Five Minutes After Midnight

by A. J. Gallant

  “Let me put it this way if I were you I’d start shopping for baby clothes. Think pink.”

  Think black and blue. Anita appeared, and to the Detective she was as solid as the living, but to Stella, she was see through. “I have bad news, Oliva. Emma is not coming back, ever. She won’t even talk to me.”

  Olivia shook her head. “We have nothing. Found some leather fibers at the scene, maybe from the gloves he was wearing, but it doesn’t help us. Emma was well liked with no apparent enemies. This asshole is gonna kill again, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

  Aunt Stella nodded. Someone near the window caught her attention, gesturing for either her or Oliva to come outside. It was the cop that the Detective had slammed on the breaks thinking it was a live person. But the spirit was accosted by two dark souls and was forced to leave.

  “What did you see?” asked Olivia.

  Stella shrugged. “The ghost of a cop but he’s gone now.”

  Outside the restaurant, Fred drove past along with many other vehicles.

  It was just after ten when the Detective entered her apartment, and she was tired, both physically and mentally. She would never get used to dealing with ghosts. She smiled at the sight of her damaged rug in spite of herself, and sooner or later she would get around to replacing it. Two days ago she had wrapped up a murder-suicide and was content that the file was closed, but there was so much nasty business in the world and most of it at the hands of men. She wondered if too much testosterone had a lot to do with it.

  The thought of having a child was unsettling and yet somehow also satisfying, but then there would be the worry of raising such a tiny being into adulthood. She’d need to stop her swearing for one thing. “Oh, what a beautiful girl!” “Fuck you,” the baby would say.

  If she really were pregnant and if the baby was really going to be a girl, Olivia would teach her to defend herself and how to use a gun as soon as she was old enough. No one would be able to take advantage of her. She would show her right from wrong from the get-go.

  Olivia was aware that the sooner one took a pregnancy test the less reliable the result. Some of the boxes read at around five days before one’s period was the earliest test that was almost a hundred percent reliable. The earliest reading was the day before menstruation or thereabouts.

  Kind strangers are the most dangerous. It was something that her father told Olivia long ago. Evil suitors will pretend to be good for a long time she would add to that. She had to chase one away by putting a gun to his head. His lies had been the first warning sign and his aggressiveness toward her the second and final. But how handsome that Scotish face and so charming at first.

  Olivia jumped in the shower and as she washed she touched her stomach. “Is there someone in there?” And she laughed. “Now I’m talking to myself.” When she was finished Olivia called for a nine-inch all-meat pizza and two cans of Pepsi.

  As she flicked channels on the big screen, she thought about the baby learning martial arts. Now what? Someone was knocking at the door. It was too soon for it to be the pizza, and when she opened the door, there was Jack, more than likely looking for a quicky. The Detective had been considering getting rid of him, but now.

  She let him in, and he made his way to the sofa and sat, tapping the cushion for her to join him.

  Jack stared at the carpet. “What the hell happened to your rug?”

  “Got blood on it.”

  “And you cut up your rug like that!” Jack glanced at the television; Olivia had stopped at some infomercial about mops. She’s joking, I think.

  “Maybe I was thinking about you, I don’t remember.”

  He was more than happy to change the subject. “Are you up for some loving tonight?”

  Olivia slowly turned to him, remembering the incident with the condom. “Nope, not tonight. I called for a small pizza, and there’s not enough for you. You can watch me eat, or call for something for yourself?”

  Jack got close to the Detective and nibbled on her neck. “Doesn’t that feel good?”

  “The butt of my gun on your temple is going to feel exquisite. Oh, by the way, your condom came off inside of me, and now I’m pregnant.”

  “Funny, it was only a couple of days ago, so how could you know? Probably only a million of those buggers got out. Those things happen sometimes.” Jack looked into Olivia’s eyes.

  Olivia nodded. “But what if it were true? Are you ready to change diapers? Lots and lots of diapers.”

  “Ew, that’s woman’s work.” Jack realized by the look on her face that he had made a mistake and he knew what was coming.

  “Get out. Now.”

  Jack left without saying another word, passing the pizza guy in the hall. He was tempted to steal her pizza but didn’t. He really didn’t think he’d ever have kids, didn’t have enough patience for all that whining and crying.

  chapter fifteen

  IT WAS JUST AFTER THREE IN THE MORNING when Olivia awoke. Her eyes were weighty as she listened. Bang, bang, bang! The Detective looked at her clock on the dresser. “Who the fuck is banging at my door at this hour?” And then again more pounding. Olivia sighed as she sat up in bed. Grabbing her housecoat and then her Glock off the bureau she headed for the door, approaching it from the side.

  Bang, bang, bang!

  “Who is it?”

  No answer. That irritated Olivia almost as much as the pounding. She looked through the peephole and couldn’t believe what she was looking at; a ghost wearing a dark hoodie. Olivia rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The ghoul had red eyes and claws instead of hands. “Fuck off and get the hell away from my door!”

  “You fuck off!” said the demon.

  Olivia watched as it tried to enter but for some reason, it couldn’t. Maybe I’m dreaming. But God almighty I know I’m not. And I can’t shoot something that is already dead. Poor Aunt Stella living in this crazy world since she was a child.

  It paced back and forth and then kicked her door. “You need to mind your own business Detective if you ever want to sleep again. We never sleep.”

  “Don’t you tell me my business. Go back to hell or wherever you come from.” Olivia marched into her bedroom, took the cross off the wall and went back to the door swinging it open. “I got something for you, you evil bastard.” Upon seeing the cross, the creature ran off shrieking like a child. It was such an odd situation that it made her laugh. Her stomach tingled, not a bad feeling, kind of a good one actually. She didn’t know what to think about anything anymore. The saying that truth was stranger than fiction was definitely apropos in this mad world.

  The detective had tried to do some research on ghosts, but none of the literature seemed to know which side was up, and some of it was total bullshit, and a lot of the information contradicted. Olivia went back to bed shaking her head.

  “Stupid ghosts.” Back in bed, she replayed what had happened over and over, giggling at the thing when it had run off. Olivia thought it would be interesting if Aunt Stella would write a book; she would love to read about all the things she had gone through in her life, and maybe it would even help Olivia.

  Lately, every time it was five minutes after twelve, whether midnight or noon, she was compelled to look at the clock, making her wonder what the hell that was all about. Olivia closed her eyes but it took over a half hour for slumber to return.

  chapter sixteen

  TIM AND ANITA WERE IN A JAPANESE-STYLE HOUSE in heaven. Outside their door was a rose-breasted grosbeak singing in a tree. There was a pond nearby surrounded by small boulders of various sizes and shapes. The water was engulfed by beautiful plants, and bushes. On the east side, there was a small path and bridge that crossed over a lovely gurgling brook, and also a small rustic portal with a roof over it was at the beginning of the trail.

  Pink cherry blossom petals were falling from a nearby tree blanketing the ground beneath it, seemingly endlessly. An oriental stork stood in the pond watching the fish swim; it was a large white bird wit
h black wings, it occasionally tried to get one but was getting used to not being able to kill and eat what was already dead. One could see any animal anywhere in heaven, and they had been fascinated by a dodo bird that had run past the pond.

  Tim and Anita had just finished making love, and both were naked staring out the window at the stork in the pond. All they did was think about it, and suddenly they were dressed. It was another joyful day in paradise.

  Anita observed Cuthbert still wearing his top hat, and she had liked to think of him as Mr. Peanut, even though she knew his name. He beckoned for her to come over and she did, leaving Tim alone for the moment.

  “Anita, the killer is already stocking another; I can show you a vision of what he looks like, but I don’t know his name.” Cuthbert waited patiently for her response.

  “A vision of the killer or the one he’s stalking?”

  “The victim. Look here.” Cuthbert waved his hand, and a face appeared.

  In life, Anita would have been devastated that she hadn’t been able to save Emma, but though she felt bad, she was different now. Being in heaven gave one a different outlook on everything and who wouldn’t want to be here. On Earth, she would have been lucky to have had eighty years had she not been killed, but here she had an eternity. “Oh, he’s young. You know, if you really want these people saved you need to at least find an address. You saw him so why didn’t you check out his mail and get his address or something?”

  And just like that Cuthbert had vanished, making her wonder if he was allowed to show her these things. Was he doing something he wasn’t supposed to do? Without a name or an address, it seemed like a waste of time.

  Anita was suddenly pulled away and found herself in the back seat of the Detective's car; she was stuck in traffic. “Olivia, don’t be frightened.”

  “Fucking shit! You scared the hell out of me. Your voice is as loud as mine now.”

  Anita tried to flick the hair out of her eyes, but that wasn’t possible anymore. “So sorry, but I was just pulled here. Maybe by Cuthbert, I’m not sure how it works. They don’t tell me much. Cuthbert showed me the face of his next victim, and he’s just a young man.”

  “Who’s Cuthbert?”

  “A ghost that’s trying to help me I guess. Oh, I see you are pregnant! Congratulations!”

  Olivia slowly turned and looked at her. If she were a dog, she would have growled. “You can see the baby?”

  “Yes, but it’s very tiny, not formed yet. Who’s the Dad?”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. “Just some monkey.”

  Anita laughed. “The father is a monkey?”

  Olivia wasn’t sure what to do about Jack; Olivia supposed if she needed his money she might think differently about him, no she was not that kind of person, but then again circumstances did alter one’s perspective. Poverty was a monster that was not easily beaten, and it consumed and destroyed many. “May as well be. He’s a rich guy that’s about as smart as a monkey. More money than brains. Actually, I’m exaggerating. He’s smart enough I guess. He just doesn’t appear to have an abundant supply of common sense. I don’t know. Jack just doesn’t exactly rub me the right way sometimes. No fireworks. Might be me more than it’s him. Shit, I can’t believe that I’m really pregnant.”

  “Shall we try another sketch artist?”

  “Pretty much the only chance we have,” said Olivia, “I imagine we’ll be finding his body soon enough.”

  Anita shook her head. “I hope not.”

  Downtown at the station Olivia and the ghost were watching the artist ply his trade, and they had been at it for almost two hours now. Anita thought that it was pretty good, but something wasn’t quite right. Abruptly, the image was again in front of her, someone was helping her from the other side. “It’s his mouth and forehead. His mouth is longer, and his forehead is shorter.”

  The Detective nodded. “She says his mouth is longer and his forehead is shorter.”

  “She?” said Carson.

  “Oh, I’m remembering the description the woman gave me. As I’ve said, the witness couldn’t be here.”

  He thought Olivia was acting a little strange but kept working. “How’s that?”

  “That’s it!” Anita shouted.

  Olivia nodded. “That is not bad. I think. I believe we’ll go with that.”

  chapter seventeen

  IT WAS APPROACHING MIDNIGHT when Olivia and Aunt Stella left the Gershwin Theatre, having just finished watching the play Wicked. They had had a good time and were now enjoying the night air. There was nothing quite like getting out especially for Aunt Stella although she was getting out more lately. In the past, she had felt a little like a hermit.

  “That Fiyero was handsome don’t you think? I’ll be dreaming about him tonight,” said Aunt Stella.

  Olivia laughed. “I would have thought that the Wizard would have been more your type. Besides aren’t you too old for that stuff?”

  “Never too old for that stuff. I’m not a hundred Olivia even though I may look it. That Doctor Dillamond looked a lot like my first boyfriend, Arnold.”

  There was loud laughter from across the street.

  “Doctor Dillamond was the talking goat with the horns. You, of course, mean without the makeup.”

  “I do not. I must say, Olivia, I thoroughly enjoyed that show.”

  Laughing Olivia checked her watch, and it was five minutes after midnight. “I did too. And by the way, you look beautiful.” She wasn’t accustomed to hanging around with her Aunt Stella, but now that there were so many damn ghosts hanging around her presence was somehow comforting.

  “If you think I look beautiful I’d say that you need your eyes checked. The bags under my eyes have their own bags. Do you have your gun on you?”

  “I do. Why?”

  “Good, if someone bugs us you can shoot him.” Sometimes Aunt Stella said things just to get a reaction out of Olivia. Years ago, she thought that Olivia might end up seeing spirits just like she did, and it turned out she was right. Her aura was definitely different, pulsated like no other she ever seen.

  Olivia watched as someone jaywalked across the street, taking his life in his hands, and then the blaring horn and screeching brakes. “You’d make quite the Detective. If someone asks me what time it is should I shoot him?”

  “I would.”

  Olivia wanted to tell Aunt Stella something but was a little afraid of the response. Who would have thought that the world would be so unnatural? And if the soul was indeed eternal how boring would that be? And again, she thought that ignorance would have been much preferred. “I woke up a little after three with someone or something kicking at my door, it seemed to be a demon I think. Whatever the hell it was had claws.”

  Stella nodded. She hated to think it, but they might be after the baby. “I’ll come over and bless the hall and your windows too. You really should start carrying prayer beads, Olivia, and it wouldn’t hurt if you said them either. I have two on me so you can have one.”

  “Give it to me.” Olivia took the beads and put them in her purse. Seeing that thing had been unsettling. She preferred human monsters to those things.

  “And that baby needs to be brought up Catholic.”

  “I’m Catholic.”

  “Yes, but you don’t go to church.” Aunt Stella saw two dark souls coming up the sidewalk toward them, but seeing her they crossed the street; she watched as the cars drove through them. “Did you see that?”

  Olivia nodded. “Unfortunately, I did. If only we could just shoot the damn things.”

  “Damn things are right.”

  chapter eighteen

  FROM A SWANKY CONDO on the northwest corner of Central Park, Detective Olivia Brown looked out the window for a moment at the rain. There was lightning in the distance, but she turned her attention back to the victim. John Barkley lay in a pool of his own blood on the white carpet having been shot five times.

  Detective Jim Diallo, a black detective that had been born and rai
sed in Chicago and had crawled his way out of gang violence through hard work, smiled at Olivia. “Well, I guess that we can conclude that this was personal, him being shot so many times.”

  “He just turned seventy,” said Olivia. “It was on the news two days ago. He’s a billionaire. His relatives are going to be fighting over all that money that’s for sure. Gonna be a lot of pressure to solve this one.”

  Diallo spoke in his hefty voice. “Every single bullet in his chest or stomach. I heard he was a bit of a hermit, rarely went out. I didn’t recognize him until you said his name. I wonder if a family member did this?”

  “Don’t know but someone sure wanted him dead. No way he was going to survive this.” Olivia scanned the apartment, and it didn’t look like anything was taken, but of course, she couldn’t be sure. She had found his wallet in his back pocket, and it was full of hundred dollar bills. If he never went out she wasn’t sure why he needed so much money on him. But some people just liked the feel of money. With her gloves on she examined the bills, one looked rather old, perhaps worth more than its face value.

  Just step out and start shooting. They are going to find you. They’ll be here for hours and hours, maybe days.

  Gerald had never heard voices before, and he was wondering if it was from the stress of having just killed someone. But the voice in his head was right. Sooner or later he would make a sound that they would hear. Gerald was slowly and quietly reloading his gun, but Diallo was so loud it was unlikely that he would be heard.

  Anita was out in the hall, and she knew the Detective was in danger, but she was being blocked by another spirit. She had been shown several possible endings here, and only one had Olivia surviving.

  “Let me get in there!” she screamed at the tattooed ghost. He was naked with over a hundred tattoos of various sizes, all of skulls, one with its brains being blown out.