Authors: Richard Parry
Danny bit her lip.
John opened his mouth to speak, then stopped.
Valentine continued.
“She gave it to me, to give to you.
It was a birthday present.”
“Someone gave her a broken present?”
“It wasn’t broken when she got it.
It was broken when she was being brave.
And ever since then, Prancer — that’s her name — has had a little bit of magic inside.
If you hold on to her, when things get really bad, and wish…
Your wish can come true.”
Adalia reached for the pony.
“Her name is Prancer?”
“Yep.”
“Thank you.”
She gave him another hug, getting some paint on his shirt.
“I’ll take care of her.”
Valentine walked outside, to where Carlisle was leaning on the balcony railing.
Danny followed him, John a few steps behind.
Valentine also leaned against the railing, shoulders hunched.
Danny slowly reached out, her hand touching his arm.
“What happened?”
“They were there.”
Valentine stared out over the valley.
“They knew I was coming.”
His hand covered hers.
She could feel the heat in it.
“They?”
Carlisle looked at him sideways.
“Same as the station?”
“Looked like it.”
John spoke from behind them.
“I didn’t see shit.
Val comes running up to the car, all I hear is sirens.
He wanted me to floor it.”
“Did you?”
“Do I look retarded?”
Danny considered him.
“A little.”
He gave her the finger.
“I drove out nice and steady.
There were a lot of cops on their way there.”
“Any white vans?”
Carlisle was staring back out over the valley.
The view up here was great.
Danny loved living here; it was quiet, free of the usual detritus of the city.
“White vans?”
“Is there an echo?
Yeah, white vans.”
“Jesus.
It’s pick-on-John day.”
John leaned against the side of the house.
“I wasn’t looking for white vans.
Could have been.
I don’t know.”
“Every day is pick-on-John day.”
Danny looked at Carlisle.
“What’s the significance of white vans?”
“Tradesmen.”
Carlisle nodded down into the valley.
“See down there, if we watch he road for a while?
We’ll see 20 white vans in as many minutes.”
Valentine nodded.
“I get it.
Common van.
Hiding in plain sight.”
“It’s how I’d do it.
When they busted up the station, they used white vans.
The van at the Elephant Blues was white.
Most commonly sold van colour in the world.”
Carlisle breathed in, wincing.
“God damn.
I can’t believe those fuckers shot me.”
“What now?”
Danny sighed.
“I’m guessing you didn’t get your tests.”
“I got my tests.
I wish that was all.”
“What do you mean?”
She searched his face.
“What happened?”
“I —”
Valentine faltered.
“I’ll tell you later.
For now, I…
I’d really like to get Adalia somewhere safe.”
“We were going out in a bit.
We were just waiting for Carlisle to get more mobile.”
“I’m mobile.
I’m up.
I just need more coffee.”
Carlisle gestured to the house.
“Drugs are knocking me on my ass.”
“Ok.”
Val thought for a moment.
“I need to get a few things.
From my place.”
“No.”
Carlisle shook her head.
“What do you mean, ‘No?’”
Valentine tugged at his jeans.
“I’m only packing the one pair of underwear here.”
“Your house won’t help you.
The news.”
Carlisle shrugged.
“There was a fire.
Apparently you died inside.”
“Wh—”
Valentine looked at Carlisle, then back to the house.
“What?”
“They’re cleaning up, Everard.”
Carlisle’s face turned grim.
She rested her weight on her elbows.
“No loose ends.”
“I’ve got to go check.
Baitain…
My cleaner —”
“I remember.”
“You remember?”
“We interviewed her.
When we were looking for you.”
“She would have been cleaning today.”
“Don’t sweat it.
You burned to your death last night.
It was very sad.”
“Christ.
I mean —”
“What?”
“They found a body?”
“Yeah.”
“Whose body?”
“I don’t know.”
Carlisle stood up, arching her back.
“It’s the news.
It’s not forensics.”
“But — did they kill someone?”
“Seriously?”
Carlisle looked at Valentine.
“I doubt it.
There’s been enough bodies left lying around that one won’t be missed.
Not for a while.”
“Jesus.”
John coughed out a little laugh.
“I didn’t ever dream I’d be having a conversation like this.”
“There’s more.”
Carlisle sighed.
“The National Guard’s been called out.
At least, the TV says they’re the National Guard.”
“But you don’t think they are.”
Danny looked at Carlisle, then at Valentine.
“Why would they lie on TV?”
“I don’t think they meant to.
Let me see here.”
Carlisle held up a finger.
“First, they’re all wearing black.
On the TV.
Sound familiar?
The National Guard — well, they don’t have that kind of fashion consultant.”
“Like at the station?”
Val frowned.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Someone very connected is pulling the strings, Everard.
I tried the station.
The switchboard — well, it was someone I didn’t know.
And I think I know everyone there.”
“Could have been a temp.”
Val’s frown deepened.
“I mean, there’s a lot going on there.”
“I thought so too, but on a hunch I asked for myself.
I know from the news I’m already dead, right?
They put me through to my partner.
Vince.”
“Really?”
Val’s frown eased a bit.
“So you tracked him down?”
Carlisle sighed, and held up another finger.
“That’s the second thing.
Sure, some guy answered the phone, said he was Vince Elliot.
It wasn’t Vince.”
“What did you do?” said John.
“I hung up and tried his cell.”
Carlisle looked out the window.
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t say anything.
Some other guy answered the phone.
Said he was Vince’s son, and could he take a message.”
Carlisle shrugged.
“Vince doesn’t have kids.”
She broke off, swallowing a few times before saying, “I…
Hell.
I think he’s dead.”
They looked at each other in silence for a bit, then Val said, “I’m sorry, Melissa.”
Carlisle nodded absently.
“I appreciate that, Everard.
I — sorry.”
She tried a smile.
“These damn drugs.
They’re making me all emotional.”
“Like a girl?”
John shrugged.
“I can’t tell.
Really.”
Carlisle punched him in the arm, but there wasn’t a lot of enthusiasm in it.
“Thanks, Miles.
And by thanks, I mean piss off.”
“Come on.”
Danny tugged at Valentine’s arm.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.”
He followed her as she led the way through the house and into the bathroom.
Danny turned the taps on the shower.
The hot one was always a pain in the ass, a millimetre either way was the difference between the arctic circle and Mordor.
She pointed to the shelf of towels.
“Clean ones are up there.
Help yourself to soap.
But don’t touch those.”
She pointed a couple bottles in a rack under the shower head.
“Why?”
Valentine turned his head to the side.
“Poison?”
Danny smiled.
“Just very expensive.
Girl stuff.”
“Oh.
Right.”
He looked around.
“I guess this bathroom’s a bit girly, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“The pink inflatable sea horse is a bit of a giveaway.”
“That’s Adalia’s!”
She slapped him on the arm.
“Christ.
Look, get yourself scrubbed.
I’ll see you in a bit.”
She turned to the door.
“Don’t —”
Danny paused.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t go.”
Valentine looked at his feet.
“I don’t want —”
He stopped.
“It doesn’t matter.
I’ll see you in a bit.”
“What is it?”
Danny took a step closer to him.
She put a hand on his arm.
“I —”
He looked around the room.
“Do my eyes look normal to you?”
“What?”
She took a half step back and looked him in the eye.
“Sure.”
“Not like an evil yellow?”
“Did they give you drugs at the doctor’s?”
“I’m being serious.”
The smile fell from her face.
“Your eyes look like eyes.
My God.
What happened today?”
“I don’t want to…
Can we talk about it later?”
He reached out and touched her face.
“I don’t want to be alone right now.”
Kissing him was the most natural thing in the world.
Danny kicked behind her to shut the door as the steam of the shower filled the room.
Valentine looked down at her, his eyes searching her face.
“You ok with this?
You want this?”
“I’ve wanted it since I met you.”
She kissed him again, her hand running over his chest.
“I guess I do need to get cleaned up.”
He pulled off his shirt, paint marks on the front.
“I’ll need a new shirt.”
“We’ll find you something.”
Her blouse joined his shirt on the ground.
“I’m sure there’s something around here from one of my many lovers.”
“Christ, I’ve been in a queue?”
“Shut up and kiss me again.”
So he did.
It was wonderful.
☽ ◇ ☾
Danny was towelling off her hair in the lounge.
John looked at her.
“He must have been real dirty.”
“Don’t.”
Danny eyeballed him.
“Don’t what?
I’m happy for you.”
“It was just a shower.”
“I’ve had a lot of showers.
There’s long showers, short showers.
But with two people?
It’s never just a shower.”
John chuckled.
“Speaking of which, I could use one — only if you two are finished.
I hope you didn’t use all the hot water.”
“Help yourself.”
Danny smiled in spite of herself.
“We’ll probably be gone when you’re out.”
“Gone where?”
Carlisle came back in off the balcony.
“We’re going to drop Adalia off with a friend of mine.”
“You trust her?”
“You don’t have kids do you?”
“No.”
Carlisle shrugged.
“Never really been the right time for it.”
“If you had a kid, you wouldn’t drop her anywhere you weren’t sure she’d be safe.”
“Fair enough.”
Carlisle nodded down towards the bathroom, a slight smile tugging at her mouth.
“I take it, ah, the shower’s free?”
“Don’t think I won’t smack an injured woman.”
“I’ve got first dibs.”
John threw himself on the couch.
“Assuming there’s any hot water left.”