Rack of Lamb

(Follows Getting a tip)

Kyle Evans had his head in his silver refridgerator. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd go home, eat a rack of lamb and then send his story in about Duibne Industries' CEO collasping. He had thrown out every single bottle, flask, wine bottle and bit of liquor his condo had. The secret stash. The secret secret stash...all down the incinerator.

It took everything not to go down the block to buy a fifth of whiskey, southern comfort, tequila...hell, he'd drink Mad Dog at this point. The shakes had gotten so bad that he was barely able to count out change for a paper outside his building. To his surprise, and profound sadness, after throwing out all his booze, his kitchen was unbelievable bare.

Standing up, he closed his fridge door and pouted. It was nearing about midnight and his stomach was grumbling. His withdrawl was making room for his hunger and he really did want a rack of lamb. The article had been emailed in and would make the morning edition. He was true to his word and reported only a collaspe. He hoped whatever Marthinus told him later really wasn't worth dying for. He was far too hungry to die at this moment.

Grabbing his keys, he looked up at the mirror by his door. 'Eh,' he mumbled. He looked better after a shower but it didnt make him feel any better. It only intensified the bruises he got from Shera the barbarian. He sighed. Looking again at his reflection, he checked his grey turtle neck and blue jeans. He looked thinner but his color was coming back. He was nearing 60 hours without a drop and he wasn't looking forward to the next hour, much less the rest of his life. He had come to love his drunken haze. It was warm. Fuzzy. Hazy.

'Eh,' he mumbled again and opened his front door and standing poised to knock was the blonde from the dry cleaners.

Carol always seemed to be wide awake but even she found it difficult to find enough time to sleep. It was probably the pot induced power naps.

She gave the tall drink of water a bright smile. 'You know, I find this ironic, maybe even karma,' Carol said walking past Kyle into his flat. She looked around and nudged one of the open boxes with a toe.

Kyle mouthed the words 'come in' silently as she passed him. Carol was moving his boxes around with her toe. He shook his head quizzically, 'What are you doing here? More importantly, why are you here, touching my boxes with your feet?'

Admittedly, his hunger subsided and was replaced with that warm fuzzy feeling men get when potential sex enters their domain. The rack of lamb would wait.

Carol turned quickly to face Kyle, the bottom of her thigh length dress fluttered like a pinwheel. Reaching into her designer red bag, she pulled out her palm pilot.

'You are what we call a 'Person of Interest'.'

Kyle gave Carol a blank look.

'That means you're being followed now.'

The tall man blinked at her.

Carol returned her palm pilot to her purse and crossed her arms over her soft pink tank dress. ''Which part of that did you not get, cowboy?' She tilted her head to the side and looked at him prettily.

Kyle turned his back on Carol and closed his door. He took this moment to reflect upon what she had just said and he found himself feeling a little disturbed.

Turning back to Carol he looked down at the little blonde. 'You're a familiar, too?'

Carol nodded.

'You work for Marthinus?'

Carol shook her head.

'You work with Marthinus?

Carol smiled and gave him a wink.

'You're here to what...tell me this?'

Carol put her hands up and did a stretching motion.

'...To warn me?'

Carol kept doing the hand motion and struck a bored stance.

'...To tell me to watch myself or...'

Carol started to nod frantically.

'...Or I'll end up dead?'

She put her finger on her nose and then clapped happily.

Kyle felt himself go green.

Carol again turned her back to Kyle as he leaned back against the door, feeling sick to himself. She had that affect on people.

She loved it.

However, she took a moment to stroll through the foyer into the main living room. It was a mess, boxes everywhere and clothes on the couch. She found a large remote sitting on the table behind the sofa and she picked it up.

'Really, I don't know why you go on about it. I mean, it's true and all but you have no idea how far their influence is on the city.' She pressed a button and a lamp came on. She pressed another button and all the lights went off.

'Uh oh,' she mumbled in the dark.

'We've been watching you for some time, well, they have. I've only heard about you, skimmed through your file. I never looked through the whole thing until tonight and I saw your picture. So if you're thinking I was tailing you earlier, I wasn't.' She clicked another button in the darkness and she heard humming from above her.

Her eyes detected a thin ray of soft light, then it got wider and wider above her. 'Oooh,' she said wistfully as the shading from the skylights rolled up slowly.

'So you see,' her mouth opened in awe as she leaned back to look at the angled ceiling skylight, 'It's either me or a big fat vampire.'

She dropped her hands to her side and marvelled at the sight as the moonlight covered her, basking her in its cold shield.

Kyle was bent over at the knees, trying not to throw up. As he straightened and followed the blonde into his living room, he saw her staring up at the ceiling windows in wonder.

'I gave Marthinus my word.' He touched Carol on her shoulder and turned her. She smiled at him. 'You can tell them I plan on keeping it.'

He looked at the little woman. He would rather have her tailing him than something with fangs. 'Listen, I'm hungry. Are you hungry? If you're going to be following me around, we might as well grab something to eat.'

Carol nodded.

Kyle opened the door and let the small woman out. He called after her, 'But you're paying!'

(( Kyle and Carol out - permission to move Carol ))