Keep Your Enemies Close

"Who’s dead Rosie? What are you talking about?"

"Duane’s dead."

My face contorted into a ghastly look of surprise and fear. "You killed him?" I started toward the living room to pick up the phone when she came up behind me. Her hand rested on top of mine preventing me from lifting the receiver.

"I didn’t kill him!"

Her hand still pressed atop mine. I could feel her hand trembling. She was scared. This was certainly a characteristic I was accustomed to seeing from her. I realized that she was distraught and probably going through a denial state. I feared what she would do next, so I pulled my hand away from the phone.

"Let’s sit down. Tell me what happened."

"I turned on the TV and started grilling hotdogs just as planned, but I just couldn’t get the thought out of my head that I let a stupid man get over on me. I just couldn’t shake it. I tried to calm myself down, but I just couldn’t. I got so angry. I started drinking and before I knew it, I was at his door banging and screaming. I was furious. So furious at him that when he opened the door, I charged him."

She paused and broke into a wail.

"Rosie you’ve got to calm down. What happened next."

"There was blood every where. Over my clothes, my hands the floor, every where. He was bleeding so badly. I didn’t know what to do."

"Why was he bleeding Rosie. What did you hit him with?"

"There was blood all over the place. It just didn’t make sense. I didn’t understand. How could something like this happen? I’m in trouble aren’t I Connie. Tell the truth."

"Rosie. What did you do?"

"I wasn’t thinking. I had to get away, so I snatched the knife from his chest and I ran as fast as I could. I had to hide. I was covered in blood and…Connie, I don’t want to go to jail over five hundred dollars."

"You stabbed him Rosie? Why did you do that? I told you to forget about it." She was so scared I held her close. I wanted to help her, but what could I do? She had committed murder. I can’t hide it. That would make me an accessory. "Rosie, I’m going to call the police and you have got to explain to them what happened."

"You’re turning me in?"

"I’ve got to."

"I didn’t kill him."

"Rosie, I know you’re afraid, but you’ve got to deal with this." She pulled away from me.

"I thought I could trust you; that you would help me. I guess I was wrong."

"Help you do what? Get away with murder." She got up from her seat and started for the door. I was definitely not going to hinder her.

"I brought the knife home. It’s in a bag along with my bloody clothes. You can help me if you want to. If not, then stay out of my way."

"Help you do what? Cover up the crime?"

"No. Find out who really killed him!"

Just as she opened the door, Tony walked in. I had forgotten about our intimate date. He was handsome as ever.

"Hey Rosie." He greeted her. She didn’t respond only continued out the door without saying a word. "What’s up with her?"

"She’s having a really hard time right now."

"She’s not still mad about Duane is she?"

"Yeah, in fact, I think I should get dressed and try to catch up with her.