by C. L. Stone
"Why do you suddenly want to help me now? Invite your girlfriend over, have fun for once."
"Just tell me where you are, it's not a big deal. I'm worried about your safety now that he's gone."
"I'll be fine. I have to go now. I won't be able to check my phone until midnight." I hang up on him. Like I need him to be my night and shining armour now that Ziggy is gone. My phone buzzes again. Ziggy: Still wuried bout me?
My hand trembles. If he's gone, who the fuck is messaging me, and do I say something to them that I know the truth? Me: Of course. R U back yet so we can talk? Ziggy: Not yet, soon. Me: K. About to start my new job gtg.
I toss my phone into my bag, as an icky feeling tries to take hold of me. Who the fuck am I talking to? I step into Thomas's living space, careful not to wake him. He said he would put a do not disturb ward up, but I have no idea how those work. The lumped form in the bed lets me know he's sound asleep. Putting my bag down, I clock in with my ring at a scanner on his desk. After it dings that it has marked me as in, I grab the nullifying bracelet. This will keep their magics from affecting my personality. With a quiet click of the door behind me, I leave the old man’s room so he can get some much needed rest.
Scanning my ring again, I enter their domain. Wrath's music fills the space with the head- thrashing tones of metal , while Lust's violin plays on the undertones. Pride speaks into his phone. Sloth watches TV, and Gluttony is almost out of food. Envy stands at the front of his cell, as does Greed. They want something. I go to Envy first. He smiles at me. "I'd like a bicycle." Black eyeliner traces his almond eyes today, making them even more sexy. I frown at him. "Why? You can't ride it."
"Thomas was talking about how he used to ride bikes when he was younger. He had one, I want one, and I can ride it in here if you let me out of my cell."
I lift an eyebrow. "Thomas didn't tell me anything about you needing time out of your cell. I'm not going to pull a stupid rookie move without asking someone above me first."
He shrugs. "Even if you don't let me out, I still want a bike."
I nod. "I'll see if we have one. Just wait a couple of minutes."
I walk over to Greed. "How can I help you?"
He stares at me long and hard. "I need you to answer a question for me."
"I'll do my best to answer, what is it?"
"Why are you sad?"'
I stop breathing for a moment. "What? I'm not sad." They don't need to know what's happening in my personal life.
Wrath's music goes silent. "You've been crying, your aurora hangs low!" He yells across the room."
Lust's violin goes quiet as well. I shake my head. "Just something that happened in my personal life, it's nothing to worry about."
"Tell us. Love, we're here for you, always." Lust steps up to the glass. His pink eyes fill my chest with warmth. I hope this bracelet is working right.
"I'm fine, really. I'll go get that bike now, and see about Envy getting time out of his cell at this hour." I turn on my heel and leave for the back warehouse before they can get anything else out of me. Going to the computer at the front, I search for bicycle. Aisle seventeen, shelf two. Now I just need to contact the Warden through the video call feature Thomas showed me yesterday.
His face pops up on the screen. "How's your second night going, Hope?"
"Good. I have a question, but I didn't want to bother Thomas. Envy wants out of his cell so he can ride a bike around the room. Is this permitted?"
He shrugs. "If he asked to be let out, then yes."
"I have a feeling they are allowed to do whatever they want."
He nods. His moustache twitches. "Yes. You're correct."
Then why the hell are they in a prison in the first place? "All right, I'll keep that in mind."
"Is that all you needed?"
I nod. "Yes, sir. Signing off now." I end the call. Time to get that bike. I jog, finding aisle seventeen in no time The silver banana-seat sits there, glinting in the fluorescent lights. I doubt it's ever been touched, and appears to have jumped right out of the 70's. It reminds me of the bike Ziggy and Keifer taught me how to ride when I first met them. I scraped up my elbows badly, but we had so much fun. Taking the bike off the rack, I straddle the seat. "Now find your center before putting your foot on the petal and kicking off." Ziggy's voice fills my head. I kick off, pushing the bike forward. The pain returns to my chest, as do the tears. I'm never going to see him again. Stopping at the door, I wipe the tears away and let out a breath, I need to get a hold of myself. With a dry face, I open the door and move the bike through it. Jealousy claps. "You found one!"
"Yes, and the Warden said you could come out to ride it." I run my ring over the scanner to the right of the glass to his cell and it lifts up into the ceiling. He steps out and over to the bike. "It's very shiny."
I nod. I've only been around Gluttony physically, in order to give him his food. "Do you know how to ride it?"
He shakes his head. "No, but I can learn from you." He grabs for my left hand and interlocks our fingers. Ziggy and Keifer teaching me how to ride a bike flashes across my mind again. I blink, I didn't call that memory forward. Did he? Fresh tears try to flow, but I push them back. "Seem simple enough. Thank you." He lets go of my hand, but not before he kisses the bottom of my palm with his warm lips. A burning heat floods my face and I pull my hand out of his grasp. "I don't know how you did that, but don't invade my memories like that again." With slow intention, he blinks his green eyes at me. "Do you miss him?"
I rub at my eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. Ride the bike or get back in your cell. I need to get Gluttony his next round of meals."
The click of Gluttony's lighter breaks the silence. "I'm quite fine, Sincerity."
"Who was he to you?" Envy takes the bike from me. I shake my head. "I'm here to do my job. I appreciate your concern for my current metal state. But it's nothing you have to worry yourself with."
Jealousy gets on the bike and kicks off. "As you wish, Hope." It's going to be a long night
10
Good God those angels know how to tire a girl out when they don't get what they want. I slump to the floor against the wall in Mologan's office. Envy proceeded to want all the toys I ever played with as a child, and sent me down countless memory lanes, while also having to get four hour-long meals for Gluttony. Luckily I don't have to cook them, too, or I'd be even more dead on my feet. Lust and Greed wouldn't leave me alone about what was bothering me, even though I'm pretty sure they already know. I kept my lips sealed the entire night, and stuck to my job. The only ones that seemed to give me any peace were Wrath, Sloth, and Pride; though the latter was too consumed with himself to care, I assume. At least I got off earlier than I did last night. I can eat the chips I got at work and go to sleep for a few hours. Something foul hits my nose, like a sweaty man with week-old socks. Is that me? I lift my arm to smell myself, oh God, it is. I gag. Scratch sleeping in until when Mologan will almost be in. I need to go to the gym in the morning for a hot shower, and I should probably find a laundromat for these clothes. Reaching into my bag, I fish out my money pouch and cell phone. Using the the flashlight on my cell phone, I count the couple of dollars I have, fifteen. I can convert most of that into quarters at the laundromat and the rest into shower tokens. Perfect. The cell's screen lights up before it blares the old jazz song I set for Keifer last night. I have to know when it's him calling, so I can avoid it. I hit ignore. He'll just want me to sleep at his place again. Unless it's Mologan I don't sleep at the same place more than twice in a month, and I don't want to waste the second time so close to my last visit. My phone chimes with a voicemail. I frown. He never leaves voicemail. It's pointless with me, I never check them. But curiosity has the upper hand in this moment. Dialling one, I press the phone to my ear. "Hope, I doubt you'll get this, but I'm waiting in my car outside of Mologan's and will sit here all night while it snows until you come out. I have news, about Ziggy's case. I shouldn't be sharing it with you but--" The me
ssage cuts out. Stupid timer. Glancing to the door, I sit up straighter. Should I go? This could be a ploy to get me to stay at his place--but what if it isn't? I want to know more about Ziggy's case, have they found the killer that's been texting me? With a sigh, I shove my phone and money pouch back into my bag and stand, I then look down at my clothes. I forgot to change before I left the prison. He won't know what Triangle Prison is, and he's a cop. Quickly I take it off and shove it in my bag. Only my white tank top remains. I look around the office for my jacket, but it doesn't hang from the coat hook I groan. "Fuck." I left it at work, too. I would've grabbed it if I had remembered to change there. Well, hopefully his car's heater works. Bracing myself to meet him, I disarm the alarm, before opening the door and rearming it. His car idles next to the curb, gathering a thin layer of snow over it. He rolls down the passenger side window. "What the fuck are you doing in those clothes? Get in the car! Are you insane?"
Quiet possibly. I'm not sure anymore. I sprint over to the car and open the door. A wash of artificial heat hits my chilled skin and I sigh. Hopping inside, I close the door and rub my hands over my skin. He takes off his leather jacket and places it over the front of my body. "What the hell, Hope?"
I glare at him. "I forgot my jacket at work. I'll get it tomorrow." A wash of scents hit my nose. I look to the backseat, a brown bag sits, waiting in the centre. "Is that Mrs. Peacock's?" He pauses in putting the car into drive and looks at me. "You know about Mrs. Peacock's?"
Shit, Mologan orders from there all the time, and one of the people there is a supernatural contact. Do only supernatural eat there? Is what the Sins said in my dream true? Is he a Fae?
I lick my lips, breaking the dry sensation from the heated air. "Yeah, Mologan orders from there all the time."
"Oh. Yeah, they make good food." He puts the car in drive and does a U-turn. "Wait, I didn't say I'd go anywhere with you. I just want to know what you have on Ziggy's case."
He shakes his head. "I'll tell you, but at my place, while we eat pho and orange chicken.” I swallow the large ball of saliva that forms at the word pho. "You got pho?"
He nods. "The spicy kind, with extra spice and meat." A grin spreads across his lips. I look out the passenger side window at all people walking around in the snow. "Bastard."
He laughs, deep and soulful. It sends a shiver down my spine. "I know what you like, Hope." I shake my head. If I closed my eyes, I could almost see him being seventeen and me fifteen again, back before I fucked it all up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just know pho is one of your favorites. Always has been."
I gulp forcing back the tears. After having to deal with the freshness of old memories surfacing, and beginning to come to terms with Ziggy's murder, I'm a ball of raw tears. I can't go down memory lane with Keifer, too. It'll send me into a black hole I'll never get out of. "You're fine." We stop at a red light. "Why didn’t you have your girlfriend come over tonight? It would've been the perfect time to rectify the cock block I created for you."
He grips the wheel a bit tighter. "She's not my girlfriend. We causally see each other. Nothing more, and you didn't cock block me, she cancelled."
"Mmmhmm, you don't do causally seeing. You nearly married the last girl you were seeing. what was her name, Summer-Ann?"
"Yes, and things would've worked out with her."
I huff. "Keif, she was screwing half the force. I'm glad she got cold feet. You don't deserve someone who cheats on you without a second thought."
"Well you've had fucked up boyfriends, too." He guns it as the light turns green and the cars behind us honk.
I scoff. "What boyfriends. Name one I've had in the last eight years."
His jaw tenses in the glow from the street lamps. "Richard."
I frown. "That dude I went dancing with that one time?"
He frowns. "You didn't date him?"
I sigh and rub at my face. "Keif, Richard is as flaming gay as they come. He was helping with my dancing when I tried to become a stripper."
He shakes his head as he changes lanes and parks along the curb next to his apartments. "I'm so glad that didn't work out for you."
"Shut up." I toss the jacket at him, open the door and hop out.
"Put the jacket on, you crazy woman!"
"No!"
I go to the door of the building and walk inside as he gets the food from the backseat. My backpack hangs heavy on my shoulder. I could sleep for a day at this point. He sprints inside. "Why do you have to be so defiant?"
"This is the first time in our history that two defiant Fae have existed at the same time...” Gluttony's voice fills my head from the dream
I stare at Keifer as more of the dream resurfaces. "As for him, he didn't know how to tell you."
He stops at the elevator. "Did you freeze? C'mon before I leave you here."
I shake my head. "Coming."
I stare at him the entire time we ride up to the fourth floor. He's one of my kind, but how much does he know. Could he teach me? I shake my head, again. I shouldn't be thinking about that right now. Knowing about Ziggy's killer is more important. "Do you have water in your ear? You keep shaking your head."
"What? No. Shut up." I get off the elevator and head straight to his door. "You're acting strange. Are you on drugs again?" He unlocks his door. I slap in in the shoulder. "How can you even ask me that? All I've ever done was smoke weed, and I haven't touched the stuff since I went to work for Mologan, and I'm sure my new job would appreciate me being sober."
He flips on the dining room light at sets the bag off goodness down on the table. "How is that going, security? I'm going to get us some bowls and plates.”
Automatically, I set forth taking it all out of the bag. The gigantic container of dark-red, spicy, bone broth remains scalding hot to the touch. Next come the bowls of the noodles and meet, and then the bags of sprouts, mint, and jalapenos. The box of orange chicken sits lonely at the bottom.
Kiefer comes back with two, big and deep bowls. Big enough not to spill over the edges at least. I go to the door to kick off my shoes before sliding into the kitchen. "They didn't give us silverware or chopsticks." I fish two sets of metal chopsticks out of the drawer and some spoons. He nods as he sits down. "I asked them not to add them to the order. It's better for the Earth. Besides, my chopstick set is nicer than the cheap wood ones we would've gotten."
I hand him his set, before diving into building my bowl just right. It's hard not to drool onto the table at the sight of all the extra chucks of meat. Silence falls over us as we prepare our food. I pick out one of my favorite pieces of meat and take a small bite, enjoying the aromatic flavors. A sigh of contentment leaves me. Pho will always trump chips a thousand times over. Both of us move into the tunnel version for the food, before Ziggy creeps up on the front of my mind again.
"So," I break the silence. "Are you going to tell me about Ziggy?"
He clears his throat after slurping up some rice noodles with spicy broth. My lips tingle from the use of chili flakes in the broth, but I love every second of it. "We think we found his murderer, but we have no way to prove it, so we can't make any solid arrests yet."
"Who is it?" I search my mind for everyone I saw at his place that night. He points his chopstick at me. "You can't utter a word of this to anyone, not even Mologan, if it got out that I told you, I'd lose my job. But you were like his little sister and I'm having a hard time not telling you anything."
I run a finger over my lips. "I won't say a word; I promise on my soul." We came up with that as kids. We couldn’t promise on one of our parents’ souls, so we promised on our own, it was a better bet anyway. A small smile tugs at his lips. "We think Marcus Sanchez had something to do with his murder, but we haven't been able to find any prints or anything linking him to the crime."
The tingles invade my cheeks as all the blood leaves them. He was there that night. I heard them fighting before I made it all the way down the fire escape. But would Marcus kill him? Probably would,
I've heard he's killed men for asking for change for a dollar. "Why do you think it was him if you have no proof?"
He frowns. "The DEA has had Marcus under surveillance for a while. He's a rising drug lord. They've caught him a few times visiting Ziggy, but they have no proof of either being involved with the other. They haven't caught any exchanges that would validate arresting them. They were both very careful of their actions."
I nod. "Ziggy wasn't an idiot. I'm sure he knew that he was being watched. I mean, he was bagging weed the last night I saw him. Ziggy doesn't, I mean he didn't, deal in weed much anymore unless he was doing a favor for a friend. He liked blow and meth. That way he wouldn't do his actual product and he could feed it to his bitches easier."
He shakes his head. "I can't believe he continued to force you to be around that shit."
I drink some of my broth. "I think you're forgetting I'm an adult. I can decide what I want to be around. Ziggy never forced me to be around anything I didn't want to be. I always called him first unless we made plans. Like the other night I came here. We were supposed to have dinner and talk."
"Talk about what?" He takes a bite of orange chicken before standing. "I need something to drink. Beer okay with you?"
I nod. "I had a question for him, but now I'll never know. Maybe it's better that I didn't get to ask him."
He twists off the cap before setting the beer down next to my pho. Picking it up I take a long pull from it. "What did you want to ask him?"
I shrug. "It's not important now. So surveillance is the only lead you have with this Marcus dude?"
He sighs before pulling from his own beer. "It would help if we could have an eye witness step forward. Though the way he was shot…" he shakes his head. “No, Marcus fits the suspect list the best.” I bite my lip. "Where was he shot, and who else do you have on the list? I know I'm not on there anymore."
He shakes his head. "You checked out, just like I knew you would. He was shot several times in the chest; whoever shot him didn't have good aim. A forty-five was used, but we didn't recover the gun at the scene. As for other people, just known men in his gang, but we haven't been able to find any of them."
