Gerry: Four

            Janis and Nancy rode in silence while they drove to the city park. They were meeting Linda because the three of them agreed this would be a safe place to talk. The sun had started to find its path down in the horizon; a long Sunday had ended. Kids were collecting abandon bikes, sports equipment, and heading home for supper and evening activities. Linda arrived with a picnic basket full of leftovers from the wedding. They started with the casual talk of the newlyweds catching their plane earlier in the day as they headed to the tropics for a two-week honeymoon. Linda said the clean up at the reception hall went well with her extended family helping out. Janis offered her apologies for not being more helpful but everyone agreed, with her bruises, she should keep a low profile. Nancy apologized for not helping but offered no excuse for her absence earlier in the morning. Janis and Linda chalked it up to her still being upset about not being in the initial loop about Gerry and his untimely and tragic death. Linda uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured three healthy glasses.

“We need to talk about The Man.” Linda said. “And the first thing I want to discuss is the fact that you were dancing with him last night at the reception.” She handed Janis a glass of wine.

“He told me he was a friend of yours. What was I supposed to do, Linda?”

“We agreed that you would keep a low profile because of you injuries.”

“First of all, I am keeping a low profile and told people I fell off my bike when asked yesterday. And, old Lady Reddon is telling everyone on Facebook she saw it happened with her own two eyes.” Janis didn’t correct her when she saw the post. “Second, he really didn’t give me much choice. I should also mention he was at my house this morning.” Janis replied passing the wine back to Linda. She was still tipsy from the bourbon earlier in the day.
            “You went back to the house?” Linda hissed.

“Yesterday, doing our hair and make-up, you told us he would be taking care of everything. I wanted to know what everything meant.” Janis said. “I needed to see for myself.”

“A closure.” Nancy piped in.

“Yeah, sort of. Besides, it is my house. He told me it would make sense for me to move back in. To keep things normal.”

“What did you find at the house?” Nancy asked.

“It was spotless. Cleaner than what I ever do. Not one sign of carnage or Gerry.”

“Did he say what he did with the body?” Nancy asked.

“Nope. He basically said he had people who took care of everything.”

“People who take care of dead bodies, who has friends like that?” Linda asked.

“According to him, they’re not his friends, just people who owe him favors.”

Linda passed a glass of wine to Nancy, “You okay there Nancy? You look a bit pale.”

Nancy felt pale. When she met The Man all those years ago, she thought his prank was funny, albeit over the top because her team leader lost his job, but this was different. Now there was a dead body, and The Man wanted a favor from her. Not just any favor either.

“Who can be fine at a time like this? Holy shit, Linda. We are not talking about what Kelly Miller wore to the PTA meeting or how Bob McMillan is fucking his secretary while his wife is out of town. Janis killed Gerry.” Nancy shrieked.

“Hold on now, Janis did not kill Gerry. He fell down the stairs. It was an accident.”

“Yeah, well if it was just an accident why not call the police?”

Linda had thought the same thing on the night she went back to the house. Why didn’t Janis call the police?

Nancy’s guilty thoughts revolved around her dealings with The Man. She lied to her best friends about her relationship with him, and now she owed him a favor.

Janis took back the glass of wine and chugged it. Tipped it back toward Linda, requested a refill and knew she had to come clean.

“Gerry’s dad put a hit on me. The Man was hired to kill me, instead, Gerry ended up dying.”

“What did you just say?” Linda asked. “The Judge put a hit out on you?”

“Your father-in-law put a hit on you, like to kill you? This isn’t making any sense.” Nancy added.

Janis told them she was scared to call the police because she was certain her father-in-law would make it her fault and not Gerry’s. She still had vivid memories of The Judge and his divorce with his second wife. He did everything in his power to destroy the poor woman. He even went so far as hire a thug out on parole to say he had slept with his wife after a drug fueled night of partying. No, Janis did not call the police because she didn’t trust she would get a fair outcome.

She went on to explain how her husband and father-in-law had somehow found out about an expected inheritance from her Aunt Gilda and The Man was hired by Gerry’s dad a few months back to kill her. Janis’s Aunt Gilda never had children of her own after she had married into old east coast money. When her husband died two years after they were married, she took over his business affairs and never remarried. Janis was like the daughter she never had. Aunt Gilda was in her nineties and even though she still had her wits and gumption, she knew her days were limited. She knew to get her final affairs in order and one afternoon hired a driver to take her and Janis to lunch in the city. It was during dessert, a lovely crème brûlée, Aunt Gilda informed Janis of her wish to leave the bulk of her estate to her. Of course there was a caveat, I only ask that with this inheritance you consider you marriage. Money like this can help you get out of any situation. I checked with my legal team and Gerry can not touch the money unless you let him. The news was heavier than the dessert.

            “It gets worse.” Janis said. “Gerry and I just took out hefty life insurance policies a few months back.”

            “Oh, this is like one of those true crime podcasts.” Linda said. “Only worse, I know the people in the story.”

            “What else did The Man say?” Nancy asked.

 “He told me to stick with the story that Gerry is on a fishing trip up north. He asked for any camping gear we might have and I gave him our tent, Gerry’s sleeping bag and the camp stove. He told me he would take care of the rest. He also told me if I stayed at the house, I would be keeping the appearance of normal, but I just don’t know how I feel about staying there.”

Nancy quickly replied, “No, I think you need to go back to your house. This guy must know what he is doing.”

“How would you know?” Linda asked. “How is it we have met him and yet you haven’t? Or are you holding out on us, Nancy?”

“I haven’t met the guy so don’t look at me like that, Linda.” Nancy hated to lie. It always made her stomach queasy and the feeling of a nervous bowl movement accompanied it soon after. She had already spent the better part of the day on the toilet after seeing him.

Linda scrutinized Nancy with the look of a doubtful mother. Janis swashed back her wine. The three of them sat in silence long enough for the sun to vanish behind the row of houses on the west side of the park. They discussed what next should be done and all agreed to wait and see what happened. Janis assured them The Man said he would be in touch. All three went back to their respective homes. Only one had a late-night visitor.

The knocking was certain and solid on the front door. Janis had just moved some of her bedding and belongings into the guest bedroom. She felt anxious about sleeping in the bed she had shared with Gerry over the last few years. Besides, she had slept in there in the past when Gerry’s snoring became unbearable. She decided in the morning she would make it more permanent.

“Sorry to disturb you. My name is Officer Grant from Rusk County Police Department. Are you any relation to Gerry Keller?”