Bell , Book and Candle

By DocPaul

Chapter Ten:  Psychotic episode…

“Do they ever shut up?” Kyle asked the petite blonde next to him.

“You have no idea.” Tess sipped her drink, staring critically into the kitchen at Michael and Maria cooking together. Sighing, she leaned back and put up her feet. She was tired.

Michael and Maria had started the evening grocery shopping. That took over three hours as they harassed and argued their way from one shop to the next. It wasn’t just about food and what to cook, but along the way, they argued over the planned Maps project.

While cooking, their arguments continued from the Maps Project on to politics and then to history. They never shut up.

“You’re a boob!”

Michael made a snort and rolled his eyes sarcastically. “Are we still on the damn B’s?”

Maria literally stomped her foot. “I’ve got a few choice D’s too! Dumb. Dipshit. Dingdong. Dumbass. Dick...”

Kyle smiled as he watched his stepbrother grab the small blonde and kiss the stuffing out of her. Then the kiss changed, and suddenly his smile faded as the heat of the room seemed to increase. “Um…”

Tess looked over and shook her head. “Hey! You two promised! No public mating. Cut it out! I’m starving and I don’t appreciate Michael and Maria juices in my damn food!”

Michael pulled away and gazed at Tess with narrowed eyes. He leaned down and whispered in Maria’s ear which made her giggle, and she patted him on the stomach, pushing him away.

Tess stole a glance at Kyle. He wasn’t so bad. She had heard rumors and Michael and Maria talking about this mythical brother. He wasn’t totally repulsive. His hair looked like crap. Too long. He was scruffy looking, but his skin had a nice golden tone from being outside. His brown eyes were bright and clear. Maria had told her that he wasn’t her type. Tess snorted. She would be the judge of that. Maria had some silly idea that Tess only lusted after unattainable men, like the resident who barely knew her name.

“Believe me, they’re loud in everything they do together. If they’re not mating like monkeys, they’re arguing about everything. I’ve never seen two people more contrary.”

Kyle actually smiled over at his brother. “I’ve never seen him happy before. He seems so…animated.” Kyle turned to glance at Tess. “Hard to explain, but Michael always seemed shut off, unwilling to let anything touch him. Now he’s…” Kyle was stuck for a word.

“Participating?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah. Not an observer. Participating. That’s a good word for it.”

“Maria has that effect on people. They pick up energy from her, and things happen because of it.” Tess groaned as she stretched. Too many hours studying, and then a six-hour work shift at the rehabilitation clinic. “So what is it you do, exactly?”

“I work on one of Michael’s construction crews.” Kyle shrugged. “It pays okay and gives me pocket money.”

“Pocket money? For what? Aren’t you more concerned about having a job, a career?”

Kyle started to answer flippantly, but he paused. Something told him that this woman wouldn’t be impressed by his careless lifestyle and his disregard for stability. She was gorgeous. A tiny pocket Venus. Kyle could feel a trickle of sweat move down his neck. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to appear frivolous.

“I’ve been lost.” Kyle said simply. Women liked moments of honesty. “I’ve been trying to find myself.”

Tess’s brow furled, and she gave a snort of disbelief. “In other words, you’re a layabout loafer!”

“Am not! I’m working!”

Tess’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re working, then I suspect it’s because a certain pissy male in this room harassed you until you decided it was better than listening to his constant bitching. What are you? A worthless partyboy?”

Kyle took offense. Sure. Michael had strongly encouraged him to work, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t willing. Truthfully he was. He felt he owed Michael for stealing his Prescott bid. “I party, true. But I’m working too!”

“Now! What about before?” Tess said not without a little contempt.

“I…”

“Did you go to college?”

“Sure.” Kyle scratched his neck. He had. Well, sort of. Or at least before he was asked to leave. The first time was a misunderstanding, and the second time was for running an illegal gaming operation. Maybe higher education wasn’t his cup of tea? He spent most of his time chasing girls, gambling, and partying. College had been great. Someone should’ve told him that he really had to take some classes.

“What was your major?”

“I…um, I really didn’t declare one.”

“You never finished?” Tess’s sound of horror wasn’t very flattering. Kyle let himself feel anger. What was this? ‘Kick Kyle Around’ week?

“So, what? College wasn’t for me.” Kyle faced her head on. “What are you doing that’s so great in your life?”

Tess looked down her nose at him in an haughty gesture. “I’m in medical school, final year. Next year I start my Internship. Physical therapy. I’m going to be a sports doctor. A doctor who helps people recovering the use of their limbs, and their lives. People who have the courage to stand on their own feet, and push past pain to survive!”

A doctor? Kyle searched her face. She looked about sixteen.

“How old are you?”

“None of your business, but since you ask…I’m twenty-five.”

Shit!

Maria looked over at them in the living room, and patted Michael on his stomach again. “I told you they would get along really well!”

Michael glanced over. “The little bit looks like she’s about to beat the shit out of him.” he observed,  not a little enthusiastically.

Maria smiled smugly. “I know! Isn’t it great? She must really like him.”

Michael just snorted. Tasting the sauce, he had to disagree with Maria. It didn’t have enough oregano. Waiting until her back was turned he poured a little more in, but his shake was a tad too vigorous. When a huge amount plopped into it, she was already turning back around. Since Michael couldn’t dip the excess out, he quickly stirred it into the pot of simmering spaghetti sauce, and whistled as he stirred. It would taste fine.

~~~

Alex looked up at the glass window and waved. The shy woman reluctantly waved back at him. Alex made a gesture, and quickly put a record on. Leaving the recording booth, he smiled at Isabel Evans.

“I got your message, and…”

“Great!” Alex leaned in and kissed Isabel on her cheek, noting her slight blush. “Glad you could make it so late.” Alex indicated she should come into the recording booth with him. “I wanted to talk about your show on my show and thought it would be great if you could answer questions.”

Isabel looked a little apprehensive. “I’m not really dressed for this, and…”

“It’s radio! They can’t see you.” Alex smiled largely. “I once did an entire show in the buff.”

“Umm,” Isabel cleared her throat. “That must have been very, um…” Words failed her.

“Actually it was uncomfortable. My bare ass kept sticking to the leather chair.” Isabel turned red and laughed softly. “And, my god! The voyeurs! They were lined up at the window to watch.” Alex handed Isabel a pair of earphones. “Here, put these on, and you can hear the callers and their questions.”

“Alex, I don’t think….”

“Good! It’s best not to think about it. Just go with the flow….okay, hold on, we’re coming off the air in three, two, and one...” Alex flipped a switch. “This is Alex the Whitman, and you are on The Bone, San Francisco ’s only classic rock station, where The Bone is Rock that rocks! Tonight I have a special treat for all of you. A good friend of mine from high school has returned to the greater San Francisco area and she has a cooking show on the local PBS station. Isabel Evans has joined us tonight to answer all you rockers with munchies most important cooking questions. So give me a call at THE BONE, and we’ll ask our scrumptious Isabel what’s cooking.”

Alex quickly started a new record. Flipping the switch, he smiled at Isabel. “Let’s see what kind of callers we’ll get.”

“Alex, I didn’t say I would talk on the radio. You didn’t say anything about that.”

“Would you have come?” Alex asked. Isabel shook her head. “I didn’t think so. This is the best way, trust me.”

Alex answered a call, and put them on hold until CCR was through checking out Bad Moon’s Rising. “This is the Bone, you’re on the air.”

“Hi, I saw the new show. I was wondering if she’s married?”

Alex saw Isabel’s look of horror, and Alex smiled. “The woman is very sexy, and very spoken for, sorry. Next caller. This is the Bone, you’re on the air.”

“What is the best recipe for hash brownies? Mine keep coming out all hard and dense.”

“Excellent question! Isabel?” Alex made a gesture for Isabel to answer the question. Isabel paused, but Alex was too enthusiastic.

“I…I think it is best to pulverize the….weed, um….hash into a nice dry uniform powder, adding it to the flour, and reducing the flour content by say….half a cup?” Isabel shrugged at Alex, and he gave her a thumbs up. Isabel answered quite a few off the wall questions, and she got creative in her answers, causing a lot of laughter between her and Alex.

“This is Alex the Whitman on The Bone. We’re fielding questions to our special guest this evening, and while Isabel and I take a break, I’m going to leave you with a little Lovin’ Spoonful.”

It was late when they finally left the station, and Alex was talking a mile a minute making Isabel laugh. “C’mon. I’ll take you someplace for a late night bite to eat.”

“That’s not necessary, Alex. Really. I had a great time.” Isabel smiled at Alex. He had always been her brother’s friend. Max and Michael’s. But she knew him. All through high school, she watched him from afar, amazed by how loud and outgoing he was. Nothing ever seemed to deter Alex Whitman. He started a band to meet girls. He was active in school. And even though he was the furthest thing from a school jock, he was extremely popular.

“Food it is! I know a great greasy spoon open all night. I could eat burgers, extra cheese and cheesy fries.” Alex didn’t notice Isabel’s horrified expression. “My treat, Ms. Evans, for a job well done as my guest tonight. I’ll write you off as a business expense.”

“Oh! Then how could I refuse?”

Isabel spent a long time reading the menu, until Alex took it from her. “Hey Ginny, I’ll have my usual with grilled onions on the burger. Bring Isabel a cheeseburger, of the sweaty variety, extra pickles and mustard. Plate of fries and mayo on the side.”

Isabel quickly interrupted. “Can I have a salad instead of the fries and leave off the mayo?” Ginny nodded. “And no cheese on the burger…” Isabel was too late. Ginny had already left. Seeing Alex staring at her, she smiled shyly. “I’ve almost become a vegetarian. I’m surprised. You remember how I liked my burger.”

Alex reached over and pulled Isabel’s long beautiful blonde hair playfully. “Of course, I wouldn’t forget something like that. High school wasn’t that long ago.”

“A world ago.” Isabel said softly.

Alex watched her critically. He asked questions about her life in Texas , and they ate as they talked. She had changed a lot. The weight she had carried in her youth had melted away, as a more confident Isabel had emerged much like a butterfly from a chrysalis. But, there was something off about her. A woman as successful and beautiful as Isabel should’ve been even more confident, not only in herself, but in her effect on Alex and other men. Isabel was not. Alex paid close attention as she talked, his eyes feasting upon her beautiful face, as the movement of her mouth, the shy expression of her eyes, and the way her hand swept the hair from her face held him entranced.

“So this apartment, it’s finally ready?” Alex asked, frowning at her plate. She had torn her hamburger apart. Scraped off the cheese. Eaten the pickles. No meat or bread. No salad dressing on a salad that was basically nothing more than iceberg lettuce with a few tomatoes. She nibbled on the iceberg lettuce.

“This weekend. Liz and I had been over there all this week getting it ready to be moved into, and ordering the furniture.” Isabel looked down shyly at her plate as Alex’s concentrated stare disconcerted her. “Avoiding my mom.”

Alex laughed softly. Diane Evans was a hard one to take. As discreet and softspoken as Isabel was, her mother was the direct opposite. A domineering woman who pushed and organized everyone in her wake. Nothing was done until Diane Evans declared it to be done. Part of Isabel’s problem in her youth was trying to make herself perfect in her mother’s eyes, being overindulged and mostly feeling fat and ugly because of her weight. If first impressions were hard to overcome, a lifetime of negative self-image was worse. Alex looked at the woman emerging from the child, but it was the startling glimpses of the child that held him intrigued.

“Need some help getting all your stuff moved in from storage?” Alex asked casually.

“I…” Isabel was once more tongue-tied by his assertive personality, much like her mother’s, except the gentleness in Alex’s eyes took away the sting of being mauled. That was it. That was the attraction of Alex. His mystique. An engaging personality with a shining regard and gentleness displayed in brilliance. A woman in his presence truly felt she was being seen by him, completely. That in itself was engaging. After all these years, her childhood crush on him was still there, pulling at her.

“Great! I’ll bring the entire forces of Guerin, Evans and Whitman to do your every bidding, that is if I can get Max to remember he’s supposed to be a breathing human, and not a working machine, and I can unpeel Michael away from this new woman, Maria.”

“Max mentioned her too.” Isabel played with the uneaten food on her plate spreading it to the edges. “This is real serious, isn’t it?”

Alex’s face lost the teasing look, and he was very earnest. “Dead serious. I never thought to see it, but this looks pretty real to me.” Alex took Isabel’s hand putting her fork down. “How about you? How is it going being at Max and Liz’s place?”

“Strange. They rarely talk. Liz works too hard, and when she isn’t working, she’s doing the nursery for the baby. Max seems oblivious.”

“He’s always been that way. More caught up in his own life, his own head, and his own things.”

Isabel frowned. “Well, excuse me, and you know I’m the last person to criticize my brother, which is okay since you’re the first, but I think Liz and the baby should be a large part of ‘his life’ that he’s caught up in. Instead, he barely seems aware that he’s going to be a married man with a baby.”

Alex frowned. He, Liz, Max, and Michael had gone through all of high school together, and then college. Isabel and Kyle were a few years behind. Despite that, their families had known each other all their lives. “How is Liz?”

Isabel frowned as her worry marred her beautiful features. “Not good. She’s tired, and for some reason she seems driven. I don’t get it. Instead of being angry at Max for not being involved, she seems to believe that she’s at fault somehow.”

“That makes no sense.” Alex sat back. “I should go visit. Max was always more my friend, and Michael, of course, was my best friend. But, I liked Liz too. She was slightly annoying when we were growing up, sort of like a Smurf on speed, but she had a good heart.”

“I’m worried, but I can’t really say anything or ask about it since Liz is caught between thinking of me as a friend, and Max’s sister. I really, really think she needs a friend right now to talk to.”

Alex pushed his plate to the side. “Okay, maybe I’m not the best choice either.” Alex thought for a second. “How about Michael’s new girlfriend? Maybe Liz and Maria will hit it off?”

Isabel laughed delighted. “Oh, I don’t know. From Max’s description, we’d have to forcibly remove Michael off her. Sounds like they’re pretty hot and heavy, almost obsessed with each other right now. I’m not sure that’s something Liz needs to see either.”

Alex blew out his breath. “I’ll think about it. Give me a few days. Maybe by the time we get you moved, I’ll come up with a brilliant Whitman plan, completely mapped out.”

Isabel laughed. “Wow! I didn’t think conceit could continue so long, and actually increase! You’re the same as you were in high school.”

“Why mess with perfection?” Alex teased. He gave Isabel a hand as he put money on the table to cover the bill. Frowning at the amount of uneaten food on Isabel’s plate, Alex stared at her a second. Perhaps she wasn’t a late night eater like he was? She really was incredibly beautiful, and breathtakingly shy. “Are you going to let me kiss you goodnight?”

Isabel seemed shocked at the question, and then nervous. Licking her lips, she avoiding meeting Alex’s eyes as a slight red tint moved up her face. “I don’t know,” she said, trying to appear nonchalant. “God only knows where those lips have been.”

“Who told!” Isabel lost her nervousness in the indignation of Alex’s tone.

~~~

“Kyle! Hi.”

Kyle slid into the booth opposite Liz Parker. She was drinking a large chocolate milkshake with gusto. “You have any problem getting out?”

Liz laughed bitterly. “You mean, would anyone miss me? No. There’s no fear of that happening.” She bit her lip, and tried to smile at Kyle. “It’s been a long time, Kyle. I heard you were staying with Michael.” Her curiosity was killing her. She knew Kyle, but they were never really strong acquaintances. His call had been a surprise, and had it not been his assurance that she was the only person that could help him, she might not have come.

“I’m staying with Michael. Yeah. Surprisingly, it hasn’t been awful. Maybe because he’s been busy with work and this new relationship, and I’ve been working.”

Liz’s eyebrow went up at that. Kyle worked? “Hadn’t realized that you could work or even had a trade.”

Kyle waved that away. “Look, I got myself into a spot of trouble, and I need help.”

“I can’t give you money.” Liz said simply.

“That’s not what I need.” Kyle leaned on the table. “I got into some big debt with these boys in Vegas. Anyway…”

“Big debt? How big?”

Kyle shrugged. “A few hundred Ks.”

“Thousands?!”

Kyle looked around nervously and tried to get Liz to lower her voice. “Yeah, yeah. Look, I was wrong. You know that, I know that, and now everyone here knows that. Can’t you just take this quietly?” Kyle lowered his voice. “Anyway, my marker for the cash was held by this…um, well….guy. Then it was sold.”

“I don’t understand. Is that like slavery? You were sold?”

“Sure as hell feels like it, but no.” Kyle tried to speed up the story so Liz couldn’t interrupt so much. She had always been this annoying. “Someone else paid off my debt, so now I owe them.”

“So, pay them.” Liz looked at Kyle in amazement. How hard could it be? His family has money.

“Technically, I already did. This guy bought my marker for a reason. He wanted me to do something special…something illegal and dishonest.”

Liz could feel it. The walls were closing in on them. “Stop pissing around, Kyle Valenti. Tell me. Tell me the entire story. Now!”

Liz listened in horror as Kyle told her everything. The job. The blackmail. The broken promise. His betrayal, and finally the death threat made on Michael’s life.

“You have to tell Michael! Right now!” Liz stood up as if to leave.

Kyle grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. “You think I don’t know that? You think I’d take a chance on Michael’s life?” Kyle rubbed his face. “I can’t, Liz. I am a noted, documented screw-up! I was the perfect pansy. Who would believe me over a man of Brody Davis’s social standing? I have no proof!”

Liz sighed, flipping her long brunette hair. “Okay, so why me?”

“Reporters investigate. They dig up dirt. I thought that you could get a real reporter interested in this as a possible expose. They could or would investigate, and I get my evidence and come clean with something to back up my claims.”

Liz’s back went up at the ‘real reporter’ part. Dammit, she was a real reporter! “What about Michael? He’s out there. The bid is coming up soon. It would take a real good reporter to get the information this quickly. Michael could be killed before then.”

Kyle looked bleak. He knew that. Sinking his head in his hands, he pulled at his hair. Why? Why did he keep getting into these things? “Liz, you find me a reporter to get proof, and I’ll shadow Michael. Nothing. No one is going to hurt my pain-in-the-ass big brother. I’ll make sure of that.” Liz looked at him, uncertain. Kyle exploded, “Dammit! I know I’m nothing more than a screw-up! But I won’t fail at this. I swear!” His eyes were pained. “Didn’t you ever want someone to trust in you, respect you, or just believe in you? I can do this, Liz, I swear I can! If you can get me proof, I will stand up and testify.”

Liz stared at her hands. Yes. She understood. All these years, she had been waiting for that one break that would get her on track on her career. It had been a long hard fight, and she was still stuck doing research. No one believed in her. No one believed she could make a reporter, not even Max. Looking at Kyle, she nodded. “You got it. I know the world’s best researcher and investigative reporter.”

Kyle looked relieved. “Who?”

“Me.”

Kyle suddenly didn’t look so relieved.