Jessica. Chapter nine.
Millie Peterson – Drew frowned. Leo was so annoying with that stupid dum de dum de dum he thought was singing. “LEO” she yelled, “are you going to stay in that damn shower all day?”
“Nope be out in a jiffy Sis!”
Fifteen minutes later Leo emerged and walked to the sun room, where he found his sister sitting in a large easy chair and staring out over the ocean.
“Struth Millie Willie, ya got yerself a bonza joint ‘ere.”
“Don’t call me that!” she snapped.
Ooh! Whats a matta with ya?
“The matter with me?” Millie rose to her feet and spluttered,”You arrive here two days late and on foot.”
Leo opened his mouth to speak but she gushed on indignantly, “Then you give me some cock and bull story about pretending to get murdered in order to escape from a Psychotic woman who might, or might not try and make you murder someone!”
“Millie Wil…Millie” Leo implored, “It’s true, Arnold told me Jessica is plannin’ ta make me kill Jackie for ‘er!
“Pa-leese!” Millie folded her thin arms and turning on he heel she left the sunroom, walked through the lounge and into the kitchen.
Leo trotted after her like a puppy dog. He found her sitting at the large wooden kitchen table. Her left hand rested on the tabletop and her right hand cupped her bony chin.
Millie wished her husband, Frank were here. He would know what to do. But Frank had been killed in Vietnam way back in seventy three. She had been working as a real estate agent and after Franks death had branched out into the property market and now has a sizeable portfolio . She was financially secure but missed Franks common sense, he would know what to do. Leo though was a complete fool. What had he gotten into?
Looking up at her brother she sighed. “Alright Leo, sit down and tell me the whole story, all of it from the beginning.”
Leo took that literally and began with the day he met Lydia, Jessica’s mother. I remember it like yesterday” he said wistfully.
Millie rolled her eyes, “Alright, then what?” She clenched her fists. “And don’t keep playing with my lace tablecloth!”
She listened quietly as Leo rolled out the whole sorry saga.
He finally stopped and raising an eyebrow Millie asked, “So this Jessica creature is on her way to Perth with Arnold what’s his name?”
“Yup and…”
“ The clueless Jackie lives in Innaloo and Arnold might kill her?”
“Yeah…Idunno..maybe.”
“And what will this Jessica do when she catches up with you?”
The colour drained from Leo’s face. “God..” he groaned.
“I think you better go to the police Leo.”
“The POLICE?”
“And tell them everything” she nodded.
“Hell no” Leo snapped. “I can’t flamin’ do that!”
“Why not Leo?”
“I jist can’t,” Leo shrugged, “Don’t want nuthin’ ta ‘appen ta Jessica!”
“And what about this innocent Jackie?” Leo’s sister asked gently, “what about her?”
Leo slapped his right fist into his left palm. “Don’t want nuthin’ ta ‘appen ta ‘er neither, shit, shit shit!”
***
Sam Snyder tossed his pen down on the desk. “It seems that this Leo Peterson might have gone to ground. Scared of this Jessica chick” he smirked. “So here is what we do. Charge Aldermore with auto theft and malicious damage and let the girl go!”
“Let her go?”
“ Snyder stretched back in his chair, “Yeah let her go Colombo but put as tail on her, lets see what she gets up to.”
Detective Jackson aka “Colombo” grinned.
As Jessica was about to leave police headquarters Jackson called to her, “And remember, don’t leave town!”
Jessica looked at him through wide mocking green eyes. “ Don’t leave town!” she exploded into chilling laughter, “How corny darlink! Goodbye you silly man!” She threw him a look of unadulterated malice and flounced out of the station.
Back in the hotel Jessica took the small glass bottle from her case. She was so glad that Arnie had managed to get it for her. She would not kill Jackie no that would be to good for her. With this little bottle she would ruin her life. Jessica caressed the small bottle like some kind of phallic symbol, and laughing dropped it into her handbag. Tomorrow, she told herself, she would visit Jackie and exact her revenge. She walked to the window and looking across the river she began to rock with uncontrollable mirth. I am coming for you Jackie; you bitch…La la lah la la la lah! You don’t know what I have in store for you! Hehehehe!!!
***
Glowinskie, or “shadow man” as he liked to call himself, followed Jessica onto the train and sat down fours seats behind her. He enjoyed this work and the fact that the carriage was almost empty didn’t phase him in the least. All the way from the hotel to the train station he had been no more than ten feet from her. Whatever else she was, she sure wasn’t street wise. She had not glanced around even once. She got off the train at the Stirling station. At the last moment before the doors slid shut Glowinskie slipped out of the train. She was already stepping onto the escalator, which would take her up to the waiting buses. He bounded up the escalator and out into the sunshine. There was a row of green buses waiting, their diesel engines gently chattering together. Diesel, he hated that smell, to him is whispered goodbyes and regret.
He followed Jessica onto a bus. He paid for two sections as she had done and sat down beside her, pushing the envelope. “Hello” he said cheerfully. “Hello” Jessica replied disinterestedly. She turned her face away from him and looked out the window. As the bus moved off Glowinskie realised his mistake. Shit! He had not only called attention to himself; he had boxed the mark in. She couldn’t fail to notice him if he followed her off the bus. Even the greenest rookie would not make such a stupid mistake.
The bus stopped at several stops and finally Jessica rose and said, “excuse me.”
“No worries, this is my stop too” Glowinskie answered. Jessica turned right and Glowinskie crossed the street and entered a newsagency. There he quickly took off his sunglasses and cap, stuffing them into his pants pocket. Next he took off his bright green jacket and turned it inside out. He put the light gray jacket on. The old reversible jacket trick! Ignoring the curious stares of the patrons, he left the newsagency and crossing the street quickly walked in the direction Jessica had taken. There was no sign of her. Damn! Two little girls were skipping along on the opposite side of the street. Glowinskie crossed the street and stopped the children. Squatting down to their level he asked kindly. “Have you girls seen a tall lady with long black hair come this was just now?”
“We are not allowed to talk to strangers!” the older girl replied.
“That’s good” Glowinskie replied, “But this is a special case, she is my sister and I have lost her.”
“Your sister?” the girls chorused.
“Yes, my sister and I just don’t know what to do” Glowinskie answered craftily, slapping his forehead dramatically.
“Well…in that case” the younger girl replied brightly, “she went to number six Birdwood Street!”
“And she was shouting at another lady” the older girl chipped in.
“Oh thank you girls, but where is Birdwood Street?”
“There silly!” The girls pointed at a sign no more than twenty feet away.
“Thank you girls!” Glowinskie pulled a twenty dollar note out of his back pocket and held it out, “Here, share this.”
“We are not allowed to take money from strangers!”
Glowinskie shook his head, “It’s for helping me.” He dropped the note and sprinted toward Birdwood Street. As he turned the corner he heard a blood-curdling scream. He saw two women grappling, they fell onto a lawn and rolled around in a vicious catfight! He ran into the yard and spotting the garden hose, turned it on drenching both women. It had the desired effect. The brawling women struggled to their feet and faced Glowinskie.
AGHAAA! Jessica screamed coming toward the hapless cop, claws at the ready!
Glowinskie held out both arms, palms outward, like a traffic cop. “Police, stop right there Miss Bergman!”
‘Be careful officer,” Jackie warned. “She tried to throw a bottle of sulphuric acid in my face!”
“But it was only water!” Jessica howled. “Only harmless water!” She walked over and flopped down on the porch. “Why Arnie, why, why why!” She began to rock back and forth again, as she had in the hotel. “You promised to get me acid Arnie but all you got was water, water, water! I was going to burn that bitch’s face off but all I did was wash it,thanks to you Arnie! Hehehehehehe!!! You useless prick!”
Glowinskie sighed and said gently, “I am afraid you will have to come back to the station Jessica.”
“The train station?”
“No Jessica, the police station.”
She smiled and wagged a slender finger at him. “Oh no,no,no, I am much too distraught for that thank you. Hehehehe!”
“We have to get you into dry clothes Jessica.”
“And her too?” Jessica asked, pointing at Jackie.
“Yes”
“I’m a wake up to you Mr Policeman! You hosed us down so you could make us strip! You want to perv on our naked bodies…don’t you?hehehehe!”
“No, I just want to help you.”
“Oh go away you silly little man!”
Glowinskie called Parkside Mental assylum and they took Jessica away for assesment. The cunning, devious Jessica would not remain there long. She still had a lot of work to do after all.. “Lalalalahlalahhehehehehe!”
To be continued.
C Gainsford © copyright 2012
“Nope be out in a jiffy Sis!”
Fifteen minutes later Leo emerged and walked to the sun room, where he found his sister sitting in a large easy chair and staring out over the ocean.
“Struth Millie Willie, ya got yerself a bonza joint ‘ere.”
“Don’t call me that!” she snapped.
Ooh! Whats a matta with ya?
“The matter with me?” Millie rose to her feet and spluttered,”You arrive here two days late and on foot.”
Leo opened his mouth to speak but she gushed on indignantly, “Then you give me some cock and bull story about pretending to get murdered in order to escape from a Psychotic woman who might, or might not try and make you murder someone!”
“Millie Wil…Millie” Leo implored, “It’s true, Arnold told me Jessica is plannin’ ta make me kill Jackie for ‘er!
“Pa-leese!” Millie folded her thin arms and turning on he heel she left the sunroom, walked through the lounge and into the kitchen.
Leo trotted after her like a puppy dog. He found her sitting at the large wooden kitchen table. Her left hand rested on the tabletop and her right hand cupped her bony chin.
Millie wished her husband, Frank were here. He would know what to do. But Frank had been killed in Vietnam way back in seventy three. She had been working as a real estate agent and after Franks death had branched out into the property market and now has a sizeable portfolio . She was financially secure but missed Franks common sense, he would know what to do. Leo though was a complete fool. What had he gotten into?
Looking up at her brother she sighed. “Alright Leo, sit down and tell me the whole story, all of it from the beginning.”
Leo took that literally and began with the day he met Lydia, Jessica’s mother. I remember it like yesterday” he said wistfully.
Millie rolled her eyes, “Alright, then what?” She clenched her fists. “And don’t keep playing with my lace tablecloth!”
She listened quietly as Leo rolled out the whole sorry saga.
He finally stopped and raising an eyebrow Millie asked, “So this Jessica creature is on her way to Perth with Arnold what’s his name?”
“Yup and…”
“ The clueless Jackie lives in Innaloo and Arnold might kill her?”
“Yeah…Idunno..maybe.”
“And what will this Jessica do when she catches up with you?”
The colour drained from Leo’s face. “God..” he groaned.
“I think you better go to the police Leo.”
“The POLICE?”
“And tell them everything” she nodded.
“Hell no” Leo snapped. “I can’t flamin’ do that!”
“Why not Leo?”
“I jist can’t,” Leo shrugged, “Don’t want nuthin’ ta ‘appen ta Jessica!”
“And what about this innocent Jackie?” Leo’s sister asked gently, “what about her?”
Leo slapped his right fist into his left palm. “Don’t want nuthin’ ta ‘appen ta ‘er neither, shit, shit shit!”
***
Sam Snyder tossed his pen down on the desk. “It seems that this Leo Peterson might have gone to ground. Scared of this Jessica chick” he smirked. “So here is what we do. Charge Aldermore with auto theft and malicious damage and let the girl go!”
“Let her go?”
“ Snyder stretched back in his chair, “Yeah let her go Colombo but put as tail on her, lets see what she gets up to.”
Detective Jackson aka “Colombo” grinned.
As Jessica was about to leave police headquarters Jackson called to her, “And remember, don’t leave town!”
Jessica looked at him through wide mocking green eyes. “ Don’t leave town!” she exploded into chilling laughter, “How corny darlink! Goodbye you silly man!” She threw him a look of unadulterated malice and flounced out of the station.
Back in the hotel Jessica took the small glass bottle from her case. She was so glad that Arnie had managed to get it for her. She would not kill Jackie no that would be to good for her. With this little bottle she would ruin her life. Jessica caressed the small bottle like some kind of phallic symbol, and laughing dropped it into her handbag. Tomorrow, she told herself, she would visit Jackie and exact her revenge. She walked to the window and looking across the river she began to rock with uncontrollable mirth. I am coming for you Jackie; you bitch…La la lah la la la lah! You don’t know what I have in store for you! Hehehehe!!!
***
Glowinskie, or “shadow man” as he liked to call himself, followed Jessica onto the train and sat down fours seats behind her. He enjoyed this work and the fact that the carriage was almost empty didn’t phase him in the least. All the way from the hotel to the train station he had been no more than ten feet from her. Whatever else she was, she sure wasn’t street wise. She had not glanced around even once. She got off the train at the Stirling station. At the last moment before the doors slid shut Glowinskie slipped out of the train. She was already stepping onto the escalator, which would take her up to the waiting buses. He bounded up the escalator and out into the sunshine. There was a row of green buses waiting, their diesel engines gently chattering together. Diesel, he hated that smell, to him is whispered goodbyes and regret.
He followed Jessica onto a bus. He paid for two sections as she had done and sat down beside her, pushing the envelope. “Hello” he said cheerfully. “Hello” Jessica replied disinterestedly. She turned her face away from him and looked out the window. As the bus moved off Glowinskie realised his mistake. Shit! He had not only called attention to himself; he had boxed the mark in. She couldn’t fail to notice him if he followed her off the bus. Even the greenest rookie would not make such a stupid mistake.
The bus stopped at several stops and finally Jessica rose and said, “excuse me.”
“No worries, this is my stop too” Glowinskie answered. Jessica turned right and Glowinskie crossed the street and entered a newsagency. There he quickly took off his sunglasses and cap, stuffing them into his pants pocket. Next he took off his bright green jacket and turned it inside out. He put the light gray jacket on. The old reversible jacket trick! Ignoring the curious stares of the patrons, he left the newsagency and crossing the street quickly walked in the direction Jessica had taken. There was no sign of her. Damn! Two little girls were skipping along on the opposite side of the street. Glowinskie crossed the street and stopped the children. Squatting down to their level he asked kindly. “Have you girls seen a tall lady with long black hair come this was just now?”
“We are not allowed to talk to strangers!” the older girl replied.
“That’s good” Glowinskie replied, “But this is a special case, she is my sister and I have lost her.”
“Your sister?” the girls chorused.
“Yes, my sister and I just don’t know what to do” Glowinskie answered craftily, slapping his forehead dramatically.
“Well…in that case” the younger girl replied brightly, “she went to number six Birdwood Street!”
“And she was shouting at another lady” the older girl chipped in.
“Oh thank you girls, but where is Birdwood Street?”
“There silly!” The girls pointed at a sign no more than twenty feet away.
“Thank you girls!” Glowinskie pulled a twenty dollar note out of his back pocket and held it out, “Here, share this.”
“We are not allowed to take money from strangers!”
Glowinskie shook his head, “It’s for helping me.” He dropped the note and sprinted toward Birdwood Street. As he turned the corner he heard a blood-curdling scream. He saw two women grappling, they fell onto a lawn and rolled around in a vicious catfight! He ran into the yard and spotting the garden hose, turned it on drenching both women. It had the desired effect. The brawling women struggled to their feet and faced Glowinskie.
AGHAAA! Jessica screamed coming toward the hapless cop, claws at the ready!
Glowinskie held out both arms, palms outward, like a traffic cop. “Police, stop right there Miss Bergman!”
‘Be careful officer,” Jackie warned. “She tried to throw a bottle of sulphuric acid in my face!”
“But it was only water!” Jessica howled. “Only harmless water!” She walked over and flopped down on the porch. “Why Arnie, why, why why!” She began to rock back and forth again, as she had in the hotel. “You promised to get me acid Arnie but all you got was water, water, water! I was going to burn that bitch’s face off but all I did was wash it,thanks to you Arnie! Hehehehehehe!!! You useless prick!”
Glowinskie sighed and said gently, “I am afraid you will have to come back to the station Jessica.”
“The train station?”
“No Jessica, the police station.”
She smiled and wagged a slender finger at him. “Oh no,no,no, I am much too distraught for that thank you. Hehehehe!”
“We have to get you into dry clothes Jessica.”
“And her too?” Jessica asked, pointing at Jackie.
“Yes”
“I’m a wake up to you Mr Policeman! You hosed us down so you could make us strip! You want to perv on our naked bodies…don’t you?hehehehe!”
“No, I just want to help you.”
“Oh go away you silly little man!”
Glowinskie called Parkside Mental assylum and they took Jessica away for assesment. The cunning, devious Jessica would not remain there long. She still had a lot of work to do after all.. “Lalalalahlalahhehehehehe!”
To be continued.
C Gainsford © copyright 2012