Page 71 of Caution Tape

“Okay,” I tell myself. “Maybe I like her a little.”

Cora

It’s one of those work shifts where time slows to an agonizing crawl. After a half-hearted nap I stumble into work, blinking sleep from my eyes and wondering why I bothered.

I’m a murderer, now.

I find I like the way that sounds in my head.

As each customer rolls by in an endless conveyor belt of fleshy blobs, mouthing demands at me, waving coupons, suddenly it is all bearable because I have this horrid, wonderful secret.

A murderer just scanned your hand towels for you.

You just asked a killer if the sale lasts all week.

I sink deep into these thoughts, imagining the twisted little faces of each of the customers if I were to stab them like I did Ryan and Michael. I’m still imagining this when a woman steps in front of me and slams a pack of gum down on the counter.

Frizzy hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Red eyes like she’s been crying. Her face is contorted in a grimace that tells me that she’s holding back a lot of messy anger.

I recognize Natalie immediately, but for fun, I ask if she found everything okay.

She swallows hard as she pays for the gum. It must have taken a huge amount of guts to confront me. My guess is someone saw Nolan and I together. One of her friends saw us talking here, at the store, or in the parking lot, or driving together. Something. It doesn’t really matter.

“I was wondering if we could talk?” she asks. “I know it’s weird. It’s crazy. There are some things I want to know, that’s all.”

I look her in the eyes, eyebrow cocked. “Nolan and I didn’t sleep together while you were dating,” I reply. Hopefully that’s enough, and she’ll scurry off and leave me the fuck alone. In two weeks, she’ll be with her high school boyfriend or some vanilla guy who wears basketball shorts and backwards hats, claiming on her social media that “he’s everything I’ve been looking for.”

Normal people are terrifying.

“That’s not it, that’s—that’s good to know. No, look, can we talk for a minute? On your lunch break? After work?” Her bottom lip trembles, and briefly I wonder what Nolan could have possibly seen in her.

She’s easy to manipulate. Push the right buttons and she’ll do whatever you want.

That sinister little voice leaks into my head again. It’s sounding more and more like Nolan.

Originally the plan was to lure a female victim for Nolan. The two of us, worshipping him, fulfilling his every fantasy until cutting the little bitch open.

Together.

And wouldn’t it be delightful if it was precious Natalie? Seeing her at the party, dragging Nolan around to talk to people, poking him, prodding him, acting like he was a handsome pet.

She has no idea who he is. What he is.

The idea sparkles brilliantly in my mind. I have to seize it.

But I’ll have to coax it out of her. Slowly push her into it. I’ll have to do what Nolan does; playing with people like the toys they are.

“Fine,” I tell Natalie. I nod at the café area. “I’ll take my break and meet you over there.”

She smiles in relief and murmurs, “Thank you,” before walking briskly away, eyes on the floor.

I watch her go as another sinister thought slides into my brain, flaring and blossoming until I can’t ignore how aroused it makes me.

I want to play with myself while watching Nolan strangle her.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cora

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