Bonded by the Blues | A Sander Sides Book

Chapter 36 - Saturday Blues: Part 4

Methinks I should have posted this yesterday, being Valentine's Day and all, but it's still the 14th of February in some parts of the world, so it counts! 

---Logan---

My mind was failing to answer a hundred questions, and that did not bode well for me. While I did enjoy a question that I could build a hypothesis from, and subsequently validate or dispute based on controlled experimentation to arrive a t a conclusion that was as close to fact as scientifically possible, my current queries offered no such long term welcome tasks to look forward to. Indeed, I knew there were a few more avenues left open to me to find out the connection between Lakori Hill, The Shardo Lakori and my house, but my mind simply refused to concentrate on a single matter. I was that perturbed as I drove away from the Caerulean Library, towards Patton's friend's apartment at the appointed time I agreed to pick him up at.

I steered between two drab buildings onto the road with the apartment building at its end, next to the railway intersection. I noticed a somewhat familiar figure walking on the broken pavement. The figure turned, saw me and waved an arm out to get my attention. Against my better judgement, I halted the car next to the curb. A tap on my window led me to lower the shutter, and two elbows rested on the door and a head poked into the car.

"Hello, Logan. We haven't been officially introduced, but glad to make your acquaintance. I am Dorian." He extended an arm.

I shook it politely but let go hastily.

"Going to Deirdre and Felicity's apartment to pick up dear little Patton?" he asked. I concluded that something not altogether discernible lurked underneath that polished face of his, and the mundane practical question he asked took on a sinister quality.

"Yes," I answered shortly.

"I see. I'm heading there as well. May I join you?" he gestured at the passenger seat.

I kept my voice even with great control and replied: "It is not very polite to invite yourself to a lift."

"Well, Mr Kettle, it isn't very polite to go to a party you weren't invited to."

He knew how to hit me at my weakest spot, I thought in frustration as a smile crawled over the lower half of his face. The initial rebuff still nagged at me, even though I had been added to the group in the interim. "Touché." I said, annoyed at being defeated battle of barbs. "Might I point out that I do not plan to go in? I am only here to pick Patton when he is done."

"Suit yourself. I'm not allowed in your car?"

"Preferably."

"You didn't say anything about on your car." He hopped onto the bonnet and sat cross legged. "Drive on."

Well I never! The audacity of this man! A real pain in the caboose! There was no policeman, or anyone for that matter, on the street to spot us, and I suppose I could speed away and swerve to throw him off. But he knew I would not, if his cocky grin of triumph was anything to go by. I swallowed my pride and drove slowly to the apartment building, Dorian acting as a bizarre unwanted figurehead to my car.

He slid off once I parked next to the pickup truck.

"Thank you most kindly for the ride, my dear chauffer," he said in a pinched courteous voice that made me long throw caution to the wind and run him over. But I kept my composure and got out of the car.

"You do not have to thank for a favour you took by force," I said tartly as I took my phone out to call Patton.

"I can send him down to you when I go up, no problem," offered Dorian. How did he anticipate my next action always?