The Real

by James Cole

  Using the stream as a path, Jeremy made good time. The water in the stream was generally only a couple of inches deep and the white-sand bottom lent itself well to walking. Periodically, he stopped and switched on his phone to check for coverage. Once in range, Jeremy tried Tavalin’s cell phone. Much to his chagrin, he got no answer.

  “Well isn’t that just ducky?” Jeremy remarked to himself. At the beep, he said, “Call me ASAP.”

  Needing information but loath to wait on Tavalin to call back, Jeremy debated calling Jinni. Even if she knew nothing of the specifics of the investigation, he could at least find out what they were saying on the news. It would also give him the opportunity to apologize to her. Maybe she would even find it in her heart to forgive him, though he knew that was not likely. Of course, his plan presumed that Jinni was no longer ignoring his calls.

  She answered on the second ring.

  “Jinni, this is Jeremy. Is it safe to talk on this line?”

  “As far as I know,” she replied.

  “You know what’s going on with me and the cops, right?”

  “Yes, to a certain extent.” Jinni’s tone was flat; unreadable.

  “What are they saying on the news?” asked Jeremy.

  “Nothing on the news but Tavalin told me what he knew.”

  “There’s nothing on the news? Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “That’s odd,” remarked Jeremy. “What did Tavalin tell you?”

  “He said that you were a suspect again.”

  “Did he happen to mention my belief that Dr. Cain killed June, framed Grady, and now is trying to frame me?”

  “Tavalin said the police found June’s earring in your apartment and that it didn’t look good for you. I don’t think he mentioned Dr. Cain.”

  Jeremy wondered if Tavalin was, for once, trying to use some discretion.

  “Do you really think Dr. Cain did it?” asked Jinni.

  “He’s the only one, besides me, who had access to the cold room.”

  “But why would he do it?” asked Jinni doubtfully.

  “You don’t think I had anything to do with it, do you?” asked Jeremy.

  “I would say no, but after the way you lied straight to my face, I’m not sure why I should believe anything you say.”

  “Listen, Jinni, about all of that – you never let me fully explain my side of it.”

  “I don’t want to hear it, Jeremy.”

  “I can’t blame you for that, but I wanted to explain-”

  Jinni cut him off. “I was too angry to listen.”

  “And now?” asked Jeremy hesitantly. “What are you now?”

  “Now I’m-” Jinni cut herself off and started over. “Now I’m just concerned for your wellbeing.”

  Reading between the lines, Jeremy feared that concern might be the most Jinni would ever feel for him, and though he doubted he could change the way she felt, he had to try.

  “Listen to me, Jinni,” he began, “I want to apologize to you. I don’t know what got into me. I was a jerk and I am sick over what I did to us. I’m sorry.” Before Jinni could respond, he added, “And, FYI, Monika and I are finished – for good.”

  “What happened?”

  “She’s not what I thought she was. Monika is – how can I put this? She’s evil.”

  “Evil?”

  Jeremy tried to explain. “There was this ceremony she put on at a spooky old church and a vow that was supposed to change everyone there into something else – and I had this dream about it beforehand…” Realizing how crazy he must sound, Jeremy stopped himself. “It’s a long story but I’m pretty sure she’s after me too.”

  Jinni actually laughed. It was not the response he was seeking.

  “See what happens when you do me wrong?” she asked.

  “Anyway,” added Jeremy, “I hope that some day you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  The silent pause from Jinni’s end of the line did little to instill confidence in Jeremy’s hope for redemption.

  “Are you still there?” he asked.

  Finally Jinni responded. “If you are really done with that witch, I’ve got something important to give to you.”

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I can’t say over the phone but you really should see it, like right now.”

  Jeremy did not expect this. “I can’t come to town, for obvious reasons.”

  “Tell me where you are and I’ll come to you.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “I realize you don’t understand,” said Jinni, “but it’s imperative that I see you – in person. Where are you?”

  “You know if we did meet up, you could be committing a crime – what do they call it – aiding and abetting? I don’t want to drag you into the middle of all this.”

  Stubbornly, it seemed, she repeated the question. “Where are you, Jeremy?”

  “I’ve been hiding out in Reefers Woods for the last two days.”

  “If I drive out that way, will you meet me? Are you near the road?”

  “I could be,” replied Jeremy. “But what about the police? I’m sure they must still be patrolling the area. I just don’t know to what extent.”

  “If I see any sign of the police, I won’t stop,” she remarked in a flippant tone. “If the coast is clear, I will. I just need some place to hide my car.”

  Going along, Jeremy added, “You also need an excuse for being out this way. Maybe you should wear your running gear. That way, if someone asked, you could say you came out here to go for a run.”

  “That’s a good idea, but where should I park?”

  “You might park at the TVA microwave tower and jog the rest of the way. I’d guess it’s about three miles from there to Grady’s house.”

  “Grady’s house?” she asked. “Is that where you are now?”

  “Not yet but I’m pretty close,” he replied. “But I still don’t understand why you are taking this risk.”

  “The time has come, that’s all.”

  “Interesting choice of words,” muttered Jeremy.

  “What?” asked Jinni.

  “Never mind. Just meet me behind Grady’s house. Also, could you bring me something to eat?”

  “What do you want?”

  “I would like a very large sack of fast food, but I don’t know too many people who pack their pockets with Big Macs while exercising.”

  Just like old times, Jinni laughed at his marginal joke. “I have some granola bars I could bring.”

  “I guess that will have to do.”

  After Jeremy hung up the phone, he wondered about Jinni’s little visit. What was so important that she would risk trouble with the police to see him? Two weeks ago, she wouldn’t take his calls or even answer the door when he came knocking. Why this sudden change of heart? After all that had happened between them, he could not be sure of her intentions. Would she show up with the police in tow? Could he still trust her?

  If you can’t trust Jinni, he asked himself, who can you trust?

  Jeremy resumed his walk along the stream, toward Grady’s house and, presumably, toward answers.

  *****

  From the outside it appeared that Grady’s house might still be occupied. A faint but definite light emanated from the side bay window, and Grady’s truck was parked in the driveway. Jeremy staked out a spot in the edge of the woods where he had a clear view of both the house and the road. It did not take long before a police car came creeping by in the direction of the lake. Jeremy was safely hidden but he feared for Jinni, who would be exposed as she jogged out Sticks River Road. If they saw her, the police would surely stop and question her. It wouldn’t take much for them to figure out that her presence out here was more than happenstance. Perhaps it had been foolish of him to call her – and Tavalin – from his phone. Sooner or later, the police would check the phone records.

  Finally, he sensed a tentative movement along the side of the
house and, as he watched, a silhouette slipped by the bay window. Jeremy waited another full minute before he stepped from the shadows.

  “There you are,” Jinni said with a relieved tone. “I was afraid you might not show.”

  Jeremy knew full well that he missed Jinni but he was surprised at the depth of his feelings invoked by her presence. It was as if he had somehow forgotten her palpable sweetness, that aura of love that surrounded Jinni Malone. Jeremy fought back the urge to hug her because he did not know what her reaction might be.

  “Did you see that police car?” he asked.

  “I did,” she replied.

  “And?”

  “And I hid in the ditch until he passed.”

  “Good girl.”

  Jeremy breathed a little easier. Whatever Jinni’s purpose in coming out here, apparently it wasn’t to have him arrested.

  “Here,” Jinni said. “I brought you these.”

  Jeremy devoured the three high-energy granola bars Jinni provided on the spot.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I needed that in the worst way.”

  “And this is the other thing…”

  Very slowly, and ominously, Jinni unzipped her front jacket pocket.

  “This is why I had to meet you in person,” she said.

  Jeremy envisioned Jinni’s next move in his mind’s eye. Her jacket pocket held a gun and she meant to kill him for his indiscretions. He had walked right into an ambush, predicated on an ex-girlfriend’s festering jealousy and rage.

  Jeremy let loose a big sigh of relief when Jinni instead handed him a round plastic case of some sort. He held it gingerly, like one might handle some explosive device.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “It’s an old reel-to-reel movie. Grady told me it was vital that I give this to you, but only if you broke free of Monika.”

  “When did you talk to Grady?”

  “I had just walked out of church on Sunday, two weeks back, and there he was. He said he needed to talk to me and suggested I follow him home.”

  “You came here? Alone?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “I trusted him.”

  “And that’s when he gave you the reel-to-reel?”

  “Yes. He said that I should wait and watch it with you, but only if you escaped Monika’s influence.” In a wary gesture, Jinni raised one eyebrow but not the other and asked, “You are done with her, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” replied Jeremy, nodding his head. “I really am.”

  Jeremy pulled the tape from its case. “Any idea how we are supposed to watch this?” he asked.

  “I know Grady has a projector, but it’s inside.”

  “Did he happen to give you a key?”

  “Nope.”

  “We don’t need a key.”

  Jeremy used the butt of his buck knife to break the glass of the back door window. He reached in and disengaged the latch from the inside. The broken glass crunched under their feet as they stepped into a small utility room that held a washer and dryer, a counter and a large sink. Beyond that was a room of modest proportions and equally modest furnishings, illuminated by a small, dim lamp.

  Jinni pointed to the closet in the back corner. “The projector is in there,” she said.

  From the high closet shelf, Jeremy retrieved the encasement, a metal box with a green exterior and black plastic handle.

  “Now let’s see if this thing still works.”

  Nestled inside the case on top of the projector was a ziplock bag. Jeremy opened it, assuming it to be the operating instructions, but instead found a small notebook filled with penned words, which Jeremy had neither the time nor the inclination to read.

  With no directions for use, it took a while to figure out how to operate the old projector. After some trial and error they finally succeeded in threading the 8mm tape and focusing the moving pictures on the wall. The images were in color, though dull, and the only audio was the loud clicking sound produced by the projector itself. With great anticipation, they settled in to watch Grady’s movie, with Jinni occupying one end of the couch and Jeremy manning the other.

  Grady’s reel-to-reel film opened with an image of a ramshackle cabin built from a hodgepodge of various boards, small logs, rocks and sheets of tin. A stove pipe pierced one side wall. As they watched, the screen door opened and out shot a child. He raced toward the camera and then past it. An arm appeared – that of the camera operator – and motioned in the direction of the cabin. The child reappeared and trudged back toward the front door stoop. Like a soldier he pivoted an about-face and stood dutifully at attention. He looked to be no more than 10 or 11 years old. Overalls hung from his scrawny shoulders and a camera-conscious smile adorned his face. Like blue jewels, his eyes sparkled against the rich brown complexion of his face.

  “That’s Grady!” The words erupted spontaneously from Jeremy’s lips. “As a child,” he added.

  Abruptly the scene cut to a garden. Three persons of the Caucasian persuasion worked, one hoeing a row of puny plants, while the other two pulled weeds. When they became aware of the camera, the one dropped his hoe and the three stood arm-in-arm and smiled and waved and mouthed words to the camera. They appeared to be college-aged and were dressed in soiled shorts, sweaty tee shirts and sandals. All three had hair down to their shoulders and the two males sported scraggly beards.

  “What is this?” asked Jinni.

  “I’m not sure,” Jeremy didn’t know what he had expected to see on Grady’s tape but this certainly was not it.

  Without warning, the scene switched to a river bank. A girl sat on a large flat rock, facing the river, her back to the camera, her legs spread out before her, her bare back arched, her face skyward. It was a classic sunbather’s pose. A tumultuous mane of dark hair flowed down to the small of her back. She did a half-turn and shot a surprised expression toward the camera. In a quick motion she crossed her arms over her breasts.

  The camera view zoomed in, losing focus as it did so. The blurriness lent a short-lived impressionistic quality to the shot before it degraded into an indiscrete smudge on the wall. Slowly the ambiguity cleared to reveal a close-up view of the sunbather. She was young, brunette, petite yet nicely proportioned, beautiful and strange, with eyes as black as night.

  Jeremy almost fell off the couch. “That girl-” he exclaimed. “She looks just like Monika!” As quickly as his scrambling thoughts would allow, he added, “But obviously it’s not her. This tape is from a long time ago.”

  Jeremy felt acutely uncomfortable, not due to the sexy, half-dressed girl but because the sexy, half-dressed girl looked exactly like Monika. It felt as if he were reliving his unfaithfulness with Monika, only this time with Jinni watching the whole spectacle.

  “She is beautiful.” The words spilled from Jinni’s mouth like an admission.

  It occurred to Jeremy that Jinni must wonder what Monika looks like. More pertinently, Jinni would want to know what it was about Monika that had so ensnared him. She had seen Monika that one time, driving her car, but it had been dark and Jinni could not have gotten a good look.

  Jinni’s eyes were riveted to the images on the wall. As Jeremy studied her pained expression, he recognized that, in spite of his desire to the contrary, Jinni still wore the wound inflicted by his infidelity and that the injury was still raw and prone to bleed.

  The urgency of the moment forced his attention back to the silent movie. He had to figure out what Grady meant for them to glean from it. The scene had shifted again, away from the river. The Monika look-a-like swept one slender arm through the air, like a model presenting merchandise on a daytime game show. The camera operator panned slowly through 180 degrees, revealing a swampy landscape of black water dotted with the knees of cypress trees and lily pads. Jeremy recognized it as the lotus swamp, the very same lowlands that he had first spotted on the aerial photos and in the general vicinity of where he later found the single purple blossom.

  The bright square of light on the wall
and the flapping of the loose tape pronounced the end of the home movie. Without comment Jinni disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. Jeremy flipped the switch on the lamp and after some fumbling, was able to adjust the arm of the old projector to the rewind configuration and connect the tape’s end to the empty reel.

  As the spools whirled, Jeremy tried to wrap his mind around this new perspective. If this were indeed the lotus swamps of Reefers Woods, then the shack must be the old hippie commune and the people on the tape were the ones who lived there before it burned. But who was the sunbather and why did she look so much like Monika? Were Monika and the hippie queen related? Could Claire be Monika’s mother?

  Jeremy flipped the arm that held the tape back down to the playing position, threaded the tape through the play path, connected the end of the tape to the far reel and slid the play switch forward. Old technology could certainly be labor intensive.

  By the time Jinni returned from the bathroom, the movie had begun again and the child was once again standing in the doorway of the ramshackle house. Jeremy noticed for the first time the sign nailed above the door.

  “Can you read what it says, there above the door?” Jeremy asked.

  The letters, written in bright yellow paint were blurred and difficult to discern. When Jeremy finally deciphered the letters, he knew without a doubt that this must be Claire’s commune.

  “LotosLand,” he said with a smile. “Claire named her commune after the purple lotus that she discovered, and I’m pretty sure it was because of the effects of the lotus blooms – the Unreal – that she and her friends moved to Reefers Woods in the first place.” Jeremy rambled on. “The shack is the old hippie commune and the boy with the blue eyes must be Grady.”

  When the garden scene began, Jinni asked, “So everyone in the movie died in the fire?”

  “I’m pretty sure,” replied Jeremy, “everyone except for Grady.”

  “And the girl by the river, the one that looks so much like your little girl friend? Who do you think she is?”

  Jeremy ignored the little girl friend jab. “I’m assuming she’s Claire – the hippie queen – and since she looks so much like Monika, they must be related. Maybe Claire is Monika’s mother. If so, that would explain how Monika knows so much about the lotus and its effects. Also, Monika has been able to fool some very smart people with her paintings. As Claire’s daughter, Monika would be in the best position to learn and mimic Claire’s painting style and techniques.”