not.”
“Why not?”
