Velvet Roses Ch. 03

"Tons of cash, hot women, and the freedom to buy just about anything you want." In a voice dripping with sarcasm, he said, "You're right, it totally wasn't worth it."

"I was a thief. There was no pride in that whatsoever."

"So now you're a moral, upstanding citizen, huh?" He lightly chuckled. "Well, as long as your conscience is at ease."

Their eyes locked into a heated stare, both silently willing the other to look away first. Yet neither was willing, and realizing that the moment could stretch on forever, Dane began to speak.

"I should get on the road. I've got things to take care of."

"Of course," Kenichi said with a funny little smile on his lips. "I'll walk you to the door."

Upon reaching the entryway, Kenichi opened the door so that Dane could exit. After Dane had stepped out into the hallway, Kenichi leaned casually against the doorframe, giving Dane an inquisitive look.

"Before you go, satisfy my curiosity."

"Alright," Dane said.

"You're living the straight life now. So why still associate with me?"

"Isn't it obvious? The quality of your swords exceed any other dealer I've ever gone to."

"But I'm a criminal, a thief," he said in a mocking kind of tone. "How do you know the swords in my inventory aren't stolen?"

"I don't." Dane held up the sword in his hand, then continued to speak. "But for a katana this beautiful, It's a possibility I'm willing to accept."

One corner of Kenichi's mouth tugged upward. "The only thing more powerful than beauty is money."

"You're wrong," Dane said. "It's love."

"Love is fleeting, illusory."

"No. Infatuation is."

"A hopeless romantic," Kenichi said with a bitter edge to his voice. "How sweet."

"Yeah, well I gotta have something to stand for."

Kenichi smirked in response, then offered some parting words. "Enjoy your sword."

"I most definitely will," Dane said with a nod. Then he turned and headed down the hallway, sauntering casually toward the elevators with katana in hand.

* * * *

"So, how'd your meeting with the client go?"

Scanning the display of silver jewelry in the antique shop, Jeneda briefly averted her attention from a pair of diamond shaped earrings to glance at Luna, who was trying on a pair of orange frame Ray-bans.

"Went well," Jeneda said.

"Cool. So what's the next step?"

"It'll be cast in bronze, then delivered to San Francisco Symphony."

"Nice. When will it be on display?"

"Four, maybe five days tops."

Catching sight of a cameo choker, Jeneda picked it up and held it against her throat, then glanced at herself in a small mirror which hung on the wall.

"We'll have to go out and celebrate. Let's have dinner first, then go to the Q-bar," Luna said.

"Why the Q-bar?"

"Hot men, great music, and two for one drinks. Need I say more?" Ethan asked as he sidled up next to Jeneda.

Clad in a well-cut blazer, brightly colored geometric patterned shirt, and a pair of black jeans, Ethan exuded a slightly sweet, fresh scent that cut through the mildewy smell in the antique shop.

"You smell good," Jeneda said. "What type of cologne are you wearing?"

"Light Blue."

"Mmm, smells yummy."

"Thanks. Hopefully my date tonight shares the same opinion."

"You have a date?" Jeneda and Luna spoke simultaneously, causing Ethan to cock an eyebrow in response.

"Yes I have a date. Don't sound so surprised, guys. What am I, a mutant or something?"

"Of course not," Jeneda said. "It's just you haven't dated for a long time now."

"It hasn't been that long. Only a few months."

"Which is eons for you," Luna said.

"So what is this guy like?" Jeneda asked. "Give us the details."

"He's the nerdy type."

"Nerdy?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, he's kinda off-beat. Wears Buddy Holly glasses, converse sneakers, suspenders,...you know, stuff like that." Spotting a small ceramic owl statue, he picked it up to have a closer look.

"Suspenders?" Glancing at Ethan, Luna cocked an eyebrow. "You're joking, right?"

He rolled his eyes in response, then said, "When I say suspenders, I'm not talking about the kind Steve Urkel wore. They're the thin, stylish type."

"Oh. Well thank goodness for that," Luna sarcastically said.

"What's he do for a living?" Jeneda asked.

"He's an architect."

"Nice." As Luna's eyes came to rest on a pair of silk gloves, she picked one up, then slid it onto her left hand. "Where'd you guys meet?"

"Orphan Andy's. He was sitting at the table right across from me, but the whole time we were there, we didn't speak. It wasn't until I finished breakfast and went outside that he caught up to me. And that's when he asked for my phone number."

"How cute, he sounds shy."

"He is. I'm gonna coax him outta that shell, though."

"Yeah, I bet you will." A faint smirk touched Luna's lips.

Ethan playfully rolled his eyes. "That is *not* what I meant."

"Uh-huh, sure."

Throwing a glance Jeneda's way, Ethan saw that she was studying an enameled candlestick. Perhaps wondering the reason behind her sudden silence, he playfully bumped her hip with his, then asked a question.

"You doing okay? You're kinda quiet."

"I'm fine."

Although she gave an affirmative answer, Jeneda really wasn't fine at all. Her mind had once again wandered to Riley, and although she knew it did no good to obsessively think about his dismal situation, she couldn't help but wonder if he was safe.

Ever since she'd left the nursing home that morning, she'd been trying very hard to keep from thinking about the bruise on his temple, yet it seemed that the harder she tried to stop thinking, the more persistent the mental images became.

The change in Jeneda's body language didn't go unnoticed by her friends, and offering her looks of concern, both Ethan and Luna did their best to eradicate the dark cloud that seemed to be hanging over her head.

Looping her arm around Jeneda's shoulder, Luna gave a suggestion. "Let's get out of this stuffy antique shop and go get some lunch."

"Okay. Where do you wanna go?"

"You pick a spot."

"We could go to that Ramen place."

"Good idea. I could really go for some Miso soup.

Holding a brass, syringe-like object in his hands, Ethan offered it an inquisitive gaze, then held it up for Luna and Jeneda to see. "What's this?"

"An enema injector," Luna said.

Ethan hastily put it down, causing Jeneda to give a humorous snort in the process. A wide grin creased Luna's face, then she led the way to the front door, with Jeneda and Ethan trailing behind her. "Come on, you jokers."

"Wait a minute, how did you know that was an enema injector?" Ethan asked Luna.

"I saw it in a magazine once."

"Uh-huh, sure you did. I always knew you were a freak."

Continuing to the door, Luna laughed in response. "Whatever."

"Before we go to the restaurant, I'm gonna need to make a pit stop at the drugstore," Ethan said.

"What for?" Jeneda asked.

Gazing down at his hands with an expression of disgust, he said, "Hand sanitizer."

* * * *

As the fog rolled in, Dane stood on the eastern waterfront of San Francisco, gazing out at the view which stretched beyond Pier 7. It was nearing evening, and as the sky gradually darkened, the last bits of the pinkish-purple sunset disappeared.

He didn't like being here. In fact, there was nothing he hated more, but haunted by past events, he found himself unwillingly drawn to this same spot. Seven months had passed since that horrible night, yet the recollection of it hadn't faded in the least.

The details were imbedded in his brain, and despite his attempts to erase it from his mind, it seemed he was forever fated to live with the guilt.

The salty, fishy scent of the pier invaded his nostrils, and as night descended, the air grew colder. Glancing down into the deep body of water below him, Dane saw that it was inky black, and as it lightly churned, it made soft slapping noises against the pier.

He eyed the dark water suspiciously, scanning the surface of it to see if there was anything floating around. Common sense told him that it was impossible, yet still he found himself peering expectantly into the bay, fully expecting at any moment for the body to bob accusingly to the surface.

The body.

As the words reverberated in his head, he felt a chill dance along his spine. Seven months had elapsed since that fateful night, yet the memories were as sharp as broken glass.

He would never forget the loud splash the corpse had made upon contact with the water, nor could he ever erase from his mind the image of the dead man sinking like a stone, disappearing into the freezing cold waters of the San Francisco Bay.

It had all been so quick and easy, that Dane still found himself wondering if he'd actually gotten away with it. Clearly he was walking free, but he couldn't help sometimes wondering if his dark secret would someday be found out. Continuing to look down into the water below the pier, he found himself wondering how long a body took to decompose.

He knew it would last longer in water than it did on ground, but surely it couldn't still be intact seven months later. Most likely the flesh had already been eaten away, leaving only the skeleton remaining. Yet even if that were true, that still didn't mean he was in the clear.

He took in a deep breath, and after slowly releasing it, it clouded in front of him. The winter coat he had on provided a sufficient barrier against the cold weather, yet as protected as he was from the external elements, he was completely vulnerable to his tormented thoughts.

Leaning his weight against the railing of the pier, he gazed off into the distance. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and after slowly letting it out, he once again lifted his lids.

He was trying very hard to push away the negative thoughts, but it was no use, because escape wasn't an option. This was his punishment, and he was going to take it like a man.

The sky had now grown dark, and as he gazed at the lit up Bay Bridge, he found himself thinking of Cassie, his ex-girlfriend. Ever since leaving Kenichi's apartment earlier that day, he'd found himself unable to stop wondering about her current whereabouts.

Apart from one other individual, she was the only living person who knew what had gone down that night. For this reason alone, he would always feel some sort of connection to her, and although he no longer had any emotional ties to his ex-lover, he did still care about her welfare.

When he'd first met her two years ago, they'd both been under the employ of Kenichi, who had been, and still was, leading a highly organized crime ring.

Along with a team of five other people, they had engaged in a number of cargo theft heists. The goods they'd stolen had been numerous, and ranged from pharmaceuticals and high-tech equipment, to designer handbags.

Still in college at the time, Dane had been suffering from unmedicated social anxiety, and due to his awkwardness around other people, found that gaining employment in a traditional job was pretty much impossible. This led him to searching for alternative ways of making money, and before very long, found himself entrenched in a life of crime.

He'd promised himself to leave his corrupt occupation behind as soon as he acquired a decent stash of savings, but the flow of easy money had been difficult to walk away from. So like a fool, he'd continued along the same path.

After nearly being arrested during a botched heist, Dane made a concrete decision to go straight, and had left the criminal life behind. Only six months later, he'd launched a career as a graphic novelist, and the rest was, as they say, history.

Two years had now passed since he'd been living the straight life, and although he was ashamed of the fact that he used to make his living by ripping people off, he did learn some very valuable lessons. One was to never let greed rule his life, and two, to not profit by causing someone else pain.

He wished he could erase his past, undo all of those heinous and immoral acts he'd committed, but of course that wasn't possible. The past was set in stone, and that was all there was to it.

As his thoughts turned to the earlier part of the day, Dane recalled the conversation he'd had with Kenichi, and found that one particular portion of their dialogue still reverberated in his head.

*You see Cassie around lately?*

It still seemed strange to Dane that Kenichi had brought her up, especially considering that he hadn't spoken to her in longer than six months. He had a feeling that Kenichi had purposely brought Cassie up in hopes of planting a seed of worry in his mind, but what would be the purpose behind that?

Clearly he didn't know, but now that she was on his mind, he was going to satiate his curiosity and give her a call.

After retrieving her number from his list of contacts, he pressed the cell phone against his ear, then impatiently waited as the line rang. He counted six times before she picked up, speaking in that slightly husky voice that he remembered so well.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Cassie."

"Dane?"

"Yeah."

"Oh wow, it is you. What's up, how have you been?"

"I'm doing okay." He allowed a moment to pass before continuing. "This will probably sound weird, but I'm just calling to see if you're alright."

"I've been better, but considering the circumstances, I guess I'm doing pretty well. Why, what did you hear?"

"Nothing specific. I ran into Kenichi today, and he asked me if I'd seen you around."

"Really?"

"Yeah." A moment of silence passed while he waited for her to give a response, but when she didn't, he continued to speak. "Are you still working for him?"

"No. I quit a few days ago."

"For good?"

"Yes, for good."

"And what did he say when you told him you were quitting?"

"I didn't tell him. I just packed up all my stuff and left."

"What do you mean, packed up?"

"I left his apartment, moved."

"You and Kenichi were living together?"

"Yeah, we'd been dating for the past few months."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. He didn't tell you?"

"No. He didn't mention it at all."

"Oh."

An awkward pause stretched between them before Dane spoke. "So that's why he was asking about you."

"You didn't tell him anything, did you?"

"No. What would I tell him?"

"I don't know."

Dane watched the fog continue to roll in off the bay, and as a strong gust of wind came along, it whipped his hair around his face.

"If there's one piece of advice I could give you, It's to be careful," he said.

"Of what?"

He remained silent, knowing without a doubt that she was already well aware of what he was alluding to.

"What, you think he's gonna like, kill me or something?"

"I didn't say that. I only told you to be careful."

"I will," she said, then added, "Where are you right now?"

"Why?"

"I'm just curious."

There was a moment of hesitation, during which Dane was uncertain if he should keep his location concealed. Yet realizing that his apprehension was unnecessary, he divulged his whereabouts.

"Pier 7."

"Please tell me you're joking."

His lack of words told her that he wasn't.

"I thought you said you were never going back there."

"I tried to stay away," he said. "I really did. But for some reason I just can't."

"You hang out there regularly?"

"I don't hang out, I just stop by."

"To do what, have a picnic?" She asked with biting sarcasm.

"I don't come here because I want to," he angrily spat out. "It's something I have to do. It's a compulsion."

"A compulsion?" She faintly scoffed, then said, "What are you, stupid or something?"

"Yeah, just insult me. That's real good."

"Well what do you want me to say? That it's a good idea to revisit the place where you committed a crime?"

He remained silent, lips drawn into a tight line.

"Look, I just think It's a bad idea to hang around that place." Then in a lowered voice, she asked, "Doesn't being there give you the creeps?"

"Of course. It makes me sick to my stomach."

"Then stop torturing yourself and stay away." Her voice had taken on a serious, almost scolding tone.

"Don't you think I've tried?"

She exhaled deeply through her nose. "Everytime you go there, you're taking a chance at getting caught."

"Nobody knows what happened except for me, you and Marla."

"We can't know that for sure."

No words were spoken as they both gave thought to the subject at hand. With only streetlamps to illuminate the pier which Dane was standing on, he was otherwise surrounded by darkness, and although he felt no fear, he suddenly began to feel quite vulnerable. Turning his body so that his back faced the water, Dane narrowed his eyes, staring into the foggy night.

The wooden floorboards of the pier creaked below him as he took a few steps forward, but the heavy mist rendered him unable to make out what lay ahead on the boardwalk.

Having always been the sensitive type, he sensed a change in the energy around him, and began to wonder if he wasn't as alone as he'd thought he was.

"Hello, Dane? You still there?"

The sound of Cassie's voice reminded him that he was in the middle of a conversation, and breaking his intent gaze on the foggy darkness that lay ahead of him, he focused his eyes on one of the glowing streetlamps.

"Yeah, I'm here." He slid his fingers through his tousled hair then said, "I gotta get off the phone now."

"Why?"

"I just do. Take care, okay?"

"You too," she said before quickly adding, "Dane?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna meet up sometime? Maybe get a cup of coffee or something?"

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well, to be truthful, I'm kinda seeing someone."

"Of course you are. I should have known."

"Why of course?"

"You're gorgeous. Not to mention a great fuck."

"Stop."

"Stop what?" Cassie asked.

"Complimenting me. I don't want you doing that."

"Why not?"

"I just don't, okay?"

"Alright, fine."

"I'm getting off the phone now."

"Wait, before you hang up, I wanna ask you something."

"Yeah?" He impatiently asked.

"How have you been doing, honestly?"

Dane felt his body tense, and swallowing back the lump in his throat, he offered a reply. "Not great, but not horrible, either. I'm just sorta in-between. The anxiety meds help a lot, though.

"Are you still having those nightmares?"

"Not as often as before, but every now and again, I'll have one."

"What about Marla? Have you seen her around at all?"

"Nope. Not since that night."

"Okay."

"Anyways, I really need to go, so I'm gonna get off the phone."

"Alright. Thanks for checking up on me."

"No problem."

"Goodbye, Cassie."

"Bye, Dane."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket, then sauntered down the pier in the direction of the parking lot. Still feeling as if there was some presence in the midst, he utilized each of his five senses to their fullest potential.

He didn't like being watched, and found himself wondering why his observer refused to show himself, rather than hide in the fog like a coward.

Perhaps they were seeing if he picked up on their energy, or maybe they were just uncertain of whether or not to attack him.

All too aware that the frightened made for easy targets, he didn't want to encourage the malevolent force that was hanging around, so he silently sent out the signal that he was not to be intimidated.

Although he suffered from social anxiety disorder, that certainly didn't make him the slightest bit weak, and if it came down to it, he knew he could sufficiently defend himself.

Continuing along his way, he walked at a relaxed, yet steady pace, wanting to put distance between him and this hidden watcher. Then suddenly, as if on cue, tingles danced along the back of his neck, confirming his already solid suspicions.