The Haunting of Anna McAlister (11 page)

“Stop,” Tom said, pulling away. He sat down heavily on the steps. “What’s going on?”

“You’re here,” Anna started to cry. “You’re here.”

“Where else would I be?” Tom yawned.

“When the phone rang and I woke up, you weren’t on the couch.”

“I was in bed upstairs.”

“When did you go up there, and why did you leave me alone in his place?”

Tom held his head in both hands and thought as hard as the pain would allow. “Honestly? I really don’t know.”

Anna planned to give Tom hell later for leaving her to sleep for herself on the couch. Now, she was just happy to touch him, hold him, and have him alive.
 

After a few minutes, Tom lifted his head from his hands. “Who called at this time of the morning anyway?”

“It was Jeffrey,” Anna said slowly.

“Figures,” Tom’s head fell back into his hands. “What happened? Did he swallow Duncan or something?”

“Duncan’s dead.”

“What?”

Anna told Tom what had happened.
 

“This is for real?” Tom asked. “It’s not just Jeffrey playing one of his little jokes again to make us straight folk look like idiots?”

“No, it was no joke, Tom. Jeffrey was crying. Really crying.”

“Duncan jumped off an overpass?”

“That’s what the police say, but Jeffrey thinks that he was murdered.”

“Maybe he should know,” Tom regretted what he said as soon as he said it. “I’m sorry,” he quickly added before Anna could catch her breath and respond. “I really am. I, I didn’t mean it. This is really awful. I’m so sorry.”

Anna accepted the apology, but she remembered Tom’s words until the day she died.

* * *

Anna dropped Tom off at his house and drove his car to Jeffrey’s. She got there just before 8am and they both cried until after ten.

“I have to call Duncan’s parents,” Jeffrey said. “How do you tell someone that their child is dead? How, Anna, how?”

Anna just shook her head. There was no answer to that question.

“I won’t tell them that he committed suicide. I won’t because he didn’t.”

“Wouldn’t the police have told them by now?” Anna asked softly.

“I don’t think so. I didn’t tell the police that his parents are in Mexico on vacation. They gave Duncan the number of the place they’re renting in case of an emergency. I guess this counts.”
 

Jeffrey started to cry again. “I thought that I should tell them. I think Duncan would want me to. Right baby boy?”

Jeffrey picked up an 8 x 10 framed picture of Duncan from the end table. In it, he was smiling and standing on a tennis court. He wore all white and looked so alive.

“Come on, Duncan,” Jeffrey carried the picture and walked toward what had been their bedroom. “We have a call to make. ”

“Do you want me to do it?” Anna asked.

“No, we have to,” Jeffrey held the picture to his chest. “But please wait for me. I really don’t want to be alone after I call, okay?”

“Of course, Jeffrey,” Anna wiped her eyes. “Of course.”

Jeffrey walked into the bedroom and closed the door. That meant that Anna was alone in the living room when the police arrived five minutes later.
 

When she heard the hard knock on the door, Anna looked toward the bedroom, hoping Jeffrey would come out and answer it. When he didn’t she slowly rose and walked even more slowly toward he door. She put her hand on the knob and hesitated. Something her grandma use to say when Anna was little and afraid to go to sleep suddenly popped into her mind. She could almost hear her grandma saying, “Don’t worry child. Nothing’s gonna hurt you. Evil can’t come in unless you invite it in.”

There was another loud knocking on the door, causing Anna to jump away. Holding her breath, Anna carefully peered through the peephole. She saw a man and a woman in the apartment hallway. Both wore suits and both were holding up gold police badges so that anyone peeping through could see who they were.
 

Anna let out a deep breath and fell back against the door with relief. “Thank God,” she said out loud just before one of the detectives knocked for a third time.

“Oops,” Anna moved away from the door, turned around and opened it wide. “Can I help you officers,” Anna smiled. She saw both detectives looking over her shoulder and into the apartment.

“Hello, mam,” the male detective said. “I’m Detective Malmann and this is Detective Knight. Is Jeffrey Robinson at home? We need to speak to him about the death of Duncan Blau.”

“This is a really bad time,” Anna said. “Jeffrey’s on the phone right now with Duncan’s parents. Can this wait? He’s really upset about what happened.”

The two detectives looked at each other. “No,” Detective Malmann said. “I’m afraid it can’t.”

Anna moved aside and ushered the detectives inside. She saw them look around the apartment as if they were searching for someone or something. They’re jackets were unbuttoned, which put their guns clearly in view.

“Where is Mr. Robinson?” Detective Knight asked.

Anna pointed toward the closed bedroom door. “He’s in there, as I said, talking to Duncan’s parents.”

“Should I get him?” Detective Knight asked her partner.

“Give him a minute, please” Anna interjected. “This is hard enough already.”

Detective Malmann held up his hand, signaling Detective Knight to wait. “You know we tried to call Duncan’s parents, but we were unable to reach them,” he said with a semi sneer. “I hope he’s luckier than we were.”

Anna thought she better explain. “Jeffrey knew where to call.”

“Why didn’t he tell us?”

“He thought it would be better if they heard the news from him. It’s that simple.”

“It’s never that simple.”

Detective Malmann sat on the couch while Detective Knight sat at the table across the room. Both had clear views (
Shots?
Anna thought) of the bedroom door.”

“Who are you?” Detective Malmann looked directly at Anna. “If you don’t mind my asking.” He adjusted himself on the couch to insure that his jacket stayed loose and open.
 

“Anna McAlister,” Anna walked over and shook hands with Detective Malmann, and then walked the other way and did the same with Detective Knight. “I’m a close friend of Jeffrey’s. We work together. He called me when he heard the horrible news about Duncan.”

“You knew Duncan Blau?” Detective Knight asked.
 

“Yes, of course I knew him. He was Jeffrey’s . . .” Anna was about to say lover, instead she said, “friend.”

“Were you close?”

“No, not really. Like I said, I’m close with Jeffrey.”

“You didn’t consider Duncan a friend?” Detective Malmann snapped out his question.

“Yes he was a friend, but I just didn’t know him that well. Wait a minute. What exactly is going on here?”

“I think we’ll wait for Mr. Robinson to get off the phone,” Detective Malmann said. “But I would prefer if you stayed. I do have a few more questions.”

“Fine,” Anna’s defenses rose around her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Detective Malmann nodded his head. “Good.”

After several minutes of awkward silence the bedroom door opened. When it did both detective’s rose to their feet. They’re hands went to their holstered guns and rested there until they were sure Jeffrey was unarmed.

Jeffrey’s face was red and his eyes were puffy. He looked at the detectives as if they were intruders.
 

“These are detectives Malmann and Knight, Jeffrey,” Anna said. “They said they need to talk to you.”

“He was murdered, right?” Jeffrey asked before the detectives could say a word.
 

“Who was murdered?” Detective Malmann asked.

“Who the fuck do you think?” Jeffrey shouted.

“Settle down, Mr. Robinson,” Detective Knight took Jeffrey’s arm and directed him to a chair.
 

“Why do you say that Mr. Blau was murdered?” Detective Malmann stayed on his feet.

“Because I know that he was.”

“You’re right,” Detective Malmann walked up to the chair and looked down at Jeffrey. “He was murdered. I just find it interesting that you knew it before anyone else did.”

Jeffrey started to shake. Anna moved to his side and put her arm around him.
 

“He really was murdered?” She looked up at detective Malmann. “Someone pushed him off the bridge?”

“Not exactly,” Detective Malmann said. “They must have more thrown him off. The Medical Examiner called just a little while ago. He said that the victim was dead before going off that bridge.”

“What happened to Duncan?” Jeffrey asked.

“Don’t you know?”

“No I don’t.”

The two detectives looked at each other again. It was clear that Detective Malmann was in charge. He looked directly at Jeffrey. “Your friend was stabbed at least a hundred times all over his body.”

“Oh my God, no!”

“The M.E. said that the worst part was that none of the wounds until the end would have killed, or even caused him to lose consciousness. He was alive during the whole thing until the killer slit his stomach from his chest down to his penis, and then some.”

Jeffrey buried his head in Anna’s shoulder. “No.

“Yep.”
 

To Anna it sounded like the detective was enjoying what he was doing to Jeffrey and her.

“In fact the M.E. said certain inside, and outside parts of the victim are still missing. So if you happen to find a dick laying around, be sure to let us know.”

Jeffrey broke free and ran to the bathroom. He sobbed uncontrollably as he knelt in front of the toilet, vomiting from both his mouth and nose.

Anna couldn’t believe what this detective had done. “Why did you do that? You didn’t have to tell him that. Whether you like it or not, he loved Duncan very much.”

“Sorry,” Detective Malmann said in a voice that showed he wasn’t. “I wanted to see his reaction, to see if he’d flinch. After all he lived with the victim.”

“You’re saying that Jeffrey is a suspect.”

“You always hurt the ones you love.”

“Jeffrey wouldn’t hurt anyone, and particularly not Duncan.”

“You seem pretty sure of yourself.” The detective looked at Anna suspiciously.

“Oh please,” Anna groaned. “What kind of fucking cop are you?”

“Now Ms. McAlister,” Detective Knight finally said, “there’s really no need for. . .”

Detective Malmann held up his hand again to stop his colleagues. “Actually Ms. McAlister. I’m a very good cop.”

“Did you ever really think it was a suicide, or was that all part of your bullshit cop games?” Anna asked

“In a way I guess it’s all a game. But, trust me Ms. McAlister, this is not bullshit. We did think it was a suicide until we heard from the M.E.”

“You mean such a good cop missed 100 stab wounds and mutilation.”

“Ms. McAlister,” he said. “Did you ever see someone after they fell from a bridge and were run over by a fully loaded semi. I mean we’re talking . . .” Detective Malmann made a loud squishing sound. “No more Duncan.”

“Shut up!” Jeffrey ran out of the bathroom and punched Detective Malmann in the face. He then jumped on him and the two fell to the couch.

Detective Knight was on Jeffrey’s back almost before they hit the cushions. She pulled his hands behind him and cuffed them together. With one pull she yanked Jeffrey to his feet.

“You’re under arrest, asshole,” she shouted.

“Nah, let him go,” Detective Malmann got up from the couch. “I deserved it. I was being a prick, but I was being a prick with a purpose.”
 

“You want me to uncuff him?”

Detective Malmann looked at Jeffrey. “Are you going to try to beat me up again?”

Jeffrey shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s just that . . .”

“That’s okay,” Detective Malmann said. “Cut him loose.”

With Jeffrey somewhat under control, the detectives asked for and received permission to “have a look around.” As Jeffrey and Anna sat silently in the living room, Detectives Malmann and Knight looked around everything from kitchen drawers to bedroom closets, garbage cans to the laundry hamper. It made Jeffrey shudder to think of what they were looking for. He started to cry.

* * *

After about 20 minutes Anna patted Jeffrey on the knee. “I’ll make some coffee. Are you hungry? Do you want anything?”

“Duncan,” Jeffrey nodded slowly. “I want Duncan.”

While the coffee dripped, Anna sat down at the small table off the kitchen.
 

“Excuse me?” Detective Knight came to her instead of Jeffrey. “Do you know where he keeps his car keys.”
 

Anna pointed to a brass key ring that hung on the wall next to the mirror. “They’re the ones with the little liberty bell on the chain.”