The Craigslist Murders - Brenda Cullerton [68]
“Well, like the fact I agreed to have a baby, but only if he promised me a boob job after! He wasn’t happy, believe me. Steve’s old, you know. He wanted more kids. But my breasts are one of my most valuable assets.” she added, giving both of them a friendly pat.
“That’s why I didn’t nurse, either. The stretch marks on my stomach were bad enough.”
I could strangle her right here and now, Charlotte thought. Instead she gave her the woman a hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Could we talk a little about price?” Charlotte asked, taking a seat on a nearby sofa.
“I suppose so,” Gina replied sullenly. “But don’t expect a big discount, Kate. It’s never been used.”
“I understand. And listen, I hate to put you out, but my yoga class was a two hour session today and I am parched.”
“Oh, sorry! I’ve got some vitamin water right over here,” Gina said, starting to cross the room. “I keep bottles everywhere around the house,” she added, turning her back on Charlotte and walking towards the Regency sideboard.
Charlotte untied her mat.
“You really should try iyengar, Kate. I could give you the name of my coach,” Gina chattered on. “It’s helping me so much, handling all the preschool apps and stuff …”
“I’d love that,” Charlotte replied, rising from her seat on the sofa. “Why don’t I just take one more look at the silver? I’m not sure I like the idea of living with someone else’s monograms.”
“Fine!” Gina replied, holding the bottle and glass in one hand while squatting down to pick up a serving spoon.
The timing wasn’t perfect but it would have to do. As Gina looked down, Charlotte walked slowly towards her, the poker hidden behind her back.
“What the ffff?” Gina yelped. Dropping the bottle, glass, and the spoon, she held her hands, palms out, to protect her face. Charlotte swooped down with the poker as the woman twisted her body away from the blow.
The poker sideswiped her head. Gina’s knees buckled as she fell face first onto the carpet. The spoon lay in a small pool of blood next to her face.
“Ppllllease,” Gina pleaded, one eye fixed on Charlotte’s indifferent gaze. As Charlotte raised the poker, once more, a voice ripped through the room.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
Whipping around, Charlotte saw a small child standing near the doorway. He was looking right at her.
“What happened, Mommy? What happened?”
Charlotte froze. The echo of her own words on that long-ago morning paralyzed her. Gina was crawling forward on her elbows. Charlotte hesitated. Kill her! Kill her now! A voice inside shrieked. But she couldn’t move. The child had started to howl. Putting her hands over her ears to block the sound, she shoved the monogrammed spoon into her pocket and dropped the poker. The howling was even louder. She could see tears streaming down the child’s face.
Go! Charlotte, go! As the child began to walk towards his mother, Charlotte picked up the poker and staggered out into the vestibule. Her legs felt so heavy, as if they were running through deep water. Grabbing her coat, she pulled open the elevator door, ran inside, and punched “L” for lobby.
Fuck! she thought when it started its descent. What if someone’s waiting in the lobby? What if somebody gets in on another floor? Sweat prickled at her neck as she desperately punched at the buttons.
41
Charlotte had no idea how long she’d been in the darkened bedroom or even how she’d gotten out of that elevator and into the house. She was just numb, so incredibly numb. This is why girls cut themselves, she thought, gnawing on her knuckles. So they can feel something. All Charlotte ever felt was tired. So goddamn tired. She wondered if the pain of cutting made girls weep. Did they cry until they were weak and utterly spent? Of course, they didn’t. Weeping was old-fashioned. It was all about control now, wasn’t it? Control, control, control.
Hugging her knees, she felt the anger building again. It was almost a relief; as familiar as a loyal friend. Her mouth was dry and her eyes stung. Nothing seemed to erase the image of the child. She’d tried talking to her aunt, but Dottie