Part 47
The Prior Evening
“Fuck off, Mephis,” I say, not able to take my eyes off that jacket. It’s a nice jacket.
He brushes it to eradicate my eye prints. “I thought you would be happier to see me, Doctor, with the good news I have for you.”
I study his face, desperate for any kind of sign this might be a lie. His skin is so smooth and perfect, I can’t even tell how old he is, let alone whether or not he is lying. He has the Devil’s Poker Face. “And what is that?” I ask.
“Eva Lorraine has not been kidnapped,” he says, producing a pink cardboard nailfile from his jacket pocket and works over his nails.
I sit up straight. “Eva’s alive?”
“According to my intel,” he says nonchalantly, not bothering to give me a glance. The song changes to Sado-Massochrist. “A lot of people are looking for her, and according to my sources, everyone is coming up empty-handed. “She has gone into deep cover.”
“How do you know Eva?” Nepotism asks.
Mephis looks at him, but doesn't respond. To me, he says, “You didn’t think ‘The Unnatural’ would make such a stir?”
I take a deep breath and bite my knuckle. “Dude, will you give it a rest...?”
“A million super heroes on million secret missions immediately compromised by your blathering. A lot of people were shaken up. I just hope the next episode explains your blue glasses.” He snorts and smiles contentedly and returns to his finely manicured fingers.
“It was a diving accident.”
“Who did you dive for? Navy? Marines?”
“High school,” I say.
He puts the file back in his pocket and crosses his arms on his chest. “See this thing for what it really is. It’s a game. It’s a power grab.” He exhales quick through his nostrils and nods his head slightly.
I cross my arms. “I didn’t come here to play word games with you.”
“What do you think she was trying to do?” He gives an extended, punctuated pause when he sips his glass, looking from Nepotism to myself a few times before continuing. “That girl was climbing some ladders if you know what I’m saying.”
“I’d rather not’” I say, trying to sound uninterested in the number and heights of these ladders. What do I care? We weren’t together, she has every right to be working her mojo, doing whatever she pleased.
Mephis stares at me for a few seconds. A wicked smile creeps up his face. “Let’s just say that, she was up there in the social world. .” Mephis looks over the condensation on his pint glass, tracing patterns with his little finger. “She could say ‘fuck-all,’ and Lapis couldn’t do anything about it.”
“I don’t want to hear about Lapis,” I say in a low voice. “We’re not part of that any more.”
“I’ve found what we are being prepared for,” Tyr says. He eyes my shirt, sucking a deep breath. “Land’s sakes son, Your T-shirt has gone kinda... grey... don’t you think?” Over to Nepotism. “You let him come out in public dressed like this.” He shakes his head three times to seal his discontent. “Somebody! Please! We have a fashion crisis on our hands here!”
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