So much for the blissful thoughtlessness of regular TV. No amount of cartoon children and their super powers could black out the memory of what I had seen that morning. I was seriously considering reaching through the screen and shaking the people's court Prosecution. Didn't these people realize there were more important cases going on? Couldn't they turn on the TV in the court room and see the media frenzy already swarming the gates of the two Vantage Pointes? This was a little more important than "I bought a piece of crap apartment, lived in it for three weeks and now want to be paid pain and suffering." I was saved from that by the sound of Elise's footsteps running up the stairs. The door to the sitting room was opened and I heard.
"Lowell, you in?"
"Yes. Just a moment." I moved from my room in time to see her tossing away pieces of the mail as if testing to see if they would fly. "That's all junk you know."
"Have you gotten anything else?"
"No."
"No telephone calls? E-mails? nothing?"
"No. Why?"
"Oh good. I just spend the whole rest of the morning getting flyers out about that ring. All around the school and along the streets by the Pointe. Here take one." She shoved a green paper in my hand.
Found this morning.
One ring.
Gold snake band, with teardrop stone
Call David Lowell. apprx 3:00 pm
It gave our number.
"Did you suddenly forget how to spell your name?" I asked
"No of course not. But if they saw my name, some of these fools would want to butt in and we can't have that now. "
"And I suppose it's too late for me to tell you not to."
"Exactly."
"Well, suppose someone does call. I have no ring."
"Oh sure you do. 'Ere ya go."
I hesitated. "Where did you get that? That's evidence."
"And a vital clue. Actually its just a replica. "
"Where'd you get a replica this fast?"
"Internet."
I took that to mean I was better off not knowing the truth. and took the ring.
"If any one calls about it that stone is called Tanzanite, possibly with moonstone set in the bottom for a little extra glow or some nonsense. You'll need to ask anyone who call about it, to be sure. "
"And if they call and answer right..."
"Give them the address, send them right on over. You'll see, it's all very simple."
It was all "very simple" for about two more hours, as the phone continually rang once the clock hit 3:15. Tiring as it was running back and forth, and sometimes not even getting the chance to run, before the phones rang again, I did get the pleasure of seeing Elise's face at each reminder of her self-imposed torture. Misery loves company, and Elise had " a thing about phones." But finally I got the answer I'd been told to look for.
"They'll be here in an hour ." I announced, as Elise lifted the couch's seat pillow of her head. . "It's odd though."
"Eh?"
"The person on the phone. She sounded like an old woman. "
"Then he's sending an accomplice, our murderer. " she stood up and looked around "We'll need protection, just in case. Ya got a gun?"
I didn't. Even if I had, I barely knew how to shoot. I did however have an old metal baseball bat one of my sister's had thrown in the car while I was packing to move.
"It'll do. Keep it nearby you just in case. At the foot of the stairs down there. Lead the person up--"
"Elise, if it's an old woman I don't think she could make it up the stairs. Mrs. Garrideb has a hard enough time."
"Oh fine, through them in the living room or something. Speak to them normally, ya got that? We don't want to scare 'em. "
"Oh no, we certainly can't scare the murderer."
"Exactly. So, down we go then come on."
I went to my room and grabbed the bat from where it was resting again my closet door and went to the stairs that led to the first floor, setting the bat up again the banister of the stair when I got there.
For half an hour I sat next to Elise, feeling like an idiot and waiting for the sound of an car in the driveway. Then the phone start ringing again.
"You're sure she answered the question right?"
"Yes."
"Hmph." Elise turned, walked back up the stairs and I saw her reached behind the phone and yank the plug out to of the phone's cradle. She walked back down the stairs with a smug look.
There was the unmistakable sound of a car pulling up. "Carefully now." Elise warned me. "Don't frighten 'em."
"Don't scare the murderer, I remember."
Elise opened the door. "Yes?"
"Is David Lowell here?" The voice was weak and raspy. My companion looked at me, jaw dropped, then opened the door wider to shown and old wrinkled woman, who might have been going for a walk from some nursing home. I took a deep breath and forced myself to keep a straight face and look at the woman rather than Elise when I spoke.
"That would be me ma'am. How can I help you?"
"I've come about the ring? You remember, I called you?"
According to the woman, (Violet Shale) the ring belonged to her daughter, who lived in one of the comfortable houses near the Pointe. She had been on a walk with friends , talking about whether or not to buy one of the Vantage Pointe Places, someday, when she and her future husband were better off, and had been showing the ring off when off it fell.
"Why wear something that didn't fit ?" Elise asked.
The old lady turned and looked sharply at her " It belonged to Thomas. He's over the seas right now, since you know what and he hadn't the time to go out and buy an engagement right before he was shipped off. I keep telling her to put tape around it and--"
"And where madam," I interrupted "do you live? In case she loses the ring again we'll know where to take it."
"1201 Chestnut Drive."
"Chestnut never connects with Vantage Pointe."
Another glare. "That's where I live. My daughter , Lindsey, Lindsey Hobbs she'll be soon, she lives off of the Brea Canyon Cut-off."
Elise nodded to me. I handed back the woman's ring and watched her leave, blessing me and her and her daughter's luck. I made sure the care was out of sight before I started laughing. Elise stared at me, and that made me laugh harder.
"Well? What is it?"
"I'm sorry," I managed when I could talk again "I really am. But the look on your face. ...and me without my camera... priceless. "
"Hmph."
"I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry you were wrong. Michelle Connor probably, probably just found it on the sidewalk, where that woman's daughter lost it. It's not that bad you kn---wh-what are you doing?"
"Following of her, of course. " she said, picking up her windbreaker from where she had thrown it over the banister, (hiding my bat).
"That old woman? On foot?"
"Of course."
"You can't be serious. Elise."
She was already halfway down the driveway. "Don't wait up."
I didn't wait up. I just wasn't tired enough to sleep. And when I was, the darkness form the images of golden snakes swimming in champagne and an elephant made of wine. So I sat back and watched the latest series of Law and Order reruns. Seven o'clock came and went. Elise had missed that concert. Eight o'clock. I got bored and went into the sitting room. Elise had put a cassette/CD/Radio player on the table. I idly played with the buttons, hitting Play.
A violin. Piano I think. A whispering voice "A man lies dead, in an empty house in the Brixton Road, his body furiously twisted." Stop. Death again. What was with Elise and death? I went back to my room. Nine. Ten. At eleven o'clock, I turned it to the Simpsons and heard the door on the first floor open and close again. Footsteps headed up and dropped into the sitting room. I waited for the commercial to join her.
"Elise?"
"Hm?" She had sat in her chair again, looking like the last person to finish the marathon.
"You had no luck then."
She laughed, quietly at first. "Ah, Lowell. Do me a favor will ya, don't tell Fern and th' others about this. I swear they'd never let me hear the end of it. "
"What happened?"
"Would you believe it? That woman, took her li'l beat up ol' station wagon she was in, and puttered on down the street a good few blocks. Nothin' wrong there. and there's enough smoke from the pipes and the oil dripping from the bottom to follow no problem. But then the old clunker finally gives up the ghost. She leaves the car and calls up a tow truck. One comes and offers her a ride back home. ' Drive to 1201 Chestnut Drive' she says. "
"That's the address she gave me."
" It is. So off the three of us went."
"The three of you?"
"Yes."
"But how did you---" I stopped. She was smiling.
"Have you ever ridden in a car while it's being towed? It's like riding the backwards facing seat on a train."
"How?"
"Station wagon locks aren't hard to open. I mean what's there to steal in it anyway? So while they were talking and filling out forms I made myself comfortable. I watched the driver help her into the truck, and that took an awfully long time. Off we went, taking the freeway and never stopping for more than necessary. Finally we pulled up to the place. You gotta promise not to tell the others about this one., Lowell."
"Yes I promise what happened?"
"We were duped. By the time I got out the wagon the woman was gone. The truck driver wasn't exactly happy about it. It's as easy a trick as climbing into a locked station wagon. The driver had stopped at one of the gas stations near Trotter. It didn't take long, less than two minutes, but it didn't even need that. All she had to do was get out and walk away. "
"When should could barely drive or get into the truck or walk or..."
Elise was laughing again. "Nothing like that. A young, active person is who we had here, no arthritis laden human. And it gets better. We went to the address. It's a house, belonging to a respectable librarian by the name of Meyer."
"Meyer?"
"Aye. No one named Shale or a Hobbs had ever been heard of there. " She sighed and turned her attention to her hands. I looked too, and saw thin red string stretched in the Cat's Cradle fashion between her palms. "Helps me think." she explained. " Unraveling the scarlet thread and all." She turned the project over as she held it, looking at it from different angles. "Well. Nothing new, nothing that can't wait until tomorrow." With a flick of her wrist she tossed the circle of string down on the table and stood. "I'll see tomorrow then. " She looked at me. her face and voice were different: older, quietly commanding. " You're not looking too good. Try not to think on it for the rest of the night. You can't help things by making yourself sick thinking on it."
She left. I sat alone for a few minutes. The silence was too loud. I reached over and pressed the Play button again., twisting the string in my own hands.
"There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."
Now where had I heard that before?
"Lowell, you in?"
"Yes. Just a moment." I moved from my room in time to see her tossing away pieces of the mail as if testing to see if they would fly. "That's all junk you know."
"Have you gotten anything else?"
"No."
"No telephone calls? E-mails? nothing?"
"No. Why?"
"Oh good. I just spend the whole rest of the morning getting flyers out about that ring. All around the school and along the streets by the Pointe. Here take one." She shoved a green paper in my hand.
Found this morning.
One ring.
Gold snake band, with teardrop stone
Call David Lowell. apprx 3:00 pm
It gave our number.
"Did you suddenly forget how to spell your name?" I asked
"No of course not. But if they saw my name, some of these fools would want to butt in and we can't have that now. "
"And I suppose it's too late for me to tell you not to."
"Exactly."
"Well, suppose someone does call. I have no ring."
"Oh sure you do. 'Ere ya go."
I hesitated. "Where did you get that? That's evidence."
"And a vital clue. Actually its just a replica. "
"Where'd you get a replica this fast?"
"Internet."
I took that to mean I was better off not knowing the truth. and took the ring.
"If any one calls about it that stone is called Tanzanite, possibly with moonstone set in the bottom for a little extra glow or some nonsense. You'll need to ask anyone who call about it, to be sure. "
"And if they call and answer right..."
"Give them the address, send them right on over. You'll see, it's all very simple."
It was all "very simple" for about two more hours, as the phone continually rang once the clock hit 3:15. Tiring as it was running back and forth, and sometimes not even getting the chance to run, before the phones rang again, I did get the pleasure of seeing Elise's face at each reminder of her self-imposed torture. Misery loves company, and Elise had " a thing about phones." But finally I got the answer I'd been told to look for.
"They'll be here in an hour ." I announced, as Elise lifted the couch's seat pillow of her head. . "It's odd though."
"Eh?"
"The person on the phone. She sounded like an old woman. "
"Then he's sending an accomplice, our murderer. " she stood up and looked around "We'll need protection, just in case. Ya got a gun?"
I didn't. Even if I had, I barely knew how to shoot. I did however have an old metal baseball bat one of my sister's had thrown in the car while I was packing to move.
"It'll do. Keep it nearby you just in case. At the foot of the stairs down there. Lead the person up--"
"Elise, if it's an old woman I don't think she could make it up the stairs. Mrs. Garrideb has a hard enough time."
"Oh fine, through them in the living room or something. Speak to them normally, ya got that? We don't want to scare 'em. "
"Oh no, we certainly can't scare the murderer."
"Exactly. So, down we go then come on."
I went to my room and grabbed the bat from where it was resting again my closet door and went to the stairs that led to the first floor, setting the bat up again the banister of the stair when I got there.
For half an hour I sat next to Elise, feeling like an idiot and waiting for the sound of an car in the driveway. Then the phone start ringing again.
"You're sure she answered the question right?"
"Yes."
"Hmph." Elise turned, walked back up the stairs and I saw her reached behind the phone and yank the plug out to of the phone's cradle. She walked back down the stairs with a smug look.
There was the unmistakable sound of a car pulling up. "Carefully now." Elise warned me. "Don't frighten 'em."
"Don't scare the murderer, I remember."
Elise opened the door. "Yes?"
"Is David Lowell here?" The voice was weak and raspy. My companion looked at me, jaw dropped, then opened the door wider to shown and old wrinkled woman, who might have been going for a walk from some nursing home. I took a deep breath and forced myself to keep a straight face and look at the woman rather than Elise when I spoke.
"That would be me ma'am. How can I help you?"
"I've come about the ring? You remember, I called you?"
According to the woman, (Violet Shale) the ring belonged to her daughter, who lived in one of the comfortable houses near the Pointe. She had been on a walk with friends , talking about whether or not to buy one of the Vantage Pointe Places, someday, when she and her future husband were better off, and had been showing the ring off when off it fell.
"Why wear something that didn't fit ?" Elise asked.
The old lady turned and looked sharply at her " It belonged to Thomas. He's over the seas right now, since you know what and he hadn't the time to go out and buy an engagement right before he was shipped off. I keep telling her to put tape around it and--"
"And where madam," I interrupted "do you live? In case she loses the ring again we'll know where to take it."
"1201 Chestnut Drive."
"Chestnut never connects with Vantage Pointe."
Another glare. "That's where I live. My daughter , Lindsey, Lindsey Hobbs she'll be soon, she lives off of the Brea Canyon Cut-off."
Elise nodded to me. I handed back the woman's ring and watched her leave, blessing me and her and her daughter's luck. I made sure the care was out of sight before I started laughing. Elise stared at me, and that made me laugh harder.
"Well? What is it?"
"I'm sorry," I managed when I could talk again "I really am. But the look on your face. ...and me without my camera... priceless. "
"Hmph."
"I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry you were wrong. Michelle Connor probably, probably just found it on the sidewalk, where that woman's daughter lost it. It's not that bad you kn---wh-what are you doing?"
"Following of her, of course. " she said, picking up her windbreaker from where she had thrown it over the banister, (hiding my bat).
"That old woman? On foot?"
"Of course."
"You can't be serious. Elise."
She was already halfway down the driveway. "Don't wait up."
I didn't wait up. I just wasn't tired enough to sleep. And when I was, the darkness form the images of golden snakes swimming in champagne and an elephant made of wine. So I sat back and watched the latest series of Law and Order reruns. Seven o'clock came and went. Elise had missed that concert. Eight o'clock. I got bored and went into the sitting room. Elise had put a cassette/CD/Radio player on the table. I idly played with the buttons, hitting Play.
A violin. Piano I think. A whispering voice "A man lies dead, in an empty house in the Brixton Road, his body furiously twisted." Stop. Death again. What was with Elise and death? I went back to my room. Nine. Ten. At eleven o'clock, I turned it to the Simpsons and heard the door on the first floor open and close again. Footsteps headed up and dropped into the sitting room. I waited for the commercial to join her.
"Elise?"
"Hm?" She had sat in her chair again, looking like the last person to finish the marathon.
"You had no luck then."
She laughed, quietly at first. "Ah, Lowell. Do me a favor will ya, don't tell Fern and th' others about this. I swear they'd never let me hear the end of it. "
"What happened?"
"Would you believe it? That woman, took her li'l beat up ol' station wagon she was in, and puttered on down the street a good few blocks. Nothin' wrong there. and there's enough smoke from the pipes and the oil dripping from the bottom to follow no problem. But then the old clunker finally gives up the ghost. She leaves the car and calls up a tow truck. One comes and offers her a ride back home. ' Drive to 1201 Chestnut Drive' she says. "
"That's the address she gave me."
" It is. So off the three of us went."
"The three of you?"
"Yes."
"But how did you---" I stopped. She was smiling.
"Have you ever ridden in a car while it's being towed? It's like riding the backwards facing seat on a train."
"How?"
"Station wagon locks aren't hard to open. I mean what's there to steal in it anyway? So while they were talking and filling out forms I made myself comfortable. I watched the driver help her into the truck, and that took an awfully long time. Off we went, taking the freeway and never stopping for more than necessary. Finally we pulled up to the place. You gotta promise not to tell the others about this one., Lowell."
"Yes I promise what happened?"
"We were duped. By the time I got out the wagon the woman was gone. The truck driver wasn't exactly happy about it. It's as easy a trick as climbing into a locked station wagon. The driver had stopped at one of the gas stations near Trotter. It didn't take long, less than two minutes, but it didn't even need that. All she had to do was get out and walk away. "
"When should could barely drive or get into the truck or walk or..."
Elise was laughing again. "Nothing like that. A young, active person is who we had here, no arthritis laden human. And it gets better. We went to the address. It's a house, belonging to a respectable librarian by the name of Meyer."
"Meyer?"
"Aye. No one named Shale or a Hobbs had ever been heard of there. " She sighed and turned her attention to her hands. I looked too, and saw thin red string stretched in the Cat's Cradle fashion between her palms. "Helps me think." she explained. " Unraveling the scarlet thread and all." She turned the project over as she held it, looking at it from different angles. "Well. Nothing new, nothing that can't wait until tomorrow." With a flick of her wrist she tossed the circle of string down on the table and stood. "I'll see tomorrow then. " She looked at me. her face and voice were different: older, quietly commanding. " You're not looking too good. Try not to think on it for the rest of the night. You can't help things by making yourself sick thinking on it."
She left. I sat alone for a few minutes. The silence was too loud. I reached over and pressed the Play button again., twisting the string in my own hands.
"There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."
Now where had I heard that before?