Obsessed (45 page)

Somehow, the word got out and though Nate Rose cancelled, Covers was packed for the Monday night show. It was a good audience. They applauded wildly for every act. But when Michael got out on the stage, people were very quiet. They listened to him sing, and they clapped politely, but Carla could tell they were seeing Michael in a new light. Ev eryone tho
ught that he could be the Cupid Killer.

The same thing happened on Tuesday, and it kept on happening all through the week. The audience ap plauded, but they looked very nervous during Mi chael’s sets, and they whispered to each other while he was performing.

Late Sunday afternoon, Carla met Michael at Cov ers. She had book work to do, and she’d asked him to be there with her. It wasn’t for her protection. It was for his. If the Cupid Killer struck again, Carla was determined to be Michael’s alibi. But Carla was almost sure that the killer wouldn’t surface for quite some time. Michael wasn’t dating any new girls, and that meant the Cupid Killer didn’t have any new tar gets.

Carla had just finished making out the paychecks when Michael stuck his head in the office door. “Do you have time to listen to a song I just wrote?”

“I’d love to hear it.” Carla smiled and motioned to the huge leather couch in her office. Michael had written four new songs this week, and he’d asked her to listen to all of them. The only time he seemed truly relaxed was when he was singing, and his new songs were all very good. Carla was glad he’d found some way to cope with his frustration.

But when Michael started to sing, Carla drew in her breath sharply. His new song was all about a guy who was accused of crimes he hadn’t commit ted. Tears came to Carla’s eyes as he sang of his loneliness, and how much it hurt when all his friends had abandoned him. There was only one ray of hope, and that was the girl who had stuck by his side, loyal and loving, even though everyone else had stopped believing in him.

The last note died away, and Michael looked at Carla. “Well? What do you think?”

“It’s . . . it’s beautiful, Michael.” Carla spoke the words that were in her heart. “But it’s so sad, it makes me want to cry.”

“That’s why I wrote it. It’s my way of crying. Sometimes I wish I was a little kid again, so I could bawl my eyes out.”

“I know.” Carla got up and walked to the couch where she sat down beside him. She put her arm around his shoulders and patted his back. “It’ll all work out. Don’t worry. There’s going to be a lot of embarrassed people at Covers, when the police catch the real Cupid Killer, and they realize that it’s not you.”

“You’ve never doubted me, have you, Carla?” Mi chael pulled her close and hugged her.

“No, I haven’t.” Carla’s voice was shaking. It felt so good to be in Michael’s arms. “But maybe that’s because I know you better than anyone else.”

“Maybe that’s it. But I was kind of hoping it was because you loved me more than anyone else.”

Carla held her breath. It was suddenly very quiet, and she could hear her heart beating fast. She did love Michael. And this was the perfect time to tell him. She’d been afraid that he’d back away if she said it before, but tonight he seemed to want the closeness that they could share.

“I do love you.” Carla raised her eyes to his. “I’ve loved you for a long time, Michael. But I didn’t think it was right to say it back then.”

Michael reached down and wiped a tear off her cheek. He looked very serious. “I love you, too, Carla. And it’s not just because you’re the only friend I have left. I think I started loving you right after Judy died. It was like a nightmare, and you were right there for me. You kept me from going crazy.”

“Maybe you’re confusing being grateful with be ing in love.” Carla voiced her worst fear. She hoped that Michael wouldn’t deny it, but she had to ask. “Are you really sure you love me, Michael?”

Michael nodded. “I’ve never been surer of any thing in my life. That’s why I was so angry at Angela for tricking you. I never wanted her. I wanted you.”

Carla didn’t say anything. She was too happy to speak. Michael reached out very gently, and tipped up her face to his. And then he kissed her softly.

His kiss was gentle, and Carla sighed softly. Her dream was coming true. Michael loved her, and she loved him. She’d never been so happy in her life.

“You’re my girl, Carla.” Michael bent down to kiss her again. And then he took the fraternity ring off his finger, and slipped it on hers. “Here. I want you to have this. I never really wanted to give it to anyone but you.”

Carla looked down at the ring on her finger. He’d put it on the third finger of her left hand, and she had to ask, even if her whole dream dissolved right in front of her eyes. She took a deep breath and blurted out the question. “What does it mean, Michael?”

“It means that we’re engaged to be engaged.” Mi chael smiled at her tenderly. “Is that all right with you?”

“Oh, yes!” Carla felt her spirits rise to the ceiling, burst through the plaster, and float freely up to the stars.

“We’ll tell my parents tomorrow night. They went to Palm Springs for the weekend, but they’ll be back tomorrow. How about your family? Do you want to tell them now?”

Carla glanced at the clock on the wall. It was past ten and everyone would be in bed. “I think we’d bet ter wait until tomorrow. They have to get up early for work.”

“We should tell someone.” Michael grinned at her. “It’s not official if we don’t.”

Carla reached up to kiss him again. And then she gave him a happy smile. “It’s official if we tell a friend, and we did that.”

“We did?” Michael looked puzzled, as Carla nod ded.

“You told me, and I told you. That means we both told our best friends.”

Michael laughed softly and pulled her close again. And then Carla lost track of the time, because Mi chael was kissing her again. His lips were warm and very gentle at first, and Carla loved his tender kisses. But she had waited a lifetime for this moment, and she felt a rush of compelling urgency. The police could arrest Michael any day. And then she’d be with out him again! She wrapped her arms around Mi chael’s neck, and molded her body to his, letting him know that she belonged to him completely.

Michael groaned, deep in his throat. He knew Carla was his for the taking. But he wanted much more than this one night with her, and as tempting as her kisses were, he held himself in check.

“Not now, Carla.” Michael’s voice was trembling with emotion. “And not here. We’ve got a whole life time to love each other.”

Carla nodded, and gave him a shaky smile. She wanted Michael to make love to her, but she knew this wasn’t the right time or place. Michael knew, too, and she loved him even more for reminding her that they had a future. They didn’t have to cling to each other in desperation. The police would catch the Cupid Killer and everything would work out.

Suddenly Carla felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She felt as if disapproving eyes were watching them, eyes that burned with an almost fa natical anger.

Michael felt her shiver, and he looked concerned. “What’s the matter, Carla?”

“I just felt a little chill, that’s all.” Carla smiled quickly, to cover her distress. It was only her imagi nation, and she didn’t want to cast any sort of pall over this happy night. And then
both of them heard it, the sound of the front door banging
closed. Some one was here!

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

The voice had a heavy Spanish accent, and Carla began to laugh. It was only the cleaning crew, com ing in to work. Mr. Calloway had hired a service to re-surface the stage. Carla had made all the ar rangements, and they’d picked up the key on Friday morning.

“We’re in here!” Carla called out, and then she turned to explain to Michael. “It’s the crew Mr. Cal loway hired to wax the floors. I forgot they were com ing in tonight. We’d better leave, Michael. I don’t want to get in their way.”

Michael stood up and pulled her to her feet, giving her one last kiss. “Love makes me hungry. Don’s is closed, but do you want to stop at Hamburger Heaven on the way home?”

“I’d love to!” Carla grabbed her purse. She’d been too upset to eat very much for the past couple of days, and she’d been losing sleep, worrying about whether Michael would be arrested or not. She re membered reading that people who suffered from food and sleep deprivation were prone to hallucina tions. That was probably why she’d imagined that someone was watching them. Food and a good night’s sleep would fix her up just fine.

Twenty

It was eleven-thirty by the time they left Ham burger Heaven. Michael had kissed her goodbye in the parking lot, and Carla was floating on air as she drove home. She had just pulled into the driveway, when she glanced down at her finger and noticed that Michael’s fraternity ring wasn’t there. “Oh, no!” Carla stared down at her hand, willing that the ring would suddenly reappear, but no such thing happened. She forced herself not to panic, and tried to remember the last time she’d seen it. They were on the couch when Michael had slipped it on her finger. Of course it had been too large, and Carla clearly remembered taking it off and placing it on the table by the couch. Michael’s kisses had driven all practical thoughts out of her mind, and she’d for gotten it when they’d left.

Carla put her car in reverse, and backed out of the driveway again. The ring was precious, and she wanted to put it on a chain to wear around her neck, until she could have it sized to fit her finger. She’d drive back to Covers, and pick it up right now. She’d be perfectly safe. The cleaning crew would still be there, and she didn’t want to take the chance that they’d find it and misplace it.

But there were no cars in the parking lot when Carla arrived at Covers. The crew must have finished and left. Carla shivered a bit as she got out of her car and walked toward the front door. Should she go in alone? It would be breaking Mr. Calloway’s rule.

But the ring was much more important than a rule, and Carla stuck her key in the lock. It would only take a moment to get the ring. She’d run straight back to the office to get it, and then she’d leave. There was really no need to worry.

Carla opened the door and stepped into the inky blackness inside. The scent of fresh wax was so strong, it almost made her light-headed. She switched on the lights by the door, and raced back to the office to get her ring. But the ring wasn’t where she’d left it! Someone had taken Michael’s ring!

As Carla stood there, uncertain what to do, the lights clicked off with a loud snap, and the office was plunged into total darkness. Carla didn’t take time to think about what she should do. She just ran out the office door, and pressed herself flat against the side of the hallway.

Her only hope was to be perfectly quiet. Carla’s mind spun in dizzying circles. She hadn’t been imag ining things when she’d been on the couch with Mi chael. Angry eyes had been watching her. And those eyes belonged to the Cupid Killer!

Carla took a deep, silent breath for courage, and began to inch along the hallway toward the back door. She couldn’t just stand here and wait to be murdered like the rest of Michael’s girlfriends. She had too much to live for. Somehow she had to get out and call the police.

She was almost to the end of the hallway when she heard the sound of laughter. It was soft at first, as if in response to a funny joke, but then it grew louder and louder until it reached a screaming pitch. And then a voice called out from the stage.

“Car . . . la. Where are you, Carla? You were my friend, Carla. And I’m sorry that I have to kill you. But I do. You can see that, can’t you? Come here and I’ll make this easy. You won’t feel a thing, I promise.”

Carla’s mouth dropped open in a silent scream. Her blood ran cold, as she recognized the eerie voice. It was Judy! It was impossible, but Judy was still alive! And Judy Lampert was the Cupid Killer!

Silently, Carla drew back the deadbolt on the back door. Then she pushed it open, hoping it wouldn’t squeak. But just as she was about to hurl herself out, into the welcome darkness outside, strong arms tight ened like steel bands around her shoulders. Carla didn’t struggle. She knew it was useless. Judy had always been as strong as an ox.

“It’s not nice to fool your friend, Carla.”

Judy’s voice was low and menacing, and Carla racked her brain for something to say. She knew she had to throw Judy off-balance, and keep her talking.

“I asked you to come, and you tried to run. Now I’m going to have to
. . .
”

“Judy!” Carla put all the warmth she could muster into her voice. “I’m so glad you’re alive!”

There was a long silence, and Judy relaxed her grip slightly. It wasn’t enough for Carla to make her break, but she’d managed to confuse her.

“I’m sorry I tried to run.” Carla did her best to sound friendly. “But I didn’t know it was you. Ev erybody thinks you’re dead. Except for Vera, of course. She was convinced that you were a ghost.”

Judy laughed, a high-pitched giggle that was on the verge of hysteria. “I know. But she didn’t really think I was a ghost. That was just a trick to trap Mi chael.”

“You’re kidding!” Carla managed to laugh. “Well, she had me fooled. I thought she was perfectly seri ous. How did you catch on?”

“My eyes and ears are everywhere. I heard Vera call her brother from the pay phone in the hallway. That’s how I knew what she was planning. But Vera doesn’t matter now. All that matters is . . .”