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CHAPTER 39 - THE ALL SEEING EYE AND THE GHOST OF A CHANCE

MARILYN

The diner is quiet. People are looking between Michael and an incandescent Justin.

 

“How could you say that?!” Justin explodes as he strides up to Michael before Ben can even move.

 

“Sit that bubble butt down!” Brian orders from behind him. “And explain why you appear to be going to cause some well deserved damage to the punk ass over there?”

 

“Because of what he said!” He rails holding his ground.

 

“Butt in seat or I will not have butt. And as for you.” He snarls at Michael. “Don’t move or I will let him at you! So, once more, what happened?”

 

“I told him what he said about you maybe surviving being a mouthy asshole after you got shot.” Ben explains, Brian just shakes his head before pulling out a lighter and a cigar.

 

“As usual you are the source of the pall!” Michael snaps. “How long have you been out there?!” Then he turns to Vic. “Have you got the necessary permissions to turn this into a smoking place?”

 

“How the hell does your mind flip so quick?!” Mercy exclaims. “Ben has just told you that you are most likely being charged with accessory to kidnapping and that he knows what you said to Brian on his near death bed! But your focus now that Brian is in the room, is that he is the pall!”

 

“I have heard worse from him.” Brian drawls and I smirk.

 

“Which begs the question, how did you hear that, Ben? Were you faking your coma, Brian?” Michael demands.

 

“It was a medically induced coma, you numbnut. And the reason Ben knows about it is because I told him.” Everyone turns to me. “Or don’t you...”

 

“You?!  But how?! I would’ve seen you in the room!”

 

“Your lack of denial or remorse is chilling!” Justin spits.

 

“Come and sit down, Justin.” Brian orders, having taken a seat next to Mercy, much to Michael’s pinched fury, which gets deeper when Brian and Justin indulge in a display of their affection for each other.

 

“I am, before you interrupted, a psychic, which is higher than a mind reader, and as demonstrated outside a few minutes earlier. I heard your thoughts long before you said them. I thought it only right for another nail to be hammered into your proverbial coffin.” I look at my watch. “There is a taxi coming in two minutes, now don't you need to go and save that hide of yours?” His confliction is amusing, wondering what to do. Should he stay to be with Mercy, rail at Brian, or practice self preservation? I chuckle as his love wins and he heads back to the booth. “Oh, you silly boy, how do you think she is going to take your theory?” He stops and stares hard at me. “The answer is not well. Not well without proof.”

 

“Stop that!” He snaps before turning around and storming out.

 

With a nod at Vic; he and Debs join us in Mercy’s booth.

 

“Uh,  Brian…” Ben chuckles as he almost climbs down Justin’s throat. “...focus on this conversation, thanking him for the defence with tongue fucking kisses later.”

 

“Amongst other things.” Brian snickers.

 

“So what do you think he’s going to do?” Ben sighs.

 

“Discover that it is not just good things that come in threes.” Mercy replies her eyes cold and determined.

 

“No, bad things do too.” I nod.

 

MICHAEL

So much for his superpowers! The cab took 5 minutes to arrive! I fish in my pocket for the business card of the lead officer in the kidnapping and dial her number. “May I speak to Det Stewart, please, this is Michael Novotny.” I drum my fingers on the arm rest and wait for her to come to the phone. “Is that...oh, then where is she? Ah, interviewing. Well I need to see her urgently. When will she or her partner be free? Both interviewing, I see.” I look out of the window and think for a few seconds. “I will still come and wait, I need to clarify something with them in the case of the kidnapping of Justin Taylor.”

 

I hang up just as we hit a red light. Leaning back in the seat I close my eyes, then take some soothing breaths. I start to think rationally, of course, this is Ben and everyone, but especially Ben being a bitter numbnut as the would be sooth said! I can't quite believe the level of their mendacity.

 

“We’re here, buddy, that will be $42.”

 

“How the hell is it this much?!” I snarl at him then look around. “Why are we here?!” I gasp as, we’re at the old bus depot.

 

“This is where you asked me to drop you off.” The cabbie turns in his seat glaring at me.

 

“No I didn’t!”

 

“You did!” He retorts. “Now pay up!”

 

“I will pay but you need to take me to the police station first, like I asked you!”

 

“Are you serious with this shit?!” He declares.

 

“Yes I am serious with this shit! Take me there immediate...actually no don’t bother!” I take advantage of the faulty lock I noticed earlier. I was going to tell him about it but he can forget that! I leap out  as I see another cab, and run towards it, but he either doesn’t see or hear me yelling. I turn back to the other cab and he is on his radio, I run back to him but he starts his engine. “No, wait! I will pay double! Don’t leave me he…” But he peels off in a cloud of dirt leaving me coughing and spluttering. “I can’t believe this!” I yell to the heavens and right on cue they open. I dash to the phone box and hope that I can call another cab.

 

For five minutes it pelts down but then it starts to ease off to a drizzle. Sighing as I couldn’t get a signal, I pull my jacket tighter around me then start to head to try and find a cab. I get about two feet from the phone box when it starts to ring. I am set to ignore it but curiosity gets the better of me so I head back. “Hello?” I say into the receiver.

 

“Now why couldn’t you leave it alone?” A voice rasps down the line. “As ever you always, always get in the way.”

 

“What the…”

 

“Stop this, Michael. Stop it now, or I will stop you.”

 

The blood freezes in my veins. “Who is this?!” I scramble for my phone and hold it to the receiver and hit the record button.

 

“Nathanial.”

 

“Nath...as in…oh my God!”

 

The line goes dead; I am standing there a good few minutes later in shock. I press play on the recording but there is nothing on there. It said it recorded, so why is nothing there?! To hell with the now pouring rain I decide and start to run towards civilisation.

 

POLICE STATION - EIGHTY MINUTES LATER

SERGEANT’S DESK

DETECTIVE STEWART

We all look startled as the door is flung open.

 

“I need to speak to Detective Stewart immediately! Tell her it is Michael Novotny!”

 

“Ah, Mr Novotny, good afternoon. I believe you left a message…”

 

‘You need to help me! I have…”

 

“Arrest  him!” Is shouted. “That’s the fare dodger!”

 

I turn to the source of the voice, finding myself looking at an irate cabbie. “Fare dodger?”

 

“Yeah! Claimed he didn’t ask me to drop him by the old bus depot, refused to pay asking me to drop him here, then ran out off!”

 

“I did not!” Novotny denies. “I thought you were getting out of the cab to attack…”

 

“You are a fare dodger, you got out of my cab due to the faulty lock! I would’ve brought you straight here, so I could press charges, which is what I have done!” The cabbie retorts.

 

Novotny stops pacing and glares at him. “I am an upstanding member of the community who…”

 

“Is about to be arrested for fare evasion, but more seriously for being an accessory in the kidnapping of Justin Taylor.” I interrupt and pull out my cuffs.

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

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