“He’s not here,” Leo murmured, seeing the pained look in her eyes.
“I know, thank you again,” Kathy sighed, and then walked to the door.
Chapter 28
The Game Takes a Turn
John was thankful for his new room. The first thing, he noticed, was no bright, flowered wallpaper, and the room smelled clean. He walked to the bathroom, held his breath, and turned on the light.
“Good, no mold, a regular shower stall, and a shower curtain.”
John decided to clean up, and then rest before going back to find Monet.
The hot water felt soothing, as he closed his eyes hoping to wash away all the crap he was going, though. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get the image of Kathy out of his mind.
It amazed him how his wife, the woman he had loved and trusted for twelve years could betray him in such a manner. It did not seem possible, but she had stood there, looking him in the eye, and denied any knowledge of the folder.
What a load of crap!
He had caught her off guard, not giving her adequate time to come up with a convincing lie. It was bad enough John had to deal with Erebus and all his crap but to learn how Kathy and Tom had betrayed him was more than anyone should have to endure.
As devastated as he was, John knew he would never be able to discover the answers all at one time. He would have to work on each one individually, beginning with Monet. Hopefully, she would give him some useful information on the man lurking around the prostitutes.
He had just turned off the water in the shower when he heard the room telephone ringing.
“Who can that be? Maybe the motel manager wants to know if the room is satisfactory.”
He grabbed a towel and rushed to the telephone.
“Hello,” but to his disappointment, it was not the motel manager.
The voice was low and teasing, “Hello John, are you all right? You sound winded.”
“I was great before you called. What do you want now?” John was in no mood to deal with Erebus at this time.
“My, my, such harsh words between friends. I only wanted to call and let you know I’ve noticed how busy you’ve been today. Have you learned anything important yet?”
Erebus knew the question would rile John, and he looked forward to the response with a tingle of excitement.
“Between friends, just how insane are you, and just to be clear; you are no friend of mine! As far as learning anything today, I’m sure you already know the answer. I’ll tell you what I do know; I’m another step closer to finding you. What’s the matter; getting nervous?”
For the first time, John felt as if, he was one up on Erebus.
Erebus chuckled as the game was becoming more enjoyable by the moment. Nothing was more satisfying as when his opponent began to fight back, as it always made things more interesting.
“Good John, I knew if you put your mind to it you would start to catch on. I look forward to what you’ll do next.”
“Don’t get too excited, you’re not going to be so glib when I slap the cuffs on you, you son-of-a-bitch!” John grew tired of his condescending comments.
“I look forward to it, John. Well, you need to get busy; we’ll again talk soon.” The phone went dead.
“I hate that guy! Nothing would make me happier than to put a bullet between his eyes,” he growled with frustration. John knew he was no closer to figuring out Erebus, as he was his damn game, but he was not going to let the jerk know.
The consistent taunting nearly pushed John over the edge. “I need to calm down and get some rest before tonight. Maybe a short nap will help clear my head.”
John walked to the bed. “Well, let’s see if you are any better than the last one. So far so good, at least, there’s no crater in the middle.”
He pulled the blanket back and noticed a clean set of sheets and no big bug among them. Ah, much better, he thought to himself.
John climbed into the bed then he pulled the sheet and blanket over him for some much-needed rest.
***
Kathy was at a loss for what to do. Leo was no help at all, and she could not bring herself go back to the house just yet. However, Kathy did learn Leo was hiding something by the look in his eyes. She did believe John had been there alone; Leo had convinced her of that fact. Why did John feel the need to go back there? What could be so bad, as to drive him to drink again?
For the first time in years, Kathy felt alone. With her busy work schedule and John, she never felt the need for a close friend to confide in, but she wished she had one now.
“What do I do? Think!” She groaned, noticing her stomach growl.
“Maybe a meal will help me think more clearly.” A small smile crossed her lips, as she realized what to do.
She turned at the next intersection and headed the car toward the little pasta restaurant she would always go to when she needed to think and enjoy some comfort food.
Chapter 29
The Loss of Your Soul
As John struggled to sleep, dark images filled his dreams. He stood on the edge of a cliff with the ground crumbling beneath his feet and falling into a dark abyss. John looked down into the darkness when the image of Kathy’s face formed in a swirling fog. As she moved closer, John realized she was laughing at him and chanting of what a fool he had been.
A voice filled the darkness around him, “John, stop fighting, surrender. You will never win; it’s not in you to win. You are nothing but a drunk and your life has been a lie.”
“No, it’s not true. I will never stop fighting you!” John struggled to escape from the voice as it wrapped itself around him. Despair filled his soul at knowing the voice was right. His life was a lie; he was nothing but a drunken fool.
“NO! Please…”
The voice laughed, removing all hope of escape. “John, why do you fight me?
“I don’t want to play your game. I want my life…” John took a step back when the ground beneath his foot gave away into the dark abyss.
Next, John found himself in a large room with several caskets lined up in a row. He walked toward the caskets when the people inside sat up and looked straight at him.
Those faces; he knew every one of them. They all pointed an accusatory finger at John and said, “We died because of your choices. The sacrifice of our blood is your burden to carry.”
John looked the row of coffins with shame and dread consuming his soul. First, there was Ray, next the murdered prostitutes, Frank Campos from the internet company, and lastly the lawyer’s wife, Alisha holding a baby tenderly in her arms. John felt their eyes burn into him, ripping his soul from his body.
From within a swirling mist, a new casket appeared. This one was beautiful, with gold and silk trim. John did not want to look inside of it, but he knew he must. He slowly stepped forward, but what appeared inside brought a cry from his lips, “Kathy? Oh, my, God…no!”
She was a vision of beauty in the flowing white dress, holding a white lily to her breast. John closed his eyes fighting to erase the image from his mind.
“Kathy, you can’t be dead!” John reached for the casket, but suddenly a fog wrapped around him, preventing him from touching her.
“Please God...no!” He fell to his knees, sobbing and praying for an escape from this torment.
The others began to chime in, “She’s dead because of you. We’re all dead because of you.”
“No, it’s not true. It’s not my fault!” John cried as he struggled to free himself from the demonic fog imprisoning him.
A mocking laughter sounded from off in the distance.
“Let me go! Kathy, you can’t be dead!” Wails of pain burst forth from John like those of an animal caught in a trap, struggling to free itself from the agony.
Kathy opened her eyes, “John, I only wanted to protect you. Why don’t you understand? You let Ray die because of your selfishness. I couldn’t allow you to destroy
everything we both worked so hard for. I did it to protect you, to keep us safe. Why can’t you accept that?”
“No, you betrayed me! I never wanted to live a lie. How could you deceive me all those years?” The pain was overpowering, and he longed for escape. John prayed for an escape from the fog, from Kathy and the others.
“It is not my fault I tell you!” John yelled, sitting straight up in the bed.
“Thank, God, it was only a dream,” John sat in the bed shaking and wet with sweat. He looked around the room before he got out of the bed and walked to the sink for a drink of water.
As he stood in front of the mirror, John thought back to the dream. All those people; is it my fault?
What confused him though was Kathy. Why would he dream she was dead? It must mean something else, but what?
John closed his eyes with her words flowing back into his mind. I was only trying to protect you, to keep you safe. I couldn’t allow you to destroy everything we worked so hard for.
“What a load of crap, you didn’t do it for me. You were only interested in saving your precious career. Oh well, once I’m able to prove I’m right, you will have to eat your words.”
John did not need anyone covering for him, and as for Tom; he was a fool as well. John finished his water and picked up his clothes to get dressed.
“Well, Monet should be out and about by now. Let’s go see what she knows.” John finished dressing, grabbed his wallet and keys and then walked out the door.
***
Kathy folded her napkin and set it on the table beside her plate. What an incredible meal. I needed this; she thought to herself.
While enjoying a cup of espresso, Kathy sat going over the day’s events. “What should I do next?”
Kathy knew it was best to go home, but the idea of finding an empty house did not appeal to her. “Well, I can’t hide here forever.”
The server laid the bill down on the table next to Kathy. “Is there anything else you would like tonight?
Kathy looked up at the server, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’d love it if you could turn the clock back a few days.”
At seeing the confused look on the woman’s face, Kathy chuckled. “No, thank you, I am fine.” She smiled and then handed the woman her credit card to pay for the meal.
When Kathy left the restaurant, she noticed a chill in the night air. “If all this had not happened, I’d be returning from Florida in the morning.”
She thought back to the warm Florida weather, with the sand and waves. “Stop it; you need to stay focused on what’s going on!”
A crisp breeze swept over Kathy as she walked toward her car; its prickly bite, causing her to lift the collar of her coat around her neck. She thought of going back to Leo’s Pub again, but instead, she decided to go on home. Besides, she out of ideas of where else to look for him.
While stopped at a red light, Kathy’s mind wandered back to her talk with the prostitutes. What should I do if John had sex with that woman? What if he’s been doing it for a long time?”
Kathy was lost in her thoughts when a horn honked behind her, “Oh, crap, the light!”
She knew she ought to turn and go home, but an unseen force controlled her; one she was unable to resist.
Kathy turned off her blinker then drove straight through the intersection. She knew it was wrong, but something forced her back to the part of town where the prostitutes worked.
***
“Damn, it’s cold tonight, and where the hell is everyone? Damn, I’ve been out here for nearly an hour freezing my ass off!” Monet glanced in both directions, hoping to see an approaching car.
“I can’t go back with no money. Shit, he’ll kill me!” Her pimp told her he would punish her, but it was getting harder to make the money needed to keep him happy. It was hard to work when your body screamed for release and hurt all over.
Monet craved a fix, but that took something she did not have: money. “Hell, I still owed him for the last time. He said if I came back empty-handed, I wouldn’t be needn’ a fix again.”
Monet knew what he meant. She had seen others that owed him money vanish, never heard from again. She looked both ways down the road again, praying someone would come. “Shit!”
***
The moon cast a shimmering light down on the streets of the city. Returning to the corner where he had met Pleasure, John hoped to find Monet. It was cold outside, and John wondered how they stood it in their skimpy clothing.
He looked up ahead and noticed a woman standing by the curb. As he got closer, he saw the red skirt with thigh high boots. She’s just as Pleasure described her; that has to be her.
Excitement coursed through John, as he pulled up to the curb next to Monet.
Steady yourself, John. You don’t want to scare her away. John drew in a calming deep breath then rolled down the window.
“Hey there, baby; wanna date? I know what you need,” Monet cooed as she leaned inside the open window.
Taken aback by her appearance, John recognized the old and worn out look of a junkie. I bet you are not even twenty-five years old yet.
John assumed methamphetamines were Monet’s choice of poison by her rotting teeth and nervous demeanor.
“Yeah, I would love to spend some time with you, but not for sex. I need information. I understand you were here the night Trina was killed?” He saw her expression suddenly change and prayed he had not screwed up.
Monet pulled back, suspicion on her face, “You a cop? I ain’t talkin’ to no cop!”
John hoped to put her at ease. “Not tonight, I’m not here to give you any trouble. I only need information, and you are the one who has it. I’ll pay you well.”
John reached into his pocket and pulled out two brand new one hundred dollar bills.
“I only need a few minutes of your time. I can see you are not busy, so I’m probably your best bet for the night.” John waited for a moment, and when she said nothing, he put the money back in his pocket.
Monet knew he was right; no one came out on nights like this. Hell, I need money to pay what I owe, and get enough to last until tomorrow.
“Okay, if you want to talk, let’s talk. Besides, I’m freezing my ass off out here!”
Monet jumped into the car and flashed John a smile. “Come on, baby, I’m yours for as long as you need me tonight.”
John snickered at Monet’s failed attempt at seduction. Pleasure wasn’t kidding about her.
“It shouldn’t take long, I only have a few questions,” John pulled out on the street and drove away.
Chapter 30
The End Has Come
Betrayal. The word stirs feelings of rage and pain to the one under its crushing attack. Kathy understood the range of emotions caused by that term. When Kathy left the restaurant, she planned to go home, but something pulled her back to where the prostitutes gathered.
Kathy parked up the block from the corner where she had met them earlier that day. It was dark now and growing colder. She knew she if she started the car for warmth; it would give her away. Therefore, sitting in the dark, and growing colder with each passing minute, she waited.
Kathy had about given up hope when she noticed a car drive up the road from the other direction. She looked at her watch, realizing a half-hour had passed since the last car drove by her corner.
Kathy held her breath, as she watched it pull up to the curb by the woman in the red skirt. “No, it can’t be!”
She leaned forward for a better look. “It’s John, and he’s talking to another prostitute.”
Kathy sat spellbound as they talked for a couple of minutes, and then she watched the woman open the door and get in.
“It’s true. He’s betrayed me with those women.”
In her wildest dreams, Kathy would never have believed John would do something such as this. John had never shown any interest in other women, but there he was back to meet another
one. Kathy sat there unable to breathe and watched as his car turned down the next street, out of sight.
***
Monet enjoyed the warmth inside the car. As she looked over at John, she wondered what he wanted from her.
Undoubtedly, he wanted more than just information about that little whore.
Monet was glad Trina was not around any longer. The other girls were upset about her death, but Monet never shed a tear. The bitch was getting all the attention, and only leaving the scraps for me. “So, you’re not a cop anymore? What happened?”
John had no desire for small talk, so he remained quiet.
“Okay, I get it. You’re paying to ask the questions, right?” Monet understood a man’s to be in control, which was fine with her as long as she was paid.
“That’s correct.” John pulled into the same parking lot where he and Pleasure spoke earlier. He decided to park in the back, away from the lights so no one would see them. “Here; this will do fine.”
Monet looked around, unsure of where they were. Her heart raced, and fear filled her as she reached for the door handle.
“Where are you going, I thought we had a deal?” John reached over and took her by the arm, stopping her from getting out of the car.
“I’m not going to hurt you; I only want information. I promise when you tell me what I came for, I’ll take you back, and you’ll be two hundred dollars richer. Now, get back in here, and let’s have a little talk,” John smiled, but his eyes showed his impatience.
“Okay, I’ll stay, just please let go of my arm.” Monet released the door handle and then leaned back in the seat. She then turned toward John, trying to appear calm and in control.
“So, I guess you want to know about that Councilman that killed Trina. I saw his picture in the paper. You know, I always knew politics was full of crooked people that hated us, but I never thought they would take to killing us. Hell, what makes them so much better than we are anyway? We both get paid to screw people, so what makes them so damn special?” Monet laughed at the thought of all those high and mighty people being no better than she was.
“I never thought of it that way, but I guess you’re right.” John could not help but laugh with Monet. Hell, he never liked most of the city politicians himself.