“That’s very poetic, Marlin, for a stupid psychopath. Who let you out of the asylum?”
“I’ll have to punish you for that, Marty. I’m not your husband. You’ve no right to insult me.”
She yelled, “Why the fuck not, you puny, pathetic little bastard?”
“Stop it! Yes, keep quiet, that’s better. Now, I’m waiting, Marty, I’m waiting for you. You’re running out of time. You’d better stop mouthing off at me and run.”
She did, no wrong turns now, just right to the center, no hesitation at all.
He was there, standing right in the center of the maze, wearing goggles. In the next moment, he’d pressed a button and a pool of light flooded down where they stood. He was dressed in camouflage fatigues with black army boots laced up to the top. He pulled off the infrared goggles. He looked as white as a death mask in the eerie light. Now he did look scrawny. He gave her a big smile. “You made it here real fast when you tried, Marty. I scared you enough so that you knew if you didn’t hurry, I’d have to hurt you really bad.”
“Scare me? You stupid moron, you wouldn’t scare a dead chicken. Did I beat your time limit, you worthless little shit?”
His smile dropped away. He looked more confused than angry. “Why aren’t you afraid? Why aren’t you begging me to let you go now? You know it makes me crazy when you say bad words, when-”
“You’re already so crazy I don’t have to say anything, you stupid prick.”
“Shut up! I hate to hear a woman curse, hate it, hate it, hate it! You didn’t make the center in time, Marty. I’ve got to punish you now.”
“Just how will you do that, you little creep?”
“Damn you, shut up!” He pulled a hunting knife out of the sheath at his waist. It was a foot long-sharp, cold silver. It gleamed in that dead white light.
“Why a maze, Marlin? Before you punish me, tell me about why you use a maze?”
“It’s special for you, Marty, just for you.” He was playing with the knife now, lightly running the pad of his thumb over the blade. “It’s real sharp, Marty, real sharp.”
“Of course it is. It’s a knife, you idiot. Not only are you pathetic, you’re also a liar. You didn’t build this maze just for me. Your little game isn’t at all special. You aren’t capable of any originality at all. Nope, the same thing over and over. Every one of the women you’ve killed had to find her way to the center of your maze. Why the maze, Marlin? Or are you too afraid to tell me?”
He took a step closer, then stopped. “How do you know about all the other women?”
“I’m psychic, you toad. I can read that miserable little brain of yours without trying. Yeah, I’m psychic, as opposed to a psychopath, which is what you are. Why the maze, Marlin? You’re afraid to tell me, aren’t you? I knew it, you’re nothing but a pathetic little coward.”
“Damn you, shut up! I’ll tell you, then I’ll cut out that filthy tongue of yours and I’ll make you eat it before I slice you like a stalk of celery.” He was panting, he was breathing so hard, as if he’d sprinted a good hundred yards. “My father loved mazes. He said they were a work of art when done well. He taught me how to build mazes. We lived in the desert outside Yuma. There weren’t any nice thick green bushes, so we had to build our own bushes, then we had so many, we made them into mazes.” He shook his head, frowned at her. “You got me off track. You made me change my lines. I’ve never done that before. I’ve got to punish you for that now, Marty.”
“I sure hope your father isn’t alive. He sounds as sick as you. You said the other women didn’t make you change your lines. Why did you punish them? What’d they do to you?”
“Damn you, shut up! Don’t you dare talk about my dad! And I won’t tell you anything!”