Read Online Pieces of the Puzzle by Robert Stanek - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Stanek
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Miami?”
Helen frowned again. “No, my good fortune. Isn’t that a laugh?… Aspirin, I need aspirins… No, better, I think I’m going to
sleep.”
“You need to walk around.” Scott helped her stand. “Where are the aspirins?”
“Bathroom,” Helen moaned. “But I don’t think I’m ready to walk.”
He put his arm around her to help steady her. She shrank away and stumbled back onto the couch. He brought her legs up onto
the couch with the rest of her body, then put a cushion behind her head. “When was the last time you saw Jessica?”
She draped an arm over her eyes. “Thursday.”
“Jessica didn’t call you when she came back from Miami?”
She was silent.
“Helen, Helen?” He brought the sweater from the coat rack and wrapped it around her. He lifted her billfold from her purse
while she was passed out. Not much to find: a driver’s license and a credit card. Both belonging to Helen Johnson.
With his feet propped on a chair, he sat facing the front door for the next several hours. He was half awake, half asleep.
He had to go to the bathroom but didn’t want to move. He was waiting for the door to open. It was after ten and May, the receptionist,
was probably late. He heard a moan from behind him and cocked his head in that direction. Helen was beginning to stir.
“Aspirin, I need aspirin, my brain’s on fire,” she was saying.
Scott stretched, heard his back crackle pop, then stood. “Is the office open today?”
“Weekday, isn’t it?” Helen shot back. “Aspirin’s in the bathroom.”
He helped her to her feet. “Get it yourself.”
She looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t know who you are. I don’t care either. Will you just get out of here?”
He started to help her to the bathroom. She backed away.
“Don’t touch me. I’m sober now. Don’t you touch me!”
“Look, Helen. We went through all this before. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m looking for Jessica. I think she’s in a lot of
trouble and doesn’t realize how bad the situation is. You could help by telling me where she is.”
“You said you were a P.I., is that true?”
“I never said that.” Scott paused. “I tell you what. I’ll go if you recommend a place where I can get a room and some sleep,
and if you promise to call me the minute Jessica returns. She is in trouble, Helen, serious trouble, and I believe I can help
her before it’s too late.”
Her eyes widened. “Too late for what?”
“Who was she meeting in Miami?”
“A client.”
“A client, in Miami?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Scott put a hand on her shoulder. She stared him down. He pulled the hand away. “Remember, you’re the one who told me you
thought Jessica was in trouble. I work for the government, Helen. I’m here to help. Don’t lie to me.”
“The government.” She laughed. “Which government?”
“Our government.”
“Who’s paying you the most?”
Scott squeezed his eyebrows together. “No one’s paying me anything.”
Helen started screaming, “I can’t handle this. I need an aspirin. I need an aspirin.”
“Get the whole bottle if it’ll help.”
“If May comes in, don’t say anything about this to her.”
He watched her slink away into the back room. He rubbed sleep from his eyes with the heels of his hands, then poured himself
a cup of coffee. He kept an eye on the bathroom door in case there was a back exit he hadn’t seen.
A few minutes later, she returned. She had rinsed the thick cake of makeup off her face, combed her hair, straightened her
long, baggy dress. She looked younger, almost pretty.
She glanced at the wall clock. “May’s not here yet?”
He nodded to the empty desk. “Is she usually late?”
“Never.” Helen’s jaw started to quiver. “I know he’s paying you, stop playing with me. Tell him I didn’t tell you anything,
and leave it at that. Tell him I’m willing to give him back the money. I don’t want it. I’ll never say
Helen frowned again. “No, my good fortune. Isn’t that a laugh?… Aspirin, I need aspirins… No, better, I think I’m going to
sleep.”
“You need to walk around.” Scott helped her stand. “Where are the aspirins?”
“Bathroom,” Helen moaned. “But I don’t think I’m ready to walk.”
He put his arm around her to help steady her. She shrank away and stumbled back onto the couch. He brought her legs up onto
the couch with the rest of her body, then put a cushion behind her head. “When was the last time you saw Jessica?”
She draped an arm over her eyes. “Thursday.”
“Jessica didn’t call you when she came back from Miami?”
She was silent.
“Helen, Helen?” He brought the sweater from the coat rack and wrapped it around her. He lifted her billfold from her purse
while she was passed out. Not much to find: a driver’s license and a credit card. Both belonging to Helen Johnson.
With his feet propped on a chair, he sat facing the front door for the next several hours. He was half awake, half asleep.
He had to go to the bathroom but didn’t want to move. He was waiting for the door to open. It was after ten and May, the receptionist,
was probably late. He heard a moan from behind him and cocked his head in that direction. Helen was beginning to stir.
“Aspirin, I need aspirin, my brain’s on fire,” she was saying.
Scott stretched, heard his back crackle pop, then stood. “Is the office open today?”
“Weekday, isn’t it?” Helen shot back. “Aspirin’s in the bathroom.”
He helped her to her feet. “Get it yourself.”
She looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t know who you are. I don’t care either. Will you just get out of here?”
He started to help her to the bathroom. She backed away.
“Don’t touch me. I’m sober now. Don’t you touch me!”
“Look, Helen. We went through all this before. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m looking for Jessica. I think she’s in a lot of
trouble and doesn’t realize how bad the situation is. You could help by telling me where she is.”
“You said you were a P.I., is that true?”
“I never said that.” Scott paused. “I tell you what. I’ll go if you recommend a place where I can get a room and some sleep,
and if you promise to call me the minute Jessica returns. She is in trouble, Helen, serious trouble, and I believe I can help
her before it’s too late.”
Her eyes widened. “Too late for what?”
“Who was she meeting in Miami?”
“A client.”
“A client, in Miami?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Scott put a hand on her shoulder. She stared him down. He pulled the hand away. “Remember, you’re the one who told me you
thought Jessica was in trouble. I work for the government, Helen. I’m here to help. Don’t lie to me.”
“The government.” She laughed. “Which government?”
“Our government.”
“Who’s paying you the most?”
Scott squeezed his eyebrows together. “No one’s paying me anything.”
Helen started screaming, “I can’t handle this. I need an aspirin. I need an aspirin.”
“Get the whole bottle if it’ll help.”
“If May comes in, don’t say anything about this to her.”
He watched her slink away into the back room. He rubbed sleep from his eyes with the heels of his hands, then poured himself
a cup of coffee. He kept an eye on the bathroom door in case there was a back exit he hadn’t seen.
A few minutes later, she returned. She had rinsed the thick cake of makeup off her face, combed her hair, straightened her
long, baggy dress. She looked younger, almost pretty.
She glanced at the wall clock. “May’s not here yet?”
He nodded to the empty desk. “Is she usually late?”
“Never.” Helen’s jaw started to quiver. “I know he’s paying you, stop playing with me. Tell him I didn’t tell you anything,
and leave it at that. Tell him I’m willing to give him back the money. I don’t want it. I’ll never say
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