You Were What You Eat

30. The Horror Show

They peeked through the leaves as best they could, trying to see what Fredrick was doing. He was leaning up against a pillar near a row of glass doors.

He was trying his best to look casual, but Anna could see he was fidgeting. Clearly he'd been putting this off, and it was taking its toll on him. Carmine checked the time. It was 12:14; the theater was pretty much closed. There was no one in the darkened ticket booth, and even most of the interior lights were dimmed. Anna wondered what he could possibly be doing here.

"Are they still showing movies now?" Anna asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Carmine shook her head no. "The last one started at like ten or ten-thirty."

"So...why are we here?" Anna asked, puzzled. Carmine shrugged and motioned her to watch; they'd see soon enough.

Mia looked over at Anna and whispered, "Maybe he's here to meet Jackie."

If that was the case, Anna hoped he was here to do more than just drive her home – she'd hate to have come all this way just to watch Fredrick whisk Jacqueline away to an even more remote location. They turned back to watch, waiting to see what would happen and hoping it would at least take place in this parking lot.

They didn't have to wait long. Fredrick had timed it so that he'd gotten to the theater just as the last movie of the night was letting out. If Anna looked hard, she could just make out the shapes of people walking around on the other side of the tinted theater doors. Fredrick straightened a little, gearing up.

Soon, groups of people started coming out of those doors, walking right past Fredrick. He stood there checking his watch, looking past the crowd – doing a good job of showing anyone who might glance his way that he was waiting for someone. Then, his eyes fixed on a person at the back of the crowd and he smiled to himself. Anna strained to see who it was, pressing her nose into the chain-linked fence to get a better look.

It was a girl, maybe eleven, but probably younger. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and she wore what looked like a pink jean jacket paired with her skirt and sneakers. Anna noticed that not only was she in the back of the crowd, but she didn't seem to be talking to anyone. Anna's breath caught in her chest. If this girl really was alone, she would be the perfect target for Fredrick.

Fredrick turned his head to stare at her as she walked by, quickly and hungrily sizing her up. She passed him by several feet before he called out to her.

"Um...excuse me." he said in a loud, if hesitant voice. Startled, she looked up from her shoes and turned around quizzically.

He looked absolutely charming as he stood there. The leer he'd been wearing only seconds ago was gone, replaced with a trustworthy smile. He waved her over with a small gesture, trying to be reassuring, but still allowing the perfect amount of anxiety to shine through.

As she made her way back to him, he hesitated for a second or two. The girl seemed to think it was embarrassment; Anna knew he was just waiting until the crowd moved further on.

"I'm really sorry to bother you..." He didn't continue right away, instead letting the conversation hang there for a minute.

"That's ok. What's wrong?" the girl asked in sympathy. Apparently, the fake nervousness he was exuding had won her over.

Fredrick glanced causally at the crowd again before continuing. The closest person was now well over twenty feet away – too far to notice what would happen. He turned back to the girl.

"Can I borrow you for a second? You see, I have a slight problem." He flashed his winning smile at her, his brows furrowing just the slightest bit.

"Of course." she said, "What do you need?" For all practical purposes, the two were alone. It was time.