Private Scandals

head. He was sure you’d understand soon, and come home with me. And after I heard what that creep did to you in the parking lot, I knew it was nearly time.”
    “Marshall?”
    “He tried to hurt you. Joe told me how he’d acted, so I waited for him. I killed him the same way I’d killed the others. It was symbolic, Deanna. My vision destroyed their vision. It’s almost holy, don’t you think?”
    “It’s not holy to kill, Jeff.”
    “You’re too forgiving.” His eyes scanned her face, adoringly. “If you forgive people who’ve hurt you, they’ll only hurt you again. You have to protect what’s yours.”
    He remembered the dog that had come into their yard time after time, digging up Uncle Matthew’s flowers, spoiling the grass. He’d cried when his uncle had poisoned the dog. Cried until Uncle Matthew had explained to him why it was right and honorable to defend your own against any intruder. With that in mind, he got up and went to the bureau. He opened the top drawer and took out a list.
    “I’ve planned it,” he told her. “You and I always make lists and plan things out. We’re not the type who run offwithout thinking, are we?” Beaming again, he offered the list to her.
    LEW MCNEIL
ANGELA PERKINS
MARSHALL PIKE
DAN GARDNER
JAMIE THOMAS
FINN RILEY?
    “Finn,” was all she could say.
    “He’s not for sure. I put him down in case he hurt you. I nearly did it once before. Nearly. But at the last minute I realized I was only going to kill him because I was jealous. It was like Uncle Matthew was there, and he jerked the rifle at the last minute. I was really glad I didn’t kill him when I saw how upset you were that he’d been shot.”
    “In Greektown,” Deanna said through trembling lips. “That day in Greektown. You shot him?”
    “It was a mistake. I’m really sorry.”
    “Oh God.” Horrified, she cringed back. “Oh my God.”
    “It was a mistake.” His voice was sulky, dangerously so. Jeff looked away from her. “I said I was sorry. I won’t do anything to him unless he hurts you.”
    “He hasn’t. He won’t.”
    “Then I won’t have to do anything about him.”
    Her palm dampened against the paper, and her heart began to beat heavily in her throat. “Promise me you won’t, Jeff. It’s important to me that Finn’s safe. He’s been very good to me.”
    “I’m better for you.”
    There was a child’s petulance on his face now. Deanna exploited the moment. “Promise me, Jeff, or I’ll be very unhappy. You don’t want that, do you?”
    “No.” He struggled between her needs and his own. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. Not now that you’re here.”
    “You have to promise.” She clamped her teeth together to keep the desperation from her voice. Reason, she toldherself. Calm reason. “I know you wouldn’t break your word to me.”
    “All right. If it makes you happy.” To show his sincerity, he took out a pen and scratched Finn’s name off the list. “See?”
    “Thank you. And Dan Gardner—”
    “No.” His voice sharp, he folded the page. “He’s already hurt you, Dee. He’s said terrible things about you; he helped Angela try to ruin you. He has to be punished.”
    “But he doesn’t matter, Jeff. He’s nothing.” Calm, she reminded herself. Calm but firm. Adult to child. “And Jamie Thomas, that was years and years ago. I don’t care about them.”
    “I do. I care. I’d have killed him first, right away, but he was in Europe. Hiding out,” he said scornfully. “It’s not easy to get a weapon through customs, so I was patient.” Now he beamed. “He’s back now, you know. He’s in New Hampshire. I’ll be going there soon.”
    The drug was no longer making her ill, but the nausea rolled greasily in her stomach. “I don’t care about him. About any of them, Jeff. I don’t want you to hurt them for me.”
    He turned his face away, sulking. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
    “I want—”
    “You have to think about what I want, too.” He shoved the list back in the drawer, slammed it hard enough to rattle bottles. “I’m only thinking of you.”
    “Yes, I know. I know you are. But if you go to New York to kill Gardner, or New Hampshire for Jamie, I’ll be all alone here. I don’t want to be locked up alone, Jeff.”
    “Don’t worry.” His tone gentled. “I’ve got plenty of time, and I’ll be very careful. I’m so glad you’re here.”
    “Would you let me go outside please? I need some