Crush - KarEena

Chapter 6

Karishma approached the table where Roy was having breakfast. "Hey, asshole, the glare reflecting off your shaved head is blinding me."

Roy's fork halted midway between his plate and his mouth. He looked up with anger-controlling slowness. If he were surprised to see Karishma, he did not indicate it, but rather treated her to an unhurried reunion, "Well, well. Look who's back"

"For about a week now," Karishma said cheerfully

"Is the Homicide Police Department so down that they invited you to rejoin their miserable ranks?"

"Nope. I'm on vacation"

Karishma pulled a spare chair from beneath the corner table, turned it around, and dragged it backwards. Other customers in the hotel's dining room would think her rude, but she didn't care. She wanted to get under Roy's skin. If the tick on the other man's cheek was any indication, she was succeeding.

"Those pancakes look good" She dipped her finger in the pool of maple syrup on Roy's plate and licked it off. "Hmm. Right tasty"

"How did you know I was here?" Roy tried to maintain his cool demeanour

"I just poked my head out the window and followed the stench" Karishma shrugged

This hotel coffee shop was known by the department to be one of the killer's favourite breakfast places. The son of a bitch had never kept a low profile. In fact, he showed off to his would-be captors, in the driver's seat of his fancy car and the panoramic windows of his penthouse, material luxuries that gave the cops all the more reason to despise him.

"Are you having something, mam?"

Karishma turned toward the young waitress who had approached the table. "Fun, darlin'," she said, "just having a little fun here with my old friend Ramesh Redi"

Roy despised his first two names and hated being addressed by them, so Karishma used them whenever an opportunity presented itself. "Have you two met?" she read the waitress's name off the plastic tag pinned to her blouse. "Sara -pretty name, by the way-meet Ramesh Redi. Ramesh Redi, this is Sara"

Sara blushed all the way "he comes in here a lot. I know his name"

In a stage whisper, Karishma asked, "Is he a good tipper?"

"Yes, mam. Very good."

"Well, now that's nice to hear. And somewhat surprising. See, actually, Ramesh Redi has very few good qualities" she tilted her head thoughtfully, "considering everything, being a good tipper might be his only good quality."

The waitress divided a cautious look between them that eventually landed on Karishma. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No thanks, Sara, but you're a sweetheart for asking. If I need anything I'll let you know" She gave her a friendly wink. Sara blushed again and rushed away. Coming back around to Roy, she said, "Now, where were we? Oh, yeah, long time no see. Sorry, I missed your trial. Heard you and your lawyer put on quite a show."

"It was a waste of everybody's time" Roy chuckled

"Oh, I agree. I surely do. I don't know why they would bother with a trial for a sack of shit like you. If I had my way, they'd skip the show and you'd go straight to death row.""Then lucky for me my fate isn't up to you" Roy snorted

"You never know, Ramesh Redi. One day soon it just might be" Karishma flashed him a wide grin and the two enemies assessed one another. Eventually, Karishma said, "Nice suit."

"Thank you" Roy took in Karishma's worn jeans, boots, and a black camisole inside the flannel shirt. "I could give you the name of my tailor."

Karishma laughed. "I couldn't afford him. Those look like expensive threads. Business must be good," she leaned forward and lowered her voice, "Whacked anybody interesting since that banker fellow? I'm itching to know who hired you for that one. His father-in-law maybe? Heard they didn't get along. What'd you use on him, anyway? Piano wire? Guitar string? Fishing line? Why not just the old one, your trusty blade?"