Death & Stilettos

by Jason Krumbine

  Avery gets to her feet and drops a fifty on the table.

  “What’s this for?” Adam asks, looking at the picture of Ulysses Grant. “I haven’t gotten you anything yet.”

  “It’s a tip,” Avery says. “Just remember it when you get us the info on the cookies.”

  eight

  Avery’s getting undressed as she enters the apartment she shares with her boyfriend of two years. She’s running late, almost by a whole hour. Her purse is tossed on to the couch and Avery’s peeling off her shirt as she kicks off her sneakers.

  “Jack,” she says. “I’m sorry. The thing this afternoon ran longer than I thought it would. Then my Mom dropped this other thing on me and Brooke. And then, on the way home, traffic was just a total nightmare...” Avery trails off. She’s standing the middle of her bedroom, stripped down to her red bra. Her pants are down past her knees, exposing matching panties that accentuate her shapely hips. She suddenly realizes that nobody’s listening to her. Avery sits down on the queen-sized bed and wiggles out of her jeans. “Jack?”

  There’s no answer.

  In fact, the entire apartment has the air of silence that suggests she’s the only one home.

  Avery walks back out into the living room, her bare feet padding softly against the dark brown carpet. She grabs her cellphone from her purse and checks her messages. There aren’t any.

  Avery dials Jack’s number.

  “Hey, babe,” Jack answers after the second ring.

  “I’m at our apartment talking to myself,” Avery says, running a hand through her hair, trying to clear out the knots.

  “Crap,” Jack mutters. “What time is it?”

  “It’s an hour past when we were supposed to leave,” Avery replies. “I know why I’m late, but why are you even later?”

  Jack sighs. “I’m sorry. It’s been a complete nightmare today.” He pauses and Avery hears something rustling in the background as Jack moves himself to a more secluded area. “I got swamped with almost a half dozen new patients. We had a purge earlier today.”

  “A purge?”

  “Yeah, four nurses and three doctors got canned,” Jack says.

  Avery frowns. “What happened?”

  “Well, I don’t know the specifics yet,” Jack answers. “But it sounds like they were all stealing prescription drugs.”

  “What, like a little crime ring?” Avery asks.

  “No, that’s the weird part,” Jack says. “They weren’t working together. They were all doing it separately.”

  Avery pauses. “Are you serious?”

  “Yep,” he says. “They just all happened to get caught at the same time.”

  Avery shakes her head. “No, you’re not serious.”

  “Oh, I’m very serious,” Jack says. “I’ve got the added workload to prove it. Like I didn’t have enough to do already.”

  “How did you get stuck with their patients?” Avery asks.

  “Guess who’s sleeping with Doctor Barnes?”

  “I hope it’s not you.”

  Jack laughs. “No, I am definitely not sleeping with Dr. Barnes.”

  “Maybe I should start with: who’s Doctor Barnes?”

  “Doctor Jeffery Barnes, Chief Administrator.”

  “Well, it’s definitely a good thing you’re not sleeping with him,” Avery says.

  “I thought so, too.”

  “Alright,” Avery replies, nodding. “Who is sleeping with him?”

  “Stephanie Mantis.”

  Avery squints her eyes in thought. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

  “Because she was the drunk redhead at the Christmas party last year that kept pawing me all night,” Jack says.

  “Oh,” Avery remembers, her expression turning sour.

  “And, apparently, she took offense at my rejection of her,” Jack continues. “She’s taking advantage of her new relationship with Barnes to make my life a living Hell.” He sighs.

  “I don’t like the way this is going,” Avery says.

  “She seems to be slowly enacting some kind of long term revenge plot,” Jack says. “Mantis has convinced Barnes to dump the patients from the three fired doctors into my lap.”

  Avery drops herself down onto the sofa. “So you’re not coming home tonight.”

  “Sorry.

  Avery rests her head back against the cushions and sighs. “I don’t believe this.”

  “I know.”

  “We’ve hardly seen each other in the last two weeks.”

  “I know,” Jack repeats. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t even remember what you look like.”

  “Okay, now I think you’re exaggerating a bit,” Jack says.

  Avery exhales forcefully. “Look, I’m just going to be honest with you.”

  “I don’t like the way that sounds.”

  “I’m not sure I remember how to have sex,” Avery finishes.

  Jack laughs softly on the other end of the phone. “It’s not that bad.”

  “It is,” Avery says. “When was the last time we even went to bed together?”

  “I know,” he replies. “I’m sorry.”

  She sighs. “It’s not your fault.” Avery pulls her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. “At least I hope it’s not your fault.”

  “It’s not my fault,” he assures her.

  “They were all stealing drugs at the same time, but not stealing together?” Avery asks.

  “I know,” Jack says. “If it hadn’t happened in my hospital, I wouldn’t have even believed it.”

  “It just sounds so,” she pauses, searching for the right word, “stupid.”

  “We have a lot of stupid people working here.”

  “Do I know any of them?” Avery asks. “The doctors that got fired?”

  “Probably not,” Jack says. “I didn’t even know them. Two of them were first year residents.”

  “Great way to start out your medical career,” Avery says. “How long do you think Stephanie Mantis is going to bother you?”

  Jack shrugs on the other end of the phone. “I don’t know. Barnes goes through girlfriends like Brooke goes through one-night stands. I’m sure it’s not going to be long, but it’s going to be hell until it’s over.’

  “It’s your own fault,” Avery says.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “You’re a catch,” she replies. “You need to be less desirable to other women.”

  Jack laughs. “I’ll try.”

  “No, I’m being serious,” Avery says with a straight face. “Start walking with a limp or something. Maybe you should get another job.”

  “Another job?”

  “Yeah, something less desirable,” Avery says. “Everybody wants to marry a doctor.”

  “What would you suggest I do?”

  Avery thinks it over for a minute. “Bus driver? Nobody ever wants to sleep with a bus driver.”

  “We’ll put it in the maybe column,” Jack replies. “How’s that for a compromise?”

  “Hey.”

  “What?”

  “You’re mine.”

  “And I won’t ever forget it,” Jacks assures her. “I’ll make it up to you later this week.”

  “How do you feel about making it up to me now?”

  “I’m not following you.”

  “Well, I’m just wearing my underwear,” Avery says.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yep,” Avery says. “Maybe we could squeeze in a little phone sex before you go back work.”

  “I thought you couldn’t remember how the sex thing worked?” Jack asks.

  A naughty smile spreads across Avery’s face. “I figure phone sex will be a great way to ease me back into it.”

  She hears the intercom blast over the phone.

  “Doctor Ellis to the ER.”

  “Crap,” Jack mutters.

  Avery sighs. “Go.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She hangs up.


  Avery tosses the phone back in her purse.

  “Great,” she says to the empty apartment. “Just great.”

  nine

  The lanky Brit stares at the pair of sparkling, blue heels in front of him. His face scrunches up in absolute confusion.

  “I don’t get it.”

  Brooke sighs, exasperated by his lack of understanding. “Of course you don’t get it.”

  Stanley Morris watches her return the sparkling blue heels back to the rack. “Now I really don’t get it. Am I suppose’ to buy those for you?”

  Brooke doesn’t answer. Instead she turns and starts down another aisle.

  Stanley Morris is a British loan shark. He’s tall, lanky and has a shaved head. Cheap cologne covers him like a second skin. He’s dressed like a retiree from Florida and he talks with the thickest cockney accent in Century City.

  Stanley gives the blue heels another look and then sticks the toothpick back into his mouth and follows after Brooke.

  “Luv, yor gonna need to give a bigger clue here,” he says.

  They’re in a small shoe store located in Waterside Shops, an outdoor mall on Lake Lola. The racks are lined with shoes of all shapes, sizes and colors. The floors are a dark tile and there’s a sharp clipping sound as Brooke walks across the ceramic floor.

  “Wot was I supposed to say about those shoes?” Stanley asks, following her.

  Brooke doesn’t reply.

  “They were shoes, luv,” Stanley continues. “They all look the same to me and, honestly, judging by the size of yor closet, I’m not sure you can fit another pair in there.

  Brooke still doesn’t say anything. She’s so focused on getting out of the store, she’s not even paying attention to any of the shoes she’s walking past.

  “Luv? Brooke?”

  Soon they’re outside again.

  It’s a full moon tonight. The sidewalks are sandblasted cobblestone and there’s a fountain to their left.

  Stanley’s had enough and grabs Brooke by the arm before she can go any further.

  “Alright, luv. I think I’ve got it. This is one of those situations where I thought one fing was happning’ and it was sumfing else entirely, right?” he says. “So why don’t you just tell me wot’s really going on.”

  Brooke sighs again. She traded in her work clothes for a pair of a faded jeans and a sparkly tank top. Her hair is pulled back in a half ponytail and she even put in the effort of a little bit of makeup. “I haven’t told Avery about us.”

  Stanley let’s go of her. “I beg yor pardon?”

  “You heard me.”

  “I heard you, sweetie,” Stanley says. “But I’ve got no idea what yor talking about.”

  Brooke closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “It’s exactly like it sounds.”

  Stanley thinks about it for a moment. “So this has nothing to do with the bloody shoes?”

  She looks at him. “Really?”

  “I’m just covering all of my bases.”

  “It has nothing to do with the damn shoes,” she snaps.

  Stanley holds up his hands to calm her down. “Alright, alright.” The toothpick in his mouth twitches. “So you haven’t told your sister about us.”

  “I’ve actually flat out lied to her about us,” Brooke says.

  “Okay, but, honestly, luv, I don’t see how this is a problem,” Stanley replies.

  “It’s a problem because I don’t like lying to my sister,” Brooke says, throwing her hands in the air. “Are you that thick?”

  Brooke stomps over to the pavement.

  Stanley stands in front of the shoe shop for a few seconds, rolling the toothpick around in his mouth as he looks around.

  It’s the middle of the week. Waterside Shops is relatively quiet, but there’s still enough people out and about to make Stanley feel more than a little uncomfortable to be having a public argument.

  He saunters over to Brooke, who’s standing at the fountain with her arms folded.

  “Luv, I’m not sure what’s going on,” Stanley says from behind her. He rests his hands on her shoulders. “But I didn’t ask you to lie about anyfing.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” Brooke says. “You only ask me to tag along with you when you’re visiting the local mob and verifying human skulls for you.”

  “Okay, that’s something else entirely,” Stanley replies. “Why don’t we pick one topic and stick to it.

  Brooke spins around to face him. “Are you listening to anything I’m saying?”

  “Oh, I’m listening,” Stanley replies, nodding his head. “I don’t unnerstand a bloody word of it, but I’m listening.”

  “Avery and I have a very specific relationship,” Brooke says. “Yes, we rag on each other and poke a little too much at our faults, but at the end of the day we’ve got each other’s backs. She can’t have my back if I’m lying to her.”

  “Well, this might seem a little obvious, but why don’t you just tell her the truth,” Stanley suggests.

  “Excuse me?”

  He flicks the toothpick into the fountain. “I’m assuming the reason yor not telling Avery is because yor ashamed.”

  “I’m not ashamed,” Brooke starts.

  Stanley holds up his hand again. “Please, luv, let me finish. Yor ashamed because of wot you did the first time around.” Stanley scratches beneath his chin. He hasn’t shaved in a few days and there’s a light fuzz growing in. “Let’s not pretend we’re some star-crossed lovers. Yo’ve got yor issues and I’ve got mine. We don’t apologize for anyfing.” He pauses for a second, but it’s not to let Brooke get a word in. “I wasn’t the one who broke up wit’ you and I wasn’t the one that insisted we get back together.”

  “You didn’t exactly put up a fight,” Brooke says.

  Stanley cups her face gently. “You came calling and I answered. That’s wot I do for you. There’s a lot of people out there I hold grudges for and yor definitely not one of them, luv. You did wot you did. You do wot you do.”

  Brooke nods her head slowly. “Okay, let me see if I got this straight. You think I haven’t said anything to my sister about us because I’m a slut and generally a horrible human being.”

  Stanley pauses, thinking it over for a moment. “A lesser man might argue with that summarization, but fortunately I’m not a lesser man.”

  Brooke raises her hand to smack him. Stanley catches her wrist at the last second.

  “Let’s not go there,” he says.

  She yanks her hand from his grip. “You’re so charming.” Her voice drips with sarcasm.

  Stanley smiles anyway. “Thanks, luv.”

  “Here’s a tip, if you want to help, don’t bring up my flaws.”

  He shrugs. “Tell yor sister or don’t, I don’t particularly care.”

  “Of course you don’t care,” Brooke says. “She’s not your sister.”

  Stanley tiredly rubs the bridge of his nose. “Oh, luv.” He looks at her. “You need to realize the world does not revolve around you.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not on some kind of ego trip.”

  “Of course you are,” he says. “Why else would you think Avery gives a damn about who yor shagging.”

  “If I tell Avery we’re back together, she will kill me,” Brooke says. “Kill. Me. Do you understand.” Brooke rubs her temples. “I’m gonna go crazy.”

  “I think we’re a few miles past that, luv.”

  “Stop helping.”

  Stanley twists at the waist, cracking his back. “Tell you wot, luv. I brought you out here tonight for a proper date. Now if that means talking about some made up issues in yor head fine. But I’m pretty sure that’s not how fings are done.” He points to the restaurant on the other side of the mall. “I happen ta know that that particularly fine establishment over there has a delightful bar. I would like ta treat you to several drinks there and then possibly sex yor brains out. Wot do you say?”

  Brooke looks at him. She holds her straight face fo
r only a second or two before breaking out into a grin. “You are such a charmer.”

  Stanley smiles back. “Am, I aren’t I, luv.”

  Stanley gives her a kiss, relishing the taste of her cinnamon-flavored lip-gloss. He guides Brooke towards the restaurant and away from the man in the dark suit that had been watching them since they left the shoe store.

  Stanley had noticed him almost immediately. Brooke, on the other hand, hasn’t. And Stanley is determined to keep it that way.

  ten

  Clark’s is a neighborhood restaurant/bar located within walking distance of Avery’s apartment. The mood is set with soft lighting and even softer jazz music playing over discreetly hidden speakers throughout the establishment. It’s mostly still the after work crowd. The lovers and the drunks are filtering in slowly. Avery’s parked herself in the smallest booth she could find. She’s dressed back in her jeans and a dark red hoodie shirt. A half-finished beer sits next to her on the table, but her attention is focused on her cellphone.

  For the last twenty minutes she’s been texting everyone she knows and they’re all busy. So here she is, sitting alone in a booth for four in a bar that’s known for its popular social scene.

  “When did I become the loneliest woman in the world?” she moans quietly, dropping her head to the table.

  “That is a great opening. And, honestly, I’m not sure how I should go with it.”

  Avery looks up at the sound of the male voice.

  Thane Grym is standing there. He holds up two cool, unopened bottles of beer.

  “Can I refresh your beverage?” he asks her.

  “Do you work here now?”

  “No.” Thane slides into the booth across from her.

  “I didn’t actually invite you to sit down,” Avery points out.

  “You didn’t have to,” Thane replies, popping off the bottle caps. He hands her the fresh beer. “Here.”

  Avery gestures to her unfinished drink. “I’m still working on one.”

  Thane tastes her drink and makes a disgusted face. “What is this crap?”

  “Whatever’s on tap.”

  Thane pushes the glass out of her reach and replaces it with one of his bottles. “You’re welcome.”