Shadow

Chapter 13 - Mister Addiction

Jimmy set the keycard on the counter, went into the bedroom and then sat on the bottom edge of the bed next to the credenza. Abbie closed the door behind her and followed Jimmy into the bedroom.

He took off his jacket, threw it behind him, then did the same thing with his shoes, but left it beside the bed. An exhausted breath escaped from his lips, and he buried his face in the palms of his hands.

Abbie sat on the bed next to him. She slipped off her high heels and kicked them under the bed.

'I'm sorry about your dad,' Jimmy said. 'I truly am.'

Abbie clasped her lips together and turned the other way, fighting off the tears that were about to make its appearance again. However, she wanted to be brave. It's what her father would have wanted her to be. Courageous and strong. But she knew he wouldn't be proud of her if he could see her now. Sex and drugs. That was her life now.

I wish I could make you proud, Daddy.

'At least I know what drove him to suicide,' she said. 'He took his life for me. He took his life.' She sighed. 'I'm gonna kill this thing.'

'I'll help you kill it,' Jimmy said.

Abbie shot a look at him. She sensed that Jimmy finally had enough of today's events. How much could one person take in the space of one day? Both of their worlds had come crashing down on them, and all that remained was the burnt ashes of the crash. She put an arm around him; this time it was her consoling him, but he did not move or show any kind of emotion. He merely sat there, digesting everything that he had heard and been through in the space of twelve hours.

'I'm sorry about your mom,' Abbie said.

Jimmy's head rose. 'Well, at least she can rest in peace now,' he said.

'Yeah...'

'Dumaka was right, though. Justice was served. For years I tried to find the person responsible for running over my mother. Turns out I actually came face to face with him today. Now he's dead. And what do I feel?' He shrugged. 'Nothing. I still feel it hasn't changed a thing.'

They were silent for a few moments.

Abbie didn't know how to respond to that or comfort him in some way. She felt a mixture of emotions given what had happened earlier and the many truths she listened to, but Jimmy felt nothing. She supposed it was his way of dealing with things. Having your own child shot to death in front of your eyes would have that effect on a man.

'You know when I told you the Shadow turned up in the living room?'

Abbie looked at him. 'Yeah?'

'It said that it punished the cop. I didn't know what it meant, but now I do. He did say he used to live in Bakersfield and the place had nothing but bad memories for him. Maybe that's what he meant? I guess now this thing thinks I owe it something. Perhaps that's why it wanted me to turn against you, and in return, it offered me Richie's head on a platter.'

Abbie rubbed her nose. Her legs started to shake. 'You won't, will you?'

'What?'

'Turn against me?'

Jimmy shook his head and then looked into her eyes. 'Never,' he said. 'I will not lose another life to that thing out there. I'll die before that happens.'

He got up and moved toward the bedroom window.

The lights out there continued to dazzle outside. The world continued to turn.