Malcolm nodded slowly.
“That’s helpful,” he said. “See, if you’d been willing to talk with us to begin with, you would have saved us all the time and trouble. And probably a bunch of money on getting those bullet holes patched up…”
The man spat blood on the floor next to him. He raised a hand and pointed a finger at Rose.
“I can see the resemblance, you know,” he said. “Well… Not in the skin. And you got bigger tits than she does, that’s for sure. But you’re both fucking crazy…”
“Don’t push your luck,” said Malcolm. He gave the man a quick cuff with the wind, flattening him to the ground, and then nodded to Rose. They headed out of the house, walking faster as they stepped out onto the exposed street.
CHAPTER 7
“So, come on,” said Malcolm. “Give me the details. What else did you remember?”
The two of them were walking side by side, back toward the bus station. Malcolm had Rose’s hand in his, and decided he quite liked holding it. It reminded him a little of being in middle school again.
“Why does it matter so much to you?” asked Rose. “I didn’t remember anything important. And I don’t feel like I’ve reached enlightenment, or mastered my emotions, or whatever it is you were expecting out of this trip.”
“I just want to know,” said Malcolm. “I mean, I did get shot at in order for you to find out. Kind of a lot.”
Rose rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling.
“Only really one memory that makes sense,” she said. “I was maybe… nine or ten. I was playing at the park with Leah, who was probably five or six at the time. She fell off the swing and broke her arm.”
“…And?”
“And I ran home and got my parents,” said Rose. “I can’t remember their faces, or names, or even what they sounded like. Just that… I know that they were there, and when I found them, they made everything better.”
Rose let out a slow sigh. Malcolm shifted his arm up, putting it around her shoulders.
“Sorry,” he said. “I can’t imagine how tough this must be for you.”
“It isn’t, Malcolm,” said Rose. “That’s what you’re not getting. This feels like remembering details of a dream. Sure, I’d love to know more about who I was… But it just seems a little inconsequential, now. Almost like the memories belong to someone else.”
I wonder if she really means that, or if it’s just what she’s telling herself to feel better about it?
Malcolm decided that it was better to keep the question to himself. He gave Rose’s shoulders a squeeze. She leaned her head against him.
“It’s okay,” he said. “We can head back to my place and relax for tonight. They’ll be plenty of time for us to follow up on finding your sister tomorrow, or the next night.”
“Were you listening to anything I just said?”
Malcolm frowned.
“Yeah,” he said. “Why?”
“I don’t even know if there’s any reason for me to go looking for her, Malcolm,” said Rose. “What the fuck would I say to her once I found her? Hi, sister. I don’t remember you, and I’m a monster now, but let’s have a lovey, dovey reunion!”
“I bet you could phrase it a bit more eloquently than that if you gave it some time.”
Rose growled and jokingly bit his shoulder.
“Seriously,” she said. “I don’t see any point.”
“Do you trust me?” asked Malcolm.
Rose made a show of thinking about it for a couple of seconds.
“I guess.”
“Then trust that finding your sister is the right thing for you to do,” he said. “Not just for you, but for her, too.”
Rose didn’t say anything, but Malcolm could tell that his words had reached her.
The bus arrived a few minutes after they reached the bus stop. Rose snuck on in Malcolm’s shadow, and they both sat in the back. It was a quiet ride back to Vanderbrook, and Malcolm was content to leave Rose alone with her thoughts.
As the bus rounded the corner onto Malcolm’s street, he saw something that made him wince. Rose had been napping with her head against his shoulder, and glanced up at him.
“What is it?” she asked.
Malcolm nodded out the window to the black BMW parked on the street in front of his apartment.
“Tapestry,” he said. “I have no idea what she’s doing here, but that’s definitely her car.”
Rose let out a small laugh and flashed a wicked smile.
“Yeah, just whatever could she be doing?” she asked, in a mocking voice. “Coming to visit her close friend and coworker, in the middle of the night…”
Malcolm rolled his eyes.
“It’s probably something related to work.”
He checked his phone, but there were no messages backing up his theory.
“Well regardless, I understand,” said Rose. “You can’t exactly bring me inside if she’s waiting up for you.”
“I’m sorry,” said Malcolm. “I’ll talk to her and see if I can get her out quickly.”
“It’s alright,” said Rose. “You’ll just insult her if you refuse her, you know. Take your time. Have a nice, sensual, romantic night.”
Malcolm groaned.
“You’re making me feel skeezy, Rose,” he said. “That’s not what I want. My life is already complicated enough, as it is.”
“Malcolm.” Rose put her hand on his cheeks and turned his head to face her. “There’s no need for you to feel guilty, or weird, about having partners other than me.”
Easier said than done…
“Rose, I-”
“Malcolm,” she said, cutting him off. “You need all of the allies you can get. Whether you like it or not, you need to open yourself up to this woman, even if it’s hard. Her loyalty and feelings for you might save your life someday.”
“So, what? I’m just supposed to use her for all that she can offer?” Malcolm scowled and shook his head.
“She’s the one showing up at your place randomly in the middle of the night,” said Rose. “If anything, she’s the one using you. Take my advice and let her.”
“And you’re just… totally fine with it?” asked Malcolm. “I find that a little hard to believe.”
Rose shrugged.
“Maybe I’ll head down to Terri’s Tavern and find myself a nice, handsome demon to hang out with tonight.”
Malcolm couldn’t keep his shock and revulsion from showing on his face. Rose giggled and brought a hand up to her mouth.
“It was a joke, Malcolm,” she said. “I’m more of a one partner at a time, kind of girl.”
“That makes you pushing me into this with Tapestry that much weirder, you know.”
“I guess.” Rose gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “But it doesn’t make me wrong.”
She disappeared into his shadow just as the bus came to a stop and opened its doors. Malcolm stood up and walked off, taking a route across the street that brought him through a patch of complete darkness. He could just barely see Rose splitting off from him, the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up to hide her eyes and pale purple skin.
Malcolm walked over Tapestry’s BMW and up to the lightly tinted driver’s side window. He gave it a gentle rap with his knuckles and stepped back. The door opened, and Melanie, Tapestry’s great granddaughter, stepped out into the street.
CHAPTER 8
“Malcolm! Finally! I’ve been waiting for at least an hour. Where were you, anyway? Are you out doing suspicious things late at night? Fun things? You can call me if you’re going out to have fun, you know. I like to have fun too!”
Melanie wore a short black skirt with a frilly pink blouse, along with a generous amount of makeup on her face. Malcolm was a little disappointed to see that she’d covered up most of her freckles, which he’d always thought went nicely with her reddish-brown hair.