Angel Angst

by Abby L. Vandiver

  “London Fog-like trench coat. Gray trousers. What about for you?”

  “A suit. Wool twill. Two button. Black. I’m sure it’s Saint Laurent.”

  “Is that an expensive suit?”

  “Very.”

  “Shall I smote this man you speak of?” the angel, Ramiel said stepping out of the wall.

  “Smite?” Sunny repeated the words, and scrunched up her face. “You mean like kill?”

  “Are you supposed to do that?” Divit asked.

  “What do angels care about the lives of man?” Ramiel said. “I have taken beyond count the lives of those low creatures,” The bass in his voice vibrated, and it seemed as if it were being transmitted through Divit’s speakers. “I have destroyed cities and principalities because of the wicked that has inhabited them. If thy so command, Leah, I shall smite him.” The angel took several steps away from the wall, his stance ready for battle if so commanded.

  “Jesus, Jospeh and Mary!” Divit plopped down on the couch.

  “Oh. My. Goodness!” Sunny looked over at Divit and back at Ramiel. She licked her lips. “Soooo. That would be a no,” she told him. “Don’t want you to smite the detective.”

  The angel stood, straight as an arrow, his whole countenance had a slight glow and nodded his acknowledgment.

  Sunny looked at Divit. “Say something else to him,” he said in a whisper.

  Sunny held up her hands. “Like what?” she whispered back.

  Divit hunched his shoulders. “Ask him something.”

  “What am I supposed to ask him?” A question in her face.

  “I don’t know,” was Divit’s answer.

  “You’re a lot of help.”

  “So since he is here to protect you, maybe he could tell you who killed Fleming, and then you could tell the detective. Then you’d be out of trouble.”

  “Good idea.” Sunny turned to the angel, opened her mouth to speak then changed her mind. Turning back to Divit she asked, “Do you think he saw who did it?” Sunny casted a glance toward the angel. “Because I didn’t say the prayer until after she was shot. He might not have been around.”

  Divit crossed one arm over his chest, using it to prop up the other one, he put his hand to his mouth in a thinking pose. “True. Angels aren’t omniscient.” He squinted his eyes. “You know, like God. Everywhere at once.” Divit chewed on his thumb nail. “I know! Fleming is probably in heaven, right?”

  “Not in your usual opinion,” Sunny said, sarcasm in her voice. “You think everyone is going to hell. So, on your scale, what are the odds of her being in heaven?”

  “Well. Maybe she did go,” Divit said. “Her social media interactions made her seem . . . Nice.”

  “Okay. Say her Facebook and Twitter persona bought her passage to the pearly gates, so what? How does that help me?”

  “He’s from heaven,” Divit said and pointed a thumb his way. “Maybe he’s seen her.”

  “Or could see her.”

  “Right. And talk to her.”

  Sunny’s eyes got big. “He could ask her who killed her.”

  “Yes!” Excitement showed in Divit’s eyes.

  “I don’t know that that will work,” Sunny said, suddenly deflated. “Can angels do reconnaissance work?”

  “What? Of course,” Divit said. “They do it for the Father all the time.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Mr. Seminary Graduate,” Sunny said. “I am not God.”

  “It might work, though.”

  Sunny looked over at the angel. “I don’t know. And even if he did tell us,” she looked back at Divit, “I’m not sure how much help it would be, I don’t know if I’d understand what he was saying. He talks crazy.”

  “It couldn’t hurt to try, right?” Divit said. “And I know Bible-ese. I can translate.”

  “I don’t know.” Sunny turned to Ramiel then back to Divit. “Maybe . . .” She seemed to be chickening out.

  “Don’t be scared,” Divit fussed.

  “I’m not scared. I can do it.”

  “Okay.” Divit made circles with his hands hurrying her on. “So go ahead. Ask him.”

  “Ramiel,” Sunny said and took a step forward. “Can you ask Fleming? Uhm . . . Fleming Bennett, you know the girl that was murdered yesterday?” She swallowed hard. “Uhm, who . . . I don’t know . . . Like who killed her?”

  “Let no one be found that consults the dead,” Ramiel said.

  “See,” Sunny said taking a step back to Divit. “What does that even mean? Was that a yes or a no?”

  “I think he’s saying, ‘No,’” Divit offered the translation.

  “So what now?”

  “Ask him if he could help you clear your name. Find out who did it.”

  “Okay.” Sunny stepped toward the angel again, and opened her mouth to speak.

  “Mortals span but the blinking of an eye.” Ramiel didn’t give Sunny the opportunity to ask her question. “The passing of a season,” he said. “Why worry yourself on these beings?”

  Sunny swung from the hip and looked back at Divit. “I’m thinking I struck out again.”

  “I’m thinking you’re right,” Divit said.

  Sunny swung back and stared at the angel. He just stood there, feet shoulder-width apart, hands at his side, fingers curled under in a relaxed fist.

  “So. Aren’t you here to help me?” Sunny asked Ramiel.

  Divit moved up with some force and stood next to Sunny. “To protect her,” he added to what Sunny had said. He looked at Sunny, and then studied the angel. “Isn’t that why you’re here? For her.” Divit narrowed his eyes. “She needs help to clear her name, and she needs protection from the real murderer.”

  The angel moved closer to Sunny and put his hand on her shoulder. “Do not lose heart, Leah. Your troubles are light and momentary.” He bent down and looked into her eyes. “In all these things you are more than a conqueror.”

  Then he straightened up and walked toward the wall where his single spark of light had lingered. As he got closer to it, the light grew in intensity until he reached it then it fizzled, and popped. Then the wall open up in a blaze of light and Ramiel walked through and disappeared.

  Without taking her eyes off the wall where Ramiel had gone through, Sunny said, “I want to know where that candlelight ceremony is for Fleming.”

  “Why?” Divit asked.

  “Because I’m going to see what I can find out about Fleming’s murder. Maybe even figure out who killed her. Clear my name.” Sunny turned and looked at Divit. “I’m going to turn my optimism into action.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Why in the world would you think that you can find out something about that murder at a candlelight vigil?” Divit came and stood face-to-face with Sunny. “Although, I can’t understand why you’d even try to solve it,” he said in an aside.

  “Isn’t that what happens in the movies?” Sunny asked. “The killer always goes to the funeral. So if I want to find him or her, whatever the case may be, I need to go there, too.”

  Sunny wasn’t sure if it was the words that the angel had said to her was motivating her – telling she was a “conqueror.” Or her actually seeing what inaction looked like, but something suddenly gave her a momentum that she’d never experienced before.

  She didn’t understand what that angel had said, but for some reason she suddenly felt as if she could do it herself.

  “Uh. Well. This isn’t a movie.” Divit shook his head. “And that girl had like two thousand Facebook friends. If all those people show up to the vigil, how do you think you’ll find a killer?”

  “I’m sure most of those people don’t even live here,” Sunny said. She put her purse over her shoulder. “Facebook ‘friends’ aren’t people in your neighborhood.” Sunny went over to grab her purse. “I’ve got to go and get ready.”

  “Wait. Slow down.” Divit licked his lips. “I don’t know, Sunny,” Divit shook his head. “If you go to that thing you might get killed
.”

  “How?” Sunny said. She walked over and picked her coat up off of Divit’s bed and put it on.

  “What if the killer recognizes you? You wouldn’t know who he was because you didn’t see him. But he could just come up from behind you and stab you or something.”

  “How would he recognize me?”

  “You didn’t see him yesterday, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t see you.”

  That made Sunny pause. “Look,” she said and let out a sigh. “Didn’t you just tell me,” Sunny held out her hand, “that I need to do something?”

  “I surely didn’t mean anything like this,” he said. “Just wait for your angel to help you.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Sunny said. “He’s the reason I’m doing this.”

  “What? What does that mean? He’s here to help you. You heard him, he said God sent him.”

  “God couldn’t have sent him to help me,” Sunny said. “He is just one more thing that irritates me.”

  “One more? What else?”

  “You,” Sunny said. “Always the naysayer. Telling me I need to do something, then telling me I can’t. And that darn detective. How could he think I murdered someone just because I lost a lens cap?” She plopped down on the couch and covered her face. “All of this is making me worry unnecessarily. I mean,” she looked up at Divit. “I didn’t do anything.” She bent over and rested her head on her knees. “I could barely sleep last night. And then when I did get some rest is was only possible because I started thinking that the angel was going to help me.”

  “He will.”

  “He won’t,” Sunny said, almost stomping her foot.

  “Now who’s being the pessimist?” Divit said.

  “There just no making you happy, is it Divit?” Sunny put her hands on her hips. “Optimism, as you said, and I can see you’re right, isn’t going to fix what’s broken.”

  “Not the optimist?” Divit said. “I can’t believe you’re saying these things.”

  “Yes. Me the optimist.” Sunny shook her head. “You’re right. I have to do something.”

  “All of this – the angel included – has made you anxious, huh?”

  “Yes. Anxious. Scared. Apprehensive. I’ve developed angel angst.”

  “Angel angst?” He snorted out a laugh. “And I haven’t helped?”

  “No, Divit. You haven’t.”

  “Okay.” He tried to put a smile on his face. “So who’s driving?”

  “Driving where?”

  “To the memorial. I’m going with you. Don’t want you to have a continuous case of Divit angst.”

  ⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷⸶⸷

  Sunny left Divit’s with determination in her heart, but it was pure skepticism that flooded all the gray matter in her brain. She didn’t know if she had it in her to do what she professed she could do while at Divit’s. How was she going to clear her name and discover who the murderer was?

  That, optimist that she was, was more than likely impossible.

  In their research, Sunny and Divit had found that Fleming had a sister. And from Fleming’s posts they were best friends, always mentioning her. But the pair of sleuths couldn’t uncover any pictures of the sister, or any information on Fleming’s love life – family and significant others the usual suspect in murder cases seemed to be woefully missing from all of her social media details.

  When Sunny got home, she went into the studio, sat down at the computer and pulled up Fleming’s profile. It was filled with comments telling the newly deceased to “RIH.”

  Heaven . . .

  It seemed Sunny had a direct connection, but it didn’t do anything but cause her to have more questions than she already had.

  When she’d first witnessed the murder, it initially pushed her into the do-nothing, don’t-get-involved person she’d always been. Then the angel came reinforcing that attitude because she felt as if the angel would handle it.

  Now she didn’t know what to do.

  She did feel a spark inside of her, something she hadn’t felt before. One that told her to take action.

  That she could do it herself.

  Sunny turned her attention back to her computer and looked through Flemings social media posts – hundreds of them. It amazed Sunny at all the information people put online to share with people they’d never met. Family and relationship problems, where they were, where they were going, where they’d been. And all the selfies, especially on Flemings page.

  Sunny decided against adding portraits to her upcoming advertisements. It probably wouldn’t bring any new customers in, she thought. People, it seemed, were more than capable and very prolific at taking those on their own.

  Sunny turned off the computer and went upstairs. She was so tired she was dragging. She gave her dog, who this time was waiting for at the door a hug and then made her way down the hall to her bedroom.

  Climbing in the bed, she pulled the cover over her head, and then decided she wanted to feel the warmth of Duke. Peeking her head out from under the blanket, she saw him staring at the wall, tail happily wagging. And for the first time she could see what he was looking at.

  There on the wall, near one of the white daisies was a flickering light that sparked.

  Ramiel.

  Sunny pulled the cover back over her head. “I wouldn’t get too excited about that, Duke,” she muttered. “That little light ain’t nothing but trouble.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has yet to overcome it.” The words seemed to fill the room.

  Sunny jumped up startled, sitting straight up, she got entangled in the covers and fought with them to get them off of her head. “What are you doing here?” she said, her heart racing from the fright.

  It was Ramiel. His flicker manifesting, he stood at the foot of her bed.

  “You have been put in my charge,” he said, a glow framing his entire body emanating a soft, fuzzy light. “I must watch over you.”

  “Are you always in that wall?” Sunny asked, her head tilting to the side, she pulled the covers up to her neck. Then she looked over at her dog. “What did you do to Duke?”

  “He was tired from staring at the wall all day,” Ramiel said. “So now he sleeps.”

  She narrowed her eyes at the angel. “Why are you talking normal?” she said. “I’ve never heard you talk like that before.”

  “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and let one interpret.”

  “Now that’s from the Bible,” Sunny said although she couldn’t recite the verse. “Not sure what you mean by it though.”

  “Yes, it is in the Bible. And it means that since Divit isn’t here to interpret, I’ll have to speak so you can understand me.”

  “I like that,” Sunny said nodding her head. “So, you wanna tell me exactly why you are here?” She waved her hand. “I don’t mean like in my room ‘here.’ I mean . . . Well, you know. On Earth. Here with me.”

  “You sent for me.”

  “The day I was at the shoot.” She nodded. “Yep. Divit figured that one out,” Sunny said. “But you haven’t helped me any. I’m in a lot of trouble, you know.”

  He studied her. “Is that why you think I’m here?”

  “To help me?” Sunny said. “Yes. That’s why I think you’re here. Even Divit said so and he’s a man of the cloth. Almost,” she added the quantifier.

  “I am here as your messenger,” he said. “And your protector.”

  Sunny waited for him to say more. To say what she wanted to hear. But he didn’t. “That doesn’t sound like much help,” she said disappointment in his voice.

  “Yes. Because that is not why I’m here.”

  “Then what are you supposed to do for me?” Sunny slumped her shoulder, even with him speaking in a tongue known to her, he was exasperating.

  “Have you read the Bible?” Ramiel said folding h
is arms across his chest.

  “Yeah. Well, not all of it. S-Some of it.” She flinched trying to not tell a lie.

  “Then you know, I am here to strengthen you. Minister to you. I bring a calmer spirit so that man may do what they ask of our Father. And so they can obey.”

  “So you calm people down so they can do things? Is that like hypnosis?”

  “Not exactly,” Ramiel said. “Because if were, man would heed my words.”

  “And we don’t?”

  “No.” He walked to the other side of the bed and stood near the wall. His light now letting off little shimmering sparks. “Angels don’t help humans like you are thinking,” he said. “We don’t get them out of trouble.” He shook his head. “We warn them, so they don’t stray into things that can cause them suffering. Or we let them know that God will answer their prayers.”

  Sunny opened her mouth to comment, but he hadn’t finished what he wanted to say.

  “And then we smote them because they never listen.”

  “Oh!” Sunny let out a grunt. “Uh, so yeah, that definitely doesn’t sound like a guardian angel. And it doesn’t help me out.”

  He let out something that Sunny thought was the start of a laugh, but she couldn’t be sure. Whatever it was, his face didn’t change.

  “And cast upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble,” he said, his voice rumbling. “By sending a band of destroying angels among them.”

  “Okay, so you’re scaring me now,” Sunny said scooting back in the bed. “What happened to you not speaking in an unknown tongue?”

  “You are right,” he said. “And, we destroy the people that offend those in our charge.”

  “Okay. Good. Back to English.” She swallowed and prepared her words. “So let me get this straight, from what I understand. You pretty much just deliver messages and smote other people that try to harm the people you’re assigned to. And as far as you solving this murder for me, clearing my name and all, I’m pretty much on my own. Is that about right?”

  “I shall explain again,” Ramiel said. “We give you messages, you humans do the opposite of what we say.” His glow sizzled and popped. “Don’t look back you’ll turn into a pillar of salt. Yes, I know you’re ninety, but you will still have a baby. Get in the boat, it’s going to rain.” He shook his head. “I’ve got hundreds of examples and they all turn out the same way.”