In the locker room she found Cielo changing into his street clothes. “You got a minute?” she asked him.
“Sure. What is it?”
“Going home to your family?”
“Yeah.”
“How’d you like to work some overtime tonight?”
“I’m not sure. My daughter has this thing—”
“How old is your daughter?”
“Four.”
“Beat cops make such a shitty salary here that you've got to stretch things with her, don't you?”
“Sometimes. What’s this about?”
“I’m thinking you could provide a lot better for her if you were a detective, don’t you?”
“Maybe, but—”
“You come with me tonight to Robinson Tower and I can pretty much guarantee you a collar that will land you on the front page. Between that and a glowing recommendation from a fellow officer, I’d bet you’d have a great chance of getting a gold badge, don’t you think?”
“I’m honored, but my kid—”
“Don’t worry about her. Once you start pulling down detective money you can buy her some new toys or take her to Disney World or something. She’ll forget all about it.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “How many chances are you going to get to make a name for yourself here?”
He didn’t say anything at first, but she could already see he was going to give in. He needed to figure out how to let his conscience off the hook. “This arrest is going to be big?” he said.
“Huge. Even bigger than that freak show of Kramer’s.”
“Must be someone important then.”
“You can definitely say that. Are you in?”
“Yeah, I’m in,” he said.
“Good.” She gave him the address for a coffee shop where she and Early usually went. “Be there in twenty minutes. We’ll go over what’s going down tonight.”
“Sure thing.”
“And make sure to keep this under your hat.”
“I will.”
She nodded. Of course he would keep it to himself. Cielo wasn’t a creep like Kramer, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t ambitious. He was a man with a family to support and while detectives didn’t pull down six figures, it was a lot better than a beat cop’s salary. Maybe she had oversold him on it a little, but arresting a city councilman—a mayoral candidate to boot—would definitely be big news. If they managed to snag Don Vendetta too, that would make Kramer’s snow job seem like a kindergarten play.
***
Emma had stepped out of the shower when she heard Becky shout, “Hey, kid, you better come see this!” She wrapped a towel around herself and then hurried out into the living room, where Becky had the television on. She almost dropped the towel when she saw the armor on the stage and a headline proclaiming: VIGILANTE KILLED BY POLICE. “This clown is saying you’re dead.”
Emma asked Becky to turn the volume up to make sure she could hear the rest of the conference. It wasn’t Detective Donovan on the stage but a Lieutenant Kramer, whom she recognized as the policeman who’d interrogated her after her parents were murdered. The man wore a smug grin as he told a completely fabricated story about how he had surprised and killed a woman who’d worn the armor displayed on the stage.
Worse yet, Kramer went on to pin the killings in Robinson Park, as well as those of some homeless men around the city, on her. If she weren’t already sitting on the beanbag chair opposite Becky, Emma might have collapsed. “He’s saying I’m the Dragoon,” she said.
“Some crack police work there,” Becky said. “What exactly did you tell that bitch when you saw her?”
“I didn’t tell her anything like that,” Emma said. She leaned closer to the television and squinted to see if Detective Donovan was there. Where was she? Why was Kramer saying such terrible things about her?
“Too bad we can’t set the record straight,” Becky said.
“I guess this will help our cause.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Well, now Ian will definitely think he’s in the clear. Not only is the Scarlet Knight dead, but the police won’t be looking for him either. He could stroll through Executive Plaza and no one would stop him.”
“I’m glad you can see the bright side of all this.”
Emma shrugged at this. She wasn’t happy to have the police brand her a murderer, but if it helped her stop Ian—stop the Black Dragoon—then it would be worth it. Maybe if she was able to stop him, then she could clear her name with the police. Or at least she would have better incentive to quit the superhero business.
“You think he might try to steal the armor from the cops?”
“He’s not going to risk anything that might tip his hand. As far as he’s concerned, the Scarlet Knight is out of the way.”
“Until you kick his ass tonight.”
Emma blushed at this. She didn’t have any illusions about that part of the plan. Last time the Dragoon had nearly crippled her leg and then turned her mind against itself. This time he might do something far worse, something closer to what had happened to all of those people in Robinson Park.
Becky patted Emma’s bare shoulders. “Come on, kid, don’t worry about it. Everything’s gone off without a hitch so far.”
“I guess.” She got up from the chair to trudge back to her room and get dressed. She had to go to work today especially so Ian would see her. If he didn’t, he might put two and two together and realize she was the Scarlet Knight. That would be bad news not only for her, but for people she cared about as well—like Dan.
Emma looked into her purse, where the vial she’d taken from Mrs. Chiostro’s collection still resided. She had worried the old witch might show up during the night to ask for it back. She wondered again if she should use the potion, if she could bring herself to do it when the time came.
That thought hung over her on the way to the Plaine Museum. Becky must have sensed her dark mood, as she stayed with Emma until they reached the museum steps again. She gave Emma a hug. “Try to relax,” Becky said. “It’s another day of staring at space junk, right?”
“Right,” Emma whispered.
“I’ve got to go schlep stuff for the big rally tonight. I’ll see you up there later.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Becky gave her a wave and then pressed into the crowds; she soon disappeared from sight. With a sigh, Emma climbed up the steps, which seemed even higher than usual. She was grateful not to see Dan at the top of these.
Chapter 29
Cabs were usually a luxury Emma couldn’t afford. Today she splurged on one to take her out to Parkdale. She encouraged the cabbie to drive as fast as possible. In a few hours she would have to be back at the apartment to meet Dan, but first she needed to say goodbye to two very special people in her life.
They were both in the recreation room of the rest home; Mr. Graves read the paper and Aunt Gladys stared out the window. Mr. Graves set the newspaper down and flashed her a smile. “Hello, lass. What brings you out here?”
She pulled up a chair so she could meet his eyes. She said in a low voice, “I’m going to fight him tonight. I thought before I did, I should see you to, you know—”
“Are you sure that’s a wise idea? You’ve only faced him twice and the last time didn’t go very well for you, did it?”
“You know about that?”
“That twerp Marlin paid me a visit. Said what a mess you’d made of things. Wanted me to try taking the armor from you.”
This didn’t come as much of a surprise to Emma, although she wished the ghost hadn’t worried Mr. Graves like that. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him that I was much too old for that. And that he had himself a perfectly good Scarlet Knight already.”
“Thanks,” she said. “But you don’t think I should fight him?”
“I’m not sure you’re ready. That trick he pulled on you was something I haven’t faced before. I doubt it’s something any of the others did either
. Whoever this bloke is, he’s learned some new tricks.”
“I know who he is. He’s my supervisor at the museum.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, lass. You’re sure you can go through with it?”
“I have to.”
Mr. Graves shook his head. “I knew it was going to be difficult, but this is worse than I’d ever thought. It’s all my fault. If I’d hidden that black armor better—”
She took his hand and squeezed it. “It’s not your fault. You did the best you could.”
“I’m the one who got you into this mess. You put that blasted armor on to save me.”
“I’d already heard the Call. It was going to happen eventually.”
“Maybe. Or maybe if I’d put it on at the start—”
“Then you’d probably be dead right now.”
He smiled slightly. “That might be an improvement considering what they feed us around here.” His smile quickly faded. “I wish I could do more to help you. You shouldn’t have to try doing this by yourself.”
“I can do it,” she said, though her voice didn’t sound all that certain to her own ears.
“I know you can, lass.” He smiled at her again. “I always knew you were meant for great things.”
She smiled back at him, though there were tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
He wrapped her in a hug. “You’ll do fine, lass. Just try to be careful. Otherwise I won’t have anything to look forward to anymore.”
“I will.”
She pulled away from him and got to her feet. “Just in case—”
“Don’t say it, lass. I already know. I feel the same.”
She nodded to him and then met his eyes for a moment. The love in them told her all she needed to know. He already knew what she was facing and the odds of her survival. There was no need to say anything else.
She left him to read the paper. She went over to where Aunt Gladys sat. She touched her aunt’s arm; she gave it a firm shake to snap Aunt Gladys from her reverie. When Aunt Gladys turned, her face lit up with surprise. “Hello, sweetie. Oh my, look how big you’ve gotten!”
“Aunt Gladys—”
“And you’re talking now? You’re getting to be such a big girl.” To Emma’s horror, her aunt tried to pick her up; she thought Emma was still a baby. Emma edged back to stay out of her aunt’s reach. “Now, sweetheart, you’re not so big you can’t sit on your sister’s lap, are you?”
“Aunt Gladys, please. I’m not a baby. I’m nineteen years old.” She seized her aunt’s hand and looked into those rheumy blue eyes that had once been so much like her own. “Please, you have to remember. Just this one time.”
“Now, Louise, don’t cry. Did you make a stinky in your dipey?”
Louise? That was Mom’s name. “Aunt Gladys, please. Remember me. It’s Emma. You raised me after Mom and Dad died.”
Aunt Gladys stood up and looked down at Emma. “Come on, Louise, let’s go find Mommy to change you. Then I can put a nice bottle on the stove.”
“I’m not a baby! I’m not Louise!” Emma shouted, loud enough that everyone in the rec room turned to her. Mr. Graves hurried over to her.
“It’s all right, lass.”
“She doesn’t even remember me anymore.”
“She’s having a bad day. I’m sure she still remembers you on the inside.”
As Emma sobbed, she heard a tiny voice whisper, “Miss Cabot, it’s time for your pills.”
Emma turned to see a nurse take Aunt Gladys by the arm and steer her back over to the chair. Aunt Gladys stared at the nurse for a moment; Emma wondered who her aunt thought the nurse was. It must not have been someone good, as Aunt Gladys batted the tray of pills away from her. “You, get out of here! You leave my niece alone! She doesn’t need anything from you!”
Then the nurse did something strange: she brushed wild black hair away from the left side of her face to reveal a pale blue eye not at all like the brown one on her right side. This pale eye fixed on Aunt Gladys as the nurse said in a very calm voice, “Miss Cabot, it’s me. Marie Marsh. I’m your friend. Remember?”
Aunt Gladys stared at Marie for a moment and then nodded. “Yes, you’re my friend.” Aunt Gladys sat down on the chair and allowed Marie to give her the pills and a cup of water to wash them down with. Then Aunt Gladys turned back to the window.
Emma pulled away from Mr. Graves while Marie picked up the mess Aunt Gladys had made. Emma helped her scoop up the pills and piled them on the tray for Marie to sort out. “I’m sorry about my aunt,” Emma said.
“It’s okay,” Marie said. “She forgets sometimes.”
“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what did you do to her?”
“I helped her.”
“Is it…is it permanent?”
Marie shook her head. “It only works for a little while.”
“I see.”
Marie brushed the hair away from her face again, this time training that strange pale eye on Emma. Like with the Dragoon on the opera house, she found she couldn’t turn away from it. She watched Marie’s pale face go slack into a look of awe. “It’s so beautiful,” she said.
“What is?”
“The angel.”
“Angel?”
Marie nodded. “You have an angel inside you. It’s pretty.”
“Marie—”
“You love your aunt a lot. You feel bad you left her to go to school.”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I can see it. You didn’t cry until you got home. You didn’t want her to know.”
Emma nodded slightly at this; she still couldn’t move her head. She heard Mr. Graves say, “What are you doing to her? If you hurt her—”
“It’s all right,” Emma said. “She’s not hurting me.”
To her surprise, Marie took her hand and helped her to stand up. She led Emma over to where Aunt Gladys sat. “Miss Cabot? Your niece is here to see you.”
“Niece? I don’t have—” Aunt Gladys turned and her eyes met Marie’s pale one.
“Your niece Emma is here to see you. You remember her, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” When Aunt Gladys faced Emma, her eyes were clear, as they had been before the Alzheimer’s ravaged her mind. “Hello, sweetheart. Oh my, look at you. You’re so grown up.”
“Aunt Gladys—”
“Such a beautiful young woman you’ve turned into. Your parents would be so proud.”
Tears rolled down Emma’s cheeks, but she made no attempt to wipe them away. “I’ve missed you, Aunt Gladys. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I know.” She took Emma’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s not your fault. You know that. You’re a scientist. There was nothing you could have done for me.”
“I could have stayed. I could have helped—”
“No, you couldn’t. And I couldn’t have lived with myself if I’d held you back.” Her hand caressed Emma’s cheek. “You’re such a special girl. I knew that. So did your mom and dad.”
“I’m not—”
“Never be ashamed of who you are,” Aunt Gladys said, her voice as firm as when Emma had tried to sneak a cookie before dinner. “No matter what happens, you remember that I love you and I’m proud of you. Now, give your old aunt a kiss.”
Emma did as she was told; she kissed Aunt Gladys’s cheek. Her aunt gave her one final pat on the cheek and said, “You’d better go now. You have too much to do to hang around here all night.”
Emma smiled at this. “Yes, Aunt Gladys.”
With that Aunt Gladys rested her chin on her chest and closed her eyes. Marie brushed her hair back across her eye; she looked down shyly at the carpet as Emma gave her a hug. “Thank you so much for that.”
“You’re welcome.” Marie squirmed out of Emma’s grip and then took the tray of pills. “I should get back to work.”
“Marie—”
“I have to go.” Marie hurried out of the room, into a room marked, “Staff Only.”
>
Mr. Graves put a hand on Emma’s shoulder and shook his head. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“Neither have I,” Emma said. But if she survived tonight she would have to find out what had happened.
***
The cab dropped her back at the apartment with enough time for her to put on a dress and apply a coat of lipstick. Even the lipstick seemed a bit much considering she probably wouldn’t be at the rally for long as Dr. Emma Earl. She was still in the bathroom when she heard his knock. After she checked herself in the mirror, she sighed and then answered the door.
“Hi. Your roommate gone?”
“She went on ahead,” Emma said. She kept the door between them, afraid if he touched her she might lose all of her resolve. “Want to come in for a minute?”
“We don’t really have a minute,” he said.
“Please?” She motioned for him to come inside, but danced aside before he could touch her. “I need to get my purse.”
The purse sat on her dresser, the vial from Mrs. Chiostro still inside it. Beside the purse was a syringe she had filched from the nursing home on her way out. She didn’t know if the potion would still work if it were injected instead of digested, but she hoped it would—if she needed it. She hoped she wouldn’t, that he would agree to what she wanted.
With the purse on her shoulder—the syringe filled and ready to go—she found him still waiting for her. She touched his arm and said, “Before we left, I wanted to talk for a minute.”
“I’m not sure—”
“Please, it’s important.” She smiled at him, but inside she had to hold back tears. What she had to say wouldn’t be easy. “I really like you, Dan. I wanted you to know—”
“I really like you too.”
“But I think things are moving too fast.”
“What?”
“I care about you, but things are so complicated for me right now. I don’t think a relationship is what I need.”
“Then what do you need?”
“I guess I need you to understand,” she said. She hated herself for it. As much as she loved Dan, she couldn’t be with him right now, not with so much else going on in her life. After things settled down, after she could stop being the Scarlet Knight, then they could be together—if he was still interested.
Tales of the Scarlet Knight Collection: The Call Page 24