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Chapter 4

Elena woke with a start, disoriented as to time and place, unfamiliar fabric under her cheek. She sat up and realized she had been sleeping against Walter's shoulder with his suit jacket draped over her like a blanket. He turned and at smiled at her; he had been reading a magazine with his glasses halfway down his nose, his long legs stretched well out into the empty waiting room. He looked…incredibly cute, and she prayed she hadn't drooled on his shirt or done something else unattractive while she was asleep.

She stifled a yawn to cover her discomfiture, "Oh, what time is it?" she asked him. "Has there been any news?"

"It's 11:30, Elena. The nurse came by about forty-five minutes ago to say that they were almost finished with the surgery and that they'd let us know when she was out of anesthesia. I thought you might as well sleep until then."

"Thanks. I suppose I couldn't have done anything but worry anyway if I'd been awake." Elena yawned again, "I'm so tired; I've usually been in bed for hours at this time of night."

"Hah!" he gloated, his eyes alight, "now you see the advantage of being a night owl."

"Hah yourself!" Elena retorted, spurred to rashness, "Just see how you'd like it if I came in and woke you up at five am when I usually…" Realizing too late that she had just invited herself into his bedroom, her voice trailed off and she felt her face heat. She looked up to find his blue eyes fixed on her with thinly veiled amusement.

"You are welcome at any time of course, Elena," Walter said blandly, "should I leave the door unlocked in case the urge strikes you?"

"That…won't be necessary," she said in a small voice. He went back to reading his magazine without comment, smirking slightly. It was so infuriating—he had lured her into embarrassing herself, the rat!

While she was contemplating this perfidy, Walter cleared his throat and murmured, "In the meantime, my shoulder is still available if you're interested."

She shook her head and chuckled, "If you are going to be so charming, I can see that it will be absolutely impossible to stay angry with you."

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a lopsided smile, "Which is of course the point, my dear." Then he looked at her intently and said, "Elena…"

At that moment the nurse bustled up to tell them that Rachel was in recovery and could have visitors, so whatever Walter had planned to say went unsaid.

"Just one at a time," the nurse cautioned, "and a short visit. She's on pain medication and won't be able to stay awake for long."

"Go on, Elena," Walter urged her with a smile, "I'll wait here for you."

Elena quietly let herself into the room; her friend's eyes were closed and she was afraid she was asleep. "Mrs. Goodfield? Rachel?" she called softly.

The woman in the bed stirred, "Elena, is that you, dear?"

"Yes, it's me; do you feel up to a visit?" Elena asked her.

"Of course I do, Elena, when have I not wanted to have a chat with you?" she asked, sounding more like her old self.

"That would be never," Elena laughed, sitting in the chair next the bed and taking Mrs. Goodfield's hand. "How are you? Not in too much pain, I hope."

"It's not too bad; they have me on all sorts of painkillers. I have a hip full of metal now, they tell me."

"You'll be up on your feet in no time, Rachel," Elena told her cheerfully. "Was the doctor able to reach Lawrence?"

"Yes, he's flying in tomorrow, and I'm not looking forward to it, as much as I love him. He won't be able to resist saying 'I told you so'," she sighed, "he's always had dire predictions of what would happen to me living here alone. But enough of that," she said pointedly, "you know what I want to hear about."

Elena suspected she did know, but feigned ignorance. "What's that, Rachel?" she asked as casually as possible.

"Don't play innocent with me, Elena, how long have we known each other? The nurse told me that you were waiting with a tall dark-haired man with a beard. Who could that be, hmm?"

"Oh, all right, it's Walter Halstrom, are you satisfied?" She snorted in exasperation, "I swear the need to say 'I told you so' must run in your family. My car isn't working, and I didn't want to walk here by myself, so I asked him to come with me. That's all that happened!" Elena added defensively.

Mrs. Goodfield smiled knowingly, "But is that all you want to have happen, I wonder?"

Elena gave her a wry smile in return, 'I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I'll never hear the end of it if I do."

"I thought as much," she answered smugly. She met Elena's eyes, her face serious. "I know you haven't always liked me meddling in your love life, but take it from an old lady who's seen a lot of men come and go." She patted Elena's hand, "That one is special, so hang on to him. Why, if I were thirty years younger I'd give you a run for your money!"

"I bet you would!" Elena laughed. "But you know there's only so much control I have over whether he stays or goes—he hasn't even asked me out yet!"

"Give him time, Elena. I don't think Walter is the kind of man who does things lightly, and that's a good sign."

"I suppose," Elena sighed. "He's so sweet and charming, and very attractive, I just wish I knew…" She smiled and shrugged, "I can be patient," she added under her breath, "I think." She turned her attention back to her friend, "Is there anything you'd like me to bring you from your apartment when I go to feed Horatio?"

"Oh yes, Elena, that would be very kind," Rachel replied, and their discussion of what Elena should bring lasted until the nurse came in to say that she had stayed long enough. So Elena kissed her friend and promised to visit her the next day.

She made her way back to the waiting room and found that Walter had given up reading and was now pacing restlessly. His face lightened when she entered, "Elena, how is she?"

"In good spirits," Elena smiled. "Are you planning to go in to see her?"

"I'm getting the distinct feeling that they want us to leave and allow her to rest. I'll stop by tomorrow to visit instead." He glanced at Elena, his eyes narrowing, "Besides, I think it is time to get you home. I'll bring the car around."

"That's not necessary Walter. I'll walk with you to the car; I'd like some fresh air anyway."

"As you wish," he replied as they walked out together.

She sank gratefully into the car seat, "Oh Walter, I am not looking forward to getting up for work in the morning!"

He stared at her in surprise, "Surely you're not planning to work your usual hours tomorrow!"

"Well, I should…" she began.

"Hmph," he snorted derisively, "speaking as a citizen of Paragon City, I think it is perfectly reasonable for a city employee to take a part day off—or even a full day—after staying up to take care of a friend who's been seriously injured."

"I have sick time, but I feel funny about using it for something like this," she told him, making a face.

"Don't," he said firmly. "Even underpaid do-gooders deserve some time off now and then. Promise me that you'll call in—and sleep in—tomorrow."

"Well, if you're going to be pushy about it," she said with a wry smile, "I suppose I can do that."

"Good." After a moment he cleared his throat, seeming a little nervous, "Elena, there's something else I wanted to ask you. A client of mine had two tickets to a play that it happens he cannot use and he gave them to me. It's a week from Saturday, and I wondered whether you might like to accompany me."

Elena later claimed that surprise and fatigue caused her to respond as she did; she stared at him in shock for a moment, and then squeaked, "You're asking me out? On a date?"

She realized immediately that it was the wrong thing to say and blushed scarlet, wishing she could disappear into the seat cushions.

Walter's face fell and he replied, "Well, that is what I had in mind, Elena, but if you're categorically opposed to the idea…"

Hoping she could salvage the situation, she hastened to assure him, "No, Walter, no, I'm not opposed to the idea at all! Really not opposed."

Sensing his bewilderment, she sighed and said, "Could I please start over?"

His good humor returned, "Of course, Elena."

She took a deep breath, laid a hand on his arm and smiled at him, "Walter, I would love to go to the play with you."

He smiled warmly at her in return, "Then I am looking forward to it." They pulled up in front of their apartment building and stopped.

She glared at him in mock exasperation, "Walter, I know it's your personal mission to prove that chivalry is not dead, but this door-to-door service is really unnecessary. I can walk from a parking place to the building."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said dryly. "However, this time I'm dropping you off because I have something to do."

"At this hour?" she asked in surprise. "What do you need to do at one a.m.?"

"Just something that can't be delayed." He smiled and said, "I'm the night owl, remember? This isn't so late for me."

"If you say so," she replied skeptically. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Thank you for coming with me tonight, Walter. It really did help, and not just the ride."

He squeezed her hand and smiled, "It was my pleasure. I will be in touch about the play. Goodnight Elena."

Elena climbed the stairs to her apartment in a much better frame of mind than when she had left a few hours before. Mrs. Goodfield had a long recovery in front of her, but they had every reason to believe she would recover. As for Walter, well, she hadn't been this excited about a date—or a man—in a very long time, and she thought of little else as she emailed her supervisor and resolutely turned off her alarm clock as he had insisted.

-ooo-

Elena woke up the next morning at nine o'clock, feeling completely decadent for having slept in so late. She was rested, but she dimly recalled having been awoken several times during the night by noises outside the apartment—police sirens and the like. When she walked to the tram on the way to work she noticed with astonishment that the trolls on the entire north side of Skyway were just—gone. Not just fewer than there were, but from the vantage point of the tram platform there were none as far as the eye could see. Very strange. I suppose it's too much to ask that it stay this way!

Work was uneventful; no one seemed unduly shocked or astonished that she had taken a few hours off. Encouraged by this, she left work at the usual time and after a brief stop at Mrs. Goodfield's apartment, made her way to the hospital to see her friend.

She found Rachel sitting up in bed and glad to have company. "Oh Elena, it is so good to see you," she said happily. "And you brought my things—thank you so much! How is my sweet Horatio?"

"Hungry. And happy to see me, which I doubt is a coincidence," Elena chuckled. "However, since it sounds like you'll be in the hospital for a while yet, I was wondering whether I should just move him down to my apartment for now. At least then he wouldn't be alone in the evening as well as during the day."

A pained look crossed Rachel's face briefly and was gone; she said brightly, "That would be wonderful, dear; you two can keep each other company." She glanced up at Elena and smiled knowingly, "Though I hear you may not be spending all your evenings at home for much longer."

"How on earth did you find that out, Rachel? Walter only asked me out last night!" she exclaimed.

"Walter came to visit me earlier, and brought some beautiful flowers," her friend told her, indicating a lavish bouquet on the bedside table.

"He told you that he asked me out? I…I'm a little surprised, Rachel, that doesn't sound like something he would do."

"Oh no, I had to worm it out of him. I asked about you and he didn't say very much, but it was the way he didn't say it…you know how it is," she said, waving her hand airily. "I had to press him a tiny bit, but he finally admitted that he asked you to that play."

"A tiny bit?" Elena laughed, "I know you; your persistence could put police interrogators and investigative journalists to shame. The poor man never had a chance."

She gave her friend a questioning look, "Setting aside my love life for now, what is happening with you? You seem to be recovering well, but the doctor made it sound like it'll be a while before you're on your feet again. How much longer will you be here?"

"I'll only be here a few more days, if everything goes as they hope. But after this I'll need to be in a rehabilitation hospital for some time to learn to walk with my new hip." Rachel explained.

"Oh! I should have thought of that. Where will you be going? I think the hospital in Talos has a rehab wing—or maybe that's Peregrine."

Mrs. Goodfield was silent for a moment, looking down at her hands and seemingly unwilling to meet Elena's glance. When she glanced up, there were tears starting in her eyes, "Elena, Lawrence came in this morning, and he and the doctors think I should go to a hospital in Atlanta so I'll be near family. Lawrence wants me to go live with him afterward, and give up my apartment here."

"Oh no!" Elena cried in dismay, "I thought you hated Atlanta!"

"I do!" she sniffed, "I've lived in New England all my life and never wanted to live anywhere else. We have real seasons here, not like the hot or not-hot weather down there," she said scathingly. "And I hate air conditioning!"

"Are you sure you have to go?" Elena asked imploringly. "I'd be happy to help in any way I could and I'm sure Walter would as well."

"Bless you for offering, Elena, but I can't ask that of you, you have your own life to live." She patted her friend's hand, "It's not all bad, at least I'll get to see the grandchildren much more often than I could living here. But I was hoping you might be able to take Horatio." She snorted, "Lawrence has two big ugly dogs and I think my sweet boy would be happier here with you than there being terrorized by those beasts."

"Of course I will, Rachel, you know I love him. But we're going to miss you so much," Elena said, her voice breaking. "Who's going to pester me about my love life if you're not here?"

"I'm quite capable of pestering you by phone or mail, Elena," Rachel said tartly. "I may even try that Facebook thing that everyone talks about. Besides, once I get back on my feet I can come for a visit. You know I won't miss dancing at your wedding!"

Elena rolled her eyes, "Rachel!"

-ooo-

Walter thumbed his phone on, "Halstrom."

A familiar cheerful voice greeted him, "Hey, Walter, how ya doing? It's Percy Winkley. Listen, I finally found something out about that statue of yours. Let me tell you, it took some digging!"

"I appreciate your diligence, Percy," Walter assured him, "what did you find out?"

"No problem, I like a challenge. Well, Azuria was correct about the writing on the base, it is Sumerian, but a very obscure dialect that it took me a while to track down. It seems that the statue is a depiction of Ereshkigal, their goddess of the dead."

"Ah, I've heard of that one," Walter remarked, "not a kind and gentle goddess as I recall."

Percy snorted, "You could say that. Identifying the figure didn't take too long; it's consistent with most depictions of Ereshkigal…the bat wings and so forth. The rest of the inscription was more difficult, but here's what it says as close as anyone can tell: 'Break the bonds of the grave and let the dead come forth, bound to my command. Let the dead harry the living to the ends of the earth'." Percy chuckled, "It's probably even more dramatic in the original Sumerian."

Walter let out a low whistle, "It'll do as it is. There's little doubt what that means, and why someone might want it—at least if they don't mind using murder and chaos to achieve their ends."

"Yeah, presuming it works as we suppose, if someone had the statue and could recreate the ritual that activates it, that would…not be good. It's lucky you have it and not one of the bad guys."

"Yes, and I can't tell you how much it thrills me to have it in my possession," Walter said sardonically.

"Consider it 'taking one for the team'," Percy chuckled. "Funny thing, though, you said that the Tsoo and the Circle of Thorns are your prime suspects as the original owners and killers of your friend. Both groups already call spirits back from the dead, so why would they need the statue?"

"Maybe they think it would be faster and easier, maybe the spirits called this way would be more powerful…" He sighed, "I don't know, I'll give it some thought. Thanks again, Percy, you've been a big help."

"Glad to help. Let me know if you run into anything else weird and scary," Percy told him.

"Will do, Percy, take care," Walter said as he hung up. A short while later, he was making a call of his own to Lieutenant Robbins.

Robbins grew more and more morose as Walter filled him in on what Percy had told him. "Well, that would be just great, an invasion of evil spirits on top of the Ritki and Praetorians and whatever the hell else we get around here. Does this get us any closer to who might have killed Burke?"

"It might," Walter said cautiously. "Both the Circle and the Tsoo can already command spirits, though in relatively small numbers, and I'm not sure their leaders would want to cause as much havoc as this would produce. It's possible that we have a small-time operator in one of these groups that's trying to make a name for himself. Whoever originally acquired this might not know—or care—how potentially dangerous this is as long as it impresses his higher ups. That's pure speculation on my part, of course."

"Well, it's something," Robbins admitted. "It won't hurt to do some checking for ambitious underlings."

"I'd look at the Tsoo first," Walter advised him. "I've heard recently that some have been seen in Skyway City."

"Skyway? That's not their usual turf—what's in Skyway that would interest them?"

"I am," Walter told him grimly, "that's where I live."