A Perfect Evil

Chapter 65

Christine squirmed to get comfortable in the swivel chair, drawing groans from the redheaded woman with the palette of makeup. As if out of punishment, the woman swabbed even more blush on Christine’s cheeks.

“We’re on in ten minutes,” said the tall man with the headset strapped to his bald head.

Christine thought he was talking to her and nodded, then realized he was talking into the mouthpiece of the headset. He bent over her to snap a tiny microphone onto her collar, and she couldn’t help noticing the reflection on his shiny head. The bright lights blinded her, their heat stifling and adding to the cockroaches in her stomach. Her palms were sweaty. Certainly it was only a matter of time before her face began to melt into pools of plum-glow blush, soft-beige foundation and lush-black mascara.

A woman sat in the chair opposite her. She ignored Christine while she riffled through the papers just handed to her. She swatted away the bald man’s hand and grabbed the microphone to pin it on herself.

“I hope you got that fucking TelePrompTer fixed, because I’m not using these.” She threw the handful of papers across the stage, and a frantic stagehand scrambled around the floor, scooping them up.

“It’s fixed,” the man patiently reassured her.

“I need water. There’s no water on the side stand.”

The same stagehand scurried over with a disposable cup.

“A real glass.” She almost knocked it out of the girl’s hand.

“I need a real glass and a pitcher. For Christ’s sake, how many times do I have to ask?”

Suddenly, Christine realized the woman was Darcy McManus, the evening anchor for the station. Perhaps she wasn’t used to doing the morning news show. Perhaps she wasn’t used to mornings. In the harsh lighting, McManus’s skin looked weathered with crinkled lines at the eyes and mouth. Her usual shiny, black hair looked stiff and unnatural. The startling shade of red lipstick looked brash against her white skin until the redheaded makeup artist swabbed on a thick layer of artificial tan.

“One minute, people,” the headset man called out.

McManus dismissed the makeup woman with a wave of her hand. She stood up, smoothed out her too-short skirt, straightened her jacket, checked her face in a pocket mirror, then sat back down. Just then, Christine realized she’d been staring at the woman the entire time. The countdown brought her back to reality, out of her trance. She wondered why in the world she had agreed to do this interview.

“Three, two, one…”

“Good morning,” McManus said into the camera, her entire face transformed into a friendly smile. “We have a special guest with us today on Good Morning Omaha. Christine Hamilton is the reporter for the Omaha Journal who has been covering the Sarpy County serial killings. Good morning, Christine.” McManus acknowledged Christine for the first time.

“Good morning.” Suddenly, lights and cameras were real and all focused on her. Christine tried not to think about it. Ramsey had told her earlier that even ABC’s network news would be broadcasting the segment live. That was, no doubt, why McManus was here instead of the show’s regular host.

“I understand that this morning you’re joining us not as a reporter, but now as a concerned mother. Can you tell us about that, Christine?”

She was intrigued by McManus, the convincing concern manufactured at a moment’s notice. Christine remembered that McManus’s career began as a Miss America, which spiraled her to broadcast news, skipping the field reporting and landing top anchor positions in medium-size markets like Omaha. Christine had to admit, the woman was good. Even as she appeared to be looking at Christine with that genuine, contrived concern, her eyes actually looked just over Christine’s shoulder to the Tele-PrompTer. Suddenly, Christine realized McManus was waiting for her response, the impatience starting to reveal itself in the pursed lips.

“We think that my son, Timmy, may have been taken yesterday afternoon.” Despite all the distractions, her lip quivered, and Christine resisted the urge to bite down and stop it.

“Oh, how awful.” McManus leaned forward and patted Christine’s folded hands, missing on the third pat and touching her knee instead. McManus snatched her hand back, and Christine wanted to turn to see if the TelePrompTer included gestures. “And the authorities think it’s the same man who brutally murdered Danny Alverez and Matthew Tanner?”

“We don’t know that for sure, but yes, there’s a good possibility.”

“You’re divorced and raising Timmy all by yourself, aren’t you, Christine?”

The question surprised her. “Yes, I am.”

“Both Laura Alverez and Michelle Tanner were single mothers, as well, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, I believe it is.”

“Do you think perhaps the killer is trying to say something by choosing boys who are being raised by their mothers?”

Christine hesitated. “I have no idea.”

“Is your husband involved in raising Timmy?”

“Not very much, no.” She restricted the impatience to her hands wringing in her lap.

“Isn’t it true that you and Timmy haven’t seen your husband since he left you for another woman?”

“He didn’t leave me. We got a divorce.” The impatience bordered on anger. How would any of this help find Timmy?

“Is it possible your husband may have taken Timmy?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so, but there may be a possibility, isn’t there?”

“It’s unlikely.” The lights seemed brighter, scorching hot. A trickle of perspiration ran down her back.

“Has the sheriff’s department contacted your ex-husband?”

“Of course we would contact him if we knew how or where to… Look, don’t you think I would much rather believe that Timmy is with his father than with some madman who carves up little boys?”

“You’re upset. Perhaps we should take a few minutes.” McManus leaned forward again, her brow creased with concern, but this time her hands reached over and poured a glass of water. “We all understand how difficult this must be for you, Christine.” She handed her the glass.

“No, you don’t.” Christine ignored the offer, and McManus became flustered.

“Excuse me?”

“You can’t possibly understand. Even I didn’t understand. I just wanted the story, like you.”

McManus looked around for the stage director, trying to appear casual while frustration clouded her cool exterior. The thin painted lips were pursed tightly over white, even teeth.

“I’m sure you’re under a lot of stress, Christine. And this must also be stressful. Let’s take a commercial break and give you a chance to pull yourself together.”

McManus kept the smile until the camera lights dimmed and the stage director motioned to her. Then the anger erupted on her face with a scowl that cut new lines in her makeup. But the anger was directed at the tall, bald man and not Christine. In fact, Christine became invisible again.

“Where the hell are we going with this? I need something I can work with.”

“Do I have time to go to the rest room?” Christine asked the stage director, and he nodded. She unsnapped the microphone and laid it next to the rejected glass of water.

McManus looked up at her and manufactured a curt smile.

“Don’t take too long, honey. This isn’t like your newspaper. We can’t just stop the presses. We’re live.” She reached for the glass and drank in delicate sips so as not to mess up her lipstick.

Christine wondered if McManus even knew Timmy’s name without the help of the TelePrompTer. The high-priced anchor didn’t care about Timmy or Danny or Matthew. Dear God, how close had she come to being just like Darcy McManus?

Christine made her way backstage, carefully avoiding and stepping over all the cables and cords. As soon as she was out of the bright lights, her body felt a rush of cool air. She could breathe again. She marched down the narrow hallway, dodging stagehands and finding her way past the dressing rooms, past the rest rooms and, finally, escaping out the gray metal door marked Exit.