CHAPTER XXIX: WHAT IF?

I had taken the call, thought I recognized the voice, and so voila. But there was still this nagging inside me.

The other call and definitely someone different than the first call I had taken, but...

I couldn't get it out of my head.
Something didn't add up here.
What if we were wrong about Johnny?
What if it was actually someone else, but then why would he call and kinda take credit for the last murder if it wasn't him?

ARRRRRGH.

I kept my thoughts and misgivings to myself thinking Rob would think I was overboard nuts, and I kept thinking he just might be right but still it just kept nagging at me. What if we are wrong?

I began to wonder if we shouldn't talk to Johnny's dad, but we had no legitimate reason to haul him in for questioning. Pfui.

Maybe bring Johnny in again, but still we had no real reason to do so. God what a dilemma. We really needed a break but that seemed elusive. Crap.

Dylan the Jr. sensed my unease and cornered me in the kitchen one night.
"What's up mi amor?"
"Your what?"
"C'mon. I can tell you are bothered by something. What gives?"
"Nah."
"Don't Nah me. I know better."
I saw he wasn't gonna let up.
"I don't honestly know. Something just seems amiss."
"About the murders?"
"Yeh."
"Yeh, me too. Maybe on the wrong track?"
"I wish I knew."
"What does Rob think?"
"I have no clue."
"You haven't talked to him about it?"
"No."
"How come? You two tell each other everything."
"Yeah, but I think he would think I was nuts."
"Oh puleeze. You know he would never think that."
"Don't be so sure."
"I am and so are you, so that isn't it. So what is?"

"I just think, kinda sorta, that maybe we are wrong about Johnny. Maybe he calls to make it seem like he is the one cause he wants attention. Wants to be noticed. God knows he is a vain motherfucker."
"Got that right. But do you think he would try to pretend he is the killer even if he isn't...just to get attention?"
"I don't know. Possibly but I am not sure. I wonder about Johnny's father."
"Yeh, I've wondered about him too. He definitely is a sleazebag...and he was abused as a kid too, just like he did to his sons."
"Yeh, maybe that is what bothers me."
"So, what now?"
"I wish I knew."

We stood there looking at each other...neither of us having a clue what next or what if or....what?
Dylan stood there in front of me looking at me...hard. Started making me a bit uneasy when...
"You are so fucking hot, Dylan. SO fucking hot."
"What?"
I musta gotten a look as if I had been slapped or worse. But boy talk about coming out of left field without a turn signal...

"Yeh and you know it but beside that you are way too kewl and way too BRIGHT. Intuitive, you know? You got instincts up the ying-yang."
"For all the good that does me," I countered.
"Oh it does a lot, sweetface."
"Will you stop?" I said laughing but Dylan the younger never changed his facial expression and suddenly I realized he was serious. Really serious. OH SHIT!

He saw my face I guess...
"It's ok, Dylan. I will never interfere with you and my brother. So, just forget I said anything."
"Ok," I said...but I knew I wouldn't and he wouldn't either. The cat was out of the bag and wasn't about to get put back in again.  GEEZ!

Rob walked in.
"Hey guys," and the room lit up and then I guess I got this 'caught with the hand in the cookie jar' look.
"What?" I asked him as he gave me a funny look.
"Nothing. What's up?"
Dylan piped up.
"Dylan, tu amor, is having second thoughts about Johnny being the perp," he gushed and I was stuck.
"Yeh, me too."

"Really?" I thought. Not just me?
"Something just seems a bit too easy about him and I have been thinking it is funny that when he calls with his taunts the knowledge of there being a murder is already public knowledge. It's not like he is saying something he wouldn't know unless he was the killer. It's been on the news already.

"Bingo. Yes, that is what I have been trying to remember. But why would he seem to be implicating himself if he is innocent?" I asked him.
"To get attention. Surely you have noticed he is an incredibly vain individual."
"Yeh, right about that," I agreed..."But if NOT him, then who...?"

Drew walked and then it was four of us standing around looking stupid and silent and...

"Bad time?" Drew asked...
and that broke all of us up.
"What ?" he asked looking puzzled. You know like walking in to a room right after a punch line has been delivered and everyone is laughing...except you, and you have no idea why. You're laughing aren't you, cause you know the feeling too.

LOL.

Dylan the Jr. said...
"Dylan has had a magnificent brainfart."
"No, really?"
"Will you stop," I laughed and both twins laughed as well.
"So, what was it and did it smell?"
"Like a bouquet of roses and he and Rob too think that maybe we might be headed in the wrong direction with thinking Johnny is the perp."
"I think so too. Just seems to be a bit too easy."
"Yeh," Dylan said.
"He is no prize even of the booby kind, but...I'm just not sure he would kill anyone."
"Yeh,"Rob said and again we all fell silent.
"I know him and although he is a slimy piece of dung, I am not convinced he is a killer.
"You know him?" I asked, incredulous.
"Yeh," Drew answered looking embarrassed.
"Let's not dwell on that but yes."
"Ok," and I needed a nap to digest that little nugget of whatever.

Then we just all stood looking at each other.

Silence can be golden but this time it was more like faux diamond cowplops.

So there we were in a muddle when the phone rang. ARRRRGGGHHH.
It was forensics for Rob.

"Yeh. No, really? Oh. Ok, yeah ok," and on...
Rob hung up and turned to the twins and me who by now were vibrating with curiousity.

"That was Hal from Forensics."
"YEH YEH WE KNOW. WHAT DID HE SAY?"
This from my favorite motormouth, Dyl Jr.
"Well..."
"YES?"  Guess who.
"He said they had done a number of voice tests on the recordings...and..."
"YES YES YES?" we all chimed in. Lol.
"And they could not conclusively identify the voices as eiter Johnny or anyone else.  He said that since we don't have a voice sample from the father they couldn't check that. It could be that they sound a lot alike."

"FUCK," this from Drew.
"Yeh, I know guys. Now I guess that maybe we need to try to get a sample from the father."
"That should be really simple," I said somewhat sarcastically and Rob rolled his eyes and both twins started to giggle.

"Gotta try, boys," Rob added and we agreed.
BUT HOW?


CONTINUE TO CHAPTER XXX: