The syringe descended toward my neck, a silver drop dangling from the tip. I didn’t feel it penetrate, but I knew it had. And a few seconds later, I was gone.
Granger didn’t even wait for the car to stop. He leaped out the passenger side door, stumbling, recovering, racing. Darcy followed close behind. Despite repeated efforts, they’d been unable to reach Susan or any of her security detail on their cells.
Granger raced into the bar and flashed his badge. “Susan Pulaski. Tall, dark hair. Tough. You know her?”
The barkeep shrugged. “Sure. Seen her on TV.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s over-” He turned and almost pointed before he realized the chairs were vacant. “That’s funny. She was sitting right there.”
“Was she by herself?”
“At first. Then some other guy joined her.”
“Who?”
“I didn’t know him.”
“And this didn’t concern you?”
The barman’s eyes crinkled. “I thought he was trying to pick her up. My only concern was that she might wipe the floor with him.”
“What did he look like?”
He pondered. “Kind of nondescript. I didn’t really notice.”
Darcy stood by the empty chairs. “Did you know that she left her purse? Do you think Susan would go away but leave her purse?”
Granger gripped the bartender by the shoulders. “Did you see where she went?”
The barkeep shook his head. “No.”
“I did.” It was one of the waitresses. “She went to the ladies’ room. Her friend was helping her walk. She looked kinda sick.”
“Sick? As in ill?”
“Well, I’ve seen that look on her before.” She winked.
Granger plowed through the crowd, carving a path to the ladies’ room. Darcy followed. “Clear out!” Granger shouted. And then he kicked the flimsy door to pieces.
The ladies’ room was empty. But the rear window offered a view of the alley behind. And it was open.
“Goddamn it. Goddamn it!” Granger shouted. He pushed his head through the window. Nothing there.
“Do you know where she is?” Darcy asked. He was pacing in a small circle, running his fingers through his hair. “Did she go through the window? I think she could fit. Do you think Susan would crawl through the window?”
“No,” Granger said bitterly. “Not on her own.”
“Then… then… what… what do you think happened to her?”
Granger didn’t respond. Because as strange and stupid as Darcy seemed at times, he already knew the answer to that question.
He sat patiently by her bedside throughout the night, wiping her brow, stroking her face, brushing her hair. He could not have been more tender, more loving. Lying quiet like this, freed from the stress of the world, from the demons that plagued her, there was something almost angelic about her countenance. She wore no jewelry, no finger paint, no hair dye, not even makeup. Pure as the day she was born.
He felt an aching yearning for her. With a love that the winged seraphs of Heaven coveted her and me…
When at last she woke, the face she saw first was smiling.
“Good morning, sweet Susan.”
“W-W-Www…” She licked her lips, stretched her jaw as if breaking it in for the first time. “Where…”
“You’re with me, my darling. In my safekeeping.”
“I’m alive?” She looked around as much as possible, given her restraints.
“I wanted to talk with you. Before… I’m forced to proceed.”
Her eyes darted about the room, obviously trying to learn as much as possible about her location. “What’s that noise? Sounds like a waterfall. Where am I?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why am I strapped down?”
“I couldn’t very well let you run free. I did leave you your clothes, and I left the restraints as loose as possible-”
“Let me out of here!” Her voice was finding its strength. “Now!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Susan.”
She bucked and heaved, straining against the belts that held her to the table. “Let me… go!”
“Susan… please remain calm. We don’t have that much time. I need to tell you about my work.”
“You don’t have any work. You’re a psychotic killer.”
“Just let me talk to you a few moments.”
“Let me go. Then I’ll listen.”
“Be reasonable. I know what I have to say may seem… unconventional at first, but I’m confident that you’re capable of assimilating it.”
“I want out of here!”
“We could be such a team, Susan, you and I. There is another world, Susan, a better world. And we can go there together. I can make it happen. Give up this mortal plane that has so ill-used you and join my quest! We’ll meet Virginia-”
“Who?”
“My dear late sister. We could all live together in peace and-”
“Listen to me!” Susan took several deep, invigorating breaths. “I know this will be hard for you to understand, but it’s the truth. You are not well. You don’t do these hideous things because you have been chosen or because a prophet is speaking to you. You do them because you are ill.”
“No, Susan, no.” His eyes became clouded. “Please don’t.”
“This is something I know about. I also know that people like you can be helped. With invasive drug therapy.”
“Chemical emasculation.”
“Or intensive behavior modification. Or a combination of the two. If you let me, I will try to help you. But if you go on killing as you have been, you’re going to end up dead. Do you hear me? They will catch you in the end. And they will kill you.”
Was it possible she was right? She seemed so earnest, so good, and her dark eye shone as clear as the-
“You know what you have to do.”
“No!” he shrieked, hands pressed against his ears. “Go away! I’m not ready.”
Susan’s brow creased. “What? Are you talking to me?”
“You know what you have to do.”
“There’s still time. I think she’s beginning to see, just a little…”
Susan strained futilely against her restraints. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You have strayed. You have allowed this witch of Endor to seduce you.”
“No, you don’t understand. I just-”
“I am the Raven!”
“I… know… I-”
“Then you know what must be done.”
“I don’t want to hurt her. If there’s any chance-”
“No more chances! She must be broken! She must be shown the grievous error of the path she has chosen.” The voice thundered in his head, knocking him back against the table. Susan stared at him, brow creased, lips parted.
He stumbled to his feet, wiping the water from his eyes. He staggered until he found the black bag, then withdrew a syringe. “I’m so sorry, Susan.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I do. I don’t want to hurt you. But I have no choice.”
Susan twisted back and forth. “You always have a choice. It’s never too late.”
“It is,” he said, his voice cracked with pain. He clenched the syringe in his fist and thrust it into her neck. Almost immediately, her eyelids fluttered closed.
“Goodbye, Susan,” he choked. “Goodbye and farewell. Please remember that I loved you.”
After that, there was only blackness. For both of them.
Book Two. THE ARABESQUE
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
– “Annabel Lee”
EDGAR ALLAN POE
22
“Damn it, Boss, it’s been five days.”
“I know how long it’s been, Granger.”
“The press is asking questions. A lot of questions.”
“The press can go screw itself.”