CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE: Mile High Demon
Nick boarded the American Airlines 747 when the first class section was announced. He was getting used to spending the company’s money on luxury seating. He settled in his seat, looked up, and saw a warm, friendly face. It was Shanice.
“Well, what have we here?” she said in a friendly, soothing voice. “It sure is great to see you,” said Nick.
“This has been one hell of a trip.”
“Let me get all the other passengers situated, then I’ll sit and talk to you.” She grabbed a glass of wine and handed it to Nick. “Here’s something to get you started.”
Shanice had quite a few needy passengers and just kept handing Nick wine in between tasks. His bladder was filling up rapidly and soon found nature making its inevitable call. When he stood up, he felt the effect of the wine. He walked into the miniscule bathroom. As he was relieving himself, the plane hit a small air pocket. Nick bumped his head on the ceiling and was knocked out - the wine had a lot to do with it. When he opened his eyes, he saw a strange image in the mirror. It looked like a cross between Jamie, Tony, Lucille, and Andie.
“Hello, Nick,” said the ill-defined voice of the image.
“Is that you again, Satan?” asked the dizzy Nick.
“Could be, what do you think?”
“I think you need to either leave me alone, or quit meeting me in bathrooms. This is getting a little ridiculous.”
“So you haven’t figured it out yet.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know – it.”
“I don’t know it or what or even why this is all happening.”
“Didn’t this trip provide you with the answers?”
“I don’t even know the questions.”
“You are such a hopeless case.”
“I guess that’s a good sign when you say I’m hopeless.”
“Don’t you see what you’ve just gone through? You’ve met your father and your grandfather. You’ve seen your old best friend, and even he told you about you talking of Andie in your sleep. Do I need to hit you over the head with a brick?”
“Oh, so now you’re playing cupid?”
“No need for that. The arrow has already pierced your heart. Andie is the answer to all that has troubled you these last few years. You’re not afraid of me, if I’m actually who you think I am. You’re afraid of being rejected again. Your father rejected you and so did Jamie. If you don’t give it a shot, you’ll never have the chance to experience the joys of true love.”
“What kind of advice is that for someone like you to be giving?”
“Oh, come on, Nick. Get off this obsession with me and get on with your life. I’m not what you need – Andie is.”
“Will you leave me alone if I do?”
“I only go where I’m allowed to go. I show up in many different shapes and forms. People accept me and I’m able to take over their lives. You have never accepted me. You are basically a good person. It takes a lot to win over someone like you. I’ll try you again later. As simple as you seem to be – it will take a complex plan to acquire your soul.”
Nick rubbed the bump on his head as the image faded away. He heard a knock on the door.
“Nick, are you okay?” asked Shanice.
Nick opened the door and smiled. “I’m great,” he proclaimed. He staggered back to his seat amidst the stares of everyone in the first class section. Shanice sat next to him.
“You noticed how everyone just glared at me as I walked out of that room?” Nick asked Shanice. “I think they were in awe of me. I’ve just conquered the Devil.”
Shanice leaned over and whispered in his ear,” I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Nick, but I think they were staring at you because your fly is unzipped and you’re not wearing underwear.”
Nick looked down and turned every shade imaginable as he zipped up his pride.
“What did you just mean about conquering the Devil?” asked Shanice.
“He doesn’t want me. He just told me in there.”
“So you’re trying to tell me that you just had a conversation with the Devil in the bathroom?”
“Yeah.”
“What did he tell you?”
“He said I’m a good person and I’m in love with Andie.”
“And it took the Devil for you to realize this?”
“I think so.”
“Don’t you think it has something to do with the fact that you just discovered who your grandfather is, you had contact with your father, you talked to the nurse who was there at your birth, and your old best friend told you that you were dreaming about her?”
Nick was amazed. “How did you possibly know about all that?”
“I told you – I have the gift.”
“That sure is one powerful gift. You hit it on the head.”
“So maybe it wasn’t the devil you were talking to in the bathroom. Maybe you actually talked to your inner self. For the first time in many years, you’re letting your heart tell you what to do instead of being afraid of it. Maybe the Devil was just an excuse for you to stay away from any kind of emotional attachments. Maybe it’s finally time for you to take that chance and go after what you really need – love.”
“I believe you’re right,” said Nick. “You’ve been a great help, Shanice.” He leaned over and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.
“Now, when you get home, there’s going to be a little mess going on between those lawyers Andie works for and your record company. Let Andie sort out those problems before you make any kind of confession to her.”
“What about her and Hal, Horace, Horrible – oh, whatever his name is.”
“If you’re talking about Harold, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Just don’t scare her off.”
“So I should go after her slowly?”
“Just be yourself, Nick, and the rest will take care of itself. Follow your heart.” She got up and gave him another glass of wine. “Here, enjoy this one and relax. Take a nap. When you get home, go to your apartment, play your guitar, listen to some music, you know – anything to get back in touch with your inner self. Let Andie see the true you.”
Nick smiled as he took the glass. Shanice went to her little area just behind the cockpit and picked up the phone.
“O’Malley, this is Agent Motabi,” said Shanice.
“Hello, Motabi,” said Jamie, who was relaxing in a tub of raspberry-scented bubbles. “Where are you?”
“We’re about an hour and a half away from New Lake.”
“Who are we?”
“I have Nick on the plane.”
“That’s great. I lost contact with him. I just found out he was in Dallas.”
“Well, Agent Williams called me from Lafayette when Nick left his house. He let me know of Nick’s plans to come back to New Lake. I arranged to take this flight, knowing he’d be on it.”
“Great work, Motabi. Will he be a problem when he gets back?”
“Not at all. He bought that gift line I gave him. He’s going to stay home and relax for a while. It should give you enough time to do what you need to do without Nick knowing a thing.”
“Thank you, Motabi. I really want to keep Nick out of this whole mess.”
“And thank you, too, O’Malley. Nick is really a sweet person and it was a pleasure to watch him. One thing that concerns, me though; he seems to have some kind of fascination with the devil.”
Jamie laughed. “Oh don’t worry about that. That’s just his excuse for not wanting to get involved with anyone.”
“That’s exactly what I told him.”
“Okay, great. I’ll be ready for tomorrow. Thanks for the good work.” Jamie put the phone down and smiled. Her plan was working perfectly as everything was coming together. She closed her eyes as the flicker of the candles surrounding the tub put her in a tranquil mood. She opened her eyes as a sudden voice was heard.
“Who’s there?” she asked.
“Who do you want me to be?” asked the eerie voice.
The patrol officer entered the precinct with Wainwright. He brought him straight to Captain Wilcox.
“What have we here, Phipps?” asked Wilcox.
“He was driving without a license and had erratic moves, going over the center line, and was speeding,” said the officer.
“Is he drunk?” asked Wilcox?
“No, but I’d sure like to be,” said the sobering Wainwright. “I’m not used to being in this condition.”
“I’ll take care of this one, Phipps. Thanks for bringing him to me,” said Wilcox.
Officer Phipps left Wainwright and Wilcox alone in the room.
“Are you one of Verona’s goons?” asked Wainwright.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean – are you on the take too, like your beloved chief Bushman?”
“Just who in the hell are you?”
“My name is William Joseph Wainwright. Does that ring a bell?”
Wilcox was stunned. He knew that Wainwright was presumed missing somewhere of the coast of Africa. He also had knowledge about Bushman having dealings with Verona.
“Do you know what’s going on around here?” asked Wilcox.
“I can tell you that most of this police force is being controlled by Carlos Verona. They’ve been drugging me on a regular basis. That Phipps guy just now wasn’t one of them, I hope.”
“He was just hired two days ago. Tell me more.”
“Before I tell you this, you have to promise me I’ll be safe.”
“I promise.”
“Swear?”
“Yes, I swear.”
“Swear on your mother’s grave?”
“How did you know that my mother was dead?”
“Sorry about that – lucky guess. Just look me straight in the eyes and give me your word that I’ll be protected.”
Wilcox gave the most sincere look he could. “You have my word.”
“Okay - there’s this man named Dave Peltier who’s been behind this whole scheme. He’s been helping your Chief do Verona’s dirty work. They’re trying to kill me.”
Wainwright explained the scenario to Wilcox, who was receptive to the idea of helping Wainwright out.
“This is all fascinating,” said Wilcox, “but I don’t understand why you sent Elderberry on a wild goose chase.”
“Whether you like the man or not, he’s damn good. I was trying to lead him to the killer. He made a mistake and went after the wrong guy. Man, I sure could use a drink right now. He could have cracked this case wide open before the feds could get what they really want.”
“And what would that be?”
“They want to bring down Verona. Unfortunately, there have been too many people on his side. He owns this town.”
“So the feds are in on this?”
“Yeah, so watch your back. I know you and Elderberry don’t quite get along, but he’s definitely not one of the bad guys in this mess. I need both of you to help me out.”
“He’s the one person I really don’t want to work with, but I will if I have to,” said Wilcox.
“Now we just need to find out how Gary Bell fits into this scam.”
“The Gary Bell?” asked a surprised Wilcox.
“Yeah, you’ve heard of him?”
“He’s the only man Verona was ever worried about. The Chief always talked about how he’d like to nail Verona, and Bell would be the one man to do it.”
“But if the chief is in on this scam to help Verona, why would he want to bring him down?” asked the baffled Wainwright.
“Everybody wants control of this city. I can’t figure out who to trust anymore. It seems like everybody is busy backstabbing his or her supposed partners. Maybe Elderberry is the only one on the force I can trust.” Wilcox pulled a picture out of his pocket and showed it to Wainwright.
“What in the hell is this?” asked the shocked old man, as he gazed at the picture of two men in the sixty-nine position.
“I don’t know who the muscular black man is, but the other one is Gerome Elderberry. He did porn work for Gary Bell years back. I kept this picture in case I ever needed to blackmail him. It came close, but if I need to work with him, I can use this picture as insurance. Maybe we can help you out after all.”
“Well, you can start by either giving me a drink or getting me back home to my own house. I’m dying to get back into my own clothes. This bathrobe is giving me the willies.”
Meanwhile, back in the air, Nick’s thoughts were on Andie. Maybe she really is what I need right now. He closed his eyes and started dreaming…
“You look lovely tonight, Andie,” said Nick, as he gazed into her eyes across the table. He summoned the waiter to pour her another glass of wine.
“Thank you, Nick,” said Andie. “I’ve been waiting so long for this moment. It feels like a dream.”
“It sure does,” answered Nick. “Your eyes are glowing like I’ve never seen eyes glow before. Your hair is shining like the sunrise over the Caribbean. Your neck is screaming to be kissed.”
“Stop it, sweetheart,” said the blushing Andie. “Save all that for after dinner.”
“I’m just trying to get you in the mood.”
“I’ve got a secret for you, lover. I’ve been in the mood since the moment I laid eyes on you in that little club in Dallas. Nothing you say now is going to increase your chances of getting me into bed now. I’d say your chances are one-hundred percent yes.”
“I love those odds,” said Nick. “I just want you to know, this isn’t just about sex. I can have sex with a woman anytime I want. This is about something else entirely.”
“And what would that be?” asked Andie.
“It’s about lo…” he had difficulty saying the word.
“Are you trying to say love?”
“I think so.”
“But you’re not sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. This is definitely about lo…” His tongue froze as he tried to get the word out.
“Say it, Nick.”
“Lo… lu… la… le… I can’t say the damn word.”
“It’s okay, Nick. I understand. It’s hard for you to say the word if you don’t really mean it.”
“But I do mean it.” He took a deep breath, stood on the chair, and screamed at the top of his lungs across the crowded restaurant, “Andie, I love you.”
The patrons in the restaurant applauded at Nick’s proclamation. Nick got down from the chair and grabbed Andie’s hand. He kissed it lightly and gazed into her glowing blue eyes. She was smiling with a little tear trickling down her cheek.
“I’ve been waiting so long for you to say that, sweetheart,” said the smiling Andie. “There’s been something I’ve wanted to say to you for a long time, too. Sit down. I wanted to hear you say it first before I could say this.”
Nick was shaking in anticipation of what Andie was about to say.
“Nick,” said Andie.
“Yes, my love. Go ahead.” He held her hand with a tight grip.
“I’m a lesbian. I’ve just been playing with you heart.” Her blue eyes turned black with crimson lines shooting out from the irises. She let out a demonic laugh as horns sprung from the top of her darkened mane. “Ahh,” screamed Nick…
“What’s wrong, Nick?” asked Shanice. Nick woke up, looked at her beautiful face and shook his head.
“I don’t think my heart wants to be followed right now.”
The Devil's in My Bathroom Page 55