This is my first foray into writing dialog. While everyone posts their writing here I wanted to post mine, but with a preface to “set the scene”. Hopefully you will get more out of it that way, so as to provide feedback.

Kelly was nearly killed by Carl Norton 15 years earlier. Given the extent of her facial injuries her nose and cheek bones were rebuilt. She looked slightly different, but not much. She faked her death, changed her last name and lived a normal life after that. Several years later a man, identified by finger prints as Carl Norton, dies chasing her. She’s relived he’s dead. She then re-located to a quiet town in New Hampshire hoping to have a fresh start. Soon a man that looks and sounds like Carl turns out to be living in this town under a different name. Given the passage of time, the surgery, hair dye and a quick purchase of colored contacts just to be sure, he doesn’t seem to recognize her, if it‘s him. Over time she sees “hints” that he really is Carl. She plots to try and make him tip his hand to prove it‘s him. She can‘t get the original investigation re-opened because he was “proved” to be dead . After dropping enough information to make it clear to him who she really is regardless, she sets her trap.

In this story Police Officer Robert McGee, aka Bobby, are having a relationship. He knows about the attempts on her life. She’d already told him that her killer Carl Norton is dead. She didn’t tell him that she suspects he’s really alive.

And now for the story.

===========================================

Hiding is murder on my back. Gun, loaded and ready. Waiting for him to take the bait is nerve wracking. The bed is all made up to look like I'm in it. I do actually hope he shows up.

Creaking on the staircase. Shuffling of shoes. NOW I love how this cavernous house echoes. Fshoom! Fshoom! Bullets pierce the dummy and the bed. Sheets rustle.

“Damn! It’s a fucking set up!”, he growled.
“Freeze!”

Shuffling, grunting and fighting with someone going down in pain. I could hear someone being heaved up.

“All right Kelly! Where are you, you little shit!”

I slid myself out from under the other side of the bed across from the door. Standing up I pull out my revolver in one motion. Damn.

“Officer McGee!” Covering quickly by addressing Bobby as an officer rather than as a friend. Carl had one arm around Bobby’s neck and the gun in his jaw. Bobby’s in plain clothes so he doesn’t have his gun.

“All right Carl. Let him go. We all know thanks to the bullet riddled ‘corpse‘ in the bed, it me you want and not him.”

“Kelly, why is he trying to shoot you?”, Bobby said.

“Officer McGee, allow me to make introductions. This is really Carl Norton. Thanks for taking the bait Carl. But not for messing up my bodyguard.” Bobby got a queer look, but wiped it off quick.

Carl edged his way out into the hallway. “I guess he has to come with my now doesn’t he?”, said Carl.

“Oh no he’s not. I know very well he’s your ticket out of here. You pull, I pull. It’s that simple.” My revolver pointed straight for his scummy neck. Bobby’s eyes flipped wide open with a new found awareness of the steel spine in his girlfriend’s back.

“Christ Kelly, would you mind not missing if you have to shoot!”, Bobby croaked out, between coughs.

Don't look in Bobby's eyes. “Yup, Carl. You shoot him. I shoot you. Very simple. You’re not planning on leaving my house without him. And I’ll make sure you leave in a body bag if you harm this Officer at all.”, I said.

“Officer is it? Isn’t this your boyfriend? Don’t get off calling him just a cop when you’d fuck him in a minute.”

Bobby caught on, “I’m her bodyguard. Renting a room was a cover. There’s nothing between us and there never will be.” But he winked anyway, or is that just his black eye paining him?

“So you see Carl, you can be fooled and fooled very well.” I said.

“You are quite welcome,” he paused, “The pleasure was all mine.” Lifting the eyebrow Carl can’t see, in reply.

“You are bluffing on that gun. I know the sheriff only gave you a permit for a gun, but not bullets. That dildo you are holding ’shoots blanks'.”

God damn old fucking fashioned, ancient town blue laws. “OK, Carl Norton. Try me. Shoot the Officer.” Bobby’s face became the urban dictionary definition for WTF.

“I don’t believe you!”

“Believe it. Do you really think I would uproot and move myself to a town YOU live in without knowing you’re here? Yes, I did. moved here just to get to you and put you away for trying to kill me. So do you really think that I wouldn’t do that without the cooperation of the police? I have a permit for bullets, Carl. We just let everyone think I didn’t so you’d be stupid enough to think I had no protection.” Lie. Remember your lies. And when caught in a lie blame someone else!

Bingo. Carl wiped the sweat from his nose. Good. Feel the heat.

“I‘m leaving here with him. I‘ll let him go later.” Yeah, like you let me go. Gone to the town dump wrapped in a rug.

Faking resignation, “Let’s move downstairs.“

Slowly, with both hands on my gun I backed down the stairway and into the front hall. Never losing eye contact. Down 15 stairs backwards. Have Ginger Rogers do that backwards in high heels!

At the bottom I backed up to the front door. Carl pushed Bobby ahead of him and into the dark hallway. I could only wonder what he was thinking.

Carl shoved his gun harder up into Bobby’s jaw. Bobby turned a little towards the wing chair in the living room, blinking slowly. Carl’s right eye exploded. His body puddled to the floor.

Bobby’s brother in life and law enforcement, Dave, came out from behind the chair. Gun in hand.

“Bobby and I never did tell you that that window over here can be opened from the outside even when locked, did we? Many a night we snuck in after curfew, right Bobby?”

“How did you know to come here and hide?”

"I heard everything." Dave smiled and nodded towards me. Reaching behind me I pulled my cell phone from it’s clip. My open cell phone. Which was right now running up a hellish phone bill between me and the police station.

The Eclectic Pen » All Stories by Barbara E. (barbarae)

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