Chapter 33
Jenny sat at the courthouse in a simple white dress. Eric and Lee both wore their dress uniforms. The license had been issued and the judge had granted them a waiver, so they didn’t have to wait three days to get hitched. The room was remarkably quiet as people held their slips for marriages, passports, and gun permits.
She took Eric’s hand in hers. He held it limply but wouldn’t look up. McGill had bags under his eyes and a sorrow behind them. He’d insisted on sleeping in the living room after they’d gotten back from the murder.
“Eric, I know I screwed up, but please either look at me or at least wait to marry me. If you still want to, that is.” She whispered in his ear.
The policeman turned his head to face her and took her hand in both of his.
“I want to marry you. I simply would like to know who you are as well. We have to do this today; I want Lee to be here for this. And we move next Friday.” He whispered back.
Out of habit he kissed her cheek. Jenny leaned forward to kiss him. She realized after a moment that he’d kissed her with his eyes open. Lee hadn’t noticed and mumbled ‘save it for the honeymoon’.
“C042” Called the robotic intercom.
“That’s you two lovebirds.” Officer Lee announced.
Eric aided his bride-to-be to her feet and the trio went to the counter to be led back to the room for marriage ceremonies. After five minutes, a cheesy generic ceremony, and forty dollars Jenny and Eric were pronounced man and wife. Lee gave them both hugs, lifting the pregnant Jenny clear off the ground. She noticed he even tipped the officiant a ten note.
Lee said goodbye to his best friend and Jenny at the parking garage. He promised to email Eric the fifty or so pictures he’d taken. The newlyweds smiled and waved as he drove off. Then they entered their car and drove home to pack in a silence thicker than molasses in winter.
***
Jenny went downstairs to check on Eric; he’d spent three hours in the craft room alone since the wedding ceremony. She rapped lightly on the door frame to announce her presence. Her groom didn’t respond.
“Eric, I’m sorry to disturb you, I was starting to worry.” She said.
He sat staring at the toolbox full of murder trophies and nearly $50,000 in cash from the meth house. The killer felt their son kicking and reflexively put a palm on her growing belly. Eric turned to look at her.
“I’m okay. At least as okay as a person is when they realize they’re in a relationship with a brutal serial killer.” He replied.
Jenny winced a little at the sadness in his tone. Stepping closer to him, she extended her arm to run her fingers through his hair. Eric leaned into the caress and hugged her waist. He closed his eyes and listened to his son turning and kicking.
“I’m sorry, Eric. For all of it. I never wanted to hurt you. I love you and I swear that my hobby is done.”
“Your hobby was bleeding strangers to death. You never thought that might be a conflict of interest for dating a cop? Or was dating me just a way to protect yourself?” He asked angrily.
She pushed him from her stomach and tilted his chin up.
“Don’t ever say that. I wanted to break it off a thousand times, but I was selfish. I wanted to be with you, to spend time with you, more than I wanted anything else in my life. I gave up my—side activities—for you and I’m sticking to that because I don’t want to put this burden on you.”
He stood up and pointed at the open box of evidence.
“And that box says otherwise. That money is part of our set up of a homicide crime scene and those tokens are your treasures of how you viscously ended the lives of ten people. Because of that box, we have to move away and start over.”
McGill crossed his arms. A vein bulged in his neck. Jenny pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled sharply.
“You are the one who said we had to get married right away, quit our jobs with that bullshit story of getting a great job offer out of state, and move somewhere else before our son is born. I was perfectly fine with the fact that our tracks are perfectly covered.” She argued.
Eric slammed closed the chipped red box.
“Jenny, I am doing that so that we don’t screw up and raise suspicion one day. Plus, I don’t want to give you any extra reminders to stir up the desire to murder innocent people.”
Jenny opened her mouth to debate but came up empty. She held her finger up and made a series of frustrated expressions. Eric stared her down.
“I’ve got nothing. We both know I’m at fault. But Eric, you have to trust me from here on; we’re married and starting a family. I know it’s a big thing, but one day you will have to let this go.” The killer pleaded.
Her hormones kicked up, but she pushed the fountain of tears back down. She wasn’t going to let her new husband think she was trying to manipulate him by crying. Eric let his arms fall to his side.
“I’m going to try to put this behind us. It’s going to take a while.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her brow. “Let’s stop fighting. There is a lot of packing to do before we move to Florida. And I still have to find a new job.”
“All right. I can wait. We have the rest of our lives.” Jenny agreed.
They went upstairs holding hands. For an hour Jenny wrapped dishes and Eric submitted resumes online. After an uncomfortably quiet dinner of pizza, the newlyweds went to bed.