CHAPTER ONE
March, 2000
Grant Jones, as his custom was, dropped by at Gartoz bar to grab a few glass of whiskey before heading home. The drink helps him clear his head after a hectic day of police work. It was his aphrodisiac, an addiction he didn't see himself coming out of anytime soon. His head throbbed badly and he wished the red and blue lights that flashed round the room would be turned off along with the crashing Rock and Roll that blared from the speakers. He sauntered to the counter and placed his arms on its marble top.
" My man Jones! Good to see ya!" the bartender hailed.
" Give me the usual." Grant winced.
" AL-right! the usual coming in!" the bartender hollered as he deftly grabbed two small glasses and a bottle of whiskey from a pool of transparent bottles beside him and set them on the counter. Grant gazed thirstily as the corlourless liquid swooshed into the glasses with little ice cubes settled at the bottom.
" Here you go Man." The bartender announced, pushing the glasses across to him.
Grant, in a matter of seconds, emptied the two glasses, his eyes closed. He felt better. It was as if the drink massaged his brain with that soft tenderness of a mother, oiling the rusty parts of the engine lodged in his skull, reducing its frictions. He brought out his wallet and placed two five dollar bills on the counter. He wished he could afford more, buy a full bottle and keep at home for himself alone. But his salary was not even enough to cater for his most basic needs—he was sure his scotch would make it to the list right about now—and he knew that having his addiction close-by means it wouldn't last as he wanted. He could down a full bottle in one night. He closed his eyes again at the thought of that.
" Give me same. Two glasses."
Grant's eyes flew open as he turned to see a young lady standing beside him. So close beside him. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. She was smiling at him.
"Hi." She said as the bartender set her order before her.
" Hey" Grant whispered. His mind swirled with all manner of emotions. The whiskey was working now and he could clearly hear his mind telling him it was time to go. But his feet refused to move. It was as though he was transfixed by the beauty beside him, who smiled with everything on her face. He needed another drink.
"you come here often, I observe" she said.
" yeah.. yeah. You know, work and stress."
" I get. Protecting people's lives can be a herculean task most of the time."
Protecting people's lives, how did she know? grant thought. Right! he was still in his uniform goddamit!
" You bet." He said and smiled back at her for the first time. It was a brief one. He didn't want to get over himself. But it wasn't easy exercising self control when you are locked firmly in the flirtation zone with the hottest woman you have ever imagined. And she was not some low-life jetsam. She was educated. She had used the word 'herculean', a big word. It oozed another word that came to his mind: sophisticated. He watched her as she quickly gulped her drink, tilting her head backward, her eyes closed. She caught him watching her.
" what! You want another drink?" she asked grinning, and before he could respond she called the bartender to bring another double for him.
Grant wanted to politely reject but when last had someone offered to buy him a drink. It seemed Mother Luck had scheduled tonight to smile on him. He determined to take full advantage of it.
" Are you married?" she asked, eyes twinkling.
" err. Yes and no." Grant replied, emptying the first glass. "I had a wife and a kid. She currently filed for divorce. She moved out of the house with our kid. I don't know where they are at this moment."
"That's heartbreaking." She sympathized, her face taking a concerned look.
"Nah. It's nothing. What can a man do. In this country the law put the woman first, children second, pets third, Men somewhere down the list."
"Can we go to your place?" She asked.
Grant was stunned. Where was that coming from? Mother Luck was surely smiling at him tonight.
" Yeah. Yeah. Err. Sure." He stuttered, running his hand through his hair. He gulped down the remainder of his drink and watched as his new acquaintance pulled out a purse from her spaghetti-strapped dress and dropped crisp dollar bills on the counter.
" We'll go with a bottle" she said to the bartender and winked at Grant.
Grant never expected visitors in his two-bedroom apartment but he always left it clean and tidy. She would be his first visitor, for like two years now? He couldn't remember. He knew he was not a social animal, always keeping to himself. But this might be a sign. Of a new beginning. Of his shattered heart being made whole again.
" what a nice place you got." She said as he turned on the lights.
"thank you" he replied boyishly.
His mind was in topsy-turvy. He could hear his heart beating loudly as she walked towards him.
"Let's have more drink" she said.
"Sure."
He went into the kitchen and fetched two glasses. She had opened the bottle already by the time he came back and holding the glasses, she poured generously till they filled up. She set the bottle of whiskey down on the table and straightened up. Grant handed her a glass and started gulping down his. Midway he stopped.
" you know, you haven't told me your name." Grant said.
" You'll know soon enough." She smiled.
" Why are you not… drinking?" Grant asked.
What was happening to him. His head was spinning…something was tightening his heart… he couldn't feel his limbs. The room now was also spinning, so also the lady standing before him. Smiling.
What's happening to me? what did you do? Who are…?
His glass of unfinished whiskey dropped first from his hand, before he followed suit, falling backwards and crashing on the coffee table behind him. He lay still, motionless. His eyes were wide open, but life had left them. She knelt down beside him and whispered to his ear.
"My name is Helen Ipsweetch."
With that, She closed his eyelids, knowing they would never open again.