Broken Sky

by Saurav Dutt

  “You look about as much like Lauren Bacall as I do Al Pacino” John scoffed as she hurriedly made her way across the foyer and slipped down a hallway leading towards the restaurant bar.

  ”Well, you’re certainly short enough,” she laughed“ and those ears….oh my..”

  “What about you?” John shot back “what are you about five foot one? Those heels ain’t foolin’ nobody’

  “I like you” she winked, letting a smile slip as she paused outside the entrance of the Lexi Bar & Restaurant “not like I want to sleep with you, not like that at all, but I like you. You have something about you that’s not as annoying as most people. I find most people incredibly annoying y’know, especially in Manhattan..there’s a lot of assholes here”

  “I’m from Brooklyn originally, whaddaya expect? We talk a lot, sometimes too much..” John chimed in “what about you? Your accent. I can’t place it...” he trailed off.

  “I’m uh..from all around..” she replied as she flashed a scowl at a prying couple passing them by “we’ll eat here, that alright? I’ve been here before” she nodded “I have to ask you something, no bullshit..” she paused as she looked into his eyes “you’re not doing this out of pity are you, ‘cause I don’t need any favours, believe me”

  “I’m not” John replied “I don’t care where you’ve been or what you’ve done-I just want to get to know you better”

  “Don’t you have to be at the office or somethin’?” she shrugged as they moved past the open doors and stepped into the restaurant.

  “Can’t you tell..” John replied, waving a hand at the maître d'hôtel headwaiter as they both approached an empty booth in the far corner “I hate my job, I prefer stopping off on the way to work to talk to interesting people rather than get there on time..”

  “Maybe you’re making a mistake” she muttered as she sunk into the booth as John sat opposite her, staring down at the table as she met his gaze.

  “No, I don’t think so” John cleared his throat “anyway I’ve made lots of mistakes before, I’m getting used to them now”

  “You’re a pretty unusual guy for a cop, most of them are pricks” she grinned “you sure you are who you say you are?”

  “Look who’s talking…” John mumbled as he leant in closer, struck by the scent of alcohol wafting from her mouth as she let out a hearty laugh.

  “Trust me when I say this to you honey…” she sighed “..you don’t want to know me…”

  “Yet here we are” John nodded “that’s how things get, you plan for a lot of things to happen or not happen, but you do them anyway”

  “You could be letting yourself in for a lot of trouble..just remember, this is what it is…” she remarked as she studied the menu with a raised eyebrow and reluctant sigh.

  “You don’t know a lot about me” John replied “I’m not the kind of guy a woman like you is used to”

  “Don’t tell me” she rolled her eyes “you’re different to them, you’re a sensitive soul-save it honey, I’ve heard it all before”

  “Who are you, really..?” John shook his head as he glimpsed a waiter walking towards them with a distinct look of trepidation.

  “Y’know, I do have money really. Lots of it” she answered, trickling her fingers over the table, feeling the gloss and shine of its carefully polished surface against her chipped fingernails. John glanced at them, realising half her nails were broken, the others filthy, and both hands were crinkled with the tell-tale signs of inattention and total disregard for hygiene. Yet he spotted the unmistakable glint of a small diamond ring on the index finger of her left hand. It remained dulled, but still maintained a luxuriant sparkle. He saw her peering at him from the corner of her eye, knowing full well what he was looking at.

  “Lots of money, eh?” John grinned “we could do with some of it; this won’t be a cheap meal”

  “Well you know the saying, nothing in life is free” she smiled coyly as she began strumming her fingers on the table again.

  “Anyway” John frowned “you gonna at least tell me your name?”

  “Would you be offended..” she paused “if I told you I couldn’t remember it…”

  “Right…” John sighed as he studied the menu “I can see it’s gonna be one of those days”

  “Seriously..” she winked as she noticed the waiter approaching, diverting her attention towards the table surface.

  “I have a feeling it’s not that you can’t tell me” John replied “it’s that you won’t tell me”

  “Maybe…” she nodded “..it’s better you know me as just a woman you picked up and leave it at that..”

  “Well” John replied “what I wanna know is if you have all this money, why exactly is it that you live sidewalk to sidewalk?” he enquired as he gently pushed the menu in her direction.

  “Because I don't remember, silly” she replied without batting an eyelid “haven't you been listening to a word I've said these last few days? I don't remember who I am, how I got there, why I got there, where I got these clothes from..nothing…zip…nada”

  “Oh yeah…the amnesia story?” John scoffed “these bags you have, the things in there...they didn't come out of a burning bush...they must be your possessions. You must have a passport, a social security number -- some identity, something that says who you are…now you know I’m a cop, you should know I’m not altogether stupid”

  “I've never opened them, I can’t” she shook her head “I don't have a key. As far as I know I don't have a passport or a social security number or anything. I don't have anything I can call my own..not really, anyway” her voiced crackled.

  “At the risk of sounding a little…uh…redundant” John replied “haven’t you tried to open them some other way? Get someone else to open them?”

  “No, no I wouldn’t do that..that wouldn’t be, uh, very wise shall we say” she laughed “they’re my little secret…my little mystery. What’s life without a little mystery to it, eh?”

  John frowned and clicked his fingers to summon the waiter who he noticed was hesitating from coming any closer.

  “Lady, I tell you one thing -- you sure got me in the mood for some alcohol-even at this time” John sighed as he noticed the waiter was deep in conversation with one of his colleagues, their eyes both trained on their booth.

  “I like red wine” she replied, quietly licking her lips “and I like a man who’s willing to get drunk before noon..”

  “Not my poison” John answered “anyway that other guy on the street, he seems like he ain't playin' with a full deck, y'know? Not the sharpest, whaddaya say?” he grinned.

  “What ya mean not your poison?” she winced as the waiter came closer, realising that he had recognised her.

  “I mean..” John explained “..I got a problem with the uh..old alcohol…I’m trying to quit, straight down the line..anyway your friend?”

  “Pollard ain’t dumb” she responded “he's a beautiful human being with a great heart. We look out for each other and he's never used me or betrayed me or taken advantage of me-unlike some other people” she smirked.

  “And I suppose those same people are the reason you jump from sidewalk to sidewalk, huh?” John smiled as he leant in closer, his concentration focusing on the slivers of raw redness on the skin of her nostrils, knowing what they indicated.

  “Anybody ever tell you..” she paused “..that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, maybe you shouldn’t pry in areas that don’t concern you”

  “I’m a Detective” John replied “it’s my job..and in any case, that’s what people have conversations like this for, to get to know one another”

  “You don’t want to know about me” she shot back “suffice it to say, I’m not your regular hobo”

  “That much I can already tell..” John mused “as well as some other things”

  “Oh yeah, like what?” she shrugged, as she turned her face away.

  “I guess you must have enough money..” John observed “..to affo
rd all the coke you’ve been stuffing up your nose”

  “So sue me..” she scowled, pulling locks of hair across her forehead, one splinter of hair falling across her nose.

  “I could arrest you” John answered in a low, deep murmur as he trained his eyes on her, a wizen smile creeping across his face.

  “But you won’t..” she muttered as she stared back into his eyes, alarmed by the ferocity of his gaze “you’re too weak..”

  “Oh?” John scoffed “how do you know that?”

  “It says something about a man” she nodded “for him to get late for work, hate his job, have a drinking habit..to spend his mornings trying to get to know a complete stranger...who he doesn’t know will sleep with him or not”

  “I know you’re lying” John replied “maybe that’s why I keep coming back, because I want to find out the truth”

  “I don’t have a home” she smiled “that much I’m not lying about”

  “Maybe” John mused “but how you got there and who you are..well that’s another thing altogether”

  “I know why you’re here” she answered, sitting back into the booth “you’re lonely, a drunk in denial hitting a mid life crisis…and you want something to look forward to..”

  “So sue me..” John grinned as she leant closer, her lips maybe a centimetre or two away from his “you can’t begrudge a man his vices”

  “You don’t want to get involved…” she hesitated, parting her lips “..believe me you don’t”

  John smiled to himself as he noticed the waiter had now drawn the attention of an older, suited man to their table. The older man nodded at the waiter and instructed him to return to his duties as he began to approach them, striding forward purposefully.

  “What are you doing?” John asked as he noticed her suddenly shielding her face, playing nervously with the lint on her coat and picking at her finger nails. “I hate that asshole..” she scowled “..he’s always got a rat up his ass”

  “I didn’t realise you’d been here before” John mused “you wanna come clean before we embarrass ourselves?”

  “Excuse me..” the older man interrupted as he cleared his throat, his brow furrowed in disdain as he stood aside the booth “…I am the manager of the restaurant and I have to ask you to leave Madame..”

  “Why?” John demanded as he turned towards her, realising that she had already risen to her feet. “She knows why…” the manager shook his head “are you her husband or…?”

  “No, I’m not her anything..” John interrupted “..now what’s this all about?”

  “Never mind” she snapped “come on, let’s get out of here..I hoped this prick wasn’t working today, I guess I was shit out of luck”

  “I don’t understand..” John replied as he let out a nervous laugh “..I sit down for a meal and I’m asked to leave before I’ve even had a sip of freakin’ water..”

  “Your friend has been banned by the restaurant” came the reply “I’m going to have to ask you both to leave, otherwise I’ll have to call hotel security to eject you”

  “What’s going on here..” John snapped “What’s she supposed to have done?”

  “She knows what” the manager frowned “and if I were you sir, you’re well advised staying away from her”

  “I had hoped they canned your ass..” she leered as John flashed her a querulous stare “you eat, I’m getting the hell out of here..”

  “Look..” John frowned “I’m not leaving before I get a proper explanation about this and-”

  Before he could finish she had already turned to leave. As he followed behind her, her pace began to quicken, racing away from him as quickly as she could. Stepping forward, he placed his hand on her shoulder only for her to angrily swat it away.

  “What do you want from me?” she glowered “just…just leave me be”

  “I don’t understand you lady” John shot back “what the hell is your problem?”

  “This was a mistake from the start..” she shook her head “look just forget about it-it’s better I stay away from you and you stay away from me”

  “Give me one good goddamn reason..” John replied “I’ve had enough of this cloak and dagger shit from you, one minute you want to eat with me, the next you’re leaning close enough to stick your tongue down my throat..just what the hell do you want?”

  “What I want…” she paused “..is to be left alone…”

  “Fine..” John shook his head “I don’t need this..you can’t be straight up about anything you say-you’re lucky I don’t frisk you right now and arrest you for possession”

  “It’s not worth it..” she sighed as she turned away from him.

  “You’re damn right it ain’t” John scoffed as he plunged his hands into his pockets.

  “No you don’t understand..” she smiled to herself “knowing me might get you hurt Detective…and I don’t need that on my conscience.. and I shouldn’t be talking to you either”

  “Oh really” John frowned “and why the hell not?”

  “’Cause talking to you might get both of us killed, that’s why.”

  Chapter Two

  Andie drew the window blinds down as fast as she could as the bright morning light sparkled over the walls of her sparsely furnished bedroom. She winced slightly at the light as she curled her dark brown hair back behind her ears. She looked at herself in the mirror and patted down her face with the last flecks of foundation, noticing the dark bags under her eyes had seemingly become more prominent overnight, making her 31 years of age looking distinctly older. Throwing a dark navy jacket over her slender, five foot seven frame she winced at the shoddy work of her eyeliner, but she had no time to correct it. ‘Peter, get your things together’ she announced as she swung her handbag over her shoulder, impatiently slamming the drawers of her dressing table shut and snatched at the car keys which sat atop an unwrapped carton of boxed chocolates. Stuffing unopened letters into her bag, she huffed and puffed as she wrestled her way down the stairs past half empty boxes littered with unpacked belongings.

  ‘Mom, I can’t find my Math book’ Peter yelped as he scurried up and down the hallway impatiently as Andie ran past him checking that all the light switches in every room were turned off. ‘I know, I know’ she sighed as she knelt down to adjust the collar of his school uniform ‘we’ll have to look for it properly tonight, you just have to bear with me while we get adjusted’ she sighed, rising to her feet as she gently pushed her son towards the front door. She held the door open, waiting for him to nonchalantly stagger out, then quickly closed it behind her as he waited beside the station wagon parked outside.

  ‘I don’t like this school..’ Peter groaned as he slumped down in the back seat. ‘You’ll learn to like it..’ Andie snapped back as she started the ignition and listened to the engine purr. She slipped on her sunglasses to shield a blast of morning sunlight as it hit her face, and checked Peter had put his seat belt on as the car gently rolled down the driveway. ‘But why did we have to come here? I preferred Long Island’ Pete frowned as he glared out of the window.

  ‘That’s just how it is at the moment until me and your Pop sort things out..’ Andie murmured. She glanced back at Peter who stared glumly into his lap. Rolling down the window, she felt a wisp of breeze float in that immediately sent shivers racing up her spine. ‘I don’t like it here, I like Long Island better..’ Pete sulked as he rustled around in his school bag as she turned her attention back onto the road ‘So do I darling’ she replied as her eyes glazed over ‘so do I…’.

  *

  Things should be different. Things should be much better, Andie thought to herself, running a finger around the rim of her wine glass as she sat in the corner of the restaurant. She refused to check the window again to see if he was coming. ‘Would you like to order now?’ a voice quipped from behind her. She could feel the agitation of the waiter as she refused to meet his gaze. ‘Like I said, I’m waiting for a friend..he’s just a bit late’ she replied as she
tapped her fingernails against the glass ‘but you can fill this up once more..’ she sighed.

  ‘That’s a pretty hefty amount for the middle of the day’ boomed a voice from behind her. She looked up and saw Ben standing there with a wide smile and a glistening grey silk scarf wrapped around his cherubic face, offset by a dark grey blazer and striped red shirt. He gently pulled the chair out from underneath the table surface and took a seat opposite her as his eyes fell upon her, his grin still intact. ‘Your hair is all wet..’ Andie frowned, failing to hide her annoyance at his lateness. ‘That’s the city this time of year..’ Ben replied as he combed aside what little hair he had left on his bald head to the side ‘and anyway I forgot to bring my umbrella’

  ‘This is late, even by your standards..’ Andie snapped as she turned her attention back to the menu and took a sip of her drink. Ben looked around for the waiter, snapping his fingers as he ignored the querulous glances that flashed in his direction from the other patrons. ‘Y’know’ he sighed ‘not being able to smoke a cigar anymore in a fine restaurant sure can lead the rest of a day on a downward spiral..’ he grinned.

  ‘Where were you last night?’ Andie asked as she began to fiddle with the cutlery ‘I left a voice mail and called you about four times’

  ‘I didn’t want to disturb you’ Ben grumbled ‘Y’know with Peter feeling under the weather and everything…plus it was late’

  ‘You’re awake when mere mortals are in a deep, catatonic sleep’ Andie shot back ‘don’t give me that excuse’

  ‘What is this?’ Ben stared blankly ‘lunch or an inquisition?’ he grumbled as he motioned for the waiter to approach their table ‘you know my hours, you know my lifestyle-that was part of the deal when we agreed to see each other’ he explained as he studied the menu. ‘Wine for you as well, sir?’ the waiter asked. ‘No, whisky straight up’ Ben replied with a nod of the head ‘and I’ll eat whatever she’s having’ he added as he let the menu slip from his hands.

  ‘I haven’t ordered yet..’ Andie replied ‘I thought I’d wait for you’ she smiled as the waiter blinked nervously. ‘Two steaks then with all the trimmings, medium rare for me and well done for the lady’ Ben shot back as he stood up to take off his blazer and wrapped it over the seat frame. ‘How do you know I even want that?’ Andy scoffed as she shook her head in dismay. ‘It doesn’t matter what you want honey’ Ben chuckled ‘I’m the one who’s paying’