by Multiple
“Good evening, officers.”
“Officers Lopez and Sprague. We got an alarm call.” The taller officer, Lopez, waved the smoke from his eyes and winced.
“Where’s the fire? Is anyone hurt?” Sprague asked and stepped close to Daniel, giving him a sniff.
Josh cut in before Daniel could answer. “Problem with the fireplace. No one hurt. Ego bruised a bit is all.”
“Yeah?” Lopez said as he looked from Josh to Daniel. He took out a pad and pen from his breast pocket. “Need some ID, fellas. Who owns the house?”
“I do.” Daniel shoved a hand in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He displayed his driver’s License. “I’m Daniel DePalma. This is—”
“Joshua Brandon. I’m his friend, and his agent,” Josh said, opening his wallet up to examination.
“May we come in?” Lopez asked.
“Why not?” Daniel said and stepped aside to let them pass.
“What the hell happened to you, sir?” Officer Lopez asked, pointing with his notebook to Daniel’s chest, stained with wine and smeared with paint.
Daniel bristled.
“We walking into a quarrel between you…two?” the officer said and gave a crooked smile, showing no teeth.
Daniel boiled at the implication. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Josh grabbed his arms, restraining him from going after the officer, who had put his hand on his gun.
“Hold it, Daniel,” Josh murmured. “Not wise. You’re being an asshole.”
Josh’s strength surprised Daniel. He shook Josh loose and rubbed his arms where his friend’s fingers had dug in.
The second officer, Sprague, Daniel thought, stepped in front of his partner. “Anyone else here?” he asked, before beginning to search the downstairs.
“No. He lives here alone. I just got here myself,” Joshua answered.
As his partner wandered through the living room and to the open kitchen, Officer Lopez examined the alarm keypad that dangled by the two wires. He raised it delicately with his pen.
“I think the smoke tripped the alarm,” Josh offered. “Then Daniel had an unfortunate accident with it, trying to get it to stop.”
Dropping the keypad, which hit the wall with a light tap, the policeman pulled on latex gloves as he walked over to Daniel. He flashed a light in Daniel’s eyes.
Daniel flinched. The bright light hurt. He was having difficulty standing up. Lopez twirled Daniel around and the room kept spinning. First checking Daniel’s pockets, both front and back, Lopez then examined his back and hands. Lopez paid close attention to the small abrasions on Daniel’s left forearm where he had nicked himself with the knife.
“When did you do this?” he asked Daniel.
“Roses. He pruned his roses Monday. Or was it Tuesday, Daniel?” Josh volunteered.
Daniel gawked at the almost healed gashes that had bled not more than fifteen minutes ago. “What the fu—”
Josh stepped on his foot. Hard.
“Okay, these look to be a couple of days old,” said the officer.
“I’m fine.” Daniel yanked his arms away and crossed them over his chest. He glared at Josh.
Officer Lopez was stern. “Look, don’t bullshit me. You’re far from fine. What have you taken?”
“Wine. One bottle of Ravenswood Meritage Estate Bottled 2005.” Daniel sat down abruptly. The room continued to wobble. “It was as good as recommended.”
Josh smiled and shook his head, looking at his feet.
“Look, Officers, I think I should tell you he has been dumped by his fiancé recently. And today, he found out his paintings are being dropped at the gallery, okay? It’s been a blow both personally and professionally.”
Yeah, and these dudes think we’re a couple.
“If the fire department comes, you’ll get a big fine for that too,” Lopez said, moving to the fireplace.
Daniel shrugged. Didn’t matter. He had no money to pay for it anyway.
“This is destruction of property.”
“My property. I own this house,” Daniel said.
“Yes, but it’s against the law to willingly set it on fire.”
“I didn’t fucking cause—”
“Daniel,” Josh said, “don’t be more of a shit than you’ve already been. Apologize, or they’ll take you to jail. And then you still will have to apologize, but it will cost you a few grand. I happen to know you don’t have that kind of money to burn.”
Sprague returned and nodded to his partner. “Okay, I guess we’re done here,” he said.
Daniel watched as Lopez kicked the twisted remains of the smoldering painting protruding from the fireplace. waved his hand in front of his face to rid himself of the cloud of soot and smoke.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Uh, that was a jungle scene with a leopard. It was an especially nice one,” Josh said. Josh could spin anything.
“So what was wrong with it? Why’d he burn it all up like this?”
Josh took his time with the answer. “She liked it.”
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Joshua spoke to the two policemen in hushed tones and they left, nodding their heads, laughing at something the three of them shared. He had promised he’d stay to watch over Daniel. Claire was sure Josh used some kind of power over them. She relaxed when the uniforms got in their patrol car and disappeared. Daniel was seated, leaning over his knees, head propped in his color-smeared left hand. He was focused on the floor and seemed oblivious to anything else around him.
She saw Josh continue scanning the room, as if looking for something he didn’t see. His eyes shot a beacon of red light as he swept his gaze across the corner where Claire had been standing, invisible—or so she thought. The red light left a pricking sensation on her skin. She felt a sharp pain, jumped, and then saw Josh do a double take in her direction.
A chill ran up her spine. Claire dropped her eyes and willed herself to the opposite side of the room. This had to be the powerful, dark angel Mother had spoken of.
He can feel my pain. She knew he could probably feel her fear as well. It would be a mistake to reveal her presence. Tossing the knife had been an ill-conceived move, but she’d been out of options. If Daniel had drawn blood, she knew he would have earned an escorted trip to the hospital, and then most likely to jail afterwards. But if she’d healed Daniel, Josh would know for sure he was being watched over by a Guardian and not some other angel. She wasn’t about to show off her special powers until she needed to.
Josh stopped scanning. He shrugged and rolled his head around to the back. His neck made a loud cracking noise. “I need a drink myself. I’m seeing things.”
“What?”
“Never mind. Okay, Romeo, get your butt upstairs and take a shower while I fix you something.”
“Josh, I’m fine. No need for this…”
“I’m going to insist. Besides, I promised to take care of you.”
“I don’t need a nursemaid.”
“Au contraire, mon ami, you need a nurse and a maid. I’ve got a couple in mind and somehow I don’t think the cops would object…”
“Stop it, Josh.” But in spite of his drunkenness, his pants were tenting.
Josh noticed Daniel’s groin and howled with laughter. “Oh, that’s right. Your heart’s breaking. My apologies, I forgot.” He bowed deeply, raising his left arm above his head, little pinkie in the air, right palm over his heart.
Daniel glared at him. “You asshole. You don’t take any of this seriously, do you?”
“No. I don’t take much in life seriously.”
“How can you say that? Don’t you care about anything?”
“Oh, I care, I care deeply. Fact is, I care about things you have no fucking idea even exist. You’re shitfaced. One minute you were ready to kill yourself, and the next you’d hump anything in a skirt, maybe one of those cops—”
Danie
l lunged at Joshua, screaming Portuguese obscenities. With one small movement, the dark angel flipped Daniel end over end. Daniel’s body collapsed on the floor where he lay dazed and confused. He struggled to get up. Josh finally gave him a hand, which he refused, with a curse and a glare, and righted himself.
“No more of this bullshit, Daniel. Behave.”
Daniel scowled and turned away, rubbing his rear and moving his shoulder.
“You’re just a victim of the human condition.” Josh leaned on a high-backed overstuffed chair and said, “Now, get that stink off you and let’s eat. We’ll worry about getting a replacement for Audray tomorrow, or the next day. Fair enough?” He grinned, showing perfectly even white teeth.
Daniel hesitated a second, then lumbered to the stairway, mumbling something not in English. Claire willed herself up to the top landing, near the entrance to what she assumed was Daniel’s master bedroom suite. As Daniel passed through her, she smelled the wine, the sweat, and trace elements of his lemon aftershave.
Telling herself she was concerned he wouldn’t try to injure himself further, she followed him into the bathroom, leaned herself against the door for support, and watched as he slipped the tight black slacks with paint smudges down over his briefs. In one smooth move, he bent over and slipped off the gray briefs, exposing the tanned and muscled cheeks of his ass. She blushed at this intimate view of him from behind. The smooth, tanned flesh made her quiver.
He was healthier than the charges she usually got. Lean and well toned, this one didn’t resemble the usual cadre of suicidals who had done years of damage to themselves, usually through drug and alcohol use. Simply put, Daniel was perfect in every way, from his broad smooth shoulders to the smallness of his rear and tightness of his thighs that were dusted with just a little dark hair. She watched the muscles move under his skin as he pulled aside the shower curtain and stepped in. When the water began to run she waited, giving him privacy.
Truth was, she usually liked to shower with her charges, but it was not the recommended way. She would give him a little more distance tonight; let him show her his dreams and the true source of his torment. Her instincts told her to be cautious. Something in her internal radar was bleeping off the charts.
She inched her way closer so she could smell the shower gel he used. She leaned against the wall, letting the lemony steam cover her invisible but sensitive angel flesh. She closed her eyes and listened to him reprimanding himself in Portuguese. It wasn’t important to have a word-for-word translation; she understood perfectly what he was saying. The way the sounds rolled off his tongue and the deep resonance of his voice was soothing. She knew in that instant that she could save him. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live. He was fighting with himself, and right now that was a good thing.
She was still daydreaming when the water stopped and he reached for the towel located on the wall Claire was leaning against. His hands went through her shoulders to grip the blue terrycloth hanging there. She didn’t move as he pulled the fluffy cotton to his face, burying it and then reaching behind him to towel dry his hair with one strong arm as he arched backwards and gave her a first class view of his chiseled abs, and more.
The place where he had touched her was warm. The full length of this slick, wet Adonis who smelled of fresh lemons was no more than four or five inches from the edges of her gown, but her body underneath began to glow and she was suddenly shy, and blushed. This had never happened to her before. When his hands again went through her body to replace the towel, and he exhaled a release, filling her nostrils with his mortal breath, she knew she had to get out of the room.
Willing herself into his bedroom, she rubbed her upper arms until the sensation of his palms was gone, and took a deep breath. Daniel dressed while she stepped out onto the upper landing and occupied herself watching Joshua tinker around in the kitchen below.
In a crisp white shirt that smelled freshly laundered, and a pair of blue jeans with sandals, Daniel brushed by her angel gown, not knowing he barely grazed her back. She followed the trail of his scent as he danced down the stairs, fingers of his long dark hair trailing behind him.
Close one. Other Guardians had told her if some kind of attraction occurred between the angel and the charge, her invisibility could be compromised. And if she appeared to him in the flesh at any time, it might mean a quick trip home to Heaven. She would have to be extra careful to make sure that didn’t happen.
Josh washed the large carving knife and laid it on the counter top, then foraged in the refrigerator. He sighed. Almost closing the door, at the last minute he brought out a carton of eggs, some cheese, and an onion. He went back for the butter. He looked up at Daniel and gave a curt smile. “Better,” he said.
“Yeah, nothing like a shower.”
“All’s right with the world, then?”
“Wouldn’t go that far.”
Josh sang some little ditty under his breath; it sounded to Claire like a pub chant. He whipped eggs furiously, creating a light froth. He unpeeled the golden onion and then halved the white meat with one quick slice, using the Henkel knife. Both parts of the onion sprung back and rolled slightly, freed forever from each other.
“Josh, you don’t have to do that.”
“Well, I’m here and I’m doing it. You…” he pointed the knife directly at Daniel, “can make the coffee.”
Daniel flinched at the gesture. Claire went into protect mode, ready to spring. Josh followed Daniel’s gaze and, noticing the knife, sighed.
“Thoughtless of me.” He tapped his forehead with his knuckles, still clutching the knife. A small piece of onion fell into his black hair. Josh didn’t notice. “I don’t use my head sometimes. Sorry.”
“My best friend is trying to kill me—with the knife he bought me for my birthday,” Daniel mumbled, lips attempting a crooked smile. Claire loved that smile already.
“Shut up and get the coffee.”
Daniel brought out a bag of coffee beans and poured them into the grinder. Both men jumped as it whirred to life.
Claire loved the smell of freshly ground coffee. It brought memories of previous missions, sitting at outdoor cafes, mingling anonymously in human form with the rest of the population. She liked looking ordinary, unremarkable.
The chopping and grinding completed, the two men waited for the eggs to cook and the coffee to brew. Josh painstakingly rinsed the knife, using his fingers to remove the onion parts and juices that remained there. Daniel watched him lay it carefully on a towel. After an awkward pause, Daniel began, “Bet you never thought I would use your knife to do myself in, did you?” His eyes were dark and hooded.
Josh shrugged. He looked up at Daniel slowly, and with a smile, said, “I guess I could feel sort of responsible, then? That what you’re saying?”
“Not at all. You’re not my keeper.” Daniel frowned.
“Am I not my brother’s keeper…?” Josh recited, with eyebrows raised.
Claire choked on hearing the Bible verse. He’s clever; I’ll give him that. She noted how Josh twisted things around, like buying Daniel the knife to kill himself. No doubt Josh had another kind of birthday in mind—a new black soul. She wondered if he was responsible for the broken relationship with Audray, too.
“Seriously, would you let me do it, if you caught me in the middle of it?”
Claire didn’t like where this question led. As if sensing her concern, Daniel added, “Oh forget it. That was stupid.”
“Depends on what you wanted.” Josh looked down at his black boots. The smell of cooking eggs and butter caught his attention and he flipped the omelet over.
“So, you’d let me do it?”
Claire tensed. Why was Daniel still thinking about it?
“Is that what you wanted this time? Or did you want to be saved?” Josh asked as he dished up the eggs onto two small plates. He dropped the pan into the sink, adding water that sizzled when it hit the hot pan.
“
No. I wanted to die. I have no money. I can’t paint. I can’t sleep without those fucking nightmares torturing me all night long.”
“There’re a lot of guys who would love those fucking nightmares, my friend.”
Josh looked into the corner. Claire felt the pinpricks on her skin again and saw the faint red light emanating from the center of his eyes.
Daniel followed his gaze. “What is it?”
“I was just thinking how close you got. Mere seconds, from the sounds of it.” He gave Daniel a wicked grin as he walked to the eating bar next to him and passed over the plates of food. “Divine intervention,” Josh said. He stared at his plate and frowned, “Nah, no such thing, is there? You just didn’t really want to do it, otherwise you would have. That’s what they say, anyway.”
Daniel started to say something, but seemed to think better of it.
“Time to get something in your stomach,” Josh said as he set down a steaming mug in front of Daniel. They sat at the kitchen countertop, side by side, eating silently.
“You make good eggs,” Daniel managed to get out around a mouthful.
“Ah, it’s nothing. I didn’t have much to choose from in your refrigerator. Going for the wine and cheese diet are we?” Josh retorted.
“I haven’t been home—eating on the run, when I eat at all.” He paused again before inserting another hot cheesy forkful of eggs, and swallowed. “Gotta sell the house.”
“Why?” Josh’s face was full of surprise.
“Money. The memories. Every time I go to bed I see the same dream—I see her in this house.” He pointed to the green bench, standing unharmed amongst the carnage. “I’m broke. Beau’s even left me messages to get my paintings out of his gallery in Healdsburg. That last big sale was what, eight months ago now? I think a change of scenery would help me…recover…if that’s the word I’m looking for. Move to some place less expensive. It’s been a tough year.”