and his eyes seemed to glaze to an even glassier blue. “He’s real,” he murmured. He looked up at Jude, but Teresa answered.
She kept holding his hand, and she reached up and held his chin with the other one, stroking down his jaw with her thumb. The trio recognized that Teresa had become almost a surrogate mother to the man. “Jerald is you, Tombstone. He was you when we first met. Think back before you blocked out the pain. Remember when you came to the club?” She smiled warmly and held up two fingers, as she had done the first time they had met. “You were so frightened, and you had absolutely no idea what you were supposed to do. I was incredibly flattered when you kept returning to see me. It definitely made the trip to the ally easier to bear.”
Sabrina smiled in agreement. “I couldn’t figure out why the hell you were so committed to room number five, but honey, I was glad you were. We had some good times.”
Tombstone felt as though he was remembering across a canyon of black, but he sensed Jerald waiting on the other side. His head began throbbing and he tried to block out the migraine that would not let him think. Jude reached under the bar, and he held up a picture of Susanne that Gertie sent him. Jerald was about seven or eight and standing beside her.
Tombstone stared in an uneasy astonishment. “I’m crazy,” he stated.
A few seconds later, Jude laughed. “Hell, Tombstone, we’re all crazy.”
“No, I mean…”
“You’re a survivor, Tombstone, and thanks to you, so are we,” Teresa said.
Sabrina smiled warmly and rubbed her hands together. “Now, are we going to pick this bitch up, or what?”
“Jude and I will go,” Tombstone replied. “We’ll take the hearse and he can fill me in on a few things while we drive.” His mind was churning with memories, and Teresa led him upstairs to bed. She held him while he twisted and turned in his sleep.
* * * *
Susanne in her black mannequin costume, without the mask. Smiling at Jerald… no, Tombstone, the man… and crooking her finger, beckoning him closer.
Tombstone trembled, awed by her beauty. He reached out to caress her cheek. Her eyes closed for a moment while she drank in his touch, and then she opened them again and looked over her shoulder. Bethany walked up by her side, wearing a gold utility costume from the front room. Her green eyes fixed on him, but she did not move.
Tombstone turned back to Susanne, wondering why she did not look angry. His eyes dropped to her breast, expecting to see the red blossoming bullet hole. Her skin was unblemished. She held up her hand and Bethany’s arm lifted. A ribbon tied their wrists together. Susanne reached out and lifted his hand. There was a ribbon tied around it, with an empty loop hanging from the other side.
CHAPTER V
When Tombstone woke up, he told Teresa about the dream. She said she thought it meant that as much as Susanne’s death was tied to Bethany, Tombstone was supposed to be tied to her daughter. She reasoned that both of them had lost their mothers to the rash action.
Jude spent the day returning the mannequins that were leaving the club to their prospective estates. When he dropped Claudine off, Donald asked him to have Tombstone stop by in a few days. He was using his broad net to gather information on Bethany Wilson’s daughter. The entire idea was beginning to intrigue him. No one could imagine what Tombstone would do to the young woman so close to the catalyst event.
Tombstone drove over to Strickland’s estate a few days later. He was surprised to see Claudine in an almost transparent rubber suit, kneeling by Donald’s side. The thinned latex would barely restrict her. He looked closely and was astonished to see Claudine’s eyes shining with desire while she watched Donald’s eyes and lips.
Donald handed
She kept holding his hand, and she reached up and held his chin with the other one, stroking down his jaw with her thumb. The trio recognized that Teresa had become almost a surrogate mother to the man. “Jerald is you, Tombstone. He was you when we first met. Think back before you blocked out the pain. Remember when you came to the club?” She smiled warmly and held up two fingers, as she had done the first time they had met. “You were so frightened, and you had absolutely no idea what you were supposed to do. I was incredibly flattered when you kept returning to see me. It definitely made the trip to the ally easier to bear.”
Sabrina smiled in agreement. “I couldn’t figure out why the hell you were so committed to room number five, but honey, I was glad you were. We had some good times.”
Tombstone felt as though he was remembering across a canyon of black, but he sensed Jerald waiting on the other side. His head began throbbing and he tried to block out the migraine that would not let him think. Jude reached under the bar, and he held up a picture of Susanne that Gertie sent him. Jerald was about seven or eight and standing beside her.
Tombstone stared in an uneasy astonishment. “I’m crazy,” he stated.
A few seconds later, Jude laughed. “Hell, Tombstone, we’re all crazy.”
“No, I mean…”
“You’re a survivor, Tombstone, and thanks to you, so are we,” Teresa said.
Sabrina smiled warmly and rubbed her hands together. “Now, are we going to pick this bitch up, or what?”
“Jude and I will go,” Tombstone replied. “We’ll take the hearse and he can fill me in on a few things while we drive.” His mind was churning with memories, and Teresa led him upstairs to bed. She held him while he twisted and turned in his sleep.
* * * *
Susanne in her black mannequin costume, without the mask. Smiling at Jerald… no, Tombstone, the man… and crooking her finger, beckoning him closer.
Tombstone trembled, awed by her beauty. He reached out to caress her cheek. Her eyes closed for a moment while she drank in his touch, and then she opened them again and looked over her shoulder. Bethany walked up by her side, wearing a gold utility costume from the front room. Her green eyes fixed on him, but she did not move.
Tombstone turned back to Susanne, wondering why she did not look angry. His eyes dropped to her breast, expecting to see the red blossoming bullet hole. Her skin was unblemished. She held up her hand and Bethany’s arm lifted. A ribbon tied their wrists together. Susanne reached out and lifted his hand. There was a ribbon tied around it, with an empty loop hanging from the other side.
CHAPTER V
When Tombstone woke up, he told Teresa about the dream. She said she thought it meant that as much as Susanne’s death was tied to Bethany, Tombstone was supposed to be tied to her daughter. She reasoned that both of them had lost their mothers to the rash action.
Jude spent the day returning the mannequins that were leaving the club to their prospective estates. When he dropped Claudine off, Donald asked him to have Tombstone stop by in a few days. He was using his broad net to gather information on Bethany Wilson’s daughter. The entire idea was beginning to intrigue him. No one could imagine what Tombstone would do to the young woman so close to the catalyst event.
Tombstone drove over to Strickland’s estate a few days later. He was surprised to see Claudine in an almost transparent rubber suit, kneeling by Donald’s side. The thinned latex would barely restrict her. He looked closely and was astonished to see Claudine’s eyes shining with desire while she watched Donald’s eyes and lips.
Donald handed
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