The gang all sat together and stared numbly at the television. Ricky changed the channel to a game show where all the people screamed and smacked a buzzer. What was a Whammie anyway? Whatever it was, they didn’t want one. They wanted Big Money. It made him smile that these people were so willing to act like idiots for cash.
Steve clucked disapprovingly and Donna sighed. Too bad, so sad. They didn’t take the initiative, so it was their loss.
“Let’s watch a movie.”
“There aren’t any.”
“This is the age of cable. There are hundreds of stations.”
“With nothing on them.”
“C’mon Ricky. Change it. This is stupid.”
“So are you.”
“I know you are but what am I?” Donna huffed and sat back.
“Quit it.” Said Steve. “Put on the news. I want to see. I need to practice and improve.” He cleared his throat and slicked his hair.
“Blahdeblah blah BLAHHHH.” Ricky echoed sticking his tongue out almost waggling it to his chin for effect.
“You’re gross.” Donna wrinkled her nose and turned away.
“I know you are but what am I?” Ricky sneered.
“E-NOUGH” Steve clapped his hands and clicked the remote. The news flicked on and the pretty, void Kylie was feigning concern and shock as she talked about yet another murder. There had been a string of them. The bodies had been butchered; frozen and discarded in obvious but multiple places. All of these things made the investigation extremely difficult. The officers were literally piecing bodies together: a hand, someone else’s foot,… Although working around the clock, the police couldn’t get any solid evidence, had no strong leads. The city was gripped in fear. Good one Anchor-wanna-be- Kylie. Good one.
“I have to get ready for work.” Steve said quietly.
“I could do that.” Ricky chirped.
“Get ready for work? You need a job first.” Donna laughed and snorted. The noise of it seemed to pierce Steve’s brain. He winced and shot her a look.
“I could do Steve’s job.” Ricky smiled. “The camera loves me. I could be in charge of the news.”
“Ricky, you have to go to school. You need a degree. You need….”
“I did go. Remember? We all went.” He kept grinning. “I want to work at YOUR job.”
“No.” Steve said flatly.
“Why not?”
“Just…no.”
“This just in….” Ricky held his ear and made a ticking noise. Donna giggled behind her hand. “A suspect HAS been found in the string of brutal murders in this sleepy city…….”
“Ricky, cut it out.” Steve rolled his eyes.
“Ricky? Are you there? What can you tell us Ricky? What do you know?” Donna now joined in and spoke to her thumb. They all stared at Steve waiting for him to play along. He sat still and stared at a Whammie on tv. They looked like the Taz from those cartoons Ricky liked to watch. Stupid. He’d rather have the cash too.
“We go live to the basement of this hum-drum man. We may be able to crack this case.”
“I’m going to go.” Steve mumbled beginning to shift in his seat.
“Don’t be such a poop. You never stay when it starts to get REALLY good.” Ricky chided. “I could be bigger than you.”
“Shut up Ricky.”
“I could help you break it wiiiide open.” He leaned back, puffing his chest out. “Yep. Let’s go down to the basement.”
“Hurry up. I have to go. Is this like when you called the FBI and said you’d just robbed a bank?”
“I did.”
“Ricky, you took all the Monopoly money out of the box.”
“That’s the bank.”
“I was the banker! I WAS robbed. I was willing to give a statement!” Donna chimed in.
“You’re so childish.”
“I know you are…”
“Shut UP and let’s get this over with.” Steve stood and smoothed the front of his shirt. He shook his head letting his patience out with an exhale.
The basement was unfinished and bare. It had jagged corners and smelled of old dirt and mold. Steve held his breath and shook off the creepiness. Down here the shadows were just a little bit darker. He hated it down here. He never came; always bribing Ricky to do it when necessary.
“Turn on a light.” Donna whispered.
“In a minute. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.” Ricky snickered and shuffled over to the corner.
“TAH DAH!” he barked triumphantly; ripping open the dingy old freezer and yanking the string to a naked bulb. The shadows danced along the walls; stretching and shrinking as if to peek and then hide from the horror in the rickety meat box.
Bodies lay inside; in pieces, in bags. Ricky leaned against the freezer. “So? Pretty good lead for ya huh Steve? I got some pictures here. If ya wanna take em along. ”
“No. This isn’t true. I don’t want to see this.” Steve clapped his hands over his eyes.
Donna and Ricky began to gafaw. Ricky tucked the pictures into Steve’s shirt pocket and patted his chest.
“All for you Steve. Now you’ll get that big break you’re always talking about! An Exclusive!” and Ricky began to murmur to Steven. All he could do was gawk at the syrupy red bags.
Donna snorted “Good one. GOOOD one! You da MAN!” and they high fived. Her laugh was loud and squeaky.
Steven’s stomach curled in on itself. His mouth was full of salt and spit. Sweating and pale, he staggered up the steps, swiped his keys from the table and dashed to the car. Slamming it into gear he zoomed out of the drive and down the street trying desparately to outrun the images he’d seen.
“Excluuuuusive” he heard Ricky sing. Tears pricked his eyes. “No.” he shouted at the steering wheel banging his fists.
“You’re late.”Steven’s boss gruffed as he whizzed by.
“I’m sorry.” He rushed to the bathroom and vomited.
Ricky’s words tickled his ear: “Write a note, play it out. Turn me into a modern day Ripper. Do whatever you like. I’ll play along with you. We’ll be a famous pair….”
“You’re sick.”Steven clipped.
“You’re a weak little girl.”
“Heyyyyyy!” Donna pouted.
“Shut up Donna” they chimed over top of her. She slouched back.
“It’s wrong. You’re wrong” Steven closed his eyes and tried to focus on work.
“MAKE UP GET IN HERE! Steven is late! We’ve only got a few….”
“You’ll do it my way.” Ricky growled
“No.”
“You always end up doing it my way.” Ricky said quietly
“Not this time.”
“Always..”
Steven stared into the mirror at his own face. The voices continued to chatter inside his skull. As hard as he tried, his shoulders fell and he began to scrawl on some paper. He laughed to himself and nodded whispering what Ricky told him he’d say. He quickly took his place on set at the desk.
When asked what his story was for the six o’clock news, the up and coming anchor smoothed the sloppy note in front of him.
“I have breaking news in the recent and brutal slayings.” The camera light went out and they went to break. Steven covered his paper like a child during a test. Underneath were Ricky’s photos. Steven looked at them and laughed; a little too loud and shrill; almost feminine.
“Shut up Donna. Don’t ruin this for me. Stay out of the way.” Steven hissed from behind his eyes.
“Yeah, Don. Stay back.” Ricky warned.
“Breaking….breaking….breaking.” he giggled and waited for his moment to shine.
