Daysleeper Pt. II Ch. 10
Chapter 10
Mike was hungry, it had been a long boring day and he still needed to eat, he opened his cell and hit the speed dial for Vicki. “Vicki, I’m coming over do you want something?”
“Um yeah… have you eaten?” Vicki checked her watch, hopefully there would be enough time.
“No I was gonna bring you some food, see how you’re doing. I was thinking Chinese.” A smile could be heard in his voice but Vicki’s stomach did a little flip. It had been two days ago but it was much too soon.
“How about no, but I am hungry. Hey why don’t you pick me up and we’ll go somewhere?”
“Are you sure Vick? I mean you just got out the hospital two days ago.” That was the whole point of going to visit her so she wouldn’t get restless, and if he just happened to be able to distract that would be a bonus.
“Nah, I’m feeling great really Mike come and get me and we’ll try that new burger joint.” She covered the mouth piece holding it away from herself as she coughed.
“I guess, Vicki, see you in ten.” Vicki hung up quickly as a coughing fit consumed her.
She gathered the surveillance list that she’d developed of new cheating husbands and wives’ with 1) their work hours, 2) places of work and 3) even their supposed (normal) route home, and 4) small pictures of the cheaters. She grabbed the thermos of tea Coreen had made for her and a bag of cough drops. With a careful eye on the clock because she’d barely managed to get the girl out for some food and she was due back any minute. If Vicki was going to make an escape she needed to do it with the least interference possible. Wait, I’m the one paying her! I don’t have to be afraid if she catches me leaving! She should be afraid of me. And with that thought she conveniently ignored the fact that Coreen had known about her fainting spell last night. Obviously Henry and Coreen were giving each other reports. So really who did they think they were trying to gang up on her?
When Mike drove up he was slightly surprised to find a bundled up Vicki outside waiting for him, looking like a strong wind would knock her down. As soon as he stopped Vicki got in her large bag of surveillance equipment too. “I thought we were going to get something to eat, what’s all this?” Mike’s stomach was growling, and he really didn’t like it when Vicki sprung traps that involved him without his consent.
“Oh we will, I already made the order. I was just hoping we could eat in the car and maybe get some work done? Please?” Vicki was trying to not to sound desperate, Mike knew better than that, Vicki would never descend to whiny but if she was resorting to entrapment he knew she needed to get out, and she said please. He sighed though, he had to eat anyways, might as well get her out of the office for awhile. And though she looked really thin and pale it was felt good to have her all to himself.
Vicki reviewed her list, picked one that already had a detailed schedule of activity and made sure this guy had ample opportunity for her to catch him. She took out her cell and dialed the office. “Hey Coreen, I went out with Mike to see about some of these cheaters. Later.” Vicki didn’t want to do it but she knew the poor girl would freak out when she got back and didn’t find her. But it’s not because she deserves to know she thought grumpily. It was all Vicki could do to trying to withstand the shivering that would betray how much she was freezing.
“You didn’t tell Coreen you were leaving.” Not a question, Mike was becoming aware that this wasn’t only a hijacking of what he had intended to be a visit to a sick Vicki, but an orchestrated escape. Vicki would have said something snappy, but she was currently trying to resist the urge to cough. They were at the burger joint and she was saved by Mike getting down to get the burgers. Once she was sure he was out of earshot she coughed for what seemed like forever. Suppressing that had not been a good idea. She was barely recovering when Mike got back. She noted that even when it wasn’t their usual Chinese he still trusted her to order something he’d like. Either that or he was still pissed.
“Ok where to now?” if he was going to help her escape and he might as well help her get some work done. “Well it looks like we’re going to wait for him outside his office, he should be leaving in like twenty minutes gives us plenty of time to find a parking spot because its right smack in the middle of downtown, next to the mall.”
“It’s really early to be leaving- its only 3 o’clock.” He remarked looking at the time.
“Well apparently when I called his office pretending to be a client I was told he couldn’t meet with me after 3. That and the fact that I’d called earlier and he hadn’t taken a lunch. So I’m hoping he’s saving his lunch hour and ends up leaving early. If that doesn’t pan out there’s another subject some blocks from there that gets out at 4:30.”
“Hey I do have a job you know.” Mike was irritated at the whole situation, though he sort of looked forward to hanging out alone with Vicki.
“Which is why you waited until you were done with work to come and see me; Fries?” Mike couldn’t help but laugh at the fries she waved in his face. Vicki knew better than to be fazed by his faux indignation. The parking was indeed horrendous but it paid off, while they waited, they had a few bites.
“Seriously, Vicki how’ve you been feeling?” He gazed intently at her, the way her eyes had deep shadows under them that were impossible to miss. He could tell she had several layers on by the sleeves peeking out through at the wrists, it hurt to know that underneath those clothes she was still so thin.
Vicki thought about the question chewing her food a bit too long. “I’m good, it’s just this cough, but other than that I’ve gotten a lot better.” More than anything Vicki wanted to believe this. She was sore in her chest and abdomen the pain of the cold cutting through her long-sleeved shirt, turtleneck, two sweaters and pea coat. She left the milkshake alone remembering how Coreen had gone off on her about how much phlegm dairy products would give her and therefore more coughing. “Mike, you know I hate being sick and between the two of them they never give me a moments peace.” She took a bite of her burger, trying to look for the cheater, in this business you’re guilty until I prove you innocent she thought glumly.
“Hey Mike I think that’s him.” She checked the photo, sure enough it was the client set to leave his office building, it was around 3:45.
“Ok let’s hope he doesn’t go into the parking garage because the exit is on the opposite side.” Luckily the guy just walked up to the valet office of the garage. They still had a few minutes.
Mike remembered back to how Vicki had acted before she was diagnosed with R.P., how she wouldn’t let anyone know she wasn’t seeing right. Once she got the diagnosis she’d been impossible. She broke up with him right before he found out she quit the department. He didn’t say anything for a minute.
“Vick, you’re getting better this is just temporary you know,” it’s not like the RPhe thought, but he didn’t have to say it for her to hear the rest of the sentence in her own head.
“That’s just it Mike they said no matter how well I recover I have at the least 10% less lung function,” She wouldn’t go on she was too angry.
“What are you thinking about now Vick?” Mike was prodding her.
“Eh, you know.” Absentmindedly she reached for the forbidden milkshake and munched on some fries.
“If you need something you know you could just call me up and I’ll come right by.” Vicki was about to open her mouth and say no it’s ok Henry is spending nights with me. But luckily she didn’t her mouth was still too full of fries. Just then the guy was leaving in his blue Mercedes.
“Mike, he’s-“
“I see him, Vicki.” They pulled out slowly and just in time because the guy was more than a little eager to get going. They followed him out of the downtown area into shopping center where he got down and picked up an order of takeout.
“Geez what is he going to do with all that food?!” Mike handed Vicki his binoculars. Sure enough he had three large bags full of food.
“I dunno it looks like he’s got some flowers in one of the bags.” Vicki was glad for the distraction. She checked the time, it was only 4:15. The sun didn’t set tonight until 5:45 so Henry wouldn’t be checking in until at least seven. “Oh yeah now he’s headed to the liquor store, if he comes out with champagne or wine we’ve got him.”
He was a handsome man, auburn hair, brown eyes, about 5’11 but with some weight gain around the middle. He’d taken off his wedding band. The wife had said he was American, Southern to be precise. According to the file he was only thirty, I wonder how hot the girlfriend is for him to be cheating on her, Vicki clearly remembered the wife who was herself quite fit and pretty enough, if somewhat standard for an office drone. “But what kind of woman wants dinner before five?” She wondered aloud.
They followed him to a section just on the outskirts of Toronto, a fairly new section but he bypassed all the really nice townhouses into an apartment complex that from the look of the cars was of a lower income. He didn’t have to go far just walking into the first floor knocking on the first door, they had a clear view through the glass windows. Vicki was ready with the sound equipment, they could hear him while he spoke to someone at the door, but never got a face or even much of a voice. It sounded like a TV was on, but as soon as he stepped inside the apartment they got nothing.
Mike finished his meal calmly, they needed to wait and see if they got anything else on the equipment. Vicki fiddled with the equipment finally giving up, taking notes of everything. She’d have to come back tomorrow and find out who lived there. From the look of the take out, flowers, and champagne, she pretty much knew what was going on and had gotten pictures of that but knew it wouldn’t suffice.
“I guess that’s that Mike, I’ll come back tomorrow, find out who this person who lives here is. I don’t want to get accused for slander.” She was trying to hide her disappointment.
“Now what do you want to do?” Mike asked her, grateful for nightfall so he could watch her without getting an earful. She checked her watch. It was already 5:30 by the time they got back to the office it would be six o’clock. She checked the rest of the list, “It’s too bad I can’t just randomly pick one and just decide to catch them in less than an hour.”
“You know I’m sitting next to you, you could ask me if we could take longer, and what makes you think I could only spare an hour?” Mike figured it out before she said anything. “Oh right his Lordship is waiting for you, isn’t he?”
Vicki packed up her equipment trying to think of a way to come out of this with less damage done than created. “You know Mike it’s not that it’s just I was kinda hoping to get some of your help back at the office.” It sounded weak even to her own ears. But she couldn’t tell him, oh you see Mike this woman in my dreams told me I’d be safer with Henry. She hated thinking she needed either one of them at all, much less needing to feel safe. But the reality was she didn’t have a car or a license and she did need them. Mike bit anyways.
“Oh really? What on?”
“Um… I was wondering if you could run check on this list of some of my suspects.” She was improvising madly, but as she was inventing it, the more she believed it. Who knew it might pay off in the end. When they got back to the office she’d called ahead and had Coreen draft a copy of some of the more elusive cheaters’ girlfriends and boyfriends on the list, real needle in a haystack stuff, some only having a nickname and photo to go on.
“Wow Vicki I totally thought you were pulling my chain, now I know you’re throwing your entire caseload at me!” All Mike had wanted when he’d called her was to see if she was ok, “Is it too much to ask to just spend some time with you without all this crap?”
“You asked Mike!” and she was very sorry she’d done so now, angry, frustrated and ashamed that she even wanted help for a bunch of cases that were looking like so much conjecture and no actual crime.
“Not for your caseload you know, I got my own thanks” Mike could see Henry Froy’s face in his mind’s eye, having Vicki all to himself.
“Well you know what? I’ve been in the hospital for two days and I can barely go outside without Coreen trying to lock me in! But if you don’t want to that’s fine. Thanks so much for your help taking time out of such a busy schedule to visit your charity case! But remember I didn’t ask you to visit and I’m not your burden!” And with that she got out of the car slamming the door for emphasis. All the yelling had taken a toll on her and she barely made it to her office before collapsing into a chair.
Mike was pissed, all she wanted him for was to do stuff for her. And what for? So she could have more time to spend with the Bastard Prince? He fumed and drove away. Thoughts of Vicki in the hospital bed, the way she didn’t finish her food just now. I did tell her if she needed anything to call me. Vicki Nelson had just asked for a lot of help and he’d acted like a jealous dick and balked at the extra work. So what if it didn’t make sense to him? So what if he was jealous? He never wanted to see Vicki that helpless and sick in a hospital bed again. What if it’s the vampire’s fault she’s so sick? The thought made him shudder with anger. Before he knew it he’d circled driven back to her place. Finally he got out determined to find a way to apologize. Either way if it was Fitzroy’s fault or if she was really sick, he couldn’t just leave things the way they were. As he came inside her outer offices he heard her gasping for air between coughing fits. Coreen was trying to get her to drink some water, but the coughs were still too violent to risk drinking anything. After a long five minutes she was able to drink the water, and put her glasses back on. So he knocked on the outer door and pretended he’d just gotten there.
When she noticed him, she wiped the involuntary tears from her eyes and trying (unconsciously) to straighten her clothes, and smooth her hair.
“I was thinking-”
“Good one Mike, try not to hurt yourself, but I can’t afford to laugh right now.” He knew why and it pained him, because you’ll start coughing again.
“So are you gonna give me the names or what?” She wasn’t going to make it easy but Mike wanted her to know he was sorry, and this was his way of doing it.
“So that means you’ll do it?” Vicki tried not to sound to eager.
“Yeah whatever,” Mike said not annoyed at all. Coreen was busy getting everything to him but then it occurred to Vicki compile a list of cheater’s themselves, see if maybe anything strange had happened during the time she’d last had contact with their cases.
“I guess I better get started now I might as well go back to the office tonight to get all this work done!” Now he really was going to be putting in some extra hours for her, but he didn’t want to renege on his word.
“Mike look, if I can get an accurate view of all their lives then I might be able to draw some sort of profile.” Vicki knew if she could come up with more of a link between them all then this ominous feeling she’d been having over all these cases might go away.
“Or you could get distracted by all the information and get buried in the minutiae.”
“I’ll buy you dinner?” She grinned hopefully.
“Chinese this time.”
“Whatever you want.” She assured glad she’d won even if it had taken a bit of a guilt trip. He waved half-heartedly in acknowledgement. As he left her his guilt lessened and she was finally getting a glimmer of hope because then she’d have enough to make some sort of profile.
Coreen sank back into her chair pretending to find the blank computer screen interesting. She’d heard the awful things Vicki had said to Mike, and though she usually liked Mike she knew he must have deserved it. It was all she could do to keep from crying earlier that morning when the doctor had given Vicki the news. She glanced at the clock it was only six thirty, Henry was supposed to relieve her around seven, but she didn’t intend on leaving right at seven, hoping instead that he’d give her another ride home. She thought of the night before when he’d dropped her off, the way she’d felt sitting in the seat next to him, he was so yummy. She was pretty sure he’d vamped her, and she was sorry he hadn’t drank from her but she’d taken her revenge by kissing him on the cheek. She didn’t know what was going on with him and Vicki these days but one thing was for sure, if Vicki didn’t hurry up and decide she’d make her intent unmistakably known. She smiled to herself, even if Henry doesn’t take me at least it’ll give Vicki something to think about