The Comic

Chapter 21

Holt listened to Parker's tale and then asked if he was sure.

"Did I make this call because I wasn't? Christ, Detective, c'mon."

"Did he see you? Was he looking for you or De- Miss Jones? Maybe it's just a coincidence. It's a small world you know."

"Yeah, it's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it. It is no coin-" Parker stopped at the guffaw he heard on the line. "Detective?"

"Wouldn't want to paint it . . . Jesus, Nevens, you slay me."

"Swell. Right now I'm concerned about me- us being slain."

"Okay, okay. I'll be right down and we'll find out just what's going on."

"We'll be in the coffee shop across from the theatre." Parker closed the phone and took Des by the hand and walked her across to the coffee shop.

"He says he'll be right down. Let's hope our guy is still there when he arrives."

They sat by the window and nursed two mugs of coffee. Parker chomped on a fritter claiming he needed a sugar bump.

"Why are they following us still.?"

"No idea, Des unless whoever killed Earl still thinks we know more than we do."

"That guy is dead, remember?"

"Okay then whoever killed him. I don't know. Holt said something about some woman."

"That wasn't a woman in the theatre." As she spoke they both watched a woman across the street exit a taxi and stride purposefully into the theatre. Silence hung between them as a bevy of thoughts raced through each of their minds.

"You don't suppose--"

"C'mon, Parker. It's just another member of the old cast."

"You recognized her?"

"No, but-" She shoved her coffee away. "You are making me paranoid."

Parker wiped his mouth and said, "There's Holt. He even brought a uniformed helper. We're saved."

"You called him, remember?"

"Yeah . . . hard to forget."

******

Grace entered the theatre and found her way backstage and down to the basement. Dusty props stood carelessly around the bare concrete room, the once creatively conceived works of some eager designer now discarded and forgotten. She walked carefully down the narrow corridor to the door at the end and stopped to listen. Muffled voices could be heard rising and falling in argument and Grace assembled her Beretta before opening the door and stepping inside.

"Hey! Who the hell are-"

Grace ignored the protest and ended it with a deadly shot to the chest. Cory's face lit up in surprise and stayed that way as he slammed back into the wall and slid down to a sitting position.

"Oh Christ!" Mickey looked around but there was no place to go. He held his hands up in front as Grace closed the door.

"He's not going to help you, Mickey. He's not going to welcome you either."

"G-Grace, please. Look, I can explain!"

"Does this look like I'm here for an explanation? I know what you did and I know what it has cost me so explanations are a waste of my time. I'm here to teach a lesson . . . your last lesson."

"No! Please- I didn't- tell anyone. Just Tabor. That was to scare him." He nodded his head as though she might understand. He's gone now so- so you don't have to do this."