Covet - A Novel of Fallen Angel Part 14

CHAPTER 19.

About an hour after Adrian and Eddie showed up and made their hands available, Jim slung his leg over the old bike and turned the key. Planting the sole of his work boot on the strike pedal and slamming his weight down, he didnat have any real faith the thing was going toa"

That trademark Harley growl sprang to life immediately.

As he cranked the throttle, the engine vibrated between his legs and he had to shout over the din. aChrist, Ad, you did it.a Adrian grinned as he wiped his greasy palms on a red chamois cloth. aNo problem. Letas take her for a spin and check the brakes.a Jim rolled the bike out of the garage and into the sunlight. aLet me get my helmet.a aHelmet?a Adrian mounted his hog. aNever thought you were an Eagle Scout.a Jim came back out with his black-and-hard. aAvoiding head injury is not a p.u.s.s.y move.a aBut you gotta think about the wind in your hair, my man.a aOr the electrical plugs thatall keep you alive afterward.a aI got the dog,a Eddie said, as he got on his own and held out his hands. The instant the opportunity presented itself, the little guy took a flying leap and parked it on the leather wrap over Eddieas tank.

Jim frowned, thinking he wasnat loving that. aWhat if you get into an accident?a aI wonat.a As if the laws of physics didnat apply to him.

Jim was about to kibosh the deal when he saw how psyched Dog was to be on board, his claws curled into the cowhide like bliss was making his toes tingle, his tail going as fast as his b.u.t.t would allow.

Plus, as the big man took the handlebars, his arms bracketed the animal.

aJust be careful with my d.a.m.n dog. That animal gets hurt and you and I are having words.a Well, wasnat he turning into a good owner.

Strapping on his helmet, he drew on his leather jacket and straddled his bike. As he cranked the gas, his ride gave out a nasty, low cursing sound, and the power of all those horses rumbled up through his body.

Man, however much of a pain in the a.s.s Adrian could be, he knew what he was doing with engines. Which might finally explain why Eddie could handle living with him.

On an unspoken weare-out-of-here, all three of them took off into the sunshine, Adrian in the lead, and Eddie in the rear with Dog.

Turned out, Jimas bike was straight-up magic, a beast with no manners at all, and as they went through farm country, he started to get a feel for the thing.

And whatever, you didnat need wind in your hair to be free.

Adrian ended up taking them down by the Hudson, heading toward town, and when they started to hit the traffic lights by the cityas riverside parks, Jim took to praying for redsa"just because accelerating was so frickina satisfying.

As they pulled up to the intersection of Twelfth and River streets, he shouted up to Adrain, aI need gas.a aThereas an Exxon up here, right?a aYeah, two blocks.a When the light changed, they roared off, the sounds of their engines exploding into the air and being amplified as they went beneath the overpa.s.ses of the highway. At the gas station, they pulled up to the pumps and Jim hit the high-test.

aHoware the brakes?a Adrian asked as he eyed a blonde getting out of a beater. The woman headed into the quickie mart with a hip swivel and a half, the fringe of her long hair tickling the tattoo at the small of her back.

Jim had to laugh. The mouthy b.a.s.t.a.r.d was instantly distracted and clearly considering the merits of trailing her inside and asking her if she wanted to play with his screwdrivera"which, given the way she kept looking over her shoulder at him, was going to be one big, fat yes.

aWhy do I get the feeling mine are better than yours,a Jim murmured as he pulled the nozzle out of his tank.

aYou mean brake-wise?a Adrianas head swiveled around. aYou think? aCuz I do believe you were the one getting laid Thursday night, not me.a aAnd to think Iad decided your company was worth your grease skills.a Jim crammed the nozzle back into its place on the pump. aMusta been out of my d.a.m.n mind.a He remounted and put his helmet back on. aSo you want to head backa"a aIam sorry.a Jim stopped in the process of buckling up the strap under his chin. Adrian was standing in front of him, the guyas face grim, his eyes focused on the sky above the gas station. He was dead serious.

Jim frowned. aWhat are you sorry about what?a aPointing her out to you at the club. I was thinking this was all sort of a game, but itas not. I shouldnat have encouraged you down that road. It wasnat right.a That Adrian was so bothered by what was actually just normal guy s.h.i.t was a surprise, but maybe there was some marshmallow under that crispy exterior.

Jim put out his palm. aItas cool. Weare cool.a Adrian took what was offered. aIall try not to be an a.s.shole all of the time.a aLetas not get ahead of ourselves.a Adrian smiled. aYeah, maybe Iall just alternate with being a d.i.c.khead.a aAlso something you could easily pull off.a Jim started up his hog and curled his fist on the accelerator to pump the fresh gas right into those big, hungry pistons. aShall we, gentlemen?a aAbso,a Adrian said as he hopped on his own bike. aYou go first this time.a aDog okay there, Eddie?a Jim asked while eyeing the animala"who seemed thrilled with the adventure.

aWeare rock steady.a As Jim headed them back in the direction theyad come from, he took in the yellow of the sunlight and the bright white of the clouds and the blue of the sky and the gray of the road. Over to the left, the river paralleled the road, as did the walking path that had been built along the sh.o.r.e. Here and there, fledgling trees that looked like pencils poked into the earth forced the asphalt to wind around as did flower beds that would no doubt be sprouting tulips and daffodils in a couple of weeks.

The Riverside Diner was another sh.o.r.eline marker, an old lady of a dive that was the kind of place Jim would feel comfortable in and something head been meaning to check out. Word was it had pancakes to die fora"

Jim eased up on the throttle. In the parking lot, a BMW M6 that looked a h.e.l.l of a lot like Vinas was parked next to a green Toyota Camry.

And there was a pair of legs sticking out between the cars, as if a man were lying out on the ground.

Major U-ey action. Lot of gas.

Because Jim had no doubt who belonged to those two shiny loafers.

Whipping into the parking lot, he gunned for the woman who was crouched down by theayup, it was Vin diPietro who was spread out belly to the heavens. The guy wasnat moving and had a face like someone had stuck a wax mold of his bruised features on the free end of his spine.

aWhat happened?a Jim hit the kickstand and got off the bike.

The woman from the club looked up at him. aHe just went down. Like last night.a as.h.i.t.a Jim crouched down as Adrian and Eddie pulled up. Before they could get off their Harleys, he waved for them to stay put, thinking the fewer people involved in this situation, the better.

aHow long has he been out?a he asked the woman.

aOnly about five minutes or soa"Oh, my G.o.dahi.a She leaned down as the other guyas eyes opened slowly. At first, they locked on Marie-Terese, then on Jim.

aWakey-wakey,a Jim murmured as he checked to see whether those pupils responded to the light in the same way. When they did, he was only marginally relieved. aHow about we get you to a doc.a Vin grunted, and as he struggled to sit up, Marie-Terese tried to get him to stay put. aThereas nothing wrong with me,a the guy said gruffly, aand no, I donat have a concussion.a Jim frowned, thinking that even hardheaded a.s.sholes tended to take notice when they back-flatted it out in public, but Vin wasnat surpriseda"or worried. He wasaresigned.

Head had experience with this before, hadnat he.

As the guy started to look around, Jim glanced over at Adrian and Eddie and nodded his head at the road, giving them a signal to head off. The pair took the hint, backing their bikes up and palming a wave before leaving.

as.h.i.taa Vin said as he rubbed his face. aThat wasnat fun.a aYeah, I think thatas self-evident.a Jim glanced over at the dark-haired woman and wondered why the two had met up. If Vin wanted to keep things quiet about having any connection with those dead bodies, hooking up with her was not the brightest ideaa"even if it was just for coffee.

aI donat know what happened,a she said. aWe just had breakfasta"a aYou only had coffee,a Vin muttered, indicating that his short-term memory was working. a.s.suming she hadnat had French toast, too.

The woman lifted her hand as if she wanted to soothe him, but then dropped her arm. aHe ate and we talked and we came out here anda"a aIam okay now.a Vin pushed himself up off the ground and steadied himself on the Camryas hood. aJust fine.a Jim grabbed the guyas elbow. aWeare going to the doc now.a aThe h.e.l.l we are.a Vin pulled his arm back. aIam going home.a Well, s.h.i.t. Given the hard angle of the guyas jaw, the only shot Jim had at helping was playing chauffeur and taking him back to the Commodore.

aIall drive you across town, then.a Vin opened his mouth to argue, but the woman put her hand on his shoulder. aWhat if that happens again while youare behind the wheel?a As their eyes made contact and held, the sun broke through the dappling clouds and a shaft of liquid warmth shot down from the sky and bathed them in a glow.

Jim frowned, and glanced up at the heavens, half expecting to see a live-action Michelangelo moment, with the hand of G.o.d pointing at the two. But no, just clouds and sky and sunaand a flock of Canadian geese honking their way south.

Jim refocused on the pair of them. What had been painfully lacking over dinner when Vin had looked at Devina was totally and completely showing now: His eyes were locked on the woman in front of him, and Jim was willing to bet his left nut that if head asked the guy anything from what she was wearing to how tall she was to what, if any, perfume she wore, the answer coming back would have been one hundred percent accurate.

Jim frowned more deeplya. What if he was wrong? What if Devina wasnat Vinas right path?

aPlease, Vin,a the woman said. aLet him take you back.a Whatever. There was time to worry about that stuff later. Right now, he had to get Vin home. aGive me your keys, my man.a aPlease,a the woman prompted.

Vin actually did it. Palmed up the ringle-jingle, or in the M6as case the black fob, and handed it over to Jim.

aHow will you get back to your bike?a Vin asked.

Jim clapped his a.s.s pocket, thinking head cab ita"and found that head been as illegal as Adrian. No wallet. Which meant no license and no cash for a taxi.

s.h.i.t, the bike wasnat registered or insured either.

Jimas expression seemed to speak for itself as Vin laughed a little. aNo plate on that Harley you rolled in on. No license for you, either?a aHadnat expected to come this far on it. But donat you worry. Iall obey all traffic laws.a aIs your car a stick?a the woman asked Vin. When he nodded, she shook her head. aThatas a shame, because I canat drive a manual. But maybe I can follow you both and drive youaa"she nodded at Jima"aback to wherever you live.a aHere will be fine.a aYouare going to call a flatbed for the bike?a the woman said. aBecause you are way illegal.a aYeah. A flatbed. Iall get one of those.a Okay, it was time for the kind of good-bye that didnat require an audience.

Vin pointed to his car. aConsidering you have the key, you mind warming that up?a Jimas brow rose. aI might be acting like your chauffeur, but Iam not wearing a cap and uniform. So if you want some privacy, just ask for it.a The guy turned and gave Marie-Terese a nod. aIall meet you out in front of the Commodore.a She nodded back. aSee you there.a Vin watched the guy get behind the wheel of the M6 and shut the door. A moment later, the engine turned over and a thumping vibrated. Stereo was on. Nice touch.

Marie-Terese shook her head. aYou really need to go to the doctor.a aWould you feel better if I told you Iave been doing that since I was eleven?a aNo.a aWell, it hasnat killed me yet.a Abruptly, he thought of his vision of the gun and the sound of the shot, and it took all he had not to sound as desperate as he felt. aListen, I donat know whatas doing in your backgrounda.a As her face tightened up, he knew better than to take that one any further. aI realize the owner of that club is making you feel protected, but thatas only at the Iron Mask. What if someone follows you home?a aIf you saw my house, youad understand why Iam not worried.a Vin frowned, thinking that at least she seemed prepared. aI promise Iam not going to pry, but if you know who might come after you, go to the police. And if you canat go to them, have your manager take care of it privately.a aAhathanks for the advice.a Man, he hated this. If only he knew what head said to her in the trances, exceptawell, s.h.i.t, the gun told him enough, didnat it.

aWhere do you live?a he said softly.

As she opened her mouth, he thought for a moment that she was going to answer him. But then she caught herself. aWhere exactly is the Commodore? In case I get separated from you guys.a He gave her directions. aIam on the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth floors.a aBoth?a aBoth.a aIam not surprised.a s.h.i.t, he could feel her closing herself off from him, unplugging the connection. aIall follow you guys over there.a As she turned away, he touched her elbow. aWhatas your cell number?a There was a long pause. aIam sorryaI just canat.a aAll right. I understand. But you have all mine. Call me, please. Anytime.a He leaned to the side and cranked her door even wider so she could get in, and he waited to shut it until she had the seat belt drawn across her chest. After a couple of tries, her car wheezed into a semblance of an idle, and she glanced up like she was waiting for him to get a move on.

The sound of one of the M6as windows going down made him want to curse. And so did Jimas voice: aTextbook way of getting a ride home is you sit in the car. Unless you want to jump on the front b.u.mper?a Vin stalked around the BMW, got in and parked it in the pa.s.senger seat. aDonat lose her.a aI wonat.a And he didnat. Jim handled the M6 perfectly. He was fast, nimbleabut not so quick that Marie-Terese couldnat keep up.

Against the backdrop of cla.s.sic rock, Vin didnat feel the need to explain why he and Marie-Terese had been at the diner alone. Not in the slightest.

At all.

aJust answer me one thing,a Jim said, as if he read minds.

aMarie-Terese met with the cops and so did the owner.a Vin looked across the car. aThey didnat say anything about us and have no intention to.a Jimas eyes shot across the seats. aNot what I was going to ask, but good to know. What about the security cameras?a aTaken care of.a aNice.a aDonat get too excited. I told Marie-Terese that if she was going to get compromised, or if there was any pressure on her, she needed to serve us up like a steak.a aAnswer me one thing.a aWhat.a aWhat are you going to do about Devina?a Vin crossed his arms over his chest. aJust because I have breakfast with someonea"a aBull. s.h.i.t. And donat front. What are you going to do.a aWhy do you care?a There was a long pause. So long that they went through two red lights.

As they accelerated after the second, Jim looked over. His eyes were arresting, positively glowing. aI care, Vin, because Iave come to believe in demons.a Vin whipped his head around, and Jim went back to focusing on the road as he continued. aI wasnat kidding when I said I was here to save your soul. Iam beginning to think I got it wrong, though.a aGot what wrong?a aTell me about this f.u.c.king Victorian vapors thing youave got going on.a aWait, what did you get wrong?a aI donat think youare supposed to end up with Devina.a The guy slowly shook his head and glanced up into the rearview mirror. aMy job is to help you get through this part of your life and end up in a better place. And Iam coming to believe that means you need to be with that woman whoayup, just ran a red light to keep up with us.a aYou should have stopped,a Vin snapped, taking hold of the mirror and yanking it around so he could see Marie-Terese behind the wheel.

She was ten-and-twoaing her hands, and focusing on the M6, concentration tightening her brows. Her lips were moving slightly, as if she were singing a song or talking to herself, and he wondered which one it was.

aSo what about this pa.s.sing-out thing?a Jim prompted. aYouare not surprised about it, are you.a Vin reangled the mirror. aYou ever hear of a medium?a Jim looked over. aYeah.a aWell, I see the future and sometimes I talk when I do. And thereas some other s.h.i.t, too. Soathere you go. And lest you think itas a f.u.c.king party, let me a.s.sure you itas not. I did my best to get it out of me and thought Iad licked it. Guess not.a When there was just the rising and falling of the M6as ma.s.sive engine, he said roughly, aYou get points for not laughing.a aYou know what? I might have a couple of days ago.a Jim shrugged. aNow Iam not inclined to at all. You always been like that?a aStarted when I was a kid.a aSoawhat did you see about her?a When Vin couldnat bring himself to reply, Jim muttered, aOkay, Iam guessing it wasnat candlelit dinners and romantic walks on the beach.a aNot hardly.a aWhat was it, Vin. And you might as well tell me. You and I are in this together.a Anger spiked, hard and hot. aRight, I showed you mine. Now you show me yours. What the f.u.c.k are you doinga"a aI died. Yesterday afternoonaI died and Iave been sent back to help people. Youare my first.a Now it was Vinas turn to get good and silent.

aLooks like you get points for not laughing, too,a Jim muttered. aTell you what, letas stipulate that we both have some of the WTF going for us and move along. I need to save your a.s.s from yourself and like I said, I have a feeling the solution is not Devina, but the woman behind us in that Camry. So why donat you cut the s.h.i.t and tell me what you saw about hera"because Iam not going to fail on my first trip out of the park, and the more I know the better.a Jim Heron did not seem delusional, and considering where Vin was coming from when it came to the freaky s.h.i.t, he figured he could give at least marginal credence to what the guy said. Even if it didnat make any more sense thanawell, medium trances, for example.

aI sawaa gun go off.a Jimas head slowly swiveled around. aWho was. .h.i.t? You or her?a aI donat know. Iam a.s.suming her.a aYou ever been wrong?a aNo.a The guyas hands cranked on the steering wheel. aWell. There you go.a aSounds like we have more to talk about.a aYup.a Instead, they didnat say another thing: They sat side by side in the car, and Vin couldnat ignore the metaphor, the two of them belted in on some kind of ride, with G.o.d only knew what outcome waiting for them.

As he looked into the rearview mirror again, he prayed that Marie-Terese wasnat the one who got hurt. Better him. Much better.

When they finally got to the Commodore, they pulled into the garage, and as Marie-Terese waited in front, Vin thought maybe that was a good thing: Head just end up trying to say good-bye to her again, and enough was enough.

aIam spot number eleven over there.a After the M6 was parked, Vin got out of the car, took the key from his new buddy, and they went their separate ways, with Jim heading over to the stairwell that would lead him up to the street.

Vin walked off in the opposite direction to the elevator, and when its doors opened wide for him, he stepped in and turned around. Jim was almost to the exit, his stride closing the distance quickly.

Vin blocked the elevator doors from shutting and called out, aIam going to break up with Devina.a Jim stopped and looked over his shoulder. aGood. But go easy on her. Sheas in love with you.a aShe certainly makes it appear that way.a But underneath all that alovinga exterior, there was something hollow about hera"and it had been part of the reason head wanted her around: Head rather have dealt with the calculation, because self-interest he trusted more than love.

Not anymore. Shifts were occurring in him, shifts he could no more control than he could stop the imposition of those visions. On a usual day, he was ninety-nine percent about business. In the past twenty-four hours? He was pulling a fifty percent, if that: His mind had been consumed with other, more important thingsathings that had a lot to do with Marie-Terese.

aIall keep you posted,a he told Jim.

aYou do that.a Vin let the doors close, and hit the b.u.t.ton for his floor. He had to talk to Devina, and he needed to get that conversation over with. It wasnat only the fair thing to doahe had some sense of urgency about it that had nothing to do with the fact that he wasnat looking forward to hurting her.

That horrible dream was still with himalike it had stained his brain permanently.

On the twenty-eighth floor, the elevator let out a discreet bing, and he stepped out and went up to his door. As he opened the way into the duplex, Devina rushed down the stairs, a huge smile on her face.

aLook what I found while I was tidying your study.a She extended her open palms, holding out the Reinhardtas box. aOh, Vin! Itas perfect!a She rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck, her perfume choking him even more than her hold did. As she went on about how she shouldnat have opened it but couldnat help herself, and how it even fit her finger, Vin closed his eyes and saw echoes of the nightmare head had.

A conviction lit off in the center of his chest, one that was as undeniable as his own reflection in a mirror.

She was not who she said she was.

CHAPTER 20.

When Jim got into the green Camry, he leaned over and extended his hand. aJim Heron. Figured we might as well introduce ourselves.a aMarie-Terese.a The womanas smile was slight, but warm, and as he waited for a last name, he had a feeling one wasnat coming.

aThanks for the ride back,a he said.

aNot a problem. Howas Vin doing?a aFor a guy who just trouted it in a parking lot, he seems all right.a Jim looked over at her as he did up his seat belt. aYou holding up okay? Talking to the cops is not a party.a aDid Vin tell you? You know about the security tapes andaa aYeah, he did, and thanks.a aYouare welcome.a She put on her directional signal, checked her mirrors, and pulled out after an SUV went by. aCan I ask you something?a aSure.a aHow long have you been sleeping with his girlfriend?a Jim tightened his shoulders and narrowed his eyes. aExcuse me?a aThe night before last, I saw you leave with his girlfriend after shead spent about an hour staring at you. Same thing last evening. No offense, but Iave been watching people do stuff like that for a while now, so I doubt there was only a lot of hand-holding going on in the parking lot.a Well, well, wellashe was smart. This Marie-Terese was smart.

aWhat do you think of Vin?a he asked.

aNot going to answer me? I donat blame you.a aWhatas your last name?a He smiled grimly as silence reigned. aNot going to answer me? I donat blame you.a As she flushed, he eased off with a curse. aLook, Iam sorry. Been a rough couple of days.a She nodded. aAnd itas none of my business, actually.a He wasnat so sure about that.

aJust out of curiosity, what do you think of him?a As Jim waited for her to answer, he thought, Jesus, since when had he turned into a modern-day, d.i.c.k-swinging Ann Landers? Next thing he knew, head be getting facials and ironing his clothes.

Oracleaning his clothes.

Whatever.

aWell, anyway,a he said, aware she hadnat replied, aI donat know him all that much, but Vinas a good guy.a She glanced over. aHow long have you known him?a aI work for him. Heas into construction and I have a hammer. Match made in Heaven.a Jim thought of the Four Lads and rolled his eyes. aLiterally.a As they came up to a stoplight, she said, aIam not looking for him. For anyone.a Jim glanced up at the sky through its frame of skysc.r.a.pers. aYou donat have to be searching to find what you need.a aIam not going to be with him, soayeah. Thatas it.a Great. One step forward. Two steps back. Vin appeared to be on board; Marie-Terese was not interesteda"in spite of the fact that she was clearly attracted to the guy and that she cared about him enough to worry how he was going to make it back home safely.

As they went along with the traffic, they pa.s.sed by a couple who were walking side by side, their hands linked. They werenat young lovers, though; they were old. Very old.

But only in the skin, not in the heart.

aYou ever been in love, Marie-Terese?a Jim asked softly.

ah.e.l.l of a question to ask a prost.i.tute.a aI havenat. Been in love, that is. Just wondered if you had.a He touched the gla.s.s, and the old woman caught the gesture and clearly thought head waved at her. As she lifted her free hand, he wondered if maybe he had.

He smiled at her a little and she smiled back and then they resumed their separate ways.

aWhy is that relevant,a Marie-Terese said.

He thought of Vin in that cold, beautiful duplex, surrounded by inanimate beautiful objects.

And then he thought of Vin, looking at Marie-Terese in the sunlight.