Page 16 of Two for Joy

“What?”

“I wanted to talk about if you had completed your countdown.”

“But I didn’t.”

“But if you had. What would you have done?”

“No idea.”

“Come on, you were counting down from five for a reason, what would’ve happened when you got to number one?”

He hadn’t thought that far ahead. He allowed himself five. Five times he could satisfy his craving. He wasn’t counting down to anything, no grand finale. It was his allowance, nothing more. Even as a monster he knew he had to keep himself in check. They had a deal, and he hadn’t fulfilled it.

“Let’s say, the police didn’t stop you from killing Chad. He was your last, you’re number one. What would you have done next?”

“If I’d have killed Chad…”

“Yeah.”

“I would’ve joined him.”

Holly leaned back in her chair aghast. “You would’ve ended it. You would’ve killed yourself?”

“Yes. There would’ve been nothing else for me if I’d have killed Chad.”

“You were gonna end it all when you got to number one. That was the grand plan, the final victim … you would’ve been zero.”

Romeo rolled his eyes. “Or blast off depending on how you want to look at it.”

“It’s not funny, you’re talking about suicide, telling me that if you completed the countdown you would’ve ended your life.”

Romeo snorted. Holly heard what she wanted to hear, if he’d got his number one, he would’ve vanished, moved on. He didn’t have a clue what he would’ve done, or where he would’ve gone, but suicide wasn’t an option, but Chad … if, when Chad offered, Romeo had killed him, he never would’ve forgiven himself, he would’ve wanted to join him, and fast.

“It’s common.”

“What is?” Romeo asked.

“Killers taking their own lives, insuring they don’t get caught … they’re always untouchable.”

“I’m a standard serial killer then.”

“There’s nothing standard about you.” Holly grinned, then looked down at her notes. “I’m glad you didn’t finish your countdown.”

“Because you wouldn’t have met me, or because there’d be no article?”

“The article.” Holly said. “Without you, it wouldn’t be as interesting, I’d never get to the root cause of why it happened.”

Romeos sighed. “And there was me hoping you enjoyed seeing my face every week.”

Holly ducked her head, gathering her papers. She paused, and her badly hidden smile started to droop.

“What is it?” Romeo asked.

“How do you feel about Chad?”

“Chad…”

Romeo flexed his jaw. For weeks she’d been trying to get him to talk about Chad, and the two months in the farmhouse. He’d given her nothing, but she made her own assumptions. Holly was staring at him, seemingly intrigued by his reaction.

---