Once upon a crime.
The Sublime Divine
"Meet me at the Sublime Divine." No time, no detail, no signature. Although it was inscribed by a lady. The letter were flowing almost poetically one with the others. That was the only thing that was written on to the pink post-it Enan found glued to the plastic blue water pitcher when he woke up at the hospital that morning. He had to find his round glasses to read it. And even by then, his sight was blurry. He knew he had to rest a bit more. Difficult in a bed that was very narrow to contain his body. He looked at the foot end.
"You just did a serious asthma episode, Mister …" The intern flips the report card."Pryce" He appeared amused to see how the young man examined himself. "We don't amputate in that case. Though that would have been easier to fit you in." He grinned.
The said Mister Pryce grinned as well in return. He knew too well that laughing will make him cough, so he restrained the one coming up.
"How are we feeling this morning?" the man in white clothes inquired.
"Better, can I go soon?" He asked, showing the pink post-it now glued to the hand."It seems that I got myself a date."
"And a very nice one. She stayed aside your bed till late. We thought it was someone of your family, your eyes look alike. She cared a lot so you had the better of our service despite, well, the unusual tallness of yours. We had to reassure her that it was nothing, that you just needed some rest before she left to go work."
"Oh? She did?" Enan replied with a frown."Who was it?"
The man shrugged. "No idea. But you did stayed long enough to be release by now. We only kept you under observation. In fact, I am here to help you get dress and watch over your state along that. If you ever feel lightheaded, tell me before standing. You are quite a piece to lift when you faint, Mister Pryce."
The giant nods, turning on his side. "Hum, I would appreciate you lower the metallic fence, it gets in my ribs. Can you?"
The man did. Enan folded on himself, clutching to the sheets. The feet are thrown to the ground carefully, the left first. He kept the chin on his chest for a long time, looking upward.
"You can stand here, the ceiling is at ten feet above the ground. Nothing will hit you. Just be careful when you'll have to pass the door."
The young thought for a moment. "In metric, that will be?"
"Height enough to place a toddler on your head without his head touching to the ceiling, if that can help you. I don't know about metric conversion."
"Quite alright. So, what she was looking like?"
"Who?"
"The woman aside my bed?"
"Oh, her. Late twenty to Mid-thirty. Blonde curly hairs and very round shapes."
Mister Pryce blushed. "Oh, that is my newsstand saleswoman, Oriel. Thanks."
"How is the sitting position?"
"I thought it would had been worst." Stated Enan."Let us see if I can stand enough to walk normally, now."
And he stood up gradually, so concentrated in the movement that he let the sheets go.
The man extended a hand and closed the door leading to the aisle."Your private is taking some air, I just made sure no one will got a clear view."
Enan blushed furthermore, tugging on the sheet to hide the obvious.
The intern indicated the pile of well folded clothes. "Your Oriel brought them. She assures us they are clean."
The underwear are inspected then pulled on. Then came the pant and the shirt. An envelop fell off it. Though able to see it fly right under the bed, the taller man can do more than moaning softly.
"That is an serious inconvenient for you." Offered the other with a smirk."Allow me?"
"Indeed."
The envelop is retrieved and with a comical flip, returned to Mister Pryce.
He pried it opened.
"Chill! Metro tickets and some money to grabs a breakfast."
"Chill?You, young, are making us feel so retarded when you speak like that." Whined the older man.
"That is just an expression I learned upon my arrival here. Nothing to do with the age, in my humble opinion. Thanks for all." Said Enan, finding his beloved hat and putting it on his head. He hesitated a moment, then removed it, holding it in both hands.
He tilted his head to pass through the door. Once out of the hospital, he then put his hat back on his head.
He walked in direction of the 'Sublime Divine'. "Hum, too soon for her to be there." He makes looking at his watch. "but that is a nice place to lurk."
When his eyes got off the watch, they crosses a vision that made his heart races, cutting his already short breath.
He took and activated his blue inhalator, still watching the scene by turning on himself. One of the little girls made eyes contact with him.
He feared that looking away would made them fade, so he forgot about the meal and began to follow them at a safe distance.
Though, difficult to hide in the crowd, specially when you are walking against the general direction they are.
He managed to follow them till the subway station, got downstairs with them. So far, so good, only the children admittedly saw them, and none of them warned the lady with them. They acted like if they never saw him.
One let a yellow ribbon escape from her fingers. Enan squatted to take it up. The time he pay attention to their position again, they are in the leaving wagon.
A hand is placed on the window, a little plump hand with something black written inside.
"Anyone saw what was written in the little girl's hand?" He called, very sad while running aside the wagon at the same speed. "Anyone?"
No one, of course, answered him. The only thing he got was some "Go to hell!" or "Go see a shrink, weirdo!".
He ran till the entrance of the tunnel forbade him to go further.
"They remove you from the legal guard of your child as well." Made a voice coming from behind. The character was obviously in an advance inebriatedstate. He smelt so much, Enan had to fight his instinct of pinching his nose. He dared pat the middle part of the giant back. That was the only thing at his reach.
"Tell daddy I miss him." He said.
"What?"
"The message in her hand. Tell daddy I miss him. She loves you man, what do you want more than that." And the boozed up man start crying. "Damn judges!Always on the side of the mother."
"Thanks." Replied Enan, not in the mood to explain the detail to this guy. He would had forget all by the morning, anyway. "Take care." He offers distractedly before leaving the man to his own grief.
Now, he is sitting at a table, talking with a fat, almost bald man in front of him. They are eating up.
"I just didn't knew how to comfort him. But I had to call you." Enan says.
"You did well. Now we know she is still alive. That is a good sign. Usually, when you get no news at all. They are dead in the twenty-four hour following their disparition."
"So, the good side is that the body I found in the garbage where Mr.Peel used to jump from is not Haley. But Who it is than?"
"That is another question, indeed." Pursues Ilario, rinsing his mouth with a sip of coffee."Our pathologist at Tranquil is on the case."
"No place to do it here in the city?" questions Enan, a bit surprised.
"They already have two corpses from that case and all the concurrent cases you can have in a big metropolis. Beside, that was easiest for Rizpah and Caithless to come identify her."
"Oh my. That must had been a shock for them. Did they had to do it each time?"
"No, no. Just because that one was truly resembling to Haley. We spared them from the others. But now…" Ilario expresses while stretching himself."You are becoming too curious."
"Don't tell me I am still on the suspect list?" queries the Pryce.
"I can't eliminate you according to the evidence. Either as accomplice at anytime into the act or as assistance of the perpetrator himself. You are already off the list for the one that entered in the room. We know it can't be you…you would had have a hard time fitting in the window. And again, using a conventional ladder." Admits Ilario, looking to the man legs folded awkwardly aside the table at the Sublime Divine.
Enan grins."That is alright.May I pay you what makes this place so reknown?"
"I can't drink liquor." Excuses Ilario."Not during working hour."
"Fair enough, I am not an amateur of liquor anyway. A finger of Port wine at the Queen's anniversary. That is my share. They have three versions of it. The one I take is an herbal tea."
"Tea, you said?" Ilario shakes his coffee mug with a glance of regrets.
"Yes tea. That is a fabulous warm beverage. Well better than any specialized coffee." Adds Enan, beaming.
Someone taps on his shoulder. He tried to turn his upper torso to see who it was, but the whiff of an pleasant perfume instantly makes him exclaim: "Oriel. Come!Sit! I was offering Mister Smallaugh some "Sublime Divine number two." Care to join us?"
"I ignored that you was to invite one of the inspector." She says, getting on the couch aside the giant. Her chin drops and she is forced to admit she has to sit on a chair instead.
"Oh, it happened something very special that makes Mr. Smallaugh presence undoubtedly essential. " He lowers his tone to make the confidence. "I met Haley."
Oriel frowns. "Yes, yesterday, in the garbage can. No?"
"No, alive in the subway station." He points to a plastic bag resting aside Ilario sleeve."I unfortunately was unable to gather all the little things she was sowing on the ground. The wagon left before I had the time to get closer. Beside, I am hard to hide in a crowd. I don't understand why the woman didn't see me."
"Perhaps she was distracted. In her own world." tentatively explains Oriel."When I was in burn out, I was like that. I saw the world like through a shattered mirror."
Ilario beams up. "You two just opened an new avenue." He makes, hurrying up and leaving money on the table .'Thanks for the information."
And the inspector rushes out the pub, holding his cellular phone as soon as he passes the door.
Oriel giggles. "By chance we have to close the phone when we got in there. Mine would not had stopped to ring. I wonder what is the idea he had?"
"I wonder too." Declares Enan. "You was speaking about your burn-out?You did a burn-out?"
"Yes. Is there something wrong with it?" Oriel questions.
"No, but you look so elated, so happy and calm. You're definitely not the type I imagine doing that." Clarifies the giant, his hand patting the blond woman's one.
"We all got dark spot in our life. But I didn't invited you to chat about my past. Well, not right now." Oriel confirms.
Enan blushes and squeezes the lady's hand. He blinks and inclined his head to look into the woman eyes.
Picking in the appetizer plate, Oriel flee Enan gaze."I wanted to be sure you was alright, first. And you are. So…well. You study in business management, yes?"
He nods, uncertain of the why she shifted of subject.
"Would you mind to help me starting my business plan for a flowershop?" She finishes to ask kindly.
The giant leave Oriel hands, and he takes the mug of "Sublime Divine" he ordered for himself."Yes, of course I will. That will be my pleasure."
"You seems not that convinced…did I said something wrong?" the newsstand lady wonders.
"No, no. I simply was expecting something else. No worry."
"AWE! Enan!" She gets on him, hugging in a friendly manner. "I am ten years older than you are. Let me time to know you better. I just cant ask you out like that…cuty."
The boy sighs and the lips curls up into a smile."Then it will be more of my pleasure."
"And as for this little missing girl, I think I will get around here more often. You perhaps cant follow them, but I am petite and an easy to forget face. I can manage to know a bit more of their destination."
"But…it can be dangerous?"
"Personally, I don't think so. I wont get into harms way. As soon as they got into a dark allay or anywhere far from a public place, I'll simply watch if they get back or leave. You are so sweet to be concern for me."
"You was in return." He reveals.
"Oh? They told you?"
"Certainly. But now, shall we eat? We are there for that, aren't we?"
"Yes." She replies, taking place back in her seat and opening the menu. She peruses it. "You already made up your mind?" she demands to Enan with a glance by over the carte du jour's edge.
"I had plenty of time for it. I am here for the past four hour." He grants with a wide smirk.
"Oh!Perfect." ripostes Oriel, returning to the card."We'll have to schedule watches to know when we'll get more probability to meet the girls."
"You know, I really think we should let the inspectors deal with it. I am highly unease by the perspective of just standing aside them. What if that triggers the woman to kill her instead of helping?"
"You leaving me down, now?" teasingly protested Oriel.
"No, but I am an alien here, even if I am not in New-York. I am still British and no more on known ground. Understand why I had no choice to be prudent. What's more, I am still on the suspects'list." Enan spells out.
"Kidding right?"
The giant shakes his head sadly."If I were, I would had not about that kind of matter."
"Bah! You know, me and my knowledge of Brit. Humor." Oriel winks.
The service's boy appears at their side, pad and pen in hand.
"Let us try to have a enjoyable evening, then." Concludes Enan."Two Sublime Divine number three, please you?"
Word Count=2340