The observant Merlyo was just about to reply when he noticed a familiar face siting by a dimly lit table that was closer to the stage area and deeper within the Sky Bar. He saw a lone, smartly dressed Gerber intently watching the magical Billie Holliday perform whilst tapping his finger and foot to the beat of her chosen song. His notoriously infamous leather Gladstone bag was nearby him as usual as it lay beside his tapping foot under the table and he only had his solitary glass of red wine for company. A flood of theories came swirling into the detective’s deductive mind as he then silently motioned to Ness while leaning in and simply saying “Gerber!”
The curious Ness then covertly looked to view the interesting spectacle that was quickly developing as Gerber suddenly stood up to warmly greet another familiar face, the young and equally smartly dressed Cowles. The confused Ness turned back around to be greeted by an equally confused looking Merlyo whom did not understand the sight that he was witnessing until Ness’s voiced his own theory “There probably here on a double date” The startlingly familiar voice of Poppy then not only ripped through the atmosphere between them but also eliminated Ness’s wrong theory within an instant “Actually, there lovers gentlemen!”
Both startled men automatically stood up to face her, attempting to both frantically analyse the revealing information that she had just told them whilst also feeling individually embarrassed at not seeing the her enter the Sky Bar. Ness could not help but smile again as she never ceased to surprise him and as he looked at her he was blown away by new startling new appearance. She confidently stood there and smiled whilst one eyebrow was curiously raised and her hand was placed leisurely upon her hip. Her previously long golden hair was cut very short and tastefully styled in a fashionable wavy style which had the miraculous effect of further emphasizing her already attractive facial features. She wore a stunningly beautiful short red lace dress that was both conservative in design yet left little to the imagination as it tightly hugged her fantastically shaped body with a natural effortlessness. The red dress was embroiled with a multitude of detailed roses of all different shapes and designs which was further enhanced by the stylishly designed rose flapper that she wore within her new short hair. This oversaturating look of love from the stunning blonde was nicely accommodated by her skilled but subtle make up which further highlighted her fantastically contrasting blue eyes with an Egyptian style mascara application. Her voluptuous lips which were counted in deep red lipstick and her immaculate porcelain skin glowed within the two men’s presence as her cheek bones where further enhanced by the skilled application of subtle tones of bronze.
Both pleasantly surprised men where mesmerized for a few brief seconds as they took in her rare natural beauty that they had both dearly missed before they then both awkwardly pulled out the empty seat that was in-between them in unison. She smiled as both of the besotted men did this before she then placed her red purse upon the table and elegantly sat down, desiring to talk with the two men about the anxiety provoking topic that had kept her up the last few nights. She then spoke again after both men had politely only sat down after she had “They’ve been seeing each other since that Torso Clinic, I’m surprised you two didn’t know? Merlyo aren’t you a detective?” She jokingly smiled at the blushing Merlyo who embarrassingly smiled in return as his confused mind raced with this latest startling revelation that had somehow eluded him all these years. Just then there drinks promptly arrived to conveniently save the detective’s blushes as the now jealous waitress spoke as she keenly inspected the attractive new addition to their group “There you go! Would you like anything miss?”
Poppy warmly smiled at the immature waitress, whom she could see was still spellbound by the famed lawman within her midst, and replied after viewing Merlyo’s drink “I’ll just have what he’s having thanks” to which the irritable waitress then falsely smiled in reply and quickly disappeared yet again into the shadowy crowds that now filled the Sky Bar to its maximum capacity. The amused Poppy then knowingly smiled at the on looking Ness and jokingly teased him about his latest young admirer as she was always keenly aware of other women’s intentions “I think she fancies you” The pondering Ness just raised a curious eyebrow towards her before she continued to speak whilst motioning to the odd couple of Gerber and Cowles “Would you look at them, don’t they look so happy together. Love is a beautiful thing isn’t it? Such a fleeting thing, so transient by its very nature because it can be beautiful at one moment and then cruelly gone the next!”
All three then looked at the blissfully unaware romantic couple as they indeed looked to be extremely happy together as the laughed, intimately talked and drank together. All these small mannerisms that would otherwise not have been noticed where now instantly recognisable with Poppy’s newly revealed information. There slight but brief touching of the hands at the table, how their eyes seemed to look at one another with affection and the joy that flowed from each of the other’s remarks whilst in friendly conversation where all visual keys to unlock there secret. As they all curiously looked at the couple whom where obviously deeply in love, their vision was interrupted by the quickly returning waitress as she came rushing back to their table with the glass of red wine Poppy had just ordered. She hesitantly smiled before then putting the drink down upon the table and then disappeared again as the atmosphere within the Sky Bar was now electric with a frantic activity that she could no longer evade.
Poppy then satisfactorily sipped her red wine as she took a long look at both Ness and Merlyo individually before she then finally spoking again, still anxious about the topic of truth that she was here to divulge “Well gentlemen! Here we are at last, all three of us together! Isn’t this pleasant” She nervously looked at both of them and smiled before continuing, adamant that she had to get this finally over and done with before it consumed her entirely “There’s no easy way to say this so I’m just going to say it because you both won’t see me again after tonight”
A concerned look then developed upon both men’s faces as they eagerly continued to intently listen to her obviously carefully planned statement “Ok! Whew! The truth will set you free right? Hehe! I hope so, so er? Here I go! My mother left me for dead, abandoned me in a graveyard when I was just a baby and I spent my early years being brought up by the nuns. I was then adopted and my adoptive farther who sexually abused me for years and this abuse has affected how I perceive men and relationships in general which is why I’ve been so reluctant to describe my past because it’s filled with pain, sorrow and self-loathing. I was then recused from these years of unspeakable abuse by both congressman Sweeney and his friend, Alfred “The Owl” Polizzi. They both helped me murder my adoptive farther which I still do not regret to this day and don’t you two dare judge me on this because I’ve judged myself for what I’ve done for years already!”
She paused as she took in a deep breath and looked at the two shocked but listening men before then reluctantly continuing, knowing that this was the last time she would see them and wanted to set things straight between them all no matter what the cost “Over time Sweeney and I became…well! We became more intimate with each other and I helped him with his various political activities in order to him ascend the slippery ladder of politics. He cleverly manipulated my naive young mind and threatened to use the accumulated information that he had collected upon me over the years against me if I ever had a change of heart or wished to leave. He then sent me and others into the Cleveland police recruitment drive to help infiltrate there ranks and spy on numerous ongoing investigations, specifically any investigations into his elicit business dealings with the Italian, Jewish or Irish mobs”
An emotionally hurt Merlyo looked at her in shock as his frantically calculating mind was in overdrive assessing all his prior investigations that where in any way related to the congressman. He then looked at the stern looking and emotionless Ness before he returned his reluctant gaze back to Poppy and emotionally voiced his mind’s alarming prediction about h
er past “That was you!? All those files that disappeared years back when I was investigating the Cleveland mobs financial dealings, just before the first Mad Butcher murder!? Jesus! What about us? Was that also ‘a lie’!?” The hesitant Poppy nervously spoke whilst moving her hand towards his but he instantly withdraw from her dangerous touch, alarmed at what he was hearing not just about his abused trust but also about his abused heart “Initially yes! But as we dated more I began to like you more and well?... It’s complicated! Please just let me continue because I want to clear the air here ok?”
An emotional Merlyo looked at Ness for support but got none because he still retained his composure and was actively analysing Poppy’s miraculous revelations. Merlyo then simply nodded at her to continue as she sadly looked at both of them again before continuing her intriguing tale of deception “Afterwards Sweeney instructed me to monitor Ness’s and Cullitan’s investigations into his financial dealings related to Polizzi and I did so but I unexpectedly fell in love with the both of you! Falling in love with the two of you and experiencing life without being manipulated by either of you and accepting me for who I was strangely gave me a newfound inner strength that I never knew that I had. For the first time in my life I started to love me for being me! And this in turn gave me the strength to realise that I did not need Sweeney anymore. I eventually ended up resenting and hating him because he was using me just like my farther had done all those years ago. So I changed the game and only drip-fed him limited information until one day he asked me to focus all my efforts upon both your investigations into the Mad Butcher case”
An intrigued Ness turned to Merlyo with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk developed upon his face because this was far more than he was expecting but he tried not to express surprise because he wanted her to continue unhindered. She then continued with a tempered reluctance and forced herself to reveal the harsh truth that had brought her here tonight “I recently discovered that the congressman has been actively protecting his cousin, Dr Francis Sweeney from your numerous investigations into the Mad Butcher case for years now because he had me and others feeding him information about these investigations. He also recently sent a fake letter, that was supposedly from the Mad Butcher in California, to a local newspaper but this was only a ruse to hopefully lure your attentions away from his cousin. He also ordered the unsolved murder of Flo Polillo to be pinned on the false confession of Frank Dolezal in order to keep the pressure off his cousin and then ordered Dolezal murdered by the sheriff and his goons in order to silence him. This is why I called you two the other night, to prevent this from happening and save an innocent man’s life. From what I’ve read from numerous files that I’ve ‘acquired’ from the congressman the other night, I’ve discovered that his cousin Frank had a nervous breakdown after his marriage collapsed but he has always been slightly unhinged since some undisclosed trauma that occurred within the trenches of the Great War. It all adds up! Dr Francis Sweeney is the Mad Butcher! I mean I couldn’t believe it! I was actually helping a man whom was protecting his deranged cousin all these years!”
The unimpressed Merlyo suddenly got up abruptly and angrily spoke to her, infuriated at her undeniable ability to effortlessly manipulate others and keep such importantly vital secrets so hidden “So now you’ve betrayed him like you did us!? And if it wasn’t for your ‘recent change of heart’ you would’ve always kept this all secret!? I mean how can we trust anything that you say!? Ness, Gerber and Zalewski and myself almost died that night when we chased Polizzi’s Mayfield Road Mob and you fed him that information didn’t you!? I mean you put all our lives in jeopardy, do you realise that?! The very ones that you now claim that you’re in love with!? Do you have no shame!? How can you just lie like that for all these years?! How can you lie about everything?! I trusted you with my heart god dammit! I can’t believe you! I going outside, I need some fresh air!”
The emotionally and painfully hurt Merlyo then proceeded to hastily leave the Sky Bar and went out into the dazzlingly illuminated rain that fell next to the silver Elegant Mess. He frantically lit up a cigarette because he was to emotionally damaged to spend any more time within such close proximity to someone whom he had felt emotionally connected too, someone whom had betrayed his trust and someone whom he yet still loved. The conflicted and troubled looking Poppy held her head in shame as Ness observed the equally conflicted and troubled Merlyo as the lonesome detective stood by the gleaming silver Scarab and frantically smoked his freshly lit cigarette in the pouring rain.
After a moments awkward hesitation Ness reassuringly put his hand on Poppy’s and spoke in his distinctively calming and comforting tone “He’ll get over it, he’s just hurt but I can understand why because everything’s just happening all at once here and there’s no time to take it all in or for the dust to settle so to speak. Listen! I’m so sorry about what happened between you and you’re farther, no one deserves that! I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve gone through over the years. I’m sorry about how things worked out between us, truly I am and it’s just that I was desperately trying to control my failures through opium and well? I honestly don’t even know where to begin Poppy?”
An emotionally shaking Poppy then awkwardly smiled as her eyes welled up with tears of sorrow as feelings of regret and images of her unknown mother transcended the surrounding chaos that was within the busy Sky Bar. She secretly knew that she had in a way been part of his addiction because she had been working for the very man whom had been helping to keep him addicted to the opium but did not have the heart to tell him simply because her turbulent emotions overwhelmed her as she painfully viewed Merlyo’s back turned to her. She would not be able to stand it if Ness also rejected her and even though she desperately loved both men, there double rejection would be unbearable for her and similarly reminiscent of her mother’s rejection upon the day of her birth.
Ness could instinctively feel that she needed some physical comfort and support and so he placed her trembling hand within his. He could now understand that her troubling turbulent dark past was not the past at all but ever present within her fragile mind, slowly torturing her within a life that she had not requested but reluctantly still lived. He then slowly turned her hand over to reveal the old self-inflicted wrist scars upon her arm and gently ran his finger over the wounds as he spoke “I understand now” Poppy just nodded as she was still too emotional to speak because Merlyo’s haunting words about causing pain to the ones that she loved still echoed within her troubled mind. Ness then had a revelation of his own as the singing sensation that was Billie Holliday started to sing a new song that she was still currently perfecting entitled That Ole Devil Called Love.
He immediately took the emotional Poppy’s hand and led her through the shadowy mass of crowds and to the less crowded dance floor which was fantastically illuminated by the stars that twinkled from the ceiling above. He then gently took her trembling hand into his with loving care and placed his other hand around her back whilst gently pulling her towards him. His hands radiated with the immense warmth of his unspoken love that he still had for her and she instinctively knew this and nestled her head next to his chest as they slowly danced under the twinkling stars. She was relieved that Ness had taken the initiative to help drag her away from the shadows of her troubling past that was still tormenting her from her subconscious and not letting her forget the prolonged pain that she was unwillingly spreading onto the unsuspecting people around her.
They slowly and sensually held each other as they danced under the ageless stars which effortlessly illuminated the dancefloor as onlookers jealously watched there undeniably authentic affection for one another. The soothed Poppy slowly began to calm down and once again control her irrationally volatile emotions which had so alarmingly caused buried feelings of rejection to resurface. She had loved everyone from her absent mother to her abusive farther, Sweeney, Merlyo and Ness all in their own unique way and all of which she felt she had somehow betrayed and
rejected that treasured love which they had all given so willingly. She hated herself for doing this and was constantly reminded of her duel nature whenever she looked at herself within the mirror because, although she had always been told that she was a natural beauty, she had always secretly felt that she was hideously ugly.
This distorted self-reflection was because her traumatic past would not allow her see herself for what she truly was, a victim who had a corrupted personality which was filled with feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing. Her abusive father was still alive and well within her troubled mind because he always cast self-doubt upon her questionable actions and ridiculed her for her promiscuousness, claiming that she had unknowingly led him on for years. She hid from her on looking father’s disapproving gaze in the comforting and loving arms of Ness, knowing that his distortedly damaged soul could relate to her self-destructive behaviour more so than Merlyo’s ever could. Ness’s own faulty decisions that had appeared to have cost him his promising career and marriage here in Cleveland was a testament to this but Poppy’s questionable decisions where ultimately not her fault but the result of her father’s abuse which still infected her self-inflicted wrists wounds that would never fully heal. This emotional trauma from her unresolved past had guided her rash life choices and Ness could understand this as he held her tightly within his comforting and non-judgemental arms.
She was such a damaged soul that she reminded the mesmerised Ness of a beautiful rose that had thorns because it always needed to be carefully tended to and pruned with much love in order to reap the blessed rewards of a magnificently unique specimen. You could never fully rest with such a magnificently rare creation like Poppy because every now and then it would pierce your flesh just like a roses thorn and this was the price that you had to pay for loving such a wildly free spirit like hers. The happy Poppy wished that she could stay within this preciously fleeting moment under the glittering stars of blissful happiness forever but she knew that this cruel life would eventually part them and push this treasured moment back into the greyness of time. She desperately wished to remain part of this moment, undiminished and perfect in its simplicity but understood that life was not what she wished it to be and that life was meant to be savoured with all of its pain because this is what made moments like this all the more beautiful to experience.
The Noir Evil Page 67
