Executioner's Song, The - Norman Mailer [130]
Then he asked, "Did Nicole tell you about her gun?" "No," Nielsen said, "I asked her." Gary said, "I don't want her to get in any trouble about those guns." Nielsen assured him.
Nielsen tried to get a few more facts about the homicides themselves. Gilmore would give details up to the point where he entered the service station and then he would talk of everything after he left. But he did not wish to describe the crime itself.
Nielsen was trying to determine what went on during the act.
Gilmore had asked Jensen to lie on the floor. He must then have told him to put his arms beneath his body. No one would ever be found lying face down in such an uncomfortable position of their choice. Next Gilmore had fired the shots right into Jensen's head. First with the pistol two inches away, then with the pistol touching. It was the surest way to kill a man and cause him no suffering. On the other hand, ordering those arms to stay under the body was the surest way to be certain the victim didn't grab your leg as you were putting the muzzle to his head. He could not, however, get Gilmore to talk about this.
"Why'd you do it, Gary?" Nielsen asked again quietly.
"I don't know," Gary said.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm not going to talk about that," Gilmore said. He shook his head delicately, and looked at Nielsen, and said, "I can't keep up with life."
Then he asked, "What do you think they'll do to me?"
Nielsen said, "I don't know. It is very serious."
"I'd like to be able to talk to Nicole," Gilmore said. "I've been looking for her and I'd really like to talk to her."
"Hey," Nielsen said, "I'll do anything I can to get her here." They shook hands.
10
About five o'clock that afternoon, while Nielsen was talking to Gary, April came home. She had heard about the murders on the radio and said it wasn't true. Gary hadn't done it. She also said she wasn't going to no police station.
Charley Baker had come in from Toelle when Kathryne phoned to say April was missing. Now, so soon as April saw them together, she got hostile and began shouting that if they tried to take her to the police station by force she would call on her protection to stop them.
Then, all of a sudden, she seemed to give in. Said she would go.
Now, Kathryne did not want to bring April over on her own. Didn't know if the child would open the door of the car and jump out.
So she begged Charley to come along, but he was hesitant. Said, "If she changes her mind even halfway over, then to hell with them. Turn around and bring her back." No way did he want to go.
July 21, 1976
NIELSEN What time did he get gas?
APRIL When we were at the service station in Pleasant Grove.
NIELSEN Was it after dark?
APRIL It was dark, it was past sundown.
NIELSEN After that did you drive around for a while?
APRIL He said he was taking me home and he wasn't going to put up with any of my smart-ass crap telling him where to go and he said he wanted a classy place like the Holiday Inn, so we went there and I was going to go to sleep because I was really tired. I didn't really know why, I felt like I was running from somebody-ever since somebody broke the windows in our bathroom at home, and I can't really sleep well since then.
NIELSEN And then you stayed there for that night until what time the next morning?
APRIL About 8:30 or 9:00.
NIELSEN I don't mean to imply anything or to pry into your personal life, but did you sleep with him that night?
APRIL I almost did, but I changed my mind.
NIELSEN Did he get mad at you then?
APRIL He was mad at me for acting like a kid half the time, but I just lost my love for him, only I never did sleep with him or anything.