Darkest Fear

The name debate continued for a while. Myron didn't bother correcting them. Never cut in on that strange dance known as marital discourse. They ate the health food. It was indeed nasty. They laughed a lot. His parents must have said 'You don't know what you're talking about' to each other fifty times; maybe it was a euphemism for 'I love you.'

Eventually Myron said good night. Mom kissed his cheek and made herself scarce. Dad walked him to the car. The night was silent save a lone dribbling basketball somewhere on Darby Road or maybe Coddington Terrace. A nice sound. When he hugged his father goodbye, Myron again noticed that his father felt smaller, less substantial. Myron held on a little longer than usual. For the first time he felt like the bigger man, the stronger man, and he suddenly remembered what Dad had said about reversing roles. So he held on in the dark. Time passed. Dad patted his back. Myron kept his eyes closed and held on tighter. Dad stroked his hair and shushed him. Just for a little while. Just until the roles reversed themselves again, returning both of them to where they belonged.

Chapter 25

Granite Man was waiting outside the Dakota. Myron spotted him from his car. He picked up the cell phone and called Win. 'I have company.'

'A rather large gentleman, yes,' Win said. 'Two cohorts are parked across the street in a corporate vehicle owned by the Lex family.'

'I'll leave the cell phone on.'

'They confiscated it last time,' Win said.

'Yes.'

'Likely they'll do the same.'

'We'll improvise.'

'Your funeral,' Win said, and hung up.

Myron parked in the lot and approached Granite Man.

'Mrs. Lex would like to see you,' Granite Man said.

'Do you know what she wants?' Myron asked.

Granite Man ignored the question.

'Maybe she saw me flexing on the security tape,' Myron said. 'Wanted to get to know me better.'

Granite Man did not laugh. 'You ever think about doing this comedy thing professionally?'

'There have been offers.'

'I bet. Get in the car.'

'Okay, but I have a curfew, you know. And I never French-kiss on the first date. Just so we understand each other.'

Granite Man shook his head. 'Man, I'd like to waste you.'

They got in the car. Two blue-blazers sat in front. The car ride was silent except for Granite Man and His Magic Cracking Knuckles. The Lex building emerged grudgingly through the dark. Myron traveled through the security travail again. As Win predicted, they confiscated his phone. Granite Man and the two blazers turned left this time instead of right. They escorted him into an elevator. It opened into what appeared to be living quarters.

Susan Lex's office had been done sort of Renaissance palatial, but the apartment up here — it looked like an apartment anyway — did a one-eighty. Modern and minimalism were the major themes. The walls were painted stark white and had nothing on them. The floors were a pigeon-gray wood. There were black and white bookshelves made of fiberglass, most empty, some with indistinct figurines. The couch was red and shaped like two lips. There was a well-stocked see-through bar constructed out of Lucite. Two metallic swivel stools were painted red on the base, looking about as inviting as rectal thermometers. A fire danced lazily in the fireplace, fake logs casting an unnatural glow over the black mantel. The whole place had a feel and aura about as warm as a cold sore.

Myron strolled, feigning interest. He stopped at a crystal statue with a marble base. Something modern or cubist or what-have-you. Symmetrical Bowel Movement maybe. Myron put his hand on it. Substantial. He looked out the one-way glass. Too low for much of a view beyond the hedges lining the front gate. Hmm.

The two blue-blazers did the Buckingham Palace Guard thing on either side of the door. Granite Man followed Myron, his hands clasped behind his lower back. A door on the other side of the room opened. Myron was not surprised to see Susan Lex enter, again keeping her distance. There was a man with her this time. Myron did not bother approaching.

'And you are?' he called out.

Susan Lex answered this one. 'This is my brother Bronwyn.'

'Not the brother I'm interested in,' Myron said.

'Yes, I know. Please sit down.'

Granite Man gestured toward the lips-couch. Myron sat on the lower lip, waiting to be swallowed. Granite Man sat right next to him. Cozy.

'Bronwyn and I would like you to answer some questions, Mr. Bolitar,' Susan Lex said.

'Could you move a little closer?'

She smiled. 'I think not.'

'I showered.'

She ignored the remark. 'I understand that you occasionally do some investigative work,' Susan Lex said.

Myron did not reply.

'Is that correct?'

'Depends on what you mean by investigative work.'

'I'll take that as a yes,' Susan Lex said.

Myron gave her a suit-yourself shrug.

'Is that why you're searching for our brother?' she asked.

'I already told you why I was searching for him.'

'That bit about him being a bone marrow donor?'

'It's not a bit.'

'Please, Mr. Bolitar,' Susan Lex said with that rich-people air. 'We both know that's a lie.'

Myron started to rise. Granite Man put a hand on Myron's knee. It felt like a cinder block. Granite Man shook his head. Myron stayed where he was. 'It's not a lie,' he said.

'We're wasting time,' Susan Lex said. She flicked her eyes at Granite Man. 'Show him the pictures, Grover.'

Myron turned to him. 'Grover is the name of my very favorite Sesame Street character. I want you to know that.'

'We've been following you, Myron.' Granite Man handed him a pile of photographs. Myron looked at them. They were eight-by-tens of him at the condo with Stan Gibbs. The first one showed him knocking on the door. The second one showed Stan sticking his head out. The third one showed them both heading inside the condo.

'Well?'

Myron frowned. 'I have no knack for accessorizing.'

'We know that you're working for Stan Gibbs,' Susan Lex said.

'Doing what exactly?' Myron asked.

'Investigating. As I stated earlier. So now that we understand your true motive, tell me how much it will cost for you to go away.'

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Simply put, how much will it cost to have you cease and desist?' Susan Lex asked. 'Or are you going to force us to destroy you too?'

Too?

Brain click.