The Killing Hour

But I don’t snap. As much as I love my books, my cars, my toys, they’re nothing to what has already happened this week. In the scheme of things all this is nothing. These are just items, materials, things that can be replaced. It will cost me money but that’s all. I can move on. I cannot say the same for Kathy. I cannot say the same for Luciana.

I lean down and turn off the stereo. The CD stops clicking and the hissing disappears and the room becomes eerily silent. Even Jo stops talking. I walk through the destruction back into the hallway. It’s as if a localised earthquake hit my room.

I close the door on everything.

If only I had taken a different route home the other night.

I tell myself not to think this way. I try not to tell myself that Luciana may have found somebody who wasn’t going to help and then kill them. I try not to tell myself any of this, but it’s true. What would have happened if I hadn’t come along? Would another game-show contestant have succeeded where I failed?

‘If you didn’t do this, Charlie, then it’s time to go to the police. There has to be plenty of evidence here.’

‘The only evidence here is that the place has been trashed. It doesn’t show by who.’

I open up the door to my bedroom. The curtains here are open. Everything appears normal. I start to close the door.

‘What’s in the box?’ Jo asks.

I push the door back open and I see it now, sitting in the centre of my bed, plainly in view. I can only imagine what’s inside. The box makes me uncomfortable in a way I can’t describe. I know that whatever’s inside it will rock my world and shatter what small hope I have left, but if I don’t look then I can still hold onto the hope that it’s empty. It’s the Schr?dinger Paradox.

‘Charlie?’

‘I don’t know what’s in it.’

‘The hell you don’t. You kept a souvenir, didn’t you? What is it? A head? A heart?’

‘I didn’t, it’s not mine, really, I, I …’ I bite my lower lip hard enough to draw blood. ‘Let’s go back to the car. He’ll be back. If he looked for me last night he’ll look for me again tonight.’

I close the house up and we head outside. Jo seems happy to leave. We pile into her car. I drive fifty metres then do a U-turn and park against the kerb. The shortest drive of my life. I kill the engine and we wait.





14


If Charlie is heading for an insanity plea then saving a body part is the right way of going about it. Of course maybe he really is crazy. If that’s the case then all Jo needs to do is stay calm and collect her thoughts because common sense, in theory, beats out insanity any day. She decides she has to at least make another attempt at earning Charlie’s trust.

‘I’m sorry I doubted you,’ she says.

He looks over at her and his face relaxes. ‘Really? Do you really mean that?’

‘I’m also sorry you had to bring me here to convince me. You didn’t have to hurt me, Charlie.’

‘I didn’t want to hurt you.’

‘I was just thinking.’ She pauses for a few seconds. ‘Nah, it doesn’t matter.’

‘What?’

‘What would happen if the police came here right now? Whatever’s in that box will be evidence against you.’



She watches him think this over, his face tightening. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. But they’re not even looking for my car. I might be in the clear. At least for now.’

‘Unless …’

‘Unless, what?’

‘It’s probably far-fetched, but what if Cyris called after planting the evidence? I mean, why else would he leave it there? Maybe just as a message, but I’m betting he’s planning on setting you up for the murders. What better way to go about it?’

He opens his mouth and she’s sure he’s about to argue, but he stops. ‘They’d need a warrant to go inside.’

‘They could probably get one, and even if they didn’t, all they need to do is look at your back door. Straightaway they have sufficient grounds for entering.’ She can feel Charlie getting nervous. ‘We should go and get it.’

‘I’ll go.’

‘Untie me and I’ll help.’

‘I’ll be quicker by myself.’

‘Untie me anyway.’

‘Why? So you can leave me here?’

‘I won’t leave you.’

He leans into the back and pulls out some of the rope he bought earlier. ‘Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I just need to keep you here. I’ll only be a minute.’

‘Charlie …’

‘I’ll only be a minute.’

Slowly she nods. Being tied up won’t be too big a problem, especially if a neighbour walks by. Or maybe she’ll be able to loosen the ropes.

‘What if Cyris comes along while you’re in there? What do I do?’



‘He won’t.’

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘I just know.’

I bet you do, she thinks. She tightens her muscles as he wraps the rope around her body and the seat, and she bites down on the gag. A moment later he steps outside, taking the keys with him. She relaxes and feels the rope give slightly. As soon as Charlie is out of sight she will begin working against it.





15