CHAPTER 33
Somehow I found myself lost in the mansion and I wasn’t even close to the hall where the event took place. Or so I thought. I was walking through a long hallway when my ears perceived some murmurs. Eavesdropping was not my thing, but how else can a girl have her entertainment in a place where it was crawling with sharks? Spying on sharks, of course! A dangerous attraction, but hey, either way I was balancing on a razor sharp knife.
"Can you prove it?" I leaned closer to a closed door only to determine a man and a woman speaking.
"Definitely. Michelle was there when she pushed the button." Was this whole world spinning around four… five people or did it just feel like it, cause honestly? Michelle? Who was she framing now? But then again it could be that they were talking about completely different Michelle… Yeah… No. I wasn’t that lucky. "Duke, think about it…" Duke? Wow, stop for a minute. Although the voice did sound somewhat familiar, I didn’t believe the thought of him leaving the bar. Ever.
"I’m already thinking…" Was that a sigh and then a pause or my hearing abilities were good only for throwing them in the gutter? "Honestly, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now."
"The girl has gotten to you." Was she mocking him? And more importantly who was this girl they were talking about? Curiosity was killing me more and I was afraid I will take the same end as the cat. Speaking of cat, I wondered where my Friend was. "She’s not even your type."
"And who is? You?" He laughed. Who was he talking to? Damned lack of x-ray vision. Why couldn’t I be a superman or a superwoman? It would be so much easier. I would be able to fly. Because Morrison, you’re so not afraid of heights.
"Well… I thought you and Michelle had a thing…" The girl sounded somewhat unsure, maybe even scared. Of whom? Of Duke? Yeah, please don’t make me laugh. Even with a kitchen knife in his hand he wasn’t capable of scaring anyone. Fine, I was lying. In the morning when he had just gotten out of bed he was a bit terrifying. But only a tad.
"See, that’s your problem, Ray, you think, while it’s your job to know."
"What do I have to do to make you believe me?" I could imagine him smirking and thinking something similar of her stripping her dress off, of course if she was wearing one and it wasn’t on the floor already.
"You could start with telling the truth. I met her later on and she told me the place went up already when she got there." The description of the event sounded oddly familiar, I feared the most. Wasn’t it odd how I always happened to be in the right time and place to hear stuff about myself? It was like I didn’t even know myself and others knew me too well. If this would be some sick story or even worse… a novel, I would slap the writer straight across the face, because this was not amusing anymore. Or maybe not, if he or she wrote something nice about me, maybe I would even share my veggies with them. "So who is lying, you or her?"
"Duke…" She sounded hurt. Yeah, you know what, so was I, he didn’t believe me, me! Could you imagine it? When have I lied to people? A second ago, dumbass. Huh? When you were saying you would share your vegetables with the writer of your story. Oh? Isn’t that true? You’re so stupid, Morrison. You would kill him/her with them; there is not a single flattering thing to write about you. True. "For how long do you know me?" That seductive voice won’t take you nowhere, darlin’.
"For way too long. Maybe that could be the reason of you telling me, where exactly is Michelle hiding?" So she was gone? Imagine that.
"You could ask Elle. She’s the one who’s hiding her." What?! I jumped back with a loud thud when my heels hit the hardwood floor. And only then I remembered I was eavesdropping. The door opened and the girl to whom I was speaking earlier was in my face. Wow, she was dressed! Was there a single person left in this universe who didn’t hate me?
"Morrison?" Duke was standing behind a big oak desk. His eyebrows furrowed when the girl dragged me in without further questions.
"Let go of me!" I struggled under her clasps, for a lady who doesn’t kill she really had a good grip.
"You mind telling me what the hell were you doing out there?" Duke’s voice was cold when he addressed me. The girl had pushed me forward and had made me sit in a greenish armchair in front of the desk. I ignored her glance and stared straight in Duke’s dark browns.
"You mind telling me what are you doing in here?" I folded my arms as I stared on the paper covered desk. Guess what I found between the sheets? A gun.
"Trying to find your sanity. What do you think I’m doing?" Honestly? He really did want to hear the answer, because it wasn’t very pretty.
"I don’t know. I don’t get you recently." He pinched the bridge of his nose. What? Was I supposed to be able to read his thoughts? Well sorry, the creator of this shitty story, didn’t gift me with such ability. And now imagine Morrison, just imagine, if truly there was a dude or dudette sitting and writing this bullshit, doesn’t it mean he/she was reprobating herself now? Ha, that’s a good one, inner voice. I almost cracked a smile.
"You eavesdropped, didn’t you? This time, please, answer me honestly, did you or did you not kill Michelle’s family?" Wait, so he really did believe these slender legs and sophisticated nature know-it-all? I thought he was joking. He had to be joking. This day was all about jokes after all. My mouth flung open. I blinked my eyes for a couple of times. I think I had to go to the psychiatrist, this time I was quite positive I was delusional.
"You fucking believe her?!" My voice turned out as a shriek, when I extended my hand towards the skunk, who I believed was the closest connection to Michelle that he had. And now she went telling him that I was the one to know where the bimbo was hiding, and the most amusing thing from this whole nonsense was that she told Duke I had killed Walker, when really just a half an hour ago, she told me Catherine had done it. Who’s lying now, bitch? I really had to lay this harsh truth to Duke someday.
"That’s not an answer…" He spoke silently. Get yourself together. I took a deep breath before I looked at him. The gun somehow started to look very appealing to me. The appeal grew larger because I was unarmed, unprepared and I didn’t like being unprepared. Ever.
"Maybe. Maybe not… I’ve killed a lot of people. I’m insane." I shrugged my shoulders smiling my wicked smile. Insanity was always the reason for everything I did, although, I will slip you all a small secret, there was really no inner voices. It was just Einstein whispering in my ear. I was psychic.
"For fuck sake! Stop with the insanity already, we both now its bullshit!" Ooh, somebody’s angry and the girl, I believed was called Ray, was extremely close to the balcony, which happened to be opened. Convenient? Yeah, because the writer is a scumbag.
"Then we both are idiots, cause the prime suspect just got away. Good job, Watson." I watched as she went over the railings of the balcony. That just proved she knew a lot more than she was able to tell. She was working for someone and this someone happened to be Michelle. But why did Duke feel the sudden need to bring the past up? Hmm? I thought we were over it.
"Why didn’t you do anything?" Duke looked around, realizing I was right and I hadn’t even said anything in the matter, and neither showed any signs. Why should I? She was in front of him for the whole time, when I, in particular noticed that she started moving only when I smelled something overly sweet floating around me. Duke clenched his teeth. Hey, it wasn’t my fault.
"I’m not insane." I widened my eyes, emphasizing the phrase like it was so obvious, "If I’d be insane, I’d probably go after her, risking with another knife through my stomach," I reached for a bowl of peanuts that were laying on the desk just beside the gun. I threw a peanut in my mouth as I saw Duke nearly exploding with rage, "But, Duke, see… we both know I’m not insane." I widened my eyes for a mere second and smiled widely. Duke rubbed his forehead, walking around the desk with his other hand in his pocket.
"Please tell me you’re going after her." There was a vein pulsating in his forehead. Somebody was angry.
"In these heels?" I crossed my legs to reveal the deep cut of my evening dress. I looked over the shoes which brought me so much trouble, if they wouldn’t be so darn loud, I wouldn’t be in this mess.
"Morrison!"
"Jones!"
"By now she’s probably dug her way to goddamn China." Why was she so important to him? I didn’t understand a single darn thing and I knew he was not willing to explain, so why should I even bother? Because you care for the guy.
"No, she just closed the door of her car." I smiled as I heard the Escalade roar. In order to stay alive when California was being torn apart by two criminals (Yes, there was a time) you had to evolve every sense you got on yourself to stay alive. I happened to possess a very good hearing. From time to time.
"Then do something!" Again with the yelling, Jones?
"Your wish is my command, master." I saluted as I jumped up from the armchair and took the gun, hoping to god it was loaded. A desert eagle, oh it’s been so long since a good weapon had been in my hands. I was still waiting for my suitcase which, I think, Madd had taken to the pawnshop. It was just a matter of a second before the gun already was shooting. When the bullet met the surface of the Escalade, it went up. So I blew up Duke’s only chance to find Michelle. I predicted Duke’s yelling.
"You fucking blew it up…" He sighed heavily, "I said to do something, and you blow the car up… Just great. Perfect!" He yelled, so I was right.
"Next time be more precise with your words." I walked closer to see the burning vehicle. To think about it, Michelle really was missing for quite a while now, at least I thought so, otherwise, would he be all lovey dovey around me? I thought not. With a heavy sigh I leaned over the handrail, he was still cursing, and I was cold… and hungry and soon to get angry. The wind was playing with my dark bangs, we had to get out. I didn’t think the burning car in one’s yard would be something to miss. And what were we doing at the moment? He was going mental and I was playing with the gun. It was barely holding on my index finger when I noticed a fast movement by the burning car. It was good that most of these people were criminals so a burning car would be nothing too shocking, but it would be a clear sign of disrespect towards the host. "We should leave."