Murder For Love

Lizard looked at Zoe and his smile died.

Karen clutched her baby tight and ran. Past the waiter, forgetting about the high chair, then remembering, but who cared, it was a cheap one, she needed to get out of this place.

She heard chairs scrape the tile floor. "Hey, Cutie, hold on."

She kept going.

The waiter started to move around from behind the bar. Lizard was coming at her too. Moving fast. Taller than he looked sitting down, the gray suit billowing around his lanky frame.

"Hold on!" he shouted.

Karen gripped the door, swung it open, and dashed out hearing his curses.

Quiet neighborhood, a few people on the sidewalk who looked just like the creeps in the restaurant.

Karen turned right at the corner and ran. Rattling, the heavy denim bag knocking against her thigh.

Zoe was crying.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay, Mommy will keep you safe."

She heard a shout and looked back to see Lizard coming after her, people moving away from him, giving him room. Fear in their faces. He pointed at Karen, went after her.

She picked up her pace. Let's hear it for jogging. But this wasn't like ru

Okay, keep a rhythm, the creep was ski

She made it to another corner. Red light. A taxi sped by and she had to wait. Lizard was gaining on her-ru

Ugly words came out of the snake's mouth. He was pointing at her.

She stepped off the curb. A truck was approaching halfway down the block. She waited until it got closer, bolted, made it stop short. Blocking the snake.

Another block, this one shorter, lined with shabby storefronts. But no corner at the end of this one. Green dead end. A hedge behind high, graffitied stone walls. A park. The entrance a hundred yards left. Karen went for it, ru

Steep, cracked steps took her down into the park. A bronze statue besmirched by pigeon dirt, poorly maintained grass, big trees.

She placed a hand behind Zoe's head, making sure not to jolt the supple neck-she'd read that babies could get whiplash without anyone knowing and then years later they'd show signs of brain damage…

Clap clap behind her as Snake's footsteps slapped the steps. Mr. Viper… stop thinking stupid thoughts, he was just a man, a creep. Just keep going, she'd find a place to be safe.

The park was empty, the stone path shaded almost black by huge spreading elms.

"Hey!" shouted the snake. "Stop, awready… what… the… fuck!"

Panting between words. The creep probably never did anything aerobic.

"What… fuck… problem… wa

"Jesus!" From behind. Huff, huff. "Stupid… bitch!"

More trees, bigger, the pathway even darker. Along the side, occasional benches, graffitied, too, no one on them.

No one to help.

Karen ran even faster. Her chest began to hurt and Zoe hadn't stopped wailing.

"Easy, honey," she managed to gasp. "Easy, Zoe-puff."

The slope grew steeper.

"Fucking bitch!"

Then something appeared on the path. A metal-mesh garbage can. Low enough for her to jump in her jogging days, but not with Zoe. She had to sidestep it and the snake saw her lose footing, stumble, veer off onto the grass, and twist her ankle.

She cried out in pain. Tried to run, stopped.

Zoe's chubby cheeks were soaked with tears.

The snake smiled and walked around the can and toward her.

"Fucking city," he said, kicking the can and whipping out a handkerchief and wiping the sweat from his face. Up close he smelled of too-sweet cologne and raw meat. "No maintenance. No one takes any fucking pride anymore."

Karen started to edge away, looked sharply at her ankle, and winced.

"Poor baby," said the snake. "The big one, I mean. With the little one making all that fucking noise-does she ever shut up?"

"Listen, I-"

"No, you listen." A long-fingered hand took hold of Karen's arm. The one she held Zoe with. "You listen, what the fuck you ru

"I-my baby."

"Your baby should shut the fuck up, understand? Your baby should learn a little discipline, know what I mean? No one learns discipline how's it go

Karen didn't answer.

"You know?" said the snake. "How's it go

"That's-"

He slapped her face. Not hard enough to sting, just a touch really. Worse than pain.

"You and me," he said, squeezing her arm. "We got things to talk about."

"What?" Panic tightened Karen's voice. "I'm just visiting from-"

"Shut up. And shut the goddamn baby up too-"

"I can't help it if-"

A hard slap rocked Karen's head. "No, bitch. Don't argue. You notice what we were eating back there?"

Karen shook her head.

"Sure you did, I saw you look. What was it?"

"Meat."

"Veal. You know what veal is, sweet-cheeks?"

"Calf."

" 'Zactly. Baby cow." Winking. "Something can be young and cute, go bah-bah, moo-moo, but it don't matter shit when people's needs are involved, you know what I'm saying?"

He licked his lips. The hand on her arm moved to Zoe's arm. Pulling.

Karen pulled back and managed to free Zoe. He laughed.

Tripping backward, Karen said, "Leave me alone," in a too-weak voice.

"Yeah, sure," said the snake. "All alone."

The long-fingered hands became fists and he inched toward her. Slowly, enjoying it. The park so silent. No one here, dangerous part of town.

Karen kept retreating, Zoe wailing.

The snake advanced.

Raising a fist. Touching his knuckles with the other hand.

Suddenly, Karen was moving faster, as if her ankle had never been injured.

Moving with an athlete's grace. Placing Zoe on the grass gently, she stepped to the left while reaching into the big, heavy denim bag.

All the things you had to carry.

Zoe cried louder, screaming, and the snake's eyes snapped to the baby.

Let's hear it for distraction.

The snake looked back at Karen.

Karen brought something out of the bag, small and shiny.

Reversing direction abruptly, she walked right up to the snake.

His eyes got very wide.

Three handclaps, not that different from the sound of his feet on the steps. Three small black holes appeared on his forehead, like stigmata.

He gaped at her, turned white, fell.

She fired five more shots into him as he lay there. Three in the chest, two in the groin. Per the client's request.

Placing the gun back in the bag, she rushed toward Zoe. But the baby was already up, in Doug's arms. And quiet. Doug always had that effect upon Zoe. The books said that was common, fathers often did.

"Hey," he said, kissing Zoe, then Karen. "You let him hit you. I was almost going to move in."

"It's fine," said Karen, touching her cheek. The skin felt hot and welts were starting to rise. "Nothing some makeup won't handle."

"Still," said Doug. "You know how I love your skin."

"I'm okay, honey."

He kissed her again, nuzzled Zoe. "That was a little intense, no? And poor little kiddie-I really don't think we should take her along on business."