Maybe he didn’t understand her. She took a deep breath and tried again. “Who killed Liza?”
But the question made Frank weak. He stumbled back and lowered himself to a seat on the ground. A bright streak of chemical spilled from over the brim of his left eye. A soft sob heaved his chest. “Frrrrrrraaaaaannnnk.” More glowing liquid fell from his eyes.
Suzette’s heart broke. Her mind told her to doubt everything—doubt that he understood what he was saying or that he was even Franklin Stein. But she couldn’t help but feel pained as she stared at the shattered creature, physically distraught by the death of Liza Stein. If she had known anything about Frank, she knew that he had loved Liza. He would never have hurt her. And if for some reason he had, it would have destroyed him. Was she truly witnessing the destruction of Franklin Stein?
“Liiiiiiiizzzzaaaa!” he wailed into his hand.
The cry drew tears to Suzette’s eyes, despite their past relationship. She didn’t understand what he had gone through or how he had gotten to look like some huge, mutated, stitched-up zombie, but all she wanted to do was comfort him. Kneeling down next to him, she reached out and recoiled for just a moment, repulsed by his smelly, rotten-looking flesh. But she took up his big hand in her small ones and cradled it in her lap. “You’re going to be okay, Frank,” she whispered between her own sobbing. “I’m going to help you, now, okay?”
Frank shook his head and continued to cry.
Canto XIII
Dante dropped himself down onto a bench and crossed his arms. Job-searching was a lot more boring and difficult than he thought it was going to be. So many people were so quick to throw him to the curb that he wondered if any of them had hearts. No one even looked at his application. No one but the garbage man. And Dante had been skeptical to even hand him the papers. But the man took them and told Dante he could start Monday. The pay was lowly and the job itself was even more so, in Dante’s opinion. He dreaded the thought of being a garbage man.
He sighed, miserable. Is this what my life’s going to be like now? It wasn’t anywhere close to how he had pictured it. But then again, now that he thought of it, he never had a real plan in the first place. He had been content with the idea of just being a firefighter for the rest of his life and having Suzette by his side. Beyond that, he had never given it another thought, had never thought about how he’d actually reach that goal. What was he supposed to do now that both his dream job and his dream girl were taken out in one fell swoop?
Wow, he scoffed. You’re such an idiot, Dante. He rested his chin on his fist and imagined the bluish-green of Suzette’s eyes, letting the hustle and bustle of the city fall away. He missed her so terribly that it caused him physical pain. It was almost as if his heart begged to rip through his chest, but his ribs forced it to stay put.
Clank! “Oooops!”
Snapping out of his reverie, Dante glanced up, frozen by the sight of the same bluish-green that had always hypnotized him.
Except, the eyes belonged to a different woman. She had a deep tan, not like Suzette’s porcelain complexion. She wore skin-tight clothes, a deep V-neck blouse and a very short pencil-skirt. Her lips were plump and red and behind them were pearly white teeth that smiled at him.
“Silly me,” she giggled, kneeling down gracefully.
Dante didn’t even see what she had dropped, only moved his eyes to stare into the deep curve of her shirt that practically begged him to look. He felt his face grow warm as he averted his eyes to look anywhere but her chest.
But as she came back up, she made sure the curves of her body were obvious. Her eyes were sly when they locked back onto his. She brushed her long, dark, curly hair off of her shoulder. As she did, she ran her dainty, red nails across her collar bone very slowly on the way over to the other shoulder.
Dante could not help but feel a deep desire ignite within him, lost again in the woman’s eyes. Instantly, shame started to fill his conscious, just as it would have in the past. No! he insisted. I’m not religious anymore. Just to be defiant, he stared at the rest of the woman more boldly now, allowing himself to get used to such a freedom. Suzette still remained a beautiful taint on his mind, but this woman was beautiful in a different way, and a sight for lonely eyes. His mind began to wander into dark thoughts.
And he let it.
The lady must have seen the fire in his eyes because her smile got bigger. She winked at him and hurried away in her platform heels, shaking her wide hips teasingly.
Once she walked out of sight, Dante took a minute to settle down. Seeing the woman’s beauty had pulled him out of his dreary thoughts, but now that she was gone, guilt and sadness threatened to creep its way back in. Unable to bear the dark, self-loathing thoughts, he looked up and let his eyes roam over all the other pretty girls of the city, desperate for an escape. He let himself enjoy the way their hips swayed as they moved. Their legs were all different and he decided he was rather fond of the girls with longer ones. As their hair danced across their shoulders, it shone brightly in the sunlight. All colors seemed to have some wonderful feature about them that he could appreciate.
He felt like a kid at Christmas. His mouth watered at the endless possibilities. Women were wonderful to behold and he felt a new joy he had not felt in a while. Every now and then, he paused, shocked by such a quick transition from abstinent church boy to lascivious man. The high he felt by looking at their bodies and letting his mind wander was worth the potential of eternal damnation if it kept him from crippling depression. His thoughts went back to the lovely lady’s draping neckline. He grinned as he visualized her flaunting her feminine body as she came back up, her gorgeous eyes desperate for his attention.
Suzette’s eyes. She flowed into Dante’s mind again like a bad dream—her innocent smile, her petite frame, and those eyes. Sorrow filled him once more, feeling as if he had cheated on the poor girl.
Fury rose within him. No! Don’t think about her! It’ll only destroy you, Stein… He couldn’t bear to dwell on Suzette. If he did, he would never be free to enjoy the peace the beauty around him offered. It had sounded good at first, but he knew Suzette would never leave his head. She would always have a piece of him until the day he died. He looked back up at the women, trying to compare them to Suzette, to show himself that no one could match her.
Instead, he saw one girl had her hair color. Another had her nose and two had her skin complexion. One had the exact same body type. And then there was that woman with those eyes. A living, breathing, warm woman who he could hold and kiss and peer into the sea by way of those two heavenly orbs on her face.
He sighed a sweet release when he felt himself grinning. It didn’t matter what he did now, as long as these beautiful creatures where waiting for him at the end of it. He would make it through this messed-up world if women would always be there for him, ready to shower him in the respect and love he so desired.
Satisfied, Dante stood up, ready to take on the world—and his new job, starting Monday.
—
Lady Augustine leaned forward in her rocker and held out the large card with a single word on the front. “Now, Franklin, what is this?” Despite her having agreed to help, she still looked apprehensive sitting so close to the zombie-like man. When he gave no response, she flipped the card over to the picture.
Suzette gingerly plucked the sewing needle out of the back of Frank’s neck and tied off the thread, careful not to distract him as he studied the card that now dangled inches from his face. She leaned across the couch, grabbed a new spool of thread from the arm, and returned to her crisscrossed sitting position behind Frank. Shivering, she tucked the hood of her jacket closer to her neck.
The man fidgeted from his position on the floor. “Duuuuuh…”
Lady Augustine tucked her blanket tighter around her shoulders with one hand and then flipped the card back over. “Duck.”
“Duuuuuuck,” he said.
Suzette snipped the thread, cut off a longer piece, fed it through
the needle, and started on a section by his left shoulder. “You’re doing awesome, Frank,” she complimented, weaving the needle in and out of his puffy skin. Dr. Jekyll had done a horrible job at patching him up, but helping Frank had given her something to think about other than her own gloomy issues. She almost looked forward to fixing the stitches every night. Not to mention, it was interesting; watching his mismatched flesh mold together as if it were slowly stitching itself up proved fascinating.
Lady Augustine smiled. “Let’s try a sentence now, shall we?”
Frank hesitated a moment but nodded.
The old woman held up a word.
“Thhhhe…”
She set it down and held up the next one.
“…duuuuckkk…swiiiimsss…on…thhhe…lake.”
Mel quietly clapped from the loveseat behind Lady Augustine.
The old woman held the cards and smiled warmly at him. “Very good. I’m so proud of you.”
Frank’s mouth curled in a smile for a moment, but it quickly fell. Maybe he had a hard time actually understanding what he had said.
“There.” Suzette snipped the loose thread from his shoulder. “You’re all fixed now!”
Looking down at his grayish hands, he sighed in disapproval.
“Hey,” she said, rubbing his shoulder, “we don’t care what you look like. We’re just glad you’re alive.”
Frank stood up and trudged out into the sunroom, where he sat himself among the array of flowers.
The three women stared after him. There was no telling what the other two women thought, but all Suzette could feel was pain. She wished she could just usher Frank back into his old life where she knew he had been happy. But now she had to figure out how to help create a new life for him. Hopefully, he could find happiness again.
Thalia stepped into the room, rubbing her arms and drawing Suzette’s attention. The maid reached for the knob on the gas fireplace.
“No!” Suzette hissed, waving her hands.
Thalia’s eyes bulged and she quickly reeled back.
Suzette pointed to the garden insistently.
When Thalia caught sight of Frank, she gasped. “Oh, I forgot! Thank you, love! Don’t want another incident, do we? That would have been tragic, indeed!”
Lady Augustine glanced over her shoulder, saw her maid by the fireplace, and let out her own gasp. “We most certainly do not want another incident! I don’t think my heart can take another episode!”
Suzette blushed, remembering the poor introduction Frank had had to the home. One look at the burning morning fireplace and he had practically torn the house down in a terrified fit, scaring the maids and the poor old woman half to death. I can’t believe she let him stay after that, Suzette thought.
Callie entered the room and handed Thalia a blanket. With stern, raised brows, she said, “No more fires. Not even a candle.”
“Right,” Thalia agreed. Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she sat down next to Mel. “Why do you think he’s so scared of it?”
“The explosion, maybe?” Suzette tried. “Whether he lived or died—or whichever it was—doesn’t discount the fact that he had been in one and they found his remains in the aftermath.”
Mel shook her head, her eyes distant and somber. “It looks like it’s something more. Not like the memory of the explosion scares him or that he’s scared the fire will accidentally hurt him. It’s like…” She stared deeply into the cold fireplace. “It’s like he sees it as a living thing. As a monster that wants him.”
Thalia smacked at her arm. “Oh, Mel! Stop being so dark and macabre!” She chuckled.
Mel shrunk a little. “Well, if it is a memory, an explosion seems too simple for such a reaction.”
Thalia looked intrigued, but skeptical all the same. “Well then, what is it?”
“I don’t know!”
“Perhaps he can tell us one day,” Callie interjected. “But as for now, no more fires.”
The other two maids fell silent.
Nibbling her lip, Suzette glanced back at the sunroom door and then back to Lady Augustine. “It’s almost been three days. So, what do you think about him?”
“Well,” the old woman sighed, “he smells putrid, but I can see the humanity in him. He’s just so full of sorrow…” She shook her head. “I hope he can see the second chance he’s been given.”
Suzette grinned. “Me too.” Glancing out at the flowers where Frank resided, she thought about the hunter again, wondering why he hadn’t shown up in almost three days to demand Frank’s head. Part of her hoped the hunter wanted to give Frank a second chance as well, but she doubted that was the case. Thinking back on that night, on his attitude and the man’s disbelief in her abilities, she smiled at her accomplishments. Suzette looked up at the elderly woman. “Do you know who Dorian Gray is?”
At the name, Lady Augustine let out a very annoyed sigh. “I’ve had the displeasure of meeting him a few times—all pompous and arrogant. I may see him again this Saturday, so prayers would be appreciated.”
Suzette straightened herself up on the couch, amazed. “What?”
The old woman looked confused by the reaction. “Yes, I have a charity ball to go to.”
The news was too much to handle. Suzette couldn’t imagine her luck. “And he’ll be going?”
“Well, perhaps. It’s a charity Mr. Gray’s worked with often, which is why I avoided it for many years; I had thought it to be no good. But I found out they work with homeless and abandoned children.” She smiled warmly. “I just remember the way my sweet daughter cared so deeply for other hurting children, so I couldn’t say no when the invite came in from some Baron Something-Or-Other.” She waved her hand.
Suzette slid to the end of the couch, closer to the old woman, and leaned in. “I think Henry Jekyll and Dorian Gray are working together now.”
The old woman looked surprised. “An actor and a scientist? An odd couple, indeed. Are you sure they’re working together?”
Not sure, Suzette shrugged. “I don’t know whether they were working together with the experiments or if they’re just working together for something completely unrelated. All I know is that they were supposed to leave town together on a plane.”
“Jekyll was charitable, too, so who’s to say he’s not going to be at the ball?” Lady Augustine suggested.
Suzette nodded, excited. “And if not, maybe I can find out something from the actor. Either way, if I find Dorian Gray, I find Henry Jekyll. So, we’ll just have to figure out what kind of questions you’re going to ask him,” she thought aloud. “Then we’ll have to figure out how you’re going to get to Jekyll.”
The old woman gawked at her. “Me? My dear, you’re coming with me.”
Anxiety built up. “But I’m dead,” she reminded the old woman. “And it’s far too early to waltz around in public again. Especially at a big, formal event.”
“Oh, excuses, excuses! This just means I need your new identity sooner than I realized.”
Callie left the younger two maids, walked up to Lady Augustine, and set a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll go call our contact and make sure he’s good to meet me early in the morning.”
The old woman patted her hand. “Good, good. Thank you, dear.”
Callie nodded and exited the room.
Suzette stared uncertainly at the elderly woman. All her nerves made her weary of such an extraordinary event. This would set her on the path to real sleuth work, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to just accept this new world of hers.
Lady Augustine leaned in and set a hand on her cheek. “You’ve yanked people out of fires, braved a raging river, and taken on a mutated creature who tried to smash your head in. How hard can a party be?” She chuckled. “Stop doubting yourself.”
Suzette blushed.
Seeing that she had won, Lady Augustine hoisted herself off the rocker, walked to the bookshelf, plucked out a book, and tucked it in her elbow. “I’m going to try a different approach wit
h our dear Franklin. I fear showing him flashcards makes him feel like a simpleton.” She waved Great Expectations at Suzette. “I’m going to read to him instead. We’ll deal with your identity crisis in the morning.” She gave her a wink.
Once the old woman had disappeared, the other two maids got up and shuffled out to deal with Frank. Suzette sat there for quite a while on the couch, wondering if it was all a dream. The superhero thing, the leaving home thing, Frank, the big scary guy, Dante. Was she really about to go on her first official mission? Getting up and engaging in some real work really meant she wouldn’t see her parents for a while. Tears began to rise. I pray I’ll at least see them again.
Realizing she was getting into her head, she blinked a few times, focusing on the world around her. She had to look at this all with an open mind and heart. This was an opportunity to put off the things she didn’t like about herself and make something new—something real. She could always start off with doubt. Doubting herself was something she had frequently done. Lady Augustine was right; she needed to stop. As Suzette thought about her lack of confidence, Dante filled the back of her mind, feeding into her his own doubts about her. The more and more he surfaced, the more frustrated she grew. He had never helped, always questioning her common sense with the smallest things or remaining silent with the bigger things. She thought about Dante more, about how his quiet, detached attitude had usually kept her quiet and always questioning if she was doing something wrong. I don’t want to feel that again, she told herself. I want to be done with it.
Sitting there, alone on the couch, she officially said goodbye to the old Suzette. Almost instantly, she felt a rush of relief and realized that the actual Suzette had been waiting to come out, tired of trying to please Dante all of the time. He had wanted a quiet, bland, complacent girl—just a body to keep him warm. Suzette hadn’t wanted to be that. Suzette wanted to be herself, and for the first time in many years, she started to feel confident about stepping into that position.
Suzette grinned to herself as she thought about the party, now curious to see not only what she could learn about Jekyll but what she could learn about herself.
Blind World (The Onyx Fox Saga Book 1) Page 28