not innocent. His conduct had been too degenerate for that. but at least he wasn’t guilty of murder.
“Is that why you brought me here, to get me to confess to you?” he asked. He seemed to be amused again.
“It does sound silly, when you say it out like that, doesn’t it? Even if you were the killer, that hardly seems likely to happen. I’m terribly sorry, Dirk. Can you ever forgive me?”
“I’m not sure,” he said with amazing good nature. “But I will allow you to grovel a bit to get back in my good graces before I decide.”
“You’re very generous,” she allowed.
He shook his head in wonder as he considered the situation. “I can’t believe you came here alone with me if you believed I’d murdered those girls.”
Sarah had an urge to look around for Malloy, but she resisted. She didn’t want to alarm Malloy, and she didn’t want Dirk to know the extent of their folly. It was enough that she was embarrassed. No use embarrassing Malloy, too.
“We’re hardly alone, Dirk,” she pointed out, glancing meaningfully at the throngs of people passing by. “All the murders were committed in the city, in the dark of night.”
“And Malloy agreed to this idiotic plan?” he asked incredulously.
“I… I didn’t tell him,” she lied. No use making Malloy look as foolish as she did.
“Oh, Sarah, I thought you were such a sensible woman. When I think of what could have happened if you’d confronted the real killer this way…”
“I know.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. “I suppose I’m not cut out to be a detective. I should leave that to the police.”
Dirk made a rude noise, reminding her of how infrequently the police did any detecting of their own. She ignored him, choosing instead to begin making up for her ugly suspicions.
“I suppose you’ll want to go back to the city now.”
“Why?” He seemed genuinely surprised at the suggestion.
“Because I can’t imagine you want to spend any more time with me after the way I treated you.”
He shook his head again. “Sarah, you may find this hard to believe, but I’m actually sort of flattered.”
“Do you know, I believe this is the most interesting thing that has ever happened to me? I shall have the most fascinating story to tell at my club, about how I was suspected of murder! It’s too delicious.”
Sarah could hardly believe anyone would be bragging about such a thing to his friends, but Dirk seemed actually delighted.
“And we most certainly will not return to the city, at least not yet,” he went on, his face alight with excitement. “First we will enjoy the amusements to be found here, we will eat a delicious dinner, and then we will dance under the stars. I want to remember this day forever.”
Sarah didn’t want to remember it at all, but she couldn’t be rude, certainly not after the way she’d treated Dirk. If he wanted to spend the day here, she’d do her best to help him enjoy himself. She knew a pang of guilt over knowing Malloy would be traipsing around after them all day, but perhaps she could slip away at some point and tell him what had happened so he could go home. She pasted a smile on her face and said, “What would you like to do first?”
“Let’s ride on the Ferris wheel.”
Sarah found this the most pleasant of all the rides at the park, so she readily agreed. The line was long, but it moved quickly since the wheel was large and held many cars. Dirk was in boisterous good humor, almost unnaturally so. She tried to match his enthusiasm, but her heart wasn’t in it. She didn’t really like him, after all. Even if he wasn’t a killer, he’d taken terrible advantage of many young women to satisfy his own lusts, and she could never overlook such a damning character flaw. When this day was over, she would make a point of never encountering him again.
When they reached the head of the line, Dirk stepped over to the ride operator and spoke quietly to him, slipping something into the fellow’s shirt pocket.
“What did you say to him?” she asked when he returned.
“I asked him to give us an extra-long ride. And to make sure we stop on the very top. The view is breathtaking.” He smiled, eager for her approval, and she gladly gave it. She couldn’t fault him for trying to make sure she had the best time possible, could she?
At last it was their turn. Dirk helped her into the car, then took his place beside her. The attendant fastened the gate across the front and then stepped back as their car swung up a notch to allow the people on the next car to exit and new ones take their place.
Soon they were halfway up, stopped momentarily for another car to load, when Dirk began to rock the car back and forth.
“What are you doing?” she cried in alarm, grabbing onto the gate for support.
“Are you frightened, Sarah?” he asked without a trace of concern. “Don’t worry, the car won’t tip over.” He lurched forward, leaning over the gate, so that the car tipped so far forward, Sarah could imagine them both tumbling out to their deaths.
“Dirk, stop it!” she cried, bracing her feet and clutching the back of the seat with one hand while still clinging to the gate with the other.
The wheel lurched into motion again. carrying them up another notch. When they stopped, the car swayed, and Dirk made it rock dangerously again.
Sarah saw his expression, and then she understood. He was frightening her on purpose, punishing her for her suspicions. “This is childish, Dirk. I told you I was sorry.”
“You’re going to be even sorrier, Sarah,” he assured her. “You know, you weren’t far wrong when you suspected me of murder.”
“You heard me. I
“What do you mean?” She was glad to hear her voice sounded almost normal.
“Just what I said. It happened by accident the first time. I didn’t mean to kill the miserable little wench. She was just another one of those whores. You wouldn’t believe how cheaply they sell themselves. Sarah. A string of glass beads or a pair of gloves, and they’ll lift their skirts practically on a street corner.”
The wheel lurched again, and they rose another notch. At least Dirk had forgotten about rocking the car. He was too engrossed in his story.
“They’re disgusting, Sarah. They whimper and moan and pretend they enjoy it while you’re pressing them against a wall in a filthy alley. Even while I was using them, I hated them. I despised them. Each time the urge to punish them somehow got stronger and stronger, until I couldn’t stand it anymore. I’d just finished with her, and she was simpering, pretending it had been so lovely when it was cheap and dirty and disgusting, so I hit her. I used an open palm the first time. A gentleman would never strike a woman with his fist, you know. You should have seen the look on her face. She was so surprised that I hit her again. She ran away, but I’ll never forget that feeling of triumph.”
Sarah could only stare. She seemed paralyzed with her horror. It was just as she’d imagined when she and Malloy had been trying to figure out what had happened. She felt no satisfaction, though. How could she take pride in having guessed such an awful truth?
“After that, I hit all of them. Each time I hurt them worse. I was trying to experience that surge of power I’d felt the first time, but it became more difficult each time. I had to hit them harder and more often. I had to beat them until they begged for mercy, and finally I hit one of them until she stopped begging at all. I didn’t know she was dead at the time. I just thought she was senseless. Then I saw something about her in one of the newspapers a few days later. They’d found her body.”
“Dirk, if you’re just trying to frighten me-”
“I think I’m doing more than trying, aren’t I?” he asked confidently. “It’s nice to see you at a disadvantage for once, Sarah. I knew I could manage that, given the appropriate opportunity.”
She’d been trying to convince herself he was making it all up just to terrify her. How could anyone speak of these horrors so matter-of-factly? But now she understood. He’d really committed these murders, and for some
