Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.
Chapter 37
Playing for Time
Zelgadiss was in a foul mood.
One would assume that after what was, perhaps, the best night he had had in recent memory, he would actually have been in a good mood. After all, he had finally put aside his misgivings and his pride, he was able to live for one glorious moment in the now, and he was rewarded with Amelia's understanding and patience. One call, however, was all it took to flip that switch.
Ring ring.
Zelgadiss opened a bleary eye and glared at the source of the offending sound. The cordless phone on his nightstand was ringing and flashing, and he wished he hadn't spent so much money on it: he wanted to throw it out the window. Pulling his pillow over his face, he tried to calm his ragged breathing. He had just been having a very vivid and very pleasing dream about a very obliging, very soft, very warm Amelia… His body aching with yearning, he took a few moments to relish in the disappearing memory of the feel of her body beneath his fingertips, before he growled in frustration and reached for the phone.
And it had just been getting good…
"Hello?" he answered groggily, silently damning whoever it was who had the nerve to call him at… seven o'clock? On a Sunday?
"Mister Zelgadiss?" said a deep voice on the other end, and immediately, all thoughts of his dream girl flew from his mind in concern for his real life girl, and he sat up straight in bed. Why would Philionel be calling him so early?
"Yes, Sir?" He asked, suddenly awake. "Did something happen? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, yes. Everything is fine. I just needed to discuss something with you. Over the phone is fine for now," he added.
"Oh… Okay." Zelgadiss shook a hand through his hair as he leaned back against his headboard, trying to puzzle out why Phil needed to talk to him so soon. After all, he was probably going to see him sometime this week.
"I'll get right to the point. As you probably know, Miss Lina will be staying with us for a while," he began.
"Yeah, I remember the girls saying something about that. Lina's parents had to sell the house earlier than they had planned because they're moving back to Zephilia to take care of their sick Aunt, right?"
"Yes, so she'll be living here until she finds an apartment. Well, I've discussed it with both the girls, and we've decided that it would benefit everyone involved if Amelia were to carpool with Miss Lina to and from school, with the occasional exception on the days when Miss Lina works. She said that she was cutting down her hours at the store during the week due to her increased school workload. So that would only be two days a week that we would need you to give Amelia a ride home from school."
While he was speaking, Zelgadiss' cell phone beeped, indicating he had received a message. Flipping it open, he checked the message. It was from Amelia: 'Daddy is being unreasonable. Please talk some sense into him.' He wondered what really happened to make father and daughter be at odds…
"Alright," he said, despite what he really thought. "I can trust Lina with Amelia's safety, but seeing as though we're still not sure what these people are really after, they both need to be very vigilant."
"Not a problem, Mister Zelgadiss. What I'm more concerned with now is a conclusion to this whole thing. The sooner life returns to normal for us, the better. I want you working on this case without the distraction of keeping my daughter company."
For some reason, Zelgadiss felt irritation begin to build up in his chest. Was Phil implying that he wasn't doing his job, that all he was doing was hanging out with Amelia for the fun of it? He punched his pillow as he fought to keep his voice calm, and he replied, "Of course, Sir. Now, please understand. Your family's safety has always been my main priority. A safe and swift closing to this case is part of that, but with what little evidence we have…"
"Yes, yes, I completely understand, Mister Zelgadiss," Phil said, cutting him off. "But this has been going on for far too long for my liking. I may have a lead that could expedite things. One of my cases was dismissed, so I'd like you to come to my office tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock. You know where it is, correct?"
"Yes, Sir. But… could I ask why you never…?" But again, he was cut off.
"I'll save that for tomorrow. For now, if my daughter tries to ask you to talk me out of this, I can trust you to keep her on course? She was not too fond of this decision, but it is for everyone's benefit, you see. The sooner you solve this case, the sooner we can put it all behind us."
Zelgadiss frowned. Since when did Philnot cave in to Amelia's wishes?
He must have been silent a moment too long, because Philionel urged, "I do have your word, correct?"
"Of… of course, Sir," he agreed, though he did not like it. In fact, he did not like any of this, one bit.
"Good. Then I shall see you tomorrow."
"Yes, Sir." He hoped the sarcasm didn't leak out too much…
When Zelgadiss pressed the 'off' button on the phone, he finally allowed his irritation to boil over into anger. He gripped the phone tightly, and then after silently stewing over the conversation for a moment, finally chucked it across the room and into the hallway, where he could hear plastic and metal bouncing off the far door of the guest bedroom.
Why? Why was it that he was being taken away from Amelia, just when he had finally told her the truth of his feelings for her? Just when they had come to a mutual understanding of their emotions and their situation? Frustrated and angry, he flung himself out of bed and stomped through the house, picking up phone fragments along the way. Maybe the next phone he'll buy won't be so expensive…
After taking a shower and cooling off his temper, he finally was able to see the circumstances rationally. He realized that he was only really pissed off because of his taboo relationship with Amelia. After all, he was only being asked not to listen to Amelia's pleas and keep to the new schedule, and to comply with his client's requests to concentrate on the case, both of which were completely reasonable and fair requests of an employee. Phil had merely treated him as he would anyone who works for him, and not as a friend or a potential suitor for his daughter.
But still, for some reason, it was like he was being ordered to stay away from her, and that just aggravated him. He hadn't been prepared to give her up so easily.
Zelgadiss sank down onto his couch as he stared at the bowl of oatmeal that he had just cooked for himself, yet his eyes were not focused upon his breakfast. All he could see was Amelia's disappointed face when he would have to tell her that his promise that they wouldn't have to change their routine will have to be broken and that they wouldn't be together all the time anymore.
So, then, this was how it was going to be?
He had a sudden impulse to talk with Xelloss, and he shook his head at the mere thought. The man would be over soon enough, since today Zelgadiss was hosting the poker game this time, so he just had to hope that Xelloss was his usual early self… Of course, why the heck was he even willing to ask his unscrupulous friend for advice?
He slowly ate his breakfast, and pondered his options and his fate. Well, first thing's first…
'Sorry. I'll call you later & we'll talk about it.'
Zelgadiss hit the 'send' button and closed his cell phone, shutting his eyes and trying again to cool his anger. Unfortunately, that didn't work, and by the time he received her message back (a simple 'okay') he was already missing her, frustrating him even more…
By the time the guys arrived, all he could do was hope that his temper would remain contained, but the tenuous thread that held it in check was tested before he had a chance to even say hello to them.
"So, are you going to answer your booty call again tonight?" Zangulus asked as he set down a case of beer on the table. He had just stepped into the house, leading the trio inside.
This was not the way he needed to continue the day.
Zelgadiss spouted back, "Hey, what the hell's your problem?"
"You're my problem. Why'd you have to go running off last week?"
"I already told you that I needed to go help my…"
Zangulus cut him off. "Yeah, yeah. You needed to help your chick. Whatever…" He rolled his eyes.
"Don't go there," Zel warned.
"What, is she an invalid or something?"
Zelgadiss was very close to completely losing his cool, but he still tried to be diplomatic. "Are you telling me that if Martina needed your help, you wouldn't leave us to go see her?"
"Of course I would, but I wouldn't go running out of here like I was on a leash or something. Man, the tail must be good, because she's got you on a chain."
That was it…
"You know, didn't Martina go after all three of us before she settled on you?" Zel spat, no longer able to keep the disdain from his voice.
The other two men in the room glanced at each other nervously as Zangulus and Zelgadiss stared each other down like gunslingers in the old west. And then Zangulus finally snapped and launched himself at the other man.
"You fucking prick!"
The two men tangled, and though Zangulus was very good, almost as powerful as Gourry, he was nowhere near as skilled as Zelgadiss. It didn't take long before Zel had him on the floor in a headlock, and Gourry and Xelloss were pulling the two men apart.
"Whoa, whoa, guys. What's the big deal?" Gourry asked, holding back a rather frazzled-looking Zangulus. The big guy just didn't seem to understand why they were so upset.
"He's the big deal," Zangulus answered, shouldering Gourry away and pointing at Zelgadiss. "You don't talk about my wife like that!"
Though he had released him, Xelloss still had a hand on Zelgadiss' shoulder.
"I warned you," Zel said, straightening his shirt. "You should listen to your own advice, asshole. Don't talk about Amelia like that. You don't know anything about her!"
"All I need to know is that she doesn't let you go out with your friends."
"That's funny. I don't remember you ever being a friend of mine. And why the hell does it matter whether or not my girl 'lets me go out with my friends'? What business is it of yours?"
"If you had played that hand last week, I could have finally put him out of the game!" He pointed at the tall blond. "Instead, you go out, he followed suit, and I ended up losing to him!" He pointed at Xelloss.
The aforementioned Xelloss held up his hands. "Hey, don't blame me for your bad playing."
"Just for that?" Zel gawked. "You have the audacity to come into my house and insult me for something as stupid as that? I should have knocked you out when I had the chance."
He snorted. "As if you could…"
Xelloss, however, interrupted. "Before you two go at it again – and let me tell you that I really could care less if you do – let me just inform you that I've got a date at five o'clock, and Gourry said that he's going to see Lina again tonight. You should know that though it's important for us to have our 'guy time', we don't live with our women, so we don't yet feel the desire to get away from them as you do."
"Why, you…"
Xelloss wagged his finger at him. "Don't think you can beat me one on one, especially if you can't beat Zel. I was merely making an observation."
Gourry piped in with a smile. "Come on, guys. Let's just play, okay?"
It was probably Gourry's unaffected attitude and his easygoing nature that had a somewhat calming effect on everyone, because before long, the four men were seated around the small poker table, pizza boxes and beer bottles already half-empty. As usual, Xelloss had a large stack of chips before him, but unusual was the fact that Zelgadiss was matching him so quickly. Maybe he should play angry more often…
So far, the talk had been superficial: sports, cars, food, and television shows. Inexplicably, though, talk turned to the Mayoral ball coming up the following weekend.
"What do you mean it's a masquerade?" Zelgadiss asked. Those happened to be his first words to the man sitting opposite him since the two men tangled over an hour and a half ago.
Zangulus shrugged. "Martina's covering the function and said something about the Mayor wanting there to be no barriers between our states. He thought that he could have lots of masks made up and passed out at the beginning of the ball."
Zelgadiss frowned. "I don't like it."
"Why not?" Gourry asked with a smile, his eyes drifting dreamily upwards as he thought about it. "I think it would be kind of fun."
"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Xelloss wondered. Though they could still hear him, he lowered his voice. "You don't honestly think that someone would try anything at such a high-profile gathering, do you? Besides, we're all going, so if you're still worried, we can watch them, too."
Zelgadiss wanted to kick Xelloss under the table. He quickly glanced sideways at Zangulus, hoping he wouldn't be too curious about what they were referring to. Satisfied that he wasn't paying them too much attention, he wondered, "You're going?"
"Yeah. Filia being 'family' of the guest of honor and all…." Xelloss made a face. Apparently, he still wasn't getting along very well with Val.
"Me, too. Martina has a special access reporter's pass, so I'm her date for the night. Her producer wanted to go, but she insisted…" Zangulus also made a face. "She wants me to be by her side the whole time."
Though he wasn't necessarily thrilled with the man, Zelgadis appreciated the fact that Zangulus was a good police officer, and he still worried that Xelloss may have alerted him to the fact that he was actually working on a case with the Seyruuns. The last thing he needed was for someone at work to find out that he had a 'relationship' with the youngest Seyruun daughter…
"Are you going, too, Gourry?" he asked his best friend, silently hoping that he would. If Gourry was anything, he was steady as a rock, and he could really use the support.
"Oh, well, I wasn't going to, but my grandfather was actually invited. He didn't want to make the trip out from Mipross, so, I guess he had them transfer the invitation to my name instead. You should see Lina. She loves the opportunity to be able to go all out for it. She's getting a new dress and everything." The look on his face was one of pure fondness.
"How is your grandfather doing, by the way?" Zel asked, glad for the change of subject. He was quite relieved that the big man was going, but curious about why old Roudy wasn't attending such a major function.
"He's doing okay. He doesn't like leaving the house much anymore. I don't think he's becoming a shut-out or anything…"
"Shut-in," Zelgadiss corrected, but he knew that Gourry wouldn't even be phased.
"…but he's become sort of anti-social. Ever since my grandmother died, he spends all his time at home. Only Miss Melly can get him to do anything remotely fun, and she couldn't get him to come back for the Ball."
Zelgadiss had only met "Miss Melly" once when he and Gourry ventured out to Mipross to visit Roudy after his wife passed away a couple of years ago. Mellyroon was a very beautiful woman with long silvery-blonde hair, and though Zelgadiss had first thought that she was in her fifties, he found out that she was much older than that. It was the first time in his life that he had met someone who seemed to defy aging.
"Well, at any rate," Xelloss interjected, tossing his cards on the table and leaning back with closed eyes, "masks or no masks, it's going to be crowded and hot, and I'm not looking forward to dressing up in a tuxedo, just to celebrate the fact that some kid survived the trek from Kataart to Saillune."
Although Zelgadiss truly agreed with his statement, he kept his mouth closed. It wouldn't do to gripe about what he couldn't control. After a glance down at his cards, he, too, tossed them.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Zangulus glanced at his rear-view mirror as he drove away from Zelgadiss' house, and saw that Gourry and Xelloss were headed off in the other direction. He continued on for another mile before turning around and making a left turn back towards a small hotel just down the street from Zelgadiss' house. He pulled all the way to the rear of the parking lot, got out and hurried up to one of the rooms, knocking lightly as his eyes scanned the street.
The door opened, and he quickly slid inside.
"Were you followed?"
Zangulus turned to face the scantily clad woman who shut the door behind him. Her arms were crossed in front of her. She was dressed in a black leather bustier and short skirt. Today, she had forgone wearing her thigh-length black high-heeled boots; it was quite strange seeing her barefoot. She was pretty, with black hair and chocolate brown eyes, but they were sharp, just like her words.
"Of course not," he replied. "The guys went the other way, and I doubled back, making sure Zelgadiss wasn't outside."
He removed his hat, flopped down on the bed and leaned back. She unfolded her arms and approached him slowly. He smiled, but she kicked his legs and glared down at him, her fists on her hips.
"Get off my bed, you oaf! Well? What's the report?"
He removed himself to the hard chair beside the table and shook his head.
"Geez, Eris, can't you at least pretend to make small talk? You always act like you're talking to a subordinate instead of a friend."
"Stupid, you know I don't have time for this. What's the report?" she repeated.
He rolled his eyes and looked out the window at the distant craftsman house that he had just visited. He didn't owe the man anything, yet he still felt somewhat guilty that he was pretty much spying on Zelgadiss. Somewhat…
"You were right about him," he said finally. "He's closer to this case than he should be. It's making him blind to things that are right in front of him."
"He's a fool," she muttered, lifting a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "I take it you've taken the necessary steps?"
"Yeah. My suggestion to Martina for the masks trickled all the way down to the Mayor like you wanted. The ball is going to be a masquerade." He appeared a bit sheepish. "I… I accidentally let it slip to those guys, but those two are going to the Ball together, and he's worried about her safety. I don't think he's going to leave her side that night anyway."
Eris smirked. "Don't worry about that. I've got some ideas on how to separate her from him." She glanced over at an open box on the table and something white and fluffy within it. She turned her attention back to him. "You know what you're going to do, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm still not sure why I'm doing this for you…"
She sat on the arm of his chair and placed his hat back on his head. "Because I'm paying you very well."
He looked up at her as he trailed his hand up her bare leg.
"You know, Eris, if I didn't love Martina so much, I'd be sorely tempted to take my pay out of your hide."
"And if I didn't love Rezo so much, I'd pay you less than you're getting now." She picked up his hand and patted it once before throwing it back into his own lap. "Go home to your wife, Zangulus. I've got work to do."
He stood and looked down at her, deciding that he at least needed to know for himself.
"Why this way?" he asked. "Isn't there an easier way to do all this?"
She looked up at him, but her face was expressionless as she answered, "Something needs to be done about him."
Though he didn't quite understand, he nodded at the simple explanation, as if those few words uttered were enough. He slipped back out of the hotel room as quietly as he had entered, and was back on the road home within moments.
Although he wasn't too happy spying on his 'friend' and co-worker, he didn't see the harm in letting an old girlfriend know what the man was doing, especially if it wasn't exactly confidential information he was disclosing. He didn't know exactly what she was up to, and to be honest, he really didn't want to know. All he knew was that he was glad to be on Eris' side of this plan. He did not want to be on the receiving end of her machinations.
oOoOoOoOo
"So, how did it go last night?" Lina finally asked Amelia as they sat in Lina's room, sorting out her belongings and arranging them in her new space. They hadn't had a moment to themselves all day until now.
The spare bedroom was already furnished with a bed, dresser and desk, so her own furniture had to be stored along with her boxes of books, video games, and movies. She didn't think that she had accumulated so much stuff, but when added to the couch, tables & chairs, kitchenware and the television that her parents had left her, it became apparent that she had way more junk than she had anticipated. It was now seven thirty in the evening, and they had spent the majority of the day organizing all of Lina's boxes and furniture into a neat and orderly stack in the garage.
And even after Amelia and Phil had that disagreement in the morning, the tension that was between them subsided enough so that Phil brought them all out to a late lunch down at the marina. Then Lina insisted on stopping at the mall on the way home so she could purchase some things that she would need over the next few months. Since Lina had had no intention of moving with her parents when they moved back home to take care of Auntie Aqua, she had planned on finding an apartment with Filia and Amelia, but those plans were derailed when all this nonsense with those threats to the Seyruun family occurred. And so, she found herself renting a room from her best friend's family, and for now, it was enough. She was planning on finding her own place once summer began.
"It was nice," Amelia sighed dreamily as she hung up a pair of jeans in the closet.
Lina grinned. "That good, huh?" she asked. Amelia nodded emphatically as she sat down on the bedroom floor. Lina put her hands on her hips. "So, did he say anything? Do anything?"
"Oh, Miss Lina! He said that he adored me!" she said, nearly squealing, but reeling it in to a whisper. After all, her father was still awake. "Okay, now you have to swear that you won't say anything or even hint at any of this to anyone, not even Mister Zelgadiss."
"What? Why not? He finally confesses his feelings for you and you expect me not to make fun of him for taking so damned long?" Lina didn't bother trying to lower her own voice, and Amelia shut the door.
"Well, he can get into big trouble at work if anyone was to find out. We're not together or anything, but he could still get reprimanded for fraternizing with a client."
"Wait… What do you mean you're not together?"
"I told you, we can't right now, not while he's working on this case. I don't mind it, really," she said, sounding as if she was trying to convince Lina. It seemed to her that Amelia was trying to convince herself. "Well, at least I know how he feels," the younger girl continued with a firm nod of her head.
Lina didn't seem satisfied. "How long do you think you'll be okay with this situation, just knowing how he feels? Is it okay, when you love him so much?"
Amelia bit her lip, but she just smiled. "One day at a time, Miss Lina. I'm happy today."
"Hmph… didn't sound like you were too happy this morning."
She pouted. "Well, I don't think that Daddy really had the right to go and decide who's going to give me rides to school and back. I mean, he practically forced you to…"
Lina shook her head. "No one forced me to do anything, Amelia. You know that I'm renting this room from your dad. Well, he said that he would deduct half of the rent if I agreed to this. I'm already cutting back on my hours at the store because my classes are getting harder. I can't afford it if I've got to spend what I do have on rent. And besides, with all this stuff going on with you guys, isn't it better if Zel figures out what's really going on as soon as possible? No matter which way you look at it, your dad was right."
Amelia looked at Lina as if she had just mutinied against her best friend.
"Hey, now don't look like that," Lina began. "I'm just saying that for now, it's a good situation. And nothing should be keeping you and Zelgadiss from seeing each other anyway. After all, you two are really good friends, regardless of how romantically involved you are," she added in a whisper. "The only difference is that you won't see him as often. As friends, you can see him in the evenings for dinner or for help with homework still, right?"
Amelia seemed to consider it for a moment, and then an apparent weight seemed to be lifted from her shoulders.
"You're right. I suppose I should ease up on Daddy. He's been working way too hard recently… although I'm really not sure what could possibly be worrying him so much," she said, sidetracking herself. "He's so stressed out, but I don't think it can be this thing, can it? I mean, he wasn't like this when it first began. Now, he's always on the phone with my Uncle, but they can't work together, so it can't be a case… Ugh! I don't get it."
Lina patted her head.
"Don't. You'll just give yourself a headache trying to figure it all out."
Amelia sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
Lina winked. "Of course! You know I'm always right."
Amelia threw a t-shirt at her friend and caught one back in the face when her cell phone rang and distracted her from defending against the sudden flurry of clothes Lina was hurling at her with laughter.
"Ha ha… Stop, Miss Lina! Ha ha ha… stop, please!"
With a laugh, Lina stopped. "Fine, answer your phone. It's probably Zel anyway."
Sure enough, Zelgadiss' deep voice answered when Amelia answered.
"Hi, Amelia. Sorry I didn't call you back sooner."
"It's okay. I know you were busy today. Lina and I are just winding down for the day, too."
"Well, I didn't want you to think that I forgot about you. Look, I tried, but there was just no way I could talk your father out of this new idea of his."
"It's okay. I've thought about it a lot, and Miss Lina also said that he was right after all…"
"As usual!" Lina said loudly towards the phone. Amelia smiled and steered herself away from her friend.
"…so there's no use in worrying over it. I'm just sorry I can't help you out with the case anymore." What she didn't say was that she was sorry she couldn't see him every day anymore.
"Me, too, but I'm surprised you're being so diplomatic about it," he teased, and she could almost hear the smirk on his face.
"Hey, I'm all about being diplomatic, you know," she laughed, trying to sound unaffected.
"Well, it's good that you're in a better mood. Hey, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Where are you right now?"
"In Lina's new room… the guest room upstairs."
"Go to the window."
Looking confused, she obediently did as he requested and looked outside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness outside, but she saw, as a familiar black mustang slowly rolled by, a pale hand waving out the window.
A smile lit up her face as she timidly waved back, her heart full of rushing emotions.
"Be safe with Lina, okay? Good night, Amelia."
"Good night."
"Goodnight!" Lina yelled into the phone, waving wildly at him with a big grin. He gave her a rude gesture and laughed in Amelia's ear.
"Bye," he said again with a laugh before hanging up and driving away.
"Wow," Lina said with a smirk as she leaned against the window. "He must really like you, huh?"
Amelia beamed at her best friend, but didn't want her to ask any more pointed questions that would make her question her 'relationship' with Zelgadiss.
"I'm not sure he likes me as much as Mister Gourry likes you, though," she said to change the subject. "So, are you ever going to tell me what happened with you two? I've been dying to hear, you know."
"Well," Lina began, flopping down on her stomach on the bed, "of course, we've kissed and stuff…"
"'And stuff'? What kind of stuff?" she asked, sitting on the bed beside her.
"Oh, you know. 'Necking', 'making out', whatever you want to call it. 'Petting', too, I guess," she said, making a face at how those terms sounded.
"He felt you up?"
If Lina could turn any redder, Amelia's simple question could have made her glow in the dark.
"Yeah… and I had to smack him because he said my chest was small…"
"Oh, Miss Lina…"
Then a shy smile crept to Lina's lips as she continued, "…but he said that it was perfect for him. And we… well, we sort of got more intimate, trying some things and talking about some others." She was trying to be vague, but Amelia wasn't having it.
"So, what have you done?"
"Geez, I can ask what you've done…"
"The most I've ever done is heavy petting," she answered matter-of-factly. "Chad had wanted more, but I wasn't ready for all that. So, what about you and Mister Gourry?"
Lina shrugged her shoulders. "I guess the same. I'm not really ready for more just yet."
Amelia placed a finger to her lips in thought. "You know, I figured you'd have done way more than me, you know."
"Whaddya mean? I'm not easy, you know."
"Yeah, I know, but you used to hang out and party with my sister all the time. I figured you would have been popular with all those guys, just like Gracia was."
"I was, but… well, for me, it was always 'look but don't touch', you know? I like being appreciated, but not manhandled. Gourry appreciates me."
Amelia smirked. "I'm sure you don't mind being manhandled, now, do you?" Lina smacked her, and the two wrestled, giggling until they fell back on the bed, exhausted and staring at the ceiling. Before long, Amelia wondered, "So, why didn't you move in with him?"
Quiet for a moment, Lina sat up and answered, "I thought about it. It wouldn't be so bad, you know. I'm pretty serious about him, and I like where our relationship is going, so I think it would have been okay. But you're going through some pretty weird stuff right now, and I don't want to leave you alone. Not baby-sitting or anything, but I think you could use the diversion. Besides, this is pretty fun, right?"
Lina turned to her friend and was tackled by a Seyruun-style hug, all the while Amelia sobbing her thanks to her best friend.
oOoOoOo
Seeing Amelia, albeit briefly and from a distance, and talking with her for a minute, although interrupted by Lina's typical interjections, soothed Zelgadiss' anger and allowed him to grasp the situation a little more objectively. Phil was right in the fact that he needed to spend more time working on the case and not to have it drag out for an entire year. But, his irritation with the man didn't quite go away so quickly. What exactly was it that Philionel was keeping secret that could have an impact on this case?
If there was something that he was doing that was the cause of all of this, then the man would have a lot to answer to.
And, so it was that Zelgadiss entered the courthouse the next morning at eight o'clock with an investigator's attitude, removing all thoughts from his head that the man he was going to confront was the father of the young woman whom he loved.
After checking in his weapon at the security station, signing in and being given a special visitor's badge, he was shown the back way up to the tenth floor where Philionel Seyruun's offices were located. The floor was a buzz of activity, with lawyers and paralegals, secretaries and assistants all over the place. He approached the nearest person who appeared to be answering the phones, and handed her his card when she hung up the phone. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm here to see Judge Seyruun," he said. "We have a nine o'clock appointment."
She looked down at a thick calendar, buried beneath a stack of papers and ran a red fingernail down the page.
"He's got an appointment right now, but he should be finished in a couple of minutes. If you'll have a seat, I'll let you know when he's ready for you," she said, indicating a nearby set of couches surrounding a coffee table. "Would you like any coffee, tea…?" She seemed uncertain, as if she really didn't want to get up from her desk.
"No, thank you," Zelgadiss said, and went to sit at the couches. He knew that he was early, so it didn't bother him to wait, and he already had breakfast, so, though it sounded good, it didn't bother him to refuse the coffee. But for some reason, he still felt somewhat unsettled.
His eyes roamed the floor, trying to figure out where exactly Phil's office was located, but since two other judges shared this floor as well, it was a little more difficult than he had thought. Before long, though, he noticed a familiar shock of light green hair exiting one of the back offices, and without knowing exactly why he was doing it, Zelgadiss turned around in his chair and kept his back to the approaching young man.
Carefully watching the reflection in the window, Zelgadiss watched Val as he wove his way through the office to the elevator. The tall youth slouched with his hands stuffed into his pockets as he stared at the arrows above the doors, waiting for the elevator to arrive. He didn't notice Zelgadiss at all, and before long, had disappeared behind the steel doors.
Although curious as to why he was there, Zel barely had time to even ponder it when the receptionist called his name and led him to the office that Val had just vacated. She showed him in and then quietly left the men alone.
Judge Philionel was normally an imposing figure of a man, with his large frame, huge girth, dark features and booming voice; however, this was usually tempered with his pacifistic ways and gentle demeanor. Today, though, sitting behind huge walnut desk, surrounded by bookcases full of dark leather-bound tomes, and clad in somber black, Phil radiated power and an uncompromising air. Zelgadiss could see why people respected and feared him.
"Sit," he ordered, indicating the empty seat before the desk.
I'm not a damned dog… Zelgadiss thought before he did as he was told.
Phil continued on, his face the impassive mask of a high ranking judge. "Thank you for coming to see me on such short notice. I've got a few things to discuss with you this morning."
"Yes, you said something about having lead on this case?"
He nodded. "Now, this is a very sensitive matter, and I hope you'll understand that I wish to keep this between us for now. This is not to be discussed with either of my daughters."
Zelgadiss frowned. "Sir, if it's that important to the case, is it wise to keep this from them? The last time we kept a secret from Amelia, it blew up in our faces."
"I understand your reluctance to keep secrets, but this is important to its success."
"But why…"
"Mister Zelgadiss, hear me out first, and then you can ask more questions." Philionel placed both of his massive hands on his desk and pushed himself out of his chair. Standing with his back to his guest and staring out over the city below, he took a deep breath and began. "I believe I might know the reason we're getting these threats, but I cannot back down now."
He turned around to face Zelgadiss, as the young man stared incredulously back at him.
"I know what you're about to say, but I cannot make this public, and I cannot back down from what I am doing. This is perhaps the closest I have been to the truth, and I am not going to let this deter me from my work.
"I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but ten years ago, my wife was murdered; by my little brother, it was determined. All the evidence pointed to a murder-suicide, and the case was put to rest. Now, I'm not naïve about my family's history of violence. My ancestors had little sense of justice and more sense of self-interest. Randy was fully capable of the atrocities of our ancestors, but I do not believe he would have killed himself."
He took a deep breath and then continued. "He had been an exceptionally nice child, always wanting to follow in his older brothers' footsteps. However his grades and abilities were never equal to ours, and I fear that lead to a jealousy that we could not deter. We always tried to make him feel welcomed and accepted, and never balanced his life against ours, but friends and relatives tended to make the sorry mistake of comparison. And although he never showed any hostility towards neither Christopher nor me, there was an arrogance about him that we did not possess or foster. He used to play at being a prince, and I believe that this is actually how he saw himself. He would treat people civilly, but with a condescending air that was very subtle. It is true, that he liked Victoria very much, but he loved his life even more. He desired power, not money or love. He would not have killed himself at all."
A crease formed between Zelgadiss' brows. "Did you ever bring this up to the investigator?"
"I explained that I didn't think that he would have committed suicide, but all the evidence pointed in that direction. It was an open and shut case, and I was so wrapped up in my own grief that any answer for such senseless killings would have made sense to me.
"But then three years ago, I received a not-so-anonymous tip that my initial hunch was correct, and that the real murderer is still out there."
He returned to his seat and pulled out a file from his desk. He handed it to Zelgadiss.
Opening it, Zelgadiss saw the face of a criminal he knew well. "Gaav?"
"Victoria had been working for the prosecution on Gaav's trial when the courts broke for the winter holidays. At first, I thought that he was actually behind the whole thing and had the detectives do a thorough investigation into his involvement. There was nothing there."
He sat back in his leather chair, a look of bleak consternation on his face. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I refused to listen to what he had to say, but then, last year, he asked to see me again, saying that he had some very specific information about my wife's death to offer to me in exchange for something that he wanted. I knew that as a judge, I couldn't deal with him, so I refused again. But I secretly asked my brother to act in my stead, to find out what exactly it was that he wanted."
Zelgadiss couldn't believe it. Was this it? Was this the reason Amelia was in danger? Was this the reason he had been shot up to all hell and almost died? All because Philionel was secretly negotiating with this crime boss?
"I've wrestled with the consequences of my actions for over a year now," he continued, unaware that the fire within Zelgadiss' gut had been stoked. "Inactivity has gotten me nowhere, and Gaav holds all the cards. So, I've finally decided that I need to deal."
Zelgadiss had enough. "So, without regard to your daughters' safety, you're dealing with a notorious criminal, just so you can find out questionable information from an unreliable source? Those girls need you now, and you're still worried about your dead wife?"
The deafening noise seemed to reach him before he even saw Phil's large hands slam down on his desk; the wood seemed as if it would crack under the tremendous force. But the hushed hiss of Phil's response chilled Zelgadiss even more.
"Don't you dare question my love for my daughters or my wife! I would do anything for them, even deal with criminals! Since Victoria died, I've died a little each day without her, but I don't know if you can even understand something like that…" That broken look that Zel had seen before flitted across his face and then was gone, replaced by the harsh judge's mask. "Just because she's dead doesn't make me love her any less, and she deserves peace," he finished.
Something inside Zelgadiss resounded with the words, and he realized that the man was right. "I… I'm sorry, Sir. I suppose that if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't rest either until I found out the truth," he agreed with a deflated sigh. "So, what is it that Gaav wants in exchange for this information?"
Phil regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, and then said, "You might have seen young Val Gaav leave my office just before you arrived? Well, his adopted father wants his visitation rights back. I was discussing it with him."
"That's it?"
"You don't understand, Mister Zelgadiss. When Val arrived here, he was all by himself. His entire family had been wiped out by the Kataart government as they tried to defect. An eight year old boy whose family had been systematically hunted down and killed had only his villain of an uncle to care for him. That impressionable boy clung to him and quickly adopted his evil ways. The only reason he's succeeding as an upright member of society is because the courts took him away from that criminal. If we allow him to come into contact with him again, all that good could quickly become undone."
Zelgadiss was silent for a moment as he contemplated the delicate line that Philionel was trying to balance upon. "So, you said that you discussed this with Val?"
"Yes, and he was surprised, of course. I believe that with the approaching Ball and the roll that he will be playing in the Mayor's welcoming ceremony for the Kataart Mayor, he is in a difficult position right now. I know that he's not happy about making peace with his old government, not that I could blame him, but he's more than willing to do the right thing for Saillune. He's asked me for some time to think things over, but he's got a good head on his shoulders, and has for the past several years. Hopefully, he would be able to meet with Gaav without any ill effects."
"So, what does this have to do with the threats on the family?"
Phil suddenly appeared annoyed. "I think Gaav's been trying to rail-road me into giving in to his demands. This has got to be the reason he's zeroing in on Amelia, because she's so close to Val."
"But why not start with her in the first place? Why send notes to you and Naga? And besides, what were those notes supposed to be warning you of, then? He's got nothing to lose if you don't comply with his request. It just doesn't seem right …" He shrugged dismissively.
Being written off so easily did not sit well with the Judge. His face suddenly darkened into a harsh and unforgiving mask.
"I thought you wanted to follow any lead there may be. Isn't that why you wanted to know of my suspicions? Why not Gaav? Why rule him out so arbitrarily?"
"I'm not ruling him out. I just think we need a little time to figure out what his involvement is, if he is involved, and how it traces back to him. I could probably do some research…"
"Enough research! I need you to stop dragging this case out, Mister Zelgadiss. You're here to solve this thing, and not use it as an excuse to fool around with my daughter!"
"Wha… what?" he said, completely blindsided by this sudden accusation.
"Don't play dumb with me, Mister Zelgadiss. I was in my study when you two came home from the theater the other night."
The blood drained from Zelgadiss' face. Gulp…
"I know what happened between you and my little girl. What exactly are your intentions with my daughter?" he asked with a murderous look in his eyes.
Philionel's sudden switch of conversation threw Zelgadiss completely off.
"I… well, I…" he sputtered, trying to find the words. Inwardly kicking himself in the head, he finally blurted out, "Look, Sir, I really wasn't looking for a relationship, or even a fling, but… but I found myself truly caring for Amelia."
"'Caring'? Is that what you call laying your hands all over her?"
"Well, no… What I mean is…" Calm down, Zelgadiss, calm down! He took a deep breath. "Sir, I won't deny that I want to have a serious relationship with your daughter. That is the simple truth. But I have a job to do, because it was there first, and you know that that was why I took my hands off of her. It wouldn't be fair to Amelia to constantly have this thing hindering our relationship. You want a speedy resolution to this case, and to be honest, so do I. Amelia is a saint for choosing me, and I don't want to keep her waiting forever."
Philionel continued to glare at him as he spoke, and after a couple of tense minutes, he finally responded. "And once this case is over, and you decide that you want to pursue a serious relationship with her, what happens when you get assigned to a case with another young woman who needs protecting? It's entirely possible that she might look past your shortcomings and end up infatuated with you as well. What then?"
Zelgadiss scowled and slammed his own fist upon the desk. "Are you implying that I would fall for whatever woman happens my way? That I would let myself even get that close to someone else?"
"Why not? You did so with her?" The large man would not budge.
Zelgadiss had enough. "Amelia is Amelia, and I'm in love with Amelia, not anyone else! Believe what you want, but she is the only one!"
Philionel's scowl did not disappear, and suddenly the young man wanted to grab the words he had just uttered and shove them back into his blabbering mouth. Although it was the truth, he had just thrown his feelings into the old man's face, almost daring him to rebuke him for it. Of course, now that it was out there, there could be no denying it, so all he could do was hold onto the declaration like a shield.
"Mister Greywords." Zelgadiss' stomach dropped at hearing his name said with such venom. "No one hurts my little girl, understand?"
"Of course, I do, Sir," he answered, hoping his voice didn't crack.
"Good, because you don't want to test my threshold for upholding the law."
"Is that a warning?" he asked, wondering if this man could really be so bold.
Philionel smiled, but it was not like a smile at all. "No. Make no mistake. It's a threat, young man. Hurt my baby, and you won't like the consequences." The lethal aura that he was exuding slowly ebbed until finally, Zelgadiss could breathe again. He hadn't even realized that he had been holding his breath.
"I was going to report you to your boss," Philionel continued in a lighter tone, and Zelgadiss wondered if he had really just witnessed 'black Phil'. "But I wanted to hear your excuses and denials first."
The Judge sat back in his chair and studied the young man. "I'm actually impressed that instead of denying anything, you manned up and came clean with me." He pulled the Gaav file back towards him and leafed through it. "Honesty," he continued, still poring over the documents, "goes a long way with me. Your devotion to my daughter is admirable, but you will have to continue to prove to me that you're serious about my little girl. I will continue to keep a close eye on you both. If you truly are serious about keeping your relationship with her platonic until the case is over, then I might consider you a worthy suitor for her."
He closed the file, and his gaze returned to Zelgadiss, who hardly had the chance to process the sudden changes in Phil's demeanor, much less what he was saying. Did that mean that he was not going to be in trouble and that he sort of had Phil's blessing?
"There's another file that you should take a look at," Phil continued their previous discussion as if nothing had happened. "Saillune v. Zanafaar. I'd like you to study both files and go to see Gaav sometime this week. See if you can get anything out of him with regards to the current case and not his request from me. He can't know that you are aware that he had contacted me."
"Is that the file you had wanted me to find before, Sir?"
"Yes. The circumstances for our family back then are similar to the ones now, and I believe Gaav had a hand in both."
Zelgadiss nodded his head, determined to head immediately to the station and straight to the records clerk to find the police files on both cases. He pulled out his notebook and jotted the names down, though he knew full well that he wouldn't forget them. Glad that he now had some solid leads and that he could exhibit his skills as a detective, he was about to get up when Philionel stopped him.
"Mister Zelgadiss, understand that I respect you and I like you. But she's my little girl. If you cross the line again before this is over, then I'm asking for another detective to be assigned the case, understand?"
"Yes, Sir." He moved to the door, but paused before opening it. "By the way, am I still to escort her to the Ball?"
Philionel eyed him for a moment before answering, "Of course, son. But I'll be watching you." He smirked and then dismissed him with a wave.
Zelgadiss left the courthouse filled with a mixture of relief and dismay, but ultimately settled on a strong sense of anticipation at being able to move forward with this case. And the Judge was right: the sooner it was over with, the sooner he could move on with his life and finally be with Amelia.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Technically, they weren't related at all. His mother's older step-brother, Uncle Gaav had always been his shady favorite uncle. His mother used to tolerate him, but Val had idolized him. And when his family was destroyed by the Kataart government, only his Uncle had understood the feelings of frustration and wrath and hate that had festered inside of him.
So, Val did the only natural thing for him to do: latch on to his one remaining close relative and be adopted into his life. He had turned his back on his old life and the pain that those memories brought with them.Hate the ones who did this to you. Hate everything, even yourself!
But after a few years of violence, drugs and crime, Gaav was finally busted and Val was shipped off to live with more distant relations whose ideals were far higher than Gaav's base morals. Filia's family had been nothing but nice to him, fostering him and treating him like their own, but Val had rebelled as much as he could, not wanting to be associated with the 'perfect' family. But then, evenhe was busted and stuck into juvie.
It was there where he found a pretty girl who had been spoiled and pampered, and he figured that she was a product of too much idle time and too much money. But, slowly, he discovered that it wasn't the case. So, what could have possibly stuck such a person in such a place? The more he discovered about her, the more he found that he liked what he saw, and he began to let go of the hate and the wrath and the frustration within him. Before long, she was a part of his life that he could not do without, and he found himself falling in a way that he never saw coming.
Oh, he still loved her, even to this day, but their timing had been completely wrong. He knew that his love wouldn't be returned the way that he wanted it to be, and instead of turning on that unrequited love and hating her, he accepted his fate quietly and calmly. It was because of her that he had begun to accept what had happened to him and his family, and it was because of her that he was thinking about taking his birth name back. He could not thank her enough for pulling him out of the downward spiral that he had been traveling upon so long ago.
But now, her father was asking him to return to a part of his life that he was trying to distance himself from. Not that he didn't care about his uncle, but he knew how easy it was to fall back into his old bad behavior, and returning to Gaav could mean a return to that life. He found that the set of ideals and morals that he was living by now suited him just fine, as if he had been reborn to a new and better life. And, in order to pay Amelia's dad back for helping to drag him out of the darkness, all he needed to do was say "yes" and allow Gaav back into his life.
So why did he feel that that one little word held so much more behind it than it seemed?
"Val, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
He looked up from his desk and saw that his English class was now empty and his professor was watching him expectantly.
"Oh, I'm sorry Professor," he said apologetically. "I guess I flaked out and missed your lecture."
She smiled and approached him, sitting down in the desk in front of him. "That's okay. I saw that most of the class missed my lecture. Now, the question is, what's bothering you so much that you didn't even race out of here when class was over like everyone else?" she asked with a smirk.
Professor Mayuko was a nice enough woman, and he actually liked her forward-thinking style of teaching.
"Oh, well, family stuff, you know…"
"'Family stuff,' huh? I know how that can be. Anything you want to talk about?"
"Huh? No, not really. Unless you can help me figure out whether or not to let myself get involved again with a family member who's not really a good person…"
She smirked. "Hey, I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. That's for you to decide."
He picked up his backpack and shook his head at her with a grin. "Gee, thanks for that, Prof," he said sarcastically.
"Well, I'm not a counselor, so I can't help you like that… but if you were reading a book where the main character experienced the same quandary, then I would ask you to consider whether or not the character is strong enough to withstand the bad character's influence, and if he isn't, why isn't he? Are those things that can change, or things that are fundamentally part of the character? What is the driving force behind their reunion? How would it affect the other characters in the story? I've found that when I don't know what I should do, I try to see the bigger picture by viewing my life like a book, so I can have a more unbiased opinion of the situation… well, as unbiased as I can get, that is."
"See my life like a book, huh?"
"Just a suggestion," she smiled. "I hope that you're able to figure it out, Val."
"Yeah, me too."
He bade her goodbye and decided to head to the quad, to sit and think for a bit before heading home. He hadn't been sitting for more than five minutes before he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Hi, Val!" Amelia said brightly as she plopped down beside him in the grass.
"Hey, Amelia. How's it going?" The dappled sunlight filtered down through the tree that they were sitting beneath, casting her in a pretty light.
"Oh, not so bad. I'm just waiting for Miss Lina to finish her class."
"Lina? You guys going somewhere?"
"No, I'm catching a ride home with her."
He frowned. "What happened to that guy? Zelgadiss?"
"Oh, he's getting busy with his work now, so I've got to carpool with Miss Lina now."
"Is there something wrong with your bike?"
She shook her head. "No. I… I just want to carpool when I can… It saves the environment, right?"
"Hmm… I suppose…"
Amelia studied him for a moment before frowning. "Okay, what did you do with the real Val?"
"Huh?"
"I just said that carpooling saves the environment, and you just 'Hmm… I suppose'-ed me! This coming from the guy who always read me the riot act whenever I drank a bottle of water because of the plastic."
"Sorry. I guess I'm a little distracted." He glanced at her and an idea sprang to his mind. "Hey, am I the same person, fundamentally, that I was when you first met me?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"When we first met, do you think the person I was inside is the same as today?"
She placed a finger to her lips in thought, glancing skyward as she did so.
"Hmm… I think that who you are now is who you were before I met you, only wiser because of the detour you took along the way. If you weren't truly kind and generous, then I don't think I ever would have become your friend. I think your real nature was just buried under a lot of anger, and once you learned how to remove those unhealthy layers, you were able to find yourself again."
Her gaze returned to him and she asked, "Why are you wondering this now? I figured you already knew all this stuff?"
"I did. I just… Well, I'm just worried that one day I might end up falling victim to those old vices again."
She smiled. "Hmm… You know what? I really like the taste of rum and tequila. Sometimes, the taste just permeates my mouth, even though I haven't had a drink. And it's sometimes hard to stop drinking once I start. I mean, remember my birthday party? If it weren't for you, I probably would have gotten way more drunk than I had been in years. But, you were there; all my friends were there. And that alone kept me straight.
"Your friends won't let you fall," she finished with a smile.
"Do you think I'm strong enough, even without you guys?"
"Of course. You're stronger than you think you are, you know."
He smirked. Leave it to Amelia to not only help him figure out what he was going to do, but to also make him feel better about himself. He was about to ask her to tell her father that his answer was 'yes', when he caught himself. Philionel had specifically asked him to keep this under wraps from everyone, even his family. Man, even he was keeping secrets from Amelia now…
Before long, Lina arrived and tried to talk him into joining them to an 'afternoon snack', but he politely declined, needing to return home to make an important call. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he would find out what it was that Gaav wanted, and the sooner he could move on with his life.
oOoOoOoOo
Gaav ducked through the gate when it buzzed open, and stepped into the prison visiting room. He had been quite bored flipping through television channels in his cell, and was actually relieved that his day had a distraction in the form of a visitor. The prison had been on lockdown for a few days because of some gang incident, and even he had begun to become a little stir crazy being stuck in his cell for so long. Thankfully, the inmate in question didn't die because of his injuries and they found the attacker and his weapon, so the warden lifted the lockdown just this morning.
Once again, per his request, the visitor's room was empty, save for the lone figure on the other side of the glass, but Gaav was quite surprised to see that it wasn't Christopher or the older Seyruun brother. In fact, the slight figure that met him seemed very familiar, though he had never met him before. He smiled when he realized who it was.
"So, the Greywords enters the stage," he said aloud, chuckling to himself.
He took his time settling into his chair before picking up the phone. The young man picked up the phone and began to speak before he had a chance to say anything.
"Marion Gaav?"
He almost growled with annoyance. Why did everyone insist on mispronouncing his name? So what if it's spelled that way?
"It's pronounced 'mah-ree-oo-oh'. The 'n' is silent."
"Oh… I'm sorry," he said, making a note in his little book with a little smirk. He didn't sound very sorry at all, and if Gaav was correct, it seemed as if this little shit already knew how to pronounce his name correctly.
Wow. Nothing like his grandfather. Maybe more like his father after all…
"Just 'Gaav' is fine," he grumbled.
"Okay. Gaav, I'm Detective Zelgadiss Greywords with the Saillune Police Department, and I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind. Ask away. Whether I answer depends on what they're about, of course."
The kid smirked. "Of course."
Gaav sat back and waited for the questions, most likely about his 'organization' or his 'non-involvement' in it. They always tried to trip him up, to get him to slip and disclose information about how he's able to still influence his underlings from inside prison, but what no one knew or understood was that he had truly no influence on the dealings of his former associates. No one understood that when he was incarcerated, all of his real power disappeared.
Oh, he talked the talk and walked the walk, but his power was virtually non-existent. People did him favors simply because he had friends on the outside who would always 'help' out anyone who mentioned his name, but none of them really owed him anything. It was his huge reputation as a crime boss, as well as the fact that the loyalty he instilled in people went far beyond him being confined to concrete walls. In this instance, cutting off the head of the snake didn't actually destroy the beast. It could run just fine without him.
Thankfully, no one yet realized this simple fact.
"Are you aware that your son is very good friends with Amelia Seyruun?" Greywords asked.
That question took him completely by surprise.
"I might have heard something about that before," he said without hesitation, although his mind was racing with its hidden meaning.
"From what I understand, they are quite close, in fact. Now, I'm not quite sure if they're 'dating' or if it's a case of 'friends with benefits', but they seem to care about each other quite a bit."
And this, he didn't know. "And your point is?"
"Well, let's put that aside for a moment." Greywords pulled out a manila folder and opened it on the desk before him. Gaav feigned indifference, but he really wanted to know what the hell this had to do with Val. "Now, I've been doing some research on a few of our older files, and I noticed that your involvement in the Saillune v. Zanafaar case was determined to be circumstantial."
At the sudden switch in topic, Gaav had to throw his mind into another gear. "Hmph… That case. Well, that was about four months out of my life that I'd like to have back, you know."
He smirked. "I'll see what I can do about that if you help me out, Gaav."
"Funny. What's four months out of a forty year sentence?"
He shrugged. "Well, to be honest, I don't really have anything to offer you in exchange for your help with my case, unless there's anything you might need?"
Gaav frowned. "You jump around like a flea, Detective. What's your real question, and maybe I'll think about what that might be."
"I'm currently working on a case that involves Val's friend, Amelia Seyruun. There have been some threats, quite like the ones that Victoria Seyruun received during the trial versus Zanafaar. She was the prosecuting attorney."
Gaav frowned. "And you think that has something to do with me?"
"In a roundabout way, yes."
"I didn't have anything to do with those threats before, just like it says in your little file," he said, pointing through the glass at the folder in front of him.
"Oh, I didn't say that you were the one sending the threats, Gaav." Greywords smirked again, and Gaav wanted to smack him hard. "I'm just wondering if there was anything that you might be doing that could have garnered the attention of someone who would threaten a girl who is important to your son, maybe someone you were working with before."
What? There was no way. No way anyone could really know that he had been trying to sell his secrets. Neither of the Seyruun men had been involved in his secrets, and it was at their request that their current dealings be kept under wraps, so there couldn't have been a leak. But, what if Greywords was right and that person knew?
After all, this was the way it was done. It never began as a direct action; it was always blackmail first and then consequences.
After all these years, he couldn't be on the short list now, could he? Of course, Greywords could well be playing him, trying to get him to admit to something. Or hell, he could even be working with Philionel Seyruun, but that didn't really matter anymore. Things were in motion, and whether it was as Greywords said, or if it was a ploy, nothing could stop things now.
Of course, this was what he wanted after all. With a grim smile, he decided it was time to hang the world out to dry. Now if only he could manage to stay alive long enough to see it burn…
"Kid," he said, leaning close to the glass. "If what you're saying is true, then my days are numbered. Whether 'they' hurt this girl, or 'they' hurt my boy, nothing I can do, really."
"Well, you could always tell me who might want to get at you, and we can see if we can stop it…"
Gaav laughed, a booming sound that echoed through the prison.
"And what makes you think I want to stop it?"
Zelgadiss frowned. "Don't you care about your son?"
"My 'son'? You don't get it, do you? Unfortunately, Val is turning out to be just like his parents after all. As much as I would have liked him to stand up for himself and take revenge on all the people who've wronged him, it looks like he's taking the 'turn-the-other-cheek' stand instead. I can't help him anymore if he's turning his back on his one relative who's done more for him than he knows."
"But innocent people could get hurt…"
Gaav shrugged his wide shoulders, leaning back in his chair before continuing. "Innocent people get hurt all the time, kid. You need to get it through your head that I don't care."
"Then what can I do to make you care? What do you want?" He sounded a little desperate.
"You want to deal? Fine! Then the answer's easy. Get me out."
"Impossible," he spat.
Gaav crossed his arms. "Then you'll just have to deal with the consequences."
It was clear that Zelgadiss was extremely frustrated, and Gaav smiled. "Amelia Seyruun is in trouble, isn't she?" he asked.
Zelgadiss' eyes narrowed. "That's not under discussion."
"And my boy isn't in trouble, right?" Zelgadiss shifted uncomfortably. Bingo! "You wanted to see if I really had anything to do with these 'threats', right? You connected dots that don't go together so you could get information from me, right?"
The detective closed the folder angrily. "I'm done here," he said, and then slammed the phone down in the cradle.
Gaav laughed, realizing that although he had been played by this young upstart, he had found a way to cause more destruction than he had thought of before. He decided that he didn't need the Seyruun's help after all. Instead of getting to see Val in order to direct him to unwittingly do his bidding, he could use this hot-headed young detective instead. After all, he was already involved in it, whether or not he really realized it.
All he had to do was open the door.
He knocked on the glass divider, catching Greyword's attention as he was putting away his little file. Reluctantly, the young man picked up the phone.
"What?" he asked.
"Since you were able to pull one over on me, I'll give you a freebie, Detective Zelgadiss Greywords."
"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.
"I'll clue you in to a secret."
"Why? If you expect me to believe that you'll give me information simply because I tricked you, then I'm hanging up the phone. What do you really want?"
Gaav smiled, a wide grin that exposed his perfectly white teeth.
"Chaos."
"What?" Zelgadiss asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"There are some secrets in the world could destroy the very foundations of a city. It's only a matter of time before these long-buried truths see the light of day, and when they do, chaos can rule supreme."
"And you want to tell me these secrets?"
He held up a finger. "One secret."
"Why me?"
"Because you're a Greywords, Zelgadiss, and you came to see me while working on the Seyruun case. You're already half-way there."
Zelgadiss narrowed his eyes. "And if I told you that I have some friends: Metallium and Inverse?"
Gaav laughed again. This kid was better than he had first thought.
"Then I'd say that you're a lot like your father and that you're a lot closer to this thing than you think. There are more names, but you'll have to figure those out for yourself."
"Of course… So I take it you won't just come out and tell me what this secret of yours is?"
"I told you I'd give you a clue, not the secret itself. And, for your own sake, I'd suggest you don't go poking around the police department with this information unless you want to end up like your parents."
"What?"
"Trust me, kid. If you're willing to follow in your father's footsteps, you need to be willing to take the same risks he did. But don't make the same mistake he did: don't trust anyone and that includes the 'good guys'."
"And even you?"
He nodded. "Even me. But I don't have anything to lose, and there are people out there who do. Take it or leave it."
Zelgadiss thought for a moment before leaning forward, a look of grim determination on his face. "I'll take it."
"There's no going back once I say it."
"Just tell me," he growled. Just like a bulldog.
"Darkstar."
"'Darkstar'? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Ha ha ha! You're the detective. Figure it out! But until then, you can tell Seyruun that I've got nothing to do with his kid's problems. His wife might have, but I certainly didn't."
"His wife? She's been…"
"'Dead?' Yeah, for a while now, too. But that doesn't mean that it wasn't her fault."
"Then you do know something about those threats?"
"Kid, I don't need to know the specifics to know that that family is in the middle of some pretty serious shit. They always have been, you know. But some stick their noses a little farther out than others, and they're responsible for a lot of this crap."
Zelgadiss was quiet for a moment while he thought about everything they talked about. After a minute, he shook his head with a smirk.
"'Darkstar', huh?"
"Yep."
"You know, Gaav, I'm sure you've got a lot of information in that huge head of yours. Try to keep it on your shoulders until I come back, okay?"
Gaav raised a bushy red eyebrow. "You're coming back?"
Zelgadiss smirked. "Sure. After all, I have to see about getting you out, right? Next time I'm here, though, I'll need more."
They sat staring for a moment, sizing each other up. Then Gaav said, "Sure, kid. I think you've got the balls your dad didn't have. Hurry up, though. I don't know how long I'll last in here once you start poking around." Finished with the conversation, he hung up his phone.
Zelgadiss nodded, and Gaav watched him gather his belongings and leave. He wasn't sure if the detective truly understood their confusing little chat. Hell, he wasn't sure if he understood it, but he knew that he had just tossed a stone into a pond. It was only a matter of time before the ripples reached him.
oOoOoOo
Zelgadiss carefully opened the cardboard storage box on his coffee table. After returning home from the prison in the desert, he had spent the remainder of the day rummaging through his garage looking for it: a box of mementos from his parents.
He pulled out an old photo album and a binder filled with plastic-covered pages. It was the latter that he inspected first.
There were letters from his parents to each other, some filled with words of love and some with simple observations. There were also notes about chores, about him or his grandfather, and even about their jobs. Zelgadiss had kept them all, and placed them carefully in plastic sleeves and a binder in a hope to preserve a bit of their lives. It was painful to remember them and the fact that they were gone, but this binder also brought a bit of peace, a bit of a happier and more innocent time.
But, as he leafed through the pages in search of the word that he remembered seeing somewhere in these pages, he slowly discovered that there was a certain timbre to his father's words in the final month of his life. His parents were aware of something and they were worried for their safety. Zelgadiss had been completely unaware of anything wrong, but they knew that they were treading on thin ice.
Finally, Zelgadiss found the page that he had been looking for, and as he scanned the page, he realized that the answer for a lot of things had been in his possession for years…
Son,
I hope you understand that it's not that I don't believe you are good enough for this. I just don't want you to get in too deep. I know that you are a cop, through and through, but Darkstar might be too much, even for you. You have a family now, and you're in a dangerous enough job as it is. Please don't add another weight to your shoulders. Leave it to the eight of us instead.
Dad
Zelgadiss resisted the urge to crumple the page in his hand. So, it seemed that Rezo knew about Gaav's little secret, and perhaps the threats to Amelia and her family. Zelgadiss ground his teeth in determination.
Maybe it was time to face his grandfather, once and for all.
oOoOoOoOo
A/N: I am so very sorry that this has taken so long to get out. If you're reading this, I thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart that you've gutted it out and stuck with this story. I read and appreciate every review that I get - they keep me inspired to finish this lengthy story. Hugs!
Please click the button and review!