Lust Demented

{XXX}

HOOVES ON COBBLESTONES OR MAYBE just cracked cement and torn road. Bucking up a cruel storm, Detective Anderson and his trusty steer locked in on the 6th Avenue entrance leading into Central Park. I was just a tick on their back. A tick they didn’t care to tear off until it was goddamn certain the fangs wouldn’t stay in their skin.

“Sometimes I’m convinced that it was you, Farrow.”

“Percy or Gloom?”

“Percy, Gloom, Missy, Lars, and sooner or later… yourself.”

“It’s odd they hired me in the first place.”

“What’s so odd about that?”

“Finally I’m getting paid for writing.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“I have a job that has nothing to do with writing, but I knock out a couple pages a day and still get a decent salary.

“They’re going to fire you.”

“I’m almost finished anyway.”

“It’s always the same story with you.”

Emptied of everything, we trotted deep into the urban oasis peacefully hooking around the pond. The ducks made trails in the water. They seemed for the most part to move together in their little crews. A few were off doing their own thing, but before they knew it they were swept up by the others. Mindlessly dragged along in their clan’s foraging.

Swaying in the midnight breeze, two cops were guarding the entrance to the zoo. One of them had such a troubled look on his face that it leapt from his body into mine. My stomach instantly began to constrict with nausea. My head felt lightwired spliced into frizzing ends.

“I hear we’re going to the lion’s cave.” Detective Anderson’s deep voice bellowed through the zoo shrinking even the polar bear’s testicles.

Out of the zoo’s darkness a man in a labcoat approached. “There’s no lion’s cave here detective. Actually, I found her in the snow monkeys’ enclosure.”

“You found her?” Detective Anderson hopped off the horse, gesturing for me to follow without helping me down.

“Right, I’m Vivek, a monkey psychologist here at the zoo. I studied biology at Hunter…”

“A zookeeper?”

“Correct a zookeeper.”

“You sticking around to give us a tour?”

Vivek nodded. He seemed to be searching for an answer. I wanted to tell him he wouldn’t find one here. Eager to get on with it, the zookeeper helped us tie up the horse and get moving. Patches of darkness where lights failed to reach. Together we climbed over a fence into a rocky island surrounded by hot springs. High pitched monkey calls filled the air.

“Walk where I walk. The monkeys are used to people. Just don’t do anything to scare them. They’re strong and their teeth are sharp.”

Detective Anderson gave me an exasperated look as we followed Vivek along the rocks stopping under a grotto. Char marks moved up the walls like demons claws. Shells were scattered on the ground. Snow monkeys eyed us up and down trying to discern friend or foe.

“Divided in the way her executioner saw fit.” Detective Anderson squinted, vice-like lids trapping his pupils.

“Seems she was lit on fire. That’s how I realized… when I saw the flames.” Vivek was disturbed, but curious.

“What’s on your mind Farrow?”

The body dissected in front of me lost all its former beauty. I was no expert biologist, serial killer, or surrealistic painter. Fingers had to be attached to hands. Heads to necks. Knees to legs, and so forth. I didn’t know how to take them apart, nor put them back together. The unlucky lunch meat in front of me had to be somebody at one point, but it no longer mattered. Endings were always ugly. The only way I could bear the world’s ugliness was to scribble over it.

“Darkness blocking you in?” Sgt. Bethany Powers’ voice was there before her body.

“You can tell us where Missy is Farrow.” Detective Anderson gave the signal and Vivek made haste.

“If I knew where she was, you’d have to rip her from my grasp.”

“Squeeze her so she comes back to life.”

“Missy’s only a memory. She’s only a fantasy. The past doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

“But what about her lips? You can still taste them.” Penetrating, Sgt. Bethany Powers’ stare was more sexual than accusative.

“You led me here.”

“You take the words out of my mouth.”

“Percy killed Monika Gloom.” It was a hostage situation. I didn’t want to be their source of truth, but I had to do something to prevent a bigger tragedy.

“Don’t get distracted Farrow. You’ve been a suspect the whole time. We let you run a little wild hoping you would lead us in the right direction.”

“Whose body do you think this is?”

“Why is she dead? Do you know who…?”

“I don’t… it’s impossible to tell.”

The monkeys started chattering uneasily. A mounting attack felt imminent. Sgt. Bethany Powers beckoned for my new book back.

“It’s not ready.”

“That’s not for you to decide.” Sgt. Powers had her gun out, so it was her call… her world. I stayed on my knees and begrudgingly forked over my writing.

Sgt. Bethany Powers let the pages fall to the rocks. The maniac cop was more interested in the plastic evidence bag, which she promptly put over my head. Wrapped up as evidence myself, I watched the snow monkeys scrutinize me, slightly distorted. I tried not to gasp, when she pulled out the large sharpened scissors. I knew it was the murder weapon by the way she held it.

The air was going and all I could think about was my daughter. I was at a crossroads where I welcomed death’s supposed tranquility. The last conversation I had with Hawaii haunted me. A father had to live, in case he was needed.

The suffocation came on with every choke snatching up more air that wasn’t there. I lost control of my neural capacities. My head gently swung back and forth. Sgt. Bethany Powers readied herself with the blade. I expected it across my throat, instead she popped the bag, jabbing me ever so gently with the sharp edge of the scissors. I could breathe again. I felt the cobra’s fangs just by hearing her hiss. Detective Anderson grimaced chewing on a piece of .44 caliber evidence, careful not to chip any teeth.