Watch Them Die Read Online Free PDF

minutes of snow.”
    A buxom black woman in her mid-forties, Tish had a beautiful face and long, straight hair she always pulled back with a barrette. She wore a pair of jeans, boots, and an oversized purple V-neck sweater. Tish, along with her girlfriend, Sandra, had been the owner and manager of Emerald City Video for almost eleven years.
    She squeezed past Hannah and started out of the break room. “C’mon, let’s get these returns checked in before the store opens.”
    Hannah ejected the tape from the VCR, then wandered toward the front counter.
    Tish was at the register, stacking up the returned videos and DVDs.
    “You know, I woke up early, early this morning,” Hannah said. “And I thought someone was in the apartment. Maybe somebody switched the tapes.”
    Tish stared at her. “You had a break-in? And you didn’t call the cops?”
    “I said I thought someone was there.” She shrugged. “When I checked, I didn’t see anyone, and nothing was missing. I figured I was wrong. Only now, I don’t know.”
    Tish looked at her as if she were crazy.
    Hannah started filing away DVDs. She couldn’t explain it. Hell, she didn’t know what to believe. She’d had a run-in with a bitchy customer last night, gone home, skipped dinner, and downed a glass of wine. Then she’d started to look at a video, and it scared the hell out of her. Two and a half glasses of Chardonnay later, she had thought someone was in the apartment. She didn’t want to share any of this with Tish. She didn’t want her to know that she sometimes drank too much.
    “I don’t get it.” One hand on the counter and the other on her hip, Tish frowned at her. “I mean, if you really think someone broke into your place last night to rip off what looked like a snuff film, maybe it really was a snuff film. You might want to contact the police.”
    Hannah tried to keep busy with the DVDs. She sighed. “They’ll just say it was a hoax. It’s what you thought last night. You were trying to convince me it was someone’s project for a film class. You said so yourself; there’s no such thing as a genuine snuff film. They’re all fake.”
    “Well, maybe you found a real McCoy. What’s the harm in putting in a call to the cops, huh? Let them know what happened—”
    “No,” Hannah said. “It’s too late to call them now. There’s nothing to back up my story. The video’s just static now. I’ll come across as some nutcase. Please, let’s just drop it. No need to call the police, really. I don’t want you to.”
    “You sure?” Tish asked.
    “Of course,” she replied. Hannah finished filing DVDs and started in on the tapes. She could feel Tish studying her. After a minute, Hannah glanced at the clock on the wall, then at the door. “Time to open up,” she said. “And Howard’s waiting. He’ll want to know What’s new in new releases? ”
    “Yeah, goddamn pain in the ass,” Tish muttered, sauntering toward the door. “Always wants me to recommend something, puts me through the wringer, and never rents a damn thing I tell him to.” She unlocked the door and opened it. “Well, Howard, how’s my favorite customer?”
    “What’s new in new releases?” the older man asked.
    “Come on over here,” Hannah heard Tish say. “Let’s take a look….”
    Hannah continued to file away the DVDs. She hoped she’d gotten through to Tish about not calling the police. If the video had still been intact, and they’d determined it was real, she would have asked Tish to handle everything. She’d have asked to be left out of it.
    Only a week ago, she’d confirmed once again that it still wasn’t safe for her to become involved with the authorities in any way.
    In the store, they’d been showing a new comedy called Way Out There . Hannah had recognized one of the actors as a fellow student from her days in Chicago’s Second City troupe. They used to hang out together.
    Way Out There was still playing when Hannah took her break. She