Heaven Painted as a Free Meal Read online

  Elliot stepped sideways away from him and focused on getting some bacon. Jewel was right, if he thought about something else, the man’s thoughts and memories just sort of vanished.

  Elliot managed, with two quick retreats from others, to get some bacon with his eggs, then while grabbing a waffle, a thirty-one-year-old woman walked right into him from behind.

  Her name was Candice and she had her husband tied up and naked back in their room in some strange game he had wanted to play last night. She had wanted nothing to do with it, even though it was Vegas, but he had insisted, ignoring as he always did what she wanted and only focused on what he wanted.

  So she had gone along, tied him up so well he would never get loose on his own, and then left with him yelling against the gag in his mouth. The housekeeping staff were going to be in for a shock this morning.

  But more than likely, since this was Vegas, they had seen it before.

  Candice had gone across the street, used some mad money to get a hotel room, and ended up enjoying a very drunk evening with another woman. It turned out to be an evening she had never realized she would enjoy as much.

  An evening Elliot could see and remember every detail of, even though he didn’t want to.

  This morning, knowing that her marriage of four years was over, Candice had drained her and her husband’s joint bank accounts, checked out of their room with him still tied up in there, just leaving her luggage, then she drained all his credit cards as well and cancelled his plane ticket home.

  He was stuck here with no money and no way home.

  After a bite to eat, she was headed to the airport to head home. She had already called an attorney friend back in Chicago and the divorce process would be in the works before she landed.

  She was still mad at her husband, disgusted at him was more like it, and finally happy to be moving on. She flat didn’t love him anymore and had enjoyed the experience with another woman last night so much, she wanted to test those waters more.

  Elliot got all that in the moment that he had passed through her trying to back away.

  “Tough, isn’t it?” Jewel said from beside him. “Especially when it’s this crowded. We like to come here on off hours to avoid most of this.”

  Elliot shook his head. “People are interesting, that’s for sure.”

  “Infinitely,” Jewel said. “But sadly, so many fall into the same patterns.”

  “Haven’t got that far yet,” Elliot said, laughing. Then with one more look at the smiling Candice, he took his waffle, bacon and eggs and headed back for the table.

  This being dead sure had its interesting moments.

  FIFTEEN

  JEWEL AND TOMMY both answered questions from Elliot about various things, then told him their story of dying in the car wreck, waiting in the rain, and then ending up saving a girl’s life within their first five hours.

  Then they took turns telling him how Nancy and Belle had figured out for all of them last fall how to teleport and float.

  “So what do I learn first?” Elliot asked.

  Jewel liked his attitude. He was going to be a great addition to their team. And from what little she had seen of Deanna, she would be as well.

  “I think we better get you teleporting before anything else,” Tommy said. “That way in some bad situation, you can just get out of the way.”

  Jewel nodded. She agreed with that. When they had started, they had learned to hide inside people. But Elliot had been inside his fair share of people already. The extra tricks on that he could pick up easily.

  She turned and pointed to an area with no people near an elevator in the buffet diner. “See that over there? The area in front of the elevator? Right there near that big plant with the big leaves?”

  Elliot nodded.

  “Just imagine you are standing there,” Tommy said.

  Elliot looked puzzled.

  “We’re ghosts,” Jewel said, “living in this real world, experiencing it, but not bound by it like we used to be.”

  “So our minds and souls are what we live with,” Tommy said, “since we have no bodies.”

  “And if your mind thinks you are standing in front of the elevators, you will be,” Jewel said. “That simple.”

  “Just focus on it,” Tommy said. “It’s amazingly easy.”

  Jewel could see Elliot frown.

  “Just be standing there by the elevator,” Jewel said.

  An instant later Elliot vanished and was standing beside the elevator. Jewel watched as he looked around, clearly shocked, then smiling he quickly sidestepped an obese woman and appeared back in his chair.

  “Damn, that was fun,” Elliot said, laughing.

  “Jump to that open spot in front of the desserts and bring me back a piece of cherry pie, would you?” Tommy asked, smiling.

  “Gladly,” Elliot said.

  He turned, looked at the dessert bar, and appeared there. He picked up a piece of pie and jumped back.

  “Your pie, sir,” Elliot said, laughing.

  Jewel and Tommy both applauded.

  “So anywhere you can imagine,” Jewel said, “you can be there.”

  “Can I go see what Deanna’s doing at the moment?” Elliot said.

  Jewel nodded. “But come back so we know everything is all right.”

  “Will do,” Elliot said and vanished.

  “He picked that up quickly,” Tommy said, shaking his head and digging into the cherry pie.

  A moment later Elliot appeared back in his chair. “Deanna is just sitting on the couch, resting, waiting for her sister. I calmed her for a quick moment. She seemed to appreciate that.”

  “Good,” Jewel said. “So we have a little more time?”

  Elliot nodded.

  “So how about we get you used to walking through walls,” Tommy said, “and controlling people’s actions.”

  Elliot sort of opened his mouth, then shut it, then glanced at Jewel.

  “Yeah, like Tommy controlled that guy last night,” Jewel said, “and Nancy controlled the woman, you can learn to do that as well.”

  “I figured that,” Elliot said. “The walking through walls has me a little spooked, though.”

  All Jewel could do was laugh.

  SIXTEEN

  FOR THE NEXT two weeks, they met Elliot for training in the morning, then he had spent each day with Deanna. Jewel checked in with him often, and at one point checked on Deanna’s condition. She was going downhill fast.

  She had made it through Elliot’s memorial service just fine, and every night Elliot had stayed with Deanna. Slowly she was beginning to believe he was really with her.

  Then two weeks after the first attack, Laverne froze time around Jewel and Tommy as they were eating dinner in a small Japanese restaurant near the strip and then appeared beside their table. “Same attack,” she said simply and transported the two of them to the Living Time Casino.

  Jewel could not believe what she was seeing in the large area that was the casino. Again, there were twelve men, all with machine guns circled around a large mass of tourists trapped in the casino area. Some of the tourists were hiding behind tables, others just hugged each other in sheer terror.

  Poker Boy, in his black hat and leather coat, appeared next to them as K.J. brought Belle and Nancy and Elliot.

  “We’ve got them disarmed again,” Poker Boy said, “at least none of the guns they carry have ammunition.”

  “Do you have any leads as to who is behind this?” Jewel asked.

  “None,” Laverne said. “There didn’t seem to be any connection at all between the gunmen, and the first group had all vanished from their jobs at different times over the day ahead of the event.”

  “Frustrating doesn’t begin to describe it,” Poker Boy said.

  Tommy looked around, then turned with a frown on his face to Jewel. She knew that expression. It meant he had an idea of some sorts.

  “All these men are standing in exactly the same spots as the previous grou
p.”

  Poker Boy glanced around and nodded.

  “And the same casino,” Jewel said.

  Laverne and Poker Boy both nodded.

  “I’m betting,” Tommy said, “this has something to do with this exact location and that circle they are forming.”

  “Someone wants this land?” Poker Boy said.

  “No doubt this isn’t doing this casino’s stock price any good,” K.J. said. “Or their reservation bookings.”

  “Let’s see if these guys are wired the same,” Jewel said.

  The six ghost agents spread out as they had done the first time.

  Jewel put her hand inside the man she was going to check out.

  “Drop the bubble,” Tommy said.

  The sound of the casino and scared customers came smashing back in like a hammer.

  Instantly Jewel knew they were in trouble.

  The device had already built up explosive power and was about to explode.

  Both she and Tommy shouted for the time bubble at the same exact moment.

  Everything froze again instantly.

  “Clamp tight shields over those devices in their heads,” Tommy shouted.

  “Done,” Laverne’s voice came clear.

  “Release the bubble,” Jewel said.

  A moment later there was a uniform pop and again all twelve men slumped to the ground at the same time, which set off a stampede of people trying to escape.

  Poker Boy and his crew had to freeze things three times to make sure people didn’t hurt themselves in the stampede to leave.

  “K.J. is right,” Elliot said. “This can’t be helping the casino’s business. Unless this is solved quickly, this is going to drive the price of this casino and this land through the floor.”

  “I think it has something to do with the circle,” Jewel said. “Circles through time have vast power in many different cultures.”

  Poker Boy appeared with Patty Ledgerwood, another superhero that Jewel really liked. Patty was Poker Boy’s girlfriend. She had her long brown hair pulled back and actually was dressed in an MGM Grand front desk uniform. She must have left work over there to join this.

  Laverne and Stan, the God of Poker also appeared.

  “That might be the point of all this,” Poker Boy said, freezing time once again as the last of the people got past them. “I think you are on to something.”

  Poker Boy and Laverne and Patty and Stan all walked to the very spot in the center of the circle of gunmen and stood there for a moment.

  “I’ll be go to hell,” Lavene said. “Why didn’t I see this before?”

  Then she and Stan sort of drifted down into the floor like there was an elevator there.

  Jewel and Tommy could have easily followed them, but neither of them did. There was still far too much unknown power in this new world and both of them had come to be respectful of it, even though they were already dead.

  Patty and Poker Boy sort of stood there, holding hands.

  “Sure is fun to watch the gods work, isn’t it?” K.J. said, moving over beside Jewel.

  “Know anything about the ancient history of this area?” Jewel asked K.J.

  K.J. shrugged. “Las Vegas area has always been a major area of extreme power. A lot of the gods and power people tend to end up living here. And not just for the great night-life, which I must say is really fun at times.”

  A moment later, Laverne and Stan appeared and the four of them walked over to the ghost team.

  “Ancient power ring,” she said, indicating the circle the twelve passed-out gunmen outlined. “I think I might know who is doing this now.”

  “Good,” K.J. said.

  “You all helped us save a lot of lives today,” Laverne said. “Thank you again.”

  With that, the time bubble vanished and all the police and ambulances came swarming back in.

  “Going to be interesting to see the cover story they work up for this one,” K.J. said.

  “Anyone up for dessert after saving so many people once again?” Belle asked.

  “Always,” Jewel said, laughing.

  And a moment later the six of them were at their favorite table in the Golden Nugget buffet, laughing and talking and heading for strawberry shortcake.

  SECTION FOUR

  Needed Training

  SEVENTEEN

  DEANNA STILL WASN’T believing that Elliot was with her. She had seen his body after the accident, had been at a memorial service for him, had not been able to tell him that she was dying.

  He had died first. Part of her was very glad he had been spared watching her waste away.

  Yet from the first night he seemed to be with her, calming her, believing in her as the cancer started to get worse. And especially when she was tired or under a pain medication, he seemed to be with her even more.

  And it was as if they were alive together, only living in her mind. She was convinced she was making it all up, that it was part of some coping mechanism she was using.

  Or part of the brain tumor. More than likely that was it.

  But at the moment, five weeks after the accident and her diagnosis, she just didn’t care. She wanted him with her and he was there. That was all that mattered.

  Today had been a pretty good day. She had managed to drink a little and keep it down and then to get from her bed out to her couch. She now had a day nurse, and in a few days or so hospice would start the round-the-clock care to keep her comfortable and drugged up. When they came in they would put in a hospital bed for her. She knew from that point onward she would never leave that bed alive.

  At least the cancer was taking her quickly. She wouldn’t be in that hospital bed for long.

  The day nurses alternated. Today was a wonderful woman about Deanna’s age of thirty, but much heavier. She had a friendly smile and short brown hair. And she always seemed to smell of fresh bread.

  She had praised Deanna for getting to the couch, which was just annoying. Deanna wasn’t like some child just learning to walk on her own. Today might be the last day she would be able to walk. Period.

  And maybe remember it as well. So far the brain tumor was leaving her memory and speech functions alone. It was the cancer in the rest of her body that was taking her down.

  She let the nurse put a pillow under her head. Deanna hadn’t even bothered to learn the names of the different day nurses that came and went, since it wouldn’t matter much longer anyway.

  Deanna had on a new nightgown and a new robe she had bought after Elliot’s funeral. She had stocked up on a number of them, figuring that most of the next two months she would be living in them. And after the second week she had been right.

  She closed her eyes. The walk to the couch had tired her out. How far she had fallen. Wow.

  After a moment she saw the smiling face of Elliot standing over her.

  “Want to take a longer walk, beautiful?” he asked, offering her his hand.

  She loved when he was there with her. She could feel her mood lifting.

  “And how am I supposed to do that?” she asked. “I barely made it out here.”

  She asked that without saying anything out loud. She didn’t know how she did it, but it seemed that her delusion of Elliot was like talking in her head. She didn’t have to actually speak to have him hear her.

  “Just give me your ghost hand and I’ll help you up.”

  “Ghost hand?” she asked.

  He laughed. “Yeah, that takes time to get used to. Here, let me take your hand.”

  He reached down and took her left hand. She could feel it, just as she could feel him cuddling with her at night and brushing her forehead to ease pain at times.

  “Open your eyes and look at your real hand,” Elliot said.

  She did, focusing on her hand. It took a moment. Her skin was dry and tight over the bones. She could feel his hand holding hers, but she couldn’t see anything.

  “That’s really weird,” she said in her ghost voice, closing her eyes again.r />
  “Now when you feel me pulling gently,” Elliot said, “just stand up as if you are healthy again.”

  “Yeah, and that’s going to happen,” she said, laughing.

  “Try it and you might be surprised,” he said.

  She could hear the humor in his voice.

  He gently pulled on her hand as if working to help her stand up, so she did.

  She stood up as if cancer wasn’t eating at her body like termites at an old house.

  They took a few steps toward the front door and stopped. It felt wonderful, not tiring at all.

  “Now look at me,” he said.

  She did. Not with her real eyes, but her ghost eyes. And Elliot was standing there, holding her hand, beaming like she had just crossed the finish line of a marathon.

  “Wow, some dream,” she said. “I love it.”

  “No dream,” Elliot said. He pointed back toward the couch and she turned around.

  There she was, looking like she had felt a moment ago, near death. Her once beautiful hair was pulled back and looking fragile. Her face was far, far too thin. She had her eyes closed. She actually looked peaceful.

  “Did I just die?” she asked.

  “Not yet,” he said. “Got some weeks yet before that happens. This is what could be called an out-of-body experience.”

  He walked her over to a large mirror near the door. “No one else can see us, but we can see ourselves.”

  She looked in the mirror. The healthy person she knew was there, looking stunned, standing in her new bathrobe next to a smiling Elliot. Her hair was healthy, her face filled back out.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said. “I love you.”

  “And I love you,” she said. “And miss you so much. I’m making all this up, aren’t I?”

  He laughed. “Well, not really.”

  He kissed her and that felt real to her.

  Very real.

  “So what do you mean by not really?” she asked.

  She was making this dream complex, of that there was no doubt.

  “Let’s go for that walk,” he said. “It’s a beautiful evening in Boise.”