“Yes. He desperately needs our help.”
“I gathered that, yet I’m damned if I understand why. Oh well, I’ve got enough curiosity to go the whole nine yards with you, no matter what.”
Shanna impulsively leaned over and kissed Frank’s right cheek. “Thank you,” she said. “And thank you for all the help you’ve given us so far.”
Frank’s face turned pink. His grin was pure pleasure. “Be careful, sweet one,” he whispered. “I don’t want my ladies to realize we love each other.”
“I’ll never mention it to them, Frank.”
Heather’s approach to the airport was gravity laden, fast, bumpy, and brake destroying.
“Nice going Heather! I couldn’t have done better myself,” exclaimed Frank. He jumped from his seat. “Well, come on everybody. There’s a van full of equipment waiting for us.”
The driver’s name was Elvira. Frank proudly announced she was a lady friend of his when he was in town.
“It seems you have hidden qualities I don’t know about,” remarked Templeton with raised eyebrows.
“I certainly hope so, Gordon. Your here, there, and everywhere could make me a little nervous.”
Elvira was a worse driver than Frank. Templeton protested. “Frank, we’re going to end up in the hospital as patients if Elvira doesn’t drive more carefully.”
“Hey she’s good at crashes, does lots of movie stunt work with all types of vehicles. Now there’s a disguise for us! We fake a crash and end up in the hospital. How about it? Do you want inside?”
“Perhaps,” said Templeton. “However, let’s not use your method.”
Elvira parked in the hospital parking lot. “Nobody will even notice us,” said Frank. “Now everybody settle back. This will take some time locating the exact room this Hawk guy is in.”
Gladys served drinks. Shanna looked at hers. It was red, had ice in it and a piece of celery. “What’s this?” she asked.
“It’s a Bloody Mary, sweet,” said Gladys. “Take a sip. Drink enough of them and you’ll grow hair on your chest.”
Shanna laughed. “That’s one place I don’t want hair.” She took a sip, wrinkled her nose at the distasteful flavor.
“I’m getting something,” Frank said. He removed his earphones and flipped a switch. Voices were heard. They belonged to Dr. Tyler and Hawk.
“How are you feeling, Hawk?”
“I suspect as well as anybody who’s been shot in the head.”
“My God!” gasped Shanna.
“Have you dreamed lately?” Dr. Tyler asked.
“No.”
“Who shot you?”
No reply.
“Did you hear me, Hawk?”
“Yes.”
“Then do you know who shot you?”
“I’ve already told you. It was Erika.”
“But Erika’s a doll. How could she shoot you?”
“Your questions give me a headache.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. The doctors all agree I’ll be able to go home, soon.”
“Good. What will you say to everybody if they ask where you’ve been?”
“I’ve thought of a lie to explain the accident.”
“Oh? Have you lied to me?”
“Yes, as often as possible.”
“Hey, I like that kid,” interjected Frank.
“How about Shanna, Hawk? Have you lied to her?”
“Yes, all the time. I have a special lie to tell her about this bandage on my head. She’ll believe anything I say.”
“I take it back,” said Frank. “The kid’s a dirty rat. I never lie to my ladies or to any member of the fair sex.”
“Do you feel you have an accurate sense of right and wrong?”
“Certainly I do. Equal to yours, I’ll bet.”
“Well then, do you know what’s real and what isn’t?”
“Yes. You’re real. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs aren’t. Of course I know what’s real and what isn’t. Knock off the garbage, will you?”
“Very well, I’ll ask no more nonsense questions. So you know what’s real and what isn’t. Does that realization make you want to retract your statement about the Erika doll?”
“What do you mean?”
“You claimed she was real.”
“She is.”
Silence for a moment. “We found this doll at your mansion’s lake, close to where you were shot. Am I correct in assuming she’s Erika?”
“Yes! Give her to me.”
“You’re excited. Tell me why.”
“She belonged to my mother. I cherish her.”
“You take her wherever you go.”
“Yes. I suppose you think that’s strange,”
“What do you think, Hawkins?”
“I think it’s no stranger than your having a rabbit’s foot on the key chain in your coat pocket.”
“The rabbit’s foot charm belonged to my mother. Tell me more about Erika. Just how is she real? You’ve told me she moves and talks. Will she do so when I’m here?”
“I’ve told you all I’m going to for the night, Dr. Tyler. It’s after midnight and way past visiting hours.”
“Thanks to your father, Hawkins, I can come anytime.”
“Don’t you ever sleep?”
“I do as often as possible when your father doesn’t interfere. I’ll leave Erika with you. We’ll talk about her when I return in a few hours.”
“Has he gone, darling?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve missed you so, Hawk.”
“I’ve missed you too, Erika.”
Erika’s voice shocked Shanna to her very soul. In a daze she hugged Templeton as realization bludgeoned her. Hawk…Oh Hawk…
“I want you to know I love you, Hawk. I shot you because I thought it was the only way we could ever be together. I know now it’s not necessary for you to die. The evil other side I told you about no longer wants my life essence. We can join, right here and now. We can be together forever.”
“Are you materializing more, Erika?”
“Yes. Soon I’ll be a fully alive person. Then no one will be able to keep us apart. I love you, Hawk. Now let’s take off our clothes for lots of wild sex.”
“Yes Erika, my love. We will spend the night being inside each other.”
“What?” Frank protested. “Who’s the crazy broad? She should be locked up in a nut house.”
Shanna fought to keep a steady voice. “If she really existed…Hawk’s talking to himself.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
In a daze Shanna watched Frank shut off his gadgets. His normally hoarse voice was gentle and fatherly as he said, “I suggest maybe we should go, unless you want to hear more.”
Before anybody could answer voices were heard from outside. “All of you in the van, get your mother fucking asses out here immediately or even sooner.”
“Uh, oh.” said Frank. “That voice sounds like we’ve got boys in blue who would like to give us free room and board for a time. Well ladies, let’s do a show. It looks like we can finally test out one of our escape games for real instead of just selling them on the internet. So throw away your inhibitions and display not one ounce of decency. You may use escape game plan number sixteen. That will give the blue boys something they’ll never forget and never be able to live down.”
“Come on. Let’s see your scummy asses before we decide to blow you away,” demanded a rough voice.
“What kind of a blow?” laughed Gladys, as she quickly became naked.
Shanna was puzzled. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to show those blue boys what every man has always wanted from me. But only Frank gets.”
Shanna could see why. Naked Gladys had a figure to die for. She was gorgeous. “That’s a good idea, Gladys. I’ll strip too. Together we’ll make the blue boys forget they’ve got wives or girlfriends at home,” Shanna said. Her spirits rose as this new adventure temporarily shoved from her mind the tragedy of Hawk.
Templeton laughed. “Hold on a minute there, my lovely Lady Godiva. This is serious business. Let Frank and his ladies handle this one.”
Frank stepped from the van to talk to the police. A few minutes later he opened the back door. Lights streamed in from flashlights that instantly focused on a totally naked and tantalizingly gorgeous Gladys stretched out on a fur rug. No lights shone on the others in the van.
“Which one of you horny blue boys has a light for my big, oh so very big cigar?” Gladys rolled onto her back to show a phallic shaped cigar stuck between her thighs. The flashlights trembled as if a windstorm of hurricane velocity slashed the policemen. Gladys bought time, enough for Frank and his other four ladies to act.
“All right blue boys drop your guns, your pants, everything you’re wearing and toss it in the van, right now,” commanded Frank.
The police saw four naked lovelies and Frank holding weapons. They obeyed.
As the van roared off Gladys hollered farewell. “So long, blue boys. You look great completely naked and showing your shortcomings. I know you will fantasize about me tonight when you’re in bed with your wives and girlfriends.”
* * * *
“You did what?” raged Terrence Hawkins Archibald O’Brien into his telephone.
“I said I stopped the session at Hawk’s request,” replied Dr. Tyler. “O’Brien, it’s two in the morning. I’m hundreds of miles away from my home and my wife, in the Red Lion Inn a few miles from your hospital. I’ll see Hawkins later today, if I can get some sleep. Right now I’m dead on my ass. Don’t you ever sleep?”
“You’re punchy, Tyler. You phoned me.”
“That’s right I did. If I hadn’t your storm troopers, or whatever the hell you call them would have located me, disturbed my sleep and forced me to call you.”
“You got that right. Did you find out anything about Hawk’s obsession with the Erika doll?”
“No.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Yes.”
“Very well Dr. Tyler. Get some results with your next session.”
O’Brien hung up smiling. His plans were taking shape. He looked at his fingers. There was no trembling.
* * * *
Under the early morning street lights Frank cried whale tears. So did his now fully clothed ladies as everybody walked toward Templeton’s yellow Volkswagen.
“Well, we sure had one didn’t we Gordon?”
Templeton nodded. “That we did, Frank. And I want to thank you. I owe you one.”
“Consider it paid. I know you’re the one who got my sentence reduced.”
Templeton showed his surprise before asking, “How did you find that out?”
Frank laughed. “It’s me, Gordon. Need you ask? It was shortly after I threatened to kill you and I’ve been sorry ever since for saying that.”
“You got a bum rap, Frank. I found out later you took the fall for somebody else. Getting you a shorter sentence was the least I could do. You should have ended up with no hard time at all, just a year or two of probation. I tried to get that for you but unfortunately I bumped into some hard ass people. Look, I need a partner and you’d be the ideal one. How about becoming a private investigator, Frank?”
“Me? Gordon, in case your brain has slipped a cog or maybe more, to the public I’m an ex-con. I’d wreck your squeaky clean reputation. I’d trash your business down to zero.”
“I would say to hell with my reputation, Frank. Look, with all the connections I know you have, together we’d make a bundle and it would all be legal. We could start with Luskovitch. It’s obvious he’s on O’Brien’s payroll. He’s a dirty cop who needs to do hard time.”
“Yeah, I do know people with information. However, for me to become respectable and have a steady job would wreck my social appearance of being a shiftless bum. Of course my ladies would have to come along with the deal. Don’t let them fool you. Gladys is a corporate lawyer, Violet is a college professor, Melody manages money for a major banking system, Heather is a commercial pilot and Elvira teaches school. When they’re with me they dress like hookers because I love the way they look.”
Templeton laughed. “I can see why. Okay, bring your ladies along. So was that a yes answer? Do we work together?”
Frank sighed and glanced at Shanna as she visited with his ladies. “I’ll give it some serious thought. Look, could I talk to your little lady? She looks real strung out.”
“Sure, Frank. Do what you can.”
Frank joined Shanna and put his arm around her. He walked her slowly down the street. His voice took on warmth and gentleness, like a father who deeply loved his daughter. “Listen, kid, you got badly kicked in the butt by life today. We all do. I became a punk crook because of somebody I still think about. Gordon caught me. He talked and I listened. He did things to help me wise up. I know I appear to be shady, but truthfully I’m honest and I love life. Everybody should love life, no matter what.” He patted Shanna’s right hand. “Gordon’s a little slow on the draw with you for a good reason I’m sure you already know. I found out some time ago about his deep love for Sara and how it just about killed him when he lost her. Gordon doesn’t know it but I saw Sara once at a social. I talked to her for a few minutes. She was a very lovely person. So are you. I can see how you feel about him and I can see how he feels about you. Nudge him a little, make him love life. I know he loves you. He’s a terrific guy. He’ll help you forget that Hawk nut. Marry him.”