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| IMPOSTER BY MARIQUA |
CHAPTER 65 |
Slider's reaction was almost imperceptible, but it was there nonetheless. She's on to me…what the hell?
"Are you going to answer me?" Tea prodded as his eyes blinked back at her.
"Just exactly what are you referring to, Tea?"
Tea seemed to sigh from within, and her eyes clouded over with thinly veiled frustration.
"You knew him back then. You're keeping things from me, Slider…information I need to know about him."
Slider's guard relaxed a little. That was close...she's fishing for more about the past.
After ordering their dessert and coffee, Slider looked back at her pleasantly.
"What do you want me to say, Tea…we were friends…he and I had a great relationship."
"But you must have known about his background…his father. Was he…abusive?"
Slider thought about what he would say. Why not? It's nothing she wouldn't find out anyway.
"I never saw it, but yes…I think he was."
"Did you know what he did, Slider…in college?"
"Yes…I knew."
Her manner had seemed to tighten up with each remark he made, and her brow wrinkled in thought. "There are so many missing pieces to his life, and he only told me some of it. I don't think even he knew the complexity of the deception of his mind."
"I did try to see him later on, Tea…when he was in prison for the rape. He had changed, and he wouldn't talk to me." Slider volunteered and at once regretted his lapse.
Tea's eyes sparkled suddenly. "Todd did a lot of changing…in fact, he may have had something that his sister had."
"You must be familiar with DID, Slider," she added and watched his expression closely.
"Yes...I am. You think that Todd was afflicted with this?"
"I don't think, Slider…I know, " she said emphatically as their dessert and coffee arrived.
Tea continued as she poured creamer into her coffee. "Do you think that someone like Todd could have had this sickness for years, Slider? I just imagine the horror of his family life... there were many times when he had terrible nightmares."
So you knew about the alters…what exactly did you know? Did you ever meet Nick? Or ...Pete?
Looking down suddenly at the braided gold watch on her wrist, Tea shook her head in dismay. "Not enough time…it never is, is it? Do you have to be somewhere after lunch?"
"I've got a meeting in about twenty minutes…"
"Tea," Slider inserted dramatically, and watched her large brown eyes open wider. "I suppose I do know things I could tell you about him. I just can't do it all over lunch. Would you be willing to meet me at my home tomorrow to discuss it?"
The die is cast, Nick. I'm going to do it…you went too far this time.
"That would be fine. What time?"
"Around six. We can have a light supper and then talk."
"Sounds lovely," she said as she rose from her chair. "Tell me where you live."
The tall, tanned man in the gray suit and slim, chestnut haired woman walked out of the restaurant together -- both lost in their own mysterious thoughts.
"See you tomorrow then," Slider said after they had arrived back at the university and waved as she walked over to her white Corisica.
Smiling cheerfully, she waved back at him and got in the car. Her smiling face vanished as she watched him jog back up the steps of the university building.
"That's what you think, Mr. Slider Paxton!" she uttered under her breath and turned the key in the ignition.
Hearing Viki's demanding tone, Sam wished he had never said what he did. It' s not going to be easy to do this, but I've got to…for her sake.
"I know you're not going to understand this, Viki…but I've been doing a lot of thinking since the service. I don't think you know just how affected you were by Todd's death."
"Of course I was affected…what are you saying, Sam?"
"I just think that you need some time…time to mourn him and maybe some time to heal."
How dare you! How dare you suggest that I can't handle this!
"I don't think you should be thinking for me, Sam," Viki said huffily.
"Viki, don't…don't turn this into something. I'm just concerned, that's all."
"Concerned huh? Sounds more dictatorial to me."
Sam laughed nervously. "Viki, please…you know everything has escalated so fast. Can't we be rational about this? I saw how difficult it was for you at the service. I think there are still elements of his death which are bothering you."
"Well, I won't disagree with you there. I read that ridiculous report that Sykes sent over. Talk about a crock!"
"Yeah…not like we didn't know he wouldn't put the best spin on it. Maybe you need to check some things out. I…I could help you."
Viki was silent as she thought about what he had said. Maybe he had a point as much as she hated to admit it. Todd was dead, but why he died was anything but resolved. Well-typed, clear-cut police reports did not impress her, and the journalist in her needed to do something to satisfy her mind forever.
"Okay, Rappaport…you're on. If you really want to help, the first thing we need to do is find Tea."
After Slider had left, Nick had lain awake for a while thinking, even though he had no intention of getting up so early. He felt good…really good, and he knew part of the reason was his whole attitude had changed. There was something to hope for…to live for out in the world. Hope had materialized in the form of a beautiful, dark-eyed Asian woman named Sherry. Remembering how she had moaned at his touch, and the way her soft body had surrendered to his gave him another sweet moment of pleasure. He wanted more moments with her -- days, months, and years of them. She wants me…I know that, and nothing is going to stop me from having her.
They hadn't spoken since Saturday, but he wasn't worried. Doubts could have crept in to change her mind, but he didn't really think they could defeat the impression that he left with her. What had happened had happened to both of them, and neither of them could deny the reality of their strong attraction to each other. It was as if some karmic force was driving them together, and both of them were powerless to stop it. There was only one problem…Slider.
Slider won't know what hit him, but then…he never did. He and I have a game to finish playing out, too…he's waiting for me to go back, so that he can be rid of me forever, but I'm not going…not this time, and there's not a damn thing he can do about it.
The morning had turned into early afternoon as he took his time reading the paper and watching some television without much thought of getting up and getting dressed. No one would be coming to see him, and he just wanted to revel in his newfound optimism and contemplate what his next move would be. My wounds are healing…my body is getting stronger...I feel it…everything's clicking in again, and once I'm 100%, there'll be no stopping me.
Tea drove through the snarl of traffic not even noticing the stream of people on the sidewalks or the distant cacophonous honking of car horns. The excitement of the city was all around her, and at any other time, she would have been happily taking it all in. Instead her eyes hurriedly sought out road signs and landmarks to guide her along the way. I should have just taken a cab…this is crazy.
Well, he invited you over…that's something anyway…wonder why he did it? Probably giving him a headstart…doesn't matter …I don't have time to do this his way.
Vaporous steam swirled and hung in the air as Nick stepped out of the shower carefully and wrapped a large towel around his waist. Tiny beads of water cascaded down his broad shoulders and trickled quickly down his taut, muscular chest and on toward his abdomen. His large feet planted themselves firmly on the rug, and one hand came up to glide through soaked strands of hair. A distant noise alerted him, and his muscles tensed with the sound.
The sound continued persistently, and Nick looked around for something to throw on. "Okay…okay…hang on…whoever you are..."
"Yeah…okay…I'm coming!" Nick's voice called out to the door, and he threw it open in exasperation.
The door opened violently, and Nick's voice boomed out before he had even seen his visitor.
"What is…"
Nothing else came out of his mouth, and blotches of bright light popped in front of his eyes as he stared in unprecedented shock at his visitor.
Tea's fluttering eyes fought to stay open -- the floor seeming to rock
beneath her as she beheld the tall, dripping, and noticeably unclothed
body
of Todd Manning.
