10. Into The Night
I seemed to be the spectacle of the day as people drove by and honked. Neighbors who usually just waved would stopped and drop a few words just to get a look as I, in just my bath robe and a pair of jeans, scrubbed the hell out the door with a bucket of water and a loofah. The problem was that none of it was really coming off; the words had already stained, to now there were just pink smudges all over with slightly darker salmon letters. I finally gave up and decided it would just have to be painted over when I had the time (and energy) to do it myself.
It really didn't help me lay low among my neighbors once the cops came knocking on my door. Apparently the good Dr. Jacoby had taken the liberty of calling them up for me, so that they could look out for my best interests and file a complaint on my behalf. Of course that was the cover story; they were really there to survey and keep an eye out for any crazy woman who may be a danger to people while she was at large. To, they informed me that they would be back after dusk to stake out at the curb. As though that wouldn't be obvious to Claire. But hey, she was no longer my problem.
Shaun came home from school around three, and we immediately took off after I changed clothes to pick up Ethan when he touched down around five. The weather was wetter than usual, and on top of the heavy rain that streaked across the windshield and flooded the gutters, the traffic on the freeway was completely ridiculous. So there we sat at a dead standstill, with horns honking all around us to make my headache even worse, all the while my side felt like the glass shard was pressing its way into my body all over again as the wound throbbed.
"Norman," Shaun said, testing the waters. I glanced over, studying his body language out of habit; his hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, and his heart pounded so hard that his neck throbbed with it. His breathing was heavy, and a sheen of cold sweat covered his forehead.
"What's on your mind, kiddo?"
"Hey, so... I was thinking about what you said last night. About, you know, being there and being supportive... How I never have to worry about you not judging me, or whatever?"
Oh, boy, was he eloquent when he wanted to be. "Of course. Is this leading somewhere?"
"Well, that someone I mentioned to you, the one I've been dating... Well, I talk about you and my dad all the time, and they said that they'd love to meet the two of you sometime. And, I mean, you two mean a lot to me, and I would like you to meet this other person who also means a lot to me..."
"Sure, you know that we always love meeting your friends - psychotic girls aside," I said. I immediately felt horrible for making that crack. Shaun never really got over Anna. In a way, thought she was only using him to get close to me, she was still one of the closest friends he'd ever had. I suppose that was understandable; he confided in her, told her things that he wouldn't normally tell anyone - probably not even his dad. They'd probably even shared a few tender kisses. And then in the end she ended up going insane and getting herself killed over revenge.
But Ethan had the worst of it. He'd blamed himself for Anna's death for a long time, and said that I just couldn't understand what she meant to him. He kept telling me that she was like him, and that he failed to protect her. He was right, I didn't understand, but I suppose that was something that he needed to work through on his own.
"Sorry, kiddo," I said.
"It's okay," he said, somberly.
"Anyway, any time you're ready to bring this person home, the door's open. You know we'd never have it any other way."
I had to admit, I never really did know what to say in these scenarios between Shaun and I. But I usually just said what I'd always wanted to hear from my dad before he passed away, and that usually had Shaun feel safer, more secure about his place in our lives. Even now I could see him relaxing as his usual upbeat self came shining out of its hiding place.
"Good, because I kind of made plans for them to come over and have dinner with us tonight," he said. He glanced at me nervously, and saw my incredulous glare. "I'm sorry, it was a last minute thing and I really didn't want to let them down and I didn't think that it'd be a big deal..."
It wasn't really the last minute spring that I disliked, it was the fact that I wasn't really supposed to be handling a lot of stress at the moment, and I had a psychotic woman on the loose with a thing for me, I had Ethan coming home after being away for so long, and I had to deal with a police squad car parked right outside of our house, on top of trying to make a good impression on Shaun's behalf in the shape that I was in.
Sure, this was a wonderful time to have a dinner party.
We waited in the terminal for hours, and it wasn't until after six o'clock that Ethan finally came walking with his bags. The moment I saw him I felt this overwhelming sense of affection swallowing me, like tethers were latching onto him, pulling me closer. It felt like the night we first kissed in that dank motel room off the highway. I walked right up to him and took the bag off of his shoulder, ignoring the twinge of pain in my side. I looked into his soft, tired blue eyes and I didn't let him look away. I wanted to take in that beautiful soul staring back at me and savor the moment.
I placed my hand on his hip and pulled him right up to me, wrapping my other arm around his torso and clasped my lips to his. He wrapped his arm around my neck, and I felt him melt into me the way I always loved to feel. He even let a slight moan slip through his throat, and I held him even tighter.
Although this was my moment with the love of my life, the little slice of Heaven I'd been waiting for, I think I might have been putting on a bit of a show for Shaun's sake, too. I guess I really just wanted to show him that these were the ideals I wanted him to have: to love willingly, to love openly, and to always make sure that you never - never - let your partner walk this road alone. You stand by them, and fuck what the naysayers shouted. Be your own man, Shaun.
I broke the kiss, and brushed my cheek against Ethan's, feeling a deeper sense of euphoria than the morphine could have ever given me. It was funny; when you're away from someone, you begin thinking that maybe things will be awkward when you're together again. But it was as though we'd never been apart.
"That was more of a welcome than I'd been expecting," Ethan said.
"Wait until I get you home; I'll show you how much I really missed you," I whispered in his ear. He chuckled and stroked my head, until he remembered that his son was standing feet away and he suddenly flipped sides from my affectionate, fancy-free lover into the very bashful, conservative father he had always been around Shaun.
Ethan took the wheel, and Shaun explained that we had about two-hours until his special guest would arrive at 8:30, meaning that we had to make the house presentable and cook up some kind of meal by then. He said he'd already planned on Chicken Makhani, whatever the hell that was, and really only needed us to keep an open mind and be nice, for his sake. Ethan tried to fish out specific details about this individual we'd be meeting, but Shaun wasn't taking the bait. I was smirking in the passenger seat, very pleased with myself over having this bet in the bag. Ethan noticed, and kept tossing dirty looks my way, though I knew that they were playful.
When we arrived at the house, Ethan and Shaun immediately grabbed the luggage, leaving me a bit useless. When inside the house, they went to getting everything together father/son style, leaving me useless once again. Whenever I would attempt to help out, it was 'Oh, don't worry about it, just go relax and get some rest'. And, as annoying as that was, I didn't mind Ethan and Shaun catching up and having their moments together. I wasn't the only one who'd been missing Ethan in my life, Shaun's gap was just as great, if not deeper.
I made my way to the room to change clothes yet again, since Ethan seemed to think that my jeans and lounge shirt weren't presentable when it came to Shaun bringing home a date. It wasn't long before he joined me.
"Are you ready to surrender and accept defeat like a man?" I asked cockily.
"What are you going on about?" He asked.
"I'm talking about the likelihood that the person who walks through that door tonight being a boy; tell me you don't feel it coming," I said.
Ethan sighed as he slipped his shirt over his head and went fishing in his suitcase for a grey silk shirt and an amber tie. He sat down on the edge of the bed and stared ahead.
"What if it is?" He asked, though I didn't think it was really meant for me. "I mean, what if he has been seeing another boy? Is he just experimenting, do you think it could just be a phase that we brought on? What if we've really confused his sexuality while he's been developing as an individual?"
"Ethan, you're really placing too much blame on yourself," I said. I sat down beside him, slowly, and then relaxed against him. "And I get it; you're a parent. You're afraid that you're not setting the right examples, or that you might have influenced this side of him when that's not really how it works. If this is a part of him then it was there before you could have known, and only Shaun can decide who Shaun is."
He laid back onto the bed, and I laid beside him. He curled into me and I wrapped my arm around him, reveling in this moment together.
"I kept thinking about that dream. What would I have done if you had died in that hospital bed, and I never got a chance to be there with you because I was on another continent?"
"But I didn't, and you're here now," I said.
"This time; what about the next time?" He asked.
"Are anticipating a next time?"
"Knowing you?" I think he meant it jokingly, but I don't think either of us really took it as one. "I just mean that bad things happen to good people every day, and my biggest fear is that something will happen to you or Shaun and I'll never be able to change the fact that I wasn't there."
"You have a company to shoulder. You're an important man, and sometimes that means having to be apart from your family. These are your words I'm repeating, here," I said. He pressed himself into my side, his head resting on my chest, and I could feel his body convulsing against mine. I shushed him as his tears seeped into the black shirt I'd slipped around my shoulders but had yet to button up.
"Then I was wrong," he said. He looked up at me, and though his lashes were clumped and stuck together with tears, his eyes rang through, true, right into me. "I hate being away from you and Shaun, and every time I leave it feels even longer than the last time. They want me to leave again next Thursday, and to be honest I don't know if I have the heart to do it."
"What about Scholermann?" I asked.
"I've been thinking about something, something big that I need to discuss with you," he said. He leaned in and kissed me, and I cupped his face and relished the taste of him after being deprived of Ethan for what felt like a century. He leaned a little too far, and his arm pressed against my side. I gasped sharply and bit my bottom lip as he pulled away.
"Sorry!" He jumped off of me and hovered at my side, unsure of what to do. And despite the pain, I thought that he looked so cute with that hint of anxiety that I couldn't help but smile at him.
"Ethan Mars, I never get tired of telling you how much I love you," I said.
"I never get tired of hearing it - now get dressed, we have about ten minutes before Shaun's big revelation arrives," he said.
I buttoned up my shirt, tucked it into my slacks, looped my belt, and was ready for an evening full of efforts to smile and stay awake. I began feeling a little short of breath, so I sat on the edge of the bed and hooked up to an oxygen tank, breathing in until I felt a little more stable. I heard the doorbell, and suddenly a dam broke within me, flooding my nerves with apprehension. I turned off the oxygen and unwrapped the tubes from around my head, making my way downstairs. Shaun was already heading for the door as I entered the dining room where Ethan was already setting the table.
We froze as soon as Shaun stepped into the doorway, looking right at him.
"Dad, Norman, this is the person I'd like you both to meet," Shaun said. He stepped aside, and reached out beside him. A hand appeared in his, and he gently led this person into the dining room.
This person was... Well, the first observation was that they were definitely female. She was a girl of a slight frame, with deep rosy brown skin and long, black hair tied back.
"This is Lana," Shaun said. "Lana, this is my father and his partner."
"I'm so excited to meet you, Shaun talks about the two of you all the time," she said.
The first thing I noticed about her was that she didn't exactly look at me, but rather through me. Blind, I quickly realized. Ethan walked up to her and took her hand, guiding her to the table.
"I'm just as excited to meet you. Any girl who can make my son as happy as you have is always someone worth meeting," Ethan said, laying on his natural charms.
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but... How exactly did you get here?" I asked. Shaun shot me a dirty look, but I shrugged; I was just curious...
"My sister dropped me off and she'll be back to pick me up at ten," she said.
"She was more than welcome to join us," Ethan said.
"She had her own plans, and this worked out better for the both of us," she said.
"Norman, can I talk to you for a second?" Shaun asked. I followed him into the living room, and though I was expecting a lecture for bringing up the blind elephant in the room, instead he sat down as though the strength had left his legs and he looked up at me like a child who'd been caught red-handed in the cookie jar.
"So?" He asked. "What do you think? What do you think my dad thinks?"
"I think you brought home a girl?" I offered. "What was I supposed to think?"
"She doesn't bother you?" Shaun asked.
"Well, she's only just got here. Give her a chance to get annoying first, and then ask me," I said.
"Are you... surprised?" He asked.
"Quite frankly, yes; I thought you were going to walk into that room with another boy at your side," I said. Shaun's face contorted in an odd fashion as that thought passed through his brain. He'd probably never even thought about it before.
"I'm not..."
"We can see that," I said. I sat down in the chair opposite the couch and placed my hands in my lap. "Shaun, what is this really about?"
His shoulders slumped, and he stared at the coffee table.
"I met her when my school volunteered at the blind school for a week to learn about helping others and leadership. And... Me and Lana kind of just..."
"I get it, you two just get each other," I said.
"Well, things were going great. I'd never met a girl like here. She said she wanted me to meet her parents," he said. That's when I could see the trouble in this story was about to begin. "So... I did. And they seemed nice in front of her, but then... Well, her father pulled me aside and said that I was wasting my time. That things weren't going to go anywhere between us because... we were... different..."
"That she's blind and you happen to see?" I asked.
"No, because... our skin colors don't happen to match," he groaned, annoyed.
If I'd been drinking coffee, I'd have spat it out.
"Really? That's what this is about? The color of her skin?" I asked.
Wasn't that a twist? The black girl's parents didn't want her dating a boy based on his race. If it was opposite day, someone forgot to give me the memo.
"So you thought that it might be a problem for us?" I asked tepidly.
"Well, normally I wouldn't have. I mean, I'd never thought about it before. She was just a girl, my friends were just friends. But once her dad brought it up, I started wondering how many people felt the same way. Every time we'd get a sideways glance when we were out at the mall or at the park, I was always wondering if it was because she was blind, or because of the color of our skin?"
Poor guy, he'd had it rough. He was a normal kid, raised not to see race, and then someone just had to put that obstacle in his path.
"Have you talked about how you feel to with Lana?" I asked.
"How do you bring up race to a girl who's been blind since she was a baby?" He asked. Well, he had a point there.
"Shaun, I don't know what her dad's problem is, but I do know one thing; you are one of the most decent, kindhearted human beings I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. You are incredibly wise and insightful for a kid your age, and this Lana girl seems to be good for you. If this is really what you want, then you know that your dad and I are right behind you. Her dad might not like it, but he'll come around or risk losing her forever. Do what makes you happy, Shaun."
"Thanks, Norman," he said, his mood immediately rising.
Then I narrowed my eyes and leaned in closer. "I'm guessing, based on what you've told me, that her parents don't know that she's here. In fact, I'll bet that her sister's covering for her so that she can go off and do whatever she wants until she picks Lana up."
Shaun nodded dourly.
"Please don't tell my dad; he'd flip out if he knew," he said.
"You're right, he would. I promise that your secret is safe with me as long as you promise not to think we're some pair of bigots from now on. I mean, Shaun; your dad and I aren't exactly the model couple that people want to expose their families to. Why on Earth would we ever think less of you and Lana?"
"I know, I should have known better, and for that I'm sorry," Shaun said. I leaned back in my chair, a little too quickly.
"You should get back to the dining room, your gal is waiting on you and if Ethan starts talking architectural history he might chase her off."
Shaun wasted no time jumping out of his chair and rushing off to the dining room. They'd have to do without me for a moment until I could muster up the willpower to get out of my comfortable chair - particularly when it felt so damn good to just lounge there for a few moments. Unfortunately a few moments of rest turned into a nap. The next thing I know, I'm being nudged awake by my knight in silky armor.
I jolted upright, but Ethan eased me back into my chair and sat on the arm.
"Don't worry, you don't have to move," he said.
"What about Lana?" I asked.
"I explained to her what you've been through and why you wouldn't be joining us for the rest of the evening. It's all right, she understood," Ethan said. "She's been gone an hour already."
He stroked my hair and gazed down at me in a way that made me feel so safe, so secure, and more than that, completely loved. What I saw in Ethan's eyes was a mirror of the way I looked at him sometimes; cherished and treasured.
The doorbell rang, and the moment vanished. I sat up as Ethan rose.
"I've got it," Shaun said. He walked through the living room, dish towel slung over his shoulder, and seemed to be in a much better mood than he'd been in all day.
"So, it seems that I've won your bet," Ethan said.
"There's salt in the kitchen if you want to rub that into the wound as well, funny man."
"I've been thinking it over and I don't think I want to take the $50," he said. "No, I think I'd rather just cash in for a foot rub and breakfast in bed."
"Deal," I said.
"Norman," Shaun's head poked around the corner and into the living room. "It's for you, says her name is Leslie."
"Yep, that would be for me," I said. I sat up, and Ethan helped me out of the chair and onto my feet. Shaun stepped aside and in stepped Leslie, looking around the living room like she'd never seen a house before.
"Nice place," she said. "Between paying off my student loan and the office rental at the firm, I barely afford my apartment."
She smiled when she saw me, and then studied Shaun from the floor up when he walked by.
"This your kid?" She asked.
"Well, he's, uh-"
"Yep, this is my dad," Shaun said. "I'm Shaun."
"Did you know your old man's a fucking superhero?" She asked as she shook Shaun's hand.
"I'm usually reminded when he does something stupid," he said. I didn't miss the side glance he gave me, either, that sarcastic brat.
Leslie's eyes looked right through us at Ethan, waiting expectantly. I had almost forgotten that he was there. I guess I was used to it just being Shaun and I for a while that him standing quietly to the side would take some getting used to.
"Right, sorry - this is Ethan, Shaun's actual father," I said.
She leaned forward and shook his hand.
"Leslie Brigg, I work with Mr. Jayden," she said. "So that who dad thing was a joke?"
"No, I'm Heather and I have two mommies," Shaun said dryly. "I'm going up to my room, you two can have fun cleaning the rest of the kitchen."
He tossed the dish rag at Ethan and darted up the stairs and out of sight. I chuckled, glad that he was finally acting like his old self again, but stopped as soon as I looked at Leslie and saw the way she was looking at Ethan, and then me.
"So, he's not your neighbor, or a friend...?" She asked.
"No, Ethan's my partner," I said. "We met six years ago when I was working the Origami Killer case."
"You're not Ethan Mars, are you?" She asked. Ethan smiled and tilted his head. "Holy fuck-balls, I know that case detail by detail. You were willing to drink a fucking vial of poison to save your son."
"He was a big part of helping me find the Barbershop Killer," I said.
As fascinated as she seemed to be with serial killer cases, a shadow covered her eyes as that strange, uncomfortable look returned to her face.
"Look, I'm sorry I just dropped in on you, it was a bad time and a stupid idea. I just wanted to make sure that you were all right, and you are, so I'll be going," she said.
"Well, I can show you out," Ethan said.
"No - thanks, but the front door's just ten feet away, I'll be fine," she said. She shoved her hands into her pockets and turned her back to us, walking hastily out of the room and through the front door.
"Wow," Ethan said, staring after her. "She's certainly..."
"A sailor's daughter," I said.
"Spirited was the word I was going for," Ethan said. "And I thought you had the worst mouth I'd ever heard."
I glanced through the blinds on the front window and saw her in her little Dodge Shadow, trying to get the car to start. The windows were up, but I could see her mouth as she shouted out words I was sure I didn't want Shaun hearing. The police squad car was parked across the street, though I couldn't see the faces of the officer(s) inside.
"Well, I think we can agree that the evening is done for, and I am ready to call it a night," Ethan said. I was still peering out the window when I felt his fingers on my chin, guiding my eyes to his. "Care to join me in the shower?"
"I think I'd better go talk to Leslie," I said. Her car looked like it needed a jump, and she poor girl looked like she didn't take meeting Shaun and Ethan well. At the very least I had to make sure that there wasn't going to be a problem with our professional relationship come Monday.
Ethan slipped his tie from around his neck and began unbuttoning his shirt, at first only exposing a few hairs on his chest until the shirt was undone. He spread the shirt apart, exposing his chest, his stomach, and the lean muscular curves and contours that his tight skin draped like a sheet over sensual forms. He took a step closer, just inches away.
"Are you sure?" He asked. I bit my bottom lip, thinking about how long I'd been waiting for this night together.
"Give me five minutes and I'll be upstairs," I said.
"All right, five minutes, but any longer and I'm going it solo," he chuckled. He leaned in and kissed my cheek before making his way upstairs, but his stimulating scent lingered like a heady cloud. I had to force my thoughts to focus on Leslie.
I walked out the front door and across the lawn to the sad lemon at the curb. She kept trying to get the engine to start, but each attempt proved fruitless. She jumped at the sound of me tapping on her window, and reluctantly rolled it down.
"I'm just trying to get this stupid car to start, but the fucking engine won't turn!" She said. I knelt beside the car and rested my arms on the door.
"You want to talk about what just happened?" I asked.
She sighed and put her hands on the steering wheel. "It's not something I like saying out loud, and especially to your face."
"Listen, if my family bothers you, that's on you, and I'm not here to change your mind. I just want to make sure my personal life won't affect my professional life because you have a problem with it," I said.
"Look... My dad was a cop. My uncles are cops. My older brother is a cop. The whole fucking Brigg family tree is filled with law enforcement all the way to its roots. And I guess because you'd always walked around the firm with that same macho-tough-guy persona that I was used to, I... I think I might have just got my wires crossed, and I'd like to let it drop and leave."
Funny, coming from a cop family I had to wonder when Lauren Winter decided prostitution was the next tradition to bring to the table. Then I leaned my head to the side and smiled as I put all of her clues together.
"Leslie Brigg, do you have a crush on me?"
"Fuck no!" She said.
As hard as I tried to fight the smug smirk on my lips, I just stared at her cute little blush and sighed.
"Look, I am completely flattered - I really am," I said.
"Just... shut the fuck up and stop giggling like a fucking school girl," she said, hanging her head and staring at her lap. "I'm sorry if I got weirded out, I just had this idea of you built up in my head. I mean, that's why it took three months for me to finally talk to you... You know how they say don't meet your heroes?"
"Yeah... Usually good advice to hold onto," I said. "I'm sorry that I disappointed you, but you have to understand that I'm just a regular man. A man who's worn, and tired."
"Yeah, well... Have a good weekend," she said. She twisted her keys, and the car started with a deep roar. The headlights flashed onto a figure standing in the road.
Claire Lynch stood staring right back at us, draped in a dirty, grimy hostipal gown and her red pea coat around her shoulders.
"What the fuck is Crazy McQueen doing standing in the road?" Leslie asked.
"Claire," I said, standing up slowly and putting my hands up. "Claire, what are you doing here?"
"He didn't leave like he promised he would - he didn't go away!" She cried. She stumbled forward with uneven steps, and held up a knife, darkened by the blood that covered its blade.
I glanced at the police car, still too dark to see inside, but if they were inside I didn't know what the hell they were waiting for.
"All I want is to see my baby girl, don't you understand!" Clair held the knife up to her neck, her fist trembling.
"Claire, don't move; just put the knife down," I said.
"I try and I try, but he won't let me do it," she sobbed. She lowered the knife and dropped her hand to her side.
"Claire, listen to me; I'm going to help you. I promise that I will help you."
"He breaks us down and uses us, and he won't stop; he'll never stop," she said. Her eyes slowly grazed over my house, and she turned her shoulders toward it. "But I can stop the cycle before he can start again... I can put a stop to this..."
Clair set out at a run and I chased after her, the wound on my side pulling and searing with pain as I did. I heard Leslie get out of her car, but I didn't have time to be bothered with whatever she was up to; there was a mentally unhinged woman heading for my house, where Ethan and Shaun would be totally unsuspecting. She ran up the front steps and twisted the doorknob, but I grabbed her ankles. She tripped forward into the house.
"Ethan!" I called. I hoped he'd hear me, that he wasn't already in the shower. "Ethan, get Shaun and lock the bedroom door!"
Our bedroom door was the only room with a lock on it; Shaun would be defenseless if he was in his room. I looked up just as Ethan appeared at the top of the stairs, peering down at my struggle with the woman who seemed to want us all dead.
"Go!" I shouted. Claire kicked my jaw, but I grabbed her waist as she crawled to her feet. She twisted and shoved her knee into my ribs, right into my wound. I fell back onto the floor and bit down on the inside of my jaw so hard that I could taste blood. I pushed myself up to sit against the wall, and even that was agony.
"She's coming!"
I heard a door slam shut, and it wasn't our bedroom door just at the top of the stairs. They were in Shaun's room, I knew it. Claire pounded on the door in a fit of rage, screaming and shouting like a mad siren. If Ethan was pressing his back against to door to keep her out, then she need only plunge the knife into the door to harm him, and that thought was the only thing that allowed me to get to my feet.
Leslie ran through the front door and came to my side to help keep me upright.
"Where the fuck is she?" She asked.
"Upstairs," I gasped. "She's upstairs."
"Those fucking cops outside? Dead - both of them. She went to fucking town on their faces with that knife, they don't even look human anymore!"
She helped me get my arm around her shoulder, and together we rushed up the stairs - at least, as quickly as my body would allow me. At the top of the stairs, staring down the hall at Claire Lynch as she clawed at the door, I fell to my knees when Leslie let go of me.
"Drop the knife, you psycho bitch!" I looked up and saw Leslie pointing a gun at the crazed woman.
"Why the hell do you have a gun?" I couldn't help asking, it just fell out of my mouth as I used the wall to stand up. The pain in my side was ebbing away very slowly, just enough to put strength back into my legs.
"I took it off of one of those dead cops - does it really matter right now?"
"Maybe you should hand it to me," I said.
"Fuck that - you're in no fucking shape to be handling a fucking gun right now!"
Leslie began edging closer to Claire, who immediately held up the knife.
"Stay the hell away from me!" Claire hissed.
"Lady, you'd better put that knife down or I'm taking it out of your hands myself," Leslie said, eyes set and fist firm around the handle of the 9mm pistol.
I looked into Claire's eyes, those glass doll's eyes that I remembered in my office the first day I saw her. It was as though she wasn't really seeing the world that we saw, like reality was just a distant shadow to her.
She raised the knife and charged; Leslie pulled the trigger and a bright flash swallowed the entire hall.