Unforgettable (4 page)

Ted and Gabrielle watched
their daughter and the monster hovering outside her
door.

Welsh touched her doorknob.
Ted shone red eyes into his face scaring him. Welsh left, almost
running back to his apartment.

"Ted, what if we can't keep
him away?"

"We'll find a way...we'll
think of something."

He held his wife and closed
his eyes.

Saturday

I was amazed that when I woke it was
ten o’clock. I never slept that late. Saturday was my laundry day
so I piled my clothes into my old green basket, put quarters in my
pocket, and walked downstairs to the laundry. Luckily a machine was
open. Doing the physical labor helped slash the images from the
night before.

A boy about four came running into the
laundry room with a frog.

“
Look, lady. I found Curtis.
I lost him a yesterdee but now I founded him again. Ain’t he
big?”

“
He’s wonderful.” I
cringed.

“
Bye.” He ran out. I
laughed. I needed a laugh.

The laundry was finished by one-thirty.
Showering was difficult; I kept a knife in the shower with me and
always rushed to finish. Going through my closet I found my white
halter shirt and taupe pants. It was Saturday. No uniform
today.

I dressed, spending more time on my
hair than usual. My breathing was irregular, my hands moist, my
mouth dry. I felt like I was going on my first date.

"Stop it, Sam. He's your patient," I
told the mirror.

"Screw you, I'm going to enjoy this.
How many times do you get to see a Jack Nolan?" I answered
myself.

Washington, D.C. The
ceremony was brief. Senator Ward was officiating, handing out the
useless metals. Frank McMorris and Oliver Chamber were officially
welcomed out the door. The politically incorrect twosome had come
in from the cold.

Oliver took his check and
smiled. Frank, on the other hand, stuffed it in his pocket not
looking at it. He didn't care. He didn't care about a damn
thing.

Immediately following the
ceremony the Senator took a call. When he realized who it was he
walked back to his office, whispering in Dari Persian. He was
smiling as he closed the door.

Southern
Afghanistan:

The woman in the white
shirt and torn green skirt was being dragged, screaming. No one
stepped out to watch. The torturer was hired. And paid
well.

Three hours later, she lay
nude in the back of an abandoned store.

The American strolled in
and began to bathe her gently, giving her water, sweet cakes,
opium, and kisses.

"Are you ready to tell me,
Boosha? Tell George. You want to tell me. Who had your husband
killed that night? You know, don't you? Tell me, because it is
important, because you must feel the cold now and you must now my
sweet Boosah. Please me, please George."

She tried to spit on
him.

"That's okay. Your niece,
the little virgin, is here for me now. And my friends."

Boosha sat up and screamed
at him.

He learned all he needed to
know before he pressed his weapon into her rectum and
fired.

He smiled.

"Now, Frank...now I've got
you."

At exactly a quarter to four I drove up
the driveway to Jack’s. To my surprise there were cars
everywhere.

A petit, smiling woman in a maid’s
outfit opened the door, gesturing me in.

People were hurrying around the house
with trays of food and cases of wine and booze.

Fritz came out of the dining room to
greet me. He was wearing a flowered shirt, open, and Chinos instead
of his usual black and black.

“
At last, my angel has
arrived.” He gave me a wonderful hug.

“
What on earth is going
on?”

“
Saturday night. People
always tend to drop by. We have a few hors d’oeuvres, a couple of
drinks.”

A band started blasting from the back
yard.

“
A very quiet, low key
affair,” he shouted.

“
Quiet.” I laughed. “I think
I’d better find Jack.”

He bowed and gestured toward the back
of the house.

Gabrielle was talking with
a group of women and a tall angel. She didn't notice Ted parting
the swimming pool and watching below.

He smiled. "A Hollywood
party. I like this. Sam, hold still, just a little dash of fairy
dust before your mother catches me, darlin'." He sprinkled a
generous helping on Sam. It drifted around and several men turned,
looking at her hungrily.

"The dancing man, Sam. He's
got something. Take charge kind of guy. May be just what you need
instead of the pretty boy."

He sprinkled her one more
time and closed the pool and his view.

An elegant man, tall, balding, and with
a Cheshire cat grin, captured me in the hallway and swirled me
around, dipping me almost to the floor.

"My beauty, where have you been all my
life?"

“
David!” Jack’s voice
boomed. “Let loose that woman!”

The man let me go, kissed my hand, and
walked out to the pool.

Jack looked charcoal hot, his black
shirt open, his jeans were low on his hips. I confess I desperately
wanted to touch that chest and belly.

“
Looks to be a very happy
night. I’ll introduce you later. You look so damn sexy. Good Lord
woman, I could eat you up with cranberry sauce. Come on. Let’s go
to the office. It’s relatively quiet back there.”

He bounded into the office, taking
large, noisy strides on his crutches.

“
Sit down by the recliner. I
put a decent chair over there for you. What do you want to drink?
How about an Ice Tea? Long Island style.”

“
Trying to get me drunk, eh?
I fell for that in college. Fell is exactly right. Passed right out
in a bowl full of linguine. Although my face was incredibly smooth
the next morning. That wonderful olive oil I guess. A lot of
Italian restaurants in St. Louis.”

“
I thought you were from
Kansas City.” He had an 'aha grin'.

“
Oh, I am. 'Went to school
in St. Louis. How can we do your therapy with all of this
chaos?”

I looked at his toes.

“
They’re bad. Very, very
bad. You’re not keeping them elevated. That ankle’s got no chance
of healing if you’re abusing it like that," I scolded. "But I see
you’re walking much better.”

“
Yes, and yes.”

“
Perhaps I should come back
Monday.”

I was irritated. I had driven all this
way.

“
I must insist that you stay
for the party. “

“
I must insist I’m not
dressed for a party.”

He laughed.

“
There will be all kinds of
dress tonight, sweetheart, including, I guarantee you, some
un-dress. Always is. But, I can tell you with all certainty that
you’re perfect. You’re absolutely perfect.” His voice was low, like
a simmering volcano, and I could feel it vibrate through the wide
floor boards, right into my soul.

“
I’m sorry but I
absolutely
can’t stay…Now
sit down. Foot up. I’ll get the frozen peas.”

I made my way through the crowd to the
kitchen. The dancing man grabbed me again. I didn't put up a
serious fight. He was adorable, fascinating, and funny.

“
You must let me put you in
the movies. My dear you are spectacular.”

I looked at the bouncing round female
bodies in the crowd.

“
Seems to me you have many
more--and better--options to choose from out there. I’m only a B
cup and I have lots more clothes on.”

“
As far as clothes, I like
presents still wrapped, don’t you?” He straightened the lapel of my
shirt, caressing my cheek. “Makes life much more exciting. What is
your wonderful, magnificent name?”

I swallowed hard. “Samantha
Rose.”

He held the freezer door open for
me.

“
That is the name of a star.
A star who likes lots of peas. Lots and lots of peas.”

I laughed, dropping a bag.

“
These are for
Jack.”

“
A new diet? God, he’s buff
enough as it is.”

“
I use them with my
orthopedic patients. As ice bags. Easier than getting ice all the
time and the little peas roll around, conform, more
comfortable.”

“
You are incredibly clever.
Talented. I have to get you in the movies. My name is David. I’m so
fun and…well, I’ll have to show you the rest.” He wrote his number
in my hand. “Day or night. Night or day. Call me.” He kissed my
hand and bowed. His eyes were dancing.

I worked on Jack's leg and he
introduced me to people as they wandered in and out. He held my
hand the entire time. I didn't want to leave.

But time was my enemy.

I raced back to the apartment just as
the skies darkened, the safety of the light gone again.

Sunday