After Midnight

“Alas, poor Milo. We were partners, you know. Well, not exactly partners. Let’s say Milo was my mentor. Until you killed him.”

“Killed him? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, please,” he said. Fortunately, he seemed amused, not angry. “Spare me the innocent routine. I saw you do it.”

“Where?” I asked.

“Where do you think? At our camp in the woods.”

“You were there?”

“Oh, yes.”

“You must really get around,” I said.

A smile spread over his face. “I do, I do. It’s my specialty. Getting around. Coming and going. In a most sneaky fashion.”

“You weren’t very sneaky last night in the pool.”

“That doesn’t count. I wanted you to see me.”

“Sure you did.”

“Watch out, you’re treading close to sarcasm. I may have to hurt you.”

“You’re going to kill me, anyway.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“Sure.”

He leaned forward slightly in his chair, and something gouged my leg.

“Ow!” I scooted back my chair and looked down. On the side of my left calf, I now had a small, crescent- shaped wound. Made, probably, by the nail of Steve’s big toe.

“Real nice,” I said.

“Be my good girl and these things won’t happen.”

“I’m trying.”

“Not hard enough. When I tell you something, accept it.”

“Okay. I’m sorry. I was supposed to see you last night.”

“That’s right. You only see me when you’re supposed to.”

“Okay.”

Grinning, he said, “Do you know that I spied on you yesterday afternoon?”

“No. Did you?”

“Absolutely. For a couple of hours. And you were completely unaware of my presence.”

“But I’m sure you were there.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Sorry,” I said.

“You were sunning yourself by the pool,” he said. “A vision. That’s when I decided I must have you.” He frowned. “Not me so much as Milo, actually.”

“You wanted me for him? That fat, disgusting slob?”

“He always got firsties. That was our arrangement. I would’ve gotten you after he was done.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Cheer up. He won’t get firsties anymore, thanks to you.”

“Good.”

“I could almost feel sorry for him. He was very much looking forward to you.”

“Is that so? Was he here, too?”

“Oh, no. I discovered you all on my own.”

“Where was Milo?”

“Back at camp with Marilyn.”

Marilyn? Must’ve been the dead woman in Milo’s tent.

The woman he’d been eating.

Had Steve been at her, too? I didn’t want to think about it. “If Milo was at the camp,” I said, “how could he be looking forward to me?”

“Oh, I went back and told him all about you. And, of course, I showed him the photos.”

“What photos?”

“I took Polaroids of you.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Not in the least. I always take snapshots of our special gals.” Grinning, he said, “Before and after.”

“After?”

“You know.”

“Jeez.”

“We have quite a striking collection, really. We? Hum. It’s just me, now. I’m going to miss that big galoot. There may be lonely times ahead.” He drank some more of his margarita.

“So you not only spied on me yesterday afternoon, you also took pictures of me?”

“Exactly. I got several excellent shots, too. Close-ups. For a few of them, I was this close to you.”

“How close?”

“As close as I am now.”

Three feet? “No way,” I said.

“Oh, yes way. I’m very good at sneaking about.”

“Those cameras are noisy.”

“I didn’t say you were awake at the time. Let me tell you, your snoring was considerably louder than the camera. You were asleep right there,” he said, and pointed at the nearby padded lounger where I’d napped, off and on, through much of yesterday afternoon. “When you weren’t asleep,” he said, “you were drinking Bloody Marys, reading a John D. MacDonald book called A Tan and Sandy Silence, and…”

“Okay, I get the picture. You were here.”

“You interrupted me.”

“I’m sorry. Go ahead.”

“I was about done, anyway.”

“What else did you do while I was asleep?”

“Nothing.”

“You didn’t…touch me at all?”

“I was tempted. You looked absolutely scrumptious. As you do now. But you might’ve woken up. Anyway, it was my job to reconnoiter, not enjoy. Scout, and return with my findings to Milo.”

“So after you took those Polaroids of me, you ran back to camp and showed them to Milo?”

“He was enthralled. We’re rarely lucky enough to get our hands on anyone as…attractive as you.”

“So then what happened?” I asked. “After you showed him the photos?”

“Plenty. But I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that. You want to know about my return last night.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Well, we decided that Milo would stay in camp to keep the home fires burning, and I would pay you a visit shortly after midnight.”

“Which is when I saw you.”

“I let you see me.”

“Okay.”

“I knew you were watching. That’s why I took off my shorts.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I was hoping to lure you out.”

“What?”

“Lure you out.”