The Painting

#69 Pins and Needles - Biorain Agus Snathaidi

Five days later I sat criss-cross-applesauce on my sofa surrounded by Lyle and Frankie with a phone in my hand. The week passed in record time as Lyle and I worked days at White Pine and came home to nights of watching Frankie type madly on his computer. Per usual I understood little of the intricacies associated with his craft so Lyle would explain to me in a hushed voice as to not break his concentration. Some nights, however, when we came home the door to the bathroom would be thumping with a steady electronica beat. Those were the nights where we didn't see Frankie until he ventured out to restock his Cheeto supply.

I took to drawing again to relieve my nervous energy, knocking out two to three portraits a night as I sat huddled on the bathroom sink or in my bed. Combined Lyle and I slept less than five hours a night – Frankie probably even less. Our dreams kept us up, Lyle's became increasingly violent to the point where she broke our lamp – again - while throwing punches into the air.

I hardly moved during my dreams. I imagined my body to be stock still like a mummy laid to rest as I floated above my body. Vividly my mother would appear to me, a pool of rippled water forming around her head so I could see no deeper than her chin. There was never any action or movement save for the water cycling away from her face. I'd stare for what seemed like hours, willing her eyes to open, waiting for her lips to part so she could answer all my questions.

She never did and I would wake up with a loss in my chest wondering how I could feel that way if I never knew her in the first place.

"Whenever you're ready." Lyle placed her hand on my knee and rubbed it reassuringly.

It was the day before Monroe's big announcement and the initiation of our plan.

In testament to Frankie's snooping ability it took him only seventeen minutes – Lyle and I placed bets, and I won – to find Monroe's home address, home phone, cell phone, and pager. At first we'd plan to call his cellphone, just as he'd done to me. It was invasive and surely would throw him off balance enough for me to assert myself in the two sentence's I practiced over and over again in my head and out loud with Lyle.

We were all set when at one in the morning, after Lyle's first string of bad dreams, we changed the plan.

She lay her head on my stomach as she always did after a nightmare. The odd thing, and maybe lucky at that, was that our nightmares never coincided. Our minds took turns tormenting us assuring that the other would be there to care when we woke in a sweat.

"Let's call his office." Her voice was rough coming off her throat but soothing to my ears as I closed my eyes. "We'll call right when he gets in."

I was half awake myself and tried to picture Monroe sitting comfortably at his desk before he picked up the phone. Would he be surprised to hear my voice?

Initially when we landed on the idea of calling Monroe I'd run through all the ways he could react. For each Lyle coached me through on how to stick to the script. None seemed to fit. Monroe may be predictable in his movements but his reaction would be completely in the moment.

My worst fear was that he'd laugh at me. I'd held that thought since the day I first walked into his office. The thought that he would laugh off my mother's memory was somehow even more traumatic than the thought of what he'd done to her. A completely apathetic man, I didn't doubt the possibility.

"I want to scare him." I said a little louder than a whisper. I wasn't proud of it, but I did. I wanted to terrify him. I disgustingly needed Monroe to feel pins and needles sticking into the soles of his feet and all along his body the moment he heard my voice on the other line.

I wanted, just for a moment, to take his power away and show him how I'd felt for so long, and ultimately how my mother had felt when he'd sent her away.

Lyle patted my hand which lay on her forehead. "It'll work."

"What if his secretary won't transfer the call?"

"She will." She turned to lay on her side so she could stare back at me. "Trust me."

The freckles in her eyes were shaded but I felt I'd never seen her more clearly.

The dial tone rang three times before a chirpy woman picked up.

"Good morning, X-Enterprieses, Richard Monroe's desk how may I help you?"

"I'd like to speak with Mr. Monroe."

"Your name?"

I paused giving a quick look to Lyle who nodded. "Charlotte Ellis."

Clicks from the keyboard carried their way through the phone lines. "I'm sorry but it looks like you don't have an appointment this morning Miss Ellis, can I help you make one for the future?"

"I need to speak with him now." I shook my head.

"I am afraid-"

"It's urgent, about his daughter. Give him my name and he'll make time."

There was a brief lag in the secretaries answer were I could tell she was trying to recall if Monroe had any children and if misjudging would be enough to get her fired. Finally doubt won out and she placed me on hold.

Fifteen seconds later the receiver clicked. "May, what did I tell you about poking around?" Monroe annunciated every word through gritted teeth as they came out sharply.

"I want a payout."

He scoffed then in his sickly sweet voice he said, "Sweetie, you don't have any leverage."

"I have evidence in Mo Soileireacht..." I replied calmly.

"And why would I need to pay to get that from you?"

I'd switched the phone to speaker mode since the first ring. Lyle sat across from me and motioned for me to continue the way we'd practiced.

"I have a back up in a place you don't know about, and people who will find it if you hurt me." I let my claim sink in before throwing the final punch. "People who wouldn't mind leaking it to the Big Ten. "

Nearby Frankie flipped the bird in the direction of the phone as I purposely mentioned the news conglomerate he boasted would be covering his announcement.

I waved my friend away unwilling to celebrate yet. In an anxious state I waited, sure that at any moment the growing sound of laughter would seep through the speaker.

"Fine," I was almost shocked at how different Monroe's voice came across. Was he conceding? "Come to my office and you can name your price."

"No." I said curtly.

"No?"

"I want this on my terms." I raised my voice pumping it full of confidence. "We meet tonight at the Lily Pad Place. If you bring anyone or don't show up I am sending what I have to Big Ten."

I punched the red button on my phone effectively cutting off his change to deny the deal. We sat in silence until Lyle placed her hands over mine. Looking down I found my hands shaking uncontrollably in my lap.

"Is everything good to go Frankie?" Lyle looked to our friend. She squeezed my hands as they shook.

He froze in the middle of the living room, gave a quick smile and sprinted to the bathroom. We exchanged a tight smile as the hum of Frankie's music traveled through the door.

"You did great." Lyle pulled me closer and kissed my cheek.

I nodded into her shoulder. "Do you think he'll actually come?"

"You scared him. He'll be there." 

- 

May is about to take a massive risk .. is it worth it ?