Fanfic: B&S episode 602: part 3/4
Season 6 - Episode 2 - UPSIDE DOWN (DIZZY DOES IT MAKE ME)
By Marea67
About: Brothers & Sisters (general)
Rate: Can’t go higher than PG-13, as this is American Television, but I may add a few ‘deleted scenes’ here and there. ;)
Disclaimer: Just escaping from reality here, not created for financial gain
Summary: It is my very own season 6, you guys! Go with it! ;) Don’t complain! If YOU can do better, post your own story! (I dare you!)
***** PART 3/4 *****
“Good-afternoon, my name is Justin Walker. They brought in a guy here. A few days ago. OD. I was the paramedic who helped him and I wanted to know how he’s doing.”
“Just a moment, I’ll check…” The nurse tells him with a sweet smile, after Justin gives her the name of the patient. She disappears behind a door.
Justin hears voices behind him and something in one of the voices makes him turn around. The woman looks up from the work-sheet in her hand.
“Justin?” She asks surprised.
“Fawn! Oh my God. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I work here.”
“As a nurse?”
“Yes, that too, and in my little spare time I lecture on the dangers of drug-abuse.” Her voice is soft and friendly, almost shy.
“I’m impressed…. Last time I saw you….” He tries to remember that far back, but it’s too blurry. Fawn sees him struggle.
“Last time you saw me, you kicked me out, after sleeping with me, because your girlfriend showed up.” Fawn replies, without a sign of there being some bad feelings.
“Ah. Yes. Sorry about that.” Justin replies awkwardly. Fawn can’t help by grin.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t like I was heart-broken. I was more concerned with where to get my next fix.” She replies in all honesty.
“That seems to have been thing that bound us to each other.” Justin admits.
“Well, until the next fix anyway.” She nods. “How have you been? Where have you been? Are you completely clean?”
“Completely clean… I’ve been back to Iraq. Twice. Got married. Got divorced. Got a girlfriend. In fact, I got back together with the girl-friend from way back then.”
“What was her name again? Tammy? Tamara? Something with a ‘T’.”
“Tyler.”
“Ah, yes…. But you weren’t married to her?”
“No. I was married to Rebecca Harper. We got divorced last year.”
“Sorry. Drugs-related?”
“No.” Justin shakes his head. “And you?”
“Unmarried mother. I have a son, Julian, 5 years old, nearly 6…. It’s why I had to quit drugs. The day I found out I was pregnant, I quit. Cold turkey.”
“That must have been tough.”
“No. Not really. The quitting itself wasn’t difficult. I could hold steady for the first two weeks, but then I had some troubles and the need for drugs became very strong again.
“What did you do?”
“I walked by a church, saw the doors were open, walked in and started to pray… I met a young minister who helped me so much. We talked a lot. He helped me to get professional help. I could call him in the middle of the night if I wanted and then we would pray for strength.
I don’t know what would have done without Reverend McCallister. He saved my life by reminding me why I had to do this… That I had a baby to think off.”
“Reverend Jason McCallister?” Justin asks astounded.
“Yes. You know him?”
“My sister’s brother-in-law. Dated my brother for a few months.” Justin waves it away as an unimportant bit of information. “But is your child alright? … I mean, you often hear when mothers take drugs during their pregnancy…” He feels bad for asking the question, because he can see the painful look on Fawn’s face.
“It was one of my biggest fears. Would my baby be slow or handicapped in some way? Suffer from some illness? What if I had ruined his or her life? … He's a bit small for his age, but no one else in my family is tall, except my father, so not sure if it is a consequence of the drugs.
But so far Julian's growth is consistent with that of other kids. He learns quickly and doesn’t seem to have any side-effects from my using…. So far.” She adds. Justin suddenly realizes that the boy is nearly six and he wonders if… Fawn sees the concentrated look on his face and she guesses his thoughts.
“Yes.” She answers, without being asked the question. “He could be. Your son…. Or he could someone else’s. I wasn’t exactly too careful and I don’t remember every man I slept with either. But I don’t care. He’s my son and I’m not looking for a father for him. So, you have no worries.” Fawn smiles gently, making it clear that she’s not angry.
“If he’s mine, I’d take my responsibility.” Justin says.
“I know you would, but … I don’t need you to do that. I’m clean. I have an income. I have a house. My staying off the drugs made that my mother accepted me back in her life and she’s an amazing grandmother. I can give my son everything he needs. Please, be happy with your girlfriend. And let me enjoy my son.” Fawn answers.
“If this is what you want.” Justin nods.
“It is.” Fawn replies. At that moment the nurse comes back.
“I’m sorry… He didn’t make it through the first night….” She says quietly. Justin blinks, remembering the reason why he came here in the first place.
“Thank you.” He replies, having mixed emotions. So one person from his previous life hadn’t made it through the night after an OD. The other one is clean, a mother and a nurse…
“Hey, don’t let it get you down.” Fawn says softly and she places a hand on his shoulder.
“We both knew him.” His voice is rough.
“Oh. Him.” She says quietly. “I read about his death…. His heart gave up the fight.”
“I should have saved him.” Justin whispers. Fawn takes his hands.
“Justin, we can't save them all. The best way to honor him now, is to remember why we shouldn’t relapse.”
“I agree. What are you going to do now?”
“Hand over my papers as my shift is done. Then I’ll light a candle for him in the small chapel we have here and I’ll pray for him. After that, I’ll go home and hold my son very tightly and be grateful that God helped me to be done with that shit.” She replies.
“Can I meet you at the chapel?”
“Sure.” She smiles. “Ten minutes?”
“Fine with me.”
“See you there.” She smiles.
*****
“Chad, I can only say that I’m happy, that you’re on board with us.” Dane Kane, the director of his new movie tells him.
“I can’t believe that you actually gave me the part of Neville.” Chad looks real pleased with himself and Dane grins.
“Well, to be honest, we did have our doubts. I believed that you were good enough for Terry, but a ‘soap-star’ playing a character as complicated as Neville? I wasn’t sure you’d pull it off. But you walked that balance between normal behavior and insanity just fine.”
“I had a good example.” Chad mumbles thinking back of Alex Grodin. “So, .. ahm, where and when will it be shot?”
“We are currently making some out-side shots in Tennessee, just to get the right feel, but most of the movie will play indoors. We’re just looking for the right location, but it may take out to somewhere else in California. We haven’t found the place yet, that is ‘just right’.”
“I see. I suppose that means I won’t be home for several weeks?”
“Depending on where we find the right location, if we find it, than is quite possible you'll be gone for a while, yes. Is that a problem?” Dane suddenly feels worried, hoping that Chad won’t suddenly go all diva on him with outrageous demands.
“No, not really, but as a recently married man, I wanted to spend some more time with my partner first. But it’s not a problem. We’ll deal with it when the time comes.” Chad smiles and Dane heaves a sigh of relief.
*****
“Who?!” Max Carter believes his misunderstood the message.
“A man called Alex Grodin called for you, from out of prison. Asking you to please get in touch with him. It’s urgent.” The young police-officer repeats his message. Yes, that was what Max heard the first time as well. Alex Grodin. Well, that is a surprise.
“I have to go to that prison anyway to speak with someone else. I’ll talk to him too.” Max promises and he grabs his coat and keys, wondering what on Earth Alex could have to discuss with him? He knows that Alex takes his meds, so he can’t be crazy, but what reason could this psychopath have to contact him?
*****
Cleo leaves Scotty and Tyler at the elevator door to berate one of the chamber-maids.
“At every turn and on every floor I keep expecting Jack Nicholson to come at us, with an axe, yelling ‘He-e-e-ere’s Johnny!’…..” Tyler replies.
“Yeah, either that or some guy with a hockey-mask and a machete.” Scotty sighs.
“Does someone, beside Justin, know where we are? … If we go missing…”
“… I’m sure Kevin will check the freezers in the basement.” Scotty grin.
“Phew.” Tyler nervously giggles as well, before they both try to compose themselves because Cleo returns to them.
From the very dark break-fast-room, that only had a few guests listlessly having something to eat, to the creaking elevators to the seemingly empty floors 3 and 4, the whole place gives off an air of sadness and bleakness, though not unloved. Maybe that is the thing that makes Scotty wonder what to do.
The people who work at “The June-Flower” love their work and seem enthusiastic. Cleo talks with love and gentleness about the place. The chamber-maids they met had been cheerful and nice and there’s a bell-boy, an older man named Boy, who made Tyler and Scotty laugh with his kind jokes.
And, maybe, more importantly, it’s clean. There’s no dust in the rooms that Scotty and Tyler can visit. The small windows don’t let in much light or fresh air, but the rooms don’t smell half as musty as they could have, considering their poor situation and, not even Tyler, with the keen eye of a hotel-manager, can find spiders or other insects.
“Well, this was the last floor, there’s nothing more to see here.”
“What about the 5th floor?”
“We never use that one. We hardly manage to have enough guest for 3 floors. The 4th floor is usually for when the there’s a convention in town, but the 5th floor…. Mostly closed off.”
“Can we see it anyway?” Scotty asks and Cleo looks uncomfortable.
“Yes, of course, but like I said, it hasn’t been used in a long time…” She presses the elevator-button for the 5th floor and when the doors open again, Scotty and Tyler access the 5th floor.
“I take back anything ghoulish I thought about the other floors. Nothing compares to this.” Tyler says, getting a creepy feeling. The corridor seems to stretch out forever and becomes more and more narrow in the end. The doors at either side are all closed and it somehow doesn’t feel more comforting.
“Staff don’t really like this floor.” Cleo says quietly. “I don’t like here it here either. I guess, it’s just the fact that no one ever uses it, it all feels so desolate here.” She shivers. A light flickers in the distance. “We only use a few of the lights here, not all lights are turned on. It’s just so we don’t step into an black hole when we open the door.”
She can explain why so little of the lights on the wall are turned on and Scotty and Tyler can see the logic of it, but still the floor creeps them out. Scotty clears his throat and asks:
“Did you not say that Mr Corvin had ‘private quarters’? And.. is there no kitchen? As a chef-cook, I’m most interested in seeing what it looks like.”
“Well, yes, but….” Cleo stops and gives them a forced smile. “Of course, … you have the right to see them… Please, follow me.” She presses the number ‘6’ in the elevator and both Scotty and Tyler are happy to see the doors of the 5th floor close, suddenly feeling less creepy about the hotel again.
When the doors open again, a floor higher, they give access to a little hall with a door marked ‘private’ in large letters. The door is locked, but Cleo has the key.
“These are Mr Corvin’s private quarters…” Cleo says. She opens the door and she lets Scotty and Tyler enter.
The first thing they see is a spacious, but nearly empty living-room with an open kitchen filled with modern kitchen-appliances, that shine so brightly because they don’t seem used.
“Mr Corvin liked cooking, had a new kitchen put in, but his condition took a turn for the worst a few days after the kitchen got finished…” Cleo softly says.
There’s a door leading to a small hall that has several doors.
“There are 10 bedrooms and three bathrooms here.” Cleo explains. “Mr Corvin had quite a large family, but … he broke contact with them when it became rather apparent that they would only visit him when they needed money… It hurt him very much.”
“Sounds like Mr Corvin was a lonely man? ” Scotty ask softly, but Cleo vehemently shakes her head.
“No. Oh, no! No, he wasn’t. He had the hotel, the guests, me, the staff. He was happy, until his last heart-attack two years ago. He became a recluse after that.
He didn’t want to be a burden to anyone and he felt guilty for all the responsibility he put on my shoulders. Kept telling me how sorry he was…. He was such a sweetheart.” She presses the small handkerchief, that she’s been holding all along, against her eyes and she’s visibly moved, but she picks herself up again.
“This is where Mr Corvin spend the last two years of his life.. As you can see, there’s an adjoining room. He would sleep in that room and I slept here. It has a bathroom, so I didn’t have too much trouble taking care of him.” Despite the closeness of the bed and the bathroom, it is still quite a distance and Cleo doesn’t seem that strong.
“Can I asks you a question? If you love this place so much and you took such good care of him, why didn’t he leave you the hotel?” Scotty asks.
“I don’t know. He never stopped loving your mother. When he found out a few years ago that Bertha had a son, he tried to find out more about you. Private investigator and all.” Cleo explains. Scotty starts to feel uncomfortable.
“He strongly reconsidered his plan to make you inherit it all, when he found out that you were gay… Being gay was so ‘not done’ in his view of the world. He was old-fashioned that way. But then he read an interview you gave to a local paper, where you openly told about your struggle to become a chef-cook and he was impressed. He even had dinner at Café 429 once and he liked the food, the ambiance, the kindness of the staff and your cooking.
He saw your husband and found out more about him as well. I think, in general he was impressed with you, your husband, your lives, your struggles…. He believed that the “June-Flower” was worthy of someone like you. He absolutely loved this place.” She shivers and then softly asks: “Are you going to sell this hotel?”
“I don’t know yet.” Scotty replies, somehow feeling miserable about having to make such a difficult decision. “I’d like to see the kitchen.”
“Just a minute. I will take you back down to the kitchen in a bit.” Cleo smiles and she moves to the telephone on Mr Corvin’s desk.
Scotty and Tyler quickly look at all the bedrooms. Most of them are empty and unwelcoming. The 3 bathrooms are clean though.
“Do you still live here?” Tyler asks, once Cleo comes back. Cleo seems surprised by her question, but shakes her head.
“I moved out the day after Mr Corvin died. Room 101, the first room on the first floor is mine for the time being… I don’t like to come here right now. I see Mr Corvin everywhere. I keep hearing the buzzer he used to get my attention. It sometimes feels like he never left.”
*****
“And that will be the last one. Right there.” Sarah signs the last sheet of paper and it’s done. She no longer owns anything. It feels weird to her that she’s suddenly without a job again, but the offer is amazing. She’d be a fool not to take it. And this way, her entire family has a lot of cash in their hands, for them to decide what to do with.
She walks into her office, daydreaming about everything she could do with the money. Travel for instance. Do something different with the house. Perhaps Luc would like a new car. And what could the others do? Saul and Jonathan would probably put it in their house in Palm Springs.
Justin and Tyler could need it if they plan to move in together. Scotty and café 429, Kevin perhaps for his practice. Tommy… Should she think about Julia and Elizabeth as well? What about Ryan? … Joe? She frowns. A part of her wishes to share the wealth, but not too much…Not with Joe and Paula.
On the other hand, Julia could need the money and her daughter is a Walker. Joe was the father of her own two kids and it wasn’t like she had always been unhappy with him. She loved Gabe like a son for more than 10 years. So many questions… Only one thing she can do. She calls Nora.
*****
“Good afternoon, Mr Stanton. My name is Kevin Walker, I used to work for Senator Robert McCallister…?”
“I remember him.” Bill Stanton replies and Kevin wonders if he imagines it that Stanton just suddenly seemed more guarded on the telephone.. “How did you get this number? It’s a very private line.”
“As his friend, former communications director and brother-in-law I had, and still have, access to all his private information.” Kevin replies, putting some arrogance in his voice, to make sure that Stanton doesn’t hang up on him. “I want to meet you.”
“I’m a busy man, Mr Walker. Why would I bother?”
“I have some very interesting tapes… that perhaps are not of any value to me or my family, but that… should perhaps not fall in the wrong hands…. People might… misunderstand… the conversation you had with Robert. Such misinformation could have serious repercussions on your current business-deals.”
“I see… That would be inconvenient. Misinterpretation can cause such havoc.” Stanton replies and Kevin relaxes a bit. “I’m on my way to a conference and I’m not in the office tomorrow. How about… the day after tomorrow? My office? 10 o’clock in the morning?”
“That is acceptable.” Kevin nods.
As he puts down the phone, he lets go off the breath he’s been holding. He sinks back in his chair and counts to ten with his eyes closed, slowly feeling the tension subside. Once, the moment of panic is over, Kevin walks up to his filing cabinet and opens the top drawer.
There, all in the back, hidden in a small box, is a gun with a silencer.
It was delivered to his office this after-noon, with a card attached that simply said: “As discussed. A.” Kevin had shivered at the realization that it was a gun, that Alex apparently knew where he lived and that he had just been given a weapon to kill someone else with.
It all feels unreal. He has motive, means and opportunity. A text-book murder. He shivers, when he remembers the message on his personal voice-mail:
“If you’re going to do this, I’ll make sure that you’ll do it right. You’ll get a box with a gift from me.
It’s not registered. It’s already put together. Do NOT take it apart and do NOT leave your fingerprints everywhere. Once you’ve gone through with your plan, I will see that it gets picked up from your office again and that it will be disposed of. I will personally arrange that.”
Even from prison Alex seems to know how to get to Kevin, but Kevin isn’t sure if he should feel worried or scared about that. For now, he feels strangely protected by Alex’s care and that feels good. He takes out the gun. It’s heavy, but not uncomfortable in his hand. His thumb caresses it.
For a moment, Kevin is completely shocked by the good feeling it gives him and he quickly takes the gun out of the box and he puts in his brief-case... He starts to tremble. This is insane. Insane! Alex is right. This not for him! But Kevin closes his eyes and waits for the moment of panic to subside. He locks his briefcase. He’s ready to meet Stanton.
*****
Sarah checks her bag for the seventh time.
“Sarah, you have everything in there. You checked your baggage for the 10th time in 4 days. Passport, money, … we don’t need anything else. My family will receive us with open arms.”
“I do hope I’ll make a good impression.” Sarah worries.
“How could they not love you?” Luc replies automatically and Sarah sighs. She can think of a few reasons.
“Maybe I should call Paige and Cooper, before I leave….?” She thinks and this time Luc makes an annoyed little noise.
“Ah, non! We have a plane to catch. Paige called you to tell you they arrived safely. They are the responsibility of Joe and Paula, not yours…” Sarah opens her mouth to give him a lecture on how worrying for your kids doesn’t stop when they leave with their dad, but Luc beats her to it.
“I’m sorry, cherie, you know what I mean. I know, you won’t stop worrying about them. Just … let them have their time with their father. What if Joe called every ten minutes, to check on the kids, when they are with you? You’d get very angry and frustrated… Why do this Joe? Let him and his wife have fun with the kids, so we can have fun of our own.”
Sarah still doesn’t completely agree with him, but decides to let it go.
“France, here we come.” She answers, faking more fun than she really feels. Luc wraps an arm around her and together they wait outside for Saul to pick them up and drive them to the airport.
*****
End of part 3/4
**** COMMERCIAL BREAK *****
By Marea67
About: Brothers & Sisters (general)
Rate: Can’t go higher than PG-13, as this is American Television, but I may add a few ‘deleted scenes’ here and there. ;)
Disclaimer: Just escaping from reality here, not created for financial gain
Summary: It is my very own season 6, you guys! Go with it! ;) Don’t complain! If YOU can do better, post your own story! (I dare you!)
***** PART 3/4 *****
“Good-afternoon, my name is Justin Walker. They brought in a guy here. A few days ago. OD. I was the paramedic who helped him and I wanted to know how he’s doing.”
“Just a moment, I’ll check…” The nurse tells him with a sweet smile, after Justin gives her the name of the patient. She disappears behind a door.
Justin hears voices behind him and something in one of the voices makes him turn around. The woman looks up from the work-sheet in her hand.
“Justin?” She asks surprised.
“Fawn! Oh my God. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I work here.”
“As a nurse?”
“Yes, that too, and in my little spare time I lecture on the dangers of drug-abuse.” Her voice is soft and friendly, almost shy.
“I’m impressed…. Last time I saw you….” He tries to remember that far back, but it’s too blurry. Fawn sees him struggle.
“Last time you saw me, you kicked me out, after sleeping with me, because your girlfriend showed up.” Fawn replies, without a sign of there being some bad feelings.
“Ah. Yes. Sorry about that.” Justin replies awkwardly. Fawn can’t help by grin.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t like I was heart-broken. I was more concerned with where to get my next fix.” She replies in all honesty.
“That seems to have been thing that bound us to each other.” Justin admits.
“Well, until the next fix anyway.” She nods. “How have you been? Where have you been? Are you completely clean?”
“Completely clean… I’ve been back to Iraq. Twice. Got married. Got divorced. Got a girlfriend. In fact, I got back together with the girl-friend from way back then.”
“What was her name again? Tammy? Tamara? Something with a ‘T’.”
“Tyler.”
“Ah, yes…. But you weren’t married to her?”
“No. I was married to Rebecca Harper. We got divorced last year.”
“Sorry. Drugs-related?”
“No.” Justin shakes his head. “And you?”
“Unmarried mother. I have a son, Julian, 5 years old, nearly 6…. It’s why I had to quit drugs. The day I found out I was pregnant, I quit. Cold turkey.”
“That must have been tough.”
“No. Not really. The quitting itself wasn’t difficult. I could hold steady for the first two weeks, but then I had some troubles and the need for drugs became very strong again.
“What did you do?”
“I walked by a church, saw the doors were open, walked in and started to pray… I met a young minister who helped me so much. We talked a lot. He helped me to get professional help. I could call him in the middle of the night if I wanted and then we would pray for strength.
I don’t know what would have done without Reverend McCallister. He saved my life by reminding me why I had to do this… That I had a baby to think off.”
“Reverend Jason McCallister?” Justin asks astounded.
“Yes. You know him?”
“My sister’s brother-in-law. Dated my brother for a few months.” Justin waves it away as an unimportant bit of information. “But is your child alright? … I mean, you often hear when mothers take drugs during their pregnancy…” He feels bad for asking the question, because he can see the painful look on Fawn’s face.
“It was one of my biggest fears. Would my baby be slow or handicapped in some way? Suffer from some illness? What if I had ruined his or her life? … He's a bit small for his age, but no one else in my family is tall, except my father, so not sure if it is a consequence of the drugs.
But so far Julian's growth is consistent with that of other kids. He learns quickly and doesn’t seem to have any side-effects from my using…. So far.” She adds. Justin suddenly realizes that the boy is nearly six and he wonders if… Fawn sees the concentrated look on his face and she guesses his thoughts.
“Yes.” She answers, without being asked the question. “He could be. Your son…. Or he could someone else’s. I wasn’t exactly too careful and I don’t remember every man I slept with either. But I don’t care. He’s my son and I’m not looking for a father for him. So, you have no worries.” Fawn smiles gently, making it clear that she’s not angry.
“If he’s mine, I’d take my responsibility.” Justin says.
“I know you would, but … I don’t need you to do that. I’m clean. I have an income. I have a house. My staying off the drugs made that my mother accepted me back in her life and she’s an amazing grandmother. I can give my son everything he needs. Please, be happy with your girlfriend. And let me enjoy my son.” Fawn answers.
“If this is what you want.” Justin nods.
“It is.” Fawn replies. At that moment the nurse comes back.
“I’m sorry… He didn’t make it through the first night….” She says quietly. Justin blinks, remembering the reason why he came here in the first place.
“Thank you.” He replies, having mixed emotions. So one person from his previous life hadn’t made it through the night after an OD. The other one is clean, a mother and a nurse…
“Hey, don’t let it get you down.” Fawn says softly and she places a hand on his shoulder.
“We both knew him.” His voice is rough.
“Oh. Him.” She says quietly. “I read about his death…. His heart gave up the fight.”
“I should have saved him.” Justin whispers. Fawn takes his hands.
“Justin, we can't save them all. The best way to honor him now, is to remember why we shouldn’t relapse.”
“I agree. What are you going to do now?”
“Hand over my papers as my shift is done. Then I’ll light a candle for him in the small chapel we have here and I’ll pray for him. After that, I’ll go home and hold my son very tightly and be grateful that God helped me to be done with that shit.” She replies.
“Can I meet you at the chapel?”
“Sure.” She smiles. “Ten minutes?”
“Fine with me.”
“See you there.” She smiles.
*****
“Chad, I can only say that I’m happy, that you’re on board with us.” Dane Kane, the director of his new movie tells him.
“I can’t believe that you actually gave me the part of Neville.” Chad looks real pleased with himself and Dane grins.
“Well, to be honest, we did have our doubts. I believed that you were good enough for Terry, but a ‘soap-star’ playing a character as complicated as Neville? I wasn’t sure you’d pull it off. But you walked that balance between normal behavior and insanity just fine.”
“I had a good example.” Chad mumbles thinking back of Alex Grodin. “So, .. ahm, where and when will it be shot?”
“We are currently making some out-side shots in Tennessee, just to get the right feel, but most of the movie will play indoors. We’re just looking for the right location, but it may take out to somewhere else in California. We haven’t found the place yet, that is ‘just right’.”
“I see. I suppose that means I won’t be home for several weeks?”
“Depending on where we find the right location, if we find it, than is quite possible you'll be gone for a while, yes. Is that a problem?” Dane suddenly feels worried, hoping that Chad won’t suddenly go all diva on him with outrageous demands.
“No, not really, but as a recently married man, I wanted to spend some more time with my partner first. But it’s not a problem. We’ll deal with it when the time comes.” Chad smiles and Dane heaves a sigh of relief.
*****
“Who?!” Max Carter believes his misunderstood the message.
“A man called Alex Grodin called for you, from out of prison. Asking you to please get in touch with him. It’s urgent.” The young police-officer repeats his message. Yes, that was what Max heard the first time as well. Alex Grodin. Well, that is a surprise.
“I have to go to that prison anyway to speak with someone else. I’ll talk to him too.” Max promises and he grabs his coat and keys, wondering what on Earth Alex could have to discuss with him? He knows that Alex takes his meds, so he can’t be crazy, but what reason could this psychopath have to contact him?
*****
Cleo leaves Scotty and Tyler at the elevator door to berate one of the chamber-maids.
“At every turn and on every floor I keep expecting Jack Nicholson to come at us, with an axe, yelling ‘He-e-e-ere’s Johnny!’…..” Tyler replies.
“Yeah, either that or some guy with a hockey-mask and a machete.” Scotty sighs.
“Does someone, beside Justin, know where we are? … If we go missing…”
“… I’m sure Kevin will check the freezers in the basement.” Scotty grin.
“Phew.” Tyler nervously giggles as well, before they both try to compose themselves because Cleo returns to them.
From the very dark break-fast-room, that only had a few guests listlessly having something to eat, to the creaking elevators to the seemingly empty floors 3 and 4, the whole place gives off an air of sadness and bleakness, though not unloved. Maybe that is the thing that makes Scotty wonder what to do.
The people who work at “The June-Flower” love their work and seem enthusiastic. Cleo talks with love and gentleness about the place. The chamber-maids they met had been cheerful and nice and there’s a bell-boy, an older man named Boy, who made Tyler and Scotty laugh with his kind jokes.
And, maybe, more importantly, it’s clean. There’s no dust in the rooms that Scotty and Tyler can visit. The small windows don’t let in much light or fresh air, but the rooms don’t smell half as musty as they could have, considering their poor situation and, not even Tyler, with the keen eye of a hotel-manager, can find spiders or other insects.
“Well, this was the last floor, there’s nothing more to see here.”
“What about the 5th floor?”
“We never use that one. We hardly manage to have enough guest for 3 floors. The 4th floor is usually for when the there’s a convention in town, but the 5th floor…. Mostly closed off.”
“Can we see it anyway?” Scotty asks and Cleo looks uncomfortable.
“Yes, of course, but like I said, it hasn’t been used in a long time…” She presses the elevator-button for the 5th floor and when the doors open again, Scotty and Tyler access the 5th floor.
“I take back anything ghoulish I thought about the other floors. Nothing compares to this.” Tyler says, getting a creepy feeling. The corridor seems to stretch out forever and becomes more and more narrow in the end. The doors at either side are all closed and it somehow doesn’t feel more comforting.
“Staff don’t really like this floor.” Cleo says quietly. “I don’t like here it here either. I guess, it’s just the fact that no one ever uses it, it all feels so desolate here.” She shivers. A light flickers in the distance. “We only use a few of the lights here, not all lights are turned on. It’s just so we don’t step into an black hole when we open the door.”
She can explain why so little of the lights on the wall are turned on and Scotty and Tyler can see the logic of it, but still the floor creeps them out. Scotty clears his throat and asks:
“Did you not say that Mr Corvin had ‘private quarters’? And.. is there no kitchen? As a chef-cook, I’m most interested in seeing what it looks like.”
“Well, yes, but….” Cleo stops and gives them a forced smile. “Of course, … you have the right to see them… Please, follow me.” She presses the number ‘6’ in the elevator and both Scotty and Tyler are happy to see the doors of the 5th floor close, suddenly feeling less creepy about the hotel again.
When the doors open again, a floor higher, they give access to a little hall with a door marked ‘private’ in large letters. The door is locked, but Cleo has the key.
“These are Mr Corvin’s private quarters…” Cleo says. She opens the door and she lets Scotty and Tyler enter.
The first thing they see is a spacious, but nearly empty living-room with an open kitchen filled with modern kitchen-appliances, that shine so brightly because they don’t seem used.
“Mr Corvin liked cooking, had a new kitchen put in, but his condition took a turn for the worst a few days after the kitchen got finished…” Cleo softly says.
There’s a door leading to a small hall that has several doors.
“There are 10 bedrooms and three bathrooms here.” Cleo explains. “Mr Corvin had quite a large family, but … he broke contact with them when it became rather apparent that they would only visit him when they needed money… It hurt him very much.”
“Sounds like Mr Corvin was a lonely man? ” Scotty ask softly, but Cleo vehemently shakes her head.
“No. Oh, no! No, he wasn’t. He had the hotel, the guests, me, the staff. He was happy, until his last heart-attack two years ago. He became a recluse after that.
He didn’t want to be a burden to anyone and he felt guilty for all the responsibility he put on my shoulders. Kept telling me how sorry he was…. He was such a sweetheart.” She presses the small handkerchief, that she’s been holding all along, against her eyes and she’s visibly moved, but she picks herself up again.
“This is where Mr Corvin spend the last two years of his life.. As you can see, there’s an adjoining room. He would sleep in that room and I slept here. It has a bathroom, so I didn’t have too much trouble taking care of him.” Despite the closeness of the bed and the bathroom, it is still quite a distance and Cleo doesn’t seem that strong.
“Can I asks you a question? If you love this place so much and you took such good care of him, why didn’t he leave you the hotel?” Scotty asks.
“I don’t know. He never stopped loving your mother. When he found out a few years ago that Bertha had a son, he tried to find out more about you. Private investigator and all.” Cleo explains. Scotty starts to feel uncomfortable.
“He strongly reconsidered his plan to make you inherit it all, when he found out that you were gay… Being gay was so ‘not done’ in his view of the world. He was old-fashioned that way. But then he read an interview you gave to a local paper, where you openly told about your struggle to become a chef-cook and he was impressed. He even had dinner at Café 429 once and he liked the food, the ambiance, the kindness of the staff and your cooking.
He saw your husband and found out more about him as well. I think, in general he was impressed with you, your husband, your lives, your struggles…. He believed that the “June-Flower” was worthy of someone like you. He absolutely loved this place.” She shivers and then softly asks: “Are you going to sell this hotel?”
“I don’t know yet.” Scotty replies, somehow feeling miserable about having to make such a difficult decision. “I’d like to see the kitchen.”
“Just a minute. I will take you back down to the kitchen in a bit.” Cleo smiles and she moves to the telephone on Mr Corvin’s desk.
Scotty and Tyler quickly look at all the bedrooms. Most of them are empty and unwelcoming. The 3 bathrooms are clean though.
“Do you still live here?” Tyler asks, once Cleo comes back. Cleo seems surprised by her question, but shakes her head.
“I moved out the day after Mr Corvin died. Room 101, the first room on the first floor is mine for the time being… I don’t like to come here right now. I see Mr Corvin everywhere. I keep hearing the buzzer he used to get my attention. It sometimes feels like he never left.”
*****
“And that will be the last one. Right there.” Sarah signs the last sheet of paper and it’s done. She no longer owns anything. It feels weird to her that she’s suddenly without a job again, but the offer is amazing. She’d be a fool not to take it. And this way, her entire family has a lot of cash in their hands, for them to decide what to do with.
She walks into her office, daydreaming about everything she could do with the money. Travel for instance. Do something different with the house. Perhaps Luc would like a new car. And what could the others do? Saul and Jonathan would probably put it in their house in Palm Springs.
Justin and Tyler could need it if they plan to move in together. Scotty and café 429, Kevin perhaps for his practice. Tommy… Should she think about Julia and Elizabeth as well? What about Ryan? … Joe? She frowns. A part of her wishes to share the wealth, but not too much…Not with Joe and Paula.
On the other hand, Julia could need the money and her daughter is a Walker. Joe was the father of her own two kids and it wasn’t like she had always been unhappy with him. She loved Gabe like a son for more than 10 years. So many questions… Only one thing she can do. She calls Nora.
*****
“Good afternoon, Mr Stanton. My name is Kevin Walker, I used to work for Senator Robert McCallister…?”
“I remember him.” Bill Stanton replies and Kevin wonders if he imagines it that Stanton just suddenly seemed more guarded on the telephone.. “How did you get this number? It’s a very private line.”
“As his friend, former communications director and brother-in-law I had, and still have, access to all his private information.” Kevin replies, putting some arrogance in his voice, to make sure that Stanton doesn’t hang up on him. “I want to meet you.”
“I’m a busy man, Mr Walker. Why would I bother?”
“I have some very interesting tapes… that perhaps are not of any value to me or my family, but that… should perhaps not fall in the wrong hands…. People might… misunderstand… the conversation you had with Robert. Such misinformation could have serious repercussions on your current business-deals.”
“I see… That would be inconvenient. Misinterpretation can cause such havoc.” Stanton replies and Kevin relaxes a bit. “I’m on my way to a conference and I’m not in the office tomorrow. How about… the day after tomorrow? My office? 10 o’clock in the morning?”
“That is acceptable.” Kevin nods.
As he puts down the phone, he lets go off the breath he’s been holding. He sinks back in his chair and counts to ten with his eyes closed, slowly feeling the tension subside. Once, the moment of panic is over, Kevin walks up to his filing cabinet and opens the top drawer.
There, all in the back, hidden in a small box, is a gun with a silencer.
It was delivered to his office this after-noon, with a card attached that simply said: “As discussed. A.” Kevin had shivered at the realization that it was a gun, that Alex apparently knew where he lived and that he had just been given a weapon to kill someone else with.
It all feels unreal. He has motive, means and opportunity. A text-book murder. He shivers, when he remembers the message on his personal voice-mail:
“If you’re going to do this, I’ll make sure that you’ll do it right. You’ll get a box with a gift from me.
It’s not registered. It’s already put together. Do NOT take it apart and do NOT leave your fingerprints everywhere. Once you’ve gone through with your plan, I will see that it gets picked up from your office again and that it will be disposed of. I will personally arrange that.”
Even from prison Alex seems to know how to get to Kevin, but Kevin isn’t sure if he should feel worried or scared about that. For now, he feels strangely protected by Alex’s care and that feels good. He takes out the gun. It’s heavy, but not uncomfortable in his hand. His thumb caresses it.
For a moment, Kevin is completely shocked by the good feeling it gives him and he quickly takes the gun out of the box and he puts in his brief-case... He starts to tremble. This is insane. Insane! Alex is right. This not for him! But Kevin closes his eyes and waits for the moment of panic to subside. He locks his briefcase. He’s ready to meet Stanton.
*****
Sarah checks her bag for the seventh time.
“Sarah, you have everything in there. You checked your baggage for the 10th time in 4 days. Passport, money, … we don’t need anything else. My family will receive us with open arms.”
“I do hope I’ll make a good impression.” Sarah worries.
“How could they not love you?” Luc replies automatically and Sarah sighs. She can think of a few reasons.
“Maybe I should call Paige and Cooper, before I leave….?” She thinks and this time Luc makes an annoyed little noise.
“Ah, non! We have a plane to catch. Paige called you to tell you they arrived safely. They are the responsibility of Joe and Paula, not yours…” Sarah opens her mouth to give him a lecture on how worrying for your kids doesn’t stop when they leave with their dad, but Luc beats her to it.
“I’m sorry, cherie, you know what I mean. I know, you won’t stop worrying about them. Just … let them have their time with their father. What if Joe called every ten minutes, to check on the kids, when they are with you? You’d get very angry and frustrated… Why do this Joe? Let him and his wife have fun with the kids, so we can have fun of our own.”
Sarah still doesn’t completely agree with him, but decides to let it go.
“France, here we come.” She answers, faking more fun than she really feels. Luc wraps an arm around her and together they wait outside for Saul to pick them up and drive them to the airport.
*****
End of part 3/4
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