10. Hall and Oates - Out of Touch

We stood tightly entangled, toeing the line of decency, just outside check-in when Bernadette finally kissed me good-bye. Resting her head on my shoulder she couldn't help but tease me a final time.

"I'm going to think of you," She breathed into my ear and I shivered. "Whenever I'm in the shower."

'Oh God!'

But I wasn't going to let her have that last bout without a fight. Two could play this game.

"Remember, don't mention our true relationship," I took a step back, but kept my eyes firmly on her, my smirk grew just a bit. "Since I give boy toy a whole new meaning."

"Yeah, it's me. I need a van and a cleaning crew, the whole shebang!"

…

"I'm not joking, Peppe. The guy just…really pissed me off."

…

"Listen, I will foot the bill, but this is serious. There is a lot of blood, my blood. I will explain it to Tomasso myself."

…

"Yeah, see you in a bit!"

I hung up the phone tiredly, leaned back in the chair, which was quickly becoming my favorite, in the good doctor's office room, and settled my gaze on the ceiling. The firm little stress ball I had found already making itself useful in my gloved grip.

That had been a major stroke of luck. When I had put Bernadette's cleaning supplies, which we had forgotten in our hurry to get down and dirty, back into the utility room I had found a fresh pair of cleaning gloves.

I hoped the guys appreciated the fact, that I at least tried to compensate them for having to deal with the mattress Bernadette and I…had used…a lot.

I did as much as I could think of.

Everything that had been on the PC in the laboratory was burned to three CDs, that now rested on the desk in front of me in a big paper envelope, right next to a fancy shoebox.

This envelope and the box neatly filled with the remaining jewelry in their respective cases were going to go into a safe deposit box at a bank in Atlantic City, which was thankfully just a 30-minute drive south.

This was going to be my emergency nest egg and I had no intention to trust Gotham City with it.

I just had to somehow convince Peppe to give me a ride. Maybe to have some private time so he could get me up to speed?

What else? The green Rolex case, or more importantly its content, on the desk hopefully appeased Tomasso enough and covered the expenses of a full cleaning operation.

Dekker's PC and everything around it, monitor, keyboard, cables, everything, was neatly stacked at the front door ready to be loaded into the van.

Nothing hinted at the fact, that there had been a PC in the laboratory. Every single piece of paper or sample I had found in the laboratory was stuffed into a suitcase and also parked at the front door.

Now it was just an empty creepy laboratory with a corpse and a lot of blood, which would hopefully be dealt with later by the crew.

Keyword suitcase. I was a bit proud of my thinking when I had grabbed a second suitcase and had dumped various clothing items and toiletries into it. I even had left the respective closet doors and shelves open, so that it should make the appearance of someone leaving in a hurry.

At least, I sincerely hoped so. I was still uneasy, given the whole world's greatest detective thing potentially going against me.

Whatever.

Qué será, será.

I calmly waited at the window when, finally, a van, generously decked out in painter and decorator decals, parked outside at the curb.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I made my way to the door and held it open for the troop of men in corresponding workwear. A glance out of the door to see if everybody was inside, and I calmly closed it again and turned to the men staring at me.

"Alright." I clapped my hands once, glad that things were rolling again. "Who's in charge?"

The middle-aged man closest to me gave me a calm nod. "That would be me."

"Good, up the stairs on the second floor, third door on the right. The bed has to be replaced." I calmly instructed; it would be pretty weird to have a master bedroom without a bed in working order.

"These electronics and the two suitcases here have to be taken away. I wish to dispose of them personally." I emphasized the last part. It was going to be me, a barrel, a match, and copious amounts of gasoline.

"And finally," I paused and looked at the head honcho. "I guess, I better show you the reason why you are here." Was it weird, that I was kinda looking forward to their reactions?

"One moment." He turned towards his crew. "Joe, Tommy, and Luis I want the equipment here in the foyer and the stuff here in the van. When you are finished go upstairs and take the measurements of the mattress, that done you can take the van and buy a replacement. Joe, don't forget the receipt." He finished his instructions and turned his gaze on me, clearly implying that he was going to bill me the new mattress.

I shrugged, fine by me, color me impressed, so far.

"Shall we?" I asked him and led him downstairs when he nodded.

"Oh shit!" The guy bringing up the rear exclaimed while the boss man remained calm and collected at the sight of my humble abode. Blood at my bed where the doctor had hacked off my finger, blood where my chair used to be when the doc had slashed my arms, and of course the various parts of the doctor himself. Meat cleaver still firmly lodged in his torso.

I eyed the boss.

"Wanna see my gym?" I asked innocently.

"Yes." He simply said.

I stood at the door but didn't open it yet.

"When the Boss comes later, can you tell him in detail how it looked like?" I asked of him.

We sat in the lounge. Tomasso and Peppe clad in suits and black leather gloves and I still with my yellow rubber ones. Stress ball in my pocket and the men working tirelessly downstairs.

The Rolex case sitting on the coffee table in front of Tomasso had been wordlessly accepted.

I had given them a rundown of everything that had happened while omitting a certain someone, and what I should be capable of. I even had held up my ring finger to drive the point home, that this hadn't been a fluke or a waste.

Words had been minimal so far. The silence that had followed when I had revealed the three CDs and had stated that they would remain in my custody, no ifs, no buts, had been deafening.

"The Ibanescu Family are becoming an increasingly annoying thorn in our part of the East End." Tomasso finally said and calmly fiddled with his suit jacket, apparently, he was eager to leave again.

"It's Monday," he stated, staring me straight in the eyes he stood up. "I want them gone by Friday."

That said, he calmly grabbed my gift slash payment and strode out of the room.

After watching him go, my gaze settled back on Peppe, who had made himself comfortable on the couch to my left.

"What are they dealing with?" I asked him unsure of my new assignment.

"They got big with animal fights," He answered easily and paused for a second holding my gaze.

"However, for some time now they had started to dabble with human trafficking and prostitution."

Instantly, I could feel my facial features turn into something ugly.

'That will make things significantly easier.'

[Chorus]
You're out of touch
I'm out of time
But I'm out of my head
When you're not around
You're out of touch
I'm out of time
But I'm out of my head
When you're not around

Hearing the song on the way to Atlantic City, I couldn't help but chuckle in fond memory of a certain game. Who would have thought I would live it.