Chapter 17 - Screaming Mimi

Lee fought off exhaustion as he moved in towards Mimi when her companions whittled down to one. Lee was confident that he could displace the young woman whose attention seemed to bore Mimi.

"Hey, beautiful. Glad to see a sea of brightness in this mosh pit of gloom."

"Mel wouldn't have minded me wearing pink tonight. She was an in the moment kind of girl, like me."

"Me too. I'm an in the moment guy, I mean." Lee winked.

"Oh, I can see that. I saw it across the room while you were talking to Rhonda. She was sloshing it down fast. What horrible things did she say about me?"

"Nothing bad. She just told me that if I liked after parties, you were more up my alley."

"You? I wouldn't have guessed it."

"Never judge a book by its cover."

"Fair enough. Why don't you come up to my room then?"

"I was hoping to start with something a little more sociable, which is not to say we couldn't end up there. I need more of a distracting atmosphere if you get my drift."

"Sex isn't distracting enough for you?"

"I just don't think I can get there real easily now. I'm more in need of something that makes me forget today."

"I know. Alcohol will just bring us down further. I have an idea. You have a car?"

"Yes."

"Let's go then."

"Let me just go say something to Roger first, okay? I'll meet you at the door."

Mimi ran her hand down Lee's shirt (what was it with women and his chest?) before she headed toward the door. Lee moved in on Roger's untended port side and whispered his intentions.

"Be careful, Lee. Mimi's judgment isn't great."

"Will do, buddy."

Lee took Mimi's hand as they walked to the valet at the front door. Mimi squealed when she saw the Cobra. "Oh, I think I like you very much, Lee."

"Where to, Mimi?"

"You know your way around the Mission district?"

"I know my way to it, if you can guide me to our destination."

"Fair enough," Mimi curled in towards Lee. Lee shifted up, jarring Mimi.

"Sorry, I didn't realize until after I bought her that she looks more romantic than she drives. Too late to get my money back."

Mimi directed him to a dance club. Mimi greeted the bouncer by name and he let them enter immediately. Once inside, Mimi led the way through the dance floor to a door guarded by another bouncer. "Hey, Meeno. How's tricks?"

Meeno glared at Lee.

"He's cool. He's with me."

Meeno opened the door. Mimi pulled Lee down the steps.

The intensity of the party going on downstairs easily doubled that upstairs. There wasn't a doubt why. People were snorting lines in plain sight. Lee was out of his element, but tried his best not to look it. The frantic noise and action made him anxious. That grew worse when Mimi ordered four lines for the two of them and pointed to Lee to pay since she hadn't brought her purse. Lee opened his wallet and let the waiter (is that what you call them, he wondered?) take what it cost. Forty bucks. The night wouldn't last long if Lee was buying. Lee hadn't visited a bank since before the last long mission.

Mimi inhaled two lines quickly before turning over the mirrored board to Lee. Fortunately, Mimi's attention was away from him. Lee leaned over the board, palming a handkerchief under the near end. He bent over with a straw and pretended to inhale as his preceding finger wiped the lines down into his handkerchief. He slipped the hanky into his pocket until he could find a trashcan.

Mimi was on the dance floor, oblivious to all but the music playing and whatever was going on in her head. Lee began to think he'd made a mistake. Lee joined Mimi on the floor. He knew he had to try. "You come here a lot with Mel?" he nearly yelled to be heard over the noise.

"I thought the point of coming here was to forget Mel!"

"Not as easy as I thought. How about for you?"

Mimi looked annoyed. "Mel came here plenty, but it wasn't much fun with her. She always needed to be the center of attention, no matter what. Blow didn't change that."

"I'm sure you're not the only person who felt that way about her."

"You too?"

"Not just me."

"No, she could be a real buzz killer, couldn't she?"

"Yes, she was single minded."

"Me, me, me, Mel!"

"In the end, it didn't work out so well for her."

"Road there was plenty bumpy too. If she hadn't been Miss Money-pockets, no one would have put up with her for long."

"Men too?"

"Especially them. All the time she was looking for a sugar daddy, she was the one who looked like a gravy train. Once they found out differently, they were gone."

"Was there any one she cared about?"

"There was one guy. He looked like a big spender, but he was all show. Mel really fell for him, until she learned the truth."

"Let me guess, blonde and blue?"

"Yes."

"Ever see him anymore?"

"Not for a while. Except . . ."

"Except what?"

"I need to do another line." Mimi frantically waved at the waiter. He came over. Lee opened his wallet and edged out a twenty in readiness.

"You want another too?"

"No."

The waiter shook his head. "Only one for her. We've got rules here."

Lee suppressed a "who knew?" crack. The waiter pulled out a ten sitting next to the twenty.

After Mimi inhaled, Lee didn't wait. He doubted she'd make sense much longer, not that he really knew what to expect. This wasn't an area of expertise for him.

"What happened to Mel's last boyfriend?"

"She dumped him."

"Have you seen him again?"

"Not for a while, but I thought maybe I saw him today."

"Where?"

"This afternoon, at the wedding, a guy dressed like a waiter looked just like him. Couldn't have been Ollie though."

"Why not?"

"Well, what would Ollie be doing at Mel's wedding? She dumped him after all."

"Maybe he wasn't over her?"

"Oh, he was over her, at least for a while. Trust me on that."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. We came to forget Mel. All you want to do is talk about her."

"You're right. I'm sorry. It's harder than I thought to forget."

"I know. It's like I expect to turn around and see Mel doing some lines any second. Buying for everyone. At least until a couple of months ago."

"Bet that's when this Ollie guy really cleared out, when he found out that Mel wasn't going to be his meal ticket."

"No, it wasn't like that. Ollie's a scrapper. Works in the movies, sometimes he has blow or weed to sell. He was really into Mel. He just didn't measure up to her childhood fantasy."

"How so?"

"Ollie wasn't really ever an officer."

"I'm sure he had plenty of other qualities."

"That's for sure. That boy rocked in bed. I . . . I mean that's what I heard."

"Hey, Mel dumped him. You're a free agent."

"Except he was still into her, even if she dumped him. I don't think she had entirely let go either."

"You think they were still seeing each other?"

"Something happened between them last month. I saw Mel cutting out of here with him one night. I haven't seen him since, not until yesterday . . . if it was him."

"You don't happen to know Ollie's last name, do you?"

"No."

"How about where to find him?"

"Why? Why are you so damn interested in Mel's love life? She's dead. I'm not digging this at all, Lee. I thought you were interested in me. You better leave. Now."

"I should make sure you get home safely."

"I'm a big girl. If you don't leave soon, I'm going to make a scene. There's something creepy about you."

Lee didn't wait to be told again. He disappeared into the men's room, disposed of his handkerchief, then fled up the stairs and out to his car. Except the Cobra was gone.