A Triple Shot of Karma & Platinum Fury Focus

Part 13: The Tower

A bolt from the blue, shock, disruption, havoc. A traumatic experience, a crisis point, disturbing news. A moment of truth that forces you to identify what you truly value. Those who traumatize or cause disruption

"Hey Marlena, this is Ollerstein. Our Nine have arrived a little early at the Grandview, and they didn't have any instructions about letting us in. Nobody answers the door, we haven't seen Rahim yet, and I called Eddie twice, just got voice mail.  Any idea what's up?"

"Hey O. I thought this might be a debauching in progress call. I'm settling down poolside after a swim. Hold on a second, I'm getting something from Rahim now."

"Just want to express my regard for how Bootay Wildgood was working that Platinum Fury look at the airport, Marlena. I will do everything humanly possible to bring your man back to you in close to one piece as..."

"Careful what you say Rahim, the out of town contingent is on another line. They're already upstairs, and they say nobody answered when they rang, knocked, and called. I assumed Eddie was with you."

"He told me he'd walk a couple blocks back and catch some zees while I took care of a few loose ends, so I dropped him at Seventh Street Station about three hours ago."

"Hold on, I'm getting a call from him now."

"Hello Marlena, this is Terri, an acquaintance of Eddie's, and very definitely calling on his behalf. Sorry, he's not going to make his bachelor party tonight. Depending on how you handle the rest of what I'll tell you about the situation, he might not be up for certain wedding plans next week, either."

"Would this be the cheap knock-off looking like Kelcie Montalco in a picture Eddie sent me?"

"Mmmm, not a healthy way to start a conversation-negotiation for someone Eddie described as so frigging smart. My boyfriend hasn't liked him from the start, maybe I should let him off the leash..."

Marlena reined herself in. This was the time to gain information. 

"Negotiate? Like what?" 

"The boys might've told you by now, nobody answered the door at your condo, and Rahim is probably lucky he left Eddie alone at Reid's. The boys were afraid of him, and they weren't carrying tasers. It's good there wasn't any real fuss and muss to start with, don't you think?"

"To start with. So you're saying you highjacked Eddie, possibly at gunpoint. What's on your mind, Terri?"

"That's the sharp girl I expected to work with. The number is a reasonable $4 million."

"Eddie's a touch over 190, that's $21,000 a pound."

"So? I'm thinking the math isn't an essential fact, is it Marlena? I certainly know the deal with motion in Eddie's ocean, but I have to admit, seeing that same effect on you was a surprising turn on. Mi sobrino has been stroking himself raw watching it, I had to take the video away to save him..."

Seeing the effect of sex on me, what was that about? The housekeepers grandkid with an awestruck look at Silas' mansion, when she'd introduced her sister's family last weekend. The kid was his mama's pride and joy with computer smarts, maybe he'd had something rigged up near the pool. Hell yes, things had gotten torrid.

The housekeeper was the person she'd need immediate information from regarding a beeyotch who needed her ass kicked, soon. Who the hell did this Terri think she was, screwing with her plans? And why had fucking Rahim left Eddie alone in any case? 

"...I doubt he was paying too much attention to your conversation, but I heard plenty about art thieves, a guy named Rahim who buried a guy named Ronald, or Rommel, in the woods. Maybe somebody can convince me this is a mistake, y'know? 

"And ooo-weee! Marlena, you rich girls talk a whole different line of shit when they get rooted than I expected. I also learned some interesting stuff, like maybe Silas Randson is handy with a spear, but you were the one going  mano-a-mano with the guy who got kicked off a roof. 

"Ohh! And specifically, that you and Eddie were stealing art from friends and business acquaintances. Tsk tsk. If very many of your phat cat friends heard about that, it would kill about anyone's social status. Old Silas might have a stroke from the embarrassment."

Only a small handful of people know about  the finality of her rooftop battle. None of them would've told another soul how they'd expected to die that night, being trussed up and left in the freezer by Rommel.

Terri seemed to know more than enough to embarrass Silas, and blow up a significant number of her own relationships as well. Without reading Eddie's novella and having several hours to poke around on the subject, she'd have been blindsided by this call, but his describing how shit happened was going to be a huge advantage - all information for dealing with this beeyotch was gold right now.

"Sure wish I had skills like that when I was up against some bad guys myself, but considering the source, that talk was weirdly hot.  And the sex - yeah, you fuck like a high end whore, Marlena. Guys like women with real skills, don't you think?"

She didn't acknowledge the remark. "I know my man, but maybe you grabbed Eddie because you still have a hot spot for him. Should we cover that possibility?"

"No, Marlena, this is about economics, just cashing in a poker chip that turned up in my pocket. You may not know what happened with Greiner regarding Eddie and me, but I'm thinking Eddie showing up is a Destiny kind of opportunity, things just getting squared up a little, y'know?  

"I bet your insurance will take care of four million no problem, maybe there's enough to cover my demands in some petty cash fund. I'm not crazy, just someone looking for a piece of your considerable pie as payback for, well, a bad situation  that Eddie sort of caused for me. Consider getting your man back in time an early wedding present." 

Hmmm on Universe and Destiny comments. She tweaked Terri positively. 

"You body-doubled for Kelcie, so I guess Eddie did a good job on the adjectives describing you. He sure wasn't writing or thinking about me with some vivid shit he laid down."

"Really?"

Gotcha, bitch!  Bullshit on this being a bad situation Eddie caused in any way, Miss Tah-tah Look-Alike! I've got the whole story on you.

"Yep. I sent his description of the character to a friends friend, she said physically you'd have her at "Do you want...?" You can figure what any bartender'd say about babealicious, but this isn't that kind of girlfriend call, is it? 

"Right now, I'm less interested in an iffy video than knowing you actually have Eddie, undamaged, and not just his phone. Why don't I just let the cops do their job on kidnapping comes to mind too."

"Ahhhh, slipped back to less-smart Marlena. Let's do the 1,2,3 then, I only have a certain amount of time, you know."

"Your wedding plans are no secret, and things get started shortly. A delay wouldn't be the worst thing ever, but rescheduling such a grouping is inconvenient. There could also be questions you might not want to answer along the way. 

"Secondly, this CD is almost as good as Pamela and Tommy Lee's production, and I know people who would pay good money for it. My smart sobrino could broadcast your way with men pretty frigging quick if I asked too, but its still the stealing from friends that's the star factor. It might not work as evidence, but depending who among your friends saw it..." 

"What's your big number three?"

"Shit, those ideas weren't enough? How about I feed Eddie a couple Viagra, slap leather chaps on him, and let him loose with a bunch of raging homos on Triple XXX night? He'll never be the man you've loved again. 

"Whaddaya think, Smart Lady? Is Eddie worth getting $4 million into my hot little hands by 12:01 Thursday...?