Chapter Seven
David It was early, about one in the morning, when I decided to go across the hall to my room. It was about time I went home. Besides, I had to find that wedding ring. Again, Anya had gone out somewhere and left me at her place to sleep, eat, and. contemplate. By contemplate I mean think about Alex, about Nicole.the shithole I called home.life.the world.the nature of the universe.and, um.my toes. Entering my apartment, I nearly fell over a body on the ground.a very large body wearing a suit that smelled of tobacco smoke. I didn't know it then, but it also the very rich body who'd practically ordered me to murder his wife the other day.
* * *
Calico Anya was outside the door to my house. She pushed the door open and stepped in slowly. Of course, what happened next was completely expected to her, since she'd been in the apartment before. Cali, the Shadow cat, as Anya sometimes called her, for that's what she was, slunk into the room, keeping mainly hidden in the shadows. She then stopped before Anya and, recognizing her, began purring. After a few seconds, my cat went over to Anya and rubbed gently against her legs, a welcoming gesture. I entered from the bedroom, where I had been waiting. Anya walked over to me and smiled. "I thought you trusted me." She spoke, reaching out to take a Walther from one of my hands. I frowned. "I don't trust anyone, and you shouldn't either. People have endless faults, but one of their worst is trust." "I trust everyone, Calico. It's the demons inside them I don't have confidence in." There was no response acted on my part. I just watched my neighbor questioningly. "If people trust, and you do not.What does that make you? A perfect being?" Anya smugly inquired. "No," The answer came, "A safe one."
* * *
David I crouched to peer at the face of.whoever it was on the ground.and recognized it to be Alex. How the hell did he get in there? I didn't know, but had a feeling I was about to find out. "Hey!" I shouted, almost at the top of my lungs. He didn't budge. 'Sound sleeper.' I thought mentally. I stood, faced the kitchen, walked into it, filled a glass with water, went back to the living room, and dumped the glass over Alex. He remained motionless. Then I turned and walked back to the kitchen, to return with another filled glass to dump on him. Again, it didn't work. 'Damn.' I thought. As a result of a need for a last attempt, I slapped him across the face and flourished. "Wake up!" Okay, that worked. Alexander's head jerked up as his eyes opened wide. "Calico!" "Uh, sorry, you got the name wrong. It's David, remember?" "David?" It was probably a good thing that he didn't remember me, but still, it was very likely he only had short time amnesia. "I'm the one who's been, um, seeing your wife that you now want to kill her.You know, that David."
* * *
Calico Anya and I were about to go for a walk in the city when Anya noticed something. There was a slim line of blood on the ground before the front door. It led out of the door and into the hall. When the two of us left, she saw that it also peculiarly trailed into David's apartment. "Calico?" "Yeah?" "What have you been up to lately?" "What do mean?" Anya faced me, her friend, suspicion rising. "Have you killed anyone lately?" My eyes, though hidden as usual by thick lenses of my shades, turned to ice. "No." "What's the blood from then?"
David It was early, about one in the morning, when I decided to go across the hall to my room. It was about time I went home. Besides, I had to find that wedding ring. Again, Anya had gone out somewhere and left me at her place to sleep, eat, and. contemplate. By contemplate I mean think about Alex, about Nicole.the shithole I called home.life.the world.the nature of the universe.and, um.my toes. Entering my apartment, I nearly fell over a body on the ground.a very large body wearing a suit that smelled of tobacco smoke. I didn't know it then, but it also the very rich body who'd practically ordered me to murder his wife the other day.
* * *
Calico Anya was outside the door to my house. She pushed the door open and stepped in slowly. Of course, what happened next was completely expected to her, since she'd been in the apartment before. Cali, the Shadow cat, as Anya sometimes called her, for that's what she was, slunk into the room, keeping mainly hidden in the shadows. She then stopped before Anya and, recognizing her, began purring. After a few seconds, my cat went over to Anya and rubbed gently against her legs, a welcoming gesture. I entered from the bedroom, where I had been waiting. Anya walked over to me and smiled. "I thought you trusted me." She spoke, reaching out to take a Walther from one of my hands. I frowned. "I don't trust anyone, and you shouldn't either. People have endless faults, but one of their worst is trust." "I trust everyone, Calico. It's the demons inside them I don't have confidence in." There was no response acted on my part. I just watched my neighbor questioningly. "If people trust, and you do not.What does that make you? A perfect being?" Anya smugly inquired. "No," The answer came, "A safe one."
* * *
David I crouched to peer at the face of.whoever it was on the ground.and recognized it to be Alex. How the hell did he get in there? I didn't know, but had a feeling I was about to find out. "Hey!" I shouted, almost at the top of my lungs. He didn't budge. 'Sound sleeper.' I thought mentally. I stood, faced the kitchen, walked into it, filled a glass with water, went back to the living room, and dumped the glass over Alex. He remained motionless. Then I turned and walked back to the kitchen, to return with another filled glass to dump on him. Again, it didn't work. 'Damn.' I thought. As a result of a need for a last attempt, I slapped him across the face and flourished. "Wake up!" Okay, that worked. Alexander's head jerked up as his eyes opened wide. "Calico!" "Uh, sorry, you got the name wrong. It's David, remember?" "David?" It was probably a good thing that he didn't remember me, but still, it was very likely he only had short time amnesia. "I'm the one who's been, um, seeing your wife that you now want to kill her.You know, that David."
* * *
Calico Anya and I were about to go for a walk in the city when Anya noticed something. There was a slim line of blood on the ground before the front door. It led out of the door and into the hall. When the two of us left, she saw that it also peculiarly trailed into David's apartment. "Calico?" "Yeah?" "What have you been up to lately?" "What do mean?" Anya faced me, her friend, suspicion rising. "Have you killed anyone lately?" My eyes, though hidden as usual by thick lenses of my shades, turned to ice. "No." "What's the blood from then?"
