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CHAPTER 21 - RINGING IN THE CHANGES...


SLICK’S EMPORIUM - NEXT MORNING


FORECOURT


MICHAEL


I look around and can’t help the stab of envy. She got some of this through comics, bet some of them were mine! 


“Coventry, what are you doing here?” A voice calls out and my hackles rise. “You are banned, and…”


“It’s okay, Cujo!” Slack calls out as she comes down the stairs. “I will deal with this.”


“You’re late.” I snipe, then look behind her. “Where are Brian and Justin? And Emmett? I want them all here to…”


“They’re coming. Ah, see...here they are.” She gestures behind me so I turn around. 


They don’t look at all happy, I am so glad. “Well that’s another demerit to add to your list of flaws. What kept you?” Nobody says anything. “I asked a question….”


“Which we are not going to answer.” Brian retorts. “Let’s get this over with.”


“Over with? You seem to forget the position you are in.” I sneer. “But since we are out here, which one shall you be giving me?”


“Giving you? What do you mean giving you?” Emmett sighs then groans. “You want her to give you a car?! Are you crazy?!”


“No, I am a father who wants to bond with their daughter, and…”


“Sure, no problem.” Slick interrupts and I gape at her. “Pick whichever one you like…”


SLICK


“Seriously?” Michael cries, then gets that smile he gets when he thinks he’s won. “Oh, this will be so exquisite, and…”


“You need to slow that boasting roll of yours. As per the EOHOPS conditions, you have to notify the authorities of anything that comes into your possession of a monetary value of over $5K. The cars here start at $25K…”


“Then Brian can get it.” He retorts, when Justin rolls his eyes he glares at him. “And what is wrong with that condition?”


“Brian wouldn’t be doing that.” Justin returns with a smile.


“This…” He points at me. “...is his sister from a murdering mister…” He waits for us to, thankfully nobody does. “...he will do anything for her.” His envy drips from every word.


“That’s true, but as a victim of your crimes, what would be the point of buying the car only for you to give it to us anyway?”


“Give it to you? Why would I do that?!” He exclaims as his face mottles.


“Remuneration. As in you have not paid them it.” I drawl. “You have paid me, but not Brian and Justin for the emotional distress you caused. This is why they have lifted the restraining orders from you and Lindsay, so that they could get in your face and tell you that! I do hope you haven’t got anything over $5K in your possession.” I stop him from interrupting with a snap of my fingers. “And another thing, you are on probation, so this ordering about shit stops now!” 


“I was released on good…”


“And that was by the skin of your teeth!” He is looking flummoxed. “Now take that ickle list of yours and get on out of here!”


“You are forgetting that I am your daughter’s father, and…”


“Prove it!” I snarl. “And to do that I would need to produce mine and Lindon’s daughter, which we won’t!” Emmett is looking increasingly worried by my harsh tone, but I am done kowtowing to this pissant! “So once more, you are barred from here, and have less than five seconds to leave!”


“Cujo!” Brian calls out, quickly he and everyone else rush out. “Get…”


“Say no more.” Cujo lives up to his name by growling, then advancing on a rapidly backing away Michael. “Come on, boys, let’s make sure he stays gone!” 


“Right, you three, inside and we can explain to Emmett.” I grin at them.


EMPORIUM BREAK OUT ROOM - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER


EMMETT


”Oh I am so happy!” I weep in relief after they tell me what Carlton did. “So now what happens?!” 


“Extortion.” Justin tops up my glass. “As in Slick is going to point out that his demands are beginning to sound a lot like it, and he can go back to jail. So...”


“I was, but something else has come up...” Slick lifts up the cloche to reveal chips and dips, she grins at my scowl. It is a source of gentle annoyance to me that she makes better guac and won't share the recipe.


“But why? Isn‘t that what we want?” Brian pinches a chip, then slowly dips it in the guacamole, Justin follows the action. 


“I want him to out himself…” Slick slathers some guac on a chip and holds it out to me, waggling her eyebrows. I remember how happy eating made me yesterday and take it with a smile.


“Much to the disgust of all queerkind, he has already done that!” Brian snorts before feeding Justin the remains of his chip.


“No, I mean this…” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a ring. “...look familiar?” 


Brian is the first to scrutinise it. He slowly starts to nod before handing it to Justin, who starts to scroll through his phone. “Yeah, there. That is it, where did you get it?”


“I didn’t. You know Master Draco who stood with Grimm at his wedding?” We nod. I feel a sense of doom washing over me as I check the ring out. “He found it in a pawn shop and recognised it immediately. Borrowed it from the pawnbroker, seems they are buddies, and gave it to Brandon who gave it to me.”


“So this...this belongs to Debs, doesn't it?” I sigh. “Why the hell did she pawn it?! I would’ve, we all would’ve helped her!” I start to wrestle my phone out of my bag.


“No, Ems, she didn’t pawn it.” I stop wrestling and look at Brian and Justin, they shrug. “I am waiting for Brandon to get back to me, but we need to speak to Debs first.”


“Why?!” I groan.


“Something else Draco said, let’s call her now.” Slick spins the ring on her finger as she waits for Debs to pick up. 


“Hey, beautiful, everything okay?” Debs trills.


“Hey, Grandma, how is the little Bee doing? She behaving?”


“Of course she is, she’s sleeping right now. She had a nice bowl of oatmeal, which unfortunately she ended up wearing most of!”


“Typical. I absolve myself of all responsibility for teaching her to feed herself.” Debs chuckles having tried to teach Lindon but he knew best. “Reason for call, have been meaning to ask what happened to your grandmother’s ring. I haven’t seen you wearing it for a long time.” We all frown when she sighs. “Debs?”


“I lost it. I have been trying to replace it with something else, but that was priceless to me, and every time I think of doing so, I can’t do it.” 


“Sorry Debs, but when did you lose it?” Brian asks.


“A couple of years back, just before he went inside. I will get something in due course I am sure, it is just...just I wanted to use it as my engagement ring proper when I ask him.”


“When you ask him?!” Slick squeaks. “Debma! I mean Debs, are you seriously going to ask Carl?! Hold up! Facetiming now!”  We crowd around the screen and a flame faced Debs is smiling shyly. “Sweet Mother of God…” Slick starts to cry, which starts Justin off. “We...we need to sp...speak to Bank and Ramirez.” She snivels. 


“What for...oh wait, Bee is stirring, let me call you back, Slick!” Debs orders, and is gone before we can say anything else..


“Seriously, this is so good!” I snaffle another ladened chip. “As for Bank and Ramirez, they will be fine, but what did Draco say?” I query as the sense of doom starts to be replaced by joy. I cannot wait to organise this one!


“Oh that.” She sniffs. “It arrived at the pawn shop same time as knobhead Novotny came back to town. I am praying to the coincidence god that it isn’t one.”


“Amen to that!” I raise my chip to the heavens.


EOHOPS HOUSE - TWO HOURS LATER


LOUNGE


MICHAEL


I cannot believe they are doing this again! This has to stop, and they are going to make them! And who does Slick think she is, getting her thugs to threaten me like that?! I was so infuriated that it took a while to notice what was happening on Liberty Avenue. It was only when I got inside the diner that I realised...


Start of flashback

DINER - AN HOUR BEFORE


“How long for the wings?!” Kiki calls out from the counter as she pours some juice.


“Another twenty minutes!” I gape at the hatch, for there is Claire! “And the French...Coventry!”


“Coven…” Kiki turns around and glares. “...oh hellfire!”


“Hello, Kiki.” She says nothing, in fact, it goes totally silent. “I said hello.”


“Breaking the silence to explain, as he has clearly forgotten!” Kiki snaps. “We have sent you back to Coventry, um Coventry. You remember that don’t you? Nobody speaking to you. And should you be foolish to eat...anywhere on Liberty Avenue, including ordering take-out...then you are as stupid as you are ugly looking. So what will it be…”


“You can’t do that!” I snap, but all I get back is cold silence and even colder glares. “You will treat me better, I swear you will!” 


As I storm out, I spot a cab but his lights go off. But as soon as he passes me,  they go back on to pick up that bastard Brandon!

End of flashback 


I look longingly at the cart. “Fuck it, I need a drink!”  I declare, and take my time pouring out the whisky then retake my seat. I take a nice deep sip and purr at the burn. “All I need is a good seeing to and my day will get better!” I jump out of my skin when the front door bangs open and spill the whisky on myself and the chair. 


“Anybody in?!” Matthias calls out.


“In the lounge, Matthias!” I call back, putting my drink on the floor by the chair. “Seems my prayers are about to be answered.”


“Great. “Is everyone here, or just you, Michael?!” 


“Just us. Why, what’s the…” I trail off as he leads in four more people, one of them is a police officer. “...why are they here?”


“Um, Michael, these are members of the EOHOPS Board, and they are here to carry out inspections. This is Officer Cook. They will be checking the bedrooms of you and Carlton first, as you have been here the longest. There is no need to check the other one as she’s now not getting here until tomorrow.”


“She? And checking for what?” I demand, trying to shield the glass.


“Anything that shouldn’t be there.” Officer Cook replies. “Shall we start?”


“No, you cannot start!” I exclaim. “I have to be given more notice of your arrival than this!”


“They are called spot check inspections for a reason.” Matthias sighs. “Look, you have nothing to hide, do you? So let’s just get this over and done with.”


“I think he does have something to hide…” Officer Cook steps towards me and sniffs. “...for a start, I smell booze…”

 

Chapter End Notes:

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