13 Chapter 13

Safe in his hide-away Frank looks below at the street below. And the charredexterior of the apartment building. Watching as Police and Fire Investigatorsstepped carefully through the rumble for indication as to its cause. Searching forevidence as to the cause of the massive gas explosion. Frank backs away fromthe window.

"Perhaps I should get back to my place. They may want to question me."

"I'm sure they come knocking in their own time once the clean up themess... They have your number no doubt." Reluctant to lose Julie to them.Unsure what she would tell them. And delaying her from declaring his presence.

"Yeah I suppose." She shrugs, curling up in the bed. The midday sunseeping into the room.

"How about we get a bite down town before we head out shopping?"

"You don't have to you know."

"I know... But I want to." Pulling Julie to him and folds around her.Feeling the warmth of her body against his and kisses the top of her head.As if it he were holding Marilyn. Some habits don't change he thinks to himself.Julie turns to face him.

"I hope your friend was alright... You should call him."

"Oh..." Caught off guard. "He'll be fine. He's probably thinks I've goneback to Seattle by now. He's got enough on his plate without me annoying himagain."

"What room was he in?" Julie puts him on the spot.

"Oh mm_..." He hesitates searching for an unknown room number.

"Not that creep in Room 5A I hope." Throws him a life time.

"Oh_ he's a creep! ... How do you know him?"

"A friend of a friend... Of a friend." Distancing himself as far as he could

"I was just doing the friend a favor by stopping by... But then wished I hadn't... You're right though... He gave me the creeps too."

"You've got some funny friends Frank." Said Julie, "But I'm glad you didotherwise our paths would have crossed... Serendipity." And she kisses him.

"Excuse me?" Puzzled by the word.

"Don't you believe in serendipity? ... Destiny... Fate?"

"Not really... A coincidence maybe."

"The universe doesn't do coincidence Frank... The wheels of the universeare turning... It threw us together it didn't it? ... Don't fight it."

"Oh I don't intend to." Surrendering to her new age French philosophy.

"You think things happen for a reason?"

"Of course... Don't you?"

"Not really... It's all just one big chaotic cosmic mess as far as I'mconcerned."

Then wondered if he should check his horoscope. Conceding that God hadlong since deserted him after his marriage had fallen apart.

"So you think you just go through life aimlessly?" Asks Julie.

"That's about it... Yeah... Why not?" Accepts Frank.

"Oh my poor lost Frank... You have so much to learn."

"Be careful what you wish for Grasshopper... I going to take a quickshower... You can join me if you want?"

"I'll be right behind you..."

"I hope so..." Peeling herself from Frank's embrace.

Turning on the television to see the local morning news coving theapartment fire. Yellow tape marked out the area with investigators picking at therumble. Much as he had seen from his window. Reports had come in as to onedeath of a Thomas O'Connor. A self-employed consultant. No other person hadbeen physically harmed. The extent of the damage confined to Thomas'apartment. The cause of the explosion was put down to a faulty gas link. Butinvestigators were unsure what had sparked the explosion.'The light bulb you fools!' Thought Frank.The reporter announced that investigators were also having puzzled as towhy the security tapes of the building had been off at the time of the explosion.

'Smith... ha.' Frank grinned and shook his head in disbelief.

"I coming I'm coming..." He calls back, disrobing himself, "I'm coming."

And it would not be much longer before he actually did. Much to Julies'satisfaction.Exhausted by repeated sessions of love-making. They laid in each other's armsstaring at the ceiling. Again. The next morning he would be leaving. How wouldthis relationship work he wondered? A casual fling? Julie seem to thinkotherwise. Promises were made in the heat of the moment. Promises to call.Promises to visit. Commitments which Frank now regretted. There was Marilynto consider. Though being two thousand miles apart, mobiles and the internetwould connect them instantly.Imagining how he was going to juggle two women. One woman was enoughin his life. Two maybe every guy wishes for, but in reality it was logisticalnightmare. Somehow he had to make it work. What had he done to deserve this?Was it Julie's cosmic karma coming back to bite him in the butt for killingThomas?'

Thomas was a spy. He deserved to die', Frank told himself again, trying toshake off the guilt.A few days ago his life was simple. Now he had fifty thousand in the bank,two lovers, and the blood of a dead spy on his hands. His mind bounced betweenthe trinity of guilt's. Before succumbing to sexual exhaustion and falling asleepbeside Julie's very naked body.Though Julie had sapped him physically, she had rejuvenated his spirit. His lifehad become a precarious roller coaster after the previous flat seven months.Unexpected twists and turns, climbs and dives appeared at the least likely ofmoments. Julie was one of them. Smith was the other. And Marilyn? Well hewould have to see about Marilyn. All three were on his mind as the airliner flewwest. After a one hour stop-over in Chicago. Frank found himself arriving fourhours after he had left Flint.11:00AM Seattle time. The sound of the wheels signaled that he was homeagain. Time to face the music. Unsure what the future held. What was Julie? Afling? Or something more? What was Smith? That question could get someonekilled. Literally. The jury of his conscious was still out deliberating his part inThomas' death.

The cherry red Buick was parked where he had left it a few days earlier. Itstood out among the cheap rusting Japanese imports. Made from American steel.It was built to last. On turning the key it coughed a cloud of foggy phlegm andcame to life. As though it was annoyed to have been awoken from its slumber.With the air rushing over him through the window, he could smell the freshsea breeze drifting down the coast from Alaska. It felt good to be home. Flint feltcramped and dirty by comparison. Julie offering the only relief to the nightmarehe wished to forget.

Nearing noon, Marilyn would be working the day shift until four thatafternoon. Deciding he would head to Jefferson's for a couple of drinks to settlehis nerves. And catch up with the Tomo knowing he would spill the beans at thefirst opportunity of any passing gossip.The bar hadn't move since his last visit. His park was empty. No one had takenup residency. Pulling the Buick to the curve. Letting the engine turn over to workthe creaks out of the old girl's joints after a few days sitting idle. Frank gave thethrottle a final tap, to signal Tomo of his arrival.On entering the bar he looks about for Smith. Tomo saw his tentativeness andspoke first.

"He's not here." He calls out as if to give the all clear.

"Thanks for the warning." Seeing the empty booths.

"I thought he was your boss? What wrong. You two fall out of love already?"

"I wish." Said Frank pulling himself onto his trusty stool as cowboy wouldpull himself onto his horse.

Hearing the stool creak as did his bones, relieved to be home again.

"Put your feet up... I'll get you one on the house."

"Make it a double then."

"What do you think I've been serving up until now?" Asked Tomo lookingup with a puzzled look on his face.

"Then double that... I'm going to need it." Eager to get the glass in his hand.

"So how was Flint? I thought you said you were coming back yesterday..."Pushing the drink towards him.

"Flint was Flint... Exciting place... Thought I'd stay another day, catch upwith an old friend out that way."

"Didn't know you had any friends Frank?" Tomo joked.

"Not a lot... I've got you don't I? ... Did you catch the news?"

"Yeah... Saw some apartment building had a gas explosion or something."

"Yeah... Right opposite my hotel."

"Woah! ... Don't blame you being shaken by that."

"Nah... All good mate... Some poor sod got killed though." Keeping thedetails to himself.

"Business for Smith go okay?"

"That went asexpected... Happy to be back home again.""Marilyn would have missed you."

"She'll be home later... Get a few of these into me before I have to facedown her thousand questions."

"Can only imagine... Good luck with that."

"Any gossip this side while I've been away?"

"Nah... Same shite... Different day. Haven't seen your mate Smith aroundhere since last week since you took off with him last week... You two park upsomewhere?" Tomo asked.

"Something like that. I suspect he was in Flint."

"Suspect? ... Don't you know?"

"He's that kind of boss."

"What kind of business you guys into?"

"Dispatch mostly." Frank advises cryptically.

"Oh..." Feeling it was all a little beyond him and leaving it there.

"You want top up?"

"Is the Pope Catholic?" Asks Franks sliding his glass towards Tomo.

"Technically he's Jewish..." Said Tomo with a rare piece of knowledge.

"Really?" Confessed Frank pushing an empty glass towards Tomo.

"Something to do with the Pope being the personification of Christ." Tomoexpounds his wisdom.

"I did not know that... I'll keep that in mind next time."

Frank settled back into the bar, a little wiser. As if he had never left the place.The overhead televisions played an Ice-Hooky match. Reminding Frank.

"Did you catch the Bird's game the other day?" Asks Frank.

"Yeah, wow... What a game... You?"

"Yeah, most of it... Birds could go all the way this year."

"Let's hope so... Let's not jinx them too soon..." Tomo tapped the woodenbar top then his head to counter Frank's premature evaluation.

"I could put a fiver on that if you want to be?"

"Yeah, put me down for five." Taking a slice of the action.

Rocking the ice cube around the glass. God was fidgeting today. Not wantingto sit still. Frank looks about the bar that had been his home away from home.The second bourbon bleed into his veins and a warmth came over him. Andwisdom sweated through the pours of his skin. He wondered what Smith had inmind for him next? Then suddenly a thought came to him.

"Tomo!" Frank calls out urgently.

"That one was fast..." Suspecting Frank had finished his drink already.

"Nah... Just been thinking about your mate Smith."

"My mate? ..." Tomo asked surprised.

"You have security cameras here?"

"I hope so... Though why I want to record you and Grimm drinking isbeyond me... Haven't checked them for a while... Why you asking?"Suspecting Frank was up to something.

"Could not get me a photo of Smith could you?"

"Might take some time to dig it out of the system... Don't see why not... I'llhave a look later for you... You want a six by four glossy to frame up or one foryour wallet?" Tomo jokes.

"Surprise me... And keep it on the hush will you... There's more to that guythan meets the eye." Returning to his drink.

Thoughts of Thomas and the explosion keep playing over and over in hishead. No matter how hard he tried to dislodge the scene from his mind ofThomas arriving home and flicking the switch. He just couldn't.'I could have saved him. Why didn't I?' Frank keep asking himself.Would anyone else done any differently? Was it about the money? Was itabout Marilyn? Was Thomas really a spy as Smith had said? It was all a little toolate to do otherwise now. Though the money helped ease his doubts. He justwanted to throw the thirty pieces of silver back at Smith. And return to his oldlife. A week ago he was happy with his miserable lot. Then Smith had appearedon the scene. Now his life would never been the same.Just then Grimm walks in. Breaking Frank's train of thought. And walks pastFrank to take up residence at the bar.

"Frank." Said Grimm.

"Grimm." Said Frank, ending the conversation between them.

Then a prolonged silence ensued. Grimm assumed his stance at the end of thebar and stares blindly into space. Tomo brings over a bottle of bud and places itbefore him. No one was sure what Grimm had done for a living and fewer daredto ask. His menacing appearance screamed keep away unless you had somethingworthy to say. Otherwise fuck off and don't annoy me. He reminded Frank of hisfather. If it were not for the fact that Grim was about Frank's age and covered intat's from his head to his toes. He could easily pass for his father. Imagining thetwo standing side by side in silence.

Frank returned to his glass then stared up at the television playing the game.No score going into the second period.

'Boring', thought Frank with little interest in either side playing.

"Better get back home and unpack."

"You don't want another for the road?" Tomo asks thinking something waswrong with Frank.

"Nah I'm good... Turning over a new leaf."

"You sick or something?"

"Something like that... Don't forget those tapes."

"No worries... I have them by tomorrow... See you then."

"Cheers mate." Walking from the bar. Still dazed by thoughts of Thomas'death.

'He was a spy... He was a spy.'

Repeating the indictment to himself.