Chapter 8: Home

“What happened?” Officer Kendall asked me as I laid flat on the hospital bed

I rolled my eyes. I was tired and still unnerved by the whole ordeal. My body just wanted to rest and my brain wanted to join him. I didn’t want visitors. Actually, that’s not true, I did want visitors, just not ones that were only interested in interrogating me about the incident I wanted to forget had ever happened. To tell you the truth I just wanted Frankie there. She wouldn’t even had to have said anything, just her presence would have been enough. Instead, I got Officer Kendall, a seemingly cold, heartless man in his forties who wanted nothing more than to steal from my mind any information he could, just so he could get the paperwork over and done with.

”Best to get it over it done with” I thought to myself, and proceeded to tell him what I knew, right from the beginning when Cutter had burst into my room. Occasionally Kendall would interrupt to ask for more details, annoying in that I was just getting to those details before I was interrupted.

I told him of how I had wanted to help Cutter, how I wanted to find the person responsible, but I never wanted this to happen. And I confessed that after all was said and done, I wished I had just stayed in bed. I told him that Cutter was the one that had taken the life of the suspect - accidentally or not, I wasn’t sure - but I didn’t know if he believed me. The questions he was asking made it seem like he had Kal pegged as the one, and that we had both decided on using Cutter as a scapegoat. He asked what my relationship was with Kal, what I thought of him, and whether I thought he was capable of murder. I didn’t know him all that well, but he was the one that pulled Cutter off. I didn’t think he was capable of killing a man, whether he thought it was justified or not. And that’s what I told Kendall.

After Cutter had left, I and Kal simply remained where we were. I don’t know how long we were out there for before others came – before officers and paramedics arrived to “help”

It was probably the gunshot that had led them to us. The sound must have echoed all around the grounds, but somehow they tracked us down to the exact spot.

“Little Sammy D”, as Cutter called him, was identified as dead and the paramedics soon came over to see to me. Kal had remained standing and barely flinched at the arrival of the others, merely acknowledging their presence. The only time he moved was when the officers forced him to, cuffing his wrists and putting him in the back of their copter.

I was taken to the hospital, but a couple of officers remained with me, making sure I wasn’t going anywhere, even with a broken ankle.

I told Kendall my story - the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I didn’t want him coming back and asking about it again just because I held something back. I didn’t do anything wrong. I had nothing to hide. I just wanted it to be over.

“How is she?” I asked when it seemed the questions were over.

“Who?” Kendall asked sternly.

“Victoria. Is she okay?”

“I don’t know.” He stated simply.

“Well, can you find out?” My patience was gone. I was tired, had just given a detailed description of the day’s events and now all I wanted to know was if a colleague was going to be ok. I had co-operated fully. The least this guy could do was find out for me.

“I’ll check into it” he replied, his voice just as cold, but perhaps only now showing a fraction of understanding.

“Thanks.” I replied dryly before asking “Can I get some rest now?”

“Sure. But I’ll be back later.”

“I’ll look forward to it” I remarked as he left the room.

My head was full of thoughts and worries, things that would keep me awake. But thankfully, my body’s need for sleep was insuperable. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**********

The sky was bright and air was warm as I stepped off of the train that day. It had been a shorter journey than I had expected – I guess that’s what happens when you’re not looking forward to reaching your destination – but finally, in the first time in over a year, I was home.

The Dirts - It didn’t sound like the most appealing place, but the name summed it up perfectly.

Situated just on the outer suburbs of Kara, at a place called Badger’s Rock, the Dirts was one of the poorest districts. I had memories of it being an awful, unsanitary, no good stinking place to raise children – where I myself had in fact been raised – but it was worse that I remembered it. Perhaps living for over a year at a glorious companion house in a beautiful area hadn’t helped, but there was no denying it, The Dirts lived up to their name

When I left, I swore I would never return, but now I had to. I had returned for a purpose. You see, I wasn’t alone. I had returned to face my family once more, and introduce them to the woman I had arrived with. Her name was Frankie. She was the love of my life, and she had just agreed to marry me.

I don’t quite understand how it all came together. One minute we were “just friends”, much to my annoyance, and then somehow, we had become so much more. I guess it was down to the incident at the house where we both resided and worked. After a man had attacked one of our colleagues, I feared for Frankie’s own safety. And when everything had died down, I went to check on her, to see if she was okay. Well, I guess that’s where it had begun. She saw for the first time as clear as day how much I cared for her, and it was more than a simple love between friends. It was so much more. It was a deep, heartfelt, “go to the ends of the earth for you” love. When she saw that, I guess she began to question her own feelings. I guess she realised she felt the same. Like she said, "it was destiny."

So there we were. Together, finally - a dream come true.

We approached my family’s downtrodden home hand in hand. I tried to avoid eye contact with Frankie for a while, ashamed at my own history, but she was having none of it. She squeezed my hand tight to grab my attention and gave me a nice warm smile. She didn’t care that my family was of little means, or where I was from, she only cared about who I was. She accepted me for me. Everything else, whether I had lived in a box or in a palace, was merely information. She loved me. Not how much I was worth to the rest of the verse. To her, I was her verse.

The front door to the small bungalow swung open before we reached it, and there standing in the doorway was a rough, hunched over, stubbled gentleman, squinting to make out the identity of his visitors.

Stopping for an instant, he waited as we walked towards him. Then I guess at some point he recognised me, because his face changed from a look of confusion to a look of disbelief as his mouth gaped open.

“Hey dad” I called out to him, just as a familiar woman appeared behind him in the doorway. “Mum.”

They both looked at me, astonished.

“I’m home”

*****

“What are you doing back, boy?” my dad asked me after we had been invited to sit inside. “You dying?”

“Sorry?” I asked

“Stuck your wang in one too many bushes?”

Frankie remained silent, no doubt out of embarrassment for me, as I answered back “No.”

“Did it fall off?” my brother Warren jeered. “Yeah, bet it fell off. Now you come back home to find some real work”

“No, it didn’t fall off. I’m still working there” I argued

“Dear, its okay, you realise you’ve made a mistake. We all have. If you want to come home, get back to normal work, you can. We won’t hold it against you”, my mum said in a mellow tone.

“Hell he won't!” my father blared.

As my parents started to argue, I jumped in, stopping them before they really “got into it”

“I’m not back for good. I’ve just come to tell you something”

“He is dying.” My father said to my mother before looking directly at me “I was right. Damn whoring got you disease-ridden”

“I’m not gorram dying!!”

“That’s enough of that language in front of your mother. You shan’t take the lord’s name in vain in this house…” my father rumbled. “Little hundan”

I stopped, closed my eyes and controlled my breathing – determining that I wouldn’t lose control and walk out again, walk out once and for all. Calmly, despite their fiery glares, I stated “Look, I’m getting married. We’re getting married. I just thought… I dunno. I thought maybe we could put this behind us.”

“Who? Who you getting married to?!” my father interrogated.

“To Frankie” I said pointing at the beautiful woman beside me “Who do you think?!”

“Frankie? Oh lord, he’s gone inverted” my mother shrieked, looking as if she was going to faint like those actors did in the old black and whites.

“I’ve what?”

“You marrying a man?” my father questioned

“What? No. Frankie!” I said pointing her out “Does she look like a man to you?!”

“How the hell are we supposed to know, we’ve never met the girl!” my father thundered

“She’s right h…” I started, looking to my side. But the seat beside me was empty.

“Oh look what you’re doing to your mother” my father said, attending to the old lady who had since fallen into her armchair, but I wasn’t really listening.

I stood up and looked around. Frankie was nowhere to be found

“Where is she?” I cried out

“Where is who?” Warren asked, still laughing at the whole ridiculous situation

I ran out the front door, but there was nobody about. And as I turned around to look behind me, there was nobody there either. Nothing in fact. The house had disappeared. I found myself alone in the desert wasteland, with nothing but sand as my companion “Fran…”

*****

I woke up suddenly.

I was still in the hospital bed. The dream that was too good to be true, was in fact, too good to be true.

Through the dirty windows, the red sky peered in. It was early morning. The sun had begun to rise but many in the hospital were evidently still asleep, particularly the person in the adjoining room whose own snoring was thunderously loud.

The clock beside me read six twenty two, and I noticed the red beacon on my phone was flashing.

Palming the device in my hand, I flipped it over and read the message on the screen.

MISSED CALL the display read

Clicking the button marked i brought up the call details and I realised that whilst I slept I had missed out on the opportunity to talk with Frankie

What could she have wanted?

To call and ask how I was doing? To tell me she was okay? Maybe neither. Maybe both.

Smiling, I clicked the function allowing me to return the call and waited for her to pick up.

Then I waited some more.

Nothing.

It was rather early to be taking calls, but I wasn’t to worry. Someone from the house would be down at eight a.m. to pick me up and take me back to Crescendo. I would have to wait till then to catch up.

***

At thirty minutes past eight, the house was usually buzzing with activity. The first new clients would be arriving, some of my fellow companions would be spending what little spare time they had to socialise with their peers and food, drink and any other needed supplies would be brought in for the day. There was none of that as I entered the premises in my chair, my ankle raised slightly. I may not have been able to work, but the house was both my working place and my home. I was to rest and that’s what I was planning on doing. But for others, they needed to work, and it seemed that the incident yesterday had both driven away those who had heard about it and brought in unwanted officials who had more questions and evidence to gather. I saw one or two officers as I headed towards my room. I wasn’t to stay in there just yet (due to it being part of the crime scene) but my things had been relocated to one of the rooms a few feet further down.

My belongings were placed in a neat fashion in the room (as if the person responsible, no doubt Madame Daae, wanted me to feel at home) but it felt all wrong. In fact, everything felt all wrong since I had returned. But it was more than just the knowledge of what had happened the day before, there was something else too. Something I couldn’t quite place.

***

At four minutes past nine, I had already broken my doctor’s advice to rest and was waiting outside Frankie’s room. Nemmi wasn’t at her post to inform her mentor she had a visitor, but I didn’t see why that should have stopped me.

After positioning myself close to the door to reach it, I knocked and waited patiently for her to answer.

“Who is it?” a voice called out

“It’s me.” I responded

“Me who?” came the reply

“Me Needy” I grinned

“Oh” she answered. Soon I heard footsteps approach and then the door opened.

“Hey Needy, how you feeling?” she asked with a warm smile. Only it wasn’t Frankie. It was Rebekah, the short blonde beauty that worked further down the corridor.

“Uh, yeah, I'm okay.” I responded, unable to hide my confusion “Where’s Frankie?”

“She’s not here” Rebekah said, stepping back slightly

“What do you mean? Where is she?”

Rebekah stepped back more, turned and signalled it was okay for me to come in.

“She went home. A few of the girls did after what happened. Bit shaken up I guess.”

“Gone home where?” I said entering

“Don’t worry, she’ll be back soon I’m sure. Just needed some time and space”

I looked around at the beautiful room. The spotlessly clean mirror sitting on the dressing table; the glorious red décor; the large comfortable bed in the middle of the room.

“Where’s Nemmi?” I asked, wanting to talk to someone else that might hold some more definitive answers

“Don’t know, gone with her I guess.”

“But gone where? Where’s home?” I asked, getting more and more frustrated

“I don’t really know" she responded a calm soothing tone. "I figured you would know. You were close weren’t you? Where was her home?” Rebekah asked me, with genuineness that I couldn’t be mad at her for.

“Here” I replied simply. “This was her home. She didn’t… have anywhere else”

Rebekah looked at me soulfully. “Then maybe they went to Nemmi’s home. To her family”

I was lost in my own thoughts yet again. Where had she gone? Why wouldn’t she tell me?

“I could check the books” she said. “Maybe that would help. Might give you some idea where to find them.”

“Yeah… thanks” I uttered softly.

Rebekah finished folding some sheets and placed them on the bed

“Wait, why are you here?” I asked

“I’m… I’m staying here for a bit. Officers are checking my room for some reason. Madame said I could stay here ‘til they finished”

“Oh” was my only response, as I lowered my head

“Don’t worry. It’s not permanent. She’ll be back soon in a day or so. You can see her then.” “Yeah you’re right” I surrendered. “I just… really wanted to see her”

She nodded “I know.”

Apparently my love for Frankie was not such a secret, or at least not to Rebekah, it was written as clear as day on my face. “I’ll go check the books now” she said giving me a smile

“Thanks”

***

There was nothing on the books.

Both Nemmi and Frankie were reported having left the premises, but there was no contact address left. Nor any number.

In a day or two, those few that had left due to being “shaken” by the events returned. One of the girls took two weeks. But Frankie and Nemmi didn't. They were nowhere to be found.

The phone I had tried to contact her on was found in her drawer. Numerous missed calls filled the log.

As my ankle healed, my heart began to break.

Frankie was gone.

**********

To Be Continued...