Stalker (7 page)

Lily fumbled in her backpack and found her ID. ‘Looks like you need a black T-shirt to be part of the crowd today.’ Lily made conversation. ‘Is it the latest miracle uniform?’

Most of the crowds gathered around the entrance to the radio station were fans wearing ‘This is Your Day for a Miracle’ shirts ordered from Y’s web site. They milled around.

‘I wouldn’t know. Y is being interviewed in Studio 4. The preacher man.’

Y was a rock star who ‘got’ religion. Now the Cult’s songs had changed to hot gospelling and he’d taken up miracles as a sideline, attracting sick people to his Crusades. Bernie’s heavy suggestion that she interview him for Lily’s ‘hot goss.’ segment couldn’t be ignored.

‘Unreal. Is he going to do any miracles around here? Like fixing the photocopier?’ joked Lily, but the guard was in security mode. He checked her photo and handed back the ID.

‘Just keeping out the fans. Controlling the scene.’

Bernie’s desk was piled with In and Out trays and slogans like ‘ARE YOU HERE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, OR ARE YOU THE PROBLEM?’ He and Jamie got on well because they shared a love of facts and figures. Bernie really liked change and so far, he’d improved the look of the place, with a bit of paint and new furniture. And he was moving on the money side too, getting new sponsors.

‘The Y’s early stuff was great. But lately, The Cult’s been a bit, you know, religious,’ said Lily. ‘The lyrics have changed.’

‘That doesn’t matter. He’s agreed to do a quick interview with you, after the Religion Today program. A freebie. ’ Bernie was an expert on freebies. ‘Usually he’d want a big interview fee, so we’re lucky because
Channel 9’s
crew was in to televise how charitable he was doing a free program for a community station.’

Jamie winked. ‘Your hot goss. segment is a bonus because Bernie asked him on camera if he’d do the interview with you. A bit hard to refuse, with thousands of viewers watching.’

Bernie smiled. ‘All in a good cause. Anyway, Jamie’s researched a few questions for you to make it a bit tougher than usual, Lily.’

‘Tougher in what way?’ Lily asked as Bernie and Jamie congratulated each other. Didn’t they think she could handle the ’Y’?

‘Ask him a more than “what’s your favourite
song?” Ask about his followers. Link it to his crusades and their profits. They’ve had a lot of media coverage.’ Bernie shuffled papers on his desk. ‘Look, here’s the clippings file. His miracle crusades pull thousands of people.
Organisers promise miracles when he sings that song. The sick will be healed. And money will be collected. Somehow, that could turn a person off God overnight .’

‘He’s BIG!’ Jamie, thrust a sheet of questions at Lily. ‘He’ll be in Studio 3, with us in eight minutes. Once he’s
done
religion.’

‘I’ll tell the front office you’re taking messages, not talkback as it’s a pre-record.’ warned Bernie. ‘Off you go.’

Lily hurried into the studio, half annoyed that they thought she couldn’t handle the questions and half excited at the chance to interview the Y. She could smell the Glen 20 spray the fussy presenter from ‘Religion’ used to disinfect the microphone and the telephone .She glanced up at the Studio address in big black texta on the wall. Carts were ready. The sign LOAD LATER, UNLOAD SOONER. Bernie believed in slogans. She stuck in a cart to check. The stark yellow Smoking Prohibite sign dominated. That was a new one. Even their Internet address was listed in big print on the wall in case a presenter had a memory gap. She lined up the carts. Sponsors. Messages. Ready to go. This was really Jamie’s job, but he’d done the questions for her.
Team work was cool.

Five minutes later, they swapped places , Jamie gave a thumbs up sign, and Lily started interviewing the long-haired man, with the silky beard which he kept stroking. He no longer looked like the shaven photo on his early albums. Lily took a breath and started.

‘In the studio we have the Y. Now I know that lots of our listeners are fans of yours. Like to tell us the hot goss.?
Black Dark was such a success. Big Miracles is completely different. Why have you recently changed the Cult’s types of songs?’

Lily sat back. The mike was popping. No ‘dead air’ time, please! She got ready to fill the gap, but then Y leaned forward and spoke in a honey voice. ‘I’ve moved into the God Business. A new relationship for me… Spiritual stuff. Heavy. The smell of success. The God Business is inspiring and I’m pretty inspired… Big Miracles is the top CD now, and I wrote that with God. Now God is helping me on the next song… Divine ’

Silence. Dead air which Lily hurried to fill. She scrapped her standard question ‘What inspired your lyrics?’ and said quickly
‘Er… does God get royalties, directly or indirectly?
’

Luckily the Y seemed amused rather than upset by the question.

‘No, but He is helping me on the business side. Guiding my lyrics. So I’m going to share a few of the Divine dollars his way.’ Y flicked his hair back from his face, in a way you knew he liked the feeling.

Lily glanced down Jamie’s sideways writing, wishing he’d printed or typed instead. Saved on guessing.
‘You’ve been quoted as saying to fans, and followers,’ ‘If you donate money, God will return it with interest.’

‘Yes. What’s wrong with that?’

‘You’ve recently moved into a ten million dollar house, you go up in hot air balloons with Miracle on the side.’

The mike popped. Lily moved the mike. Too much crackling

‘It’s been said that you are cashing in on the desperate and the sick,’
stated Lily, hoping Jamie’s quotes were accurate. She paused and tried again, ‘
Do you profit from preaching? It’s said that sales from your “This is Your Day for a Miracle T shirts” have sold almost as much as your CDs. And that they have the smell of success. ‘As a member of the Cult, do you owe anything to your fans?’

Although Lily felt her stomach tighten, she liked playing the feisty interviewer. Usually people just wanted to be on air. They were pleased to be asked. This guy was different.

‘Owe them?’ The Y laughed. ‘Well, I could say, thanks fans. Just keep coming. Sweat it out! But God has my career under his personal control. Some people think God shouldn’t be used to sell things… like song lyrics but it is through him that I’m energised, that’s what I am. Just to live and sing. And inspire.’ Y’s voice seemed energised… well, louder.

Crackle. Crackle.

Jamie signalled. ‘Just a hand’s width away from the mike….from your chin.’

Lily attacked. ‘
Your ticket fees are double those of other gigs. Why?’

‘It takes money to save souls. And my gigs are not low key. People are entertained by showmanship. Just play my music. Then you’ll hear.’

‘
This is a clip from “Big Miracles” written by the Y with The Cult.’
Gratefully Lily signalled to Jamie’ who slotted in the music cart.

The Y leaned back, listening to himself sing, with his eyes closed. Lily skimmed Jamie’s notes. Alongside a giant question-mark, Jamie had scrawled. ‘Armaguard vans removed bucket loads of cash, cheques and credit card slips. 40,000 people at gig. Million dollar house Drives Jag. Website sells “Good Morning Holy Spirit” mugs and “This is Your Day for a Miracle” shirts.’

How could she tackle him about that on air? Should she? The music was finishing. Y flicked his hair back again as the song ended.

‘Thank you, Y.’
Lily pressed on. ‘
Some sick people believe they are cured by paying to attend your Crusades and hear you sing this track. Do you have any proof of this?’

‘My seven person medical team confirms cures.’

‘What sort of cures?’

‘
Big Miracle cures.’

‘But what have they been cured from? Specifically.
Cancer? Heart problems? Tumours? Flu?’
Lily tried to lighten it up. ‘
We’d like to know any hot goss.’

‘Cured of Ignorance,’ pronounced Y.

‘Ignorance isn’t a disease,’
said Lily. ‘
Well, not a medical problem.’

‘Those who are ignorant of the power of my music will suffer.’

‘Do you have any proof of that?’
Lily was floundering. So she grabbed Jamie’s notes. This guy was a fruit loop.

‘It has been said that Crusades drain money which could go into genuine charities like the Salvation Army. Have you any comment to make?’

‘No comment.’ The Y glanced at his watch. ‘Time’s up. God and I have a personal understanding. That’s what inspires my music. “Big Miracles’ is soul food. My web site has details of all divine merchandise. WWW. Miracles. net.au.’ He slipped in the address. ‘Discounts for bulk orders. Goodbye, and thankyou Rose.’ This was said with full-on sincerity into the mike. He didn’t look at Lily.

‘Thank you for your time. And I’m Lily, on 3BC Hot Goss. That was The Y from the Cult, creator of “Big Miracles.
” Lily wound up quickly, as the Y left his chair and hurried out of the studio with a flick of his hair and a backwards, ‘Cheers Rose. God Bless.’

‘I smell a rat, not a mouse,’ said Jamie thoughtfully. ‘You didn’t ask him the one about whether “Evangelists can
fleece
the flock”.’

‘If I had, he would have walked out earlier,’ said Lily as she packed up.

‘Can’t even get his flower names right. Is that what the fame game does to you. Short-term memory?’

‘I can’t remember what he said,’ Jamie laughed, and Lily giggled.

‘Great,’ Bernie’s beaming face appeared around the studio door. ‘That should get a reaction. Coverage for us, for sure. How’s your old car going Lily?’

‘It’s not!’ Why was she getting the feeling she was being controlled from several directions at once? ‘Broken down again. I’ll have to cycle.’

‘Check your pigeon-hole, Lily,’ said Georgio, the retired go-fer. ‘There’s plenty of mail for you. Droppings from your fans. Especially that regular one.’

Lily looked at Jamie and just knew he was thinking ‘Shit!’

‘Even bird shit can be turned into fertiliser. What’s that island covered in it? Nauru?’

‘Thanks Jamie.’ Easy to say. He wasn’t getting the hate mail. Waves of fear, like the incoming tide, weren’t swamping him.

************************************************************

On air, you sound like you’re talking just to me. I know that’s what professional radio and TV presenters are taught to do. But you’re just an amateur Lily. So you must really mean it for me personally. That’s why I‘ll slip the list in your pigeon hole at the studio when the time is right. So you’d know that I’m taking a personal interest in your life.

By now I know all those things about you Lily. No need to ask. Favourite colour Green. Kleenex for the bathroom. Green toilet paper. Toothbrush. T shirt. Coffee mug. For other people the Questionnaire would have been a mistake, but not for me. I don’t make mistakes. Age, birthdate. That usually gives you their password. Most use their birthdate or their boyfriend’s. You haven’t got as steady boy at the moment… just several males around… friends you call them. Jamie the Brainy. And that Neanderthal brother.

Should have sent the questionnaire to more people than just you. But that was early on. Most people assume that everybody else gets the same series of questions. They never ask around.

What had thrilled yesterday, was ‘not enough’ today. I had to go further.

Taking green tissues from your bathroom box was not enough. It needed to be more personal. Internal. To go inside you. A frayed ‘hard’ toothbrush…green handle. So easy to tell your favourite colour…You’d would miss this, soon. A souvenir… I’ve got this Lily and you don’t even know. Your life is open to me Lily. I can make you do things or not do things.

Time matters to you. I will take time from you. You will no longer control your own hours. Even the car clock is under my control. I will change appointments…. Voice mail is so easy to alter. Your time is my time. You owe it to me. I have given you so much of my time.

`

Gym

Did she have a choice? Not really. She had to deal with the fear of being watched. What could she do?

She could ignore the stalker. That was easy to say but because she didn’t know what he’d do next, it was hard to put into practice. She could carry on with her ordinary routine. But in those ‘nothing’ moments, when her mind started to wander and ask ‘what if?’ that fear of the unknown took some controlling. She’d slip into anticipating what he might do, and that was worse that discovering what he had done. So it was hard to control how she might feel about the next unexpected thing.

She could start tracking him, to find who and why he was doing it. Or she could build in some protection. The question was, should she ask for help, or deal with it on her own? She’d already told Jamie, and he’d adopted her as a ‘problem to be solved.’ Jamie was brainy, but she needed someone to talk over the problem. Genny was hopeless. She could make a formal complaint to the studio, to Bernie, but she knew he wouldn’t be keen on that sort of publicity. Well, there was always Ben with tiny, nice girlfriend Anita tagging along. Body building brothers had their uses.

She rang and left a message. ‘See you at the gym at 7.’

Then she felt better because she’d made a decision.