A Canadian Werewolf in New York

Chapter Thirty-Two

Being the smooth host that he was, David managed to fill another couple of minutes that was supposed to be for Knell with further conversation with me. His initial question about music led me to mention a few bands that originated in Canada and whom I was fond of. I couldn’t escape mentioning Rush, being the first band that I had enjoyed listening to while writing, particularly their earlier concept-themed albums that seemed to originate in the science-fiction and fantasy realms.  I then spoke a bit about the Headstones and The Tragically Hip. Paul Shaffer piped in, ever the gentleman in offering his own comments and kind words about each of the groups.

Then it was time to cut to another commercial break.

“Listen, David,” I whispered while, in the manner that they kept the studio audience entertained during the break, Paul’s band started jamming riffs from some of the more well-known Rush tunes. “I hate to do this, but I really need to use the little boy’s room, if that’s okay.”

Letterman nodded. “Sure thing. You’ve got 2 minutes.”

“Thanks,”

I hopped out of the chair and one of the nearby stage hands started directing me to a restroom that was less than twenty feet away from the stage set.  As I was walking, I started to pick up Knell’s man-wolf scent; the trail was leading me down towards where the Green Room Gail was hanging out was in.

“Uh,” I said to the stage hand. “I’ve got a thing about more public restrooms. Would it be okay if I went downstairs to the Green Room for a bit more privacy?”

Her scent and heartbeat informed me that she was nervous about that; considering it would take me longer to do my business and thus not get to the stage on time. She whispered “Guest restroom break likely to extend past return to show” into her headset mic. I could hear the immediately acknowledgement and knew that someone was informing Letterman so that he could be properly prepped for it.

“Thanks,” I said, and rushed past her towards the Green Room.

Knell’s scent was stronger as I moved down the hallway and it led directly toward where Gail had been staying. I stepped more quickly down the hall, following the trail.

Knell’s man-wolf scent was even stronger when I pushed open the door. And it mingled in the air with Gail’s – and from the tone of her scent I could tell that she was under duress. Their scents were here, strong and ever-present – but there was no sign of either of them. I stood in the room and tried to get a bearing on where they might be.

On the overhead monitor which was a live feed from the stage, I could hear Shaffer’s band wrapping up their jam session and Letterman beginning to address the studio and at home audience.

“So this is interesting,” Letterman said. “In all my years on the show I only ever had one guest walk out on me. And that was Richard Simmons.” The sound of a recording of a clip from that past show was played.

I picked up the direction that their scents had led to and moved out a back door from the Green Room and out another hallway.

I could hear Letterman’s voice picking back up as the Simmons walk-off scene finished. “But it looks like tonight we’re going two for two, as Michael Andrews has also left the stage. Although, admittedly, he did it in a very Canadian fashion. With an apology that he had to use the restroom.”

I shuffled down the hallway and around another corner, towards a single door, the scent getting stronger as I opened the door and started to ascend the stairs on the other side.  From the top of the stairs I could again hear Letterman. He was now introducing Ryan Gosling, the actor who was cast as Maxwell Bronte and whose latest release was due in theatres the following week.