The Missing Ink

Chapter 39

She was adjusting her shirt, not paying attention. I leaned against the sink and folded my arms across my chest.

“So, fancy meeting you here.”

Her head whipped up and she got that deer-in-the-headlights look, her mouth forming a perfect “O.” She was faster than me, and she managed to push me aside as she ran out of the restroom, the door slamming back in my face.

I bounded out into the hall in three strides and crashed right into someone. I stumbled and fell, sprawled on the floor, which was a little sticky and smelled like booze.

A hand reached down, and as it pulled me up, I looked right into Simon Chase’s face.

He wasn’t smiling.

“I told you not to follow me,” he said.

I shrugged, smoothing out my trousers, which now had streaks of dirt on them, and my hands were speckled with whatever was on the floor, tacky against the material. I wanted to go wash up, but I had a feeling that wasn’t in his plan.

“I didn’t. I’m here for the karaoke,” I said more defiantly than I felt at the moment.

I did see a smile then, trying to come out, tugging at the corners of his mouth, but he kept it at bay. “You don’t seem the karaoke type.”

No kidding, but I had to keep this up now. “My friends and I, well, we’re all signed up.”

Simon took my arm and began to lead me back down the hall toward the music, which got louder and louder as we approached.

“I’d like to see how you do,” he said, not looking at me, which was a good thing because I was in full panic mode.

I hadn’t sung since I was forced to be in the choir in high school. And then I’d been kicked out by Sister Mary Eucharista, who proclaimed I had a “tin ear” and I was “ruining the joyful noise.”

I was going to be ruining more than that if I got up onstage.

“I have to talk to Elise,” I said. “Didn’t you see her?”

Simon stopped short, and I bumped into him.

“No. And you didn’t, either.” His eyes were dark, but instead of scary dark, they were searching mine, seemingly trying to tell me something telepathically.

Sadly, my telepathic powers were lacking. Much like my musical talent.

“What’s going on with her? Why is she running?” I asked.

He just shook his head and jerked on my arm, pulling me forward again.

I couldn’t tell if Simon Chase was a bad guy or a good guy. Was he helping Elise? Was that why she called him? Or was she calling him to confront him about what was going on?

We stepped back out into the bar, and I glanced over at the stage. Bitsy was singing her heart out, blue suede shoes and all that, accompanied by an Elvis who had to be at least six-four.

“Your friend is good,” Simon said thoughtfully.

A thought slammed into my brain. How did he know Bitsy was my friend? He’d met Joel, but not Bitsy. She’d been dissed by the TV people, so he couldn’t have seen her during the 20/20 segment. Where else would he have seen her?

I looked around for Joel. Second time in twenty-four hours that a three-hundred-pound man had disappeared. Made me wonder if David Copperfield wasn’t in town.

The Elvis with the clipboard was checking with everyone to see if they wanted to sing. He took one look at me and started to pass, but Simon stopped him.

“She wants to sing,” he said, his face daring me to contradict him.

The Elvis nodded. “They always come around in the end. How about next?”

One glance at the clipboard told me no one was drunk enough to sign up yet, except for Bitsy. Lucky me.

Simon handed me over, and I didn’t even toss a look back at him. I’d have to just get this over with.

“What will you sing?” the Elvis asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“What song do you know?”

I thought a little, and the only Elvis song title I could think of was “Jailhouse Rock,” but who knew what it sounded like? I told him the song, and he grinned.

“Great choice.”

Bitsy was startled when she stepped off the stage and saw me being escorted up. I shrugged at her. I couldn’t think of any way to get out of this.

The Elvis handed me a microphone and showed me the screen where I’d read the words to sing, “just in case you forget them.” Just in case.

The music started, and I had no idea where to jump in, so I just started singing, if that’s what you could call it. My heart was pounding, and I needed a Xanax in the worst way. Fortunately the lights prevented me from seeing the audience, which started to boo about two lines into the song. I wanted it to be like The Gong Show, and someone would hook me around the waist and drag me offstage. But that didn’t happen. I got through the whole song, the booing and hissing aside, and when I stopped, applause broke out.

Probably because it was over.

I rushed offstage, tripping over my own feet as I went down the steps, scanning the room for Simon Chase, but he was gone. Great. He made me suffer my worst humiliation and took off on me.

As my eyes adjusted back to the light in the bar, I saw one person who hadn’t taken off yet.

Elise was at the end of the bar.

But she wasn’t alone.

Matthew, Kelly Masters’s brother, was behind her, his hands on her shoulders as they went toward the black curtain.