TEN
The next few days were uneventful. Leo continued to check with his
sources to see what he could find out. Tiffany went through her Book of Shadows
several times but was unable to find out anything about who, or what, might have
changed the past. There was precious little for Chris to do. He tried
contacting some of his contacts but found they either didn't have any idea who
he was or they were dead. Everywhere they turned they wer4e met with dead ends.
Leo was off checking with his sources again one day when there was a knock
at the door. Chris was in his room trying yet again to figure out what was
going on. Tiffany opened the door. Whoever it was would have to come back some
other time. She was much too busy trying to figure out what was going on to be
bothered with some nonsense. When she opened the door, she was startled.
"Hi," said Cole. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by for a
visit. Mind if I come in for a minute?"
"Oh, uh, sure, come on in," said Tiffany.
Knowing he was really the upper level demon Belthazor made Tiffany
nervous. What would a demon want with her? Did he suspect she was a witch?
Had he come to kill her?
"Leo, Chris," she called into the other room, "we have company. Cole
Turner is here."
Chris came into the living room, ready for a fight. Leo, hearing
Tiffany's call, orbed into the kitchen and walked into the living room moments
later. They all stood looking at Cole wondering what he was up to.
"How are you all doing?" Cole asked, smiling at them. "As I told Tiffany,
I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop in and say hi. It was a
nice visit we had at the manor the other night."
"Yes," said Leo. "It was nice to catch up with the girls. It had been a
long time."
"By the way," said Cole, turning to Tiffany, "I stopped by the hospital
the other day. I was interviewing a witness for one of my cases and thought I'd
say hello as long as I was there. They told you me you had taken a leave of
absence. Funny you should take a leave of absence so soon after taking the
position there."
"Oh, well," said Tiffany, "I, uh, wanted to spend the last few days with
Leo. He's, uh, going back home in a couple of days and I wanted to spend as
much time with him as I could."
"I see," said Cole. "Everything okay with you, Chris? Staying on your
medication I hope. We wouldn't want a repeat of the other day, would we?"
"No, we wouldn't," said Chris, confused. "I'm fine now."
"I'm sure you are," said Cole. "I'm sure you are."
"Just making small talk?" Leo asked suspiciously.
"Not exactly," said Cole. "I was just wondering how long you were
planning to stick to this little charade of yours."
"What.... what are you talking about?" Tiffany asked, suddenly very
afraid.
"Just that you seem to have been on staff at San Francisco General for the
past five years," said Cole. "I checked. Odd that that little fact should
escape your memory."
"There must be some mistake," said Tiffany.
"Is there?" asked Cole. "I guess it's a mistake that Leo is standing
right here, too, then. Considering he's been dead since 1942. You look
remarkably healthy for a dead man who's over eighty years old."
Leo looked at Tiffany and Chris.
"And you," said Cole, looking at Chris. "You don't exist at all. The
only Chris Perrys I can find are either too old or too young. No social
security number, no drivers' license, not even any school records. That's just
a bit odd, don't you think?"
"What do you want?" asked Leo.
"I want to know who you really are," said Cole. "Assuming the identify of
a dead man isn't exactly illegal but it is very suspicious. Makes someone
wonder what you're running from. Or what you're hiding."
"You're mistaken," said Leo.
"Am I?" Cole asked.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Tiffany by the wrist. Leo and Chris
were ready to jump to her defense. Instead of attacking her, however, Cole just
pulled the sleeve up on her arm, exposing the bracelet she was wearing.
"I suppose I'm imagining this, too," he said, fingering the crescent moon
and star. "I noticed it the other day when you were at the manor. It took me a
while to remember where I had seen it. Then I remembered. About ten years ago
just outside of Las Vegas. So I'll ask you again: what do you want with the
girls? Or is it me you're after?"
"He knows," said Chris.
"What?" Leo questioned.
"He knows," said Chris. "That's why he's here. To find out what we
know."
"That's right," said Cole. "I know who and what you are. And I'm betting
you know who I am, too. Is that why you've come back to the manor? Did you
come back to vanquish me?"
"We didn't even know about you until Chris showed up," said Tiffany.
"Yes, we know who you are, Belthazor. But we don't want any trouble with you.
As Leo said, we just came by for a visit. Nothing more."
"Then why the charade?" demanded Cole. "And why are you pretending to be
cousins? If your visit were as innocent as you say, there would be no reason to
lie. You're going to tell me the truth. If you know who I am then you know I'm
not to be trifled with. And that I'm more than capable of dealing with all
three of you."
'Then why haven't you?" asked Chris. "Why the little chit-chat? Why not
just shimmer in and kill all of us?"
This time it was Cole's turn to look uncomfortable. Chris had effectively
turned the tables on him. Something he was definitely not used to. He looked
at Leo, Chris, and Tiffany without saying a word.
"That's a good question," said Tiffany. "Everything we know about
Belthazor says that he wouldn't hesitate to kill all of us. So why haven't
you?"
"It's too risky," said Cole, after a moment's thought. "I've planned a
long time for what I'm about to do and I won't let anything interfere with my
plans. But I also won't kill anyone unless I have no other choice. I just need
to know if you've come to vanquish me. That's the only reason I can think of
that a witch and her White Lighter would show up at the manor right now."
"Like we said," Leo said, "we didn't even know who you were until Chris
showed up. What we can't figure out is what an upper level demon is doing with
Phoebe and her sisters. They aren't witches. They aren't a threat to anyone.
So what's going on there?"
"It seems," said Tiffany, "that we all have our own little secrets. I
suspect being with Phoebe and the others is part of one of the elaborate plans
you often come up with. Care to fill us in on the details."
Cole thought for a moment. Neither side seemed willing to give the other
any useful information. And who could blame them? They had been mortal enemies
for millennia. Each side would not hesitate to kill the other if the chance
presented itself. They could stand here for the rest of the day exchanging
barbs or....
"I'll make a deal with you," said Cole. "I'll tell you why I'm with
Phoebe if you'll tell me why you've come back to the manor at this particular
time."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Leo asked.
"I could ask the same of you," said Cole. "If we have a deal, I'll go
first. If you'll give me your word to be straight with me when I'm finished.
If you can't trust the word of a White Lighter, who can you?"
Leo looked at Tiffany and then at Chris. Chris didn't move. Tiffany
thought for a moment, and then nodded once to Leo. It seemed to be the only way
to break the stalemate.
"Okay," said Leo. "You have my word."
"Fine," said Cole. "I'm with Phoebe because I broke the cardinal rule in
my profession."
"What's that?" asked Chris.
"I fell in love with my target," said Cole.
The others just stared at him. Belthazor's reputation was well known. He
was ruthless. Especially when it came to his targets. He was one of the
Sources' best henchmen. And he was standing here telling them that he had
committed probably the worst offense a demon could make. He was in love with a
mortal.
The next few days were uneventful. Leo continued to check with his
sources to see what he could find out. Tiffany went through her Book of Shadows
several times but was unable to find out anything about who, or what, might have
changed the past. There was precious little for Chris to do. He tried
contacting some of his contacts but found they either didn't have any idea who
he was or they were dead. Everywhere they turned they wer4e met with dead ends.
Leo was off checking with his sources again one day when there was a knock
at the door. Chris was in his room trying yet again to figure out what was
going on. Tiffany opened the door. Whoever it was would have to come back some
other time. She was much too busy trying to figure out what was going on to be
bothered with some nonsense. When she opened the door, she was startled.
"Hi," said Cole. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by for a
visit. Mind if I come in for a minute?"
"Oh, uh, sure, come on in," said Tiffany.
Knowing he was really the upper level demon Belthazor made Tiffany
nervous. What would a demon want with her? Did he suspect she was a witch?
Had he come to kill her?
"Leo, Chris," she called into the other room, "we have company. Cole
Turner is here."
Chris came into the living room, ready for a fight. Leo, hearing
Tiffany's call, orbed into the kitchen and walked into the living room moments
later. They all stood looking at Cole wondering what he was up to.
"How are you all doing?" Cole asked, smiling at them. "As I told Tiffany,
I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop in and say hi. It was a
nice visit we had at the manor the other night."
"Yes," said Leo. "It was nice to catch up with the girls. It had been a
long time."
"By the way," said Cole, turning to Tiffany, "I stopped by the hospital
the other day. I was interviewing a witness for one of my cases and thought I'd
say hello as long as I was there. They told you me you had taken a leave of
absence. Funny you should take a leave of absence so soon after taking the
position there."
"Oh, well," said Tiffany, "I, uh, wanted to spend the last few days with
Leo. He's, uh, going back home in a couple of days and I wanted to spend as
much time with him as I could."
"I see," said Cole. "Everything okay with you, Chris? Staying on your
medication I hope. We wouldn't want a repeat of the other day, would we?"
"No, we wouldn't," said Chris, confused. "I'm fine now."
"I'm sure you are," said Cole. "I'm sure you are."
"Just making small talk?" Leo asked suspiciously.
"Not exactly," said Cole. "I was just wondering how long you were
planning to stick to this little charade of yours."
"What.... what are you talking about?" Tiffany asked, suddenly very
afraid.
"Just that you seem to have been on staff at San Francisco General for the
past five years," said Cole. "I checked. Odd that that little fact should
escape your memory."
"There must be some mistake," said Tiffany.
"Is there?" asked Cole. "I guess it's a mistake that Leo is standing
right here, too, then. Considering he's been dead since 1942. You look
remarkably healthy for a dead man who's over eighty years old."
Leo looked at Tiffany and Chris.
"And you," said Cole, looking at Chris. "You don't exist at all. The
only Chris Perrys I can find are either too old or too young. No social
security number, no drivers' license, not even any school records. That's just
a bit odd, don't you think?"
"What do you want?" asked Leo.
"I want to know who you really are," said Cole. "Assuming the identify of
a dead man isn't exactly illegal but it is very suspicious. Makes someone
wonder what you're running from. Or what you're hiding."
"You're mistaken," said Leo.
"Am I?" Cole asked.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Tiffany by the wrist. Leo and Chris
were ready to jump to her defense. Instead of attacking her, however, Cole just
pulled the sleeve up on her arm, exposing the bracelet she was wearing.
"I suppose I'm imagining this, too," he said, fingering the crescent moon
and star. "I noticed it the other day when you were at the manor. It took me a
while to remember where I had seen it. Then I remembered. About ten years ago
just outside of Las Vegas. So I'll ask you again: what do you want with the
girls? Or is it me you're after?"
"He knows," said Chris.
"What?" Leo questioned.
"He knows," said Chris. "That's why he's here. To find out what we
know."
"That's right," said Cole. "I know who and what you are. And I'm betting
you know who I am, too. Is that why you've come back to the manor? Did you
come back to vanquish me?"
"We didn't even know about you until Chris showed up," said Tiffany.
"Yes, we know who you are, Belthazor. But we don't want any trouble with you.
As Leo said, we just came by for a visit. Nothing more."
"Then why the charade?" demanded Cole. "And why are you pretending to be
cousins? If your visit were as innocent as you say, there would be no reason to
lie. You're going to tell me the truth. If you know who I am then you know I'm
not to be trifled with. And that I'm more than capable of dealing with all
three of you."
'Then why haven't you?" asked Chris. "Why the little chit-chat? Why not
just shimmer in and kill all of us?"
This time it was Cole's turn to look uncomfortable. Chris had effectively
turned the tables on him. Something he was definitely not used to. He looked
at Leo, Chris, and Tiffany without saying a word.
"That's a good question," said Tiffany. "Everything we know about
Belthazor says that he wouldn't hesitate to kill all of us. So why haven't
you?"
"It's too risky," said Cole, after a moment's thought. "I've planned a
long time for what I'm about to do and I won't let anything interfere with my
plans. But I also won't kill anyone unless I have no other choice. I just need
to know if you've come to vanquish me. That's the only reason I can think of
that a witch and her White Lighter would show up at the manor right now."
"Like we said," Leo said, "we didn't even know who you were until Chris
showed up. What we can't figure out is what an upper level demon is doing with
Phoebe and her sisters. They aren't witches. They aren't a threat to anyone.
So what's going on there?"
"It seems," said Tiffany, "that we all have our own little secrets. I
suspect being with Phoebe and the others is part of one of the elaborate plans
you often come up with. Care to fill us in on the details."
Cole thought for a moment. Neither side seemed willing to give the other
any useful information. And who could blame them? They had been mortal enemies
for millennia. Each side would not hesitate to kill the other if the chance
presented itself. They could stand here for the rest of the day exchanging
barbs or....
"I'll make a deal with you," said Cole. "I'll tell you why I'm with
Phoebe if you'll tell me why you've come back to the manor at this particular
time."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Leo asked.
"I could ask the same of you," said Cole. "If we have a deal, I'll go
first. If you'll give me your word to be straight with me when I'm finished.
If you can't trust the word of a White Lighter, who can you?"
Leo looked at Tiffany and then at Chris. Chris didn't move. Tiffany
thought for a moment, and then nodded once to Leo. It seemed to be the only way
to break the stalemate.
"Okay," said Leo. "You have my word."
"Fine," said Cole. "I'm with Phoebe because I broke the cardinal rule in
my profession."
"What's that?" asked Chris.
"I fell in love with my target," said Cole.
The others just stared at him. Belthazor's reputation was well known. He
was ruthless. Especially when it came to his targets. He was one of the
Sources' best henchmen. And he was standing here telling them that he had
committed probably the worst offense a demon could make. He was in love with a
mortal.