Sparkle (19 page)

“Just me.”

“Why are you in your underwear, Eddie?”

Eddie glanced down, then began rubbing his head with his hand. “Man-sized mess.”

Jolie took another deep breath and held it for a moment before she spoke. “Eddie, is this what you wear when you clean?”

No answer.

“Answer me, please. Is this what you always wear?”

“Uh-huh. Don’t tell Joe, okay?”

“You clean crime scenes in your underwear.”

“Uh-huh. Okay. I need to finish.” Eddie turned, knelt at the toilet, and went back to scrubbing.

He scrubbed fast. Jolie stared at him. His skin was pale and clear, and she found herself momentarily hypnotized by the sight of the lean muscles in his broad back rhythmically rolling and flexing.

Oh shit. “Um, all right then.” She backed out of the bathroom and gently closed the door, then put her ear to it. The toilet flushed, and Jolie stood up straight, flustered. She needed to take control of the situation immediately, before all contact with reality was completely dissolved.

Half in a daze, she propped a kitchen chair under the bathroom doorknob to lock Eddie in. The chair was more for appearance’s sake than anything else, even though no one was watching her.

Forcing herself to focus, she scrounged around her desk for one of the business cards Eddie had given her. Poor stress-mess Joe must be losing it by this time.

LaVonne picked up on the first ring.

It threw Jolie off a bit to hear a woman’s voice. Maybe she’d dialed a wrong number. “Is Joe Jones there?”

“No,” LaVonne said, “he’s out looking for his brother.”

Eddie started tapping at the bathroom door. Apparently, he had finished cleaning. He wanted out. No time to waste.

“Tell him Eddie’s on his way home,” Jolie hurried. “He’ll be there soon.” She hung up. She’d explain later. Right now, she needed to get Eddie safely away—without upsetting him—before Tracy showed up. She didn’t want him to get into trouble for doing this.

Jolie quickly dialed another number. “Just a minute, Eddie!” she said loudly. “I’ll be right there. When a voice picked up, she said into the phone, “I need a cab. Can you send one right over?”

Inside the bathroom, Eddie tapped and tapped at the door.

Jolie flipped her phone shut. She walked over to the bathroom door and leaned forward. “Eddie,” she said clearly, “I need you to stop knocking and wait patiently, all right?” The tapping stopped. “Put on your clothes, okay? You need to get dressed and get ready to go home.”

There was no answer.

“Eddie? You need to do what I say, all right?”

“Uh-huh,” Eddie said. “Okay.”

As soon as the young-sounding woman hung up, LaVonne called Joe. “Somebody just called and said Eddie was on his way home,” she said.

“What?”

“Eddie’s on his way home.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there,” Joe sounded as if he was in shock. “Who was it?”

“They didn’t say.”

Joe hung up. “What in the hell?” His tires squealed as he pulled a U-turn.

It didn’t take long for the cab to arrive. Even though she felt no fear of Eddie, Jolie was going to play his exit exactly by the book. She stood in the doorway and motioned the driver up to the house.

“I need you to wait here for a few minutes,” she said.

“Meter’s running,” the driver replied.

“That’s fine.” She walked back into the house and knocked briskly on the bathroom door. “Eddie!”

“Uh-huh. Okay.”

“You dressed?”

“Uh-huh. Okay.”

“It’s time for you to go now.”

A minute later, Eddie walked out the front door, carrying his canvas bag. Jolie followed close behind him.

“Can you wait in the cab, please?” Jolie asked the driver, who was standing just outside the door, looking curiously at the two of them.

“Whatever.” The man looked slightly miffed.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Jolie turned to Eddie. “I need you to listen to me carefully, Eddie. Will you do that?”

“Uh-huh. Okay.”

“You should not have come into my house.”

Eddie heard the words but couldn’t process them immediately. He felt himself freezing up slightly. He needed to be clear. “Happy birthday, Jolie Walker.” He looked back toward the house and rubbed the back of his head.

“I know, Eddie.” Jolie hoped for eye contact. “I know exactly what you were trying to do, and it’s wonderful in a lot of ways.” She meant it.

Eddie stopped rubbing his head. “I know.”

“But you have to understand. What you did is not okay. I almost called 911.”

Eddie wasn’t sure what she meant. “Nine-one-one,” he said.

“It’s how you call for help when you’re scared. It’s how you call the police. You scared me, Eddie.”

That hit Eddie hard. He sensed nothing like fear coming from Jolie, and yet she was saying she was scared. Was she telling the truth? Couldn’t she see that he only wanted to give her a gift? The best gift he had? If she was scared of him, or wasn’t scared but couldn’t tell the truth about it, they were miles apart. He had thought they were so close to communicating, to understanding.

He had a lot to learn about women, he knew, but this was painfully familiar territory: the kind of confusing, backward, disconnected stuff ordinary people talked about all the time.

It came to him, with an unpleasant thump, thatt Jolie had discovered one of his most important secrets. He wasn’t working in the proper gear. Would she tell Joe? Then something else—something stronger—revealed itself, like a curtain being pulled back in his head. There was fear lurking, somewhere near. Eddie could sense it. Jolie’s speaking its name had made it rise up, vague but real and menacing.

He looked over Jolie’s shoulder, and there was Lucy Silver, standing behind her and looking at him accusingly. Her lips didn’t move, but her voice rang in his ears.

“That’s what happened to me,” she said. “Someone came into my house and hurting me. You’re not supposed to come into people’s houses. People get hurt. People get scared. You scared her. You’re supposed to be helping me. You have to find out why. You have to make the catch. Look in your pocket.”

Eddie rubbed his head harder. Too much disturbing information was coming at him, way too fast.

“I need you to promise me you’ll never come into my house without permission again,” Jolie went on. Tracy would be here soon. It was important to get Eddie on his way as quickly as possible.

The sound of Jolie’s voice seemed to be coming from miles away.

“Promise,” she said.

Eddie hesitated. You never know where a promise might lead. Had he promised Lucy Silver?

“Please, you have to promise me that you’ll never come in my house again. Promise me, Eddie. Right now.”

“Uh-huh,” Eddie said, looking at the sky. “Okay.”

Jolie stared hard at him, waiting quietly for something. Was she doing the right thing? She had no idea.

“Okay, Eddie,” she said finally. “I believe you. I’m going to trust you.”

The realization of what he had done began to crash down around Eddie. Not the important thing he had meant to do, but the thing in the real, cold, blind world. He was stupid about this kind of stuff. He could never sit down and work out the ordinary details correctly––especially when he was as inspired as he’d been today.

He had gone into Jolie’s house. He hadn’t asked her permission, the way you were supposed to before you went into someone’s house. He hadn’t suited up properly. She was telling him she was upset. Maybe there was some truth to what Lucy Silver was saying. Eddie did things sometimes without knowing what he was doing. He hadn’t felt that way today, but look what was happening. For the first time since that morning, Eddie thought of Joe and how angry and hurt he was going to be. Things were falling apart fast.

He rubbed his head faster. “Don’t tell Joe. Don’t tell Joe.” Lucy was still there, smirking at him. He realized he would have to look in his pocket soon.

Jolie hesitated and looked at him with concern. A huge part of her wanted nothing more than to acknowledge that she simply felt good about getting his amazing gift, and even appreciated the brave effort it must have taken to make it happen. And maybe more. But it was too far out. Her heart hurt for Eddie. The world wasn’t a safe place for him.

“Please try to stop rubbing your head, Eddie,” she said, gently.

It was a strain, but Eddie managed to stop.

“I’ll think about it,” Jolie said.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll think about it. But right now I’m sending you home. Your poor brother is probably worried sick. Come on.”

She walked to the cab and opened the back door, then gave the driver forty dollars in cash and read the address off the Sparkle Cleaners card. “Please make sure he gets in the house,” she told him. “Keep the change.”

She leaned down and looked in the cab’s open back door. Now that Eddie was safely inside, she allowed herself a touch of regret for sending him off. It might have been nice to share a quiet cup of tea with such a peaceful, thoughtful man in her sparkling clean home. Heck, he even does housework. The thought made her laugh out loud. Never going to happen, she thought, shaking her head. The whole situation was making her feel crazy. And picturing Eddie as a houseguest was the craziest thought that had popped into her head in a long time. Maybe in another world. Not this one.

“Buckle up, Eddie.” She was still chuckling, but tears were welling in her eyes.

“Uh-huh. Okay,” Eddie said. “Am I stupid?” He looked down.

“No, Eddie,” Jolie said, deeply serious. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because I feel happy. But I shouldn’t be. You’re a good guy, but you have to listen to me. You have to promise never to go into anyone’s house without permission again—especially mine. Promise me. Never.”

Eddie was reluctant. His word was his bond, and giving it was a big deal. Was Jolie really going to make him make the same promise twice? There was something painfully agitating about that. Eddie’s head was buzzing loudly, clouding his judgment. But when it got right down to it, there was no way he could deny Jolie anything she wanted. No matter what it might cost him.

“Uh-huh. Okay.”

“Okay. Remember, I’m trusting you. I know you’ll do the right thing. And thanks for cleaning up my mess. Sincerely. It’s a special gift.”

Jolie forgot and put her hand on Eddie’s knee before she shut the door and the cab drove off.

He went stiff with pain.

The cab had driven nearly a block before he was able to look at his throbbing burning knee. There it was: a bloody handprint.

“Nine-one-one,” Eddie said quietly.

He put his hand in his pocket. The rubber glove was there. It pulsed like something living.

Chapter 27

As soon as Eddie’s cab turned the corner, Jolie saw Mark’s silver Chrysler Pacifica pulling up from the other direction. Oh, no. What the hell’s he doing here? Eddie had left just in time.

Mark hopped out and bounced up the walk. “Hey, birthday girl.” His voice sounded far away. Jolie felt woozy and disoriented.

“What are you doing here?”

“I brought you something.” He didn’t seem to be carrying anything.

“I’m waiting for Tracy,” Jolie heard herself say. “We’re going out, remember?”

“I know, but…can I come in for a minute?” Mark said, smiling. “I’ll explain.”

Jolie hesitated. “I’m not even ready. I don’t have much time, Mark.”

“It’s okay, really. Please. I’m invited. It’s like a party. But I just wanted to see you first. Can I come in? Please?”

If Jolie had been less flustered, she might have said no. As if was, she stepped aside and let Mark in.

Once in the house, he looked around appreciatively. “Nice place. I finally made it past the porch.”

Jolie laughed weakly.

“I got your message,” he went on. “I didn’t understand it, though.”

Oh, shit. Is that why he’s here? She had already forgotten the call.

“Never mind,” she said. “It was just a joke.”

“Yeah? I don’t get it.”

Mark carefully took off his jacket and looked for a place to hang it. He was fussy about his clothes. He spied a coat rack by the door and walked over to it.

“Smells like ammonia or something in here,” he said, sniffing the air. Did you have a cleaner over?”

Glass crunched under his foot. Then he looked down, noticed the broken windowpane by the door.

“What’s this?”

“Nothing,” Jolie said. “Just an accident.” She hadn’t even thought to wonder how Eddie had gotten inside in the first place.

“You’re acting kind of freaky.”

“I guess.” Jolie was feeling stranger by the minute.

Mark followed her into the extremely clean kitchen. “Whoa, this is clean. So what’s the joke? Why were you thanking me for the way your house looks?”

“Why not?” Jolie was trying to sound casual, but even to her own ear she sounded ridiculous. “I guess having company just inspired me to do a really good cleaning job.”

“You? No offense, but I’ve heard Tracy kid you about your housekeeping skills more than once. And you just got home from work. You must be fast.”

“Yeah, well…she’ll be here any minute. I really have to get ready.”

Mark noticed Eddie’s baseball, wrapped in its bunny-and-egg paper, which was torn and wrinkled from being slammed through a window. The ball was sitting precisely in the middle of the kitchen table, with a small stack of twenties under it.

“That’s a cute present,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Nice wrapping,” Mark picked up the package. “You get something from some kid?”

One of Eddie’s cards was taped to it. He glanced at it, then he yanked it off, ripping the paper off the baseball in the process.

“Ouch.” Mark looked down at his index finger, which was bleeding. A small piece of glass had been stuck in the paper. “What the hell?” he said, sucking his finger. “Was … Eddie here?”

“Of course not, Mark,” Jolie said. Wow. He figured that out fast. She wasn’t sure why she’d lied. It was mostly just a reaction, but Jolie was feeling more and more protective of Eddie when it came to Mark.

Mark looked hard at her. His mouth squeezed into a tight, unfriendly smile. “Oh, my God. That’s how your house got so clean, isn’t it? Wait a minute. This is weird. Why is your window broken?”