Chapter 40
“I didn’t mean, too. I regret it now, because she loved me and would give me the stars if I asked for them. But I only wanted $50,000. She was here trying to get some money out of her ex-husband. I talked to her the night before…you know, she died. She was bitching about you having an affair with her ex-husband. She didn’t know that you and I lived together. She knew nothing of the baby. I think I did a good job of keeping that quiet. See Kerrie, I can cover my tracks.”
“Yes, you can, but eventually justice strikes back, in one form or another. Why did you kill her?”
“I killed her because she slandered you! No one talks about my Kerrie that way. She went ballistic when I told her that you were my old girlfriend. It took all I could to calm her, so she would go along with my plan. I rented a car and met Melinda at the pier. We hid her car in the open garage of a vacant cottage not far from here. She was to go into the house, while you were out and get your engagement ring. I knew you had it with you someplace, because it wasn’t at your apartment. I searched it before you changed the locks. I described your jewelry bag. I let Melinda think that we had broken up before I met her, because if she had known the real truth, she wouldn’t have helped and she would have spilled the beans about my ‘problem.’”
“She didn’t find the engagement ring, David. I have it hidden.”
“I know she didn’t. Instead she found the ring you have on.” He pointed at my hand. “We drove by in my rental, while you and her ex-husband were talking under the carport. We parked the car across the street. From our spot we watched you talk for a while. When he left we were going to go over and confront you, but I changed the plan. I thought it best if you didn’t know about her. I was relieved to see you walk towards the beach. We hurried over to search the place. Melinda looked for the spare key but it wasn’t there.”
“Perry gave it to me. He mentioned once that he needed to make a duplicate.”
“Melinda said that you had put something in the car. You didn’t lock the, and we took the opportunity to look inside. She found your keys. She went on inside, while I played lookout. When she didn’t come down after fifteen minutes, I went up. That’s when I found her looking through your closet. She told me that she couldn’t find the ring box. I remember sitting on your bed, to think of a new game plan.”
“Killing Melinda? Was that the new plan? And me? Am I next, David?” His detachment as he confessed made me nervous. He held the gun loosely. Could I run from a bullet?
He gave me a long look and ignored my questions as he continued. “ Like a prima dona, Melinda marched over to your jewelry case and picked up your ring. It was probably the first place she looked. She took off her ring and held both of them side by side. In a bitchy tone she said, ‘David, why does this harpy have a ring like mine?’ I didn’t answer. She continued to call you names and say that you were performing lewd acts with her ex-husband. I told her to put the ring back and to shut her trap. She said, ‘That bitch probably gave you some disease. I’ll have to get a medical exam next week. I could have a social disease.’
“Maybe I should get one, too. There’s no telling how many other women you have in the wings.”
“Funny, Miss Kerrie Comedian. There isn’t anyone else now. I killed Melinda and there are no other lovers…except you. But I shouldn’t count you, should I? We haven’t had sex in almost a year.”
I ignored his last comment. “You haven’t said why you killed her? What could have provoked you to kill a person, David?”
“When she said you had a social disease that set me off. While I was sitting on the bed, I saw the butt of a handgun sticking out from under the pillow. I picked it up and struck her. Then hit her again and then again, hell I lost count of the times I struck her. She had failed me. She promised to get me the money but she could never produce it.”
While he talked, I continued to look for a way onto the roof. If I could get up there, I could be seen from the road. David’s injuries were worse than mine and from a higher ground I could fend him off easier. I spotted a ladder leading up to the roof. It was level with the rail and painted the same color as the house.
I taunted him. “You are a pathetic loser, David. You’re a pitiful washed-up-wrung-out has-been baseball star who doesn’t have a dollar to his name. You fooled me for years, but not anymore. I’ll die before I let you take advantage of me again.”
He turned the gun towards me, “Oh that can be arranged, my dear.”
“Yes, you can, but eventually justice strikes back, in one form or another. Why did you kill her?”
“I killed her because she slandered you! No one talks about my Kerrie that way. She went ballistic when I told her that you were my old girlfriend. It took all I could to calm her, so she would go along with my plan. I rented a car and met Melinda at the pier. We hid her car in the open garage of a vacant cottage not far from here. She was to go into the house, while you were out and get your engagement ring. I knew you had it with you someplace, because it wasn’t at your apartment. I searched it before you changed the locks. I described your jewelry bag. I let Melinda think that we had broken up before I met her, because if she had known the real truth, she wouldn’t have helped and she would have spilled the beans about my ‘problem.’”
“She didn’t find the engagement ring, David. I have it hidden.”
“I know she didn’t. Instead she found the ring you have on.” He pointed at my hand. “We drove by in my rental, while you and her ex-husband were talking under the carport. We parked the car across the street. From our spot we watched you talk for a while. When he left we were going to go over and confront you, but I changed the plan. I thought it best if you didn’t know about her. I was relieved to see you walk towards the beach. We hurried over to search the place. Melinda looked for the spare key but it wasn’t there.”
“Perry gave it to me. He mentioned once that he needed to make a duplicate.”
“Melinda said that you had put something in the car. You didn’t lock the, and we took the opportunity to look inside. She found your keys. She went on inside, while I played lookout. When she didn’t come down after fifteen minutes, I went up. That’s when I found her looking through your closet. She told me that she couldn’t find the ring box. I remember sitting on your bed, to think of a new game plan.”
“Killing Melinda? Was that the new plan? And me? Am I next, David?” His detachment as he confessed made me nervous. He held the gun loosely. Could I run from a bullet?
He gave me a long look and ignored my questions as he continued. “ Like a prima dona, Melinda marched over to your jewelry case and picked up your ring. It was probably the first place she looked. She took off her ring and held both of them side by side. In a bitchy tone she said, ‘David, why does this harpy have a ring like mine?’ I didn’t answer. She continued to call you names and say that you were performing lewd acts with her ex-husband. I told her to put the ring back and to shut her trap. She said, ‘That bitch probably gave you some disease. I’ll have to get a medical exam next week. I could have a social disease.’
“Maybe I should get one, too. There’s no telling how many other women you have in the wings.”
“Funny, Miss Kerrie Comedian. There isn’t anyone else now. I killed Melinda and there are no other lovers…except you. But I shouldn’t count you, should I? We haven’t had sex in almost a year.”
I ignored his last comment. “You haven’t said why you killed her? What could have provoked you to kill a person, David?”
“When she said you had a social disease that set me off. While I was sitting on the bed, I saw the butt of a handgun sticking out from under the pillow. I picked it up and struck her. Then hit her again and then again, hell I lost count of the times I struck her. She had failed me. She promised to get me the money but she could never produce it.”
While he talked, I continued to look for a way onto the roof. If I could get up there, I could be seen from the road. David’s injuries were worse than mine and from a higher ground I could fend him off easier. I spotted a ladder leading up to the roof. It was level with the rail and painted the same color as the house.
I taunted him. “You are a pathetic loser, David. You’re a pitiful washed-up-wrung-out has-been baseball star who doesn’t have a dollar to his name. You fooled me for years, but not anymore. I’ll die before I let you take advantage of me again.”
He turned the gun towards me, “Oh that can be arranged, my dear.”
penned by Painter Lady at 2:01 PM
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