The Art of Madness

by A. J. Mayall

  For this, she wanted her armor on. She had chosen one of her favorite dresses. It flowed long to the ankles and had a high collar. It was a muted gray that shimmered like mercury when she moved. Over it she wore a corseted vest, black, like her nail polish. Her arms were sleeved from under the shoulder to the wrist in the same shimmering gray.

  She wore her hair up in the usual bun, and now had the time to set it properly on the back of her head, tight and secure. Two tresses of hair from her brow over her cheeks she allowed, casting the stark image of a woman of ice and shadow. In the mirror, she moved a brush over her dark eyebrows, and applied a bit more makeup here and there.

  While being a fashion-plate was not generally her cup of tea, she assumed the police officer would not be expecting her to go to the nines, and she did love to make a date squirm.

  As she applied her candy apple red lipstick and kissed at her reflection, she looked like a strange cross between a princess heading to the ball and a teacher who was begging for a student to give her an excuse to give detention. She settled on “Wicked Stepmother in Training”.

  It wasn’t long before she heard a knock.

  “Who is it?” she called from across the room. By the time, she knew it to be Jack, and she had to give him points for timeliness. He was, after all, fifteen minutes early. Just on the upper end of acceptability without seeming desperate. Then again, it could be her sisters come far too early. Having to deal with Claudia’s squeals of excitement at seeing her dressed up was not something she looked forward to.

  “It’s Jack! Sorry if I’m too early; traffic was kind to me on my way here.”

  She smiled, opening the door for him. That’s when Suzette DiMarco knew she may have met her match.

  Jack wore a tailored white suit, with a black silk shirt and a silver tie. It was as if they had been made for each other. His blond hair was slicked back. She saw his shoes had even been polished to a mirror shine. The only thing out of place was an ornate ladies’ silver necklace around his neck.

  He winked and took her hand, bowing and kissing at arm’s length before he entered. He stepped up to the living room mirror and checked his lapels, and then scoffed at the necklace.

  “Thank you for agreeing to this. Oh look, this necklace doesn’t go with this outfit at all. Would you mind wearing it?”

  He grinned and put it around Suzette’s neck. She gave him points for originality.

  “I thought you suggested a small bistro. Aren’t you a bit overdressed for that?” Suzette mused.

  “I don’t know. Aren’t you?”

  “Touché,” she said, closing her lips to suppress a chuckle and smile. She gathered her keys and her purse, and walked out with Jack, arm in arm.

  They drove in Jack’s large black pick-up truck, turning the radio down to white noise as they cruised through the Asylum. While not the most high-end area of the city, The Asylum at night was a festival of neon. The bars and clubs of the city’s haven for the Stygus and Omnus residents lit the sky far above the walls of the canyon.

  “Where are we going?” Suzette asked, looking out the window as they passed the dives on the outskirts of the Asylum, past the bistros in the downtown area, and then to the more upscale blocks where the Asylum did its best to emulate the Canyon district.

  Jack merely smiled as he made a right turn. “Rusalka, I thought you might like seafood.”

  “The Russian place?” Her eyes lit up. Rusalka was one of the most highly esteemed restaurants in the Asylum, if not Rouge Mal. She had been there a few times with her family for special occasions. “How did you know I’d be getting dressed up like this? I know Rusalka has a dress code,” she paused, and finished with a grin, “sly devil.”

  “I didn’t. It’s why you have the necklace.” It was his turn to pause. He looked to her out of the corner of his eye and added, “It’s also why I wore a suit with a jacket; you could have put that on.”

  She looked out the window in silence. She did her best to keep her expression still, not wanting to give Jack the satisfaction of knowing she had been impressed for the first time in years.

  Within half an hour, they were seated. Suzette carried herself with a trained grace and poise that she normally repressed, and only augmented with her martial training to give the air of a moving wall of liquefactious stone, a dancing wisp of razor wire.

  “So, Jack, why all this? It’s a bit much for a first date.”

  “You’re the first non-Stygus I’ve dated. I wanted to go all out.”

  She arched a brow. She wanted to ask about the officers from the video, but held off. She liked him. He had a charm, a sly intelligence his boyish smile hid well. Not to mention in the event he did know them, it would be a bit of a mood killer for such a lovely evening, and then she’d have to pick up the check to make up for it.

  “You’re Stygus, then. Not to play to stereotypes, but do you live in the Asylum?”

  Jack nodded, and opened the menu, eyes widening for the briefest of moments when he gazed at the selection. The corners of his lips trembled.

  Suzette inwardly smiled. He hadn’t checked the price range of the place before setting up the reservation. She decided to be kind.

  “Well, I did have something to eat a bit ago, since I thought we’d just be getting sandwiches or something. I’ll order light.”

  Jack was visibly relieved, though he said nothing. “So, Sandfall district. How is it there? I hear the rent is good.”

  “It’s fine, I’ve lived there since college and I’ve negotiated a very good rate. A lot of the tenants are college students. I like it there, a lot of good energy. My sister is staying with me for a bit too, well, again. She just started college, I repeat, again.”

  “Sounds nice.”

  “It is. I like my space and my privacy, but I do enjoy having someone there to talk to after work.”

  “I knew I had forgotten to ask you something!” Jack leaned forward. “So, what do you do for a living?”

  “I do a lot of research and monitoring for my boss.”

  “Cushy office job?”

  “Sometimes I get to go out and have a bit of fun chasing down paperwork, but everything is at my fingertips on my desktop so…”

  “I see.”

  “How about we don’t discuss work?” she said as she slid her hand across the table to his, smiling as the waiter showed up. Ordering cocktails and appetizers, they locked eyes and soaked in the ambiance.

  “I’m glad I met you, Suzette.”

  “I’m glad you met me, too.”

  Suzette finally returned home after midnight. Angelique was sitting on the couch, in a ripped shirt and cutoff jeans, and waved in her general direction as she watched the television. She turned to ask if her older sister wanted anything when she saw how Suzette was dressed.

  “Damn! Pulled out all the stops on this one, didn’t you?”

  Suzette smiled and giggled under her breath as she grabbed a cherry cola from the cupboard by the fridge.

  Angelique stared, her jaw dropping and her smile widening. “Suzy, you’re smiling…holy shit. Suzy is smiling…” She got up and walked to the kitchen island, leaning over it. “Spill!”

  “Shut up, Angie…” she said as she tried to scowl, the corners of her mouth defying her.

  Angelique laughed.

  “Ho-ly shit. No way. I gotta get a picture of this!” She reached for her phone as Suzette scrambled after her, half tipsy from cocktails.

  “Oh no, you don’t!” she laughed.

  “Hell yes, I do! I’m gonna show Claudia…and Mom…and Dad…and Grandma!”

  They collapsed on the floor in a fit of laughter. Angelique looked at her sister in her pristine makeup and that dress, shaking her head. “He better be cute, is all I’m saying.”

  “Gorgeous. Well built. Sharp as a tack.”

  The younger sister sat back, leaning against the side of the sofa. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”

  Suzette nodded, blushing. “I
think I do.”

  “Well, I can smell you’ve had a few to drink. Wanna watch bad movies, or you going to bed? What time are you off work tomorrow? We could do something!”

  “I have tomorrow off, and yes, we’re going to do spend all day moving your crap over here. Maybe I’ll invite Jack.”

  “You want to introduce him to members of your family? After one date?”

  She put her hand on Suzette’s forehead, feigning taking her temperature, the older sister bapping the hand away.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, have coffee ready.” She walked down the hallway to her bedroom and then yelled from inside, “Don’t stay up all night!”

  Suzette closed her door and collapsed on her bed, staring to the left out the window overlooking the city. She breathed a happy sigh and sat up to change out of her dress, walking to her bathroom to wash her face and prepare to sleep.

  “Jack…” she said to her reflection, imagining his arms around her. Another soft smile left her lips as she returned to bed, lying down and letting the moonlight over the crest of the canyon wall illuminate her room.

  The silent tranquility was broken by the sound of explosions and gunfire from the living room.

  “Turn that down, Angie!”

  “Sorry!”

  Suzette shook her head as she curled up under the covers, thinking of Jack.

  CHAPTER 9

  The sun was high when Phoenix woke up, Bouncer cradled against the side of his head. The detective watched the blades of the ceiling fan lazily spin with the breeze coming from his open window. He rose and quietly began his daily routine for those days Suzette had off. First, a long shower; he let the steam relax his sore muscles, his thoughts melting in the heat of the water. He tried to will them down the drain with the rest of the grime that formed on his body overnight. Then, he tidied up downstairs so Suzette wouldn’t yell at him when she came in tomorrow. Trash was gathered into large black plastic bags and set by the front door, the green-screen was folded up and slid to the back of the room to be forgotten until it was needed again, if ever.

  That done, he headed back upstairs to clean his loft. The bed was made and Bouncer tucked in. Once he completed his required adulting for the morning, he called Jeremy Benton one more time, again getting voicemail.

  “Hi, Jeremy. Listen, I’m just going to stop by, all right? We need to get this taken care of. See you in a few. I hope you’re doing all right.”

  He donned his jacket and leaped out the window, taking a nice, slow, coasting pace toward the Benton household. The wind was kind to him as he sailed through the air a bit higher than he normally would. Phoenix likened his flights to hiking in the woods: alone, one with nature, no interruptions or distractions but for the occasional swarm of insects, like today. Damn gnats.

  He’d land, talk with Jeremy, or leave a note if he happened to be out. As he landed, he noted the lawn looked a bit unkempt, but considering the events, stepping outdoors might be awkward. He saw no cars in the driveway, but he doubted they worked on the weekends. When he walked to the door to leave a note, he realized something was wrong.

  It was open and the entryway was barren of everything he had seen a few days prior.

  “Jeremy? Mrs. Benton? Hello?”

  He stepped in, opening the door and looked into the living room. The walls were freshly painted, the carpets replaced. Every bit of furniture was gone, no appliances to be seen. He had been through a few home renovations, but no one took everything out of a house to paint the walls.

  “Jeremy!” he yelled as he walked from room to room. Nothing of the Bentons remained. He ran out and looked in the front yard, no signs stating the residence was for sale.

  He took a running start and leaped as he took back up into the air, batting away a few mosquitos as he did so. He needed this check if he planned to get Francesca off his back. He fished out his phone once he reached a comfortable altitude and turned on his navigation app.

  “Give me an overhead map. Travel assist activate. Destination: Prescott Electronics. Engage airborne mode. Then call Francesca DiMarco.”

  The phone calculated the path, taking in his altitude, as well as Rouge Mal’s unique building style. He looked down as the phone beeped, and he quickly put his Scarface on.

  “Hello, Phoenix, if you’re looking for Suzette, she isn’t here and it’s her day off,” came the elder DiMarco’s voice, sweet but dripping with venom.

  “I’ve got most of the back pay for you. Can I send it your way?”

  “Most of it?”

  “I’m having difficulty getting payment from this client, but most of it can be covered by my recent television appearances. When the check for my video views comes in, I’ll be able to get the rest of the back debt.”

  “What about interest, Mr. McGee?”

  Phoenix willed himself faster and faster, coasting over the city and then down into it, diving aside cliffrisers and the different layers of traffic.

  “Listen, I have money for you. Do you want it or not?”

  After a pause, Francesca hissed, “I’ll have Gregori meet with you to oversee the transfer of funds. Can’t have you using those powers of yours to hack bank accounts.”

  “You know I wouldn’t…”

  She clipped his words short. “Phoenix, you’re new to this and you’re my granddaughter’s only friend, so I’m being nice. Now, you’ll give me what’s due me. If you like, I’ll consider this payment final, if you come work for me.”

  Phoenix bit his tongue, he needed a cool head for this.

  “No. No one collars me anymore.”

  “You aren’t the first GearWitch I’ve dealt with.”

  “You think I don’t know that? Every damn time we talk, you bring it up. I get it! You got burned by Jeremiah.”

  “Call him by his real name, Sebastian Gerard.”

  “Whatever. I dislike him as much as you do! Why do you have to be like this with me? We were on good terms until Suzette and I became friends.”

  “I won’t have her go through what I did.”

  “We aren’t in love. We’re just friends. Why can’t you see that?”

  “This has nothing to do with relationships. A GearWitch has a sort of gravity about them. It pulls you in, whether you like it or not, and you burn in the atmosphere before crashing.”

  “So, you think me working for you will stop that?”

  “I think you know a thing or two about manipulating gravity, and that means I need to keep an eye on you.”

  “I’ll get you your damn money. Interest, too. But let me at least get this big chunk to you, first?”

  “Very well, Gregori will see you soon.”

  “But you don’t know where I…”

  The phone beeped, signaling the disconnection.

  Thirty minutes passed before he arrived at the offices of Prescott Electronics. A young woman met him at the front desk. He smiled, commenting on her lovely blonde hair, which she touched and twirled around a finger.

  Turn up the charm, McGee, he thought before inquiring about Jeremy.

  She looked at McGee, then inched him closer.

  “He doesn’t work here anymore,” she said in a hushed tone.

  “Did he quit? Was this over the video?”

  “I don’t know and I shouldn’t be talking about it, but a lot of us are freaked out. One day they were here, the next day we came in and their offices were bare. Just yesterday, they’d both been replaced.”

  “Were they…”

  The receptionist shushed him before he could ask if they were fired or relocated.

  “We’re not supposed to say, even though we haven’t been told anything.”

  “Can I meet his replacement, then?”

  “I suppose that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll go get him.”

  He sat as she walked down a nearby hallway, opening a door by keypad. After a couple minutes of waiting, a chubby, balding man emerged, all smiles. His eyes were magnified by his glasses.

&n
bsp; “Can I help you, sir?” he asked, fumbling in his pocket for a cloth to clean his glasses.

  “I’m looking for your predecessor, Jeremy Benton. We had some business and I can’t seem to locate him at home. I am under the impression he is no longer with the company, but I thought maybe a forwarding address might be here, you know…in case you needed to contact him about a project or something?”

  “Sorry. I was brought up to snuff on all his projects before I started. Yes, he no longer works here, and neither does his wife. I assume you were going to ask about her next. I have no information for you, sorry.”

  “I was. Thank you for your time.”

  “Of course, sir. If you’ll excuse me, I have a project to attend to.”

  “Go ahead, I’ll see myself out.”

  Phoenix thanked the man and the receptionist, walking out the door in a hurry. As soon as he could, he grabbed his phone and speed dialed Suzette.

  After a few rings, she yelled, “It’s my day off!” and promptly hung up on him.

  He seethed and re-dialed.

  After a half-dozen rings, he was greeted by a hushed yell. “What is it? I’m helping Angie. Again, it’s my day off.”

  “Benton is missing.”

  “What do you mean, ‘Benton is missing’?”

  “I mean, I went to their house and it’s gutted.”

  “Check at their job, Phoenix; do I have to do everything for you?”

  “I did that, Suzette. Both have been replaced and it seems to be a bit shady. Receptionist was a bit freaked. Left office like normal one day, next morning their offices were stripped bare, then replaced shortly after.”

  “Will they still be missing tomorrow?”

  “Most likely. Why?”

  “Well, you can pay me to care tomorrow. If you’re so worried, go to the police.”

  “Real peach you are, Suzette. Fine. See you tomorrow.”

  Phoenix reset the destination in his phone for the nearest police station. A moment of calculations and he was on his way.