CHAPTER 31 - THE COMIC PROVIDES RELIEF
MICHAEL’S HOTEL - TWO HOURS LATER
MICHAEL
Bastards! They are complete bastards! I need to find out two things. One, where they got that footage from; and two, what she’s packed for me! I drag a case onto the bed and go through it. Oh fuck my life! I reach for the other cases and tear through them. It’s not here! My most valuable comic, my nest egg, is not here!
VIC AND DEB’S HOUSE - SAME TIME
MICHAEL’S OLD ROOM
DEBS
“So, what are we going to do with this room?”
“Sis, let’s not decide this yet. We’ve…”
“Made the best decision of our lives. Now, a sewing room gets my vote.” I give him the look and he shakes his head. “What is that head shake for?”
“You are not having all of this room to yourself. I want this half.” He forms a very small barricade and I have to laugh. “Do we have an agreement that this half is mine?”
“Yes, we have an agreement. We have an upstairs study/sewing room thing.”
“So, what we going to do with them?” He indicates the stack of comics and other stuff.
“Send them onto him when we find out where he has gone.” I stare at the pile of stuff and frown. “Help me go through this.”
“What’s up?” He asks as he joins me on the floor.
“I may have rolled my eyes and stuff whenever he talked about….”
“Droned, he didn’t talk, he droned ad nauseam.” He sighs.
“Yeah that too. But I remember one thing. He would never…” I take a pile of comics. “Look for anything that is Action Comics or Detective Comics and pull them out! Bring the laptop up!”
“Okay, want to tell me why?!” He shouts as he heads out.
“You’ll see!” I holler back, and start to go through them.
“Okay, laptop is here and on, where am I going?” He asks, hunkering down next to me. I type in the website I have seen Michael use time and time again and log on to his account. “As you said before, he’s a hacker’s wet dream.”
“Yep.” I sigh and then start to scroll through his purchases and sales. “Fuck my life!” I breathe as I find what I am looking for on-screen and then at the pile of comics. “They say the best place to hide something is in plain sight. Look when it was bought! Look at the date, Vic!”
VIC
“I’m looking! I’m looking! I don’t get it! And the shaking is making me want to puke!"
“Sorry, honey! But look! Get Ted on the phone!”
I wait for my stomach to settle before I stand up, reach for my phone and dial his number, I think it is about to go to voicemail when he picks up. “Hey, Ted. Look, I am putting you on speaker. Debs wanted me to…”
“Give me that!” She squeals, snatching the phone out of my hands and putting it on speaker herself. “We’ve got it, Ted! We’ve got conclusive proof that Michael was not hurt when he said he was!”
“Which is?”
“A comic!” She screams, almost dancing round the room.
“Not following. How does…”
“He paid $10,000 for a comic and…”
“$10,000 for comic?” Ted echoes.
“Yes! 3 years ago he paid that money!” She is now doing the bustle shuffle in her excitement, and I am officially back to nauseated!
“And…” I prompt stopping her shuffling.
“He picked it up.” She pauses and looks at me. “Look at the screen. He went to collect it. At the same time as the Mardi Gras, he picked it up and most likely has the certificate of auth…”
“CHRIST ALMIGHTY! Find that and we’ve got him, we’ve got him!” Ted yells and then there a thunk and muffled cursing. “Sorry, stubbed my toe! I’m coming over, will call Isla and we’re coming over!”
MICHAEL’S HOTEL - TEN MINUTES LATER
MICHAEL
Get off the phone, you old buzzard! I think to myself as, once again, the call goes to voicemail. I try Ma again, and again fucking voicemail. Who are they talking to? It’s not as if they have any friends!
VIC AND DEBS HOUSE - 30 MINUTES LATER
VIC
I watch amazed as Ted, Isla, Emmett, Chyna, Cynthia, Daph, Sade and Tinklebell troop in and gather in the lounge.
“Uh, Ted?” I begin.
“It has to be here.” Ted babbles. “Somewhere. Have you found the comic and…”
“Laptop, please.” Daph demands, and Debs rushes to get it. “You said you couldn’t see the picture of the comic no matter what you did to enlarge it, right?”
“Right. Here sweetie.” Debs pants and we all look worriedly at her. “I’m fine, do your thang!”
“As a matter of interest why is Tinklebell here?” I ask.
“Can pick a lock like nobody’s business.” Chyna replies before looking around. “Everyone, take a room. Let’s look at what you wouldn’t suspect, not what you would.”
“Excuse me!” Isla exclaims. “Are you saying that...mmmfff!”
We are stunned into silence when Chyna plants a kiss and steps back for a second. “No, I am not saying...ooh cherry lip balm, nice...I am not saying you didn’t do a good job, if that was where you were going. I am saying, you were looking for the obvious. We are not.”
“You kissed me.” Isla gasps. “You just flat out came up and kissed me.”
“I’m kinda assertive like that, and since you are still here...in my arms...you clearly do not have a problem with it. Now let us reconvene smooching later, finding the crap that buries him is more important. He’s hurt my friends and I am not having it.”
“You heard my...the lady! Let’s move people!” Isla orders and heads flame faced to the kitchen.
Two hours later we are staring at two things: the comic that he paid $10,000 for and the certificate of authentication.
“Thanks, Mr Wilson, I really appreciate that.” Daph ends her conversation and puts her phone down on the table with a smile. “He knows the value of things. So much so that he has surveillance and keeps the surveillance for 10 years. And he’s...aha!” The laptop pings and she turns it to face us and there on screen talking, walking and at one point dancing round the room with the comic in his hand is Michael! She turns the laptop back to herself as it pings again. “And I have an email from him that…” Her eyes go really large and she is just staring.
“That?” Chyna prompts and then goes around to see what she is looking at. “Holy crap.”
“What?” I demand heading to see. “Oh my god. Despite him giving his friend chlamydia, he will stick to the facts of the transaction.”
“Debs!” Emmett screams as she collapses. “Ambulance now!”
ALLEGHANY HOSPITAL - EARLY DAWN
VIC
If she doesn’t come through this I am going to kill him!
MICHAEL’S HOTEL - TWO HOURS LATER
MICHAEL
Who the hell is hammering on my door! “I’m fucking coming! Stop with the fucking noise!” I yell as I reach the door and wrench it open and am shoved back by Emmett. “What…”
“Get dressed! Debs is in hospital! Move it!”
“What happened?!” I demand as I rush to the bedroom to get my clothes on. “How did you know where to find me anyway?!”
“You. You happened. As for finding you. You’re an A-lister remember? People talk where you walk! I will explain what happened to Debs on the way. I will meet you downstairs.” He states before stalking out.
ALLEGHANY HOSPITAL - AN HOUR LATER
DEBS’S ROOM
DEBS
“For fuck sake I just fainted, can everyone calm down!” Once again I try to sit up, and once again I am thwarted in my efforts.
“Want me to sit on ya face? I will you know, if it stops you from getting up!” Sade states and starts to advance.
“No! Lying and staying down!” I laugh and settle back onto the pillows.
“Good!” Vic growls and then kisses the back of my hand. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!”
“This is a fancy room.” I state looking around. “Why am I in here?”
“Because you are.” Chyna replies. “Suck it and shut it. We’re going to let you rest. Okay?”
“Yes ma’am.” I reply, for I am not stupid, I have been doing some digging and found out that Chyna is respected on The Avenue for a good reason, she will help those who need it and will shut down anybody that needs to be and, I have to admit, I need to be shut down right now.
RECEPTION
MICHAEL
“Uncle Vic!” I shout as I see them coming down the hallway and run up to them. “Where’s Ma? Can I see her? What happened?” I fire questions at him.
“You happened. She’s in one of the suites and resting. You can see her, if she wants you to, later. I am going home to get some sleep. Suggest you do the same.”
“I’ve just got...wait the suites? How are you affording that?”
“They’re not. This is on me.” Chyna says as she helps someone into their coat. “We are all tired, so stop your caterwauling and go back to whence you came.”
“On you? Why?!” I demand. “And why does everyone keep saying the reason she’s here is because of me? What did I do?”
“Check your bank account.” Chyna demands.
“What the fuck for?”
“I have returned the remainder of the money for the classes. You are out. Tell Mr Gold the same.”
“Out? Out of what? The competition? Why? You can’t do that?!”
“Can and did.”
“What for? Give me one good reason why?!”
“Because I don’t want you in there anymore. You are a toxic stain on the lives of people and the only toxic I do is Britney!”
“You can’t stop me from coming to class! You can’t do…” I take a breath. “...you know what? I am done. You are pathetic. You and your classes are pathetic. I let you win that planking thing, and as for you as a person and the life you lead…”
“Is better than yours.” She steps closer. “So unless you fuck, finance or feed me, your opinion on my life means jackshit. Voice that jackshit opinion on my life and I will make sure you will never be able to take a walk in the woods again.”