Glamorous - A Grace Bishop Novel - Chapter 13
© Denise Bossarte
Grace sat in her car,
examining the theater building. She arrived early for the meeting with Eli,
wanting a chance to look things over and to get herself prepped mentally for
the encounter. She brought her Glock with her out of habit, but placed it in the
glove compartment of the car. She knew it would be of no use in the upcoming
exchange.
The theater was in the Arts District of the city. Located in a
beautiful old building, it had a long history of providing theatrical
performances of all types. The staple being plays by local playwrights and an
ongoing weekly “Night of Mystery” where a magic act, including psychic
readings, was the most popular. Grace assumed the Paranorms working at the
theater were behind the success of the magic act, and the audience didn’t
realize how real the act was.
Grace ran over in her mind what she knew about Paranorms, which
was a tiny amount to prepare her for what was coming. Sophie and Anthony were
the only true Paranorms she had experience with, and she couldn’t be sure they
were representative of Paranorms in general. The Internet wasn’t helpful on the
subject, with its contradictory information; “crap” like Danny said. Grace
suspected real information was as guarded from the public as was everything
else about the Paranorms’ world.
As a patrol officer, she got called to situations where she
didn’t know what to expect except in broad strokes: drunks, drug dealers, wife
beaters. Her training at the academy included profiles of the various types of
criminals, and skills development for using psychology in dealing with
criminals and victims. She was intently aware of body language and how it
communicated state of mind and used that often on the job. She also discovered
she had an ear for subtle voice changes that let her know when someone was
lying, or if they were about to break in an interview.
Grace didn’t know if the rules applied to Paranorms, too. How
normal were they? And then there was the whole issue of Eli himself. All she
gathered from what Sophie was willing to tell her was Eli and his Family were
not Paranorms. They were not part of Sophie’s family, but a powerful group who
controlled the Paranorms in the city. Bottom line, he was a complete unknown
and she knew nothing helpful about him.
But she realized at least half of the battle was controlling
what she could control - herself. She started mentally walking through things
to do going into the meeting. Stay focused and calm. Don’t let her frustration
turn into anger or snarkiness. Don’t let him see her anxiety. Say the least
amount possible but get the most information possible. Oh and be respectful and
polite to keep Eli from deciding to deal with her in a “permanent” way.
No pressure here, only a simple conversation that would most
likely change the course of her life! Breathe and trust her instincts and
intuition would get her through the morning.
Grace took a deep breath and got out of the car, walking at a
measured pace to the front doors of the theater. She assumed Anthony was not
the type to wait and she needed to go in and find him. She pulled on one of the
ornate wooden doors and it opened to reveal a dark entranceway. Grace crept
into the building, letting the door close with a soft thump behind her while
waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim light.
Once she was able to see
again, the first thing she noticed was a long corridor leading down a space
with multiple framed show posters on the walls. At the end of the hall was a
massive man sitting on a stool, large muscular arms crossed and dark eyes focused
on her. His close cropped gray hair emphasized his solid jaw, thick lips set it
a grim expression. She traversed the distance between them, working to meet his
eyes the whole way and not letting the colorful posters distract her.
Grace stopped in front of the
bouncer, which she assumed he was by his size and location in the theater. She
waited a moment while he eyed her up and down, his bland expression not
changing in the slightest. She gritted her teeth to keep from making a smart
comment in response to the appraisal. Reminding herself this was all part of
her first impression with these people. She would need to assume everyone she
met here was a Paranorm and participating in the “evaluation”
happening this morning.
“Good morning,” Grace said, trying to sound amiable. “I have an
appointment with Eli. Anthony is supposed to meet me and provide an
introduction.”
She proffered the note from Sophie hoping it would speed along
the process. The man raised his beefy hand to take the note from Grace. He opened
it and he glanced at the contents before handing it back.
He stood and turned away from her to open a side door nestled in
the wall, walking through it without saying a word to her. Grace jumped to
follow him, shaking her head at the lack of hospitality displayed to this
point.
And the game begins, she
thought, crossing into the next room. But the bouncer’s meaty arm stopped her
right after she entered, barring further progress.
She saw she was in a large
open space with a small bar along one wall. There was a table with several
people sitting around it in the middle of the room. The bouncer pointed to a
metal detector standing right inside of the door.
Curious, Grace considered as she prepared to walk through the device. “I
have a plate in my leg,” she warned the bouncer. “I will set this thing
off.”
He nodded and held out a small basket.
“Keys and cell phone?”
He nodded again and pointed to her necklace.
“Are you kidding? I told you I have plate in my leg and you’re
worried about my jewelry setting off the detector?”
He gave her a reproachful
look and motioned with his hand for her to drop the items into the basket.
Mouth, Grace, she admonished herself. You
aren’t here 5 minutes and you’re already making a great first impression.
With deliberate slowness, she removed her necklace and placed it and her phone
and keys in the basket.
The bouncer leaned over to grab a hand wand from the side of the
detector. He ran it over Grace’s body, paying particular attention to both of
Grace’s legs, the right leg setting off the wand as it passed over the metal
plate.
He grunted as it beeped, but made no other comment. Once he
finished, he returned the hand wand to the detector. Then he turned and strode
further into the room, carrying the basket with him.
“My stuff?” she called after him, once again hurrying to follow
him.
He ignored her and kept walking toward the table.
Dammit, not cool! she thought as they approached the table, recognizing Anthony
as he rose at their approach and met them several feet away from the table and
its occupants.
“Thank you, Samuel,” Anthony said to the bouncer as he handed
Anthony the basket and then turned and walked back the way they came. Anthony
shifted his arrogant gaze to Grace.
Looking as haughty
as usual, Grace thought to herself with grim
satisfaction. One personality she could handle without concern.
“Good morning, Anthony,” she said in her most polite voice,
being careful to keep her distaste from showing.
“Good day, Miss Bishop,” Anthony returned the greeting, but Grace
had a feeling he meant it more as a goodbye than a hello.
Anthony wore a deep gray suit that complimented his dark Italian
coloring. Grace decided the suit must cost more than her entire monthly salary
as a security guard. On a normal day, his movie-star looks would dazzle, but
right now an ugly sour expression marred them.
“Sophie has instructed you on the nature of this meeting?” he
asked her, managing to look down his nose at her and sound pompous.
More or less, she thought to herself, but said out loud “Yes, Sophie informed
me Eli has graciously agreed to give me some of his time today.”
Anthony glared at her, checking to see if Grace was being
sarcastic. But he appeared to decide to take her statement at face value. “I
will give you an introduction, and then you will get five minutes of his time.”
“Five minutes!” Grace whispered, trying not to raise her voice
despite her frustration.
“Five minutes in more than an Aperto Rotto deserves,” he
whispered back, the venom strong in his voice, his face a mask of disgust. “If
Sophie was not my dear cousin, rest assured you would not be getting one second
of Eli’s time!”
What the hell? Grace thought to herself. She knew Anthony was a smug and
sometimes sullen ass, but she hadn’t realized he would be an adversary today.
Things were not getting off to a stellar start at all.
And what the blue
blazes is an ‘Aperto Rotto’? she
wondered. Definitely looking that one up
when I get my cell back!
Working hard to keep her voice even and emotionless, Grace said
“Thank you Anthony. I appreciate you setting up the meeting for me on Sophie’s
behalf.”
With one more piercing look, Anthony composed himself and turned
to lead her to the table. While they were conversing, the rest of the occupants
of the table dispersed and one man remained sitting nonchalantly waiting for
them.
This must be the
infamous Eli, Grace mused as she made a conscious effort
to approach the table with a calm exterior.
Anthony motioned to her with a dramatic flair of the hand and
announced “Miss Bishop, an acquaintance of my cousin, Sophie. Miss Bishop, this
is Eli.” With that, Anthony bowed, placed the basket on the table next to Eli,
and moved to stand at Eli’s side.
That’s the old
fashion introduction?! she thought, and
then congratulated herself for not rolling her eyes at Anthony. Given the
formality of his presentation and Sophie’s warnings, Grace remained standing
and waited for Eli to be the first to speak. The silence stretched on for
several seconds and Grace focused on breathing and not fidgeting while she
waited.
She took the opportunity to study Eli as he was studying her. He
was lithe in build, but Grace saw the taunt muscles under the tasteful slate
gray silk shirt he wore. He had dark black hair, kept in a tight cut, with a
matching goatee holding a bit of white. His eyes were a startling sapphire
blue, full of intelligence.
Eli wore a large signet ring on his left hand, although she
couldn’t tell what the image was on its face, only something with wings. He had
earrings, lots of them. In his left ear was a large blue sapphire matching his
eyes. In his right ear were a series of small gemstones running from his
earlobe to the top of the outer ear. They spanned the full gamut of colors of
the rainbow and then some, nine in all: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo, violet, black, and white.
Eli had a confident and powerful air about him, like a man used
to being in control who expected everyone would follow his will without
question. He didn’t have Anthony’s Hollywood looks, but he was attractive.
Majorly attractive, Grace caught herself noticing.
Focus, Grace,
focus, she reminded herself. Remember, Sophie said this man is dangerous.
Eli finally spoke and his voice was a rich baritone, carrying a
hint of an accent Grace was not able to place.
“Good morning, Mon Chéri. How may I be of service to you?”
Didn’t ask me to
sit down. He must either be trying to keep me uncomfortable by standing, or he
is playing a power game, or both. Maybe he doesn’t see the point to extend the
invitation since I will only get 5 minutes with him.
Grace paused for a moment, considering her options. Five minutes
wouldn’t be enough time to get answers for her questions on her abilities. She
should skip those. She would need to go straight to the questions about the man
attacking the girls if she was going to get anything useful from her time with
Eli.
“There are girls disappearing,” she began, aware Eli began to
lose interest immediately. “A man is mesmerizing them to abduct them, and no
one sees them again afterward.”
Eli’s attention refocused on her at the mention of the man. “How
do you know this man is out there?”
Trying not to come across as defensive, Grace replied “I’ve
talked to a girl who escaped from him. She told me what happened to her.”
Eli waved his hand, dismissing Beth’s testimony. “Norms imagine
things all the time. They lie about things all the time to cover their own
errors and misdeeds. This man is a figment of her imagination.”
Grace felt her anger rising at his callus dismissal of Beth’s
terrifying ordeal and disfigurement.
Norms? I feel like
I should be insulted, but I believe I’m not in that category anymore. Not a
‘recognized’ Paranorm, but not in the Normal camp either.
“He is not a figment of her imagination,” she said.
“Reeaaally,” Eli said.
“Yes, really,” Grace answered forcing her voice to be steady,
and to not back down.
“And how would you know this?” Eli asked, impatience filling his
voice.
“Because I read her and saw it for myself,” Grace was happy to
explain.
The room got completely quiet as Eli stared at her, his eyes
growing colder. Without taking his eyes off Grace, Eli asked “Anthony, did
Sophie not say Miss Bishop was a clairvoyant who sees and talks with ghosts? Not a psychometrist?”
“Yes, that is what Sophie told me,” Anthony replied, a sneer
dominating his face.
Grace looked back and forth between Eli and Anthony in
confusion. Was Sophie in trouble because Grace hadn’t mentioned to her she
could read people? Was she in trouble for bringing it up now? She wanted to
make Eli take her seriously about her concerns for the girls and their
situation, and didn’t expect this reaction.
“Mon Chéri, I did not realize when you requested this
appointment you would come here and waste my time with fantastical tales.”
“I don’t understand what you mean,” Grace responded with
concern. “I’m telling you the truth. I ‘read’ it from the survivor and I know
what this man is capable of doing. I came here hoping you would provide me with
information to help stop him.”
“Mon Chéri, you may have convinced yourself what you say is
true, but it is not possible.”
Grace moved from confusion to anger.
“How is it ‘not possible?’ I did the reading a few nights ago,”
she stated, losing concern about making a positive impression. They didn’t
believe her?
Anthony snorted, stifling a laugh. “Of course it is not
possible. Sophie already told Eli you are a clairvoyant who communicates with
ghosts. There is no way you can also be a ‘reader,’ as you colloquially put
it.”
Grace wanted to wipe that smug expression off Anthony’s
know-it-all face.
“And why is it impossible?” she dared him.
Anthony spoke again, his voice taking on a superior air.
“Because Paranorms, even Aperto Rottos, cannot have more than one ability. It
does not happen.”
Eli made a tsking sound and Anthony stopped what he was going to
say next.
Shit! Grace thought. There went following Sophie’s advice about not
sharing too much, or antagonizing Eli. How was she supposed to know Paranorms
didn’t have multiple abilities? That wasn’t what she was experiencing for
herself, at all.
“Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything,” Grace said.
“Mon Chéri, you are convinced you are both a clairvoyant and a
psychometrist?”
“Yes, I am,” she replied without hesitation.
“Then prove it,” was the cold command from Eli.
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