Chapter 7: Confrontation
When Melody woke up, she felt like she'd been in a dream. There was an unreal quality about the whole incident last night and strangely enough it felt like she hadn't been there at all. The gunshot was real, the pain was real, but everything else seemed almost otherworldly. Stark whiteness infiltrated her vision rudely, telling her she had been moved to a private room, seeing the absence of another bed nearby. Her wound had been attended to and now it was a dull throbbing pain that she could live with. She could see a drug pump connected to her, but she was comfortable as long as she made no sudden moves.
She'd first woken up in the post anesthesia recovery unit and felt like she could not move at all. The drugs they'd used made her limbs feel extremely heavy and she could not even move her head. Melody had heard the monotonous droning on of her heart monitor, the gossip of annoyingly chatty nurses nearby, and thankfully, she went back into her drug-induced sleep. The singer was glad to have been moved while she was asleep, which spared her the pain and discomfort of the ride up to wherever she was. Orderlies were not noted for taking patients from point A to point B in comfort.
After the nurse had come and gone, there was a knock on the door and Melody bade them to enter. She was sitting up on the bed, adjusting her right arm which was in a sling, brow furrowed and cursing heavily under her breath.
"Hey, you decent?"
"Alan?" he came in, clad in his jeans and button up black shirt. There was a slightly pallid look to his face like he hadn't gotten enough sleep, but Melody knew that he would sleep well that night after he saw her. Alan crossed over to her bed and appraised his friend visually. She didn't look very different from the previous night, a little paler from the bloodloss and there were a few lines of pain around her eyes, but that was it.
"Cold?"
"A bit." Alan pulled a robe off the coat hanger and draped it around her shoulders carefully, sitting down beside her. Melody met his eyes and gave him a little smile, tucking back a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"First time I've ever seen you with your hair loose."
"Hopefully the last. I'm getting it cut shorter sometime soon."
"Still, I like it."
"Thanks, I guess. I wish I was a redhead though. My mom and one of my aunts were."
"Nice. Ready to go back?"
"Am I allowed to be discharged?"
"I had to pull a few strings, but yes. Elwood and Jake are standing by to bring you back. Want some help?"
"I'll definitely need it. What sucks is that I can't drive my car like this." Melody stood up and took off her robe, pulling out her bag with her things in it. Alan did his best not to steal any glances at Melody, but he did have a glimpse or two of her mildly indecent. She took care of her bottom half, having worn simple elastic waist shorts and sandals, but she did need help with getting her bra and shirt on.
"Don't worry, I didn't see anything." Alan joked as they went downstairs to the lobby.
"Damn right you didn't." she giggled and went through the double doors to where the Bluesmobile was idling, waiting for her. Elwood acted as her valet, opening up the door for her while Jake gave her a gentle hug.
"I'm glad you're all right." he and Alan guided her in like her bones were made of glass. Melody loved the attention and allowed Alan to lean over her to fasten her safety belt. In doing so he brushed against her ample bosom and though Melody pretended not to notice, she could see out of the corner of her eye that he was a little flustered.
"Ready to go?" Elwood turned in his seat so he could see her better.
"Yes indeed." he put the car in drive and eased out into traffic. Melody teased him about his granny driving until they got to the hotel and he was giggling at her jokes when they reached the parking lot. Alan glanced at her out of the corner of his own eyes, wondering where she had gotten the inner strength to smile after what she had been through. She certainly was resilient, he could admit that freely.
"I'll save the theme car rides for when you're a hundred percent again, all right?"
"I'm gonna hold you to that, Elwood." he and Jake got out of the car and Alan unsnapped the seatbelt and guided her out of the car as Jake opened up the door for her. The entire band was waiting in the foyer of the hotel to welcome her back, much to her surprise and joy. Melody was engulfed in gentle hugs and words of welcome, making her feel wanted and grateful that she was part of the Blues Brothers. She thanked them all, told them their support meant more to her than they would ever understand, then Alan took her to her room.
"Now that we're alone, Mel, I have questions for you." Alan shut and locked the door then joined her on the bed. "Who is this Brad guy?"
"Well, I didn't understand it until last night when it just all came back to me in a rush. Brad was my aunt's last boyfriend. I don't know much about him but my aunt said he was involved in some sidelining jobs which was her code for me saying that Brad was a drug runner. He'd been the last one to see my aunt besides me and he said that he had been out of town on business that night."
"Do the cops know about this?"
"I couldn't say, Alan. I'll have to call Mercer of the state troops and talk to him after I'm done informing you. Brad was sleaze, he'd try to come onto me when my aunt wasn't around, and he was the main factor in why I left my aunt's house to live on my own. She thought I was mad at her and in truth I was because she chose to date such a piece of trash."
"Damn. You and your aunt reconcile over this?"
"Yes and I think that's why Brad thought he had to kill her," a gleam appeared in Melody's eyes as they lit up with an idea. "my aunt Ella had been weak in her mind, anyone could tell her what to do. Brad didn't like it when I was around because she followed through on my suggestions and encouragement to stand up for herself. I bet he thought my aunt had let something slip in his underhanded dealings, so that's why he murdered her in an alley."
"He tell your aunt of all his drug trafficking?"
"Yeah, he bragged about it and knew my aunt wouldn't squeal on him. It went like this: Ella meets Brad, Brad and Ella date for awhile, Brad deliberately sabotages my relationship with Ella, I leave, he brags about his drug dealings and scores to Ella, Ella gets scared, meets with me, and in turn Brad believes Ella ratted him out to me and I was going to the cops with it. Brad sees Ella and me as loose ends that had to be mended. Brad kills Ella and now he's out for me."
"Makes sense. Wanna make that call now?"
"Hell, yes. Mercer is one decent cop and I'll trust him above the others."
"Burton Mercer? He put Elwood and Jake away, and to a lesser extent us." Alan remembered the rotund guy with the mop of brown hair well. He had been apologetic about arresting the band members, but had been quite lenient with them in their sentencing through his influence.
"Oh?" Melody said politely as she grabbed the phone and began to dial. "He's a nice guy and he treats me like I'm a smart lady not a dumbass the rest of the force did."
"Mercer was lenient on the band and we got out of jail only after about 3 months. Still was the longest 3 months of my life." Alan admitted as he pulled out the yellow pages. "He knew Jake had duped us."
"That's right." Melody spoke to the secretary and relayed the information over to Mercer.
"Brad Walton? I know that sleazebag. I'll put out a call on him and the local force will be out swarming the county for him. Meantime Ms. Calloway, I don't want you going anywhere alone and unprotected. Has he made any other attempts on your life?"
"I believe so, sir. I think it was him that cut my brake lines in my Mustang almost 5 days ago and caused some damage."
"You're all right?"
"Yes sir."
"All right. I heard you were with the Blues Brothers band."
"I am."
"Make sure they stay on the right side of the law."
"Easier said than done, sir. They're not malicious, just troublesome."
Mercer laughed. "True. I have no ill feeling towards them and I'd like to see them perform a full set again. In spite of professional circumstances, they were great onstage."
"That's very true, sir. We have a few gigs here so we won't be leaving until next week."
"Good. Stay put, report anything suspicious, don't go anywhere unprotected."
"I will follow your instructions to the letter, sir. Thank you." they hung up. Alan looked over at her and she passed on everything that Mercer had told her. "So, want to be my bodyguard?" she teased.
"What are the perks of the job?"
"Me at your mercy, but you'd call that a drawback. I don't think there are any perks to being with me all the time really." Melody stretched out on her bed the best she could.
"You impress me, Mel."
"How's that?"
Alan turned to face her as he lay on his left side. "I thought you'd be hocked up on drugs and painkillers to the point of getting stoned. I didn't expect you to be..."
"Lucid?" she supplied. "Doubtless Brad wants me all stoned out so he can kill me."
"Don't say that." he shuddered. "I don't want to think about it."
"Me neither. Is there a gig tonight?"
"Yeah there is. I'm your guard so you have to come."
"I'll come without a problem, Alan. I think singing is going to distract me and it just feels good."
"I feel the same way when I play my trumpet." their eyes met and Melody detected affection for her in Alan's eyes, deep affection that went into the realms of romance. Uncomfortable with romance in general, she politely averted her eyes and turned on the TV.
"Hey, Poltergeist! This movie is freakin' excellent." for the next 2 hours, Melody was absorbed in the movie. When it concluded, Melody muted the TV, humming the song Jump The Line by Harry Belafonte when she turned to ask Alan if he liked it. "Oh." he was sound asleep. With a little grin, Melody picked up a folded blanket at the foot of the bed and spread it over him. "Have a good nap, Alan." bending over him, she pecked him on the cheek and left him a note in case he woke up and she wasn't there "With Elwood and Jake. Mel."
Elwood lounged on a couch in the lobby of the hotel as Jake went with Steve, Matt, Lou, Tom, and Willie to the local street fair nearby. The lanky singer didn't have any interest in going to fairs and he wanted to stick around in case Melody needed him. He tuned one ear in to hear someone approaching him and smiled when Melody sat down in front of him.
"Feeling all right?"
"Yes actually."
"The others went to a local fair. If you're interested, I can walk you down-"
"No thanks, Elwood. I have a matter of the heart I need to discuss. Privately mind you."
"Of course. Step into my office." they went to his room and shut the door tightly. "So what's on your mind?"
"A lot," Melody sat down on Jake's bed. "I talked with Mercer from the state cops and he's got people out canvassing this area for who they think attacked me."
"Good I guess."
"Anyway, I think one of the band has a crush on me and has romantic intentions towards me as well."
"Alan, right? I knew it! Jake owes me twenty bucks now."
"How do you-"
"C'mon, the way he looks at you for one! He believes in keeping a lid on his emotions most of the time, but he gets a look in his eyes whenever he sees you. It is the look of the lovestruck, Melody."
"Am I the only one who seems immune to this?" she asked, frustrated. Elwood shrugged.
"Some things are best seen from a distance. Besides, have you much experience in this kinda thing?"
"No. Not ever," Melody crossed her legs and looked embarrassed. Elwood didn't seem surprised at all. "my mom died when I was little, Elwood. I have no experience in dating, romance, nothing like that at all. My aunt's relationships were always toxic and to sum it up, I know how not to have a relationship."
"Relax, Mel. Do what feels right to you," Elwood advised her. He'd had a few romances and though they didn't work out, he liked romancing a lady. "you already know each other and this latest attack on you has brought him closer to you as well. The one thing I can be sure of telling you is be sure you feel the same way that he does. Do you think about him all the time? Are you always happy to see him? Those kinda things will point you in the right direction. Go with your heart and try to keep your head out of it."
"That's very insightful, Elwood."
"It comes with the experience. Where is the surly guy anyway?"
"He's taking a nap. I know he didn't sleep well last night."
"We've still got time to kill before the gig," Elwood switched on the TV. "have you ever seen this movie?" some nameless ghost flick was playing across the screen.
"Nope." they settled in to watch it. Melody propped herself up with pillows and Elwood sat behind her, allowing her to lean against him while they watched the movie. Melody was reminded of a time she did that to her older brother and smiled, mentally thinking of Elwood as one. She glanced at his ink stained hands holding the remote and decided as far as touring and bands went, she'd hit the jackpot.
"Mel?" Alan croaked when he woke up, rubbing his eyes. He heard the shower stop and a low humming sound as the person drew back the curtains and stepped outside the tub. Melody looked over at him as she dried off her hair, edging out of the bathroom.
"You called?"
"Just wanted to know where you were." she looked good to him, water beads dripping down her skin enticingly. For a moment his eyes zeroed in on her good arm clutching the towel up above her bust and Melody gave him a mock glare.
"Gotcha." ducking back into the bathroom, the vocalist dried herself off and managed to get dressed in her suit for the gig. Elwood had expressed to her that she did not need to dress up in the same suit he and Jake usually dressed in, but once in awhile Melody did love to show a little solidarity with her friends. The band almost never wore identical outfits, but they did have to wear the shades which they didn't mind. The stage lights were hot and the shades helped tone down the glare on the instruments and equipment.
"All right, Alan. What do you think?" Melody stepped into view about half an hour later and Alan turned to look at her casually, but wound up nearly goggling at her.
Melody was wearing black suit pants, ankle boots in black, a white button up shirt, and she had tied loosely a white scarf that had musical staffs and notes around her waist. Her hair had been dried and she'd hot curled a wave into it so it parted around her ears, showing off her gold colored quarter note earrings. She had a small pin on each lapel, one of a trumpet and another of piano keys. Alan's eyes went up to her shirt, seeing it buttoned just above her cleavage so she had her modesty intact.
"Um, wow." Melody had worn makeup before but this time she'd gone for a little more drama. Silver eyeliner and mascara adorned her eyes, showing off the tanned color of her skin, dark blue-pink lipstick was on her lips, and that was it. Alan admired the minimalist quality of the makeup and she did a flashy turn for him.
"I hope that is a good wow, Alan!" she giggled and sat down on the bed next to him. Up close he examined her dark eyes and saw how strongly the makeup showed off her tan from the summer and made her lips look a bit fuller than usual.
"You look beautiful." Alan put every ounce of emotion he had into those words and Melody knew it. She smiled with a faint flush rising on her cheeks which Alan also liked. Melody was a bit uncomfortable with his attention towards her so she made to stand up, but he took her hand and guided her over towards him. "Shut your eyes for a minute."
She looked skeptical but still did as he asked. Alan edged closer to her, then finally gave her a kiss. Melody shifted in surprise, but decided to let herself go and enjoy the moment. Elwood was right, she thought. There was too much emphasis on using your brain in a relationship or at the start of one, but you had to ask yourself what the heart wanted. She knew it was corny to think of such a thing, but she couldn't find a better way to put it. Steve had been right as well, as Alan had demonstrated that he was comfortable with her enough to take the next step. Once again she thanked the powers that be that she had ended up with such a great group.
"You've got pink lipstick on you now." she laughed as they pulled apart. "Still think that was a good idea?"
Alan swiped at his lips as she pulled a tissue out of her pocket. "I always keep some on hand." Melody dabbed it away with a teasing wink.
"Of course it was a good idea!" he blustered a bit with a smile. "I always have good ideas!"
"Oh, sure. Whatever." Melody threw away the tissue and glanced at the alarm clock, the smile never leaving her face. "I have to say that's not as bad as I expected."
"How did you get into that outfit without help?" her arm was still held bent at the elbow.
"Stupidity." was all she said. It hadn't been that bad, as the button up shirt was easier than she had thought. She could still use her arm to button her pants, but that was about it. Alan helped her with the sling and she exhaled slowly in relief as the sling took the strain off of her arm. He guided her up and they left the room.
With the rest of the band, they slid into the Cadillac and the Bluesmobile and hightailed it to the gig. Neither Melody nor Alan said anything about the smooch, not ready to take any of it public yet. Both of them did not know where they stood relationship wise yet, but they would work it out in time. They had felt the attraction and the chemistry, so that was something anyway.
"OK, let's knock 'em dead!" Jake announced with his usual aplomb as they arrived, got out of the cars, then set to work. Melody mended a few loose wires with temporary patches until after the show, discussed the set list with Jake and Elwood, then went backstage with the others.
"Melody's in a bit of a predicament," Elwood said simply. "our girl's being tracked by some hit man or something and being out on stage will help take her mind off of that."
"She'll be a bigger target out there." Willie disagreed.
"Not exactly," Jake interjected. "she'll be surrounded by us and a lot of fans, which means if someone's dumb enough to attempt something, there's a lot of witnesses. The Chicago police force is here to make sure our girl gets the protection that she needs."
"It goes without saying really that she can't be alone," Murph spoke up. "but it does bear repeating."
"That's right, Murph," Matt clapped his friend on the back with one arm. "Melody's worked technical miracles here and we won't let her go."
"Oh you guys." she turned red as they all applauded her. "I'm not going to get emotional here, but I'm glad to be one of your blues family."
Melody caught Alan's eye and nodded as he winked at her. Nobody else noticed, fortunately. When the others all filed onstage to take their spots, the two held back to the very last and Alan pecked her on the cheek, wary of the makeup she was wearing.
"Just remember I'm here for you." he picked up his trumpet.
"From you that's a real emotional outburst." Alan play swiped at her and she took her place onstage, giggling as the curtains went up. The place was about a third of the size of the Palace Hotel, and nowhere near as grand. Jake and Elwood felt more comfortable there on that stage, like it was more suited to them personally. Neither one felt shabby because of their surroundings and that influenced their voices. Melody joined the horn section for backup vocals, standing next to Lou on the end. The stage lights were already starting to make her a bit hot and she knew it wouldn't be long before she was perspiring freely.
They got through the first 8 songs without any trouble and Melody was just finishing up Mr. Saxobeat when a sound of gunfire split the air, causing all the music to fall silent as people screamed and ducked. Melody looked up and saw someone standing in the darkness behind them on the stage near Willie.
"God he was stupid enough to do this," Alan muttered, trying not to make any sudden moves. "idiot."
Elwood and Jake started slinking over to the side of the stage, as the shooter's attention was solely on Melody. She moved near the stairs so she could hide the brothers as they disappeared from view. Jake reached out and squeezed her ankle briefly, giving her support.
"Nobody move!" an unkempt brunette man screamed, waving a Browning 9 mm at Melody. "You're gonna get just what you deserve, you bitch!"
"The hell did I ever do to you, Brad?" she put the mike on the stand and looked over at the crazed man. "Did I interfere with your drug dealings? Did I tell my aunt to end it with you and to stand up for herself?" she knew the answer to all of those and she could see by the looks she was getting that the band thought she was insane for baiting the gunman. Melody refused to become the stereotypical female hostage, all hysterical and screaming. She saw it as a ploy for some man to swoop in and rescue her like Superman. The vocalist would rescue herself and not become dependent on a man to save her.
"You wrecked my dealings!" he screeched. "All the cops knew of my contacts and infiltrated the hangout! The second I got out of jail a year ago, I vowed to kill you, now I will do it! Die, bitch!"
"Why do the good guys always suffer for being good?" Melody asked nobody in particular as Brad jumped across the stage and seized her right shoulder, squeezing down on it hard, making her scream in pain. The torture ended when Melody's knees buckled and fell to the floor, her shades fell off, her eyes were closed. Brad gave a hysterical chuckle and raised up his gun, aiming it at her heart.
"Mel!" Alan lurched forward but was restrained by his bandmates. "Leave her alone!"
"Aw, do you like her?" Brad taunted him. "You think this little hussy is good enough for you?"
"She's not any of those things you think she is! Wake up, Mel!" he fought to get out of Tom's hold, but the trombone player was too strong for him.
"The only good woman is a dead woman." Brad proclaimed as he began to squeeze the trigger.
"Think again!" Jake threw himself at Brad, knocking him off balance and tackling him down to the floor. Elwood and Mercer charged into the auditorium and ran up on the stage where Mercer grabbed the gun and passed it to a deputy. Jake wrestled Brad around to face Mercer, pinning the criminal's arms behind his back. "You're sure gonna like Joliet, pal! You mess with one of us and you get hell for it, right, El?"
"Amen to that one, Jake." Elwood pulled Alan out of Tom's grasp, seeing it all was safe for them now. The band put down their instruments and formed a semicircle around the cop and the criminal, each one giving their impression of a death stare.
"Well, thanks for making this all public!" Mercer spoke gaily. "We won't have a problem puttin' your sorry ass in jail for life now!" he handcuffed the criminal and led him away as Alan quickly went over to where Melody lay with Jake and Elwood already bending over her.
"Damn, I hope I never hear that sound come out of her again," Jake muttered, remembering her scream. Elwood nodded in agreement.
"What happened to her? Is she OK?" Alan demanded, trying to push past the brothers to see her. Elwood quickly checked her sutures, which showed no sign of redness or any reaction at all. "Mel?"
"She thought this might happen," Jake pulled out a small bottle from his jacket, uncorked it, then waved it under her nose. "she should be all right."
"Mel?" she groaned and blinked her eyes, fuzzily making out the forms of Jake and Elwood. Jake wrapped an arm around her shoulders and propped her up a little bit. "Come on, up we go!"
"Guys," Melody cleared her throat. "is it over now?"
"Yup." Elwood replied in his usual monotone as the audience filtered out through the exits. "We did a decent gig."
"Is that all you think about?" Jake laughed. "Come on, Mel, do you think you can stand up?"
"I think so." they pulled her up by her good arm and she wobbled for a moment before stabilizing herself. Alan stood beside her and their eyes met briefly. "You know what, gentlemen?"
"What?" the band crowded around her as Alan reached for her left hand behind their backs.
"I think we'll all be all right from now on. No more brushes with the law and lots of gigs." his right hand found her left and they stood close beside each other, their backs hiding the act from the rest of the band.
"Bigger and better gigs." Steve.
"Rakin' in some serious coin!" Willie.
"Great songs to play." Matt.
"New techniques to learn." Tom.
"New places to travel to all over America!" Murph.
"Sayin' goodbye to everyday life." Duck.
"Making it big." Lou.
"Gettin' the VIP treatment!" Jake chimed in.
"Spreadin' the word of soul." Elwood.
"Just getting out there and singing your heart out." Melody.
"Discovering new relationships." Alan spoke in a low tone of voice, rubbing Melody's hand covertly.
"The sky's the limit, everyone! Let's get crackin'." they all began to dismantle and pack up their equipment.
