Authors: Joe McKinney,Wayne Miller

Crooked House (22 page)

Robert suddenly remembered the Christmas party, how small, how hounded, how wounded she had looked with Thom standing over her, talking to her so quietly.

It chilled him to think he must have been asking her to do another movie.

And she never told him.

Neither of them ever said a word. They just kept that dirty little secret behind his back. Heat spread across his cheeks as he realized what they must have thought of him all that time, while they grew that monstrous thing between them.

He was rubbing Robert’s nose in it.

They both were.

Robert stood up then, his head swimming, and crossed the room to where the bat lay in the entranceway
. He could smell smoke, thick and acrid. He brought the bat back to the desk and watched Jay twisting and gagging at the end of the rope. Blood had started to weep from the corners of his eyes.

He put the end of the bat against Jay’s belly and pushed, setting him rocking back and forth like a pendulum.

Robert shoved books and papers off the desk until he located his cell phone.

He dialed Thom’s number.

Thom picked up on the fourth ring. “Robert? Is that you?”

“Hi Thom,” Robert said
. His voice was light, breezy.

“Jesus, Robert, I’ve been worried sick about you
. Where have you been? Why haven’t you called? Rachel Dodson said you’ve missed three appointments with her this week.”

“Yeah, I was really sick.
” He sniffled. “The fever broke though.”

“So, you’re okay?”

“Right as rain.”

“Okay
. Robert, are you sure you’re okay? You sound out of breath.”

“Really, I’m good.
” He pushed Jay again. He wasn’t struggling anymore. “Listen, can you come over?”

“Uh, right now
? It’s kind of late, Robert.”

“No, I have to talk to you tonight
. It’s really important, Thom. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t.”

“Well...a
ll right, I guess. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

Robert picked up the bat and gripped it hard
. “That’s great, Thom. I’ll be waiting.”

Then he hung up and took the bat downstairs to wait for his old friend, Thom the pornographer
. The two of them were going to have a little heart to heart, a little man to man. Clear the air, as it were.

And then, afterwards, maybe he’d call
Sarah. Ask her if she’d come home.