Which is only the truth. He will not believe her, that is the plain truth. He will think this is something she's invented. A lie to break them apart. And facing the truth, feeling helpless in the cruel and bitter glare of the truth, she becomes suddenly furious. She does not know what she says in the very next instant, perhaps she says nothing at all, or perhaps she says something so softly that it isn't even heard. She knows only that the paring knife is suddenly in her hand.
Q: Did you stab and kill Susan Brauer?
A: Yes.
Q: How many times did you stab her?
A: I don't remember.
Q: Do you know there were thirty-two stab and slash wounds?
A: Good.
Q: Miss Weed . . .
A: My clothes were covered with blood. I took a raincoat from her closet and put it on. So the doorman wouldn't see all that blood when I was going out.
Q: Miss Weed, did you also kill Arthur Schumacher?
A: Yes. I shouldn't have, it was a dumb move. I wasn't thinking properly.
Q: How do you mean?
A: Well, she was gone, you see. I had him all to myself again.
Q: I see.
A: But, of course, I didn't, did I?
Q: Didn't what, Miss Weed?
A: Didn't have him all to myself again. Not really. Because he was the one who'd ended it, you see, not me. And if he'd found somebody else so quickly, well, he'd jast find somebody else again, it was as simple as that, wasn't it? He was finished with me, he'd never come back to me, it was as simple as that. He'd find himself another little cutie, maybe even younger this time - he'd once asked me to set up something with Hannah from the shop, can you believe it? She was fifteen at the time, he asked me to set up a three-way with her. So I. . .1 guess I realized I'd lost him forever. And that was when I began getting angry all over again. About what he'd done. About leaving me like that and then starting up with her. About using me. I don't like to be used. It infuriates me to be used. So I… he'd given me this gun as a gift. I went up there and waited outside . . .
Q: Up where, Miss Weed?
Nellie's voice almost hushed. Wanting to pin down the address for later, for when this thing came to trial. Getting all her ducks in a row in this day and age when even videotaped confessions sometimes didn't mean a thing to a jury.
A: His apartment. On Selby Place.
Q: When was this, can you remember?
A: Yes, it was the twentieth. A Friday night.
Q: And you say you went there and waited outside his building . . . A: Yes, and shot him.
Q: How many times did you shoot him? Do you remember? A: Four.
Q: Did you also shoot the dog?
A: Yes. I was sorry about that. But the dog was a gift from her, you see.
Q: From . . .? A: Margaret. His wife. I knew all about Margaret, of course, Margaret was no secret, we talked about Margaret all the time.
Q: Did you kill her, too?
A: Yes.
Q: Why?
A: All of them.
Q: I'm sorry,-what. . .?
A: Any woman he'd ever had anything to do with.
Q: Are you saying . . .?
A: All of them, yes. Did you see his will? The insult of it!
Q: No, I haven't seen it. Tell me what. . .
A: Well, you should take a look at it. I was never so insulted in my life! Ten thousand dollars! Is that a slap in the face, or what is it? After all we meant to each other, after all we did together? He left the same amount to his fucking veterinarian! Jesus, that was infuriating] What did he leave the other ones, that was the question? How much did he leave his beloved Margaret, or his first wife, who by the way used to go with him to bars to pick up hookers, he told me they'd once had three of them in the apartment at the same time, three black hookers, this was when his precious daughters were away at camp one summer. Or how about them"} The Goody-Two-Shoes dentist's wife and the stupid hippie he gave that house in Vermont to? How much did he leave them in his will? Oh, Jesus, I was furious! Did he take me for a fool? I'm no fool, you know. I showed him.
Q: How did you show him?
A: I went after all of them. I wanted to get all of them. To show him.
Q: When you say 'all of them . . .'
A: All of them. Margaret and the first wife and the two darling daughters, all of them, what do you think all of them means? His womenl His fucking women]
Q: Did you, in fact, kill Gloria Sanders?
A: Yes, I did. I said so, didn't I?
Q: No, not until this . . .
A: Well, I did. Yes. And I'm not sorry, either. Not for her, not for any of them. Unless . . . well, I suppose maybe . . .
Q: Yes?
A: No, never mind.
Q: Please tell me.
A: I guess I'm sorry about. . . about hurting …
Q: Yes?
A: Hurting Arthur.
Q: Why is that?
A: He was such a wonderful person.
A knock sounded on the door. "Busy in here!" Byrnes shouted. "Excuse me, sir, but. . ."
"I said we're busy in here!"
The door opened cautiously. Miscolo from the Clerical Office poked his head into the room.
"I'm sorry, sir," he said, "but this is urgent."
"What is it?" Byrnes snapped.
"It's for you, Steve," Miscolo said. "Detective Wade from the Four-Five."
