Chapter 272: Jaywalker and Dogs Who Chase Cars

Since Rosanda was no professional, I gave her very little respect. Even so I reran some of the surveillance tape from inside the apartment to be sure she had stayed put while waiting. It appeared that she had. So I walked in pretty much unconcerned.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "First of all let me say I forgive you," she said with a straight face.

"How nice of you and why exactly do you think I need your forgiveness?" I asked. I have a feeling that she was wired and probably broadcasting. Technology had gotten that good. She was probably piggybacking on my wifi feed.

"You killed my friends," she said.

"I think this interview is over and for the record, I killed none of your friends. Eve would you show this young lady out."

"I'm not wired, If you like I will get naked for you." she said. "Besides I'm the one who needs to talk, you just need to listen." By the time she finished her remarks Eve was behind her and ready to show her to the door with no regard for her comfort or safety I expected.

"Hold off a second Eve," I said. "Let her say what is on her mind. As long as she does it quickly."

"I know you think I was in on the kidnapping. I also know that if you implicate me, then you also implicate yourself, so we are at a standoff. My fear is not that you will testify at any trial I might have. My fear is that you or one of your people will kill me, if there is no trial. So I am here seeking advice."

"First of all I don't have any people. My friends have no interest in you I'm sure. Our only interest was in seeing that little girl get home safely. Everything else was secondary. The police accomplished that so we have no dog in the fight."

"Then all is forgiven," she said.

"Since you say you were not part of the plan is there anything to forgive?" I asked. The word game was tedious.

"I suppose not," she said.

"Now Eve you can show her out," I said. Eve walked her to the rear door.

When she had gone I picked up the laptop from the kitchen table and wrote, "SWEEP" on it. Eve nodded. She walked from place to place in the apartment listening I suppose. In the end she returned to join me at the kitchen table. "Nothing," she said.

"She missed a chance to bug me. I'm surprised she, or Blevins or whoever is pulling her strings didn't think of it." I said.

"Most likely she really has no one pulling her strings. She most likely just wanted to clear this up, so she can run far and fast." Eve said.

"If she is smart that is what she will do. Someone will kill her, if she stays and it won't be us." I said to put that matter to rest. I had no interest in the nanny.

"God I would love a nap, but I don't have time before the meeting with Kate," I said. "I do have time to get out of this fucking vest." I said that as I stripped right in the living room. I stripped in front of the huge street level windows. It would have been illegal probably, if the glass wasn't tinted almost to the point of being black. The Kevlar vest lay in a heap on the one big chair in front of the window. I chose to replace the same thick tee shirt I wore to the gun buy.

"I don't think I need that thing to discuss real estate. It will be nice when I can throw that in the trash." I said.

"Will that day ever really come?" Eve asked.

"One can dream," I said as an answer. "I can't nap but I can watch that TV show from last night. The one with the monsters disguised as humans trolling the earth."

"I know the one you mean I'll cue it up if you like?" Eve suggested.

"You do that and I will fix a glass of Diet Coke," I suggested. "You should be finished first."

"Not really dear I made a couple of bottle of that disgustingly vile concoction for you. It's in the frig. It's the ones with the red labels." she said.

"God, you have been playing Suzie homemaker haven't you." I said. To make the disgusting concoction, one had to mix cherry syrup with diet coke, then reseal the bottle. Of course these days one first had to make the cherry syrup. That's why she made two bottles at the same time. First she would have had to mix the cherry drink powder with a little water. Then she would have added half the mixture to a two litter bottle of diet coke. It was a lot of trouble. but I had decided that I was worth some trouble a long time before.

The cherry diet coke, and Helen's homemade potato chips were a great combination. It was a great combination while I watched a show that was more light hearted than the current zombie craze that was going around. A bunch of zombies walking around, well lumbering around really, didn't do anything for me. I think the fairytale villains of the show I watched were more dangerous, since they could actually move fast enough to catch you, if you ran.

The sun was still in the sky when I headed off to see Kate. In the dead of winter it might be hanging low but not so on that August evening. I decided to just walk across the street. I looked both ways then stepped into the street in the middle of the block. Yes I was jay walking, but I had no idea that the penalty for Jay walking was death. If I had I might not have done it.

Yes I got to the double yellow lines, when I just stumbled and the lights went out.

When I opened my eyes and saw the large florescent light grid over my bed, I thought, not again. I knew that I was in a hospital and doped up. I tried to turn my head to see the IV pole just to see what I was on. I realized that I had no control over my muscles. I tried them all and found that nothing moved. I panicked.