𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞

𝟓𝟑. 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥

We took a taxicab and Derange led us to a very big, luxurious restaurant. He walked with a slight stoop, yet moved swiftly into the marbled lobby of the restaurant. The restaurant was full. I looked around at the busy tables.
Businessmen in their grey suits lighting up cigars. American tourists, trying to decipher the menu. A family and their teenage children.

Derange showed me the way and we sat at a table for three. The waiter came with a menu, "Just a glass of house white for now, thank you," he kindly nodded. From my seat I had a view of the entrance, only couples came and left. With nothing else to do I perused the menu, regardless of what was there I would be ordering something with chicken.

I let myself soak in the ambient music for a few moments, wondering what would happen. I almost jumped. From the corner of my eye I realized a tall man that stood beside our table. I glanced up at his face. With his grey hair and his deep, black wrinkled eyes he looked almost fifty. Derange quickly rose from his seat and greeted the man, immediately after that the man sat at our table.

"Steelshot. Thank you for joining us," Derange said with a kind smile.

So Derange could actually smile, it was peculiar to watch at. I never really understood all these code names. It wasn't so hard to actually call someone by their name and yet nobody did it. Steelshot? Really? He was Derange, I was Inanna. Would the circus come tonight or tomorrow? I tried talking but Derange grabbed my hand under the table and stopped me. Although he was pretty intense his touch was very soft, he didn't hurt me at all, he was very careful.

"Why am I here Derange?" his face was too serious for my taste.

"I want to locate James Jones, I suppose you know him, after all you know everyone around here," Derange said, keeping eye contact with Steelshot.

"Yes. I do know him, he is one of the wealthiest here, casinos, guns and drugs. All kind of things."

Derange grabbed again my hand to show me that we got him, we got James. "Do you know where I could find him?" Derange asked.

"He owns a private casino and I know about a club he usually goes. That's all, I don't do any business with him, his dad was a dangerous guy," Steelshot replied. "Here take this, these are the names," he wrote on a napkin.

"Thanks, I owe you," Derange said and immediately after that, Steelshot rose up from his seat and left.

I surely expected that James wouldn't be the best guy, doing legal things but I would never expected all those things Steelshot said. Drugs, guns and casinos. He said his dad was dangerous, Elias. I didn't want to put Derange in danger, although he had agreed coming with me and helping me. I had to deal with it alone, I didn't have anyone waiting for me, I didn't have anything to lose and as for my dad, he would probably die from drinking. Derange on the other hand, had a photo of a young boy in his office, maybe he had a wife and a kid waiting for him.

"Let's go Miss Inanna, we have a lot of work to do," Derange said, waving proudly the napkin at my face.

I felt bad, I really felt bad. If it was meant for me to fall I didn't want to drag anyone else with me, especially Derange, he had been so kind and good with me. He had seen many things in his life and he knew even more things. It was so peculiar, my heart was aching for a man I had just met, I didn't want anything happening to him. On the other hand, James was a stranger to me but it didn't affect me, it wouldn't matter when I would empty his bank accounts. It wouldn't matter when I would cut him with words. I wanted to destroy him utterly, mind body and soul.

Derange called us a taxicab once again and we arrived at our hotel. He was very quiet, walking slowly as if he was in deep thinking. I, on the other hand, was walking fast, I couldn't wait to hop in my bed and close my eyes.

"Tomorrow we have a lot of work to do," he said and fell on his bed. His hand was always touching his gun. "Find your sexiest dress because tomorrow, we will go out," he added.

I didn't answer, I just laid there looking at the ceiling. I thought about saying sorry to him, sorry for bringing him into this but my mind stopped me. These days the word sorry was so meaningless and overused. Saying sorry wouldn't fix what I would cause, the added fear and worry to someone, sorry was just a word.

"Derange," I whispered. "Are you sleeping?"

"Even if I was, now you just woke me up," he sighed. "Aren't you happy that we can locate James?"

"I am," I mumbled.

"Then you are very good at hiding it," he pointed out. "What's the matter?" he asked me and turned to face me from his bed.

"You know...I brought you into this and I promised to pay you so that you could help me but after listening all these things...I just don't want anything happening to you," I murmured under my teeth.

Derange chuckled loudly. "How very peculiar," he said to himself multiple times and turned to sleep.

After several hours of sleeping we woke up and called to order some food to our room. Derange had woken up filled with energy, talking enthusiastically about his plan, which frankly was pretty good. He could predict Jame's every move, in the end we would see if Derange was as good as he looked. He was a man with many talents.

His face wasn't anything extraordinary or significant, and yet, I felt somehow magically draw to those serious and silent features. When he smiled the lines of his face softened. It was like light from a half open door. His laughter bounced like waves on the ocean shore.

After eating the food which was brought in our room, I fell to my bed again, we were both pretty exhausted. As always, Derange laid there like a statue with his hands always touching his cold, silver gun. As I was looking at him I couldn't help but wonder why he was like that, never letting his guard down. Always so serious. I was sure that fear travelled in Derange's veins but never made it to his facial muscles or skin. His eyes steady. His hand ready to shoot if it was needed.

He suddenly let out an understated sigh and turned to me, "Stop looking at me," and then he turned his back on me. But I kept on watching him without turning my head, my heart was hammering but I kept my gait casual with no hint of hesitation. My mind flickered back to the first time I saw him, to the conversation we had at his house. Slowly, after some minutes, my eyes closed and I let myself be carried away to dreamland.

My dreams took me back to Snowshill. In the soft light and humid air I tuned into the noises like they were an auditory jigsaw puzzle. Rain had fallen. The leaves felt wet and more tough than they appeared, the aroma went right to my brain, intoxicating, rich. Then with a steady gaze I picked one small place and stared until I had unmasked the camouflage of the creatures hidden in plain sight. Maybe she would be there, running or searching for something so I kept my gaze steady for what felt like hours, but nothing. That beautiful scenery was missing something, or someone, to become perfect. I knew. I always knew.