The Pandora Effect

by Olivia Darnell

  “Come back!” Tyler shouted. “It’s gonna go over.”

  Billy eased the passenger door open. They could hear him mumbling something to himself about ass-kicking and other unpleasant subjects.

  “Hang on to the side and pull yourself over here,” Perry instructed as he reached his left hand toward Billy. “Come on now.”

  Billy climbed out slowly. His eyes were wide with terror. He clung to the side of the truck and reached up to take Perry’s hand. Perry pulled on him as Billy hefted one leg over and into the bed of the truck. They could hear the metal grinding on the concrete of the road bed beneath the truck. It was steadily sliding in tiny increments toward its final destruction below. Billy let go of the cab and pulled himself into the bed of the truck with Perry. The added weight momentarily stabilized the slide and the back wheels touched the pavement. Billy straightened up and a wicked grin spread across his face.

  “Look out!” Mike shouted as Billy swung one fist at Perry’s head.

  Perry ducked and Billy fell against the cab of the truck. The truck rocked forward. Mike and Tyler abandoned the tailgate and Perry jumped over the side. With a final terrible grinding screech and a yelping scream from Billy Johnson, the truck slid over the final few inches plunging over the side of the bridge into the creek some thirty feet below.

  Perry ran back to the edge of the smashed railing and peered over as the truck hit the invisible water below with a resounding crash. Water shot up over the railing where he stood. Perry took one look back at the two men who stood in silent shock and then jumped over the side. It seemed to take forever to reach the water and he had time to hear Mike yelling at him not to jump. He also had time to wonder if the water was directly below him or not, but he learned the answer suddenly as he plunged into the dark, cold water of the creek that threatened to take his remaining breath away. Perry found the gurgling, hissing remains of Billy’s truck only a few feet beneath the water’s surface and then concentrated his attention on finding Billy. The big man was not in the truck bed, but was lying on the sandy bottom next to the rear wheel. He pulled him to the surface and then swam for the shore as the surprisingly swift current tried to pull them downstream. By the time he reached the bank, several more people had arrived at the scene. He could hear shouts and see lights bobbing down the roadside and up and down the bank.

  Someone waded into the water and helped him pull Billy’s limp form onto the muddy bank. “He’s got him!” Someone shouted. “He got Billy!” Another voice further away yelled. More lights were appearing over the side of the bridge.

  Perry fell in the mud on his hands and then rolled over onto his back panting hard. Three unfamiliar faces behind flashlights peered down at him.

  “Are you all right, Mister?” One of them asked.

  He pushed himself up and went to push Billy over on his back. Another man stepped forward and shined a light in Billy’s pale face. He wasn’t breathing.

  Perry tilted his head back and laid his ear on his chest to listen. No heartbeat.

  “Get back!” He told the man and then put his mouth over Billy’s and gave him one long breath. He sat back on his heels and waited. Billy coughed and spit up a mouth full of brown water from the creek. Perry stood up slowly and walked away as several of the would-be rescuers converged on Billy. He heard sirens in the distance and soon saw the flashing blue and red lights making their way across the bridge. The bank was slippery and his shoes were full of water. He kicked them off and started up the bank holding onto weeds and vines to pull himself along. He wanted to make it back to his car and see if he could get home to Angelica. She would be infuriated if he didn’t make it back tonight. He wanted to be the first to tell her what happened for a change. A sharp pain in his shoulder stopped him in his tracks and he reached up to hold his arm and he realized he was bleeding quite badly from a cut and possibly some other injury. His ears roared and he spit up a mouthful of water onto the ground. He managed to make it to the side of the road and sat down with his back to the pavement.

  “Perry!” A female voice called to him. “Perry Aliger!”

  He laid his head on his knees and the roaring in his ears grew louder. He shivered and felt as if ice were forming on his back. His shoulder hurt far worse than his nose had after Sam Morris had punched him. Angelica was right. He was an idiot.

  “Perry?” The voice was closer.

  He looked up, but could see nothing. A disembodied hand took hold of his arm and he struggled to get up.

  “Angelica?” He asked.

  “Don’t worry now,” she said. “I’ve got you.”

  He leaned on her arm unable to see where he was going. Something was in his eyes.

  “Take me home,” he told her as she helped him into the car.

  He fell into the back seat and closed his eyes. The cold spread down his back to his legs and then he felt all warm. At least he would not die on the side of the road. Angelica would know what to do with him.

  Chapter Nineteen:.

  Angelica was frantic. She had never experienced such a feeling of fear mixed with panic. She stood on the porch under the yellow glow of the light bulb wringing her hands in front of her. There was no denying she was terrified for the first time in her existence. The worst part was the feeling of helplessness. It was most unpleasant. She was responsible for Peregrin and she had lost him. What would happen? What would she do? Frustration, she could deal with, but panic was totally foreign to her. How could she have lost control so completely? Why hadn’t she gone with him? She remembered with regret the look on his face when she had refused to go. Guilt! Now, she felt guilty! What next? Would she cry?

  “Surely someone saw him leave,” she said again to the State Trooper who stood on the stairs with Chris Parker. Chris had towed the Mercedes from the bridge. “Could he still be out there somewhere?”

  “No, ma’am,” the trooper told her. “We searched everywhere. He must have left with someone.”

  “We thought he’d come home,” Chris told her. “Mike said that he acted like he was hurt last time he saw him. He saw him on the side of the road, but he was gone before Mike could get to him. That was after he pulled Billy outta the creek.”

  “No. He didn’t come home,” Angelica said again and frowned at them.

  “I’m goin’ back out there to look around again. Just in case.”

  Chris bounded back down the stairs to the wrecker.

  Angelica pulled the red satin kimono more closely about her body and went down the stairs to where Chris was unloading the Mercedes in the driveway. The trooper followed her down. His keys and handcuffs jingled as he walked.

  Angelica waited until the car was off the bed of the truck and then ran her hand over the wrinkled metal. The entire passenger side was demolished. She leaned inside to look at the driver’s seat in the light from the streetlamp. She could see no blood on the upholstery.

  “Mike said he was all right until he jumped over the side of the bridge,” Chris told her. “I’m sure he’ll turn up sooner or later.”

  “He could be seriously injured,” Angelica said softly and looked at Chris in confusion.

  Chris patted her arm.

  “Don’t worry, Ms. Aliger, I’ll call you in a little while and let you know if I find anything.”

  “Thank you,” Angelica nodded.

  “Ma’am.” The trooper took her arm. “Won’t you come on back upstairs. It’s a serious crime to leave the scene of an accident. We need to talk to your husband. If he’s injured or incapacitated, I’m sure the judge will take it into account.”

  She allowed him to escort her back up the stairs.

  “When he shows up, you need to contact us immediately.” He pulled a card from his pocket and placed it in her hand.

  “Of course,” she told him distractedly.

  “We need to find him and see if he was under the influence,” the trooper continued. “Sometimes people do weird things when they’re drinking.”

  “He was n
ot drinking!” She snapped. “He just left here less than two hours ago.”

  “He was in the right place for drinking,” the officer was skeptical. “Why would he go out there at this time of night?”

  “He doesn’t drink,” she insisted. “He was looking for... someone.”

  “Well, whatever,” the trooper commented tiredly. “Won’t you go inside now. Do you have someone I can contact for you?”

  “No!” She opened the door. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Just call me when he gets home,” the trooper said more sympathetically. “Just don’t be too surprised if he comes home drunk. I had three witnesses that said they saw your husband’s car cruisin’ past Shakey Jake’s just before the accident. And Billy Johnson was drunker than a skunk. Of course, no one actually saw your husband drinkin’ or anything. Maybe he’s just disoriented.”

  Angelica nodded and clutched the trooper’s card in her hand staring down at it.

  “Matter of fact, they said he saved Billy’s life,” the trooper said trying to console her. “I’ll go back out that way myself. Take another look around.”

  “Thank you,” Angelica told him stiffly and stepped back to close the door. She wandered into the kitchen and put the kettle on the burner. She needed a cup of tea. What had Perry said about the tea? She couldn’t remember at the moment, but she was sure she would make it to Penglai if he didn’t come home soon. The light of a huge, yellow moon poured through the blinds into the kitchen. She stared up at the face of the orb and wondered if Perry were looking at it wherever he was. She couldn’t feel him at all. When she had her tea, she went to her chair overlooking Main Street and curled up on the cushion with her feet tucked under her. She looked at his empty chair and was amazed to feel a tear slide down her cheek.

  At six AM Samuel Morris’s phone rang. It was Saturday morning! He was busily suffering from an acute hangover. The phone rang insistently until he rolled off the couch onto the floor and then dragged the phone down on top of him. He punched several buttons before he got the right one and then put the receiver to his ear.

  “What the hell do you want!” He said into the wrong end of the phone.

  His mother’s excited voice filtered up from the other end. He turned the phone around.

  “Hello? Mother?” He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

  “Sammy?”

  “Yes, yes. What’s wrong?” He looked at his watch to verify the time. Yep, six o’clock.

  His head threatened to explode as he pushed himself up from the floor.

  “Did you go out last night?” She asked.

  “No, I stayed right here all night like a good boy.” He stumbled into the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator. “Just me and Old Forrester. We had a grand time.”

  “Don’t be sarcastic, Sammy,” she scolded him. “Did Maureen come home?”

  “No, why?” He fished a Snappy Tom out of the bottom drawer and popped the little aluminum top.

  He tried to focus on her voice. How did she know Maureen hadn’t come home? For that matter, why was she asking if Maureen came home at all? He’d always been careful to hide the fact that Maureen spent her nights with him.

  “How do I know if she went home last night?” He added quickly trying to avoid a fight.

  “Don’t be silly,” she told him. “I know she lives there with you. I’ve always known. Just answer the question.”

  “Well, if you know so much, you tell me where she was last night,” he said irritably as he downed the can of tomato juice in one fell swallow. He burped in her ear. “If you must know, she doesn’t live here anymore.”

  “Then you haven’t heard what happened last night?” His mother asked with the teasing tone he hated so much.

  “What? What happened?” He asked irritably and dug in the cabinet drawer for some aspirin.

  “Your friend, Perry Aliger?” She paused for effect. “The one you punched out in front of all the bereaved family members yesterday morning? He got into another scrape last night. My, my, that man gets around.” Sam pictured his mother’s face and didn’t like the look of it. She was far too engrossed with that Aliger fellow.

  “What does that have to do with Maureen?” He asked and popped two Excedrin tablets in his mouth and then looked about, panicky for something to wash them down with.

  “Oh, tsk, tsk, touchy aren’t we?” She asked sarcastically. “Well, indulge your mother a bit longer. It seems Mr. Aliger was out last night just after midnight and he got into an accident on Pine Knot Creek bridge. You know Billy Johnson? Lester Johnson’s son?”

  “MMM, MMM.” Sam tried to swallow the pills unsuccessfully and almost choked as he hurried to turn on the water and fill a glass.

  “Well, it seems that Billy ran his truck into Mr. Aliger’s Mercedes and ended up in the creek, truck and all! Carl Watkins told Jay, you know Jay Horne, my limo driver? Carl told Jay that Aliger pulled Billy out of the creek and saved his life. He jumped off the bridge! Can you believe it? In the dark? Jay picked up Billy in the ambulance. You know he moonlights for the service... anyway.”

  “So now he’s a damned hero?” Sam asked in disbelief. “Thank you for calling with that bit of information. I got to go take a shower.”

  “Wait!” His mother had more. “He’s not just a hero, he’s a lost hero. It seems that they can’t find him at all now. He just disappeared after the accident and they haven’t been able to find him. They towed his car home last night. But he never showed up.”

  “So?” Sam really didn’t care. He hoped the guy drowned. “He’s probably still lying out there drunk somewhere.”

  “They say he wasn’t drinking,” she said knowingly. “They said he had blood all over him like he was hurt and he just disappeared. They say that someone picked him up and it wasn’t his wife...”

  “Really?” A terrible suspicion began to take root in Sam’s troubled mind.

  “Just thought you might want to know,” she said. “Bye now.”

  Louis Parks bit into his Twinkie and followed it with the lukewarm coffee in this thermos cup. He looked over the boxes and other things piled in the back of his truck with a sense of self satisfaction. He felt sure he would be successful. He planned to set up on the corner in front of the New Castle Gift Shop. Mr. Aliger had suggested it. He got in his truck and drove over to Thomas and Main. He did a double take, stopped and backed up to gawk at the Mercedes sitting in the driveway with it’s passenger side caved in. A patrol car sat parked on the curb outside the shop.

  Louis pulled across the street and parked in front of the funeral parlor. He got out and went to examine the car.

  “Hey, Louis!” He looked up to see Jeff Blakely walking from the foot of the stairs scribbling on a clipboard.

  “Hey, Jeff.” Louis went to meet him. “What the hell happened? Hit and run?”

  “Nope.” Jeff smiled, obviously pleased to know something the sergeant didn’t. “Kind of.” He stopped to look at the car and shook his head.

  Louis waited patiently until Jeff finally told him the story of the accident. Jeff got into his patrol car and drove away. Louis stood staring up at the second floor windows, wondering if he should go up and see if she was all right. How in the world had Perry Aliger managed to get into another scrape so soon? He glanced at his watch. Six fifteen. Awful early to go calling on someone. He decided to wait a bit.

  Something was irritating Perry terribly. He frowned and tried to figure out what it was without opening his eyes. He was half asleep and did not want to wake up, but something was bothering him. He was so comfortable, but there was something. A twittering, chirping noise. Insistent, urgent. He opened one eye. A tiny brown bird sat on the window ledge outside the glass pane pecking and chirping excitedly at something on the sill. It fluttered its wings and tried to fly away, but was jerked back violently by some unseen force. It righted itself and began twittering and pecking again. Perry raised his head slowly and focused on the bird. His vision was foggy and his mind seemed to m
atch it. He could make out a string near the birds foot. The bird pecked at the string and tried to pull it up. The string was caught on a splinter on the window sill and wrapped around one of the little bird’s legs. Without thinking further, he slid from the bed and went to open the window. The bird sat perfectly still as unhooked the string. The bird flew away immediately when he released it. Perry smiled and before closing the window. He turned to go back to the bed and froze, blinking in confusion. This was not his house in Beijing. That was not his window that overlooked his garden. And he had lost his clothes. He stood stark naked in a strange bedroom staring at a bed he’d just gotten out of, but had never seen before. He reached to grab a tangled pink sheet from the floor and pulled it up around him.

  The room was small and cluttered with boxes. He searched about in the semi-darkness looking for his clothes. He found all sorts of clothes lying around. A pink mini-skirt. A white bra. A black slip. A flowered blouse. None of them were his size. Certainly nothing he remembered wearing. A slight movement under the fluffy comforter on the bed startled him and he drew in a sharp breath and froze again.

  Maureen Fitzgerald pushed herself up on her elbows and squinted at him, brushing her hair from her face.

  “Perry?” She asked. “What are you doing? Why are you up so early?”

  “Maureen!” He said in a panicked voice. “This isn’t funny! Where are my clothes?”

  “They’re in the bathroom.” She turned over and exposed a great deal more than he wished to see. “Drying. Don’t you remember?” She pulled the comforter up to cover herself and frowned at him.

  “Where are your clothes?” He asked in the same tone. He failed to recognize his own voice. Maureen slid out of the bed and came toward him. He backed into the dresser. She wore a very small, very interesting outfit made entirely of lace.

  She took hold of the sheet and pulled on it slightly, smiling at him. He pulled back on it and stared at her in disbelief.

  “They are everywhere,” she said and waved one hand about the room at her clothes. “Don’t you remember taking them off of me?” She frowned at him again.