the gun sounded like it exploded, i lost my hearing. then i saw leroy,
holding his head, or what was left of it. my god in heaven! i hit him,
and the bullet took half his head off. sweet jesus. leroy staggered,
then fell backwards, i couldn't believe it.
"oh carlee, you did it, you saved my life," lissell said.
there were bloody slash marks all over her body. i was in shock, i
couldn't even talk. "honey, are you alright?" she asked.
"i killed him lissell, i killed him!" i shouted.
"no, baby, you did what you had to do, if you hadn't have
shot, he would have killed me."
"oh god, i did kill him," i cried. lissell hugged me.
"it's ok baby, it's ok." sirens down the road, not too
far, loud, penetrating, stopping outside the house, two or three of
them.
"carlee, lissell?" harry called.
"over here captain," lissell responded. harry ran to us.
"lissell, you're bleeding!"
"i'm ok though, thanks to carlee. he had his knife over my
body when she fired captain, another second or two, and i would have
been dead meat."
harry shouted to the uniform: "get an ambulance out here."
"on it's way, captain zimmerman," he said. harry held me.
"i'm so proud of you baby."
"for killing leroy?" i sniffed.
"no, for saving officer stacy," he said. "i really
thank you lissell, for getting here so soon, you're barely out of the
hospital. i know this wasn't easy."
"it was worth it sir," lissell stated. the paramedics
arrived, and while two helped lissell outside to an ambulance, the
other three put leroy in a black plastic body bag.
"the coroner hasn't seen him yet, boys," harry said. they
took leroy's body out and placed him back on the floor, near where
they found him. i didn't know what to say, or what to do. leroy made
me more uncomfortable in death than in life. i felt like crying, but
couldn't. all i could do was stare at him. i wondered if he had
parents, or brothers or sisters, people who would care if i blew his
head off or not. i cared, although i knew that he wouldn't have had a
qualm about killing either me or lissell tonight. i was thinking about
leaving louisville when all this was over, thinking about taking my
dad and mikey up on their generous offer of the house on green river.
the floor was white from leroy's powder; i wasn't going to let this
make me crazy, i just wasn't, lissell was right, i did what was
necessary, what i had to do at he moment.
"damn, what kind of cannon was he shot with?" coroner
jefferson swain asked.
"it was a 38, dr. swain, but the bullet was hollow point,"
harry answered.
"your pistol, captain?"
"yeah, it was mine."
"did the trick," the coroner said. "you pulled the
trigger young lady?" he directed to me.
"yes sir, i did, i had to," i answered.
"what in the hell is all that white shit on him?" swain
asked.
"powder, i believe," i answered.
"it's a weird world," he said. and he motioned for the
paramedics to take him away. harry signed a mess of papers, then drove
me home.
"what a damn nightmare," i said. harry put his arm around
me.
"you gonna be ok baby?"
i smiled. "sure harry, i'm just tired, a drink and a bath and
i'll be as good as new," i lied. he opened the door for me.
"just remember angel, if you hadn't of shot him, officer stacy
and probably you, would both be history."
"i have to remember that harry, believe me." i grabbed my
bag and headed up the stairs, it was after two in the morning. i heard
a door open.
"carlee!" carie shouted. i dropped my bag on the steps
and ran to her.
"i've never been as glad to see anyone in my life," i
said as i hugged her.
"what happened baby, you look awful?" she said.
"i killed him carie, i shot leroy." she hugged me
tighter. "come on up for a minute, i'll tell you all about it,
i've simply got to get out of these shoes." i got barefoot and
made a big drink in the kitchen area. sitting in the mayflower chair,
i took a huge drink. sighing, i said to carie. "ah, the elixer of
life." i then proceeded to tell carie everything that i
remembered. i put my feet up under me and massaged my aching toes.
"god, carlee, it must have been terrible," she scowled.
"an absolute nightmare carie, most terrible night of my life."
"what happens now carlee?"
"gosh, i have no idea, if lissell had shot him, she'd be
investigated by internal affairs, i don't know about an unemployed
private citizen."
"is there anything i can do babe?"
"nothing that i know of at the moment love, maybe you could be
a character witness if they arrest me." she smiled.
"i doubt that happening carlee." talking with carie made
me feel a little better. i took a hot bath and thought about leroy a
lot. sleep came easy, i was worn out. the phone woke me the next
morning, it was after nine.
"hello?"
"hey, are you just getting up?" it was andy.
"no, in fact i'm still asleep."
"you haven't seen the papers?"
"i haven't seen daylight, andy."
"go out and get a copy baby, you're front page."
"god, am i under arrest andy?"
"no, practically famous, you shot a mass murderer and saved
the life of a police officer. it's beautiful carlee, go get a copy."
i thanked him and put on a pot of coffee. it was strong, but
refreshing. the next phone call was from my father.
"carlee, what in the hell's going on in louisville, are you
alright?"
"i'm fine dad, just trying to wake up."
"you shot a man last night, you're unemployed?"
"i can explain all that, dad."
"you need to come home carlee, today," he said. mikey
picked up, or chimed in.
"i'm proud of you baby, even if he's not." that made me
smile.
"i didn't say i wasn't proud of her, mikey, i just said that
we needed to talk about this."
"look guys," i said, "i haven't even seen the
papers, but a friend of mine told me i should, last night was awful, i
feel like i'm coming down from a dream. i'll come if i can, alright?"
i dressed in jeans and a middriff friendly tee shirt with "earth
is flat, pigs can fly and nuclear power is safe" on it, above the
caption was a flying pig. hair in a tight pony tail, i was ready for
freddy. a knock at the door.
"carlee, are you decent?" it was harry.
"just a minute harry. i might be." i pulled on my pony
tail and opened the door. he looked at me, from top to bottom.
"you're perfect," he smiled and said. "come on,
we're going to be on television." harry drove us to the wave
studios.
"i don't think i can do this, harry," i said.
"sure you can angel, piece of cake."
"can i call my dad, is this live?"
"no, it's taped." a manager of some kind motioned us
toward him. lissell was talking with a guy i had seen on the six
o'clock news.
"yes, he was a prime suspect in at least five other murders,"
i heard her say. lissell's new short hair cut looked dazzling, as did
she.
"and were you afraid?" he asked.
"my life passed right before my eyes, mr. newman," she
answered.
"you are zimmerman and mccord?" the manager asked."
"right," harry said. the manager motioned for someone
else and had us sit down in make-up chairs. "you two are on in
ten minutes. remember mavis, she has brown eyes, she's pretty, do her
camera justice." we were commodities to him.
"that's commissioner jorden, carlee, my boss, everyone's boss."
i could barely see him. mavis set to work on us and fixed up pretty
good. "ok guys, you're ready," she stated, as she sprayed
something on my hair and brushed it lightly. and the manager came and
got us.
"i don't think i can....." i stuttered.
"and this next young lady, miss carlee, i know you'll be glad
to see officer stacy," mr. newman held out his hand for me. "welcome
miss mccord," he said. lissell came over and gave me a big hug
and a kiss on the cheek. i looked at her and smiled.
"oh carlee, i am glad to see you." we sat down.
"ladies and gentlemen this is captain harry zimmerman lpd and
the young lady we've been talking so about for the past hour. scary
night miss mccord?"
"yes sir, very."
"we're very proud of you miss mccord," commissioner
jorden said. i blushed slightly. this went on for a half an hour. the
stage lights were horrendous, i was sweaty and still very
uncomfortable. i was presented an honorable medal from commissioner
james jorden, and harry raved over me. the stories of leroy's probable
murders of hazel, mr. gray, the youngsters and star lynn were told, as
well as the occurences of last night at colonel sander's house.
lissell thanked me for saving her life. i was glad when it was over.
"kill the lights carman!" the manager said.
"whew, it must be a hundred fuckin' degrees in here."
"listen, you all did well, after a little editing i think it
will be perfect. it will run at six tonight, five tomorrow morning and
at noon i believe. i thank you all, good show, you looked especially
fine, commissioner," he added. harry drove me home. i really
needed to get out of town.
"honey, you were great, i mean that."
"i was scared out of my gourd," i replied.
"it didn't show carlee, you were very professional."
"stop and get a paper, harry." i mulled over the paper in
the mayflower chair. quite impressive, i thought. what would happen
now? would they tack the murders on poor leroy and close the books? i
imagined so. dad wouldn't like the newspaper article, nor would he
like the television segment. i just knew it.
my mind was spinning in a thousand directions as i approached dad's
later that day. i got out of the car and dad and mikey came to greet
me. both hugged me and said they were glad i was home. "come on
in darling," dad said. "i know that yesterday was a bad day."
dad had helped me with bad yesterdays for many years, and there had
been quite a few.
"i'm so sorry guys," i said as we sat down in the living
room.
"according to the papers, carlee, you did what you had to do,"
dad said. i was at a loss for words.
"let's have a beer folks, your wave thing will be on in a half
an hour, carlee." i was embarrassed, i didn't want to watch it.
"good thought mikey", dad said and went to get us a beer.
we drank, engaged in small talk, and i looked at the pictures on the
mantle. mama. she was so beautiful, god, could i ever use you now.
"carlee, mikey made an astute observation-----" i started
to cry, bawl, actually, i wasn't interested in mikey's observations, i
was ashamed, and i wanted to die. i ran to my bedroom and threw myself
on the bed.
"hey, is it all right if your old man hugs you, baby?"
"sure," i sniffed.
"carlee, i know you're upset, and you have a right to be, i
just wanted to feel you and tell you it's alright. mikey and i are
here for you, you know that don't you?"
"oh daddy, how soon can you get the house by the river ready?"
"are you serious baby?"
" yes, i am, i've got to get some order back in my life."
"will the weekend be soon enough?" he asked.
"hey in there, the show's on!" mikey shouted. "and
you've gotta see this chick, bill."
"come on now, you come tell us who everyone is carlee."
"man, she's a knockout," mikey observed.
"that's lissell," i said.
"she is a beauty carlee," dad said. i appeared, and
lissell hugged me. the interview began. the guys were enraptured. when
it was over, dad hugged me. "i'm very proud baby, very proud."
"i coundn't hardly take my eyes off your belly button, carlee.
what is that?" mikey asked. i pulled my top up a little.
"butterfly mikey, i thought you'd like it."
"yeah," he said. "well, i just have to videotape
that interview, what time is it on again?"
"ten o'clock i believe," i answered. mikey was all
smiles.
"got to go then, and get my recorder ready." he hugged me
tightly. "love you carlee."
"love you too mikey."
"i'll call mr. likens and have him start on the house
tomorrow, carlee, if that's alright."
"sure dad, that's fine."
"after your adventures in louisville dear, you need a little
vacation." i smiled........
|