It was flimsy at best, it sounded hollow to me, and the coincidence was all too convenient. The odds that a scam would end up at Denny’s door that involved an immortal was more than a little unlikely. But who would orchestrate such a thing? I needed to find out who handed out the daily tasks.
“Travis was keen on the idea of insurance, especially life insurance,” He said with a frown.
“I bet; probably with a massive payout no doubt.”
He shrugged and walked back to the coffee table. For a moment I worried that he would go for the gun and not the coffee, he didn’t even look like it had crossed his mind.
“Do you trust me all of a sudden Denny? Or is the pot of coffee still piping hot?” I asked.
“I don’t know you enough to trust you Miss Dawson, but it would seem that we are in this together somehow.”
He waved a cup at me, and I nodded assent, what the hell would it matter if I had one more cup now? I could afford to be twitchy today; it might just come in handy. I walked around the desk and briefly inspected the print on the opposite wall from Denny. It was the usual stuff, boring and predictable, but it might have been the artist’s idea of heaven or hell.
I turned around and found him watching me with cups in hand. I walked over and took one. He sank into his preferred position on the couch; I decided to sit on the far end of it.
“Where is this building that doesn’t exist, Denny?” I sorely needed to know.
“It is in a place I hope never to go again but will always remember. What is your real name Miss Dawson?”
“Eliza, can you write down the address for me, please?” I said.
It wasn’t difficult telling him my name; it would mean nothing to him, and I highly doubt that he knew of his grandfather’s ex. He nodded and leaned forward and opened a drawer on the table. What would appear, paper or the cold steel of his handgun? A block of white appeared, and I released a small sigh of relief, I didn’t want to hurt him. He scribbled something on it and pushed the block my way.
“Is this the end of this Eliza? I want to get on with my life and forget any of this happened.”
I looked at the address and directions on the paper and contemplated the next move and my future. A future that was bright and shiny with the promise of self-reliance.
“You need to die, Denny,” I said still looking at the address.
“What! Even after I helped you?”
I heard the drawer open again and this time, I knew without a doubt that it would be his favorite handgun.
“What I mean Denny is that you need to go away, permanently in the eyes of the world.”
I looked up and into the barrel of his pistol, I moved my head to the right a bit to be able to shift my gaze from it to meet his glare.
“I know how to disappear; thank you very much.” He was still pointing the pistol unwaveringly at me.
“In a way that is convincing, and not in the way that a crime boss might believe. But in the way that would satisfy the county coroner when he or she arrived on the scene and gave you an examination,” I said.
Nine
“You are nuts, do you know that?” he finally said.
He lowered the pistol; apparently I was safe for the moment. I disliked having a weapon pointed at me. It was always preferable to do the pointing at instead.
“There are worse things than being dead for a little while Denny, you could, after all, be dead forever.”
He gaped at me, shock written all over his face. As a conman, things took a particular but predictable turn for him. You got people to trust you, rob them blind and got away before they realized what was going on.
“I have disappeared before, won’t that be enough?” he asked.
I shook my head, “No Denny, not even a little bit. We will find you, and someone somewhere will have a bug up their ass if this doesn’t end definitively.”
He got up and stalked his office, four steps to the bookcase and turn, four steps to the couch. Up and down he walked, faster and faster. I let him be, the man had some serious problems to ponder. I knew where to get the right drugs to simulate his death; it was just a question of how far we went to make it convincing enough.
Did we try to simulate something natural, like a heart attack or go exotic? Exotic would be definitive, the coroner would probably take one look and declare him dead and he would be off to the morgue. Natural was easiest, though, and no damage to the “body” was needed, and he wouldn’t have to spend time healing up after the fact.
I was certain Denny would choose that, generally people in hiding shied away from broken bones. It was a bitch to heal up while you were in hiding, and the potential for running was high. The drugs were the same either way, though; I stood up to get my phone.
Denny swung around to face me; pistol pointed at my heart. I raised my hands to show that they were still empty.
“Relax Denny, just getting my phone. I need to make arrangement for drugs to simulate your death.”
His hand dropped down to his side; his face was a horrible color. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder; I could feel him shaking.
“Calm down, I don’t want you to die of a heart attack before we can kill you off.”
I turned away from him and got my mobile from my bag. I flicked through the numbers and cycled between two. The one owed me a favour and would grudgingly give me what I needed; the other would take my money and ask no questions.
“How much money do you have in the office?”
He waved the pistol around nonchalantly; he had become unhinged. I was glad to notice though that the safety was in place. Eventually, he regained some of his senses and indicated the desk.
“The top drawer has a hidden compartment; there is five grand in there. Is that enough? I am sure I can get more if you need it.”
“That should do nicely, thank you.”
I walked around his desk and sat down in the leather chair, and it was a comfortable fit. I opened the drawer and removed the top layer; it wasn’t a huge compartment, just big enough for some strategically lined up bills.
Five thousand just as Denny said there was, my second choice would be appreciative of this fee. I sent him a text requesting a meet and a special delivery of ‘peaceful sleep’. I hoped he still used the same code phrases; the man was an eccentric that often changed things up just because he felt like it.
It made sense of a sort, though; he wouldn’t want the authorities to catch on to what he was doing. Possibly they already knew and just didn’t care, his was, in general, a petty set of crimes. As far as they could understand, and the authorities really didn’t.
Ethan Lex catered to my particular set, the community of immortals that often had to disappear from the public eye. To facilitate these disappearances our community resorted to drugs that simulated death and usually resorted to exotic or unusual feigned deaths.
The older ones didn’t worry about healing up in hiding, healing up gave them time to get appropriately forgotten by others. And when they re-emerged, healed and forgotten, they picked up lives very close to what they left behind.
Often in communities close to where they had “died” and no one was ever the wiser. I didn’t have to worry about faking my death again for a while still, the first time around people just assumed I ran away and died of old age elsewhere.
Currently, I was so busy travelling for my indentured service that I have no community that would wonder why I wasn’t ageing. Of course, I would love to settle down somewhere at some point and just pursue a hobby that didn’t involve inserting something into my brain.
My phone vibrated gently on the surface of Denny’s desk, Ethan had understood and was offering to meet me. Even for being in the city the meet was a major drive away, so no time to lose. I got up and stood in Denny’s path, he was still pacing up and down and had added mumbling under his breath to the exercise.
“Ok, Denny I have it arranged. Time to go for a drive, where are you parked?”
&
nbsp; “I need to make some arrangements first; I need to move some things over to set up a new life.”
“There is no time for that Denny; you can’t take anything with you. It would look suspicious, and we want them to believe you are dead, remember?”
Defeated, he sank onto the couch and hung his head between his legs. It had turned into an awful day for him, and it was soon to get worse. I gave him a few moments to regain his composure; I wasn’t completely heartless.
“Come on Denny, let’s get going. Lots need to happen before day’s end and your peaceful sleep.”
He snorted in disgust and dropped his gun on the table, apparently no need to protect the finish any longer. Disconsolately he looked around a few times, taking in his surroundings. I hadn’t considered where his eternal rest would take place; the office would have been the right place.
Except of course his secretary would remember me and would probably happily describe me to the cops. It was going to be a pain in the ass. Home perhaps? Maybe safely tucked into bed, nightcap by his side, or was that too old school?
I was getting sidetracked, though; it needed to be fancy and exotic, a little show for the manufacturers. I was certain Denny would also not like the idea of healing up from a temperature gauge to the liver. Best if the coroner took one look and declared him dead.
Usually, the coroner would take a reading to verify time of death but if it were suitably horrible, they would just cart the body off. It was easier to deal with the time of death from the comfort of the morgue.
After a moment he slapped the table, I sighed inwardly, it was going to be such a long day. I moved forward to try and shake him out of his mood, but he straightened his back and got up.
He looked me in the eye and squared his shoulders; focus and determination filled his gaze.
“Let’s get to it then, I am ready to die.”
Ten
We left the building through the back exit, walking past closed doors and down silent passageways. Bright sunlight waited for us when Denny pushed open the fire exit from the office building.
From what I saw no one else used the office building, it was just Denny’s little operation occupying space. He checked a couple of times before heading to his car. It didn’t matter unless things were even worse than I suspected. No one was waiting for us, the Man by now trusted that we did our tasks like good little girls and boys.
I couldn’t discount that Ned, despicable Ned, was watching us from a safe vantage point. But if he saw us now he would only know that I was leading my quarry to his final destination.
Denny stopped in front of a battered old junker; I was surprised. I raised an eyebrow at him, to which he just shrugged.
“I like it; it gives the right impression.”
“Can’t argue with that, shall we go?”
“Yeah, to my doom away.”
I laughed, “Denny, I didn’t know you watched cartoons.”
“My one weakness, believe it or not, it gets dull in that office. We have plenty of quiet time, and I have to do something.”
He tossed me the keys and waited, arms crossed. I unlocked and waited for him to get in, in case he changed his mind and for the benefit of anyone watching.
“So, may I ask where we are going? Or do I get to sit here and look pretty?”
He had apparently embraced the prospect of death with much aplomb. I smiled in what I hoped was a comforting manner.
“You can tell me more about yourself if you’d like. Like how you ended up being a conman.”
I started the engine and much to my delight the dinky, beat up hunker delivered an engine that purred. A glance at Denny let me know just how pleased he was at having surprised me.
“Never underestimate something old and judge it by appearance alone,” Denny said.
“Duly noted,” I replied with a laugh.
We pulled out of the parking lot and before we drove out of sight completely Denny glanced back wistfully.
“The girl is safer off for thinking you dead. The bad that is hunting you now wouldn’t stop at killing an innocent.”
“I know, but,” He trailed off.
I knew what he was thinking. Leaving someone behind was tough, double tough if you thought there was a future. He sighed and looked out the window.
“I know Denny, I would like to say it will get easier, but that’s a lie. It will get easier for her, and eventually she will move on with her life, and you will be a good memory.”
I gripped the wheel tightly; this was a slippery slope. Telling him too much would be bad, being in the dark kept him safe. He snorted, I assumed in disgust. I couldn’t bear to look at his expression reflected in the passenger window.
“And I guess you have left behind so many people that you know how complicated it is for normal people.”
“You are hardly normal yourself or have you forgotten?”
We drove through his neighborhood; Denny lived in a semi-quiet area outside of the business sector. Still close enough to be part of the action but far enough away to feel private. The business area was old, but buildings and side streets showed signs of urban revitalization.
An up and coming area potentially, a good place to be in business. In the next few years, Denny’s office space would be filled with young, trendy companies and workers. He would have easily been able to change his confidence business to a more lucrative enterprise. Possibly even a legal one.
I heard him sigh after a while and glanced in his direction, head against the seat rest and eyes closed. I felt sorry for what was happening to him; he wasn’t a bad kid. A bit misguided, into some illegal things but, all in all, I had thought he would outgrow it and make something of himself eventually.
Now, though, his future was in flux. The potential for perma-death at the end of this day was unfortunately very high for both of us. And after that, I wasn’t even sure what to do with him.
It’s not like a lost puppy or kitten that I could just take home. Not that I made a habit of taking in stray animals either, but I felt responsible.
Fate didn't get a chance to shake Denny loose from his chosen path, and to set him on a better or kinder one. I would do what she was robbed of, though, but I am far more of a bitch than Fate was, and this might be the death of him.
We turned into a parking garage and drove down to the lowest level, where my contact was waiting for us. It was so cloak and dagger that I fully expected to see him in a dark trench coat standing underneath a broken light.
As we reached the furthest part of the garage, there was indeed one lonely dark spot and a car behind the pillar. I shook my head and parked on the bright side, it didn’t matter where I stopped. There were no cameras and only one other parked car on the same level.
“Stay put, this won’t take long,” I instructed Denny as I got out.
He grunted and crossed his arms over his chest; I expected to see him pout, but, at least, he did as I said.
I looked around for my contact but didn’t see him underneath the light as I was expecting. Perhaps it wasn’t him that broke the light after all. It did appear to be his style, however, but I walked around the pillar slowly.
His vehicle came fully into sight, with him sitting on the front of his car, dressed as expected in a black trench coat with the collar turned up around his face.
“Heya, Babe!”
“Hi, Ethan, nice to see you again. A bit early for dramatics though isn’t it?”
“It is never too early for a good trench coat Babe; you know that. If not for me who would bring the style?” He hopped off and enveloped me in a massive hug.
I laughed and hugged him back, and the man was big, and I practically disappeared in his embrace. Of course, I was so short that almost everyone was bigger than me.
Not at all what one would expect to get from the title drug dealer that he was to the police. He thought of himself as a purveyor of new lives and the unfortunate charges brought against him as pettiness from a system stuck in the
dark.
“That is true Ethan, but this particular style makes you stand out like a sore thumb!”
“Not really, you would be amazed by how many girls have flirted with me today because I was wearing this. They think it makes me look dangerous and daring.”
“And if only they knew that you are dangerous and daring right? How many numbers would you get then?”
I liked teasing Ethan, he was easy to look at but was laser focused when it came to working. He knew who he dealt with and what the odds involved, and he didn’t stand for flirting on the job. But the first time we met he was bowled over by my looks he claimed and refused for a long time to believe I had unsavory dealings. As long as I paid he made sure he had whatever I wanted.
“I probably would get many more and would have to beat them off with a stick.”
With that, he winked and walked to the back of his car, signaling chit-chat was at an end, and it was time for business. I followed him and got cash in hand, ready to make our exchange. He handed me the bottle, small in his huge hand and smiled. I gave him the five grand, more than he charged.
“A small thank you for the speed and effort, Ethan. I appreciate your help and discretion.”
“Thanks, Babe, part of the service. I hope all goes well and that I will see you again soon.”
We hugged one last time, and I got back into my car; time to kill my grandson.
Eleven
“How would you like to die, Denny?”
A deafening silence followed my question; I hadn’t expected an answer. It would be interesting to know though if he had any preferences. It said a lot about a person, their choice. And it might help us if he had an appropriately bizarre idea.
“What do you suggest Eliza? Since you seem to have the most experience with this it seems.”
Denny had me worried; he seemed defeated. Was he perhaps worried that he would actually die today? Time for reassurances, he hadn’t even asked about the drug I picked up.
“I do have experience with this, more with actual death than simulated but still. Enough to know that this will work and you will walk away tonight a free man.”
Shi: A Dark Adventure into Living Forever Page 4