it to immediately. “Hello.”
Todd is flabbergasted to hear the voice on the other end.
“Todd, where the hell are you? You invite me for a drink and then you lock the door?”
“What are you talking about, Cam? You were here with me just now!”
“Like hell. I stood at your damn door banging away forever and then said screw you. Now I’m keeping Harlan’s sorry ass company. I’ve had so many beers that reject is starting to look good. Come join us?”
“I need the key or something. I can’t get out of the room.”
“Oh for chrissake, Todd, kick the damn door down if it’s stuck. Don’t be such a wuss. If Liang doesn’t have the place working properly, it ain’t your fault.”
Cam hangs up.
Todd slides to the door and reaches for the handle but before he can open it, the door swings open by itself.
He looks but there is no one there.
Todd stumbles into the hallway and the door shuts by itself. No. It just can’t be…
Chapter 19
Todd’s totally losing his mind as he straggles down the street. Everybody and everything seem threatening or suspicious as he trudges down the sidewalk. There’s a haze of mist fogging his mind.
Reality has become surreal.
A rubbie taps him on the back. “Got a couple bucks buddy for some soup?” Todd whips around and pushes him to the ground.
He backs into an old Chinese woman and spins, only to have her snarl at him. “You little white boy think you take over my place. No way. No way. Go back where you come from.” She takes out a cast iron frying pan and tries to hit him with it.
Todd dashes up to a slender figure whose body is like Jasmine’s.
“Jasmine!”
The person maneuvers around to face him and it’s a Chinese transvestite.
“Sorry. I thought you were someone else.”
“You can call me that, honey! I can be Jasmine or Joseph or anybody your little heart desires.”
“Thanks, but no.”
Todd escapes down the street, arriving at the Ho Inn. Through the café window, Todd sees Angela sitting with Cam, having coffee at the same table that he sat with Cam. “You gotta be kidding me.”
He enters the restaurant but the surreality transforms into a kind of disconnected “hyper-reality,” like an out-of-body experience,
He makes his way over to the dining couple. “Hey.”
Cam and Angela not only do not acknowledge the pianist, they are oblivious to him.
Angela shows a Chinese newspaper clipping to Cam. There are two photos: one of Todd, the other of a battered Jasmine.
“Isn’t that him?”
“Sure looks like Piano Man. What’s it say?”
“Damned if I know. Chinese just isn’t very big in Alabama. How did you get this paper?”
“He had it hidden in his backpack.”
Todd screams but again, there’s no recognition from Cam and Angela about his existence. “I did not have it hidden in my backpack. I’ve never even seen these photos.”
Angela stares hard. “Who is she?”
“Why, you interested?”
“I’m not that kinda girl but you sure strike me that you are that kinda man. She’s pretty damn hot if you’re into S and M.”
“Oh, you’re a nasty bitch. Hey, Harlan, what’s this say?”
The husky Chinese waiter comes over and scans the paper.
“Man oh man. It says that Piano Man is a very bad boy. He beat this actress to death at the Double Stars Theater in Beijing. Disappeared without a trace. Asshole.”
Cam pokes Harlan in his enormous gut. “You’re no angel.”
“I only wasted pervs and deviants. I’m a defender of the public.”
Cam pushes his tongue against the inside of his cheek and jabs it with his index finger. “You guys never want to admit anything.”
Todd shrieks at the group. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. Jasmine was alive when I left.”
There’s an abrupt change in the room. Hyper-reality disappears and life is “normal” again.
Previously ignored, Todd’s presence is very much felt. The muscle-bound Harlan sees Todd and lifts him up over the table.
Todd is flabbergasted to hear the voice on the other end.
“Todd, where the hell are you? You invite me for a drink and then you lock the door?”
“What are you talking about, Cam? You were here with me just now!”
“Like hell. I stood at your damn door banging away forever and then said screw you. Now I’m keeping Harlan’s sorry ass company. I’ve had so many beers that reject is starting to look good. Come join us?”
“I need the key or something. I can’t get out of the room.”
“Oh for chrissake, Todd, kick the damn door down if it’s stuck. Don’t be such a wuss. If Liang doesn’t have the place working properly, it ain’t your fault.”
Cam hangs up.
Todd slides to the door and reaches for the handle but before he can open it, the door swings open by itself.
He looks but there is no one there.
Todd stumbles into the hallway and the door shuts by itself. No. It just can’t be…
Chapter 19
Todd’s totally losing his mind as he straggles down the street. Everybody and everything seem threatening or suspicious as he trudges down the sidewalk. There’s a haze of mist fogging his mind.
Reality has become surreal.
A rubbie taps him on the back. “Got a couple bucks buddy for some soup?” Todd whips around and pushes him to the ground.
He backs into an old Chinese woman and spins, only to have her snarl at him. “You little white boy think you take over my place. No way. No way. Go back where you come from.” She takes out a cast iron frying pan and tries to hit him with it.
Todd dashes up to a slender figure whose body is like Jasmine’s.
“Jasmine!”
The person maneuvers around to face him and it’s a Chinese transvestite.
“Sorry. I thought you were someone else.”
“You can call me that, honey! I can be Jasmine or Joseph or anybody your little heart desires.”
“Thanks, but no.”
Todd escapes down the street, arriving at the Ho Inn. Through the café window, Todd sees Angela sitting with Cam, having coffee at the same table that he sat with Cam. “You gotta be kidding me.”
He enters the restaurant but the surreality transforms into a kind of disconnected “hyper-reality,” like an out-of-body experience,
He makes his way over to the dining couple. “Hey.”
Cam and Angela not only do not acknowledge the pianist, they are oblivious to him.
Angela shows a Chinese newspaper clipping to Cam. There are two photos: one of Todd, the other of a battered Jasmine.
“Isn’t that him?”
“Sure looks like Piano Man. What’s it say?”
“Damned if I know. Chinese just isn’t very big in Alabama. How did you get this paper?”
“He had it hidden in his backpack.”
Todd screams but again, there’s no recognition from Cam and Angela about his existence. “I did not have it hidden in my backpack. I’ve never even seen these photos.”
Angela stares hard. “Who is she?”
“Why, you interested?”
“I’m not that kinda girl but you sure strike me that you are that kinda man. She’s pretty damn hot if you’re into S and M.”
“Oh, you’re a nasty bitch. Hey, Harlan, what’s this say?”
The husky Chinese waiter comes over and scans the paper.
“Man oh man. It says that Piano Man is a very bad boy. He beat this actress to death at the Double Stars Theater in Beijing. Disappeared without a trace. Asshole.”
Cam pokes Harlan in his enormous gut. “You’re no angel.”
“I only wasted pervs and deviants. I’m a defender of the public.”
Cam pushes his tongue against the inside of his cheek and jabs it with his index finger. “You guys never want to admit anything.”
Todd shrieks at the group. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. Jasmine was alive when I left.”
There’s an abrupt change in the room. Hyper-reality disappears and life is “normal” again.
Previously ignored, Todd’s presence is very much felt. The muscle-bound Harlan sees Todd and lifts him up over the table.
Similar Books
