The New Year's Party (14 page)

Reenie shivered. She hated the idea that people could vanish.
Poof!
As if they had been snatched away to another planet or something.

Reenie decided she didn't want to talk about that. “You know what you're getting for Christmas?” she asked, determined to change the subject.

Greta stood up and stretched. “Huh? Oh, Christmas. I haven't thought about it. I guess I'm not in a holiday mood.”

“Why not? Besides the obvious, I mean.”

“I've decided to break up with Artie.”

“No way!” Reenie gasped. “You've been a couple forever.”

“I'm fed up with him. He's spending all his time with Marc, and he's going to drop out of school.”

“I thought he had it with Marc,” Reenie protested. “I mean, after Marc ran off and left us at the party—when everybody thought P.J. was dead.”

“That lasted about two days.” Greta rolled her eyes. “It's as if he's addicted to Marc or something. He can't stay away from him.”

“Maybe Artie's going through a weird phase.” Reenie sat up and began French-braiding her hair. “Have you checked his horoscope?” she teased.

Greta didn't smile. “He wants to work at the auto plant with Marc. He wants a car like Marc's. He claims school is a waste of time and college is for spoiled rich kids,” Greta told Reenie. “Does that sound like
just
a weird phase?”

Reenie shook her head. “Sorry, Greta. When are you planning to tell Artie you're breaking up with him?”

“Every day I promise myself I'll do it. Then I wimp out.”

“What do you think he'll say?” Reenie asked.

“I don't know.” Greta lowered her eyes to the floor. “It's going to be so hard to tell him.”

She sat down on the bed next to Reenie. “I should do it now. I'll feel better once I get it over with. Come with me—please? We're not getting any work done, and I need moral support.”

“How can I help? I can't tell him for you,” Reenie said.

“I don't want you to tell him for me,” Greta insisted. “But if you're with me, I know I won't back out of it.”

“I don't know. Is it fair to Artie? How is he going to feel if you break up with him in front of me?”

“Please, Reenie. I need your help. It's driving me crazy pretending everything is great between us. I have to tell Artie the truth.”

“Okay,” Reenie agreed.

“Thank you.” Greta squeezed her hand. “I really appreciate it.”

They grabbed their coats. “Hurry,” Greta urged Reenie. “I don't want to chicken out again.”

They jumped into Greta's little Civic. Greta appeared more and more nervous the closer they got to Artie's house. She sped down Old Mill Road.

“Stop sign!” Reenie called. “Stop sign!” Greta screeched to a halt.

“Sorry. Didn't see it.”

Reenie felt relieved when they finally arrived. I think I'll volunteer to drive on the way back, she decided. She followed Greta to Artie's house, walking carefully on the icy walkway.

Greta hesitated outside Artie's door. Then she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

Artie opened the door almost immediately. Grease streaked one side of his face.

“Hi. Come on in. I saw you pull up. I was out in the garage with Marc. We're working on his car.”

Greta sucked in another deep breath. “I want to talk to you about something, Artie—but not in front of Marc, okay?”

He frowned. “Uh, sure. Let me tell him he's on his own for a while.”

Reenie heard the back door open and close as Artie went back into the garage.

“I hope I can do this, Reenie.”

“You can,” Reenie assured her.

I wish I knew what to say to her, Reenie thought. I know I'd be a mess if I had to break up with Sean.

Greta started to say something. But stopped as a scream erupted from the garage. A high, ragged scream of terror.

Reenie and Greta dashed through the kitchen and out the back door. The scream grew louder. The most horrifying sound Reenie had ever heard.

Greta flung open the garage door. “Noooo!” she wailed.

Reenie pushed her way into the garage. Greta and Artie stared at Marc's car.

Reenie felt an icy lump of fear slide down her spine.

A body lay sprawled over the shiny red hood.

Marc's body.

Blood dripped from his mouth and nose.

And his head … his head …

Oh, his head …

It was twisted around on his neck …

Completely backward.

R
eenie fell back against the garage wall. She didn't want to look. Didn't want to see the body sprawled over the hood. The blood. The twisted, backward head.

But she couldn't turn away.

And she couldn't stop herself from imagining what had happened. The muscle tearing. The neck bones cracking.

Did Marc die with the first snap of his neck? Reenie wondered.

Did he realize what was happening to him?

Reenie gazed at Marc's face. His mouth was still
twisted into a silent scream. His eyes were wide with fear.

He knew, she realized. He knew. Finally she turned away. She couldn't bear the horrifying sight any longer.

Artie slowly backed away from the car, shaking his head. “Marc—he was fine. Fine,” he insisted. “He was perfectly fine when I left him!”

Greta uttered a low moan, her eyes locked on Marc's mangled body.

Reenie felt light-headed. She swayed on her feet. She had to concentrate to keep upright.

Think, she ordered herself. Think. “We've got to get out of here,” Reenie blurted out. “Whoever did this to Marc could be watching us right now!”

“He was fine,” Artie repeated. “Putting in spark plug wires. He was fine. One minute ago.”

“We have to call the police. Let's go!” Reenie ordered. “Don't touch anything,” she said as she grabbed Greta by the arm and pulled her out of the garage, pushing Artie ahead of them.

Once inside the house, they checked the locks on all doors and windows. Reenie called 911. Then she sat down on the couch with Greta and Artie.

“It would take a lot of strength,” Artie said.

“Huh?” Reenie asked. She felt numb. Artie's voice seemed to be drifting to her from far away.

“To turn someone's head like that. Whoever did it was strong—
really
strong.”

“You're right,” Reenie agreed.

Greta didn't make a sound. She stared blankly at the carpet in front of her.

“They had to be fast, too,” Artie continued. “Marc was only alone for about a minute. We didn't even hear him scream.”

“Yeah,” Reenie agreed.

“It's like our game,” Greta muttered.

Reenie turned and stared at her. “What?”

Greta didn't answer. She rocked back and forth her arms wrapped around herself.

“What did you say, Greta?” Reenie demanded.

“Just like the tricks we play on each other,” Greta answered in a singsong voice. “Except now someone is playing for real.”

But who is it? Reenie wondered.

First P.J. Now Marc.

Who's doing it?

And then a frightening question pushed into her mind: Who is next?

R
eenie glanced in the rearview mirror. Nothing unusual. Good.

She gripped the steering wheel of her mom's minivan. Squeezing until her knuckles hurt.

I wonder if I'll ever feel safe going out alone?

It makes sense to be nervous, Reenie told herself. It's only been a week since Marc was murdered. Just concentrate on driving. In a few minutes you'll be at the Burger Basket with Sean and Ty.

Sean's car had broken down. Bad fuel pump, he informed her. So she had to give him a ride home from work. Ty, too.

Liz had promised to pick up Ty. But she backed out
at the last minute. She felt too afraid to go out at night.

No one had been arrested for Marc's murder. And the police had no new information on P.J.'s disappearance. So the killer could be anywhere.

Reenie pulled into the Burger Basket parking lot. She checked the area carefully—no one around. She climbed out of the van, locked the door, then hurried toward the entrance.

Something moved. To her left.

Reenie walked faster.

Footsteps.

Behind her.

Reenie broke into a run.

“Hey, wait up!”

Reenie spun around. Sandi trotted up to her. “What's your problem?” Sandi asked. “Didn't you see me waving to you?”

“Sorry. You scared me. What are you doing here? The place closes in about thirty seconds.”

Sandi had bundled up in a big fuzzy black coat that went all the way down to her toes. Her breath came out in white puffs when she answered. “I've come to give Ty a ride home.”

Huh? Reenie thought. Sandi and Ty? What's going on here? “I, uh, I thought he was going out with Liz.”

“That's why I'm here,” Sandi explained, smiling smugly. “I think Liz knows more than she's saying about what happened to her brother. And I think Ty probably knows what she knows.”

“Shouldn't you leave the investigating to the police?”

“I just want to talk to him. What's wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Reenie replied. “I guess.”

I don't get it, Reenie thought. Why is Sandi so pumped about this all of a sudden?

Reenie stared at Sandi, trying to figure out her new attitude, as they entered the Burger Basket.

“Watch out,” Sean cautioned. “The floor is slippery.” He swung a wet mop back and forth across the tiles.

“Is Ty here?” Sandi asked.

“In back, straightening out the storeroom. He'll be done in a second.”

“I'll wait,” she told him. She tossed her coat into one of the booths. She had on a long blue sweater pulled over black tights.

Sean mopped his way to the end of the counter and stopped. “Whew! Floor's done. We won't be much longer now. As soon as we finish up in back, we can get out of here.”

Sean locked the door. “We're officially closed,” he announced. He slipped behind the counter and then disappeared into the kitchen.

Sandi paced back and forth across the floor Sean had mopped, leaving little damp footprints. Reenie gave her a disapproving frown. Sandi didn't seem to notice.

“My hands feel all sticky,” Reenie told Sandi. “I'm going to wash them.”

Being careful not to mess up Scan's freshly mopped floor any more than necessary, Reenie made her way to the ladies' room.

Reenie studied her face in the mirror as she washed her hands. I wouldn't mind being as great-looking as Sandi, she thought. But Ty is a smart guy. Could Sandi really make him tell her things by flirting with him?

Reenie dried her hands with a paper towel. She pushed open the door—and hesitated. The restaurant felt deserted. Kind of eerie, even with all the grinning Santas decorating the walls.

Come on, Reenie scolded herself. Of course it feels deserted. There are only three other people in the whole place!

Reenie hurried to the front counter.

No Sandi.

“Hey!” she called. “Where is everybody?”

No reply.

Reenie listened hard. Somewhere a small motor hummed into life. Probably a refrigerator, she thought. The restaurant remained eerily silent.

“Hey, Sean!”

Reenie's voice echoed off the yellow tile walls. Her eyes darted around. Over the empty booths. The deserted kitchen area. Sandi's still-damp footprints on the floor. The lighted menu board above the counter—Big Cheeser, $2.89; medium drink, $1.75.

“Ty!” she called.

The hollow echo of her own voice replied, followed by silence.

A shiver slid through her body.

“Hey, Sandi!” Reenie cried. “Where are you?”

Come on, Reenie told herself, Sandi is in the back—with Ty and Sean. Where else would they be? They'll all laugh if they realize how scared I am.