Chapter 12
"They don't know yet. It's not Kane...People are saying it might be...you." She slowly turned around to face him, staring into icy blue eyes. "Did you?" If he wanted to snap at her or call her more names, Rajani could handle it. "Because everyone thought you attacked Beth and Phil. And we both know you've been...violent lately and Taker did punch you in the mouth after I snapped on both of you. So did you attack him?"
"No." John said firmly. "Yes, he punched me in the mouth, but I didn't attack him. I didn't attack Phil either and I would never attack a woman, let alone Beth, who I happen to get along with rather well."
That was in a strictly platonic sense. The ice faded for a moment, being briefly replaced with worry. Worry for the people who were being taken out without any rhyme or reason. Worry for himself too because he was suspect number one.
"The only person I've been violent towards is Kane."
Rajani searched his eyes for a minute, trying to decide if he was telling the truth and couldn't find any deceit in them. "Alright, I believe you."
She didn't know why, but somewhere deep inside Rajani knew John wasn't capable of attacking people like this. Suddenly, Rajani realized how close they were standing together and swallowed hard, knowing there was no way for her to put space between them due to a safety railing. So instead, she turned around so her back was facing him, draping her arms over the railing and tried to learn how to breathe again. John was tempted to place a hand on her shoulder and apologize. Apologize for everything that was happening, for being a total dick, for everything, but...chances were, sometime sooner rather than later, they would be back at each other's throats. So...he'd rather not make an empty apology.
"Thank you." He said instead, his voice lowering almost gruffly as he stuffed his hands in his shorts pockets. "For believing me."
"No need to thank me, I just hope I have a good judge of character." She replied in a soft voice instead of the sickly sweet tone she normally used with him. Then she wondered if John was capable of filling her hotel room with those roses, frowning and suddenly turned back around to face him. "Did you pay the hotel to fill my room with colorful roses?" Rajani could tell that question COMPLETELY caught John off guard, immediately regretting asking it and decided it was time to head back inside. "Never mind, I have to go."
She walked away from him, feeling as though she was losing her mind now. All John could do was watch her walk away, wondering what the hell that was about. Did he pay to have her hotel room filled with colorful roses? Shaking his head, he gave her time to get inside and away from him before following. He wasn't surprised when security instantly spotted him and mockingly raised his hands over his head.
"Alright boys, you caught me."
"Let's go Cena, you need to see Stephanie."
"And Taker."
Well, that checked John off the list of possible people who could've sent her all those roses. 'Did I envision it?' Rajani thought, wondering if maybe her exhaustion had taken its toll and she actually dreamt up those roses. The smell was so real, everything was real...Rajani sighed as she arrived back in Stephanie's office, where Taker sat alone, Kane nowhere to be found nor the boss. "Where's Stephanie at?" She asked, trying not to cringe when Taker turned to face her with his bandaged forehead.
"No idea. She got a text and took off." Taker replied, shrugging one massive shoulder, bare from the waist up since he shoved the straps of his tights down, a habit of his. "You look like you're havin' issues." He observed, his head tilting to the side. "What exactly...did you apologize for earlier, before you took off for some fresh air?"
That had piqued his curiosity. Did she think this was her fault? How in the hell would she have reached that conclusion anyway?
"You caught that huh?" Rajani heaved a sigh when he nodded and walked over to take one of the available chairs. "I made the mistake of...suggesting to Stephanie that it could've been Kane that attacked you." There was no reason to lie to this man when he was bound to find out eventually, someway. "I didn't mean to accuse him. I just...after Beth and then Phil and now you...and with the way he's been acting lately...I don't know. But Stephanie assured me that he wouldn't and I trust her, so..." She had just signed her death warrant by rattling all of that off to The Undertaker. It was the truth though! "And yeah I am having issues, but nothing I can't handle. How's your head?"
"Pleasantly numb." Taker replied, considering everything she had just said. "All things considered, it's sort of a logical conclusion. On Kane's behalf: you're forgiven." He said, rather imperiously. "But...what would be his motivation for taking out Beth?" He asked, considering it. "And motivation for Phil?" In Beth's case, her brains had literally been scrambled. As for Phil, well...sadly, the little bastard would live to mouth off another day.
"See that's what I'm trying to figure out and there is no reason for him to attack her, but I know for a fact he did..."
Rajani immediately regretted saying that when Taker's eyebrow slowly rose, lowering her eyes from his. Eve was going to kill her! Rajani sometimes let her mouth run away with her, like now, but Taker was so trustworthy that it was hard not to confide in the man.
"Someone told me that they saw Kane do it. As far as Phil goes, that's still up in the air and Phil said he was attacked from behind." Rajani wondered if maybe she was in the wrong line of work, playing detective gave her quite the adrenaline rush. "And now Kane told Stephanie that his feud with John was finished. So I have no idea what's going on. You're his best friend, do you honestly think he's capable of attacking...a woman?"
"Someone told you that Kane attacked Beth?" He echoed, letting skepticism seep through his tone. Leaning his head back against the leather couch comfortably, Taker sprawled out on it in a sort of upright, semi-slumped position. "Are you sure they saw what they thought they saw, darlin'? Because I have a hard time believing something like that. Yeah, the man's off his rocker these days, but...to attack a woman for no reason..." He trailed off, green eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Of course he's capable of attackin' a woman, so am I. Doesn't mean he did it though."
"I don't know then. I'm just reiterating what I was told."
Maybe Eve was hallucinating and thought she saw Kane do it. Lord knows the woman had been having issues with him lately due to the on and off-screen feud with John. She looked really scared and paranoid at the Laundromat, so there was a chance she wasn't in her right frame of mind. Rajani actually moved to sit down on the couch beside him, finding it more comfortable than the chair. She normally sat on the couch to do her work so it was kind of her spot so to speak.
"Maybe you're right. I ran into Cena outside during my break and he said he didn't attack you. Just thought I'd let you know."
"Hmm." He murmured, not saying on the Cena score, still busy working on his own theories on that account. "So, you've told me what everyone else has said but you haven't said what you think." Taker pointed out after a quiet moment, turning his head slightly in order to look at her, taking in the obvious change to her hair. He hadn't noticed it earlier because he had been a bit blinded from pain. "What are your thoughts on all these things? Do you believe Cena?"
"Honestly? Because of who told me it was Kane that attacked Beth, I do believe he did it. I'm just not sure why he would though. As far as Cena goes..." Rajani looked down at her lap, clasping her hands together. "I believe he wouldn't attack you. I asked him straight out if he did and he said no. All you can really do is take a person's word and hope they're not lying, right?" When Taker asked who the person was that told her it was Kane that attacked Beth, Rajani decided to trust him. "It was Eve. She was there and witnessed the whole thing apparently, but she was in too much of a shock to say anything until later on that night. I believe her, there's no reason for her to lie about it and Beth is our friend."
"Hmm..." Taker stroked his chin, tilting his head back again. "Eve's been under a lot of stress lately with this angle." And the fact that it had gone from angle to actual day to day life. "Stephanie should probably send her home for a few days to get herself back together. She's going to make a mistake out in the ring or on camera eventually if things keep going the way they have. Not to mention she's probably going to worry herself into an early grave." That part, he did mean literally.
"I agree, I did laundry with her during my few days off and she didn't look good at all." Rajani couldn't deny it even if she wanted to. Poor Eve looked like death warmed over, or possibly worse, and no amount of makeup would cover that up. "Hopefully Kane meant what he said regarding this feud with Cena being over with so Eve can move on to something else." She knew that would definitely ease some of Eve's fears. Rajani frowned and looked at the clock, wondering what was taking Stephanie so long and glanced over at Taker. "What kind of person would fill a hotel room up with colorful roses?" She asked out of left field, looking thoughtful and staring straight ahead now, sighing heavily. "Do you think it's something to worry about?"
"Someone who wanted to send a romantic gesture I would assume." Taker said, taking that left field comment in stride without missing a beat. "And no, I doubt it's something to worry about. Sounds like you have a secret admirer. Was there a note?" When she shook her head, he arched a black eyebrow. "Well, did you call down to the front desk and ask them? They obviously had to let someone in the room, so...logically, they would know who had done it and be obligated to tell you."
"Of course I did and all they told me was that a note had been left with instructions that all roses were to be delivered to my room and placed everywhere. Even the manager didn't know. It's so frustrating not knowing who did it." Rajani grumbled that last sentence, unable to stop herself and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. "I think it's pretty cowardly. You know, I made the mistake of just blurting out to Cena if he did it and he looked at me like I'd grown a second head. So he definitely didn't do it. It's almost as if this person doesn't want me ever finding out and it's not fair."
"Well how do you figure it's not fair?" Taker asked, sounding more than just a hint amused, openly flashing a broad grin when she just shot him a look. "It wouldn't be a secret admirer or whatever he or she is if they had left a note or a message or something. Sounds like you're just going to have to wait it out and see. Why do you think it would be Cena? That idiot's idea of romance usually involves a 'wassup, you wanna catch some dinner or just go to the dessert?'." He snorted derisively.
Rajani heard that and bellowed out in laughter, not believing Taker just mocked John like that. She could barely breathe she was laughing so hard, wrapping her arms around her stomach and doubled over. That just made it worse, tears beginning to run down her face. It took her a good 10 minutes before Rajani finally calmed down enough to sit up straight again, wiping the tears away from her cheeks, though she still giggled.
"You definitely don't talk...street...very well." That was the only word Rajani could think of to describe how John talked, even though the man was from West Newbury, Massachusetts. "And I thought it was him because he's been pursuing me ever since I started working for this company and I've turned him down every single time. He just doesn't get it...so of course he would be the only suspect."
The very idea of him, Mark Undertaker Calaway, having anything to do with 'street', let alone being able to talk it well, was enough to make him laugh, though not as hard or as long as she had. The woman had had a fit for 10 minutes. She definitely wasn't right in the head either.
"Yeah...even with him chasin' your tail, I don't think he'd be smart enough to figure out how to seduce a woman properly. You've probably got more fans back here then you know." Taker closed his eyes, the pain medicine Larry had given him finally wearing off. "Where the hell is Stephanie?"
"I don't know, I'm starting to get worried." Rajani stood up from the couch, knowing Taker was right as far as the roses went. "Well whoever it was, I wish I could properly thank them because they were spectacular."
She had a picture of them on her phone. Having snapped several, including the bathroom, Rajani wanted to make sure she hadn't dreamt it up. She'd remember taking them on her walk back to Stephanie's office.
"I'm gonna go look around and see if I can find her. You stay put, you look like you're in pain again." Before Taker could say anything, Rajani was out the door and went on the hunt to find Stephanie, hoping she was alright.
Shaking his head, Taker clucked his tongue, closing his eyes once again.
"Who else would knock him upside the head with a pipe John?"
"Anyone but me." John had been standing in his dressing room arguing with her about this all this time. What wasn't going in his favor was the fact that the pipe had apparently been found in his damn duffel bag.
"You're on probation John." Stephanie sighed, wanting to believe him, but...the evidence, as well as his own attitude lately, were against him. "I'm not going to suspend you, but until I can get to the bottom of these attacks..."
When Rajani couldn't find Stephanie anywhere, she resorted to asking around, which lead her to John's locker room. Fate was really out to bite her in the ass, Rajani simply knew it. Staring at the door, she brought her hand up and knocked, hearing Stephanie and John both call 'come in' at the same time.
"Hey Steph, Taker was asking for you. I think he's ready to leave to go back to the hotel."
"Alright." She stared at John, seeing how angry he was, but being the boss definitely wasn't easy. "If I find out that you didn't do this, I will lift the probation, John. Just...watch yourself and be on your best behavior." She walked out past Rajani, heading back to her office.
Rajani barely shut the door to follow Stephanie before something crashed against it, causing her to jump back slightly. John was livid. Rajani made a mental note to stay out of his way for the next few days, hoping she could achieve that and headed back to the office.
"He says he didn't do it, which was what I was expecting." Stephanie said as they walked down the hallway, sighing wearily. "Even if he did do it, he wouldn't confess, no one would." It was the Undertaker. When he was recovered and knew who did it, Taker was going to make that person really wish they hadn't been born. "But the thing is, that pipe with the blood on it was found in his duffel bag. Of course, there is always the chance that someone planted it there, but...other than Glen who would do it? And I don't think it was Glen, Mark vouches for him for one. Two: he said he was done with the feud and, three: nobody recalls seeing Glen in that part of the building when the attack happened."
"Something definitely isn't right about this, Stephanie. It's almost as if someone else is behind closed doors wanting to frame Cena and make him fight Kane at every turn." Rajani couldn't stop going back to those roses, wondering if they really were from a secret admirer or maybe they were for a completely different reason.
"That's a good point too. I have no idea, but all I know is we only have one suspect and it's John unfortunately."
"Are you going to tell Taker about the pipe being planted in Cena's bag?" Rajani almost felt sorry for John and cringed when Stephanie nodded. "Do you mind if I head back to the hotel and leave you to handle that?"
"Not at all, try to get some more rest, Raja." She smiled tentatively before walking inside the office, closing the door behind her.
"Night." Rajani whispered, heading off toward the exit with a million thoughts swirling around in her head.