Cereal Killer

call. Oh, joy.
    She turned to Tammy, who had suddenly become less occupied. “Heard anything from Dirk this afternoon?”
    “Nope,” Tammy replied. “But Leah Freed’s called three times in the last hour, wanting to know if you’ve found out anything. How was the shoot?”
    “Well, I’m shot, if that’s what you mean. Dead tired. Who would have thought that getting your picture taken was such hard work? I have to tell you, I have a whole new respect for those Victoria’s Secret models. Those girls work their fannies off.”
    As she walked past them toward the kitchen, she said, “I’m gonna have some ice tea, strong and sweet. You girls want anything?”
    “I’m fine, thanks,” Tammy responded.
    Marietta glanced toward the kitchen, then back at the telephone in front of her. “No, I guess not.”
    Savannah sighed. “I’ll bring it to you,” she said. “Or you can bring the phone into the kitchen. It’s cordless, you know.”
    Marietta looked down at her watch and frowned. “Yeah, okay. Bring it to me. Lots of ice and a lemon slice, too.”
    A few moments later, Savannah returned with the two drinks. She gave one to her sister, then sat down in her easy chair and put her feet up.
    Life was good for three seconds. Then Marietta said, “Why doesn’t he call? He said he’d call me so that we could make plans for this evening, and the afternoon’s near gone. Why hasn’t he called?”
    Savannah had heard Marietta sing this tune far too many times to be even mildly surprised. Every note was far too predictable and inevitably off-key.
    “So, I guess it went okay last night?” Savannah ventured, knowing she’d be sorry she asked.
    “Okay?” For a few seconds, Marietta’s eyes glazed over and a sappy smile curved her lips. “It was heaven. Plain ol’ heaven here on earth. That was, without a doubt, the most totally fulfilling night of lovemaking I’ve ever experienced. And the way we bonded... oh...”
    Savannah stifled a groan and silently sent Dirk a mental message: Call me, you nincompoop! Call me and rescue me from —
    “And oh, that guy may not look exactly like the picture he sent me, but I mean to tell you, girl, he knows how to please a woman. That there guy satisfied me in ways that I never even knowed I could be...”
    Now, Dirk! Now! Call me and I’ll owe you the biggest favor. I might even have sex with you after all these years if you ’Il just call me....
    “I gotta tell you,” Marietta rolled on, “that by the time he was done with my body, I was as limp as a rag doll. But no, no, no, he wasn’t! No siree, Bob! T’weren’t nothin’ limp about that boy! Why he could go all night long and still...”
    Buzz.
    The phone on the coffee table was ringing, and to Savannah’s ears it sounded like an angel choir.
    She jumped to get it, but Marietta beat her to it. “Hello?” Marietta breathed, in the same tone that Savannah had heard obscene callers use.
    Just as quickly, Marietta’s demeanor changed to that of a disgusted, pouting teenager. “It’s for you,” she said, thrusting the phone into Savannah’s hand. “It’s that Dirk guy.”
    “Dirk!” Savannah said, trying to conceal her glee and failing miserably. “I was hoping you’d call.” She glanced at her sister, whose pout was deepening by the moment “I mean... I have something to ask you.”
    “Ooo-kay. Shoot.” Dirk sounded confused by the unexpected enthusiasm, but intrigued.
    “Did you talk to a model named Tesla Montoya yet?”
    “No. I got the message that she’d called. But you’d left two messages and you sounded hot and bothered so I thought I’d better return yours first.”
    “Call her,” she said. “Call her right away. I was with her at the shoot today, and I don’t know what she’s got for you, but I’ll bet it’s good.”
    “Okay. I’ll call her now.”
    Savannah glanced over at Marietta, who was obviously dying by the moment because the phone was being tied up.
    “Yeah, all right,” Savannah continued. “I can come over and help you out with that... if you really need me to, that is.”
    Dirk was silent for a moment. Then he said, “What?”
    “My sister, Marietta, is visiting, you know, but if you really need me...”
    Dirk chuckled. “Oh, I gotcha. I just got done talking to Kevin Connor. I’m outside his house now. But if you want to escape, I’ll meet you at the park in half an hour.”
    “Ten minutes, you say?” She nodded vigorously. “Yes,
    I can be