Thicker Than Blood - The Complete Andrew Z. Thomas Trilogy (24 page)

"You ready?" I asked. "He’s gonna come out of this fast. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed."

A minute elapsed. Then Orson moved, rubbing his face into the seat and trying to sit up. There was a nasty gash on his forehead where I’d
coldcocked
him with the butt of the
Glock
. A trail of dried blood traversed a path from his left eye to the corner of his mouth, like runaway mascara. He mumbled.

"Sit him up," I said, coming to my knees again and facing the backseat.

Walter grabbed him by his hair and jerked him ruthlessly up into the center seat. Orson steadied himself and opened his eyes. When he saw me, he produced an enervate smile.

"Andy," he said clearly, "what in the world —"

"Where are those videotapes you made of the killings? And the pictures you took, like that card you sent me?"

"I had a dream we fought," he said. "I kicked the shit out of you, as I recall." The reversal of the sedation was miraculous. Orson was lucid, pupils dilated, heart racing.

"Hit the cigarette lighter, Walter," I said, and he punched it in.

"Walt?" Orson said. "What are you doing here?"

"Don’t talk to him," I said to Walter.

"He can talk to me if he wants to. How’s the
fam
, Walt?"

"Orson," Walter growled. "I’m gonna —" I grabbed Walter’s arm and, catching his eyes, shook my head. Flushed, he nodded.

"No, let him talk," Orson said. "He’s probably a little pissed at me and wants to get it off his chest."

"No, Orson. Tonight’s about you."

Orson smiled, finding Walter’s eyes in the rearview mirror. "How’s little Jenna?" Hands on the steering wheel, Walter looked down into his lap at the .45. "I hear she’s precious. I’ll bet you’re proud as —"

"Walter isn’t moved by your taunts," I said. "You aren’t in any position to —"

"If he isn’t moved, why’d he just look down at his gun?" Orson smiled at Walter. "Thinking of doing something rash?"

"Orson," I said, "this is between —"

"I think he’s upset because one of my other protégés has his eye on the Lancing clan."

Walter’s fingers constricted around the
Glock
. Coming to his knees, he faced my brother.

"His name’s Luther," Orson continued. "Would you like to know more about him, Walter? He may become a big part of your life. In fact, he may already be a big part of your life. You see, when I took him out to the desert three years ago, he took an avid interest in —"

"Walter, just ignore —"

"Let him finish."

"Not that it’s my inclination," Orson said, "but among his many interests, Luther likes little things. Well, more specifically, he likes to hurt little things, and me not being one to pass judgment, I told him, ‘I know two little things named Jenna and John David Lancing who could use a little hurting.’ "

"I don’t believe you."

"You don’t have to believe me, Walter. Luther believes me, and that’s all that matters. His visit to Jenna’s school was just an introduction. He’s met Beth, too, though she didn’t realize it. At my urging, he’s added your address to his Rolodex, and if he hasn’t already, I’m sure he’ll come calling at Fifteen eighteen Shortleaf Drive any day now. Oh, that’s right, Beth took the kids away. Well, Luther will find them, if he hasn’t already. He’s very motivated — what the FBI profilers would call a ‘hedonic thrill killer,’ which means he receives sexual gratification from the agony of others. Believe me when I tell you, he’s one macabre motherfucker. He even scares me."

Walter pressed his gun against Orson’s chest.

"No," I said calmly. "Just sit back."

"When I pull this trigger," Walter said to Orson, "the force of the bullet impacting your chest will be so intense, your heart might stop. How does it feel, Orson?"

"I imagine I feel like your wife and children are going to feel. And trust me on this, Walter. You could flay me, and I wouldn’t call off Luther."

"Put that fucking gun down," I said. "This is not the way to do this."

"He’s talking about my family."

"He’s lying. He will tell us."

"I’m not lying, Walter. Shall I tell you how Luther’s planning to do your family, or do you want it to be a surprise?"

Walter ground his teeth together, trembling with explosive rage.

"I’m not telling you again," I said. "Put it down."

"Fuck off, Andy."

I took my
Glock
from the fanny pack and pointed it at my best friend. "I won’t let you shoot him. Not yet. Think about it. If you kill him, we aren’t gonna find out where Luther is. You’re risking your family now."

"If he’s dead, maybe Luther will leave us alone. Orson’s just doing this because I know about him." He chambered the first round.

"Walter, you’re a little crazy now, so just —" I leaned forward to take the gun from him, but he jerked back and turned his .45 on me.

"You put the gun down."

My finger moved onto the trigger.

"You gonna shoot me?"

"You aren’t a parent," he said, incensed. "You don’t know." He trained the gun back on my brother. "Count to three, you piece of shit."

"Okay. One."

"Walter!"

"Two."

"You kill him, you kill your family!"

Before Walter reached three, Orson drew his knees into his chest and kicked the back of my seat. Jerking forward into the dashboard, I felt my finger slip, and though I didn’t hear the gunshot, my
Glock
recoiled.

Walter fell back onto the steering wheel, and it bleated through the countryside. I lifted him off the horn and he sagged into my lap, spilling all over me.

I wept; Orson laughed.

27

I finished burying Walter a few minutes before five o’clock. Through the ceiling of pines, light was coming, and the white Cadillac would be plainly visible from the highway, if it was not already. The sky kindled with each passing second, and I felt the self-possession I’d known just hours ago disintegrating. Walking back through the trees, the mechanic’s suit rigid now with Walter’s frozen blood, I thought, I could crumble so easily.

When I broke out of the trees, I saw three cars speed by, heading into Bristol. It was light enough that I could see the
textureless
black mountains clearly against the sky, and anyone passing, if they happened to look, would see me stumbling along the shoulder toward the car. On the eastern horizon a trace of day warmed above the Atlantic. The sun was coming. The moon had disappeared hours ago.

I reached the Cadillac. Orson was unconscious in the trunk, an entire 4-mg vial of
Ativan
coursing through his bloodstream.

The front seat was a mess — pools of blood on both floorboards, the driver’s side window smeared red. I managed to scrape enough blood and brain matter off the glass to drive. Exhausted, I started the car and pulled onto the highway, heading south, back into Woodside.

I kept wondering what I’d do if a cop pulled me over. He’d see the bloodstained interior and the purple mass that was my left eye. I’d have to run. There’d be no other choice besides killing him.

Returning to Orson’s house, I backed the Cadillac into his driveway and parked beside the white Lexus. I agonized over leaving the car out here when the town would be waking within the hour. But there was no alternative. I needed to get Orson inside, clean myself up, and figure out what the hell I was going to do.

Reclining on a floral-print couch in Orson’s den, I dialed Cynthia’s home number. It was a sunny Saturday morning, eleven o’clock, and the sunbeams angled brilliantly through the blinds into the den, a scantly furnished room with a large television in a pine cabinet and a tower of CDs standing in the corner. Orson lay across from me on a matching couch, his hands still cuffed behind his back, feet bound with a bicycle lock I’d found in his study.

She answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Cynthia."

"Andy." I detected undeniable shock in her voice, and it concerned me. "Where are you?" she asked. "Everyone’s looking for you."

"Who’s everyone?"

"The Winston-Salem Police Department called my office twice yesterday."

"Why are they looking for me?"

"You know about your mother?"

She was going to regret asking that.

"What about her?"

"Oh, Andy. I’m sorry."

"What?"

"A neighbor found her dead in her house three days ago. On Wednesday, I think. Andy…"

"What happened?" I let my voice quake. How could an innocent man explain not crying when he learns his mother has been murdered? Even the guilty manage tears.

"They think she was murdered."

I dropped the phone and produced a few sobs. After a moment, I brought the receiver to my ear again. "I’m here," I said, sniffling.

"Are you all right?"

"I don’t know."

"Andy, the police want to speak with you."

"Why?"

"I um…I think…" She sighed. "This is tough, Andy. There’s a warrant for your arrest."

"What in the world for?"

"Your mother’s murder."

"Oh no, no, no, no —"

"And I know you didn’t do it. I believe you. But the best thing to do is just talk to the police and clear this mess up. Where are you? Let me have someone come get you."

"Thank you for everything, Cynthia." I hung up the phone, thinking, They had to find her eventually. Orson, you fucked me again. I stared at my brother on the sofa. He’d be waking soon. Until you fix this, you don’t have a home. In fact, you might never go home again.

Orson awoke in the early afternoon, strapped naked to a wooden chair in his den, handcuffs securing his arms behind the chair back, and a length of rope binding his legs to the chair legs. I’d shut the door, closed the blinds, and turned the television up so loud, the set buzzed.

Sitting on the couch, I waited until he’d regained sufficient clarity of mind.

"You with me?" I shouted. He said something, but I couldn’t hear over the television. "Speak up!" I could tell he was still disoriented.

"Yes. What’s…" I saw it all come back to him — the fight, the trunk, Walter. He smiled, and I knew he was with me. Taking the remote control from the couch, I muted the television.

"Orson," I said. "This is how this works. I ask the questions. You answer them. Quickly, concisely —"

"Where’s Walt? No. Let me guess. Is he in my hole?"

I cloaked my fury — I had a hunch the torture would be more effective if I remained placid. Composing myself, I asked him, "Do you still have the videotapes and pictures of you and me in the desert?"

"Of course."

"Where are they?" He smiled and shook his head.

I pressed the mute button and the television roared. It was the episode of The Andy Griffith Show that chronicles Barney Fife’s attempt to join a church choir, despite his glaring inability to sing. We watched this with our father.

Coming to my feet, I walked around to the back of the chair. From my pocket, I took a silver Zippo I’d found in Orson’s dresser and struck a flame. Regardless of the hell he’d put me through, I found it exceedingly difficult to burn him. But I did.

Orson grunted wrenchingly, and after six seconds, I withdrew the flame and returned to the couch. Sweat had broken out across his forehead, and his face had crimsoned. I silenced the television.

"Whew!" He smiled through the pain. "Man, that’s unpleasant! But you know, the back isn’t the most sensitive part of the body. You should burn my face. The lips, the eyes. Make ’em boil."

"Orson, are the videotapes and pictures in this house?"

"No."