Friend Me Read Online Free Page A

and had a strong scent of industrial disinfectant. A faded shag rug covered the floor, and a television with an artificial wood cabinet sat on a glossy veneered table. The table, like the television on it, was marked by burns from cigarettes.
    Getz walked to the bed and turned it down. “This place isn’t much, but the sheets are clean. That’s enough, right?”
    â€œIt’s all that matters.” Melissa fingered the zipper of her pantsuit jacket, making sure Getz saw what she did. “Aaron, pull the top sheet all the way down, will you? Why don’t you lie down and let me rub your back for a while, okay? We can talk for a few minutes. I’m a little nervous. It will help me relax.”
    Like I could relax in this slime pit .
    Getz complied, lying down on his stomach with his face on the pillow. “How’s this?” His voice sounded muffled.
    â€œGreat. Now close your eyes. Start thinking about us working together.”
    â€œOh, yeah. I’m feeling more comfortable all the time.”
    Melissa set her handbag softly on the bed as she sat down next to the prone man. With her left hand she rubbed his shoulder in a circular motion. With her right she reached into the bag and withdrew the scissors. Light flashed on the blades as theycame silently out of the cloth bag. “Are you ready to check out our compatibility?”
    â€œMmmmmmm.”
    With her left thumb Melissa felt along the base of Getz’s skull until she touched the concave area where the two tendons meet under the base of his skull. “Feel good?”
    â€œMmmmmmm.”
    â€œLet’s get rid of that tension.” She began rubbing in the depression, making sure of the spot.
    â€œGood-bye, Mr. Getz.”
    Getz’s eyes opened. Too late.
    Melissa shoved the scissor handles with the butt of her hand into the spot she’d located on his neck. The sharp blades passed through the epidermal layer and into the muscle layer beneath. She leaned in and pushed harder as the flesh crunched and tore with the passage of the stainless steel tips. At the end, there was a soft pop as the brain stem parted into two useless pieces.
    Getz’s legs stiffened and kicked one time as she listened to the final rush of air leaving his lungs.
    â€œFor compatibility’s sake, Mr. Getz.” White-knuckled, she gripped the handles and moved them around in a wide arc inside Getz’s skull before withdrawing them.
    There was very little blood. Just a stain at the top of the polo’s collar. She wiped the scissors off on the back of his shirt, and rinsed them clean in the bathroom sink. Then, from her purse she took out a plastic bag, sealed the scissors inside, and tucked the bag back into the purse.
    Stay calm, Melissa .
    She removed the sealed wet-wipe envelope she’d brought,tore off the edge, and extracted the alcohol-soaked fabric. Her thin fingers trembled slightly as she wiped down the table, the doorknobs, everything she had touched. No one had seen her enter, she was sure of that. The SUV was still parked in the shadow of the building, the passenger side invisible to the motel office. She could walk in the direction away from the office without being seen.
    Melissa turned out the light in the room. Only a soft, muted glow from inside the plastic case of the television remained. Eyes closed softly, she accustomed herself to the absence of light.
    She gave Getz no more than a glance as she left, turning the knob with the stiffening wet wipe. She would dispose of that somewhere on the way back.
    She looked left, right. No cameras, no strange people with their prying eyes.
    No one had seen her face at the restaurant. Hadn’t she even made sure they walked in separately? Darkness had shrouded her time at the motel. There wouldn’t even be any DNA evidence. No taxi records. Nothing.
    Confident, she stepped into the darkness for the long walk back to her home.
    Much later, she made out the pale