The Cold Smell Of Sacred Stone

you started walking off the grounds, she made me steal the truck; she said I should run you over first chance I got.'

'Nobody made you do anything, Dane. You were just afraid of losing your meal ticket and a piece of ass.'

The boy shook his head. 'Marilyn's a spooky broad, Frederickson. Some of what you say is true, but it's also true that she kinda scared me.'

'Tsk. Tsk. Poor you.'

'When she found out that I missed you, she was pissed. She said that I didn't deserve a real woman like her, and that maybe she should kill me. She gave me that knife. She told me you'd eventually be coming out of that building tonight, so I just waited. I really am sorry, Frederickson.'

'Why did she want you to kill me?'

'She didn't say.'

'And you didn't ask?'

'Hey, man, I was high-you know what I mean? I wasn't really thinking about anything except getting more of Marilyn's dope and back into her pants.'

'What kind of car did she drive?'

'A Mercedes; a red convertible.'

'What does Marilyn look like?'

'Tall, long blond hair. She's got these great long legs, and big tits.'

'Dane, what did the social worker you tried to rape look like?'

'Now that you mention it, she kinda looked like. .' Dane Potter paused, frowned. 'You know about that?'

'Yeah. I know about that. I also know that you have a lot of sexual fantasies, most of them associated with violent acts.'

The boy blinked slowly. 'You don't believe me?'

'Where does Marilyn live?'

'Somewhere around here. It's about a half hour away. She's got this beautiful house, and a waterbed with-'

'Where around here?'

'Hey, man, I don't know. It was night, and I had my hand up her dress all the time she was driving. I wasn't exactly looking at the scenery.'

'Do you think this story you're telling me gives you some kind of excuse for attacking me with a knife?'

'What do you mean?'

'Let's start all over again, Dane. Begin with how you managed to get out of the hospital, and then tell me where you've been.'

'You don't believe me!'

'Let's see if I've got this straight. A tall, beautiful woman with long blond hair, long legs, and large breasts who drives a red Mercedes convertible and lives in a big house with a waterbed lusts after you so badly that she helps you run away from the hospital so that you can live with her and have all the sex and dope you want. Then she says you have to kill me if you want the sex and dope to keep coming. Right?'

'Right!'

'How did you know I'd be coming out of the building? Or did you just happen to see me walking across the lawn and then decided to have a go at me?'

'She told me where you'd be! It's the truth!'

'Dane, let's just say that I enjoyed the account of your adventures so much that I want to hear it all over again.'

'Are you going to hurt me anymore?'

'No, Dane,' I said wearily. 'I just want you to tell me the truth.'

The boy swallowed hard, shook his head. 'I'm telling you the truth, Frederickson. Marilyn's waiting for me right now.'

'Where?'

'Down the street. She's parked on the other side of the firehouse.'

'She's sitting there in her red Mercedes convertible waiting for you to go back with her to her house for more sex and dope.'

'Right. Go see for yourself.'

Keeping a firm grip on Dane Potter's belt, I marched him the two blocks to the firehouse, where we stopped and looked down the side street. The street was empty, as I'd been certain it would be. Dane Potter looked genuinely bewildered, as if he really had been expecting to see a blonde in a red Mercedes convertible waiting for him.

'She left,' the boy said in a tone of hurt and disbelief.

'It certainly looks that way,' I said with a sigh. Despite myself, I was beginning to feel just a bit guilty. Dane Potter had indeed come at me with a knife-but then, Dane Potter was a certified loony; I'd beat on him badly, and scared him probably more than I had to. The boy had done some bad things to a few people, but his file also indicated that a few people had done some very bad things to him. 'I'm taking you back to the hospital now, Dane,' I continued as I steered him around and headed back the way we had come. 'You're going to tell the staff there exactly what happened here tonight; whether or not you want to tell them about Marilyn is up to you. Then we'll see if we can't find a dentist on call who'll be able to put your teeth back in your head.'

'Frederickson?'

'What?' I answered curtly. Suddenly I felt so tired, emotionally and physically drained, that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Having a crazy teenager jump me with a knife had been an aggravation I hadn't needed.

'Do you really think that business with the woman was all in my mind?'

'You tell me, Dane.'

'I thought it happened.'

'Okay.'

'Now maybe I'm not so sure.'

'Talk it over with your therapist, Dane. He or she will help you try to sort it out.'

'What will happen to me?'

'I don't know.'

'I don't want to go back to DFY.'

'If people thought you were responsible for your actions, you wouldn't have been sent to the hospital in the first place. It's your job to become responsible-listen to the doctors, study hard in school, and try hard to keep your head together. They just want you to get well. Me too.'

'Frederickson?'

'What?'

'I hope you believe me when I say I'm sorry I … did what I did. I really am.'

'Yeah. Thanks, Dane. That's really sweet of you. If I think about it long enough, I'll probably be sorry I kicked you in the mouth.'

10

The next day, a Wednesday, I wasn't called to teach; I was called to answer a lot of questions from hospital officials and the police in connection with the attack on me by Dane Potter. I was asked if I wanted to prefer charges. I did not.

Continuing anxiety concerning Garth's bizarre behavior combined with my tussle with Dane Potter the night before had left me feeling out of sorts, and I decided to give myself a break from tension for the rest of the morning. I read the Times over brunch, took a long walk, and then a nap. In the late afternoon I went to see Garth.