Blood Loss

22

Ren left Paul Louderback and walked down the steps of The Crown. Under the twinkle of fairy lights, she could see posters of Shelby and Laurie taped onto lamp-posts and in store windows. She got into the Jeep and called Matt on the short drive to The Firelight Inn.

‘I think I would have to be electrocuted or strangled by a string of fairy lights to ever fall out of love with them,’ said Ren.

‘Good to know,’ said Matt. ‘Should I add this information to your existing instructions for your funeral?’

‘Ooh — yes,’ said Ren. ‘Good idea.’

‘Maybe the priest could wear them.’

‘Speaking of dying,’ said Ren. ‘Or nearly dying … I’m in Breck and guess who shows up?’

‘Too tired. Tell me.’

‘Paul. Paul Louderback.’

Matt paused. ‘The PT instructor guy? The married guy?’

‘Yup,’ said Ren.

‘Oh, no,’ said Matt. ‘Where did he come from?’

‘D.C. And what do you mean “oh no”?’

‘Just … you could do without the complication.’

‘What do you mean?’ said Ren.

‘Why is he there?’ said Matt.

‘To mess with my head,’ said Ren. ‘This is all about me … obviously.’

‘And … how was it?’ said Matt.

‘You’d think I’d be over him by now …’

‘You are over him,’ said Matt. ‘This is just a little dramz. And you like the dramz.’

‘I do. But, it was a little … bam!’

‘Didn’t you sort this all out the last time?’ said Matt. ‘Didn’t you decide-’

‘Yes, yes, I know.’

‘Well, then. You’ve had the conversation. Don’t go back. And what about the new guy?’

‘I know. I know,’ said Ren. ‘But I can’t help how I feel. How I felt when I saw Paul.’

‘You can’t help how you feel, but you can help what you do about how you feel.’

‘I know, but … I’m not great at helping myself,’ said Ren.

‘Paul Louderback is — let’s not forget — married,’ said Matt.

‘I know,’ said Ren.

‘You said yourself you wouldn’t go near a married man.’

‘But I still have feelings for him …’

‘And so the cycle goes,’ said Matt.

‘What-’

‘Ren? Just get off the bike.’

Ren took the next turn onto French Street. A Missing poster for Shelby Royce was pinned to a tree and looked almost fluorescent in the glaring white light of a street lamp.

‘Oh my God, Matt,’ said Ren. ‘I gotta go.’

The poster was just like the other ones lined along the street. Except this one had something extra. Across her pretty face, someone had scrawled: WHORE.

Ren pulled in to the curb. She grabbed an envelope from her bag, put on her gloves, and got out of the Jeep. She took a photo of the poster with her phone, unpinned it, and put the paper and pins into the envelope.

What kind of sick bastard …

Ren checked the clock. She was due back to work in less than an hour. She turned the Jeep around and drove back to the office.

No point sleeping now.

Gary looked up as Ren walked in, then glanced at the clock.

What are you, the fucking slumber police?

‘Hi,’ said Ren. She sat at her desk, then realized that Paul Louderback was sitting two desks away.

‘Am I in some time-space continuum?’ she said.

‘I didn’t have a bed-time,’ he said. ‘Did you go back to the Inn?’

‘Shh,’ said Ren. ‘Of course I did.’

He smiled.

‘No — I found this.’ She called Gary over too.

She held up the poster. ‘It was pinned to a tree. I saw it on my way back … here … just now.’

Gary took it and studied it. He let out a breath.

‘I know,’ said Ren. ‘It’s terrible. It was just on French Street. Anyone could have seen it. Look.’ She showed him the photo on her phone.

Uh-oh. Shit.

‘So, you managed to see the front of this poster, while driving in this direction?’ said Gary. His face was set.

I’m dead.

He focused back on the poster. ‘Well … what’s this all about?’

‘It’s the only defaced poster in town,’ said Ren. ‘It could be nothing, it could be some Mean Girl who hates the attention going someone else’s way. It could be a girl whose boyfriend cheated on her with Shelby, I don’t know …’

‘Could just be an idiot,’ said Paul. ‘Or some young kids goofing around.’

‘Or Shelby Royce could be an out-and-out ho,’ said Ren.

‘And there’s that,’ said Paul.

‘Imagine if her parents saw this,’ said Ren.

‘We really need to get these high school kids to talk,’ said Gary. ‘They’ve told us nothing. I thought maybe that’s because there’s nothing to say … now I’m thinking maybe there’s too much.’

Ren nodded.

‘You haven’t talked to any of them …’ said Gary. ‘You get on well with young people …’

‘Jared Labati is my case-full of youth,’ said Ren. ‘Robbie is the youth, Cliff has sired the youth. I am nothing. They would do better.’

‘I think kids would relate to you better,’ said Gary.

Is this some kind of punishment? Resist. Resist.

‘I’ve been de-stabilized by my dealings with Mr Labati …’ said Ren.

‘Leave it with me,’ said Gary. ‘I have several things to consider.’ He left.

I’m dead.

Paul’s expression told her the same thing.

Robbie and Colin arrived into the office at nine.

‘Have all y’all got lists of who’s been in touch with the Whaleys and the Royces since Saturday night?’ said Ren.

‘Yes,’ said Robbie, handing her a print-out, ‘they got a bunch of texts from their friends and family after the press conference — more texts than calls — I think people are conscious of tying up their phone.’

Ren read through the list and the text messages.

‘So,’ she said, ‘who’s getting through the net … in terms of who they’re calling?’

‘Close family,’ said Robbie. ‘Both sets of grandparents have passed, so it’s siblings, really. And close friends.’

‘OK,’ said Ren. ‘Detective Owens?’

‘The Royces got a few texts,’ said Owens, ‘but they had a lot of people calling to the house. By about one a.m., everyone was gone.’

‘Thanks for these,’ said Ren. She looked down and scanned them.

Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.

‘Thank you so much, Detective Owens,’ said Ren. She nodded as a way to dismiss him.

‘He itemized what foods each visitor brought,’ said Ren. ‘Mrs X, beef casserole. Mrs Y, homemade bread.’

Colin laughed. ‘What — in case someone was going to poison them? Are you serious?’

‘As serious as young Detective Owens clearly was,’ said Ren.

‘That kid is an idiot,’ said Colin. ‘The kid in school who sat at the back, scribbling really hard like a freak.’

‘Damn those Straight A students,’ said Ren. ‘Damn those people who lean heavily on their pens.’

Gary arrived back into the office. ‘Conference room everyone, please.’