Shadow & Flame - Part One: The Collective - Season 1, Episode 4

by Elias Raven

  We grabbed our helmets, headed in through the doorway, and walked right into a maelstrom of activity. I could tell they were shorthanded by the speed Ava was working the counter. She was pouring the coffee damn near six cups at a time and Laura was flat out a machine.

  She was balancing trays on her arms and ripping orders down from the turnstile even as the cook was ringing the bell. I watched Ava wince as Laura bussed a table and tossed them into the washing station with one plate careening into another.

  “Laura, Baby! Easy on the China!” Ava yelled out. Laura waved her hand and continued working among the tables. Ava hated chipped plates. It was money out of her pocket. Mac and Reid were at the breakfast counter.

  It was funny, but they always had the same seats every time I came in for breakfast with Misty. Maybe Ava had them permanently blocked off, or else the two officers were telling the customers to kindly move their asses. If I had to guess, it was probably the latter of the two. I smiled and gave the boys the thumbs up even as the seats across from them opened up.

  “Where’s the fire, Ava?” I heard Mac ask. Ava was already resetting the now clean spots at the counter for whoever came in next. She didn’t mess around.

  “Customers, Mac. Have you looked around? You gotta be quick around here. Rhianna and Misty are here. Can you please make sure no one bothers them, or God forbid someone tries to take a picture of her? I really like my new bar stools,” she said over the noise of the crowd.

  “Sweetheart, I think that was you that broke the last bar stool, not me,” I said as she approached me pulling me in for a hug.

  “Well, no one likes their picture being taken while they’re eating. That’s just rude. I asked him to leave nicely like five times. I swear you throw one bar stool at a photog and you never live it down,” Ava replied.

  I started laughing and returned Ava’s hug.

  “And Honey, if you want to go incognito around these parts, you might wanna tell Misty that blue hair stands out,” Ava said matter of factly waving her fingers.

  “The blue hair stays. How’ve you been, Ava?” Misty leaned in and kissed Ava’s cheek then looked over at Reid and Mac.

  “Reid, Mac. Getting into trouble, I hope! Nice to see you two,” she said smiling at them both. She sat down at the counter and patted the seat next to her and gave me the eye.

  “Sit, Baby. I’m famished,” she said smiling at me.

  Ava walked over with a steaming hot pot of coffee. “Would you both like some coffee?” she asked. I nodded and winked at her.

  “Where’s Royston?” Ava asked looking around the café.

  “Oh, he’ll be here in a minute. Work call or some shit. I never know what he’s doing,” I answered like a smart ass.

  Ava hurried off to grab three cups of coffee and the breakfast orders from Mac and Reid. I watched her head up to the carousel and hang the ticket for the cook as Royston came in and saw the two of us at the bar. He gave me a thumb’s up, then slid into the empty spot at the bar next to the two guys.

  They immediately became engrossed in conversation. Me and Misty talked amongst ourselves looking over the menu.

  “… I’ve been following the case closely. Let me know when you have time to sit down, to go over my notes. I think I found something of interest,” Royston spoke softly to Reid then looked at me. Reid caught the look and stared over in my direction, and then back to Royston. He leaned in and spoke really softly, and I watched Reid’s eyes light up then he nodded.

  Royston saw Ava approaching and turned his attention towards her.

  “Ava, dear. It is always a pleasure to see you. You are looking radiant this morning. New moisturizer?” By the time Ava stopped laughing, my cheeks hurt just as much as hers. Royston could be the nicest guy on the planet, but sometimes you didn’t know if he was pulling your leg or not!

  “How nice of you to notice, Royston. Always the gentleman. To answer your question, yes, I gave up on the expensive wrinkle cream and went back to good ole’ fashioned Vaseline Intensive Care. I figured if it was good enough to smooth my elbows, it should be good enough for my face.” At that point, everyone at the breakfast counter broke into laughter.

  We all continued to laugh and carry on while Ava heard the cook ring the bell. She walked back, grabbed an order, and poured hot coffee for us while delivering Reid and Mac’s food.

  “Seriously, Ava, you know I am only joking with you. It is nice to see you.” Royston flashed his award-winning smile her way. I had to admit he was turning on the charm with her.

  I knew that Ava really liked Royston. We had even talked about him a few times when he wasn’t around. It was strictly girl talk, but she said she loved when he would come in during a lull. She loved talking books with him, with both of us. Ava was one of the few people that were not a part of my inner circle that I would let my guard down with. She got to experience the smallest sliver of the real me. Very few people got to see that. Over the months and years, Ava has earned that trust.

  “Alright everyone, sorry to cut this short, but I have to get to my inventory,” Ava said.

  “No, we just got here. Stay and play a minute,” Misty suggested with just the hint of a pout on her gorgeous lips for added effect.

  “While the invitation is tempting, I have to get out of here early today. I promised JJ ice cream if he did well on his spelling test,” she replied and grinned at Misty.

  Ava leaned over the counter in front of Misty and whispered to me on the sly, “But please come in again soon, I have to hear all about the photog you beat up. I bet it was great! Just tell me. It was great, wasn’t it!?” I could see the delight on her face. She really wanted to know!

  “Oh-my-God-it was fucking hysterical! I promise I will call you this week to tell you all about it. The only thing that would’ve made it better is if I didn’t break my guitar! But fuck it! Sometimes you just have to roll with it.” I winked at her.

  “Go. Get your work done. Family first. Tell JJ we all said hello and I hope to see him soon,” I said smiling at Ava.

  “Sorry guys, I really wish I could stay and chat.” Ava started to walk off looking disappointed and realized the boys hadn’t heard her.

  “…yea, text me when you’re free and we’ll meet up at Reid’s office…” Mac was speaking to Royston.

  “Sorry to interrupt, Royston, dynamic duo, I have work in the back. Laura will be around to check on you. Or you can flag me down.” Ava told the guys clearing her throat.

  “When the fuck did she start with the dynamic duo shit? And who’s Batman in this equation? I’m not Robin, bro.” Reid laughed and pointed to Mac. “You’re Robin.”

  Ava waved them off as she headed towards the kitchen.

  A beautiful brunette caught Reid’s attention. I did a double take checking her out. Misty poked me in the ribs following my gaze.

  Reid nudged Mac, interrupting his conversation with Royston. “Sally’s here. You ever seen that man she’s with?”

  Mac glanced over his shoulder, and Royston turned on his stool to get a better look as well.

  “I don’t think so. He looks a little familiar, but damn, Sally looks hot with her hair down like that,” Mac commented.

  “I don’t know what she normally looks like, but she certainly is eye-catching,” Royston weighed in.

  “Let’s go say hello. I need to talk to her about an email she sent me anyway,” Mac suggested.

  Mac grabbed his coffee off the counter and followed behind Reid as they made their way through the cramped café.

  I looked over at Royston who grabbed his coffee and joined us on the other side of the bar with a big smile on his face. Laura bussed the counter and placed another setup for next customers that were jam packed at the door.

  I looked over my shoulder at the pretty brunette.

  “That would be one Sally Levenson sitting at the table over yonder. She is the medical examiner.” Royston explained. “Mac and Reid need to have a word with her.”

  �
�Any idea what about?” I asked. Misty leaned over and put her arm around me cutting into our conversation.

  “Who cares. I want blueberry pancakes, Honey.” She nuzzled my neck sending chills up my back.

  “All right, I’ll get the waffle with banana and walnuts,” I replied smiling at her.

  Royston waved down Laura whose order book came right out of her apron like a loaded weapon. She smiled taking our orders, blowing her pretty blonde hair out of her eyes. Of course, Royston ordered scones of all fucking things.

  The man barely ever drank coffee-preferring tea instead. I was bound and determined to break him of some of his English habits, but he just brushed me off. Ever the stubborn Englishman, he was going to hold onto some of his old habits despite my meddling.

  A sudden boom of laughter pulled us from our conversation. A man at the next table over had his phone out in front of him, obviously finding humor in whatever he was watching. He turned his head to see us all staring at him. Startled, he quickly pulled his fedora lower on his head and went back to eating his pie.

  “What an odd fellow,” I said.

  Royston leaned over looking at the man. “That one is a bit strange. Laura has talked to me in private about him when I have dropped in from time to time.” Royston said quietly. “Would you like to know what she told me?” He continued keeping his voice low. Both of us caught Royston was talking on the down low on purpose and leaned forward listening attentively.

  “Laura calls him, ‘The Whistler,’” he said not raising his voice.

  “So?” Misty interrupted.

  I put my hand over her mouth, and she gently sucked on my finger sending shivers up and down my spine. My panties were wet in a second from her licking and teasing.

  “She told me, ‘Royston, you know, he’s kind of hot. All mysterious with his fedora pulled down low and all those tats. Bad Boy hot.’ I could tell she liked him. But then she told me, ‘He’s weird! Who eats pie at nine AM? Pumpkin at that with whipped cream. And she also told me ‘he never talks, just sits in the corner and whistles.’ You know, I don’t think she minds the whistling so much, she just wishes he would pick another tune.” Royston stopped and look around making sure no one was listening to our conversation. “She said her and Ava are having recurring dreams about Ring Around the Rosy.” The last lines hit me like a bomb. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.

  “You’re fucking shitting me, Royston, right?” I told him trying to keep my voice down but looking over at the table at the man with the Fedora.

  “Have you ever seen The Whistler in your dreams, Rhianna?” Royston asked.

  “Never, but the fucking whistling, that I know!” I said forcefully.

  “What tune is it?” he asked me.

  Shivers started running through my body.

  “The same song as Laura’s Whistler,” I replied my voice barely coming out.

  Misty grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze, just as Laura brought our breakfast plates over. She quickly refilled our mugs and went back to her other customers.

  “Look you two, the ladies room is right past Mr. Fedora. I’ll go use the bathroom to get rid of some coffee and try to see his face on my way back,” Misty said to us.

  Royston looked at us both and nodded his agreement. Royston’s eyes wandered over to Mac and Reid. They were still talking with the Medical Examiner. Misty got up and headed to the bathroom.

  She looked hot. I saw the fedora wearing man look up from his phone, and I could tell he was watching her as she walked. My skin started to crawl again and for no reason. Royston could tell I was bothered by something. His eyes narrowed to slits as he followed Misty to the bathroom. The Whistler didn’t even hide the fact he was checking her out. It was that blatant.

  After a few minutes, Misty came out of the bathroom. She pulled out her phone and was looking down at it as she walked. The weirdo was still checking her out. My skin got really cold like in the dream. I didn’t know what it meant, this was real time, I wasn’t dreaming. Suddenly, Misty looked up and tripped right near the weirdo’s table dropping her phone. The phone bounced off the tile and landed right on the floor opposite Mr. Fedora. Misty cursed and looked at him.

  “Excuse me for a second, I dropped my phone,” she said. The guy got up from his seat and quickly came over and moved the chair as Misty reached down and grabbed it.

  “H…h…here let m…m…me,” he stuttered.

  Misty stood up and looked right at him. I could tell she was uncomfortable.

  “Thank you,” she said. He put the chair back and called to her.

  “M…m…miss,” he said. His voice almost echoed across the space even though the café was packed.

  Misty looked at me wide eyed then turned around to face him.

  “N…n…nice h…h…hair,” he said.

  Then he gave her the once over and smiled. The last words rolled off his tongue ever so softly with the slightest hint of menace at the end. It was the creepiest fucking thing I had ever heard.

  Chills were running down my spine. Royston said that he never spoke. I wanted to get out of the restaurant that fucking second.

  Chapter 9

  ~Death~

  Come thou, thou last one, whom I recognize,

  unbearable pain throughout this body's fabric:

  as I in my spirit burned, see, I now burn in thee:

  the wood that long resisted the advancing flames

  which thou kept flaring, I now am nourishing

  and burn in thee.

  My gentle and mild being through thy ruthless fury

  has turned into a raging hell that is not from here.

  Quite pure, quite free of future planning, I mounted

  the tangled funeral pyre built for my suffering,

  so sure of nothing more to buy for future needs,

  while in my heart the stored reserves kept silent.

  Is it still I, who there past all recognition burn?

  Memories I do not seize and bring inside.

  O life! O living! O to be outside!

  And I in flames, and no one here who knows me.

  By Rainer Maria Rilke

  ~Royston~ I fixed Rhianna with a hard stare of silence. Misty walked back to the breakfast counter looking dazed and disoriented. I could tell she was shaken. Whatever the man had said to Misty had upset her deeply, yet the exchange had been very brief.

  The Whistler turned back around and started watching his phone again. He laughed a few more times at whatever he saw. The more I watched, the more ill at ease I became. All of the diners stopped talking again, and then our friend realized he was drawing unwanted attention to himself. He pulled his hat down and kept staring at his phone.

  Now I was curious as to what he was watching. He did not strike me as one that would be watching something juvenile on YouTube. What little I did know was like grasping at chaff being thrown into the breeze. There were just bits and pieces, but nothing to grasp and lay down as a solid clue about our friend.

  The women conferred amongst themselves.

  “I’m telling you Rhi, I wanna crawl out of my skin. That dude is beyond motherfucking creepy. Like I wanted to kick him in the face and run. Or step on his foot and knee him in the balls and split. It was all I could do to keep my shit together and not start clawing and swinging, yet he didn’t say shit. The comment about my hair was what flipped my shit. It was like maggots or something crawling on you.”

  Misty was whispering, but talking a mile a minute. I kept one ear on their conversation and one eye on our friend wondering what his next move would be. Laura had said he had never much spoken to her or Ava. Now suddenly Misty is here, and our strange fellow breaks his silence to talk to her. It was an interesting turn of events, to say the least.

  “Baby, breathe. So, he just offered to help and complimented you on your hair?” she asked Misty, “Was there anything else he did?”

  “Fuck yes! Look at his eyes! They’re not right Rhi. I don’t know
how else to explain it. There are like no pupils, or that’s what I saw anyways,” she whispered.

  Misty’s color was off and if I did not get the girls to eat there was no way in hell I’d let either of them drive home. “Ladies, please eat a bit of your breakfast.”

  “I’m not sure I can eat a fucking thing Royston,” Misty exclaimed.

  “Baby, he’s right.” Rhianna cut into her waffles. After a bite, Misty shakily followed suit.

  After about ten or fifteen minutes I heard the familiar refrain of our friend striking up his favorite tune. It was my first time hearing his oratorio of doom, but he did have a penchant for whistling this particular tune at the strangest of times. Ring Around The Rosie’s must be on his hit list.

  I smiled wryly wondering if London Bridge Is Falling Down was also on his playlist? He got up from his seat. Pushing his chair back, he reached over and grabbed his coat. He never once looked back in our direction. I wanted to get a good look at his face, but something told me to err on the side of caution and stay with the women. I was worried he might try to strike up a conversation with Misty again or Rhianna for that matter.

  He left a tip on the table and headed out the back door of the place toward the parking area. I waited patiently, holding my hand up. I gently grabbed Laura as she walked past.

  “Do me a favor, my dear. Don’t touch anything on the table, I would like to see if our friend perhaps left a few clues that we could use later.” I told her.

  Laura looked at me quizzically.

  “What? You’re interested in The Whistler now?” she asked.

  “Be a good girl and humor me on this one. I will give you more details as soon as I return” I told her.

  Laura looked over at the girls and made eye contact.

  “I want to know what Royston is up to as soon as we are alone ladies” or something to that effect was surely the gist of their silent conversation.