Lifeblood - Chapter Seven
Feb. 20th, 2021 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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i_read_whatSo last time, Jack met a lady with a connection to his past and we got some interesting backstory about the mysterious Maureen.
So we rejoin Jack and Escott as they leave Gaylen's hotel room. Jack's both disappointed and hypervigilant, keeping an eye on the mirror for a black Lincoln. Escott had missed supper, so Jack drives them both to a German cafe. Escott, of course, orders in German.
Jack thanks Escott for the food poisoning story. Escott tells us that an accident (which had been Jack's own thought) was also a good idea, but it could have created a problem too, if anyone looked for records. While hospitals also keep records, they're harder to obtain even in pre-HIPAA times.
They discuss Gaylen. Escott thinks she's interesting but maybe too good to be true. He notes that Gaylen seems "terribly old". He's not referring to her age, though, but rather her state of mind. He thinks Jack was cautious as well: he'd given Gaylen Bobbi's number, not Escott's.
Jack claims that he hadn't thought about it at the time. Escott will be out of town, while he'll be spending a lot of time with Bobbi. Escott brings up the possibility that vampire hunter Braxton might get the number from Gaylen, which makes Jack thoughtful. But Bobbi's got a house detective with his eye out. Jack also doesn't think Braxton is the type to get violent with an old woman.
Charles, being Charles, points out that violence can come from unexpected sources and cites a case where two children murdered their grandmother for her cat.
Jack goes out to run some errands and call his mom. She's able to update him on what's going on: apparently Braxton and Webber did come back the next morning, but one of Jack's older brothers ("Thorn") had been by for breakfast. The Fleming men had no trouble throwing the interlopers out.
It occurs to me that "Thornton Fleming" is a truly terrible name. Poor guy.
Not too long after that, the cops came by about vagrants and a break in at the Fleming farm. Jack's parents are a bit out of sorts, but Jack points out that if they installed some indoor plumbing they could rent the place out. Then it'll be occupied, and his parents would have extra income. Jack's happy to foot the cost for the upgrades. (Claiming, correctly, that he has a very understanding boss who pays bonuses.)
Jack also calls Bobbi to see if she's up for visitors. She is, though she'll be rehearsing. They banter a bit, and Jack rejoins Escott.
Escott's going to be occupied for the early evening as it turns out, as the cafe's owner wants him to try a new dessert. And it's likely he'll try to rope Jack in as well, so Escott shoos Jack off claiming he can find his own way home.
Jack buys some flowers (this is his chapter to be a considerate boyfriend) and heads over to Bobbi's. He gets to hear part of the rehearsal and notes that Marza is much nicer and more affectionate with Bobbi than he'd ever seen her. I wonder if Marza is meant to be a man-hating lesbian stereotype. I hope that's not the case.
Anyway, they call a break when Jack arrives. Marza's friend, Madison Pruitt, is present as well. Bobbi and Jack exchange some banter while fetching coffee, while she accuses him of being horny, claiming his fangs are showing. It's very cute.
Marza and Madison do seem pretty tedious. Marza in particular seems apt to stake a claim.
“Flowers, such a thoughtful gift,” Marza said sweetly. “You did know that Bobbi is allergic to some of them, or didn’t you?”
“A lot of people are,” I said evenly, and smiled with my mouth closed. I was speaking normally, but taking no chances on revealing the length of my teeth.
“Waste of money,” said Pruitt, his nose still in the tabloid. “They die in a day or two and then you’re left with rotting plants and no money. People are fighting and dying, you know.”
“So you’ve told us, Madison,” she said. “I don’t notice you joining them, though.”
Bobbi interrupts with cookies, and Marza notes that Jack isn't taking any. She asks if he's watching his weight. He claims allergies.
They converse. It's pretty entertaining. Bobbi has colorful friends. This bit amused me: (Context: Madison says something that Jack thinks sounds like a quote from HG Wells.)
“Lots of things. They’ll be in the library.” I wondered how many English courses he’d skipped in school to go to political rallies.
“Madison can’t go there,” said Marza. “They won’t let him in.”
Pruitt got a look on his face that would have done justice to a New Testament martyr.
“Why not?”
“Because there is no true freedom of speech in this country. The people here think there is because their capitalistic lords say so, but that isn’t really true.”
“Why not?” I tried again, this time with Marza.
“The library didn’t happen to have a copy of some book he wanted. There was no English translation available and they weren’t planning to order one. Madison protested by setting fire to some newspapers in the reading room, and they had him arrested.”
Hah, it is perhaps worth noting that Pruitt's father apparently paid the fine. Implying of course that he comes from money.
Eventually, they get back to rehearsing. Jack gets a new appreciation for Marza as an accompanist. But his eyes and ears are more for Bobbi.
They finished and held a consultation over it and I cast around for something to read, my eye catching on a fresh copy of Live Alone and Like It on the end table. I flipped through, noticing it was a gift to Bobbi from Marza. It would be. I was just starting to read a chapter with the unbelievable title: ‘The Pleasures of a Single Bed,’ when the room got unnaturally quiet.
...Marza could be a man-hating asexual instead?
Anyway, the reason everything got quiet is that Braxton and Webber are at the door. And Braxton is holding a revolver. (The House Detective should perhaps lose his job.)
Jack tries to defuse the situation. He doesn't want to risk using hypnosis, since if he slips up, Braxton could hurt Bobbi. He tells Braxton that the others are innocent. Fortunately, Webber sees the coffee and cookies. Braxton asks if that's true. Bobbi understands the issue immediately and confirms that she and her friends ate and drank.
Braxton orders everyone but Jack to the couch. He plans to wait until morning. He's got silver bullets in the gun, which is interesting, because I don't think Jack is bothered by silver. WOODEN would be a problem though.
Bobbi pretends to be sick and runs into the bathroom. Jack keeps trying to defuse things. Marza still doesn't know what's going on, but she holds it together pretty well. Jack seems to have a new appreciation of her, noting that her veneer has come off and she seems more real now.
Jack asks how Braxton found him. It was Gaylen. But not on purpose. He'd been waiting at the hotel and followed Jack from there.
Bobbi comes out, and Jack plays very formal, calling her "Miss Smythe." Happily, Bobbi is wearing lounging pajamas with a high collar, so there are no visible marks on her neck.
There's a comic relief moment, with Madison accusing the vampire hunters of being in the Secret Service and calling them fascist. But the threat is pretty real. At least, Jack needs to figure out a way to stop him without revealing himself to Marza or Madison. As this is going on, Bobbi taps her watch and winks at him.
Bobbi is awesome.
Jack gets it and goes on the offensive, goading Braxton through poor young Webber, long enough for Phil, the hotel detective, to arrive and get the drop on Braxton. Problem solved. (Go Bobbi!)
Jack explains it away as Braxton being a conman that Jack had done a story on. Webber is his trainee. And clearly he's taken up religion as his new game. Braxton's whole "Away, demon" schtick helps the story, as now everyone's happy to think he's crazy.
Bobbi's suggestion to call the police causes Madison Pruitt to leave very quickly, much to Marza's dismay. Unfortunately, though, there's probably not much the police can do. They could lock them up, but there'd be court and appearances. Bad publicity for Bobbi and worse for Jack. Bobbi suggests calling Gordy, but that's probably more tongue in cheek.
Instead, Jack asks Phil to stash the two away for an hour or so. Bobbi asks Jack to get Marza home, and he does. Marza, for her part, is far cleverer than she seems. She's pegged that there's more to this story than Jack's conman excuse. She lays it out:
“I hope you mean that. I don’t want her hurt. Not by them or you, you know what I mean? She’s a beautiful girl and that’s attracted the wrong kind of men to her in the past. Did she tell you what the last one was like and what happened to him?”
“I know all about it,” I said truthfully.
“Good, because that’s what I want to see her free from. You have no right to bring it all back.”
Marza's actually pretty great. Jack has to acknowledge her guts too, if he were really like Slick Morelli, Marza could have been hurt. He heads back to Bobbi, where they have a Moment:
She was hugging me again. It was becoming a habit, a very nice one. Then it was time for my reaction and I couldn’t stop it. My arms moved on their own, wrapping around her and lifting her from the floor. I held her hard, as much for warmth as for comfort. I was cold from the inside out and shaking all over.
Really, given Jack's life in general, I'm surprised he's not a walking breakdown. After a bit of conversation, Jack heads out to resolve matters.
Unfortunately, Braxton is more slippery than Jack's given him credit for. He and his sidekick have slipped out. He asks Phil to keep an eye on Bobbi without disturbing her and then heads out. The chapter ends here.
So we rejoin Jack and Escott as they leave Gaylen's hotel room. Jack's both disappointed and hypervigilant, keeping an eye on the mirror for a black Lincoln. Escott had missed supper, so Jack drives them both to a German cafe. Escott, of course, orders in German.
Jack thanks Escott for the food poisoning story. Escott tells us that an accident (which had been Jack's own thought) was also a good idea, but it could have created a problem too, if anyone looked for records. While hospitals also keep records, they're harder to obtain even in pre-HIPAA times.
They discuss Gaylen. Escott thinks she's interesting but maybe too good to be true. He notes that Gaylen seems "terribly old". He's not referring to her age, though, but rather her state of mind. He thinks Jack was cautious as well: he'd given Gaylen Bobbi's number, not Escott's.
Jack claims that he hadn't thought about it at the time. Escott will be out of town, while he'll be spending a lot of time with Bobbi. Escott brings up the possibility that vampire hunter Braxton might get the number from Gaylen, which makes Jack thoughtful. But Bobbi's got a house detective with his eye out. Jack also doesn't think Braxton is the type to get violent with an old woman.
Charles, being Charles, points out that violence can come from unexpected sources and cites a case where two children murdered their grandmother for her cat.
Jack goes out to run some errands and call his mom. She's able to update him on what's going on: apparently Braxton and Webber did come back the next morning, but one of Jack's older brothers ("Thorn") had been by for breakfast. The Fleming men had no trouble throwing the interlopers out.
It occurs to me that "Thornton Fleming" is a truly terrible name. Poor guy.
Not too long after that, the cops came by about vagrants and a break in at the Fleming farm. Jack's parents are a bit out of sorts, but Jack points out that if they installed some indoor plumbing they could rent the place out. Then it'll be occupied, and his parents would have extra income. Jack's happy to foot the cost for the upgrades. (Claiming, correctly, that he has a very understanding boss who pays bonuses.)
Jack also calls Bobbi to see if she's up for visitors. She is, though she'll be rehearsing. They banter a bit, and Jack rejoins Escott.
Escott's going to be occupied for the early evening as it turns out, as the cafe's owner wants him to try a new dessert. And it's likely he'll try to rope Jack in as well, so Escott shoos Jack off claiming he can find his own way home.
Jack buys some flowers (this is his chapter to be a considerate boyfriend) and heads over to Bobbi's. He gets to hear part of the rehearsal and notes that Marza is much nicer and more affectionate with Bobbi than he'd ever seen her. I wonder if Marza is meant to be a man-hating lesbian stereotype. I hope that's not the case.
Anyway, they call a break when Jack arrives. Marza's friend, Madison Pruitt, is present as well. Bobbi and Jack exchange some banter while fetching coffee, while she accuses him of being horny, claiming his fangs are showing. It's very cute.
Marza and Madison do seem pretty tedious. Marza in particular seems apt to stake a claim.
“Flowers, such a thoughtful gift,” Marza said sweetly. “You did know that Bobbi is allergic to some of them, or didn’t you?”
“A lot of people are,” I said evenly, and smiled with my mouth closed. I was speaking normally, but taking no chances on revealing the length of my teeth.
“Waste of money,” said Pruitt, his nose still in the tabloid. “They die in a day or two and then you’re left with rotting plants and no money. People are fighting and dying, you know.”
“So you’ve told us, Madison,” she said. “I don’t notice you joining them, though.”
Bobbi interrupts with cookies, and Marza notes that Jack isn't taking any. She asks if he's watching his weight. He claims allergies.
They converse. It's pretty entertaining. Bobbi has colorful friends. This bit amused me: (Context: Madison says something that Jack thinks sounds like a quote from HG Wells.)
“Lots of things. They’ll be in the library.” I wondered how many English courses he’d skipped in school to go to political rallies.
“Madison can’t go there,” said Marza. “They won’t let him in.”
Pruitt got a look on his face that would have done justice to a New Testament martyr.
“Why not?”
“Because there is no true freedom of speech in this country. The people here think there is because their capitalistic lords say so, but that isn’t really true.”
“Why not?” I tried again, this time with Marza.
“The library didn’t happen to have a copy of some book he wanted. There was no English translation available and they weren’t planning to order one. Madison protested by setting fire to some newspapers in the reading room, and they had him arrested.”
Hah, it is perhaps worth noting that Pruitt's father apparently paid the fine. Implying of course that he comes from money.
Eventually, they get back to rehearsing. Jack gets a new appreciation for Marza as an accompanist. But his eyes and ears are more for Bobbi.
They finished and held a consultation over it and I cast around for something to read, my eye catching on a fresh copy of Live Alone and Like It on the end table. I flipped through, noticing it was a gift to Bobbi from Marza. It would be. I was just starting to read a chapter with the unbelievable title: ‘The Pleasures of a Single Bed,’ when the room got unnaturally quiet.
...Marza could be a man-hating asexual instead?
Anyway, the reason everything got quiet is that Braxton and Webber are at the door. And Braxton is holding a revolver. (The House Detective should perhaps lose his job.)
Jack tries to defuse the situation. He doesn't want to risk using hypnosis, since if he slips up, Braxton could hurt Bobbi. He tells Braxton that the others are innocent. Fortunately, Webber sees the coffee and cookies. Braxton asks if that's true. Bobbi understands the issue immediately and confirms that she and her friends ate and drank.
Braxton orders everyone but Jack to the couch. He plans to wait until morning. He's got silver bullets in the gun, which is interesting, because I don't think Jack is bothered by silver. WOODEN would be a problem though.
Bobbi pretends to be sick and runs into the bathroom. Jack keeps trying to defuse things. Marza still doesn't know what's going on, but she holds it together pretty well. Jack seems to have a new appreciation of her, noting that her veneer has come off and she seems more real now.
Jack asks how Braxton found him. It was Gaylen. But not on purpose. He'd been waiting at the hotel and followed Jack from there.
Bobbi comes out, and Jack plays very formal, calling her "Miss Smythe." Happily, Bobbi is wearing lounging pajamas with a high collar, so there are no visible marks on her neck.
There's a comic relief moment, with Madison accusing the vampire hunters of being in the Secret Service and calling them fascist. But the threat is pretty real. At least, Jack needs to figure out a way to stop him without revealing himself to Marza or Madison. As this is going on, Bobbi taps her watch and winks at him.
Bobbi is awesome.
Jack gets it and goes on the offensive, goading Braxton through poor young Webber, long enough for Phil, the hotel detective, to arrive and get the drop on Braxton. Problem solved. (Go Bobbi!)
Jack explains it away as Braxton being a conman that Jack had done a story on. Webber is his trainee. And clearly he's taken up religion as his new game. Braxton's whole "Away, demon" schtick helps the story, as now everyone's happy to think he's crazy.
Bobbi's suggestion to call the police causes Madison Pruitt to leave very quickly, much to Marza's dismay. Unfortunately, though, there's probably not much the police can do. They could lock them up, but there'd be court and appearances. Bad publicity for Bobbi and worse for Jack. Bobbi suggests calling Gordy, but that's probably more tongue in cheek.
Instead, Jack asks Phil to stash the two away for an hour or so. Bobbi asks Jack to get Marza home, and he does. Marza, for her part, is far cleverer than she seems. She's pegged that there's more to this story than Jack's conman excuse. She lays it out:
“I hope you mean that. I don’t want her hurt. Not by them or you, you know what I mean? She’s a beautiful girl and that’s attracted the wrong kind of men to her in the past. Did she tell you what the last one was like and what happened to him?”
“I know all about it,” I said truthfully.
“Good, because that’s what I want to see her free from. You have no right to bring it all back.”
Marza's actually pretty great. Jack has to acknowledge her guts too, if he were really like Slick Morelli, Marza could have been hurt. He heads back to Bobbi, where they have a Moment:
She was hugging me again. It was becoming a habit, a very nice one. Then it was time for my reaction and I couldn’t stop it. My arms moved on their own, wrapping around her and lifting her from the floor. I held her hard, as much for warmth as for comfort. I was cold from the inside out and shaking all over.
Really, given Jack's life in general, I'm surprised he's not a walking breakdown. After a bit of conversation, Jack heads out to resolve matters.
Unfortunately, Braxton is more slippery than Jack's given him credit for. He and his sidekick have slipped out. He asks Phil to keep an eye on Bobbi without disturbing her and then heads out. The chapter ends here.