A Brilliant Ride

by Mitchell, Lisa J.

  I threw my drink down and poured another. Claudia asked for a martini.

  “Make it a double, Frank.” He kissed us both on the cheek and told Claudia he’d be back with the shaker.

  “You two must be devastated,” said Phyllis. “Why would anyone want to hurt Todd? He was such a nice guy.”

  “Who knows,” I said. “We didn’t really know that much about him.”

  Frank came back with the shaker and poured Claudia a drink in a very large martini glass.

  Frank does everything in a big way.

  He gave Phyllis a squeeze and sat down next to Claudia.

  “Listen girls, I think you should think about protection,” he knitted his eyebrows. “This town is getting dangerous. There’s obviously a maniac on the loose. I don’t think it’s safe for you girls to go out alone.”

  “Frank, don’t be so damn dramatic. We’re not in any danger. It doesn’t have anything to do with us,” Phyllis answered sharply. “You’re overreacting, as usual.”

  “Oh, Frank, you’re a big sweetie.” Claudia patted him on his massive back and gave him a little reassuring smile.

  “Look, the way I see it, both of these killings concern people you know and places you frequent. Magnolia is a hangout of yours, and Todd was your tennis pro. Okay, maybe I’m being a little over protective, but I’d feel better if you girls didn’t go out alone.” Frank put his large hands through his thick dark hair and looked down at his imported Italian loafers. “I’m just nervous.” He let out a sigh. “I’ll be going out of town next week, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving with all of this going on. I think I’m going to have one of my guys keep an eye on you, Phyllis.”

  “Relax, Frank,” Phyllis barked. “I don’t want one of your goons hanging around. I’ll be fine.” She rolled her eyes and tutted loudly.

  “I’ve seen enough of this.” Phyllis turned the television off and sighed. “Besides, we have more help around this house than…”

  “Well, too bad, and he’s not a goon,” said Frank. “He’s Gino’s son, and he’s gonna stay in the guest house. He’ll drive for you. No exceptions…I mean it!” He pointed one pudgy finger at her and narrowed his dark eyes. “Listen to me.”

  “So dramatic,” Phyllis growled.

  Frank directed his attention to Claudia and me. “I can arrange for you girls to have someone too, if you’d like.”

  “Thanks, Frank - you’re such a doll - I can have Chris drive for me; he’s our groundskeeper. He drives for me sometimes. I trust him, darling.” Claudia was devouring the appetizers, and Frank excused himself to replenish the large silver tray. “What about you, Pen? Darling, you should have someone too,” she said.

  “Well, I can ask Blossom. Maybe her nephew, Jason, could help. Do you think it’s really necessary though? Chauffeurs are so yesteryear. I feel foolish; Sam’s going to think I’m paranoid.”

  Frank was back and busy passing around a new tray of delights. This one offered fried eggplant stuffed with cheese, large purple grapes, and little pieces of chicken wrapped in Italian ham. I think if I lived with Frank, I’d need a gastric bypass.

  I noticed him looking at Claudia with pleading eyes. She shifted nervously in her seat and said, “Yes, I think Frank is right, Pen. It’s a good idea, absolutely…do have Blossom’s nephew help out, just until the police get everything sorted out.”

  “Do you think there’s a connection between the waiter and Todd?” Frank asked. “Todd was always at Magnolia. I wonder if the two were friends.”

  “No, no, I’m sure there’s no connection,” Claudia answered quickly.

  “You never know. Two murders in two weeks…it’s definitely suspicious.”

  Claudia jumped up and re-filled her glass, her body visible shaking.

  “Phyllis? You’re being very quiet.” I noticed her staring off.

  “Oh, I’m just in shock, that’s all.” She laughed nervously and fumbled to light a candle on the mantle. “It’s a lot to take in…so dramatic, isn’t it? I mean, this little town has really been shaken.”

  A BRILLIANT ENCOUNTER

  Trying to put the whole Todd incident behind me, I threw myself into my chore list. I was driving into town with a pile to drop off at the dry cleaner, thinking about asking Blossom if her nephew, Jason, could come and help out for a while. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was a good idea. After Frank’s comment, suggesting the two murders might be connected, I was growing more and more anxious and definitely paranoid. Frank’s right, Sam is always out of town, and I would feel safer if Jason drove for the girls and me, at least until the police tie everything up. I was glad Blossom had the alarm fixed at the house as well.

  I turned the corner at Willow Avenue and was just about to flick on the radio when I got the distinct feeling I wasn’t alone. Strange, I thought. “I really need to get my nerves under control.” The feeling grew, and I darted my eyes over to the passenger seat. Fixing my gaze, I thought I saw something. “It’s just my nerves,” I mumbled, and took a deep breath. I narrowed my eyes and took another look.

  “Huh? There’s something there.” My eyes widened. It was a figure of some kind.

  “I have to pull myself together. I’m losing it.”

  Blinking hard, I tried to focus on the hazy image, a sort of translucent outline. A tingling sensation ran up and down my spine and I shivered. Suddenly, I noticed the car felt like it was flying or gliding, as if the tires weren’t touching the pavement. Everything became quite dreamlike, and I was convinced I was in the throes of some kind of hallucinatory episode.

  “Could I really be losing it? Maybe it’s the shock of the murders? Or, maybe I was right the first time…a breakdown of some sort. Yes. That’s it. It’s finally happened; I’ve gone off the deep end. I should have gone into therapy like Sam suggested or worn one of those damn crystals Phyllis is always trying to push on me. Now it’s too late.”

  In a panic, I turned the radio on, hoping it would distract me and somehow snap me back to reality. I turned the volume up high.

  “Good afternoon guys and dolls; here’s a song for a listener, named Penelope, entitled: Open Your Eyes, I’m Right by Your Side.”

  The color drained from my face.

  “Huh? What was that…?”

  My hands started to tremble, and I veered off the road. My car came to an abrupt halt and sank into the embankment. I turned the radio off and started to hyperventilate.

  “What is going on? Did I just hear that correctly?”

  Trying to compose myself, I sat completely still for ten minutes with my face in my hands wondering if there was a paper bag in the glove compartment. The speedometer started spinning around, the headlights flicked on and off and the windows opened and closed rapidly.

  “I must be having a breakdown. And all this time I thought I was feeling great…it’s probably mania. Yes, that’s it - I’m manic - a maniac!” Note to me: get prescription for sedatives, immediately.

  I felt like I was coming apart, molecule by molecule.

  “Maybe Phyllis was right. I should have taken those chanting classes, hugged a tree, and looked into my inner self, inner child, whatever the hell she said. She told me I had to do something or I was going to lose myself…and now it’s happened.

  “Oh God, Oh God… what was that thing she said? Think, think.”

  Grounding! Yes, grounding!

  She said I needed to ground myself.

  I need to ground right now.

  “How do you do that…?”

  This is ludicrous. I need to get control. My mind is frazzled. There’s a simple explanation for all of this…there has to be. It’s just a result of stress, that’s all. “There’s nothing there,” I convinced myself and tried to settle my nerves.

  Heart racing and hands sweating, I braved another peek.

  Fixing my gaze, the figure was more defined. I could even make out features: brown wavy hair, big blue eyes, and a gleaming smile. Taking a breath, I peered int
o the blue of his eyes; they were deep and mesmerizing. They pulled me in, holding me captive. Chills ran up and down my arms and I felt dizzy, like I was swimming in a glass of champagne. I couldn’t seem to move my jaw, but I did manage to mumble something feeble like, “Hi.”

  To my amazement, he answered back.

  “Hello Penelope. Why do you look so surprised?” He smiled broadly. “You’ve been asking for me, so here I am.”

  I tried to do something normal, hoping it would break the spell. I fumbled in my pocket for my lipstick and pulled out a lip-gloss. I put it on quickly and thickly without realizing it was one of Sarah’s You Glow Girl lip wands, a bright neon purple color that clashed terribly with my pumpkin blazer.

  “This is a great vehicle; do you enjoy its maneuvering capabilities?” he boomed. “You know, I’m all about shifting and movement.” He laughed, and his whole image sparkled.

  I couldn’t find words, so I just sat there like a zombie.

  He looked familiar as well. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was definitely something about him…

  “Yes, I look familiar to you.”

  Wait! Did he just read my mind?

  “You know me. You’ve just forgotten for the moment. It’ll come back to you. Take a deep breath. You see, Penelope, we’re the same you and I. We’re from the same soul family.”

  Er, soul family? Where have I heard that before? Oh yes, from Phyllis - she was going on about soul families in spin class. Oh, if I could only remember what she was going on about? Damn Phyllis. She started all of this. I shouldn’t have listened to her; it’s done something to my mind, all that crazy talk. I’m definitely under some kind of spell - probably from that lunatic, Saffron. I’m sure she’s a witch. Note to me: never talk to Phyllis again.

  He was smiling brightly, and it was unnerving, to say the least.

  “This is ridiculous; my mind feels numb, frozen. I’m obviously having some sort of break with reality,” I whimpered. Why am I even bothering to understand this? I’m just going to close my eyes and quietly relax. When I open them again, this will all be over. I’m sure of it.

  I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, I felt my body relax and was confident all was well. I took a moment to contemplate, and after re-evaluating the situation, I thought it wise to take a few extra minutes, just to be on the safe side. I kept my eyes tightly shut and started to hum one of Jill’s favorite songs.

  Not a moment later, there was a tapping on the window. I turned quickly to find a police officer hitting the car window with his ticket book. I rolled the window down and managed am impish smile as I blurted out, “Hello sir.”

  “Miss, are you alright?” the officer asked.

  “Who? Me? Yes, just fine, sir. Why?” I asked, ringing my hands.

  “Miss, your car is pulled over to the side of the road, and you’re singing. Have you had anything to drink, miss?” His eyes narrowed.

  “Drink? Me? You mean like alcohol? Oh, no…no officer, I haven’t.” I looked over to the passenger side; the ghost was still there, grinning widely.

  “Miss, please get out of the vehicle.”

  I stepped out of the car carefully and smiled brightly, trying to appear calm and collected.

  “I need to see some identification, please.”

  I turned and reached into the car in search of my handbag. I didn’t need to strain as the ghost - or whatever he was - handed it to me directly. My face crimson, I spun around quickly and began rummaging through the large satchel. Panicking, I started humming again.

  “Miss, you seem nervous. Is everything alright?”

  “Oh, yes, fine. I’m just fine. Let me see. Oh, yes, here it is. Yes, here’s my license and registration. It’s all really silly, officer. You see, I pulled over to make a call and just misjudged, and - so silly - I rolled into the embankment. I was just waiting for my, er… friend to phone back. You see, so I was waiting here…humming.” I smiled impishly.

  He wasn’t impressed and stared at me intently, obviously wondering if I was mentally impaired.

  “Ok, now. This all seems to be in order.” He handed back my license and registration. “Please touch the tip of your nose with your right index finger and then repeat with your left,” he said in an authoritative voice.

  “What? Officer, are you testing me for some kind of alcohol intoxication?”

  “Yes, miss,” he said boldly, “I am; you look a bit disoriented.”

  Just then a voice boomed from inside the car. “Tell him you don’t want to delay him. He runs the risk of missing that pizza he was going to split with his partner on his lunch break.”

  “Okay, okay. Look, you stay out of it,” I yelled into the car. “I’ll handle this.”

  “Excuse me, miss? Who are you talking to?” The officer cocked his head and peered into the car.

  “Um…” I broke out in a cold sweat. “No one, I was just reciting my lines…for the Woman’s Club Holiday Play.” I spun around and gave him a toothy smile.

  “He can’t see me, Penelope. I’ve only made myself visible to you, at this time. Now, go ahead and remind him about lunch at Antonio’s Pizzeria, so we can be on our way.”

  Without thinking, I blurted it out.

  “That’s very kind of you. Actually, I’m off my shift in five minutes and…” The policeman stopped and stared at me blankly, “How did you know about that?”

  “Lucky guess…? Er, I mean, Antonio’s is a favorite spot of mine. Who wouldn’t want to spend their lunch break there…over a nice sausage pie..?” I smiled and straightened my blazer.

  “Well, you seem alright now,” he mumbled and scratched his head. “I’m going to let you go with a warning. Driving an automobile is a serious matter.” He flipped his ticket book closed.

  “Oh, yes, of course, officer.” I was beet red and sweating profusely.

  He shook his head and turned on his heel.

  I let out a long sigh and steadied myself against the car door, pulling on my collar. I watched him return to his car and waved as he drove off, leaving me to face the ghost.

  “Great, not only am I talking to a ghost, but now I’ve just lied to a police officer. This is not like me,” I wailed, as I crawled back into the car. “I don’t lie. Well, not a lot anyway. I don’t sit on the side of the road humming songs, and I most certainly do not talk to ghosts! I’m usually a very together person.”

  I checked myself in the rear-view mirror and gasped. I tried to wipe the You Glow Girl off my lips with my sleeve.

  “I know you are Penelope. Please calm your nerves, and let’s go for a drive. I’ll explain a few things along the way.” I wasn’t sure I could drive, but I gave it a try and off we went. How ridiculous, I thought. I’m driving around town talking to a ghost.

  “Hey, wait a minute…you look a lot like that waiter at Regal Rock,” I said, searching his face.

  “Oh yes. I’m a shape shifter. Many forms, one mission.” He grinned.

  “A what..? Listen, who are you?”

  “I’m Brilliant.” His voice rang out.

  “Geesh, what an ego…”

  “Oh, we have no ego, just knowledge.”

  “What is that you’re wearing…a toga?” My eyes widened.

  “It’s a ketonet…quite stylish, don’t you think?

  “A ghetto knit..?” My face fell. “Er, let’s start over. What’s your name?”

  “Brilliant”

  “Brilliant? What kind of name is that? It’s ridiculous.”

  “Maybe to you, but not to me; I’m rather shiny, don’t you think?” He smiled and puffed out his chest.

  “Brilliant? Just Brilliant..? That’s it?”

  “Names are not important. It’s the feeling that’s important. You can call me whatever you want; Joe, Jack, Brill, or Hey You. It doesn’t matter to me,” he twinkled.

  He sounds like that wacko Saffron, I thought and grimaced. “Let’s get this straight, I have no intention…look, I w
on’t be calling you anything because you aren’t real. As soon as my head clears, you’re going to disappear, and this whole episode will be forgotten,” I said with confidence. “After I get home, take a warm bath, have a nice meal, and get a good night’s sleep, you’ll be nothing but a bad memory.”

  “Bad,” he looked down sadly. “I’m not bad. I pride myself on being good. It’s my job, actually. I’ll have you know, I work quite hard at it,” he beamed. “I’m a ministering agent.”

  “Oh, you mean like a secret agent…a regular 007?”

  “Well, yes, that’s very good Penelope. I like that. Yes, I’m your secret agent.” He winked. “Actually, my number is 777…we all have numbers.”

  “Huh?

  “I’m very good at my job, as well,” he said proudly. “You’re good too, Penelope. A nice person…you’re what we call a good soul.” His eyes softened. “Sometimes good souls have it hard. Sometimes they need a little help. You’ve been asking for help, haven’t you?”

  “Well, I’ve been asking for….”

  “Yes. You see, we hear you. Every petition is heard.”

  “We? Who’s we? Who are you talking about?”

  “Angels, Messengers, Helpers…that’s me,” he said proudly, his giant smile blinding me with its enormous light. He pulled his visor down and admired himself in the mirror. “You see, Penelope, you’re going on a journey, and I’m here to guide you.”

  My mouth hung open.

  “Journey…what journey?” I stammered, pulling on my collar.

  He looked at me tenderly, and suddenly there was shift. All my senses seemed to increase, allowing me to not only see and feel him, but somehow become a part of him, like being drawn in by a powerful and overwhelming force. As I relaxed, his whole being wrapped around me, and the feeling was nothing short of extraordinary.

  Another shift and he appeared human again. I looked into his exquisite eyes and was transfixed. They were blue, like the sea, deep and calming.

  “You see, Penelope, I was assigned to you.”

  “Assigned to me…”

  “Yes, dear one, I’m your guardian angel. I am Brilliant, and in my care, you are very safe indeed. I am your personal guide, my child, and I will come to you in many forms. In time, you’ll come to recognize my energy and be able to call upon it when needed. It’s really quite simple. I can be the breeze that blows your hair, or the cat that glides past your leg. I can be a song or show myself in a paragraph you read. I can come to you as I am now, or as energy… a feeling you will grow to recognize.”