Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Conner stared at the phone again. This time he picked it up, dialed Beth's number, and waited. The phone rang several times before her voicemail answered.
"It's me," he said. "Call me."
He hung up and set the phone down, frowning. Beth's frequent failure to answer her phone was a pet peeve of his. She probably hadn't heard his call, or she might be ignoring him. But he still couldn't shake the pit of worry in his stomach. Conner moved to his bedroom in search of his suitcase.
Sapphire Angel marched out of the alley and onto the sidewalk of the main thoroughfare, boots clicking on the cement. The hour was getting later, and some younger residents were downtown, ready to frequent one of a handful of bars. Heads turned, with awe-filled gazes falling upon the knockout blonde. Excited murmurs and whispers sounded around her, as people expressed disbelief she was here in Wynton.
In the early days of her superheroine life, Sapphire Angel would have avoided such a public appearance at all costs, worried people might recognize her as Beth Harper. She had learned, though, that the power of her necklace kept her identity safe, even in situations where it should have been obvious. She still preferred to stay out of the limelight, so she kept her public appearances to a minimum. But she was running into too many dead ends as Beth Harper on this trip, so it was time to pull out all the stops.
Before someone in the crowd could recover and approach her, she took hurried but purposeful steps down the block toward Lanigan's Bar, and opened the door. A few onlookers scurried down the sidewalk after her.
When she entered the bar, a moment of silence came over the crowd, followed by a buzz of excitement, with whistles and catcalls mixed in. She ignored her admirers and strode toward the owner, Don Lanigan, who remained in his previous place behind the bar. He stood frozen, his eyes wide with awe, as she came toward him. Sapphire Angel stopped in front of the bar, hands on her hips, her gaze leveled at him. He stared back, slack-jawed.
"I need information, and you look like the kind of man who can give it to me," she said in her clear and confident voice.
He was silent for a moment, before blinking and giving a quick shake of the head, as if fighting the effects of a trance. As long as there were no distractions, she might be able to hold him in her mysterious thrall long enough to get him to tell her what she needed.
"Information? What information?" he asked, his voice quiet and monotone. His eyes remained wide and locked on the superheroine.
"There was a man in here last night, carrying a laptop bag," Sapphire Angel said, still standing in her confident pose with her hands on her hips. "Do you know who I'm talking about?"
The man nodded slowly. "Yes," he murmured, before shaking his head. "No, um, I mean... oh hell, yes."
Before she could speak again, a snicker came from her left. She glanced over and saw the old man with the John Deere hat, watching the owner of the bar with amusement.
"I think he's smitten with you," the old man cackled. Lanigan turned to the man and scowled.
"Zip it, Mitch!" Lanigan hissed.
Sapphire Angel looked back to the owner and asked, "What can you tell me about the man from last night?"
Lanigan started to speak, but paused. He put both hands on the bar and looked down, squeezing his eyes shut. After several seconds he looked up and said, "Nothing. I only noticed he was here." He tore his haze from her and looked to the side, his face clenched, as if fighting a hypnotic spell.
She raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, putting both of her gloved hands on the edge of the bar. "Are you sure about that?" she asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.
He glanced at her, a slight grin forming on his face. He had more confidence and resolve in his eyes than even a few moments earlier. Whatever sway her strange power had held over his willpower was fading. Perhaps the old man's interruption had been enough to free Lanigan's mind.
"I'm sure," he said with a nod.
Sapphire Angel fought back a scowl and pushed aside the frustration welling up inside her.
"Then I'm sure you can at least tell me who was in here last night between eight and nine o'clock," she said, using a gentle but persuasive voice.
A dreamy, mesmerized glaze came over his eyes again, but vanished a moment later. It was enough, though.
"Just old Mitch there — " he said, before catching himself. He flushed red. "Actually, I'm not really sure. I don't know who was here last night."
He was lying — he had told Beth Harper he remembered everyone in his bar — but she had what she needed.
"Thanks, you've been a big help," Sapphire Angel said, closing her mouth into a thin smile.
"I do my best," the owner murmured, fumbled for a nearby rag, before using it to wipe the counter. He didn't meet her gaze.
Sapphire Angel turned to the old man in the John Deere hat and stepped over to him. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed all eyes in the bar on her, but nobody approached. The old man swiveled on his stool and looked up at her. His eyes traveled up and down her body, and the corners of his mouth twisted into a slight grin.
"I knew there was a reason I loved this place," he said, and let loose with a wheezy cackle.
She sighed, put her hands on her hips, and cocked her head. She gave him an "are you done yet?" look. When his laugh stopped, she spoke.
"Your name is Mitch?"
"At your service," he said with a beaming smile, revealing a mouth with several missing teeth
"You're here a lot?" she asked him.
He nodded. "Oh yeah. Here during the day, to see the regulars. Here at night to see all the pretty young ladies. None as pretty as you, though."
"Mitch, perhaps you can help me out. I'm looking for — "
"I heard your talk with Don," he interrupted, holding up a wrinkled hand. "And I'm not love-struck like him."
"Good," she said, forcing a smile, but perplexed by the unpredictable nature of her power of persuasion, which seemed to affect some people and not others. "So can you help me?"
"I sure can. Your man passed right through here, with a bag over his shoulder. He walked through the door back there, which goes to the hotel lobby." Mitch turned on his stool and pointed to his left, at a glass door past the end of the bar.
Sapphire Angel frowned. Perhaps Lanigan, the bar owner, was telling the truth. If Eric had only passed through, it would have been easy to miss him.
"But then he came back after a while," the old man continued, interrupting her thoughts. "He didn't have the bag anymore, and sat right there," Mitch said, pointing to the stool next to Sapphire Angel. "He was talking to a guy in a suit who came in just a minute or two later. Your guy seemed pretty excited."
"How long was he gone before he came back?"
"I dunno. Ten minutes. Maybe twenty. Or longer. Or maybe shorter. I wasn't really paying attention."
"What were he and the man in the suit discussing?" the heroine asked.
"They started talking about baseball. The Rockies, mostly. Then they got real quiet. I couldn't make out much of what they were saying. The younger guy, the one you're asking about, said something about his laptop, and needing to show the guy something on it. And then they left."
The laptop. Of course it was important.
"Where did they go?"
"Your guy said he had a room reserved at the hotel. I presume they headed there, since they went through that door."
"Was there anything else you heard them say? Please try to remember. This is important."
He shook his head. "Sorry, hot stuff. Believe me, I'd tell you if I did." He gave her a wink.
"Did you recognize the other man?"
"Never saw him before. He looked all important though, wearing that suit and all."
"Anything else you can tell me?"
"No, but if I make stuff up, does that mean you'll stick around longer?" He gave her a playful grin.
Sapphire Angel ignored his question.
"Thank you," she said, and turned toward the glass door to the hotel.
Now things were interesting. Mantis rubbed his chin in thought as Sapphire Angel talked to an old man at the bar. What had brought the superheroine to this establishment? Her presence couldn't be a coincidence.
Mantis sat alone at a table in the corner of the bar, wearing a black outfit similar to the one he had worn two nights earlier. The dark shadows in the corner concealed him, but he sank even further into his seat. He doubted the veracity of the stories about the costumed woman's exploits, but he needed to keep his presence secret if he was going to learn more.
Things had been interesting enough when he had been following Beth Harper. Mantis had finally found her outside the police station, but lost her after tailing her to a street near the bar. He came here, figuring this would be her destination. He didn't mind being wrong, since he was getting a chance to see the American superheroine up close.
She was stunningly beautiful, although her attire was not proper for a woman. In his homeland, she would put herself in line for severe punishment by dressing in such a manner. The short skirt. The way the rest of the costume clung to her body. Mantis shook his head in disapproval.
He wondered how she came to be involved. From all the media coverage of her exploits, he knew she operated on the East Coast. He would need to report this turn of events to his employer. First, though, he wanted to learn more about what Sapphire Angel was doing, and where she was headed.
After the woman finished speaking to the old man, she moved away from the bar and headed toward a frosted glass door in the back of the room. She opened it and stepped out of sight.
Mantis was the first patron on his feet, but three other men rose from their chairs, intent on following the superheroine. A menacing glare from Mantis put an end to those intentions, his glare telling them he was not someone to cross. They sat back down in their seats, and Mantis continued his pursuit.
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Yay, Conner's coming to heIp! .....I think. I don't know---the ending of the first section sure sounded Iike it.
I kinda get why Sapphire initiaIIy tended to avoid pubIic appearances---there are some very terribIe peopIe out there, I'II say that much---but Iike the story said, it wasn't Iike she had much of a choice. Then again, she IS more than capabIe of defending herseIf as Sapphire, not to mention the identity-protecting neckIace.
Speaking of that....I found her persuasion abiIity to be reaIIy fascinating.....she couId hypotheticaIIy get anyone to teII her anything, and she'd IikeIy get it.....that is, if the process isn't interrupted, Iike what Mitch just did. The inconsistency, though, is cIear. If that couId be tuned up, I'd imagine it wouId be much more effective. She's Iike a waIking truth ray.
Mantis definiteIy can't seem to grasp the cuIture change between his homeIand and America. In this country, peopIe who dress Iike Sapphire are indeed NOT frowned upon, punished by Iaw, or anything Iike that. In fact....Iet's be honest, peopIe wiII accept anything nowadays as Iong as the outfit doesn't have any derogatory messages or reveaIs any of the person's danger zones. The onIy reaI risk they have (aIbeit a very significant one) is being set upon by creeps. And whiIe Sapphire may be abIe to fight her way out of such a situation, other peopIe may not be so Iucky.
One more chapter to go, and I'II be reduced to waiting for those bi-weekIy updates.
It’s been a lot of fun, though!