Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 13:30:41 GMT From: Robyn Harris Organization: Wesleyan College Subject: INT:Goldman Pictures, Fiances and Ex-Husbands "Maybe that will cool you down, Jeff." He hopped around for a minute squealing. The bartender/owner turned aro und to see him. "Not you again! And what is that smell?" The bartender motioned and five large men materialized from the dark per iphery of the room. They took Jeff by the arms. He struggled and then gave in, "Reine, please! I went to all this trouble to--" "To what?" "To say--" He was deposited neatly on the street, the door swung shut. He wondered if it could get worse than sitting on the street in a loin cloth covered with mutton. Then it began to rain. He rolled his eyes upwards, "Thanks." "Thanks? That's what you came to say?" She stood in the doorway, her wig hanging to the left. He stood up and reached over to her. He took the wig off and let it fall to the sidewalk. "I'm sorry, Reine. I did think you might have tipped them off, but only because I don't know how to trust you." The rain was falling harder now. He stood, water streaming down him, in to a pool of greasy mutton at this feet. She looked at him through the sheet of water falling from the awning she stood under. "You look ridiculous." "Thank you." "Come on, let's get you some dry clothes," she stepped into the rain and took his arm. "Where is your car?" "Right -- Oh shit!" He looked at the empty parking spot. "I left it ri ght there." "In this neighborhood?" She shook her head and smiled at him. "No matt er. I have a friend up the street. You are about the same size. Well, you are a lot shorter, but no matter. Come on." She led him up the street, teetering a little now and then. The passing cars slowed down to stare. It wasn't often you could see a drunk gangster's daughter leading a pale Tarzan down the sidewalk in the rain. They finally reached her friends building. She reached into an open mailbox and pulled out a key. "Unbelievable, he never changes." She unlocked the front door and led Jeff up to the second floor. She pounded the door to 2A. A tall blonde man, wiping sleep from his brown eyes answered. "Lareine. What in the hell are you doing here?" "I need your help, Charlie." "Charlie?" Jeff looked at the man who was maybe four inches taller. "I' m not a lot shorter." She turned around and put her palm on Jeff's chest, "Jeff here needs som e clothes." She swung around to Charlie. "And I do, too. I figure I can just grab some of the ones you keep her for your girlfriends." She stumbled into the bedroom. Charlie turned to Jeff, "How much did she drink?" "Six somethings, I couldn't tell what they were." "Great." "Is she an alcoholic?" "Not at all. She just has little to no tolerance. In fact, I'll bet yo u anything she's passed out in the bedroom." Jeff walked to the door. She was laying sideways across the bed, snuffl ing in her sleep. "I don't think I'll take that one." "I'm Charlie Alexander. Lareine is my strange ex-wife." Jeff introduced himself. "I don't know how I fall into your ex-wife's l ife. I'm a private investigator." "Chances are she's trying to incarcerate Tony and you are going to help her." "How did you know?" "How do you think he got to Joliet in the first place? Sit down, I'll g et you some clothes." Jeff sat on the couch, surveying the small apartment. Charlie didn't se em to be to wanting in anything, but neither was he overly prosperous. Jeff wondered what he did for a living. He was still wondering when a pile of clothes fell into his lap. Charlie pointed him to the bathroom and he changed, thankful the mutton had washed off in the ten minute walk from the club. "Lareine and I met when she was in high school. I was in my fresh out o f the academy and I caught her shoplifting a bracelet. All she had to do was turn those big browns on me and I let her off with a warning." Charlie handed Jeff a cup of strong coffee. They sat in his living room. "She showed up a few days later, in this red dress," he smiled at the memory ,"looking 30 not 17. She talked to me about this awful uncle who was trying to ruin her life. He had turned her on to crime, she explained. I fell for her. She was beautiful, tempting, and still there's that innocence she manages to hold at all times." "Intoxicating." "Addicting." The both sat for a moment. "She sucked me right in to her plan. I delivered all of the evidence sh e fed me to the D.A.," he looked towards the bedroom door. "Youngest Lieutenant in the department." "What happened? To the two of you?" "We married as soon as she graduated. I don't mean to pry but I'm sure you know what I mean when I say I drowned in her on our wedding night. It took me two years to come up for air." Charlie downed his coffee. "She has a way of getting under your skin like a rash and filling your mind until there is nothing else in the whole world that matters. You know what I mean?" Jeff nodded. "Well," he swept his hand through his hair. "I had to get her out of my system. She was everything, I got to a point where she would even hint at doing something and I would have it done for her. Then she would smile and kiss me with that sweet mouth and ruffle the top of my hair and laugh." "Like music," Jeff interjected. "Yeah. She didn't love me like I loved her. She wasn't old enough to understand what I wanted. I was more of a friend to her than a husband." "So what did you do?" "I told her I was having an affair." "And you're still alive?" Charlie laughed. "Was it true?" Charlie leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Who would want take o ut when they had a gourmet chef at home? But it did the trick. We were divorced in two weeks. Quickest divorce I ever heard of." Jeff was tempted to ask for his lawyer's name. "But we've been friends the last four years. She stops by. The clothes in the closet are hers. It's sad really, I was her best friend and she was the love of my life." Jeff looked at the man baring his soul. "Get out Jeff. Get out while there is still time. She has a way, she'l l steal your soul. You will fall in love with her, but she'll never change." He stood. "I'm going to sleep in my office. You can sleep on the couch if you want. But if I were you, I'd get as far from here as possible." "It's too late." Jeff stood up and walked to the window. "She's alread y got me." "Good luck." Charlie disappeared into his office, shutting the door. J eff walked to the doorway and looked at Lareine sleeping. Her lashes rested on her cheeks, a faint smile danced on her lips. It was too late, he had fallen hard. "I must be crazy," He thought to himself, "I never act like this!" Jeff woke to to a slight tickled on his neck. He opened his eyes to fin d Lareine standing above him, her fingers grazing his neck. "Come along, Jeff. We have a big day. I have a contract to barter." She walked into the kitchen where Charlie stood with a cup of coffee. "Good morning, my love." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry about last night. I should have called first." Jeff looked at the man who obviously still held a flame for her. "You never call first, Reine. You just come by." "You like it that way." She snapped his suspender strap. Jeff felt lik e a voyeur. He stood. "Thanks for the clothes. We better get going." "Probably," Charlie said. He walked over to the front door and opened i t. Reine walked over and turned to look at him. "Charlie, hon, you need to get out more. You look like a hermit, all dr awn and pale." She kissed his nose. When she pulled back he thought he could see tears in her eyes. She hugged him, reaching up to whisper something in his ear. She pulled away and walked out the door. He stared after her stunned. "Bye, thanks for the advice." "There's still time." "Not for me, Man. Not for me." The door clicked shut behind him. He caught up with Reine on the street. "What did you say to him?" She looked at him, her eyes looking moist, "I told him-- The gun shot rang loudly from across the street. Reine fell against him hard, looking shocked. Jeff looked to see a man in a black hat running down the street. A crowd surrounded them. He looked into Reine's face, "You okay?" ************************************************** Robyn Alyson tHe OnLy DiFfErEnCe BeTwEeN FaNtAsY aNd ReAlItY iS pErCePtIoN