Forever is a Long Story
J.K. Rowling: I never go searching for trouble. Trouble seems to find me.
Chapter 14
Along Came Mister Trouble
He was slowly dying inside as he knew every second wasted could mean more time for the killer to clean up his tracks. Burning some evidence, buying a plane ticket ready to fly off to another continent if needed, or even getting prepared to give in to the temptation of killing again. Time was precious in these delicate murder cases. It was of the essence.
He sat on a leather couch, next to the phone, waiting for it to ring at any second. However, the call was not coming. Much to the man's dismay. Henry fidgeted, tapping his fingers repeatedly on the sturdy back cover of a century-old anatomy book, which he was pretending to be interested in. On a few occasions he began to make a short rhythm with the front of his black polished shoes, an expression of anticipation etched on his impatient face. He had re-read the first few words over and over again, other thoughts blurring his concentration. The doctor only glared at nonsensical words, at that time unknown to him from the lack of effort. Knowing who the murderer was, but not expected to do anything about it was eating away at him and he was facing a hefty moral dilemma.
He could both take the key from inside the jade Chinese vase (Abe's supposedly secret hiding place for it) and exit the shop, hoping to find the evidence he was looking for before it was 'accidentally' destroyed or lost. But, he might get caught for illegal trespassing. On the other hand, he could listen to Jo and wait until she would get the warrants. However, they might not get them in time to find any concrete proof.
Two parts of him were battling it out; his recklessness and his cautiousness. Sadly, his cautious side had been worn down to the bone during the long years of his colorful life and recklessness became his middle name. Why would he be cautious for his safety when he couldn't die? The only times cautiousness was used in the same phrase as Henry Morgan, was when he tried to keep his secret from the prying eyes of the world. Presently, those walls slowly tumbled down now that he had told someone else the truth about himself. All that was keeping caution alive within him was directed to the protection of others. Mostly those closest to him. Which currently included his son, Abe and the newly immortal homicide detective, Jo.
"Will you stop? You are starting to make me jittery. If she hasn't called you by now, she'll probably do it tomorrow. It's already ten. What's waiting another day going to do? This case has only been open a couple of days." Abraham sat up from his seat, uncrossing his legs. He walked up to the vintage record player and lifted up the needle from the rotating jazz record. The music halted at once, a slight scratching noise was heard when the man's finger touched the needle. "Goodnight. I guess I'm leaving the light on." He felt that Henry was going to stay in that spot until the phone on the hook starting ringing.
"Hmm? Oh yes…goodnight Abraham." The immortal answered with a distracted tone, focusing all his energy on the electrical appliance beside him.
"And I thought you didn't like phones…" Abe whispered to himself, chuckling. A part of him was worried. He knew Henry was going to get into trouble sometime soon. However, he wasn't concerned for his father's safety. He was actually worried for the trouble his dad would cause for Detective Martinez. Regularly, Henry was quite a handful and Jo was always the one to clean up the mess he got himself into because of his reckless and adamant habits.
Just as Abe was out of sight, ringing echoed through the room and Henry picked it up immediately, a smile on his face. "I suppose you got them?" He asked before the person on the other end spoke a word.
"Wrong person Henry. How is Jo coping by the way, with her new lifestyle and all? Aren't you going to thank me?" A voice that had been on the earth for at least two millenniums made a shiver run across Henry's body. The voice that lead to something…or someone much more terrifying.
"You don't deserve to be thanked. What do you want Adam? Come to pry in my life again like you know everything about me?" Henry asked sternly, speaking low but with force. He did not want his son to hear any of this.
"You're wrong Henry. I know more about you than anyone else. I know how you think, act. I've been studying you for quite some time now. We're the same, you and I. Never forget that." There was a long steadfast pause, and Henry was too flooded with resentment to notice. Adam breathed heavily on the other end, like he was showing Henry he was still around to conflict more pain.
"I―am―not―like―you." Henry pronounced every word slowly for he did not want his voice to tremble.
"You shouldn't fool yourself…Anyway, I haven't called to have a chat. I came to give you precious advice, or should I call it information?" Adam questioned, amused.
"I do not want anything from you." The younger man spoke, ready to smash the phone down upon the receiver. However, Adam said two small words, halting Henry's intended following actions.
"Blue Teacup." The man whispered with a sense of superiority. "Ah…Now I have piqued your interest. Thought I wouldn't have figured it out? Henry…you should know me better than that." The caller spoke with disappointment.
Henry frowned, brows furrowing. "You are messing with evidence! Did you take it?"
"What would be the fun in telling you? You're going to have to use that brain of yours to figure this one out. The clock's ticking. Or it might be accidentally smashed. Why don't you just go down to the killer's place and see if it is still there? One more thing…the killer just received a note, telling him to get rid of a certain piece of discriminating evidence…oops now you know the truth." *Click* The phone went dead, slipping out of the poor man's hands, dangling from its electrical cord a few inches from the floor.
He needed to act fast, without any legal documents. He yearned to call Jo, but refrained from doing so. If she was caught breaking into a house illegally, it would end her career, her superiors would bump her back down to wearing a uniform, only allowed to be on patrol. If she was lucky, they would suspend her for a few months, but never be able to trust her again. Henry knew Jo's job was, in one way, her whole life. He didn't want to be the person culpable for ending it. The gentleman was definite that his partner would give him an ear-full for not calling her, telling him that he once again kept something a secret from her. That he broke his promise. Henry cared too much to call her, he would do this alone. Before creeping down the stairs and entering his hand into the Chinese vase with caution, he cursed Adam for interfering, but it was no use…Adam was cursed enough.
Abraham stool motionless behind his semi-open bedroom door, listening to his father's unforeseen phone call from the only man who could negatively impact Henry with such ease. He was such a horrid man who enjoyed puppeteering his father whenever he felt jaded. For Abe, it was unforgivable. Even more so when he dragged Jo into all of this madness.
The logical deed Abraham should have done was to step out of his sombre hiding place, giving his dad sound advice on the subject at hand: to call or not to call the detective. However, his wisdom surmounted his logic and his legs did not dare to move. It was not his place to interfere. His father had to choose the right path to take, in this two-optioned perplexing affair. So, he closed the door fully as quietly as possible. Albeit, his father would have been too distracted to hear the slightest out of place sound. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The man grimaced out of exasperation; he would not sleep tonight.
As the son faintly heard the departure of the only other resident in the house, he switched his light on, unable to leave the matter as it stood. He dug out his cellphone and called the only other person he relied on. He just couldn't stand letting his father go alone when he had the power to do something. It went against his compassionate heart.
It rang one, twice…a third time. The woman in question answered, half-aware already of what was going to be said. She had a feeling it was something regarding Henry. Why would Abe if calling her if it was not so?
"He left the house didn't he?" She immediately asked, grumbling. She mentally kicked herself for taking an eye off him. She should have just let him stay with her. He was predictable, yet she had decided to trust him. Her confidence was meaningless and she was beginning to think so was her friendship with Henry. He once again went without her, against her better judgment. Did he see their relationship as worthless? The way he was acting seemed like it―even after everything they had been through together. Weren't real partners supposed to help each other in times of need? It was always hard for her to completely understand Henry, or actually the half of him. Even after finding out of his centuries old life.
The detective locked her anger inside. She would end this murder once and for all. Then unlock her anger and lash it out onto Henry. She was going to have a well-needed chat with him once it was all over. He broke her trust and she was irritable; that's all she was going to explain to him.
"Right on track Detective. He just left. Felt like I had no choice but to call you. I don't know where he went so―"
"That's fine, I know exactly where he is going."
Before the call abruptly ended Abe added. "Adam called right before, so don't be mad at him. He does strange things when it comes to Adam. It terrifies him more than he can admit. Plus, now that Adam did something to you…so he's a notch higher than paranoid sometimes."
Jo switched her phone off without answering, feeling quite rude. Nevertheless, she did not want to say something she would regret later for the extreme annoyance towards her partner had not subsided yet. She knew it would not to stop any time soon, so she buried herself in the cyanide case, hoping the adrenaline pumping into her veins would rather be for wanting to arrest a murderer. Jo snatched her keys from her desk, rapidly jogging towards her car. As she sped towards her destination she crossed her fingers, hoping Henry was not already in a pickled mess.
Henry picked the door's lock, aware of his surroundings just in case anyone was suspecting him of illegal entry…which was what he was committing. The gears clicked and the door opened. He entered inside, meeting with a barrel of a gun touching his forehead. He froze as the gun stayed put, he could not see the man standing on the other end of it for no lights shone through the small hallway.
Henry raised his hands slowly, showing a nervous tug of the lips. Boy he was in trouble. Why did he let himself come alone? Adam had lied to him, his 'fan' told the killer that he was coming. He was stupid...why did he listen to Adam?
"I was waiting. I'm sorry, but I can't go to jail, I just can't."
The killer shall be revealed in the next chapter...till next time.
Read and Review.
~welshcanadian14~