A PUPPET ON A STRING

Chapter 14

Grimm momentarily pulls himself from his thoughts and looks over to see Frankleaving. Waiting for Grimm to speak was like waiting for a vinyl record to play.You could sense the needle had dropped, then you waited for him to speak.

 Itwas always worth the wait. 

"What tapes?" He asks curiously.

 "Oh... Frank wants to get a picture of that Smith guy he‟s working for...Something strange going on, he reckons..." Informs Tomo.

 "Yeah... That guy looks dodgy as fuck to me... And Frank... He don‟t soundright... Something spooked him in Flint... But hey, what the fuck do I know."

 "He was staying at the Hotel opposite the apartment building that blewup..." Tomo leak the freshly grinded gossip.

 "That would do it."And with that comment Grimm faded from the conversation and returned tohis happy place. 

Rocking gently in time with the satanic tune that had beenfucking with his head all day. The name of the band‟s drummer was eludinghim. It was on tip of his tongue."Ah fuck it." He mutters to himself letting the trivia go.He would google it later. Taking another swig from his bottle of bud toresume a dark thought from three days earlier. 

The Buick drove Frank home and pulled into the reserved park. Frank looks upat the apartment building. Was anyone home? Wondering how he could lookMarilyn in the eyes as if nothing had happened.Women could sense these things. They knew when a man was lying. Or hadcheated on them. They could detect the smell of another woman. Undetectableto a man, but potently obvious to woman. The faint residual scent of perfume. Astrand of long blonde hair there. The slightest change in behavior. Theextinguished fire of passion in their love making.Frank was a marked man. 

His conscience clattered like pots and pans. 

Thomas‟ death eclipsed theinfidelity. Julie was just a fling he told himself. Let her go. Taking a deep breathhe pulled himself from the Buick ready to face the Grand Inquisitor.

 "Honey... I‟m home!" Frank calls out hoping for silence which did notcome. 

"In the kitchen bad man." A voice calls back.

 He finds Marilyn over a pot stirring slowly. Wrapping his arms around her hefelt the familiar warmth and firmness of her body. And kisses her on the top ofthe head. Smelling the strong spicy odors of chilly steaming from a large pot.Hoping that would conceal any latent scents of another woman. 

"How was your trip bad man?" She asked.

 "The trip was good... Tiring. Did not want to stay the added night." Franklied kissing the top of her head again

."And your girlfriend?" Marilyn enquired.

 "She‟s good... She asked me to say hi." Frank played along. 

"Go wash her off you bad man... Dinner will be ready soon." Said Marilynshaking herself free from his bondage.

 Splashing cold water on his face trying to bring himself back to earth. Thepast forty-eight hours was like bad hangover he could not shake.

 "What have you done Frank?" Mirror-man shock his head back at him.But Frank did not have the answer. Smith, Thomas and Julie. A week ago,none of these people existed. Tomo, Grimm and Marilyn were about as excitingas it got up until then. 

Now he was a government hit man. With a lover in Flint.And fifty thousand sitting in his bank account.„Fifty fucking thousand dollars and no doubt more to come!‟ 

The man in themirror grinned back with glee.„Jesus Frank? What the hell were you thinking? ... Would you do it again?..." 

The mirror-man fired twisted questions at Frank.„Why not? Imagine what you could do with a hundred thousand... Twohundred thousand. Tax free! ... Smith controls the IRS.

‟ The mirror-man‟sthought‟s echoed in Frank‟s mind.

 Frank rocked back and forth. Arms leaning heavily on the basin. Staringdirectly back at the man in the mirror. Then covering his face. Knowing he haddone wrong. He had killed a man. Even if it had been sanctioned by theGovernment. Even if he was a spy. Wondering where and when it would it end?Could he ever get out?He no longer recognized the man in the mirror. A stranger stared back. Theireyes met momentarily, before the connection was lost. Neither wanted to knowthe other man. Whoever it was. It was not him.

 "Go away!" Frank told him,looking away.

 "Dinner‟s ready bad man!" Marilyn calls out. 

"Coming sweetie... coming." Leaving the man in the mirror to be byhimself.Pouring himself a stiff drink Frank skulls it before Marilyn had noticed. Thenpoured himself another.

 "You want one." He asks knowing the answer. 

"You know I don‟t drink that stuff... Just a wine for me bad man... youokay? You look... Different." Marilyn sensed a change in Frank. 

"Just tired... The jet lag is catching up on me." Hoping that would satisfyher curiosity. 

"What did you do over there?" She asked again.

 "Oh just meet with a guy and drop off some... Samples. Light bulbsactually."

 "Light bulbs? ... Could not they just courier them?""These were a special kind of light bulb. High tech... If you know what Imean." 

"Oh."

 "Did you see the news about the explosionthere?"

"It was all over the news here... Did yousee it?"

 "My hotel was right next to it."

 "Oh you poor baby... No wonder you look worried... You weren‟t hurtwere you?"

 "No, no... I was well away from it when it happened... Came back to thehotel with fire trucks everywhere..." 

He begins to explain."A man got killed you know."

 "So I heard... Quite sad... Could have been more... I‟m still a bit fazed by itall."

 "Oh my poor baby." Touching Frank on the arm to console him.Frank chews slowly on his meal. Taking another swallow of bourbon tosteady his nerves. Hoping it would revitalize his appetite. Forcing himself tofinish the meal. Before throwing himself into his armchair for the evening.Understanding the shock that he was carrying. Marilyn nursed his emotionalwounds. 

"It‟s okay baby... It was not like it was your fault." She said handing himanother drink.

 "Yeah... I know." Frank lied. 

That evening in bed it was Marilyn who initiated the sex. Hoping to pull himfrom the dark place he found himself. She thought he could smell anotherwoman on him but dismissed it as cologne. He tried to perform. Taking Marilynin all the positions he knew were theirs. Hoping he would not take her inpositions that were Julies. Allowing Marilyn to lead the way and he followedobediently. Thoughts of Julie faded as Marilyn consumed his lustful affection.Was he now cheating on Julie? The thought excited him and found a renewedenergy to satisfy Marilyn‟s sexual yearnings. 

"Oh bad man" Marilyn collapsed beside him, 

"I hope you were more gentlewith your girlfriend." Then snuggled herself against him. Content her lover hadreturned home. 

"Only one girlfriend for me." He panted.Kissing her on the top of her head. His mind at ease that Marilyn was hisone true love. Julie was just a one off fling. A chance encounter. Never to beseen again."Sweet tongue bad man." Said Marilyn falling asleep.