Play Date

16 The Reality.

-The Day Of-

"Go home," Charlie instructs. "I'll meet you there when this is over." Riley and Paige leave Charlie's office, neither in any great hurry. They take the elevator down to the parking garage, climb into their car, and simmer. Words adequate to make everything go away, to not have happened, fail them. Silence fits like a cheap sweater that scratches the skin.

Charlie drives by toward the exit, without noticing the Maserati. It's not as though a Maserati stands out in Los Angeles. Riley starts the engine and pulls out, parking exit ticket in hand. Charlie turns out onto Spring Street, cutting across two lanes to get into position to turn left on 4th. Riley hangs back but tracks Charlie down 4th toward Main Street, which means another left turn. Riley figures correctly that Charlie will take yet another left on 3rd, completing a circle of one-way streets. He is also correct assuming Charlie will get on the entrance ramp to the 110 and 101 freeways. Riley will need to catch up a car length or two to keep up when Charlie moves over two lanes to the left, heading north on the 110.

"Where do you suppose we're headed?" Riley breaks the silence.

"Pasadena?" Paige supposes. It's a safe bet, but Charlie shakes things up by taking the Avenue 43 exit, just north of downtown. It's an ancient, tight ramp, designed when cars did forty-five on the freeway and could slow to ten miles per hour in a short distance. Riley had little choice but to get close up behind Charlie. Charlie continued on course, giving no acknowledgment of the Welphelt's car. Riley waits for a three count before following on the long block to the next intersection for yet another left turn. Charlie's was the last car through before the light turned red.

"Damn it!" Riley swats the steering wheel. When they finally make the turn past a Mexican deli, Charlie's car is nowhere in sight. Riley races down the straight road till they come upon a fork. To the left, they can see a block or two down the road. But to the right, the street takes an abrupt turn uphill.

"Which way should I go?" Riley asks his voice tense.

"Right," Paige says.

"Why right?"

"I don't know," Paige says. "I just think with how fast Charlie was driving, we'd be able to see if the car was down that way." Riley contemplates her logic. "And," Paige continues, "that looks like a park. There are houses up this way." She's got to be right. Riley takes the sharp turn up Montecito Drive and follows the road's tight curves.

"Riley, there it is," Paige points to Charlie's car. Charlie has just found a parking spot and steps out into the street, briefcase in hand. Confident to the point of wearing blinders, Charlie marches across the street without looking both ways, to a nondescript home with a non-existent front yard.

Riley slows to a stop but still in view of the house as Charlie knocks on the front door. The literary sleuth in Paige told her to bring a camera with a long zoom lens set to shoot video. She points the camera toward the house and focuses on Charlie.

"Can you see anything?" Riley asks.

"No. Wait—the door is opening," Paige says and presses 'record.' "It's Arlene. She's... OH MY GOD!"

"What?" Riley asks.

"You are not going to believe this."

"Believe what?" Riley demands. Paige is too caught up in what she sees to answer. She stops the camera and navigates to the start of the recording.

"Look," Paige says and positions the camera so they can both watch the playback. On screen, Charlie knocks on the door. Seconds pass and the door opens and Arlene appears on the screen. "Watch this," Paige says. Arlene smiles at the briefcase, throws her arm around Charlie's neck and pulls in for a deep, undeniably French kiss.