“Yeah, that’s the one.” Kyle nodded. “I just thought you should know that I just saw him.”
“Oh my God.” His eyes went wide. “Where?”
“Right here,” Kyle growled and kicked the door.
The door swung open, sending the young man sprawling on his back.
“What the fuck?” he screamed as he scrambled to his feet.
The young lady jumped from the couch. “Who is that, Corey?”
“Run!”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Kyle said, grabbing the leg of a hall table near the door and hurling it with a velocity that even surprised himself.
It connected with the back of her head with a sickening thud. Blood splattered on the wall near the door to the kitchen.
“Vickie!” Corey screamed as he dove over the couch, reaching under its corner frantically.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Kyle asked softly. He closed the gap between them.
Corey sprang to his feet with a hunting knife in his hand. He immediately slashed at Kyle with a ferocity that stunned him. Kyle jumped back, barely missing the blade.
“Easy fella,” Kyle held his hands up in front of him. “You’re gonna hurt yourself with that thing.”
“I’m gonna kill you, you sick bastard.” Corey howled. He rushed at Kyle, his blade swinging wildly.
Kyle easily dodged the knife as it snaked at his face. He swung at Corey, but Corey turned, bringing the blade down and inside hard. It sunk to the hilt in Kyle’s forearm.
“You little mother fucker.” Kyle yanked his arm away, pulling the handle free of Corey’s grasp.
Before he could pull the knife out of his arm, Corey jumped on him, raining down blows on his head and face. Kyle tried to push him to the floor, but Corey had his knees locked around his waist. Kyle pushed his hands up between the flying fists and found Corey’s throat. With a flick of his wrist, it was over. Corey fell in a twitching heap at his feet.
“What have you done?” Nina demanded, her gaze shifting between the two bodies.
“The little bastard was trying to killing me. Where the hell were you?” Kyle returned, still aflame from his anger.
“I was trying to help, but everything just happened so fast,” she admitted reluctantly.
“Whatever, we made it through,” Kyle said in a softer tone. “Put that disc in and let’s enjoy the rest of our evening.”
“We can’t.”
“Why not?” He pulled her into his embrace. “It’s what we came here to do.”
“Because you killed them.” She pushed him away angrily.
“So?”
“So, the disc won’t work unless they’re still alive.”
“Jesus Christ!” Kyle stamped his foot in disgust. “I didn’t even get to play with them and now we can’t use the disc either? This is bullshit.”
“Calm down, lover.” Something in his voice gave her pause. “There will be other opportunities. You didn’t know. We can still do the Dance. We will just have to resort to the old-fashioned way of doing it.”
“It won’t be the same,” Kyle whined. He plopped down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table.
“No, but—,” Nina paused; she caught sight of his forearm. “Kyle, the knife is still stuck in your arm.”
“Uh?” Kyle stared down at the blood running down his arm. “Oh, yeah.”
He gripped the handle and pulled it free with ease, wiping the blade clean on his shirt before tossing it in the floor.
“Come, lover.” Nina extended her hand to him and helping him up from the couch. “We need to get you home and get that cut sewn up.”
“What about them?” Kyle jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
“Leave them as is. They are of no use to us and there is no sense in letting the police know they were ours if it doesn’t help further our cause.”
“I’m starting to feel a little woozy here.” Kyle stood but had to use the back of the couch to steady himself. “You had better get me home or lose me forever.”
Nina shook her head at him. “Never too hurt to joke around are you?”
“What can I say? You bring out the best in me.”
He was still smiling as he fell into her arms.
Chapter Seventeen
“I’ll have them home in time for dinner tomorrow,” Tom told Sherry while he buckled his daughter into the backseat.
“And what time do we have dinner?” She held the storm door open, waiting for his answer.
“Uh… nine… ish?”
“Nice try.” She laughed. “Have them home by seven and we will call it good.”
“Yeah, I can do that.” He made sure his son was buckled in too before he shut the door. “Tell your mom bye, kids.”
They both waved and blew kisses from the backseat.
“You be good, you little scamps.”
“Oh, they will. Tell Dan that I’m sorry I missed him,” Tom smirked as he rounded the car.
“Don’t you start with me,” she warned.
“I’m just messing with you,” he assured her. “Truth is, I had a really hard time dealing with the idea of you being with somebody else at first—”
“What? Was I supposed to stay alone forever?”
“Just let me finish,” he said, sighing in exasperation. “All I am trying to say is that once I got over the initial shock, I realized it would be good for you and the kids to have somebody stable in your lives.”
“So, you’re okay with me and Dan?”
“I’m happy that you’re happy.” He regurgitated the words she used on him so often when they were together.
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s true. You deserve to be happy, and I know, or at least I can see it now, I could never do that for you.”
“I’m still waiting for the insult. This is not the Tom Wiley I know.”
“What can I say? I’ve had a few eye-openers of late,” he said, studying the ground.
“Yeah, I heard about that house…” her voice trailed off.
“It wasn’t just that, it was… well all of it. It made me realize that life is too precious to waste time fighting over petty stuff. Does any of this make sense?”
She nodded, remaining silent.
He got in car and closed the door. When he started the engine, she suddenly signaled for him to roll down the window.
“What’s up?”
“You can go ahead and keep them until nine if you want. You don’t get to spend that much time with them.” She gave him a lopsided grin.
“Thanks, Sherry.” He returned her smile. “You guys enjoy your quiet evening.”
He pulled the car out of the driveway.
“Daddy?” Julie asked.
“Yeah, baby.”
“Does this mean you and mom are friends again?”
“It means we’re friendly.” He laughed at the look she was giving him in the rearview window.
“Do you think you guys will ever get ba—?”
“Julie, hush,” John yelled at her.
“What was that all about, son?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“John, did your mom say something to you about this,” Tom asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.
“No, can we just drop it dad?”
“Son, if there is something you are not telling me—”
“Look, if nothing is said, then I can… I can at least pretend you guys will get back together.”
“But, son don’t you think—”
“Dad, if I hear you or mom say no, I won’t even be able to pretend any more. So, if it is all the same to you, I would just as soon not talk about it at all.”
Tom sat in stunned silence as he let his son’s words sink in. How could someone so young have such deep thoughts? The sound of his cell phone ringing interrupted his musings. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID.
“Geesh, your timing is impeccable, Jack,” he muttered to himself.
“You aren�
�t going to answer that are you? I don’t want to spend the evening in a patrol car.” John said.
“Dad, you promised to take us to Papa Joe’s,” Julie added in an anxious voice.
Tom couldn’t help but smile about the way his kids went ape over the robotic animals that were the highlight of Papa Joe’s Pizza and Playground. The place had hundreds of games geared toward young kids. They even had poor bastards running around in costumes, constantly mobbed by screaming children as they walked through the restaurant. But I guess they will still be there when I get done. He let out a long sigh, before he answered the call.
“You better have this asshole in handcuffs.” Tom pretended not to notice the evil stare his daughter was giving him in the rearview mirror.
“No, but we have a witness who thinks she might be able to help us find him. She was one of his patients.” Jack’s voice was all business.
“Really? Why didn’t she just tell you the information over the phone?”
“I don’t know; maybe she’s lonely,” Jack smirked. “How quick can you get to 8th and Boulder?”
“I’m about twenty minutes away,” Tom answered.
“Great! I will meet you there.”
“All right, see you shortly.”
Tom hung up the phone and looked at the faces of his pouting children in the mirror.
“What’s the problem?”
“You’re going to work, aren’t you?” John was clearly disgusted.
“It will only be for a few minutes.”
“Mom said you weren’t allowed to take us to any more crime scenes.”
“Well, it’s not a crime scene; we just have to talk to a witness.”
“We aren’t going to get to go to dinner, are we?” Julie whined.
“Sure we will baby, this won’t take long.”
“That’s what you always say,” John said, looking out the passenger window.
“What do you want me to do… quit my job?”
“No, I just want you to keep your promises,” he replied and looked over at his sister. “I want you to take us to dinner.”
Tom shook his head and pulled into the next parking lot he came across. He stared out the side window and opened his mouth to speak several times, but stopped short. He looked down at the cell phone lying in the seat. He took a couple of deep breaths, let them out slowly. At last, he turned around in his seat so he could face his children.
“I have a hard time keeping my promises to you, don’t I?”
They both nodded, but didn’t utter a word.
Tom reached back and wiped a tear away from his daughter’s cheek. He hated to see them sad. This isn’t just about going to the pizza place, now is it?
“Well, maybe I should work on trying a little harder.” He picked up the phone.
“What’s up, Tom?” Jack answered.
“Change of plans. You’re going to have to do this one without me.”
“Uh, okay. What’s going on?”
“I have my kids with me.”
“That never stopped you before,” Jack said with a laugh.
“We were on our way out to dinner and… and quite frankly, I am tired of disappointing them.”
“Good for you, Tom.”
“Yeah, you can fill me in on what you found tomorrow,” he said and gave his daughter a wink. “Have fun—”
“You too,” Jack added before hanging up.
“Is that better?” Tom smiled at his kids.
“Much,” they said almost at the same time, causing him to laugh.
“Look out Papa Joe’s, here we come!”
Chapter Eighteen
“I can’t believe how quickly that healed,” Kyle said rubbing the scar on his forearm. “What did you do?”
“When you’ve been around as long as I have, you learn a few tricks.”
“Like what?”
“Never mind. Let’s get a move on.” She sighed, then turned on her heel and left the kitchen.
Kyle followed her into the living room and grabbed his duffle from the coffee table.
“What are you doing?” He watched Nina as she stepped out the front door.
“Going to the car, silly.”
“The car? I don’t have a car.”
“Yes, you do. It’s sitting right out here in the driveway.” She pointed out the door.
Kyle threw his hands up in resignation and went to see what she was talking about. “What the hell? Where did you get that?”
“It was a gift. Just a little show of appreciation for the wonderful work you have done so far.”
He found himself staring at a beautifully restored 1969 Chevy Camaro. It was gloss black; its soft curves seemed to sparkle in the light of the street lamp. He could see his reflection in the chrome of one of the front rims. Someone had removed the hood scoop to allow the oversized engine to protrude through the top in all of its chromed-out glory. All the windows were tinted black as night. Even the front window was darkened save for a foot wide strip that ran across the middle. He chuckled as he peered into that space to see a chromed chain steering wheel.
“Check out the license plate,” she urged as she walked to the back of the car.
A smile spread across his face when he read the tag. It read, ON DNCR.
“Hey, nice Santa reference.”
“Well, you do bring gifts for all of the good girls and boys.”
“There is no doubt, this is a muscle car to beat all muscle cars, but wouldn’t it be faster if we just… you know.” He held up a fist palm up before letting his fingers spring out.
“We’re not jumping, not this time. It is a nice night for a drive. Besides, I have something I want to show you before we visit our guests of honor.”
“Like what?”
“Don’t be so impatient, you will know soon enough.” She let her fingers glide along the curve of her chin as she walked by him.
“Well then, let’s get to it.” He opened the passenger door for her.
He hopped into the front seat, strapped himself in and reached for the keys. He paused and looked at Nina quizzically; the steering column was smooth.
“Push that button there to start it.” She pointed to a chrome pushbutton jutting out from beneath the dash.
He pressed the button and the motor roared to life. He revved the engine a few times, overjoyed by the vibrations it sent through his body.
“Where to, my lady?”
“Let’s go this way.” She looked over her shoulder and pointed with her thumb. “Stay on that road until we get to fifty first-street and hang a left.”
“And then?”
“And then I will tell you more when we get closer to the turn.”
There are times when she really lacks what people call ‘the social skills’, he thought to himself with a shake of his head.
He backed out of the driveway slowly. The loping sound of the engine as he put it in first gear mesmerized him. He cranked up the radio and shot Nina a wink before dumping the clutch and burying the gas pedal in one fluid motion. The car lurched forward, pinning them both to the seats. Smoke rolled off the back tires.
He reached fifty-first in what seemed like seconds flat. Fishtailing, he rounded the corner without letting off the gas.
“You need to be more careful. It isn’t safe or wise to drive this way,” Nina advised and tried to grip the dashboard.
“Oh, lighten up; I’m just seeing what this baby will do.” He weaved in and out of traffic erratically.
“What you are doing is drawing unwanted attention to us. Do you really want to get pulled over tonight?”
“They would have to catch me first and I don’t see that happening in this bad boy.”
She smacked him on the shoulder. “I mean it, Kyle. Knock it off. NOW!”
“All right, all right, there’s no need to go getting all violent on me,” he said sheepishly.
“Make a right at the next light,” she ordered in an acid filled voice, ignoring his attempts at
levity.
He slowed the car to a more civilized speed and turn where she instructed. He rolled through the quiet little neighborhood as his mind pestered him with the vague feeling he had been on that street before.
“Pull over right there.” She pointed out the window.
“Hey! That’s Dr. Pearlman’s house,” Kyle exclaimed, the recognition finally washed over him. “Look at all of those police officers. I can’t believe they really think Dr. Pearlman is capable of creating art the way I am.”
“And yet they do.”
“There’s something that’s been bothering me since we saw that news report. Why do they think he’s me?”
“Because, I wanted them to, that's why.”
“But how could you make them think—”
“Shh, I will answer all of your questions some other time, but for now… just watch.”
Kyle looked out the window as several police officers searched the grounds. He didn’t see anything worth driving across town to witness. He wondered if her curiosity made her as reckless as his driving. Wouldn’t it be safer to just watch this on the news?
He turned to share his thoughts with Nina, but stopped short when he realized she had her eyes closed. Here lips were moving, but he couldn’t hear what she was saying. He turned off the radio, then sighed when he heard the high-pitched noises that drove him nuts in those Hindi songs of hers.
The shockwaves of an explosion suddenly rocked the car. Kyle turned just in time to see a ball of flame billowing out in all directions from the house. He laughed hysterically as men went rolling around on the front lawn, completely engulfed in flames.
That has got to be the funniest thing I ever seen, he thought, as the building collapse in on itself.
“Come on, we had better go before the others come to investigate the explosion.” Nina watched the carnage with a smile.
Kyle almost swore he could see the fire reflected in her eyes. He put the car in gear. “How did you do that?”
“There are some secrets a girl needs to keep to herself.”
“Okay, then why did you do that?”
“Because, there was something in the house that I didn’t want them to find. As much time as they were spending in there, it was quickly becoming a matter of when rather than if they found it.”
The Dance Page 9
