Chapter 18 edited
Psychedelic Hollow
Itsmeocean@hotmail.com
The morning was cold, unfolding with a sorrowful wail. A certain chill numbed the bones as it paralyzed the mind. With each flame that extinguished forever, answers long sought were lost, never to be found again. Frank couldn't ignore the wringing of his heart as he watched his friend who was seated on the empty hospital bed- a bed which was already stripped of its linens, the warmth from the body lying on it before had already dissipated to become one with the air as the flesh would return soon to the earth.
A light sleeper on most days, Frank woke up to his hand phone's beeps, announcing the receipt of a message. The moment he blurrily made out the contents, he quickly stumbled to his feet, rising from the mattress on the floor of Joe's room to rouse his brother who was sleeping like a log, sprawled on his bed with limbs dangling from the edges, dead to all worlds but his own.
Joe had been irritated at being woken up so abruptly but turned shell-shocked soon after. And Frank had to repeat the news to him quietly for a couple of times before he regained composure. Then the two brothers hurriedly washed up and rushed to the hospital. Frank left a message for Nancy, being unable to contact her on her mobile phone.
With Joe outside the intensive ward speaking to Con Riley, Frank remained with Conrad who couldn't leave the bed even though Justin's body was already sent to the morgue. Vacant black eyes like stagnant pools under the spell of midnight hid the roiling melancholy within, staring at opened palms lined now with regrets threading through the wrinkles- regrets prominent on the dumbfounded mien, dancing on the edges of the quivering lips.
Neither of them had spoken a word. Frank was never comfortable with condolences when he had to dish them out to close friends and loved ones. He had many clichés readied on his tongue for all sorts of eventualities that dotted his line of work. Nonetheless, they were hollow. Conrad would never speak to his brother again, never see his face, never playfully ruffle the overgrown hair.
No word of condolences would mollify even a minute measure of the pain.
Standing by the door, unable to even move because the empathy was so great that he glimpsed the agony Conrad was floundering in, he could only watch his friend dissolve into those wretched sobs that could cut a goliath to the size of a dwarf. Everyone was frail inside but not everyone could cry.
He let his friend cry- he let his friend grieve. And he would just watch and be silent, letting Conrad know in silent companionship that he was not alone. That was what he was good at. That was the kindness he could show and Conrad needed.
***
Raising his head from his hands, Joe stared at the bare, white wall opposite him, his eyes wide opened and his jaws slacked. Con Riley had already left and Joe was alone outside the Intensive Ward, waiting for his brother. In the short time he came to know Justin, he grew to like the kid because in some ways, Justin reminded him of himself. And he had wanted to be a real friend to him, see that he didn't fall into the lure of drugs again. How did Frank do it? He knew Frank's solo cases without him involved deaths to some degree. How did Frank do it? How did Frank ricochet from the sudden exit of the people involved in any of his cases and immerse himself in work again so quickly? Maybe this line would make him jaded too but despite the grief, he knew he would prefer to feel. Nonetheless, he wanted his brother to teach him how not to let such setbacks hinder the progress of the case because their clients depended on it- that was his job. And Justin, though dead, still deserved every effort to clear his name, maybe more.
His eyes welled up- Justin didn't have a chance. And he did miss the young man who really had a good heart.
Dabbing his tears quickly away when he spotted Frank emerging from the intensive ward with Conrad trudging behind him, his black eyes downcast, Joe rose from the plastic chair and stuck his hands into his pockets. His brother didn't stop when he passed him, only swiped his head towards the exit, indicating that it was time to leave the hospital. Joe hurried over and whispered into Frank's ears when he caught up and walked alongside him, his gut feeling announcing with a sudden shortness of breath that it was unwise if Conrad should hear of the news that Con Riley informed him of earlier.
"Colin's bailed by his mother and somehow, some power Marcie weld over Colin is forcing him to remain clammed up."
"Power Marcie weld over Colin? Maybe it's Colin's fear itself." Frank whispered back, occasionally stealing glances behind to make sure that Conrad was still behind them but out of earshot, "I'll send him back home since he's obviously in no shape to ride his Harley and… I guess he's really alone. We have two avenues to follow now since Nan hadn't replied me. I want you to go and question Harold Wain- find out if he knows anything about the pills since it's his garage- just to cover bases. Find out more about Colin as well, like what can probably prompt Colin to talk… stuff like that and anything else you may think of. I'll meet you over at Marcie Brown's villa by the cliff and we'll carry on from there."
"And Nan?"
"I messaged Nan to call you if she needs to contact any of us…" Frank eyed him oddly, possibly noting his apprehensiveness, "I don't mean anything… it's just that I don't want to be disturbed because Conrad only has me as a friend now."
"Okay, I understand." Joe replied, wondering if the phrase was sounding old and routine. "I'll go see Harold and you go be with Conrad."
"Just to make sure he doesn't do anything silly." Frank clapped his back before slowing down his steps to allow Conrad to draw level with him, "I'll send you back, Conrad."
"It's all right. I'll go back b myself. I hired you to do a job- finish it." Conrad stopped in mid-stride and bore his gaze piercingly into Frank's eyes then Joe's. Drawing out a brown envelope from his back pocket, he passed it to Frank who eyed it suspiciously.
"What's this?"
"Payment. I went to the bank but with Justin's condition, it slipped my mind to pass it to you. I checked out your rate from the internet and I think it's all there. As for the bail, I think Justin's death wouldn't stop you from retrieving it back."
"Normally our clients' pay after we get the job done," Frank half-lied. Joe knew then that Frank had no intention to seek recompense from Conrad because, if the businessman in Frank was to surface, he would have accepted half the imbursement as deposit. The dark-haired man handed the money back to Conrad who shook his head vehemently.
"No, Frank…" The hardened steel in Conrad's reply, forging steadily into a fine tip dagger by the fires of vengeance which razed behind those deep, dark eyes, sent a shiver down Joe's spine. "I pay you in full now so you have no choice but to clear my brother's name. No choice at all."