down the line and put another chicken leg on his plate. Next, Gary spotted something wrapped in bacon near the cold cuts. He liked bacon with pancakes, but this bacon looked as if it was wrapped around liver. Gary did not like liver. He wondered if it would be okay to eat the bacon and throw out the liver.
He wanted to do the riaht thing. He did not want to embarrass Donna and Steve. After all, he was the best man.
Gary remembered his part in the ceremony and smiled. When Steve drove im to the church this morning, he told Gary that he looked handsome in his tuxedo. Gary wondered if there had been a girl in the church who thought he was handsome. That would be something. Gary looked around the crowded room to see if any girl was looking at him. He did not see any, but he did hear a lady with gray hair tell another lady with gray-streaked brown hair about a body that had been found by the wishing well. Gary walked over to listen.
"Eric thinks this killing might be connected to the girl they found in the gully and the other girl who was murdered in Blaine," the gray-haired lady said.
"Oh no.
"Eric saw the body. He said it was awful. The killer used a hatchet. Her head was almost chopped off."
"I remember when you could walk anywhere in town, any time of day," the other woman said with a shake of her head. "It's getting so I'm afraid to go out at night."
"That girl was at the Stallion last night," Gary said.
The two women looked at Gary. He smiled, proud to know something they did not.
"Hey, Gary, you look great," said a big, balding man in an ill-fitting brown suit. Gary recognized Eric Polk, a Whitaker policeman, whom he had met at several Elks Club functions.
"Bon, we got to go," Eric said. "It's one-thirty and we're expected at the kids' at two."
Wilma looked at her watch. "I had no idea. I'm going to have to leave, Mabel. It's Kenny's third birthday."
Ccis that grandson of yours three already?" Mabel Dawes asked.
"Looks five, he's that big," Eric said proudly.
"Donna looked lovely, Gary," Wilma Polk said, as she, her husband and Mabel Dawes walked away.
Gary's chest swelled with pride. His sister was beautiful.
So was that girl at the Stallion who had been mean to him. Mrs. Polk said the girl's head had almost been chopped off. Gary thought of the hogs he had butchered on his family's farm. They would squeal and get all excited on the way to die. A picture of a mean girl all tied up and squealing came into his thoughts unbidden. For a moment, it was like it was really happening. Gary's mouth was dry and he started to get hard.
If the mean girl was tied up in his room, he could ask her why she was being mean to him. No, not his room.
Mom would find her when she came to clean. But some place. He could put her someplace where no one could find her. Only he would know where she was.
And she would have to do what he said. She would have to kiss him if he wanted and learn to love him. That was the most important. Love him like Donna loved Steve. Love him for ever and ever.
Marjorie Dooling's shoulders shook convulsively each time she sobbed into her boyfriend's shoulder. Tommy Berger held Marjorie and tried to comfort her. Dennis Downes waited patiently. He understood the shock ariorie experienced -when she saw Sandra Whiley's face, because he had experienced the same feeling that morning in the park.
"I'm sorry," Marjorie apologized, trying hard to stop her tears.
"You take your time," Downes answered compassionately. "Do you want some water?"
Marjorie nodded and Downes poured some from a pitcher he made certain was on his desk before he brought her back from viewing the body.
Marjorie sat down. "I'll be okay," she managed after taking a few sips. "It's just ..
She shook her head, at a loss for words.
"What made you call the police?" Downes asked, giving the girl an easy question to distract her from her grief.
"I saw the sketch on the front page of the afternoon Clarion. It looked so much like
He wanted to do the riaht thing. He did not want to embarrass Donna and Steve. After all, he was the best man.
Gary remembered his part in the ceremony and smiled. When Steve drove im to the church this morning, he told Gary that he looked handsome in his tuxedo. Gary wondered if there had been a girl in the church who thought he was handsome. That would be something. Gary looked around the crowded room to see if any girl was looking at him. He did not see any, but he did hear a lady with gray hair tell another lady with gray-streaked brown hair about a body that had been found by the wishing well. Gary walked over to listen.
"Eric thinks this killing might be connected to the girl they found in the gully and the other girl who was murdered in Blaine," the gray-haired lady said.
"Oh no.
"Eric saw the body. He said it was awful. The killer used a hatchet. Her head was almost chopped off."
"I remember when you could walk anywhere in town, any time of day," the other woman said with a shake of her head. "It's getting so I'm afraid to go out at night."
"That girl was at the Stallion last night," Gary said.
The two women looked at Gary. He smiled, proud to know something they did not.
"Hey, Gary, you look great," said a big, balding man in an ill-fitting brown suit. Gary recognized Eric Polk, a Whitaker policeman, whom he had met at several Elks Club functions.
"Bon, we got to go," Eric said. "It's one-thirty and we're expected at the kids' at two."
Wilma looked at her watch. "I had no idea. I'm going to have to leave, Mabel. It's Kenny's third birthday."
Ccis that grandson of yours three already?" Mabel Dawes asked.
"Looks five, he's that big," Eric said proudly.
"Donna looked lovely, Gary," Wilma Polk said, as she, her husband and Mabel Dawes walked away.
Gary's chest swelled with pride. His sister was beautiful.
So was that girl at the Stallion who had been mean to him. Mrs. Polk said the girl's head had almost been chopped off. Gary thought of the hogs he had butchered on his family's farm. They would squeal and get all excited on the way to die. A picture of a mean girl all tied up and squealing came into his thoughts unbidden. For a moment, it was like it was really happening. Gary's mouth was dry and he started to get hard.
If the mean girl was tied up in his room, he could ask her why she was being mean to him. No, not his room.
Mom would find her when she came to clean. But some place. He could put her someplace where no one could find her. Only he would know where she was.
And she would have to do what he said. She would have to kiss him if he wanted and learn to love him. That was the most important. Love him like Donna loved Steve. Love him for ever and ever.
Marjorie Dooling's shoulders shook convulsively each time she sobbed into her boyfriend's shoulder. Tommy Berger held Marjorie and tried to comfort her. Dennis Downes waited patiently. He understood the shock ariorie experienced -when she saw Sandra Whiley's face, because he had experienced the same feeling that morning in the park.
"I'm sorry," Marjorie apologized, trying hard to stop her tears.
"You take your time," Downes answered compassionately. "Do you want some water?"
Marjorie nodded and Downes poured some from a pitcher he made certain was on his desk before he brought her back from viewing the body.
Marjorie sat down. "I'll be okay," she managed after taking a few sips. "It's just ..
She shook her head, at a loss for words.
"What made you call the police?" Downes asked, giving the girl an easy question to distract her from her grief.
"I saw the sketch on the front page of the afternoon Clarion. It looked so much like
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