Part One

"Breathe, Nancy, just calm down. Let me think for a minute." Michelle ran her long thin fingers through her thick curly red hair. "OK, have a seat and tell me what happened."
Nancy sat down at the table. Michelle took a seat across from her.
ÒI was here in the kitchen making dinner when the doorbell rang. It was Dave. I wasnÕt supposed to see him. He said he was going out with the guys. But I was happy to see him and when I asked what he was doing here he just pushed his way in the door, all pissed off saying, ÔCanÕt I come see my girl?Õ He reeked of beer. ÔIf you donÕt want me here IÕll go and never come back!Õ he shouted at me.
ÒI tried to calm him down but nothing worked.Ó Nancy started to cry. She put her face in her hands.
Michelle moved to the chair closest to Nancy and rested a reassuring hand on her leg. ÒKeep going, IÕm here to help you, but I need to know what happened.Ó
Nancy sniffled slightly before she continued. ÒHe was so drunk and so mad. I think something happened earlier before he got here.
ÒHe stormed around the living room throwing things. Then when he saw me cowering in the corner he ran over to me, and grabbed me, and started shaking me.
ÒHe shouted, ÔYou are the reason IÕm this way! All of this is your fault!Õ ÒHe pinned me down on the floor and was on top of me. He said, ÔIÕll get what I want. You canÕt stop me!Õ I pleaded with him, ÔDave, what did I do? WhatÕs the matter? Please donÕt do this, youÕre hurting me.Õ
ÒHe wouldnÕt stop, he mumbled something about the guys laughing at him, telling him he was whipped. He said, ÔWeÕre going to do what I want and when I want it.Õ
ÒHe was so heavy on top of me. I couldnÕt breathe. I begged him to get off of me. He did stand up, but only to undo his pants. Then I really understood what he wanted. I would have gladly had sex with him, but not like that, not when he was acting all crazy. I begged him to come back later when he was sober. That just made him more angry. He pulled me up off the floor. He tried to kiss me but he stumbled over something and missed. That just got him pissed off. He shouted at me, ÔYou wont even kiss me?Õ Then he backhanded me across the face so hard I was knocked to the floor. He grabbed my arm and dragged me upstairs. I couldnÕt get my balance and I kept falling.
ÒOnce upstairs he threw me on the bed and started ripping at my clothes. I reached out for whatever I could find and grabbed the lamp. I hit him over the head with it. ItÕs solid marble at the base, I could hear the crack of his skull, it was unlike anything IÕve ever heard before. And the bloodÉ Michelle, what am I going to do?Ó
Nancy was beginning to panic again. Michelle knew the plan was going to work perfectly.
ÒJust breathe Nancy, relax. That story is perfect.Ó
Nancy smiled and pushed a stray brown lock of hair out of her face and behind her ear.
ÒFirst weÕll have to move him upstairs to the bed. ItÕs a good thing you got him to slap you across the face before he passed out. That welt is convincing.Ó
ÒYeah, it wasnÕt easy, heÕs such a wimp.Ó Nancy stood over DaveÕs limp body. He was face down on the kitchen floor in front of the stove.
Michelle stood next to Nancy staring down at Dave. ÒHow many beers did you get into him?Ó
ÒOnly four, heÕs such a lightweight.Ó
ÒJeeze, well, weÕd better get him up to the bedroom. Is the lamp up there?Ó
ÒNo, itÕs in the bedroom down here.Ó
ÒGo get it,Ó Michelle said as she flipped Dave over and then wrapped her arms around his chest from behind and started to drag him across the floor and down the hall toward the stairs. ÒNancy, make sure you find the lint roller. We canÕt have all these carpet fibers down the back of his pant legs. TheyÕll know for sure he was dragged across the floor that way.Ó
ÒRight. The roller is upstairs on his dresser.Ó Nancy came around the corner with the lamp. ÒLet me help you up the stairs.Ó She set the lamp on the floor and grabbed Dave by the ankles.
They carried him up the stairs to the bedroom. Nancy ran back down the stairs for the lamp while Michelle rolled some of the lint off the back of DaveÕs pants.
ÒOK, now what?Ó Nancy asked as she stood in the doorway holding the heavy marble lamp.
ÒGet rid of the lamp thatÕs there,Ó she said as she pointed at the lightweight aluminum lamp that looked as if it were cast iron. ÒAnd plug in that lamp. When you pull it off the nightstand its got to have whatever damage it would have if it were really there all the time.Ó
Nancy walked around the bed to the nightstand and switched the lamps. ÒOK, itÕs done.Ó
ÒNow we execute your side of the story.Ó Michelle picked up Dave, Òget over here and lay on the bed.Ó
Nancy lay across the bed as Michelle stood behind Dave moving him as if he were a big puppet. She held his hands and grabbed at NancyÕs blouse.
ÒOh wait, can you reach the lamp from there?Ó
Nancy reached back but her hand was nowhere near the nightstand. She wiggled her way closer.
ÒOK, thatÕs better, wait! WeÕve got to get that other lamp out of here.Ó Michelle put Dave down and took the other lamp to the downstairs bedroom. As she came back up the stairs she heard Nancy calling her name.
ÒWhat? What is it?Ó Michelle asked as she ran up the last few steps and into the bedroom.
ÒWhat happens if he wakes up?Ó
ÒHeÕs not going to wake up. You are going to beat him to death with a marble lamp before he will gain consciousness.Ó
ÒWonÕt they detect the drugs in his system?Ó
ÒNancy, relax. ItÕs an herb that they will never find because theyÕd have to be looking for it and they wont because his cause of death will be the blow to the head. Now letÕs get on with this.Ó Michelle picked up Dave again and used his hands to rip at NancyÕs blouse so that if the police looked for clothing fibers they would be on his hands. Then she held his body over Nancy as she grabbed the lamp and whacked Dave over the head.
Both ladies heard the crack of DaveÕs skull. Michelle dropped Dave on the bed cringing from the sound of the impact.
Nancy was certain she heard him grunt. She stared in awe at the huge dent in his skull.
ÒOK, IÕm going to leave now. Call the police and then call me on my cell and IÕll come back and weÕll wait together.Ó
Nancy nodded and waited until she heard Michelle walk out the door.

Michelle sat in her car waiting. Lucky for Nancy she lives out in the middle of nowhere. Michelle thought to herself. The nearest neighbor is old man Franklin and heÕs more than half a mile away. No one will see me out here in the car and no one would have even seen me pull up in the driveway. Michelle sat with her phone in her hand waiting for it to ring. I wonder if they can trace where a phone is at the time it is answered? Probably notÉ

Nancy pushed at DaveÕs limp body as soon as she heard the kitchen door slam shut. He was so heavy on top of her. Blood began to pool on the bed under his head. Nancy began to wish she had changed the sheets to the ugly ones he had picked out rather than ruin the good silky sheets that were her favorite. She finally got Dave off of her so she could get up and call the police.
She ran down the stairs and picked up the cordless phone in the foyer. ÒMy boyfriendÉheÕs bleedingÉI need an ambulanceÉÓ Nancy said in a panicky voice.
ÒWhat happened MaÕam? Just slow down and explain what happened and where you are.Ó
ÒIÕm at 1216 Red Bird Lane. HeÕs been hit over the head. ThereÕs a big dent in his headÉHeÕs bleedingÉthereÕs so much blood.Ó Nancy sat at the foot of the stairs. ÒPlease hurry. I donÕt think heÕs breathing.Ó
ÒTry to calm down MaÕam IÕve called the ambulance. They are on the way. DonÕt touch anything. Just stay where you are. IÕve also called a squad car, the police are on the way too.Ó
ÒOK, thank you. Can I call my friend please? SheÕs just down the block. I donÕt want to be here alone.Ó
ÒYes, I think that might be OK as long as you donÕt touch anything.Ó
Nancy hung up the phone and dialed Michelle.
ÒI need you to come over right now,Ó Nancy said as soon as Michelle answered.
ÒIÕm on my way.Ó Michelle opened the car door and walked toward the house as she hung up the phone. She opened the kitchen door again, ÒNancy? Where are you?Ó
ÒIÕm here,Ó she said as she stepped into the doorway.
They sat down at the kitchen table and waited for the police.
ÒWhatÕs going to happen once the police get here?Ó Nancy asked.
ÒWell, the paramedics will go up and check on Dave and try to save him. Then the police will arrive and ask questions. Although IÕm sure it is possible that the police may arrive first. If they do theyÕll ask questions until the paramedics arrive. Just remember your story, itÕll be all good.Ó
The ladies sat in silence for a moment. A loud thump came from upstairs startling them both. They jumped to their feet and stared at each other.
ÒWhat was that?Ó they asked in unison.
ÒI am SO NOT going up there,Ó Nancy said.
ÒIÕm not going alone. Maybe the lamp rolled off the bed?Ó Michelle suggested.
Nancy racked her brain trying to remember where she left the lamp before getting off the bed. ÒWeÕll go up together, but you go first,Ó she told Michelle.
They went up the stairs slowly. Michelle looked through the door of the bedroom first and stepped slowly inside. Nancy followed and saw the lamp on the bed but Dave was gone. ÒWhere is he? Did he fall off the bed?Ó she asked Michelle.
ÒNo, heÕs not here.Ó
ÒWhereÕs the blood? There was blood all over the bed here where his head was.Ó
ÒFUCK!Ó Michelle shouted in frustration.
ÒThis was all your idea! What the fuck are we going to do now? Where is he!Ó
ÒMy idea? MY IDEA?! This was not my idea!Ó Michelle shouted. ÒI had no big plan to off Dave.Ó
ÒThat is bullshit and you know it! Now where the fuck is he? He couldnÕt have just gotten up and left. I saw that dent in his skull, he couldnÕt go anywhere like that.Ó
ÒI agree, I saw that blow to his head too. Are you sure no on else is in this house?Ó
ÒMichelle, who else could be here? The house isnÕt that big. Unless theyÕve been hiding in the closet since I went to sleep last night I would have noticed.Ó
ÒIÕm just trying to figure out what is going on.Ó
ÒBesides, someone coming up here and stealing him doesnÕt explain the lack of blood on the bed. There was a big puddle right here, but now, NOTHING!Ó Nancy ripped the sheets off the bed all the way down to the mattress; there was no sign of blood having been there. ÒThe police and paramedics are coming because I said my boyfriend had a dent in his head. What are we going to do once they get here?Ó
ÒI donÕt know! OK? Is that what you want to hear? Maybe weÕll get arrested for lying to the police, for calling in a prank emergency and wasting their time.Ó
A loud noise came from above them. They looked up at the ceiling.
ÒWhat is up there?Ó Michelle asked.
ÒItÕs the attic. But itÕs not big enough to even stand up in. YouÕve got to crawl around in it.Ó
ÒDid you put anything up there?Ó
ÒSome boxes, mostly Christmas decorations.Ó
ÒHow do you get up there?Ó
ÒThis way,Ó Nancy lead Michelle into the hall and pointed up at the rectangular door in the ceiling, Òthrough there.Ó
There was a dangling rope just out of reach of both women.
ÒIs there a light up there?Ó
ÒNo, IÕll go get the flashlight. There is a chair you can stand on in the closet there, itÕs a metal folding chair.Ó
Nancy ran down the stairs to the kitchen she opened the cabinet under the sink but the flashlight wasnÕt there. She started pulling at drawers and all the cabinets but the flashlight was not there. As she paused to think of where it was she last had it another loud thump came from above her.
ÒMichelle? Are you OK?Ó Nancy ran to the stairs. ÒMichelle? CÕmon, this isnÕt funny.Ó
The doorbell rang and scared Nancy. She nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned and opened the door. Two policemen stood on the porch staring at her.
ÒHello MaÕam. IÕm Officer Grant, this is my partner Officer Sampson. You called about your boyfriend?Ó
ÒUmÉ yesÉ his head. HeÕd been hit on the head. The paramedics havenÕt arrived yet. He was on the bed.Ó Nancy led the officers up the stairs. ÒI heardÉÓ she trailed off as she saw Dave standing at the top of the stairs. His head was fine, there was no blood in his neatly combed short brown hair. He smiled at Nancy.
ÒNancy honey, what are the police doing here?Ó
ÒBut youÉ there wasÉ Are you OK?Ó
He walked down the three stairs that separated them. ÒWhy wouldnÕt I be?Ó he said as he hugged her.
TO BE CONTINUED...