Beyond the end

Chapter 8. The last number.

Los Angeles.

Brandon was immersed in his thoughts.

The scoop Johnson had proposed to him was one of those that rarely happens to you in life. A deep throat, ready to spit everything about the corruption system in the City of Los Angeles. Stuff that could have been a real judicial earthquake and Johnson had come to him.

He went to tidy up his notes sinking into crazy, desperate work. So much so that he didn't even notice that the employees were leaving. It was Betty who gave him an alarm clock.

"I'm leaving Mr. Walsh. Do you need anything?"

Brandon pulled up his face from the laptop.

"Yes Betty, just one thing, take this CV. Remind me tomorrow." He told her that Brian's CV.

"Okay Mr Walsh. Have a nice evening"

"Betty?" Brandon stopped her before she disappeared "thank you"

She smiled. Brandon realized he had no idea who Betty was. Did he have children? Was she married? What kind of person was he?

Since when had you stopped meeting people?

The cell phone rang. The display lit up intermittently.

"Kel"

"Hello?"

"Good evening Mr Brandon.. I'm James del Hallowe on Santa Monica B.de. We called her from this lady's cell phone as it's the last call. The lady is unable to drive and does not want to move away. I don't know she could come or she gives us the number of a relative or an address to call her a taxi. We wouldn't want to call the police"

"Don't call anyone, I'm coming."

The Hallowe was a Los Angeles "in" bar that mattered.

The semi-dark interior did not hide a modern decor... Kelly was at a secluded table. At the end of the room. He held his head with both hands. Brandon glanced at the bartender. A nod of understanding and he approached her.

"Kel?"

Kel looked up. She was sfattached. Wonderful wild creature..

"Brandon," he just said, "you too.."

Brandon felt an infinite tenderness for that heart that too often found itself fighting its fragilities.

He tried to lift her up but Kelly didn't want to know how to get up "let me alone, you're no different from the others"

Brandon looked around "Kel, Sammy where is he?"

"It's from Janet. I'm drunk, not stupid" and she laughed harder.

"Let's go home, come with me"

"Do you know Dylan is from Brenda?"

She laughed loudly again "oh but of course you know.. you know everything.. Brenda told you"

"We can talk about it at home.. Kel?"

She stared at him with bad eyes "You're all gone"

"That's not true, you know that's not the case"

"Ah no?" She sobbed "didn't you leave? We had to get married the day before and the next day puff" he blowed violently "you're gone. You never asked me to come with you. Kelly the beautiful. Kelly the blonde. Kelly is alone," she took a ferocious look.

"What do you have to watch?" She cried out to those who looked at her.

Brandon tried again and managed to get her up.

Oh Kel.. she thought as she rested her head on her chest and barely walked.

Brandon drove to her house. It wasn't far from his old neighborhood. A few blocks away. He looked for the keys in his bag. And open the house immersed in darkness.

She hadn't said a single word but she wasn't sleeping. He looked out the window. Bran remembered that ride in the car when cocaine had become a serious problem but she was no longer the same person. She wasn't the same Kelly.

The house was completely tidy. A beautiful villa with a garden. Exactly as he imagined her, as she had told him about it, on nights together. The porch. The hanging basket. It looked a bit like Walsh house. It was shaped like Kelly's wishes.

She was looking for the bedroom with her.

And he sat her down and she let herself be touched like a little girl. He took off her shoes as she looked at him seriously.

"Do you want to make love Brandon?"

He stopped.

"No Kelly. I don't want to."

"Why?" She said by getting closer.. and trying to unbutton his shirt.

Brandon stopped her hands and approached her ear "because that's not what we deserve. Especially you"

Kel stood with his eyes wide open. In the dark.

He lay on one side.

"You never asked me to come with you," she said before falling asleep.

"Yes, I asked you," he replied while she had already fallen asleep exhausted.

Brandon sat in the chair in the dark watching her.

The next morning, he left the house very early. Janet would bring Sammy back, and take care of her.