Clear as Glass

Chapter 6 - Melvin & the White Lady

The press of the gas pedal was the only thing that Cleo could afford to think about. Her sweaty hands held the steering wheel tight and her gaze was dead ahead. She couldn't allow herself to think about what could have happened with Nathan, she barely knew him for god's sake and yet here they were. 

Changing lanes she turned rather sharply earning a loud honk from the car behind her. Cleo took a hand off the steering wheel and gave whoever was behind her the bird. This earned her another long honk and she honked back, purposely pissing off the driver behind her. With both hands on the wheel and her foot pressing ever so slightly more and more on the gas she sped up and onto the freeway.

Not bothering to indicate or check her mirrors, Cleo turned into the first lane on the freeway which replied with several honks this time. She looked at her dashboard and checked the petrol meter, it was higher than what she had left with so she brought her hand over to the dash and tapped it rather aggressively. The meter fell a good few centimetres and was now in the critical centre. She mumbled a curse word under her breath and turned into the nearest exit, managing to indicate this time. 

Once she had pulled into the exit and parked in the lonely and decaying BP. She walked to the petrol handle and smashed it inside the tube leading to the fuel tank. She stood there for a while vaguely watching the price, quantity and her temper increase. Shoving the nozzle back into its socket, Cleo stalked away from her car and into a poorly air-conditioned Easy Mart.

A tall boy maybe in his late teens with short roughly styled blonde hair was sitting at the barstool behind the counters. Unable to see his face Cleo walked through one of the aisles trying to read him before she approached, it was a skill that she had perfected since the academy but she had been trying to forget about work for a while, at least while she was suspended after the incident...

When the boy finally looked up at Cleo, she saw a freckled, acne covered face with boring brown eyes. After scanning her for a moment he went back to picking at his nose and biting on his nails. Wanting to get out of there rather quickly now, Cleo grabbed an air compressor of a random shelf and walked up to the counter. The teen looked up again and forced a smile showing off two huge rabbit-sized teeth and a horrible stench left his mouth "Welcome to Easy Mart, my names Melvin and I hope that I can help you here today" his fake smile broadened slightly to emphasise his statement but it just made him look rather like a lunatic.

Cleo pushed the air compressor onto the bench and mentioned the gas she had taken by pointing out the dirt-covered and cracked window that was to her right. Melvin or so he said considering his badge said he was called Joan, scanned the compressor and tapped a few buttons on a computer screen facing him. He hit another final key and the price popped up on a card reader. $67.45. Cleo tapped her card against it and the word Declined popped up in bold red letters.

At this moment the doors to the Easy mart opened and a tall blonde women in a fancy white dress and sunglasses walked inside. Her hands were covered in lacey white gloves which were holding a clutch with a rippling gold chain from each end. Bright red lipstick was on her puckered lips, contrasting against her pale skin. She pushed her huge dark glasses on top of her head and Cleo saw a perfect face of makeup to match her pursed lips. Looking around the dingy Easy Mart her pucker turned into a scowl and she scrunched up her nose. 

A cough from Melvin brought Cleo back and she saw the bold red letters in front of her again. "Drop the compressor then I guess" Cleo mumbled and the price was brought down $12 dollars. Cleo tapped her card again and the word Declined popped again. Cleo grabbed for her satchel and scanned the pockets for leftover cash. Groaning, after no success, she tried to tap her card again but no change.

A small 'ahem' from behind her made Cleo spin around and saw the gorgeous white beauty behind her holding up a black credit card. She tapped her card for Cleo and then sighed she picked up the compressor handed it to Cleo and then shoved past her a bit to get to the counter. Confused and disgruntled Cleo bumbled out of her way and stood there, her mouth slightly ajar. Before Cleo could thank her, the women had walked out the door and were heading toward her white Maserati. She hopped into the side door holding onto a gum packet which she handed to a man in a black suit who was sitting in the driver's seat. The women slammed her door shut and the car sped off before Cleo could blink again.

Cleo got into her car and threw the unnecessary compressor onto the side seat and turned the car on. She drove out onto the street thinking of the women in white and how she looked familiar for some reason. She was probably from a case that Cleo had once worked or looked like someone who was. 

~~~~

Discarding of these thoughts as she pulled off the freeway after another few hours of driving Cleo drove to Connors house, she had stopped another couple of times on the trip here and had changed her clothes, smoothed her hair out a bit in a public restroom and thought that she looked barely but just presentable. 

As she pulled onto his street, the first thing Cleo noticed was a parked white Maserati.