by Dara Girard
“I want everyone to leave the room,” she said.
“A gnat is giving instructions?” Eric said.
“Is that what that buzzing sound was?” Clay asked.
Drake patted her on the head. “She’s cute.”
“I said go,” Jackie said.
They stared at her in a playful challenge.
She folded her arms. “Okay, then I’ll tell Adriana—”
Mack held up his hands. “Say no more. We’re leaving right now.” He smiled at Eric. “I think you’d better get well soon or your wife will have something to say about it.”
“Take care,” Clay said.
Drake just patted him on the shoulder and Carter made a sign only Eric could interpret, then left.
“So did Adriana tell you off?” she asked. “She gave us a wicked tongue lashing.”
“Yes. I have the scars.”
“Serves you right.”
He rested his head back. “I’m a sick man I could use a little sympathy.”
“You’re not getting any from me.”
He became serious. “Have Drake and Clay talked?”
“No.”
“I thought my unfortunate collision with the ground might initiate conversation. Give them time.” He lowered his gaze. “He tries, you know, but it’s hard for him to shake the father role. Be easy on him.”
“I didn’t mean what I said.”
“Yes, you did, and I understand. You don’t want to feel you need his approval. You want him to let go. But don’t hate him if he never does.”
Jackie made a face. “It really is eerie how well you know us.”
“Middle-child syndrome. Before you leave, try to talk to him, even if he pretends to ignore you.”
She rolled her eyes with mock exasperation. “Will you always tell me what to do?”
He smiled. “Yeah, brat, I will.”
She left and saw Clay and Mack in the waiting room.
“Where are the others?”
“Carter went home and Drake is outside with the smokers, smelling the air.”
She laughed. “That’s a good one.”
Clay shook his head. “I’m not joking. Go see for yourself.”
She left the emergency room under the bright lights of the hospital entrance, heard the roar of an ambulance, its red and blue lights piercing the dark. She saw Drake standing against a tree near a man who was smoking.
Jackie walked over and stood beside him. She didn’t touch him and she didn’t say anything.
He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“It’s a nice night,” she said
He nodded.
“Do you remember this song?” She began to hum one of her mother’s favorite Jimmy Cliff songs, “Sitting in Limbo,” which was exactly what they were doing. But as she hummed that quiet simple song, for a moment everything was all right.
He briefly closed his eyes with a soft smile of remembrance. “Yes, I do.”
She flexed her foot. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Clay—”
He sighed. “I know why you didn’t.”
“You’ve been our guardian and our strength for so long. I don’t want to disappoint you, but I want to live my own life.”
He rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve always wanted the best for you.” He tweaked her chin and smiled. “But only you know what’s best for you,”
She hugged him. “I’ll always want you as a part of my life.” She glanced up at him. “Just not such a big part.”
“I understand. Come on. Let’s go inside.”
***
Eric was released within two days and expected to make a full recovery if he followed his doctor’s orders. They would all make sure he did. At home, Jackie was pleased that Bertha no longer spent all her time on the couch. She went out during the day and sometimes in the evening, always coming back at a reasonable time.
In a good mood, Jackie sat in her office, researching a new homeless shelter.
Patty rushed in. “You won’t believe it.”
“What?”
“Claudia Meeks is dead,” she said, as though it was a juicy piece of news instead of a tragedy.
“How?”
“Suicide. Nobody had seen her leave her apartment, but that wasn’t unusual so they didn’t take notice. The poor thing had begun to smell. A neighbor called the police and there she was on the ground with her beer bottles all over the place and a bottle of pills. Guess she couldn’t take it anymore.”
Another victim of Emmerick. “When did you learn all this?”
“This morning. Claudia’s mother called.”
“I thought her mother was dead.”
“Only in Claudia’s eyes, I guess--she sounded alive enough to me. She wants to speak to you about her. She wonders if you could meet her at the apartment.”
“Okay.”
Patty turned, then stopped. “She sounds like a rough woman, so I’d be careful.”
“Thanks.” Jackie stared at the closed door, then called Clay. “Another client is dead.”
“Suicide?”
“Yes. I’m going to meet her mother—”
“Okay. Be right there.”
***
Mrs. Meeks wasn’t as rough as her voice would suggest. She was an older woman with black hair and a streak of gray. She made them weak tea, which Clay fed to a plant and Jackie still held. The place was otherwise bare except for a couple of beanbags.
“Do you mind if I walk about a bit?” Clay asked.
“No, go ahead,” Mrs. Meeks said.
“Thanks.”
Mrs. Meeks turned to Jackie. “Thank you for trying to help Claudia. She told me a lot about you.”
“I’m sorry,” Jackie said, “but we weren’t aware of you. We didn’t know her mother was alive.”
“I’m really her aunt. Her mother died of an overdose. But I’ve raised her most of her life, so I’m like a mother, right?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “I couldn’t believe it when they called me. Claudia had sounded so hopeful. To kill herself was against our beliefs.”
“Sometimes beliefs change.”
“No,” Mrs. Meeks said firmly. “There was no indication she would take this route. I just don’t understand it.”
“When she spoke to you, did she sound different somehow?”
“No, just happy, like I said. And hopeful. It is all so strange.”
“She didn’t mention any new friends?”
“No.”
When she became quiet, Jackie asked, “Why did you want to see me?”
“Because I found this.” She handed her a card---Careless Rapture. “What is it? Is it some sort of drug like Ecstasy?”
“No, it’s a cult.”
“Claudia wouldn’t join something like that.”
Clay came back in the room. “She didn’t leave anything.”
“No.” Mrs. Meeks squinted at him. “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?”
He hoped not. He didn’t want to be connected to his Just Talk appearance. “I don’t think so.”
“I’m sure I have. Have you ever modeled cologne?”
Clay furrowed his brows. “No.”
She looked at Jackie. “Doesn’t he look like a cologne model? Like he’d wear something called Intense?” She turned to Clay and measured him with her eyes. “You could be a model, you’re very good-looking.”
Jackie glanced at Clay and bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Clay said, “I’ll be outside.”
“I didn’t mean to embarrass him,” Mrs. Meeks said after he’d gone.
Jackie smiled. “That’s okay. It was nice to see.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Don’t say anything,” Clay said as they walked to his car.
“I’ll try not to.” Jackie lifted a bouquet to her nose.
“What’s that?”
“Mrs. Meeks gave me these plastic flowers. She said Claudia would have wanted me to have them.” She rested
them in the backseat. “What do we do now?” she asked, buckling her seatbelt. “We have to stop him.”
“Why didn’t Claudia tell her aunt about Careless Rapture?”
“She was secretive. Everyone is. Melanie was the only one to speak about him.”
“Why? Why the secrecy? It just seems strange. She was honest about everything else.”
“Perhaps she didn’t want to be talked out of it. I kept you a secret.”
“No, this is different. It’s wrong somehow. I’m just not sure how.”
Jackie rolled down the window. “You know, your mother said something very interesting about Rennie.”
“What?”
“She said Rennie had tried to stop Emmerick and failed.”
Clay frowned. “Rennie never tried to stop him.”
“Then why would she say that?” She shook her head. “I don’t think she made it up. Something must have happened to give her that impression.”
“What could it be? She wasn’t there. Maybe she was just talking and you misunderstood her.”
“No, I didn’t. She knows something.”
“I doubt it. She was completely pissed at the funeral.”
She turned to him, confused. “Pissed?”
“Drunk. And she didn’t stay around long enough to learn anything. She was probably delusional.”
“We can’t just write her off, though. We need to know why she thinks that, even if it turns out to be wrong.”
“I guess that’s my cue. I’ll pick her up and have her stay with me.”
Jackie clapped her hands together, thrilled. “So your talk really brought you two together? I’m so glad! She wouldn’t talk to me about it and I didn’t want to ask if she didn’t want to talk, since she’s the type who would talk if she wanted to. So I just wondered about what had happened and couldn’t stop thinking about it, and didn’t want to bother you because I know how you are and since she was still at my place I guessed that things were still on shaky ground so—”
He covered her mouth. “Breathe.”
She removed his hand. “I’m just so happy that you’re learning to understand each other. An important bond is building and you can—” She stopped and scowled. “There’s that annoying grin of yours. What did I say that’s so amusing?”
“Nearly fifteen years of discord and you think a couple of days have made us friends? That we will bond? It’s amazing how set you are on happy endings.”
“It’s possible.”
“My mother is coming to stay with me, that’s all. I can’t have you suffering anymore.”
“Thank you. That kind of consideration deserves a reward.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry.” She winked. “I’ll think of something.”
***
Jackie went to Adriana’s lingerie shop, Divine Notions, and stood outside the door, wondering if she should have gone elsewhere. She took a deep breath, then opened the door. When Adriana saw her, she said something to her assistant and came over.
“What brings you here?” Adriana said.
Jackie sighed, relieved. Her words were casual and her expression was warm. Their friendship had remained intact. “I need a garter belt.”
“First time?”
She nodded.
“Oh, good. This will be fun.”
Jackie ended up with a black garter belt and a short, see-through red skirt with two matching bras. At the counter Jackie asked, “Have you ever heard of shoes costing eight hundred dollars?”
Adriana nodded. “Yes.”
“Would you be able to recognize a pair?”
“Probably. Why?”
“My boss likes to wear expensive shoes and I was wondering how she could afford them.”
She handed Jackie her bag of purchases. “Why not just ask her?”
Jackie stared at her, appalled. “I couldn’t.”
“Sure you could. All you do is compliment her on her shoes and hint at wanting a pair.”
Jackie gripped her bag. “I’ve never asked about her shoes before, she wouldn’t believe me.”
Adriana began to grin, interpreting the silent request. “You want me to do it?”
Jackie blinked her eyes outrageously and smiled. “Please?”
***
Thirty minutes later, Jackie nodded at Faye, who stood by the copy machine. “There she is.”
Adriana glanced at her shoes. “Then you have a problem.”
“What?”
“She might wear expensive shoes, but those are screaming Payless.”
Jackie rested a hand on her hip. “Oh, great.”
“That jacket, however, is something else entirely. Excuse me.” She walked to the copy machine. “Faye Radcliff?”
Faye turned to her with a professional smile. “Yes?”
“Hi. I’m Adriana Graham, Jackie’s sister-in-law. She’s told me so much about you, it’s a pleasure to meet you finally. Right now I’m on a mission to get her out of these boring clothes and I couldn’t help but notice your jacket. It’s gorgeous. Where can I get one?”
“You can’t. It’s from a celebrity giveaway.”
“I’m jealous.”
“Don’t be.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “I admit to being a fiend when it comes to giveaways and estate sales. I may not be rich, but I can dress like royalty. You should see my closet.”
Adriana grinned. “You should see mine.”
“Can you get inside?”
“Hardly. I’m debating on whether to leave my husband any space at all.”
She laughed. Jackie stared at Faye, amazed. She’d never seen her so open and friendly before. “There’s another estate sale coming up soon. I could give you the address and we could go together and get Jackie something.”
Adriana sighed with regret. “Thank you, but my husband would kill me.”
“Think about it. Jackie has my number.”
“I certainly will. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Faye nodded, then returned to her office. Jackie walked Adriana to the elevators. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m missing the female gene,” Jackie said.
Adriana pressed the DOWN button with a smirk. “Clay doesn’t think so.”
“You know what I mean. The ability to chat about clothes and shopping. I could never make a quick friend the way you did.”
Adriana shrugged. “Oh, that was idle chatter. That shouldn’t be confused with a lasting friendship.” They stepped into the elevator.
She sent her a cautious glance. “Like us?”
Adriana adjusted her necklace. “We’re getting there. Does this place have a cafeteria?”
“Yes.”
“Great, then you can treat me to coffee.” She playfully nudged her. “All good lasting friendships begin that way.”
Jackie and Adriana chatted for half an hour before Adriana returned to work. Jackie finished her biscotti. A man slid into the chair in front of her. She glanced up and tried not to groan out loud.
“I finally got you alone,” said William Chavis, the accountant who wouldn’t give up asking her out.
“I’m about to leave.”
“You can spare a few minutes. It won’t hurt you.”
“No, but you want to go out with me and that’s impossible because I’m seeing someone.”
He sat back, undeterred. “Until there’s a ring on your finger, there’s still hope.”
Too tired to argue, Jackie had two cups of coffee with him. He proved to be just as boring as she’d feared. She struggled to keep her eyes open as he shared his hobby of collecting pens. “How would you like to see my collection?”
“Perhaps another time.”
“You’re a hard woman to know.”
“Yes, but my boss is single,” she said, hoping to redirect his interest.
“Faye Radcliff. She certainly doesn’t act it.”
“She’s dedicated to her work.”
“I want a woman dedicated to me.”
Jackie stood. “I’m afraid you won’t find her at this table, but good luck.”
***
Clay wasn’t used to living with someone. He wasn’t sure he ever would be. Bertha had been with him a few days and he still felt uncomfortable with the situation. He would have preferred a bird—a bird didn’t ask for money, talk to him when he wanted to be silent, or try to make up childhood memories he was certain had never happened. Though he appreciated the attempt.
He walked into his apartment, wondering if he’d find the familiar smoking figure on the couch. She was either there or out somewhere, she never told him where. Since she was usually out, he hadn’t had the chance to talk to her about his sister. He would try tonight. First, he needed to unwind. Walking past his mother, who was stretched out on the couch, he went straight to the fridge, opened it, and scowled. “Mum, stop drinking off my beers,” he grumbled, grabbing the last one.
“Do you realize you have an empty birdcage?” she called.
“It’s not empty.” He popped the top of the can and took a swallow. “I just have a really tiny bird inside. Can’t you hear it? It’s singing right now.”
She kissed her teeth. “Cheeky monkey.”
He sat down. “What are you watching?”
“Rubbish.”
He picked up the remote. “So we can change the channel?”
She snatched it away. “No, it’s good rubbish. How was work?”
“Fine.” He took another swallow, then set his beer down. “What did you know about Doreen?”
“Blunt, aren’t you?”
“I’m curious.”
“About what?”
“You told Jackie that Rennie failed to stop Emmerick.”
She dragged on her cigarette and squinted her eyes. “Did I?”
“Yes. Why did you say that?”
She exhaled, surrounding herself in a cloud of smoke. “Probably because it was true.”
“How do you know that when you weren’t even there? Rennie barely spoke to you. There were no phones in the house and—”