Liar, Liar #2
My eyes scanned the large ‘HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WOMAN?’ title and the minor details, stating she’d been missing since Tuesday morning and had been last seen by her boyfriend and roommate.
As if I needed to stare at the picture to answer.
“No. I’ve never seen her.”
“I’ve never seen her, either.” Dennis was putting on a perfect facade.
The man frowned. “Makes sense. She’s new in town. She moved here with me.” He started to leave before hesitating. “I feel like I’ve seen you before.”
“Yeah?” I cocked my head.
“Yeah. Near my place. Our place. Going for a walk or something?” He was staring at me. His face was determined. “Or maybe it was another day. Have I seen you before?”
“I don’t think so? I doubt it was me that day. Tuesday, right?” I gestured to the date on the poster. “I was at a bar. The one across town for a job interview that night. And I spent most of the day at home.”
“Oh.” His face dropped. “Well thanks, anyway. Please keep an eye out.”
“Yeah, of course. I hope you find her.”
He nodded and trudged off, heading for the next block to continue tacking up posters.
Out of every lie I’d ever told, this was by far the worst. My heart nearly ached—it felt so wrong, but I had to do it.
Dennis took my hand and steered us away without a word.
My head and ears were both throbbing. We passed another poster.
And another. Half a block, and then another.
“Try not to worry so much,” Dennis said. “It’s not like anyone found the body. And if they ever do, she’ll be hard to identify.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I burned her prints, ground her teeth to powder and dumped it in the lake, and buried her head deep enough that her face will decay before it’s ever found. We’re good.”
My stomach churned at his words—he’d said it all so casually. “Do you hear that?” I stopped walking as faint police sirens were joined by more. They were getting closer. I glanced over when Dennis didn’t answer. He was looking elsewhere. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Let’s go this way.” He led me away before I could see what he’d been looking at.
“Why are we switching directions?” I tripped and almost fell off a curb, making him laugh abrasively. “You’re mean. I could’ve died, you know.” I staggered a bit but tried to play it off.
“You seem extra disoriented today,” Dennis said, eyeing my precarious stance. It felt like I was tipping over.
“It’s a side effect,” I said glumly. “This happens every time I change my meds. I get really dizzy and confused and it’s like my brain stops working for a while.
It goes all fuzzy and weird.” I trailed off at the way he was looking at me.
He usually understood my weird sentences, but this time he didn’t seem to get it.
“Can you hear my thoughts right now?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No wonder. You don’t know what I’m saying.
Basically, I get dizzy and confused when I change my meds, and feel sick if I take it too late in the day.
The useless brain also happens after bad episodes.
Especially mixed ones.” I paused before asking, “Do you know what those are?”
“Yeah.”
“Figures. You already know all this stuff.” I kicked a pebble along the road. “You do know these things, right?”
“In general, yeah. But I don’t know how they affect you personally. That’s what I’m trying to figure out. You.” He glanced at me and smiled.
“Oh. Kay.” My voice faltered because I didn’t know what to say. His background in abnormal psychology was convenient, but now that I knew about it, I felt even more self-conscious than before.
“Shit.”
“What?” I stopped walking when he did.
He was staring straight ahead. This was where all the sirens were headed. My brain had apparently tuned them out, but the noise was coming back. Sirens, police cars, news anchors, and a shit ton of caution tape around a nearby alley.
I knew this alley. And the dumpster inside it.
“Fuck.” I snatched a handful of hair but Dennis pulled my hand away. He almost looked shocked, but not upset. And then he smiled.
“They found him. It’s about time. I almost forgot about him.”
“Dennis!”
“Don’t worry, nothing’s gonna happen. I came back after you went to bed. Everything’s clean. You didn’t leave his gun, right?”
“No, I took it with us. I think it’s in my bag at your place.”
“Good. Never leave weapons behind. That’s for amateurs.”
“Then why the fuck did you leave a body?” I hissed.
“I wanted to leave them a treat, you know? Like a present. They seem excited to me.” He shrugged.
“This is creepy,” I muttered. All the missing person posters and now this massive crime scene. It was like we were in a horror movie, only we were the killers. “Can we go drink now?” I felt a little better once Dennis agreed and led us away. And then I noticed the way he was watching me. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, what?” I pressed. “I wanna know what you’re thinking. I’m an adult. I can take it.”
“Alright, if you say so. I was just thinking you’re different from what I expected.”
“What do you mean?” I put on my best pouty face when it seemed like he wouldn’t answer. “Ready? Go. One two three go! On your mark, get set, go—”
“Before I bound you,” he started, “I knew you were innocent in a way but could take care of yourself. But you’re not what I expected.” He paused, like he was choosing the next words wisely, but then stopped altogether.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Wait,” I furrowed my brows as his words sank in, “you already knew parts of my personality before you bound me? That’s why you always say you bound me for a reason. You’ve been watching me. You knew who I was before we met on Halloween.”
It was such an unsettling realization. He must’ve known I’d figure this out one day. He was watching me, cherishing my uneasiness. I didn’t dwell on it long, however, because I’d realized something else.
I started counting, one finger for each person he’d killed since we met: the guy in the dumpster, Kiro, and the guy who’d attacked me and Ari near the bar. Stephen, I think? Those were only the ones I knew about. It hadn’t even been three weeks.
Ari was right.
“Do you realize you’re kind of a serial killer?” I asked slowly, unsure of how he’d react.
“I do,” his voice was steady. “Does that bother you?”
“What if you’re a psychopath,” I was thinking out loud now, “like a legit one. Are you?”
“Secondary, no. Now primary psychopathy… that’s different. Technically, I might fit the criteria. But who’s to say? I’m not licensed to diagnose.” His trace of a smile was back.
“So you have no emotions?”
“Of course I do.”
“But no empathy,” I guessed. “No fear. No conscience?”
“Mm,” he cocked an eyebrow, “getting closer. But again, who’s to say? Like I said, I’m not qualified to diagnose.” His shrill laugh made me shudder.
“Where are we going?” I asked the first thing that came to mind, hoping to change the topic. He was creeping me out. But before he could answer, I spotted a familiar face. An adorable one. “Mikaila!” I shouted, throwing both arms up.
She looked around from a swing in the nearby park, then saw me and beamed. She waved as I ran—a human’s run, it was a slow jog for me—across the street to join her.
“Emy!” Her eyes lit up as I dove headfirst onto the vacant swing beside her. She giggled as I landed on my stomach and lifted both feet to let the momentum do its thing. Dizziness almost made me tip face-forward on the ground, but I grabbed the chains just in time. “What’re you doing here?”
“Swinging.” I twisted around to sit up, figuring I probably shouldn’t flash half the park in my short skirt. “What’re you doing?”
“Swinging.” She pushed off, timing her swing to go with mine. She leaned forward to wave at someone on my other side. I didn’t have to look to know who it was; I could hear the chains as he approached.
“Can you push me?” I asked Dennis, kicking my legs up so the momentum once again carried me.
“No.” He leaned against the adjacent pole and crossed his arms.
“Who’s that?” Mikaila asked quietly.
I shot him a warning look, silently telling him not to freak her out. He kept staring without a word. Like a challenge to threaten him and see what happens.
“My friend Dennis.” I hit him affectionately but really hard, trying to make him stop acting creepy.
“He looks like he’d go to school with my dolls too,” she said, examining him with a tilted head. “When I grow up, I wanna have a boyfriend like Dennis.”
“Hear that, Vixen?” He smirked as his eyes fell on me. “She wants a boyfriend like yours.”
“He’s not my boyfriend. He just follows me around.”
“You’re funny.” She laughed and started swinging again.
“Hah. Yeah, ‘cause that’s a joke.” I laughed along and kicked my legs out to swing since he wouldn’t help.
“Where’re you guys going?” Mikaila kicked her legs out, too, mimicking my every move.
“To get food,” I said.
“Can I come? I can tell my big sister I’ll be back.” She dragged her feet along the squishy floor until her swing came to a stop, already anticipating a yes.
“Nah, you shouldn’t,” Dennis spoke up from my other side. “Maybe next time.”
“Aw. Okay.”
“We’ll hang out soon, okay?” I held out a pinky.
“Okay!” She perked up, intertwining our pinkies to make a promise.
“And don’t forget, no more midnight walks.” I stood and brushed the seat of my skirt. “See you later?”
“Okay! Bye!” She waved as Dennis and I walked away.
“So are you turning into a kid person, or what?” he asked once we were out of earshot.
“Not at all. I just like that one.” I glanced over my shoulder to see her on the slide now, laughing and playing with other kids. “Are we doing the same as usual, then? A jogger or something in the park?”
“Same as usual.” He started toward the jogging trail, then backtracked when I didn’t follow. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m scared to drink again. What if I kill someone?” I was playing with my hands and staring at the ground, then at the air behind him, then at a leaf in the grass.
“You won’t. I won’t let anything happen this time. Even if someone deserves it.”
“Are you sure?” I finally looked into his nearly black eyes. I didn’t wanna do this anymore. My mind was racing with the thought that Tuesday night might happen all over again.
“Positive. I won’t let anything happen.”
“Promise?” I held out my pinky.
“Not doing that.” He waved a disgusted hand at my outstretched finger. And then his eyes averted, trailing someone far past normal human range.
My gaze followed and landed on the same target. It was amazing how much a vampire could see. “Should I go get that one?” I asked, watching the man walk with earphones in.
“Go ahead. I’ll stay close.”
I nodded and started walking. I would bump into the guy—maybe literally since I was so off balance today—and make an excuse to walk with him, then drink his blood before we got back to the lake. Dennis was already gone. Probably in the shadows nearby. For once, the thought was comforting.
I stumbled along, not bothering to stay quiet since I wasn’t planning to sneak up on the man. “I vant to suck your blood!” I hissed, mimicking monster claws.
“Hi.”
I glanced up at the new male voice. My brain hadn’t even registered he was already nearby. “Hi,” I said, smiling. What do you know, the guy found me first. No need to make excuses after all.
He removed an earphone to say something but before he could start small talk, I swept in and took his wrist. My fangs sank in as gently as possible. His eyes widened for the slightest moment before they began to close. I caught his weight and continued to drink.
“Nice.” Dennis appeared in front of us. He watched as I lowered the man to the ground, then took a seat beside him and continued to drink. “Don’t forget to stop if his heartbeat or temperature change.”
It was a needed reminder—the man’s blood was pumping in time with mine, which meant it was too slow. My snack was done. I withdrew my fangs and licked the excess blood from my lips.
“I didn’t notice his heart slowing down. I forgot to pay attention. Do you think he’s okay?”
“He’ll be fine.” Dennis’ tone was dismissive. “Are you done?”
“I’m done. Why? Are you gonna drink from him, too?” I nodded toward the unconscious guy propped against my side.
“Depends. Do you want another story on the news?”
“No.”
“Then no.”
I frowned at his short response. Once again, I hadn’t thought it through. I’d already drank more than intended. Any more blood loss and he would probably die.
I looked around, wondering what to do with the guy until he woke up.
There was a bench nearby. Maybe I could put him there to look like a nap and his memory would be fuzzy enough to think he’d just fallen asleep.
I decided to go with it and moved him to the bench, careful to make the position natural, before turning to Dennis.
“All done.” I presented my masterpiece, but he was busy texting.
“We have to go.” He finished and slipped the phone in his pocket. “Sean said your shift is starting.” He set off and I kept pace, trying not to be nervous.
“Don’t you need to drink?”
“I can wait. I wanna watch your first day.”
“Hopefully it goes okay. My head’s all fucked up from the new dosage. This might be a disaster.” I frowned. This was the worst timing ever.
“You’ll be fine. And if not, I’ll be right there to laugh at you.”
“Meanie.” I tried to smack Dennis’ arm, but he was already gone. I growled before running after him.