Ch 9 Lady Killer

Ojai County. Chanter Club

“All right move your tushies girls; I gotta get out of here before my nips get cold”. Felicia pushed and shoved her way into the dressing room full of under dressed drag queens. The smell of heavy mascara and linen filled the smoky air. Felicia got to her mirror, she quickly took off her wig  and started popping off her nails. Bernice, sitting right next to her noticed. 

“Ooh watch out girls, Felicia has a hot date!” All the queens in the room started to woo and to chit chat.

“Oh shut it, Bernice, you plus sized queen” He said as he took off his make-up with lotion. 

“Bitch!”  She said loudly and returned to applying her fake eyelashes. 

Ursula, a tall queen with a black and yellow corset and with a large beehive on her head sat down on the other side next to Felicia. 

“What’s this about a hot date?! Who is it?!” asked Ursula

“All I can say is… he knows how to treat a lady” The entire dressing room “Ooh’s” as Felicia puts on a dark red lipstick and smacks his lips.

Ronnie wore a black yarmulke. He wasn’t Jewish but he knew Will would’ve appreciated it, and so did Will’s parents. They were so calm, his parents. So unmoved. It sickened him. And there he was still mourning the loss of his friend and his parents acting like it was Monday morning. The event was being held in Will’s parents’ house in Ojai County, which wasn’t that far from the school. Will’s parents were not accepting of his sexuality, Ronnie even wondered if they knew Will was a drag queen. They were nice people though, Will never complained about them. Will had two siblings, a younger brother and sister. They were also there looking like there was a black out and nothing to do, so carefree. 

Ronnie was a ticking time bomb. He expected much more crying and lamenting. Who was Will to them? A stranger? This was madness.

All the mirrors of the house were covered up with black fabric, virtually any reflective surface was covered with cloth, Ronnie understood it as Jewish tradition, but he never really got the reason behind it, under these stressful conditions it was imperative that Ronnie would check his countenance every now and then. 

They were also required to sit on very uncomfortable wooden boxes, it wasn’t different from any of the furniture there, Ronnie thought. The entire place was uncomfortable. The house was decorated with simple ferns and eggshell white all over the walls. Ronnie tried to seem un-phased by Will’s family despotic behavior. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Ronnie sees Kessler wearing his black leather jacket and some indiscreet khakis. His complexion was somber and penitent. He rushed over to Ronnie. 

The khakis outlined the structure of his legs, they were tight fitting and sleek around his crotch. It was the lighting in the house that made Ronnie look upon his rigid cheek bones and scruffy complexion, a jolt was sent through his body that ran through his pelvis down to his knees. As he came closer, he tried so hard to close that door; now it’s being thrust open with nuclear force.  

“Ronnie, how are you doing?”

“Not particularly well”

“I came because there’s something I need to tell you” Ronnie blinked and got his hopes up so high he could touch the clouds. He was no longer sad, that’s how fast he door was opened.

“The D. A is closing the investigation” Ronnie was speechless for a second. He sunk down, plummeted lower than before. He began to shake his head.

“No, no, no. This is not possible! Why?! We have suspects!”

“Without any new evidence we can’t pursue this case any longer, and theyre also stopping te autopsy-“

“No! I won’t allow it! This is not fair! Kessler you have to convince them!” Ronnie started to sprout tears, they entire room started to stare.

“Listen, I tried my best I couldn’t convince the D.A. I’m sorry”

“No! I don’t care! I’ll do it by myself! I don’t care! I don’t care about you! I don’t need you or your stupid D.A!” Ronnie stormed out of the room, brushing past Kessler and bumping him, he went into the kitchen. Kessler stayed there embarrassed as the entire room lay eyes on him. He thought about going after him but then reconsidered and left.  

Ronnie stood over the edge of the sink; his yarmulke had fallen off from shaking his head. Will’s mother came over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Ronnie, you gotta let go, let him go” She said. Ronnie turned around and gave her a spiteful look. He shuffled back to the living room to see that Kessler had gone and in his place was Jane, Gemma, Teddy, and Melvin. They also seemed bored and uncomfortable. Ronnie had resented them for not pursuing Will’s murder as strongly as he did, it was as if Will was no one to them, they hadn’t even spoken to each other since Will died, they had deserted him, left him to defend Will by himself, as if he didn’t matter to them, as if they didn’t know that Will was struck down through a hate crime. 

“Ronnie, we here” Said Teddy as he led the others in, he went and hugged Ronnie. 

“It’s nice of you to show some support at last” Ronnie started.

“What are talking about? We’ve always been there for Will and you” Jane started too as she crossed Teddy.

“No that’s right. You’ve been such a great help following Will’s death! You never even bothered calling, that’s how supportive you’ve been” Jane gasped. Melvin pulled his way to Ronnie, he had heard enough.

“Ronnie you’re being an asshole! Stop trying to live up to Will’s expectations!-“

“Where’s Albert? He didn’t come with you? Did he finally dump you?” Ronnie knew it was a possibility, and so without remorse he hit Melvin below the belt. Everyone gasped including Teddy. He put himself in between Melvin and Ronnie to prevent something. 

“Ronnie, what’s wrong with you?” He asked him. Everyone gave Ronnie a piercing glare. Ronnie turned away sobbing he left the room. 

“Well I’m sure as Hell not gonna stay after that scene” Said Melvin

“No, you can’t leave. None of us can leave. Ronnie is going through a tough time, He’s still our friend, we can’t turn our backs on him now-“

“You heard the way he talked to us!” Said Melvin

“Yeah, he’s throwing a fit.” Said Gemma

“No one is leaving. And Melvin just let that comment go. Don’t worry I’ll go find Albert after this-“ Jane pauses after she sees the dark figure of Enrique walking through the front door. They all pause as they watch him move toward the kitchen looking for Ronnie. 

“Who the Hell invited one of the crusaders?” Asked Gemma.

Ronnie walked out of the bathroom, he was under a wave of stress, his shoulders seemed heightened. Then his tension inflated as he saw Enrique. 

“You?!”

“I just came to say that I’m sorry for your loss, and that from the bottom of my heart; I didn’t kill him, I admit he bothered me often, but I could never kill someone. That’s all I have to say.” He turned around and started to walk back. Ronnie perceived his words as honest and truthful, he also looked quite handsome in a black suit. He almost wanted to tell him to stay but he held himself back for that tiny, miniscule chance that he could be lying, as he does with the rest of his life.  Ronnie decided to stay in the kitchen for a while, he didn’t want to face Melvin again after that disgusting comment, he regret he had said it. Thinking about it made it worse, what a vile thing to say, he thought. Albert and Melvin was, to his knowledge, the cutest most attractive, most loving and devoted couple he knows. Despite the fact that he and Albert shared something for the year that they were dating, nothing could compare to what he saw in Melvin and Albert. He decided to apologize to Melvin.

Just as he entered the room he saw Jane with Bradley Haynes at the front door, she was yelling at him to go away while Enrique was pulling him towards the exit. 

Ronnie went berserk blind with rage. 

“What the Hell is he doing here?!!!” He rushed toward Bradley, heading straight for him. Teddy caught and grabbed him just in time before he leaped at Bradley. 

Ronnie turned into a devil, a furious devil. 

“Ronnie, don’t! Calm down! Ronnie!” Teddy struggled to control him as Ronnie tried to shake and push off Teddy. He was pushed to his limits, he could not dare let Will’s murders’ come to his funeral to laugh at him, no, he was not going to let it happen. 

Other people helped Teddy control Ronnie, he was retrained. 

“Get out!” Yelled Jane at Bradley. 

“Brad, let’s go!” Said Enrique. Bradley walked backwards staring at Jane, he pointed at her and gave her a melancholic expression, then he succumbed to Enrique’s pull, turned around and left. 

Ronnie was set free. He jerked himself away from everyone. He was hyperventilating, his fists still clenched. Will’s mother approached him.

“Ronnie sweetie, go lay down” He looked then at everyone staring at him. He snapped back. Then he nodded and proceeded towards the hallway while Will’s mother followed him. 

Kessler sat in his car driving home from the funeral. He was still uneasy about the whole thing. But it was out of his hands and out of his conscience. Kessler was actually relieved. The case was cold, there was no way he could’ve solved it. 

Suddenly his phone rang and he pulled it out and answered.

“This is David”

“Looks like the case is back on” Said Ptrovsky

“Petrovsky? What case?”

“ the lady killer strikes again”

“You’re kidding, and the lady killer?”

“That’s what the media called him or her, but yeah it’s another drag”

“Where?” 

“Ojai County”