19.
At home I help unloading. We store must of the stuff in his room and the rest in the attic. Right after that I call Sharon. I need to be sure everything’s alright with her and luckily that seems to be the case. I impress her on her mind again to stay away from strangers, again with the excuse I dreamt about it. She swallows my story and promises me to be careful.
Diedie has indeed leaned over backwards and prepared a delicious meal of potato slices with onion and herbs, steak with pepper sauce and a Grace Kelly Caesar Salad. We eat at six ‘o clock, which is a lot earlier than usual. The atmosphere at the table is artificially happy.
After dinner Jabar and I head to the attic to check the messages from the contact persons. There’s one urgent message among them, coming from Kingston from Montreal, Quebec. My heart immediately skips a beat and I anxiously hold my breath. Sharon lives in Montreal! Jabar hastily looks at me and quickly opens the message.
Skype for a moment, please. Troubles!
We immediately open the Skype program and call Kingston. Happily smiling, as if nothing serious has happened, his face appears with tow-colored hair and freckles. He was probably impatiently waiting for us until we would call.
‘Jabar, finally!’ he says in a friendly tone. ‘Hi Manon.’
‘Hi Kingston, how are you?’ I ask.
Kingston is a vamp who invented a new term to describe himself, namely ‘arising’, which means as much as: I drink blood, but only animal blood. I think you can compare it to vegetarians who only eat vegetable products. He claims he wants to bring the ‘vamp-being’ to a new evolutional level this way.
‘I’m all good, but I got a strange message.’
‘What?’ Jabar asks.
‘A strange double murder in a company, here in Quebec. It was an article from a month ago.’
‘Who has sent that message to you?’
‘The sender stays anonymous. The strange thing is that I followed the same fact for a while. A month ago a manager and his secretary were killed quite brutally. No one saw a thing. Apparently they were drilled through and hit by objects from the manager’s office. You name it: a stapler, a chair, pens and paperknives, even the heavy filing cabinet. So I suspected the culprit was an otherkind. That filing cabinet seemed not to be shifted, no tracks were found of that and it was really on top of the two victims. Maybe a vampire, because that one has physical power or an angel who used his telekinetic gift.’
‘Why?’ Jabar thinks. ‘Two people could also have lifted that cabinet. Although that seems more unlikely indeed.’
‘All the more because murderers work alone more often than together,’ Kingston adds.
‘So there were more indications,’ Jabar concludes.
‘Yes. No fingerprints were found. Maybe this isn’t so strange because the murderer or murderers could have worn gloves. Even if it was a vampire. Nevertheless, an angel just has to use his mind and eyes to move things, even very heavy things he can’t lift with physical power.’
‘That’s right. Than why didn’t you tell us earlier?’
‘Because I wanted to wait and see whether the police would catch the murderer and whether it turned out to be two of them. But, honestly speaking.’ Kingston bites his lower lip. ‘Don’t be angry.’
‘I’m never angry,’ Jabar laconically answers. And that’s the truth.
‘I didn’t keep an eye on it. Troubles with the wifey. It’s no excuse, I know it, but nonetheless it’s the case.’
‘Don’t mind. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.’
And especially I do lately.
‘Well, so I got a message of an article about those murders. Seems the police hasn’t arrested anyone yet. They had a suspect and here it comes: according to our information it’s an angel who works in that company.’
‘Let me guess: they didn’t find evidences.’
‘Nothing at all. That angel, named Joseph Jones, worked in the office next to that manager’s one. The offices have those glazed dividing walls and plates. The guy that has his office next to the one of that angel confirms that Joseph didn’t leave his office for the entire morning.’
‘Than why was he a suspect?’ I ask.
‘Because he apparently had had an affair with that secretary and she had a relationship with that manager when they were murdered.’
‘I see.’ I still think it’s too far-fetched, but I get the police had to be desperate.
‘That angel was interrogated the next day and released that same day, so I thought nothing was going on and that it really was a human culprit.’
Jabar coughs. ‘But than that angel surely must have seen who did it.’
‘No, that’s still another story. Joseph claimed that the plates were half-closed and therefore saw nothing. Besides he was discussing documents through the telephone. His colleague next to him confirmed it and couldn’t see through Joseph’s office what was going on in the manager’s office, because Joseph was blocking the view. Not a single person saw anyone enter the manager’s and his secretary’s office and I find that especially strange.’
‘If the plates were only half-closed, then Joseph probably could just have seen enough to move the objects,’ I suggest.
‘I think so, yes,’ Kingston agrees.
‘So to me it seems rather the work of an angel than specifically that Joseph. Does he still work for that company?’
‘Yes.’
‘Didn’t he hear anything?’ Jabar asks. ‘It must have made an enormous noise.’
‘He claimed to have indeed heard some racket, but presumed they were redecorating the office. Apparently the manager often did that.’
‘That anonymous message bothers me,’ Jabar says thoughtfully.
‘Me too, but on the other hand it isn’t negative, is it? I mean, you can still punish that angel if it was him. The message was only a little article about the fact that still no suspects have been arrested and no evidences have been found yet.’
‘I’m totally ready,’ I say combatively. Awesome, finally I can let some steam off on something tangible.
‘How are you going to do it? What do you need?’ Kingston asks.
‘Picking up Manon at the airport and taking her to the home address of Joseph Jones. Manon’s usual weapons. The rest you can leave to us. I’ll still contact you when you may expect Manon.’
‘Great, and Jabar?’
‘It doesn’t matter, Kingston, like I said: to err is human.’
‘Okay, thanks. Manon, I’ll see you later!’
We close Skype.
‘How are we going to deal with it?’ I ask.
‘I’d like to see that guy in prison.’
‘Me too.’
‘But I’ve got a plan.’
‘Okay, bring it on.’
‘Still one thing, Manon.’ Jabar looks at me in a worried way. ‘I hope you realize this might be a trap?’
‘A trap of that mysterious N?’
Jabar nods. ‘Yes. Those murders have been committed, no doubt about that. But why and from whom did Kingston get that message?’
‘Yeah, I was thinking about that too. Don’t worry, Jabar, I’ll be very careful and with the slightest suspicious fact I’ll call you or I’ll immediately leave back homewards.’
‘Okay. First I still have to do some work on the computer. Hack into different systems, a few calls and then I’ll explain the plan to you.’
‘I’m going to bed,’ I say at the same moment someone rings.
We have a videophone in every room, so I run to the one on the attic. My heart skips a beat when I see Lucas’s intense look on the screen.
‘Who is it?’ Jabar asks without looking away from the computer screen.
‘A friend, I’ll go.’
I hurry downstairs before he can ask further questions. Almost running down Oded, I run into my room. In the bathroom I quickly comb my hair and put on lip-gloss. The ding-dong rings again and I can hear Oded on the videophone in the hall.
‘It’s for me!’ I yell. ‘Coming!’
Now I don’t have to come across too eager, so I take a few deep breaths, hoping to get my heartbeat under control. In the hall I see Oded who’s looking questioning at me.
‘It’s Lucas.’
‘Yeah, I saw that. Everything alright?’
‘Sure.’
I step outside and walk as calmly as possible to the wrought iron gate where Lucas is standing. Dusk has fallen and the scent of the night hangs around the house like an aureole. Nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets and a slanted smile he looks at me. I smile back faltering.
‘Hi,’ I say and open the gate.
He immediately grabs me by my shoulders and pushes me against the gate. His lips touch mine softly and teasingly. Slowly his mouth goes to my neck, kissing every spot on its way. I shiver and moan when he lets his tongue glide over my neck and I feel his breath warmly against my skin.
‘I crave for you. I miss you,’ he whispers against my neck.
His hardness pushes through his pants against my stomach. I really need to keep myself in hand not to pull open his zipper so he can take me here and now.
‘Not here,’ I say sighing. ‘Not now.’
He looks at me with so much passion my own lust goes skyrocking.
‘Then where?’ He kisses me, long.
‘I can’t tonight,’ I say with regret.
The disappointment in his look is very clear. ‘Why not?’
Yeah, why not? Oh yeah, I’m at home and I need to get up early tomorrow, an order in Canada.
‘I need my sleep tonight.’
His hand glides under my shirt and I can feel the lust in the heat of his skin. His fingers circle caressing around my navel and then towards my breasts. I moan and get a hold of his hair. What follows is a passionate kiss by which I lose my mind and control. Then I push him away softly.
‘No, I really can’t.’ I close my eyes so I don’t see his hurt look. ‘And don’t try to hypnotize me.’
‘Are you mine?’ he asks.
I open my eyes and look deeply in his. ‘Yes,’ I whisper hoarsely. ‘Yes.’
His hand grasps my breast by which I shiver over my entire body.
‘Let me sleep at your place tonight.’
‘No, not tonight. I need to go tomorrow.’
‘To where?’ He places kisses in my neck and then slowly opens his mouth. I can feel the sharp endings of his teeth softly penetrating my skin and hold my breath. It feels as if my heart is about to explode every moment.
‘I…’ The lust is almost unbearable. ‘I…’
‘What?’ He licks the wound and I can hear his breathing fasten.
‘Don’t…’
Nothing still functions, except my longing for him. Every cell in my body screams for his touch, for the feeling of his skin on mine, covering every centimeter.
‘Lucas,’ I whisper. ‘They can see us.’
He keeps on going and tucks up my shirt and bra. He tenderly kisses my nipples. My legs lose their strength and I’m about to be knocked off my feet. Still I know how to push him off of me.
‘Monday evening,’ I know to say. I put my shirt with trembling fingers back in my pants.
He doesn’t say a thing, only looks at me. And then his eyes change colors and become blood red. Oh no, he wants to hypnotize me. My muscles tense up.
‘Lucas,’ I suddenly say firmly. ‘Don’t.’
A deeper red circle appears around his irises.
‘Lucas, please,’ I beg.
He turns his head away, his breathing heavy and irregular.
‘Monday evening,’ he finally says after what seems forever. When he looks at me again the red gaze in his eyes has disappeared. I dare to somewhat relax again. I see him take a step away from me, disappointed.
‘Can you tell me what it’s about?’ he asks.
‘No, I’m sorry.’
He nods and turns around.
‘Lucas.’
He stops.
‘It’s nothing personal.’
He nods again and then walks towards his car.
Long after he drove off I still lean against the gate. I suddenly feel extremely miserable. I hope I didn’t chase him away because of that, if I just… But what’s done is done. What I have to do tomorrow is too important to fulfill sleepy-headed. While I walk inside I curse the situation that dominates my life right now. If only I had met Lucas at another moment.