Rebecca Schwartz 05 - Other People's Skeletons

herself another bourbon, but I was quite sure more details were coming. This was clearly a story she loved to tell.
    “I really didn’t think we were going to sell that many of the books. But he was just so cute, I couldn’t resist. I acted like we’d really love it if we did that and made this great big show of putting the books up by the register with little stickers that said, ‘Autographed Copy.’”
    “Anyway, we got to talking and kidding around, and he was so funny— I mean, he had me completely in stitches. I’d just never met anybody like that. You know, he was a lot older than me and all— I guess it never occurred to me that he’d ask me out. But two weeks later he called. Would you believe he said, ‘You probably won’t remember me?’ Like you’d forget if Mel Gibson walked into your life one day. I mean, it was like that.”
    “So you started dating.”
    “Can you believe it? We did. Me, Sarah Byers, and Jason McKendrick.”
    “And where did you go on your dates?”
    “Oh, Jason absolutely hated to go out. He just couldn’t stand it. You know, that was his whole job— going out. He said it was the last thing he wanted to do on a date, so we’d always just stay in. It was wonderful; really cozy, like we’d known each other forever— and of course that way we did get to know each other a lot faster. Something about the setting, I guess. We were like… I don’t know, sister and brother, we were so close. Only I don’t really mean that like it sounds— the sex was just incredible. I’ve never in my life felt so close to another human being. And he was sooo sweet, always bringing Chinese food or pizza so I wouldn’t have to cook.”
    Rob said, “You could be the person we’ve been looking for. We haven’t really talked to anyone else he confided in.”
    “Confided?”
    “He seems to have been rather distant with most people.”
    “Well, I wouldn’t say he exactly confided in me. It wasn’t like that. We were just … soul mates is the only way I can describe it. We knew everything we needed to know about each other without words. Does that make any sense?”
    “Of course.”
    Rob looked at me like I’d betrayed him, but I wasn’t lying— I had once been fourteen.
    “What finally happened?” I said. “Why did you stop seeing him?”
    Again, tears welled. This time they spilled. “Because I blew it, that’s why. Everything was going along great, but I was stupid enough to tell him I loved him. I mean, isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be? If you love somebody, don’t you say so? Isn’t it nicer that way? But he said he wasn’t ready for that. Well, naturally, I said that was fine, he could just go at whatever pace he needed to— I wouldn’t say it again until he was ready to hear it. Because I knew he loved me. Nobody could treat me the way he did and not love me— he was the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my life. I mean, by far. They just don’t make them like that anymore.
    “But anyway, he just wasn’t ready to make a commitment. So when I called him to find out why he hadn’t called, he said he thought it was just best that we stop seeing each other for a while.” She shrugged. “And that was fine with me. I knew he’d come back.”
    “And did he?”
    I could have killed Rob— it opened the floodgates. She managed to stammer something that sounded like, “He never had a chance!” and then it was nonstop bawling for twenty minutes, with me trying to decide whether to pat her or not pat her, Rob trying to find tissues somewhere in her tiny studio, and Sarah coming thoroughly unglued.
    Finally, when the attack began to subside, Rob cleared his throat. “I’m sorry this is so hard for you, Ms. Byers. But I know that you of all people want to make sure Jason’s…” Rob couldn’t bring himself to say “murderer,” and I didn’t blame him. Talking to Sarah Byers was really no different from talking to a child. He finally said, “I mean, I know you want to help us. What we were wondering is whether Jason ever talked to you about any enemies he might have had— anybody who had it in for him, wanted to do him harm.”
    “No way! Didn’t you see the crowd at his wake? That man was universally loved. There wasn’t a person in the whole city who didn’t absolutely worship him.”
    “Somebody killed him.”
    “A crazy person, probably. I’m sure it’ll turn out to be someone who never knew Jason at all.”
    I don’t think I ever in