by P J Gordon
Chelsea’s reaction was immediate. She shrieked and launched herself at Josh, but Richard had reached for her as soon as Josh moved and he quickly pinned her arms behind her back. He was prepared for her to shift, waiting to see what form she would take before he chose a form of his own.
Instead of transforming, however, Chelsea shrieked at Josh and Mikey, her body wracked with sobs. “What are you doing? Why did you do that?” She twisted against Richard’s iron grip. “Richard” she sobbed, “what’s going on? Why are they doing this? Help her! Help Tina! They’ve hurt our little girl, Richard! Stop them!”
Richard was taken aback. Chelsea was even further out of touch with reality than he would have guessed.
“That little piece of trash was not my daughter,” he snarled down at her coldly. “I only wish I could have killed her myself.”
Chelsea gasped as if she’d been struck. “How can you say that Richard? We’re going to be such a happy family!” She struggled toward Tina’s still body again.
Mikey bent over Tina, checking her neck for a pulse. After a few seconds he turned away from the lifeless body and strode toward Chelsea.
“You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Amanda Jensen. Apparently we are saved the trouble of a murder trial for your daughter.” He seemed to take grim satisfaction in the words. He went on almost cheerily. “You’re also facing numerous charges involving stalking, death threats...well, you get the picture. Of course, if you don’t behave yourself, it won’t matter anyway because Richard will probably just kill you here and now. He’s been dying to do that for months, you know.”
Mikey’s final verbal jab was vicious and Chelsea shrank away from him. Richard was surprised by the intensity of Mikey’s emotional assault until he saw the grim smile Mikey flashed at him surreptitiously.
“I don’t allow people to treat my friends the way you have so I’ll probably just let him do it anyway. It’ll save us all an annoying trial in your case as well.”
Chelsea became very still and quiet. “I don’t know what you mean. What’s he talking about, Richard?”
Richard, noting that the agents posing as stewards had drawn their guns and trained them on Chelsea, thrust her away from him into one of the black leather chairs that were clustered around the lounge. He ignored her question. “I just want to know one thing,” he asked her instead, his voice dangerous. “Why Manda? You didn’t warn her away. You just killed her. Why?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she insisted in tearful defiance.
Richard turned away from her and took a deep breath. When he turned back he was calm, almost gentle. He dropped to one knee beside the chair. Slowly he caressed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. He leaned closer and spoke softly, seductively—counting on her tenuous grasp of reality to work in his favor. “Tell me why, love. You know you can tell me anything.”
A shiver ran through her body and she gasped. “Because you thought you loved her. You never loved any of the others. They were just annoyances. I knew if I got rid of them you would never be able to fool yourself into thinking they were good enough for you. But not Amanda. It had already gone too far. You’d convinced yourself that you loved her and I knew you’d be foolish enough to believe that she was the one for you. You were going to marry her. You bought a ring. If you’re ready to get married and have a family, it should be with me! I’m the one you really love! You belong with me!” She wailed the last and then sucked in a sobbing breath and went on. “I suppose you didn’t know I was waiting for you though. I’m sorry for that William, but you really just needed some time. You couldn’t know I was always around if you were ever going to miss me and realize how much you love me. But I watched over you and protected you from women who wanted to take advantage of you. I love you!”
Chelsea broke down into incoherent sobs. She reached one hand out to Richard but he stood up abruptly and stared down at her in disgust. Scorn dripped from his voice as he lashed out at her.
“I’ve never loved you.” He made it sound like the most ludicrous idea in the world. “I can’t even stand the sight of you. Mikey’s right. I’ve been dying to kill you for months. I only wish I could have killed you before you could hurt someone like Manda.”
“But you do love me! We’ve been so happy!” Chelsea sobbed with wild eyes.
“No,” Richard told her coldly, “I’ve just been using you to get to whoever killed Manda. And you brought your daughter right to us. Thank you, Chelsea.” He turned his back on her, making his rejection of her complete.
It was too much for her. She shrieked again and he sensed her launching herself toward his back. He could smell her scent change as she transformed. He whirled to defend himself, flashing into the form of a tiger. Gunshots rang out but the bullets had no effect. The wounds healed almost instantly, not even slowing Chelsea.
Richard absorbed the force of the impact as Chelsea, in the form of a sleek, black panther, crashed into him. He redirected her momentum, sending her flying across the room to crash into a group of chairs. She spun quickly around as she landed, her body a black blur, and launched herself toward him again. He sprang from a low crouch, meeting her in mid-air. His powerful orange and black tiger form was easily twice as large as Chelsea’s panther, and he drove her back, pinning her to the floor. Chelsea was agile, however, and managed to wriggle away. Free from Richard, she redirected her attack toward Mikey. She streaked across the room toward him, undaunted by the gun he pointed at her. As she gathered herself to spring at his throat, Richard’s massive paw slammed into her hindquarters, spinning her away. Mikey quickly raised the muzzle of his gun, which had been left pointing at Richard’s head.
Richard spun quickly, digging his claws into Chelsea’s flank and dragging her back toward him. He was prepared for her quickness and flexibility this time, and managed to pin her more effectively. He trapped her securely against the floor, using his superior weight and size to immobilize her. He could easily crush her skull and be done with it now, but something inside him recoiled from the brutality of such an act, and he hesitated.
Sensing his reluctance, Chelsea shifted back into her human form. She gazed up into his amber eyes and pleaded with him. “Don’t do this, Richard. I love you! I’ve always loved you. You aren’t a killer. You don’t want to do this.”
Richard steeled himself. Everything she said was true. In her own twisted way, she did love him. She was also completely insane. He didn’t want to do this. He wasn’t a killer. The thought of what he was about to do horrified him. He knew he had to do it though. Chelsea couldn’t be allowed to live. Richard closed his eyes and gathered his resolve. She and her daughter had killed Manda. He had to do this.
A single shot rang out behind Richard and he jerked, his eyes snapping open. Beneath him, Chelsea’s body went limp. Her eyes were blank and unresponsive. Richard looked quickly toward Mikey. The other man was lowering his gun, his face grim.
“She was right, Richard. You didn’t want to do it. You would have, I know, but you didn’t want to. It did have to be done, but it was my job.”
Richard backed away from the lifeless body beneath him and flashed back to his own form. He stood bare, his arms lowering to hang limply at his sides. The sound of the gunshot still rang in his ears.
After an endless moment Josh broke the shocked silence. “You’ll need some new clothes,” he said shakily, gesturing down at the torn remnants of cloth on the floor.
Mikey barked a mirthless laugh. “I always come prepared.” He reached down for the duffel bag he’d dropped on the floor and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He tossed them to Richard, who snagged them out of the air.
“It’s over, Richard,” Josh sighed. “After all this time, it’s finally over.”
“But the cost was too high,” Richard said softly. He quickly donned the clothes Mikey had provided and then reached down and extracted his wallet and other personal effects from his ruined clothing a
nd transferred them to the pockets of his fresh clothes.
“What now?” Josh wondered aloud. He cast a troubled look toward Tina.
Mikey turned brisk. “Now I need to get you guys out of here and take care of this mess. The police are probably on their way. You can’t go shooting guns at an airport and not expect them to show up. I want you two out of here before they get here. You have a concert tonight and I have some phone calls to make. Daniels will get you out of the airport and to the hotel.” He gestured to one of the agents standing alertly near the door. Several of the agents assigned to guard Chelsea had flooded in at the sound of the gunshots and had taken up positions around the room. Richard could sense several more outside the door. “Harding will go take care of the police.” Another agent nodded and slipped out the door, closing it firmly behind himself. “I’ll have to get the rest taken care of quickly.” He grimaced, looking around the room.
“We’ll see you back at the hotel later then?” Josh asked.
“Yes. I should be back by the time you guys finish up with your concert.”
“Let’s go,” Daniels said. “We’ll go out through the catering entrance. Your car is waiting.”
Richard glanced around the room quickly and then nodded. “Yes, let’s go.”
He followed Daniels and Josh out a door at the rear of the room.
Chapter 51
Richard and Josh rode together in the back of the black limousine, while Daniels took the shotgun position beside Mark. They rode wordlessly for a long time until Josh finally broke the silence.
“Are you okay, Richie?”
Richard smiled slightly at the nickname. It conjured up memories of Josh as a child, tagging along after his big brother with a serious case of hero worship. Josh was the only one ever to call him by the shortened version of his name. Not even his parents called him that. The smile felt unfamiliar on his face.
“You ask me that a lot you know,” Richard noted.
Josh shrugged. “I know, but...well... you haven’t been really okay in a while.”
“Are you okay?” Richard turned the question back on him. Josh had just killed someone and Richard was worried about how that would affect him.
“I’m okay,” he assured Richard. “It was kind of...intense, but it’s okay. They didn’t really give us any choice.”
“I’m glad you see that, because it was necessary.” Richard paused. “Mikey was lying about the trial you know.”
“What do you mean?” Josh asked, confused.
“There would never have been trials for them. It could never be allowed. Too much would have to be revealed. They would never allow our secret out like that. It’s too valuable.” He thought it best not to mention that this was why he and Mikey had provoked Chelsea into admitting everything and attacking. Confession and a quick, justifiable execution on the spot.
Josh was silent, considering.
“You know,” Josh finally told him solemnly, “when you smiled a minute ago, that was the first time you’ve really smiled since Manda was killed.” He paused briefly and then continued very quietly. “I’ve never seen you cry for her either. That’s bothered me, Richie. I can’t remember how many times I cried after she died. She was my friend, you know, and now she’s gone.”
Richard tried to swallow down the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He’d been so absorbed in his own pain that he hadn’t even considered how Josh must have felt. And he never had cried—not since she’d died. The pain had been too deep for tears at first, and after that he hadn’t dared loosen his desperate grip on his grief enough to cry. He’d been too afraid of losing himself once more in that dark ocean—the featureless void that had claimed him when he’d first lost her. It had been too hard to find his way back the first time.
“I’m sorry, Josh,” he said just as quietly.
“It’s okay,” Josh shrugged. “It’s not so bad now. I still miss her, but now it’s easier to remember the good things. She could always make me laugh.” He smiled. “Do you think about her very often, Richie?”
Something in Richard’s chest shifted then. It was as if a wall crumbled and released all of the emotions he had locked away so carefully. He dropped his head back onto the seat’s headrest, turned his face up toward the roof of car, and for the first time since the day he had lost her, he let the tears escape unhindered from the corners of his eyes.
“I think of her every second of every day. There isn’t a minute that goes by that I don’t wonder what she’d think of something or imagine what she’d say. I can still hear her laugh and see her smile. I can still smell the scent of her hair and hear her heart beating. I miss her so much.” Richard’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “I...” He tried to go on, to explain how waking up every day and realizing that he wouldn’t see her was like losing her all over again, but he couldn’t get the words out. So he just sat and let the tears flow unchecked...and as he finally allowed himself to express the grief and longing that had become such a part of him, a surprising thing happened. Loosening his grip on the pain and allowing it to wash through him didn’t pull him deeper into the darkness. Instead, the darkness seemed to diminish a tiny, almost imperceptible bit.
Josh sat silently beside him, watching the city flash by outside the car window, allowing Richard what privacy he could. When he spoke again Richard could hear the smile in his voice.
“Remember how she would always take her shoes off and run around barefooted? She would not keep her shoes on! She must have driven her mother crazy when she was a little girl!”
Richard laughed, surprising Josh. “She had pretty feet.”
Josh joined in his laughter.
Richard took a deep breath. He felt a little lighter, like the darkness around him had receded a bit more.
“Thanks, Josh,” he said sincerely.
“Anytime big brother. That’s what families are for. Speaking of family, you should probably call Mom and Dad. They’ve been worried about you.”
Richard groaned. He’d neglected everyone important to him lately. “I am the worst son ever. You are now officially Mom and Dad’s favorite.” He sighed.
“I always have been.” Josh grinned. “Don’t worry too much. They understand. I’ve talked to them almost every day and I’ve kept them posted. I think they’re planning to visit if you don’t stop being insane soon though. You might want to give them a call if you’re back with the living.” Josh paused a moment. “Are you back with the living now Richie?” His question was serious.
Richard considered before answering. “Yes, I suppose I am. It won’t be easy, but I’m going to try.”
Josh studied Richard’s face closely for a moment, and must have been satisfied with what he saw there. “In that case, I have something for you when we get to the hotel.”
Richard just nodded.
Chapter 52
When they arrived at the hotel Mark pulled into the service-loading bay in order to avoid the crowds who were always waiting when the brothers first arrived at a new city when they toured. Richard and Josh entered the hotel through the staff area and were quickly whisked to their luxurious suite. Their luggage had been sent ahead and would already be in their rooms.
Josh flopped down onto the sofa with an exaggerated sigh and helped himself to a handful of grapes from the bowl on the table. “It’s good to be the king!”
Richard snatched a pillow from one of the chairs and winged it at him. “I’m glad your majesty approves.” He dropped into the chair. With the reawakening of his emotions had come the memory of what normal was. He could feel some tiny part of who he had been starting to return and he welcomed it.
Josh sat up suddenly. “I have that thing for you. Hold on.” He hurried to his room and returned shortly with his sleek notebook computer under his arm. He placed it on the coffee table in front of Richard and flipped it open.
“Mikey forwarded this to me a few weeks ago, but things were pretty intense at the time and he said I shouldn
’t show it to you yet.” He waited impatiently for the computer to power up and then clicked a file on the desktop. He looked at Richard with a careful expression. “It was sent from an attorney here in Denver, but it’s from Manda.”
Richard sat bolt upright. “What? How is that possible?”
“I guess she made it before she died but never had a chance to give it to you. Mikey contacted the attorney and apparently she’d already arranged to transfer it to you—I mean rights and everything. It’s for the foundation, but it’s yours to do whatever you want with. This is just the low-res version, but I have the hi-res version on a disk. It’s incredible!” The media player window had popped up on the computer screen and Josh hit play and dialed up the volume.
Richard was speechless. Through the speakers on the computer came his own voice singing the song that Manda had inspired. The version of Fairy Tale he’d recorded for her filled the room...just his voice and the piano. On the screen, Manda’s handiwork mesmerized him. She had created a dynamic video tapestry that perfectly complemented Richard’s song. She’d taken both still shots and videos of he and Josh and other volunteers at the organizations the foundation supported and incorporated them into an eloquent narrative. Richard was speechless as he watched. When the final sequence appeared on the computer screen, however, Richard didn’t even try to control the returning tears.
A black and white image of Richard appeared, centered on a black screen. A heartbeat later Manda’s dedication appeared beside it.
“For Richard, who has shown me that fairy tales are real. All you have to do is believe.”
Richard sat motionless, still staring at the computer screen long after it went blank.
Josh exhaled. “Sorry, but I’m going to ask you one more time. Are you okay?”
Richard took a deep breath, pulling himself together before he answered. Watching Manda’s video had been almost like being with her again, just for a moment. Her creativity, her joy, and her love were all there, alive on the screen. He savored it. The pain that cut into Richard’s heart this time was more bittersweet, tempered by the memory of the happiness she’d given him. By locking away his emotions he had also locked away all the memories of how wonderful Manda had made him feel—he’d locked the good away with the bad. It was a relief to know that the pain had become bearable, and by allowing himself to feel it he was also able to remember the joy she’d given him. Getting that back was worth the pain, now that he knew it wouldn’t drown him in darkness again.