The Queen and I (24 page)

Saul walked to the love seat sitting directly across from the sofa and said, “The two of you need to do two things.” He waited to see that they were listening. “One, I want you both to get out of here as fast as you can and tell no one where you are going. Two, you have to tell Jeffrey what has been going on and pray that he forgives you, even though it will be my recommendation that he throw you to the curb.”

“Where exactly are we supposed to go?” Kearney asked.

Saul thought about it for a moment and answered, “Zion.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dinner for Two

Jeffrey sat in his living room and wondered where Saul had gotten off to. He had gone back into Zion and found Melissa, but if she knew where the ghost was, she was not talking. It all seemed quite clear that Saul had taken some kind of offense to the situation that had occurred a few nights before while Rachel was visiting and that he must have decided that it was time to move on. But that wasn’t Saul’s style. It was not like him to give up on a project because of personal or creative differences.

He walked out to his back porch and watched as the boats and water-skiers made their waves on the otherwise peaceful lake as they took advantage of the unseasonably warm October sun. He wondered if he could write this script without the input of his new friend.

The thought of that took a moment to set in. Saul was a ghost, but he was also Jeffrey’s friend, and he missed not having him around. The house did not seem as lively without the dead man in it, and there was not that same feeling of hominess that he had grown so accustomed to in the last month or so.

What Jeffrey desperately wanted was for his life to get back to normal, and he was not even thinking so much about how it was before Schultz and Fujikawa had attacked him; he was thinking about how his life had been in the time since he’d known Saul. The ghost had opened up a new world for him, one of understanding those things that most people brushed aside as imaginary or the stuffof horror films, and Jeffrey wanted it back.

Saul was real, and Jeffrey knew that even if Saul did not return his life would never be the same again, and he was both happy and crushed by that knowledge. How could he ever expect to return to his normal life, knowing what he now did about the fact that there was indeed an afterlife? From this point on, whenever he heard a sound in his apartment that he could not place, whenever he saw a person trip on the street and fall to the ground, wherever he was where a loud noise or flicker of the lights occurred, he would immediately think of Saul, or perhaps one of his supernatural friends being up to no good, creating mischief wherever they went. Perhaps he would write a play about that one of these days.

He went back inside, and to his immediate delight, he saw Saul standing in front of him with some freshly picked flowers from the woods outside. He was smiling sheepishly and had the look of someone who hadn’t slept much in the last forty-eight hours. Saul was good at what he did. The ghost never had to sleep, but he was capable of changing his facial expressions and characteristics to match whatever situation he found himself in.

Jeffrey smiled back and said, “Welcome home, my friend.”

“Good to be back,” Saul replied.

There was an awkward silence, and finally Jeffrey continued, “Are those for me?”

Saul looked at the flowers in his hand and answered, “I figured you would have neglected the floral arrangements while I was gone.”

Jeffrey laughed and agreed, “I certainly do not have your flair for color.”

“We all have our crosses to bear. Mine is being so fabulous that I have had to fill
two
worlds with my gift, mortal and what you see before you.” He turned slightly to the left and ran his hand down his side, showing offhis figure.

Saul walked away and into the kitchen to find a vase for his flowers and yelled out, “What have you got planned for dinner?”

Jeffrey smiled to himself in anticipation of the response when he answered, “I was thinking the two of us could dine together tonight. I’ll make dinner. You go and get dressed up in something fancy.”

“Oy gevalt!” Saul exclaimed. “Listen to Mr. Romance now.”

“Slow down there, big fellow. I just thought it would be nice to have no distractions while we started work on the script.”

Saul’s eyes went wide, and he asked, “Are you serious? Are we really going to start tonight? Because I have some great new material that we can add; you’re never going to believe what I found out.”

Jeffrey was intrigued by this statement and simply replied, “I look forward to it. Now go get changed.”

He watched as Saul ran up the stairs giggling, and broke into the song “I Enjoy Being a Girl” from
The Flower Drum Song
. Jeffrey went into the kitchen to prepare his dinner and put some music on so that he and his new collaborator could enjoy the evening together.

* * *

“Screw you, Sean. I ain’t going in there if you ain’t,” Carl Thomas said while lighting a cigarette. He and Sean had pulled into the woods about four hundred yards from Jeffrey’s cabin so that they could not be spotted, and were discussing their plan for breaking in and getting back at Jeffrey for what was obviously a prank that he had played on Sean and Abby.

Carl had been skeptical about the tale, and was beginning to wonder what he was doing there when Sean said, “Listen to me, you old drunk. That son of a bitch made me out to be a fool the other night, and I mean to get back at him. You coming or not?”

Carl thought about it and answered, “I ain’t old. I’m just a couple of years older than you, you prick.”

“You coming with me?

Carl thought about it for a moment and answered, “Let me get my gun.”

The day was turning dark and the sky was an eerie shade of purple mixed with red, and Carl was obviously concerned about what they were doing. If Sean had been telling the truth, then that meant this Rothstein fellow knew how to defend himself. If Sean had been ignorant as to what he had actually seen, then that meant there might be an actual ghost living in the cabin, and not all of the bullets or stun guns in the world were going to help them.

They slowly crept through the woods and saw the cabin begin to emerge in the half-light of twilight. It appeared to be quiet except for the fact that the porch light and a few of the interior lights were shining. They exchanged glances and Sean whispered, “Whatever you do, when we get inside, don’t shoot me.”

Carl replied, “I’m not stupid, Sean.” He looked at the cabin. “Besides, what if you’re wrong and there really is a ghost in there?”

“There ain’t no such thing as ghosts, stupid!”

“Then you tell me what the hell was floating around in front of you. You said that shit was flying all over the place.”

“I was drunk. I must have been seeing stuff.” He looked at Carl angrily and continued, “Now shut up and follow me.”

Quietly, they made their way up the steps of the porch and looked for a window that was not blocked so they could see inside. They found one on the side facing the lake and watched as Jeffrey set the table. He pulled out crystal wear and china, lit candles, and turned on the stereo; he poured wine and adjusted the silverware. Sean and Carl looked at each other dumbfounded as to why this man was making such a big fuss over a dinner he would be eating alone.

“Maybe he has company?” Carl asked.

Sean shook his head and answered, “Why did he only put out one place setting then?”

Carl thought hard and continued, “Maybe he’s one of those guys who hears voices.”

“And the voices told him to act all fruity?”

“At least I have an idea,” Carl shot back.

“You have nothing! Now shut up and watch.”

They sat there for what felt like an hour, waiting for Jeffrey to get on with whatever it was that he was doing, when the two of them saw something that almost made them jump out of their skin. Coming down the steps in a pink chiffon dress was the largest woman either of them had ever seen, and what was even odder was that she was translucent. They could not see completely through her, but were still able to make out the outlines of objects behind her.

She walked to Jeffrey, and he took her by the hand and escorted her to the table he had just set. He changed the music to Streisand, and the two of them began speaking in ways that alluded to familiarity. Whoever this strange being was, it was definitely a friend of Jeffrey’s, and he was quite comfortable dealing with it.

Carl looked at Sean and said, “Okay, what the hell is that?”

Sean shook his head and answered, “I think it’s a ghost.”

“You said there were no such things as ghosts! You said that it was all a prank by that city bastard over there.”

Sean turned on Carl and covered his mouth with his hand and said, “Keep your voice down, you fool! Do you want him to hear us?”

The two of them turned their gaze toward the living room and watched as the ghost and the man who they had come to do harm to sat back and shared stories with each other. They were so familiar with one another that they could have passed off as old friends or relatives. What they were talking about was beyond anything the two of them could imagine, but whatever it was, it was making them laugh, and Jeffrey even got up to grab a pad and a pen so he could take notes.

* * *

“He did what to his cat?” Jeffrey asked incredulously.

“I swear to you, Jeffrey, I felt dirty just watching it.” Saul was fanning himself with his hand. “It reminded me of my uncle Eli, the butcher. Oy gevalt, what that man was rumored to be doing with his meat was
not
kosher.”

Jeffrey smiled and continued to write. “This is good stuff, though. I can see us putting a lot of it into the script. The only thing that might be tricky will be to let the audience members know who we are talking about without naming names.”

Saul leaned forward and whispered to Jeffrey to keep others who might have been listening from hearing. “You know that we have visitors right now, right?”

Jeffrey slowly nodded his head and replied, “I saw the two schmucks when I was setting the table. They probably are sore about what you did to Sean the other night and want to take it out on me.”

Saul reached his hand across the table and grabbed Jeffrey’s. His touch was surprisingly warm, despite what he had always heard about ghosts being cold, unfeeling beings. “Jeffrey, my friend, as long as I am near you I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

He smiled and Jeffrey took his hand in his own and said, “And as long as I am around, your secret is safe with me. That reminds me, are you invisible right now?”

Saul’s eyes went wide, and he answered, “Oy gevalt.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Eyes Wide Open

“So, should we do something about them?” Jeffrey asked. “I mean, we can’t just have everyone in town knowing that there is a ghost in their midst.”

Saul leaned back and thought about it for a minute and answered, “I was thinking about that, actually. The way I see it, we are both going to be the talk of the town once this play comes out, so maybe it’s a good idea if I get comfortable with people knowing about me.”

Jeffrey shook his head and continued, “I don’t know, Saul. It’s one thing for me and Melissa to know about you, but those two schmucks could cause hysteria if we’re not careful.”

Saul looked out the window at the two schmendricks staring at him and said, “These two are the least of our problems. Watch this.” He looked directly at Sean and Carl, and slowly, seductively, he blew them a kiss accompanied by a wink. As fast as they had appeared at the window, the two of them disappeared from view, Carl dragging Sean, most likely not to return any time soon. “You see, Jeffrey? It’s easy to keep schmucks silent about certain things. I doubt that they even have on dry pants anymore.”

“You are very good at what you do, my friend,” Jeffrey toasted Saul. The ghost beamed with pride and happiness at hearing Jeffrey refer to him as a friend.

They sat in silence for a while as Jeffrey ate his dinner, a nice meal of roasted chicken and potatoes, nothing fancy but very satisfying. Saul watched as his new friend enjoyed his meal, wishing he could return to the days when he was able to enjoy the comforts of a properly cooked chicken or the smoky creaminess of bagels and lox. He longed for many things that he knew he would never enjoy again, but thanks to Jeffrey he was on the brink of being able to enjoy the theater again.

“So, how was the city other than Schultz and Fujikawa?”

Saul dreaded this question, he knew it meant he had to be forthright with the information he had about Rachel and that awful Richard Kearney fellow, and he dreaded it. He knew that Jeffrey did not believe him about their relationship, and if Saul brought it up again he ran the risk of alienating him forever.

“There really wasn’t much to see since I was on such a tight schedule,” Saul lied.

Jeffrey gave him a knowing look and continued, “You didn’t go try to smooth things over with Rachel?”

Saul’s face showed his discomfort and he replied, “Rachel? Oh, Rachel! Of course, I really didn’t have the time to visit her and apologize for the other night.”

Jeffrey nodded his head and answered, “From the sound of things, I think she owes
me
the apology, and I owe
you
one for ever doubting you.”

The ghost was taken aback by this statement and found himself at a rare loss for words, when Jeffrey added, “She called me before you came back to the cabin and confessed everything about her relationship with Kearney.” Jeffrey shook his head in disbelief. “She said she couldn’t keep up the charade anymore, and the fact that I had sent a ghost to do my bidding scared her a little.” He waited for Saul’s reply, but got none. “It just amazes me that after we have been through so much together, she could just throw it all away for someone else.”

“And he’s not even as handsome as you are,” Saul said innocently.

Jeffrey shot him a quizzical look and continued, “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He wiped his mouth and took a sip of his wine and added, “Well, who needs her? We have work to do, and I think it’s for the best that I have no more distractions.”

Saul shuffled in his seat and said, “I thought you loved her.”

“I thought so too,” Jeffrey replied. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot over the last month or so, and I think what I really loved was the idea of being in love.” He shook his head.

“It looked like you loved the sex.”

Jeffrey smiled and answered, “The sex was great. Better than any I’ve ever had.”

“From the look on your face and the sounds Richard used to make, I’d say she was some kind of modern-day Mata Hari.”

Jeffrey showed an obvious expression of disdain when Saul mentioned Richard, and Saul continued, “I’m so sorry, Jeffrey. That was insensitive of me.”

He smiled at the ghost and put his hand on Saul’s and said, “That’s all right. If it wasn’t for you, I would have never known.”

Saul looked deep into his friend’s eyes and suddenly felt the realization that he had neglected to tell him something very important about his trip to New York.

“That reminds me, Jeffrey. When I was at Schultz’s office, they were talking about your friend, Jacob, and how he wasn’t returning any calls.”

Jeffrey listened carefully and asked, “Did they say anything about what they think is going on?”

Saul shook his head and continued, “Just that he has gotten too big for himself and that maybe they should send the same guy after him who is coming for you.”

The last part of that statement was alarming to Jeffrey, because this was the first time he had heard anything about someone being directly sent to find him. Rachel had told him she was the one behind his relocation to Zion being leaked to the local gossip columnist, but she had never said anything about this.

“There’s more,” Saul said. “Whoever this guy is, he did a real number on Richard. He looked like he just went through the ringer, and he was obviously scared out of his mind that this guy could come back.”

Jeffrey was honestly becoming concerned at this point, not just for his own safety, but for that of Rachel and Jacob. Two people who he owed absolutely nothing to were now the focal point of his worries. He had to get in touch with Rachel and maybe help her relocate for a time, and he had to warn Jacob that the man who had made him so famous was plotting to have him injured, if not killed.

This would mean Jeffrey had to leave Zion and return to the city; Jacob would need to be told this information face-to-face, an option he was not looking forward to. He was not ready to return yet, and his concerns only grew when Saul added more to the conversation.

“The guy who is coming after you isn’t listening to Schultz anymore. He’s gone rogue, and that scares him.”

The nightmare continued. Jeffrey felt his temples ache at the revelation that a dangerous person was on the hunt and Jeffrey was the prey. He wanted desperately to abandon the cabin and find the most remote place on the planet to hide, but he knew he had to warn Rachel and Jacob, especially Jacob, that they were in dire straits and their next moves had to be made quickly and with as much stealth as possible.

He felt a responsibility to his former apprentice, for whatever reason he could think of. He could not in good conscience leave him to the proverbial wolves and allow him to be brought in by the monster he knew Schultz was capable of sending.

Jacob may have acted treacherously with his dealings with Jeffrey, but as long as Jeffrey had known the man, he also knew he was very gullible and that had made him an easy mark for the two power brokers to make their move on him. It was time Jeffrey put aside all of his emotions and do what was right by Jacob and Rachel and see to it that the two of them were as safe as possible.

* * *

“I’m telling you, Sean, that damned thing saw us and blew a kiss.” Carl was hysterical as the two of them drove back toward Zion.

Sean Wagner shook his head furiously and answered, “I didn’t see anything. One minute I’m watching that Jew, Rothstein, talking to himself, the next you’re screaming like a woman and dragging me off the porch.”

“Because the ghost saw us!”

Sean reached over and slapped Carl in the face and continued, “Stop that shit! There was no ghost, just a scared little man who’s late for happy hour.”

They sat in silence as Sean sped along the winding lakefront road that led into Zion and continued, “That settles it. I ain’t playing on his turf anymore. The next time that son of a bitch comes into town, he’s leaving on a stretcher.”