Chapter 20 - Dual Rage For Jester

9:50 a.m.

“Celeste, where are you? I need you now,” I whispered as I took a deep breath. I was one milli-second away from letting my rain fall as I stood in front of the elevator buttons. How cruel is it, yet ironic, that elevators have such shiny, metallic surfaces? I couldn’t even look at my own reflection without getting sick to my stomach at my dereliction of duty. The Chiefs’ going to hand me my ass and fire me on the spot. I have to tell him. I have to tell his wonderful parents and how bad a partner I am. I suddenly heard quiet breathing behind me. “Hi, Celeste,” I said as I turned around slowly, expecting to see Celeste covered in blood.

“What’s up, Boss?” Celeste had on brown slacks and a fuzzy, tan sweater. Her warrior-mode armor? Or her handle-business outfit? Perhaps a style from days gone by?

I don’t know what set me off but I just let my anger out. “That bitch and her fucking flunky kidnapped Detective Riley, my husband, and I’m going to confront the man who helped them. He’s in room 405. I need you to scare the shit out of him, as a favor to me.”

“Sure thing, Lady! Let’s get that fucker!”

I smiled amid the torrential pain in my heart. “Follow my lead but show him your blood rage,” I said as I swirled my pointer finger around Celeste’s face.

“Right on, sister!” Celeste wrapped her pinkie around my finger.

The elevator stopped and opened on the fourth floor.

“Showtime, Celeste.” I walked off the elevator and removed the fire extinguisher from the cabinet near the elevator. Sure, improper use of fire extinguishers is sometimes a felony. Well, a misdemeanor at least. But Kate Barker was in the mood to commit a few felonies to get my husband back.

Celeste followed me to room 405.

I balled up my right fist and banged on Jesters’ door like a mad woman. “Mac Jester!!” I hid the extinguisher behind my back.

Celeste stood to the left of me, near the wall. Smiling and cheering me on. “Get it, momma!” She wheezed.

Jester opened the door and saw me standing in the hallway with a fire extinguisher behind my back.

A bald man stepped out of 406 and into the hallway. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?” The man asked.

I looked at the man with contempt. “Mind your fucking business,” I commanded as I tapped the badge on my belt. The guest quickly hustled inside and closed the door softly.

Jester opened the door with surprise. “Oh! It’s you—”

I hit the door as hard as I could with the fire extinguisher. “Knock, Knock, Mac.” The Queen is making her move. The door swung open with enough force to be heard up and down the hallway. Jester fell to the ground, causing a deep cut on his forehead. The sudden fall didn’t knock him out but left him moaning in excruciating pain.

“What the hell? Why did you hit me?” Jester asked. He rubbed his forehead.

I barged my way inside and kicked his feet out of the doorway and slammed the door shut. I sat the extinguisher on the floor. “They kidnapped him, Mac. And I fucking know you had something to do with it.” I pointed at him as I stood over him.

Jester raised his head and looked at me. “Who kidnapped who? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Betsy Riddle and Al Dockson kidnapped Detective Riley this morning. I saw it on the security footage in the manager’s office. They took him, Mac.” I told Jester to get up and sit on the bed. “You’re not paralyzed. Get your ass up.”

“Okay! Give me a damn second!” Jester eventually crawled his way to the bed and sat up. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Hitting an innocent man is still assault.”

I looked at Jester with anger in my eyes. “Tell me where he is, Mac?”

Jester rubbed his head and looked at the wall. “Jesus, lady, I’d hate to see what you do to someone who’s guilty.”

I grabbed my side arm and removed it from the holster.

“Now wait a minute—” Jester squealed, before crawling back further onto the bed.

“You have two options, Mac. You know what they are. The easy way or the hard way?”

I stepped back and held my gun with both hands in front of me, pointed downward.

Jester remained silent for a few seconds, trying to compose himself the best he could. “You’re not going to do anything. You’re just trying to scare me.”

I nodded at him. “Yeah, I am. And Mac, you fucked with the wrong wife. Celeste, if you will!”

Jester looked at me. “Celeste? Who’s Cel—?”

Celeste popped out of thin air inches from his face, looking right at him in the eyes. Her blood-soaked face came alive as she screamed at him, like she did when she first showed herself to me in Little Rock. I put my sidearm back in my holster while Celeste took over for a bit. I’ll get the truth out of you yet, asshole.

Jester screamed just as loud and crawled back towards the headboard. “DEAR GOD, WHAT IS THAT? WHERE DID SHE COME FROM?” Jester struggled to catch his breath. Panting, sighing and sweating. “Holy Christ!”

Celeste slowly crawled onto the bed and over Jester’s legs towards the pillows he covered himself up with.

Jester screamed again when Celeste stopped right above his head and he couldn’t look away. “What do you want? Go away, witch!”

I walked over to the side of the bed and stopped in front of the nightstand. “What’s wrong, Mac? You look like you saw a ghost?”

Jester looked at me and realized Celeste was gone. “What? Where did she go? Who was that? What are you trying to pull here, lady?”

“Wipe your nose, Mac. You’re starting to sound like a hyena when you breathe.

He reached his shaking arm for the box of tissues on the nightstand.

I informed Jester what he just saw was the ghost of a murder victim. “She’s a friend of mine.”

Jester looked around the room in panic. “Oh fuck me, what is wrong with you? You’re crazy!”

I smiled and walked around to the front of the bed. I folded my arms and gargled my anger at him. “You have no idea how fucking crazy I can be, especially when my partner has been kidnapped by a pair of serial killers,” I said in a low, angry tone.

“I think you’ve made that clear, Detective Barker.” Jester threw the crumpled tissue on the nightstand.

“HAVE I?” I looked Jester dead in his eyes. “HAVE I MADE THAT CLEAR?”

“YES!” Jester yelled.

I leaned down and looked him in the eyes. “Or are you just that stubborn, Mac? Let me know if I need to repeat myself one last time,” I whispered, as I put my right hand on my holster.

“No ma’am, I get it loud and clear.”

“Good. Let’s continue.”

“Whatever you say,” Jester sighed as he tried to catch his breath. I imagine his heart was racing one hundred beats a minute. Not the best for an older man but at least he knew his heart was in decent enough shape to keep him alive during a ghost attack and whether it would happen again, depended on him.

“Mac, I’m going to give you one last damn time to come clean. “WHERE DID THEY TAKE DETECTIVE RILEY?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no idea who took who where? I’ve been in my room all night and all morning, like you two told me to do,” Jester declared.

“Doesn’t matter. Then again, they didn’t exactly need you beyond telling them where we were. They must have staked out the parking lot, waiting for us to come out. Sons of bitches!!” I walked over to the window and peaked outside.

“I didn’t tell anyone a damn thing. You had my only phone,” Jester stated.

“Save it. You’re done!” I said.

Celeste appeared next to him with her bubbly personality—smiles and giggles—this time. “Sorry about earlier. Hope you didn’t shit your pants too bad!”

Jester flinched and huffed, as he scooted further away from Celeste. He managed to get off the bed and walk over to the couch, near the window. He looked and pointed at Celeste. “Is she some kind of demon or witch?” He glanced over at me and paused for a moment. He realized the jig was up and confessed or else he might find himself duck taped to a wall with darts thrown at him. “I only made one call to Susan on my spare phone. I swear on my life I only called her.”

“Oh really? Well, remember when you wanted to do this the hard way, you saw the “Detective Riley” way last night. This, today, here, now…is the Kate Barker way. Forgive me for making it up as I go along,” I declared, with a wink and smile at Celeste. Making it up as I went along gave me the edge I needed. And it felt kind of refreshing.

“It’s definitely working,” he sighed.

I told him I’d happily go check the front desk to see if any calls were made from 405.

He shook his head and handed me the small burner phone he kept as a spare. “Check it! One call to Susan last night. That’s it, I swear!!”

“See, how can I believe you, Mac?”

Silence.

“Give me that damn phone.” I snatched it out of his hands. I checked the outgoing call log and saw only one call made the night before. “I knew I couldn’t trust you.” Lying sack of shit! He’s in on it. I know it. He better not have deleted any other incriminating calls. How else did they know where to find us this morning to kidnap Sam?

I nodded her head at Jester and scrunched up her cheeks. “Okay! Into the bathroom. Now!”

“What? NO!! You can’t make me!”

I pulled my side arm out. “Mr. Jester, you listen good. I consider you suspect number one in the kidnapping of Detective Sam Riley, my partner.”

“Are you shitting me lady? How in the absolute fuck—”

“GO NOW, MAC!”

Jester turned and stumbled his way to the bathroom.

I turned on the light and stood by the door.

“Pull the curtain back, get in the tub and lay down.”

“No, this isn’t right. You can’t—”

“NOW!!”

I grabbed my handcuffs and threw them on his lap. “Cuff yourself to the rail.”

“You’re not going to get away with this.”

I smiled. “I’ve gotten away with far worse. Think of it this way, if you’re innocent, you won’t be in any trouble at all. At least I’ll know you’re telling the truth and I know where to find you.”

“You’ve lost your—”

“Now be quiet before I turn on the cold shower until I come back in an hour.”

Jester shook his head.

Celeste popped her head in with excitement. “That’s kinky, girl. I like it.”

Jester was appalled at the situation he found himself in. “This is torture!”

“No funny business, Mac. The APD knows right where to find you,” she asserted. “Unless housekeeping has a hacksaw to cut through the cuffs and a big favor they owe you,” I muttered under my breath.

“On or off, Mac?” I asked as I walked out.

“Off,” he whispered, looking away from me.

“No. I’m keeping it on.” I opened the door to leave the room and, ironically, I found two female Albuquerque PD patrol officers, walking the hallway towards 405. I stepped out into the hallway with Celeste right behind me. I still had Jesters’ keys and belongings in one of my coat pockets.

Officers Gentry and Ellis stopped in front of 405. “Excuse me ma’am? Have you seen or heard any suspicious behavior on this floor?” Officer Gentry asked.

“Suspicious behavior? My last few days have been nothing but suspicious behavior. You have no idea, ladies!” I said sarcastically.

“What about on this floor?” Ellis asked, motioning up and down the hallway.

“Nothing I can speak of,” I stated calmly. “I’m sorry, I’m Detective Kate Barker of the Bloomfield, Illinois PD.” I looked up and down the hallway. “Everything is under control it seems.”

“Well, Detective Barker, we got a call saying someone was screaming in 405,” Officer Ellis stated.

Jester yelled as loud as he could to get the officers’ attention. “HELP!!”

I sighed. “Goddammit,” I muttered under my breath.

“Wait! What’s going on? Why is there screaming coming from this room?” Officer Ellis asked.

I opened the door and asked, “Celeste, can you turn the volume down on the TV?”

“I’m on it, girl!”

I closed the door just as quickly.

“Are you sure you heard screaming?” I asked Officer Ellis. I shook my head.

“I didn’t hear actual screaming, screaming.”

“I heard it too,” Officer Gentry added.

The bathroom light flipped on for a few seconds and off again.

“Mac, shut up,” Celeste said.

“That was the TV,” I declared.

A few seconds later, Jester stopped yelling for help. Celeste appeared beside me like nothing happened.

“That ought to shut his ass up,” Celeste declared, as she stood next to me.

“Thanks, Celeste!” I said as the two officers looked at each other in confusion.

“Okay, what the hell is going on Detective Barker?” Officer Gentry asked. “Stop jerking us around and tell us the truth!”

“Who are you talking to, Detective Barker?” Officer Ellis inquired.

Here goes nothing! I smiled at the officers. “You really want to know what’s going on?”

“No, we’re here to deliver donuts to every guest. What do you think?” Officer Gentry stated.

“Fine. What’s really going on is my husband was kidnapped from the parking lot this morning by a pair of serial killers he and I are chasing across America. They left a note and said no cops or else he’s dead. The private investigator we hired to do some work for us is helping them. I’ve got him confined to 405 so he doesn’t escape,” I said with a smile.

“Really? And you didn’t think to call us?” Gentry asked.

“No, I can’t have any other involvement besides me. They’ll kill him. It’s some weird, sick, twisted game they’re playing with us. We have to keep this quiet. No police reports. No radio calls to dispatch.

Everything’s 10-4. Can I count on your ladies to help me keep this quiet?”

“You know you’re out of your jurisdiction and from the looks of it, way in over your head, Detective.” Officer Ellis stated.

Officer Gentry looked at her partner. “What do you think?”

“What proof do you have of his kidnapping as you say he was?” Officer Ellis asked.

“A five-minute security footage clip of the parking lot from this morning,” I declared. “If I had it with me, I’d show it to you.”

“This isn’t the strangest thing I’ve seen while on duty,” Officer Gentry said.

Officer Ellis agreed to keep things as quiet as they could. “We’ll file this as a noisy hotel guest. That’s all we can do, really.”

“Good! None of this happened.”

Officer Ellis gave me a hold-up-now look. “Now, as far as whoever’s screaming in there, we can’t have anything or anyone causing problems for other guests here and that includes the noise.”

“Of course. I’ll just have to duct tape his mouth shut. Or turn on the cold shower,” I said with a smile.

“That’s not funny, Detective Barker,” Officer Ellis said.

“If you knew how the last seventy-two hours were for me, you’d say otherwise. Legally, I’m dead. I faked my own death two weeks ago—not my idea of course—to catch The Bingo Killer. All the more reason this needs to be dead quiet. Besides that, things have gotten really spooky around me lately.”

“Spooky?” Officer Ellis said with a laugh. “HA!!”

“I strongly doubt that,” Officer Gentry said. “First time, I’ve heard that one before.”

“Well, I beg to differ,” I said with a sour look on my face.

“What’s next, Detective Barker?” Officer Ellis asked with a hearty laugh. “You gonna tell us you speak to dead people like in all those horror movies?”

Officer Gentry looked away and laughed at her partner’s joke.

I laughed it off with them. “That’s a good one, Officer Ellis. Oh, Celeste, one more time!”

Both Officers Gentry and Ellis looked at me.

“Who’s Celeste?” Officer Ellis asked.

“BOO!”

Ellis turned her head right as Celeste stood behind them and let out her usual butt-cheek tightening scream right in the two officers’ ears.

Celeste showed herself as both a half blood-soaked human and as a half dirty, scary skeleton, inches from Ellis’ eyes.

Ellis didn’t think or hesitate to stick around to find out what the hell she just witnessed, let alone her partner’s safety. “OH MY GOD!!! RUN GENTRY, RUN!!” Ellis booked it down the hallway, past the elevator and through the stairwell door like the building was about to implode. The burst of her crashing through the stairwell door echoed down the hallway. “Gentry, let’s go. Let’s get out of here,” Ellis yelled, as she ran down the stairs to the first floor.

Gentry jumped back a few feet and pointed her weapon at Celeste. “What the fuck is going on?” Gentry yelled, as she looked at me for a clear explanation.

Celeste smiled and waved. “I’m already dead so shooting me won’t do a damn thing.”

Gentry backed against the opposite wall and walked towards the elevator, keeping her eyes on Celeste and I.

“What were you saying about scary movies?” I asked.

“This is out of our jurisdiction. You need an exorcist or the Ghostbusters. Not us!” Gentry disappeared around the corner and down to the elevator.

I quickly tip-toed towards the elevator like a ballerina on stage. “Bye now! Keep this quiet okay.”

“I’ll never get tired of that. It gets funnier every time I do it. I really think I’m getting it down as a neat party trick,” Celeste said.

I have to move Jester to our room and cuff him to the tub rail. No sense in buying him another night here. He hasn’t earned it. When Sam is brought back, we’re out of here to Vegas. Jester will be a bad, distant memory.

“Let’s let a monster loose,” I said to Celeste. “Stay with me, Celeste. It’s safer that way.”

“For sure, momma!”

“Celeste, I promise you, we’ll get the people who murdered you. For you,

Jill Sanders and her dad. I promise!”

Celeste let a tear loose after hearing my promise and quickly gave me a big hug.

All I felt was a slight gust of wind in my hair and a cold sensation on my skin.

I returned to the bathroom and gave Jester the key to unhook himself from the rail.

“Leave the cuff and key on the side of the tub and get out. Stand by the sink.”

Jester looked at me.

I snapped my fingers. “Now, Mac. Let’s go!”

He slowly did as I asked. Time was critical as I feared those two cops would bring back the calvary and turn this hotel into one big crime scene. Moving Jester to my room was the only logical choice. I grabbed the cuffs and key and put them back in my jeans pocket. I walked out of the bathroom and told Jester to get his luggage and come with me.

We walked to the elevator to go back to 213.

I dreaded the phone calls I had to make.

Jester was right in front of me, marching with his bags like he was a prisoner of war going to the gulags.