Bonne nuit et doux rêves

The Cooler: Chapter 19

“So, what's the plan?” Raul asked when he finished parking in the parking lot for Arnie’s place.

“We just do what we did last time, you stand a bit away, and I’ll open the door. I’m guessing that touching the handle is what triggers the redirect spell,” JJ said.

“Sounds good, I don’t want to find a new unexplained firearm in my pocket again,” Raul said.

“Ok, let’s do this,” JJ said. He got out of the car and then positioned himself at the door.

“Thanks again,” an older woman said, opening the door to walk out. Here you go,” she said to JJ while she held the door for him.

Seeing the opening, Raul ran up. “Thank you, ma'am,” he said as he stepped around her while she still held the door.

“No problem, I always enjoy playing doorman,” the woman said.

“How can I help you?” a pale, skinny kid in a t-shirt asked as they walked in.

“We’re here to see Arnie,” Raul said.

“He’s not here right now,” the kid said, not volunteering more information.

“Will he be back soon?” Raul asked.

“No,” the kid said, picking up a duster and walking over to the display of large crystals.

“When will he be in again?” Raul asked.

“I don’t know,” he said as he continued dusting the crystals.

“This is getting ridiculous,” JJ said in frustration. “Where is Arnie?”

“Are you two going to buy something, or should I call the cops and have you guys arrested for trespassing?” the kid asked, turning to address them.

“No need for the cops; we’re leaving. If you see Arnie, can you tell him JJ and Raul stopped by?” JJ said.

“Close the door on the way out, I don’t want to cool all of Vegas,” the kid said.

***

“Well, that was less than productive,” Raul said. When they left Arnie’s place, they had decided to go to Oak Island Casino and Brewery to be able to sit and have a beer or two while they talked.

“Yeah, it was. How do we deal with it … wait, did you notice the kid said HE did not want to cool all of Vegas, not, Arnie doesn’t want to cool all of Vegas.” JJ said.

“No, I hadn’t noticed that,” Raul said. He took a drink of his beer while he thought about what that meant. “I think we need to talk to the rest of the group.” A flash of color on the TV above the bar attracted his attention. “Look at that,” Raul said as he pointed to a TV that was above the bar. It was a commercial featuring what looked like a voodoo priest selling something. Just before it ended, the words came on screen, “Change your luck, visit Baron Marcel.” Below that was an address just a block off Fremont Street.

“That’s interesting. Earlier today, the player I was paged for threw away what looked like a voodoo Juju,” JJ said. He took a drink of his beer while he thought about the commercial. “Is the group meeting tonight? If not, I won’t be able to make it for a couple of weeks.”

“I will call them and tell them to show up tonight,” Raul said.

“Thank you. Can you tell them to meet at the California?” JJ asked.

“Will do,” Raul said as he stood up.

“You have their numbers here?” JJ asked.

“Right here in my address book,” Raul said, pulling out a pocket-sized address book. “Oh, let me have your pager number.”

“Good idea. Do you have a pager?” JJ asked.

“No, just a regular phone,” Raul said and started trying to find a pen.

“Ok, I’m ready,” he said after finding a Keno pencil on the table.

The two exchanged phone numbers, and then Raul went off to call the other members of the group.

“All set. They weren’t all home, but the ones that were will relay the message,” Raul said after he returned from the back where the payphones were.

“That's good, I’m getting the feeling I need to get over there soon,” JJ said, suddenly looking antsy.

JJ stood up and started to pace behind a couple of chairs.

“Uhm, why are you pacing?” Raul asked.

“I don’t know, I just have this need to move,” JJ said.

“Do you want to go for a walk through the casino?” Raul asked.

“No, I …” JJ started to say, and then realized it was a similar feeling to the one he had the day before. “You know what I need to figure out why I’m feeling the need to move. Yesterday I had this same feeling and it ended up I needed to get to Peter,” JJ said.

“But he’s in the hospital. If you need to go see him, we can just go back to UMC,” Raul said.

“Yeah, that’s probably all it is. Maybe they are going to release him tonight,” JJ said.

“Was yesterday the first time you had a premonition?” Raul asked.

“Uh, yeah?” JJ hedged.

“Are you asking me?” Raul asked, taking one last sip of his beer before they headed out.

“No … I … uhh … I guess I don’t know. I haven’t had one for the month I’ve been here, but since I don’t remember anything about myself before then, I don’t know if I’ve had …” JJ collapsed back into his chair, overcome with the realization that he didn’t know who he was, but maybe it was just fatigue that overcame him.

“I thought we were leaving?” Raul asked.

“Sorry, I still need to leave, but … I just got tired,” JJ said, not revealing the existential crisis he was experiencing.

“I can drop you off at home, and I’ll talk to the group and decide what we can do about Arnie,” Raul said.

“Yeah … that sounds good. I think I need to get some sleep,” JJ said.

“Alright,” Raul said. “Whenever you’re ready, we can go,” Raul said.

“Ok, just give me a moment,” JJ said and sat silently for a moment. “So, how come you guys don’t come here for your get-togethers? I’ve got to tell you I’m glad you told me about this place. The beer is cheap, and it has a nice atmosphere, not overwhelmed with tourists all trying to get drunk as fast as they can.”

“Fremont Street is easier for most of them to get to. The whole group is spread out around the valley.” Raul said. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” JJ said, getting up. “Let’s go.”

The drive back to JJ’s apartment was quick and easy since they were on the right side of the strip and only had to go a few blocks on surface streets.

“Here you go,” Raul said after he stopped in the parking lot for JJ’s apartment.

“Thank you,” JJ said. “Give me a page after you guys meet up. I want to know what they think.”

“Will do,” Raul said.

JJ went up to his apartment, passing by the smashed-up door of his neighbor’s apartment. The crime scene tape across the empty doorway was already starting to come off, and a couple of strips were starting to flap around in the Vegas wind.

Entering his apartment, he left a trail of clothes and pocket contents from the front door to his bed, where he was quickly snoring.

***

“JJ,” he heard from outside his apartment, followed by a loud knocking, and then again “JJ.”

“Are you sure this is his apartment?” JJ heard Raul ask.

“Well, that’s what the rental agreement says,” an unknown voice said.

“Can you let me in? I’m concerned something happened to him,” Raul said.

“Well, I don’t know …” the unknown voice said.

“I’m getting up,” JJ yelled from his bed, trying to shake off the fog of sleep.

“Well, there you go, he’s fine,” the voice said, followed by heavy footsteps walking away.

“JJ, are you ok?” Raul asked through the door.

“Yeah, I’m just putting on pants,” JJ responded.

“Hey, keep it down, I’m trying to watch my shows,” JJ heard through the wall from the apartment next to him.

“Sorry, I’ll keep it down,” Raul said.

It was a few minutes as JJ followed the trail of his clothes to the front door while he put them back on.

“Raul, I thought you were going to page me?” JJ said as he opened the door.

“I tried, I probably tried so many times, people will think I’m a stalker. Then this afternoon I decided to come over here and knock on your door. The manager and I have been knocking for ten minutes, I think he wanted a twenty before he would open the door,” Raul said in a rush of relief after seeing JJ unscathed, just rumpled.

“I guess I just slept through the pager going off,” JJ said. “Come on in, just ignore the stains on the couch, they were there when I rented the place.” JJ closed the door behind Raul as he walked in.

Raul stopped in front of the couch for a moment while he looked for a less-than-disgusting spot to sit.

“Can I get you something to drink?” JJ asked as he opened the refrigerator, revealing two lone beers.

“Do they still make that?” Raul asked, seeing the contents of the refrigerator from the almost clean edge of the couch.

“I don’t know, they were there when I moved in,” JJ said. “It will only take me a few minutes to get ready, and then we can go find breakfast.”

“Breakfast? It’s getting close to blue-hair dinner time,” Raul said.

“What? What is blue-hair dinner time?” JJ asked from the bedroom.

“Oh, blue-hair is a nickname for older women who have that slightly blue colored grey hair. I just mean it’s getting close to five o’clock,” Raul said.

“Five P.M. really?” JJ asked from the bedroom.

“Yeah, you haven’t been out or even eaten anything since I left you yesterday?” Raul asked.

“No, I’ve been asleep,” JJ said as he walked out of the bedroom. “Now, where is that pager?”

“I think I saw it next to your shoes,” Raul said.

“Thank you,” JJ said and then went over to pick it up. “Oh man, the battery is dead. I think I can get another one at the Quickie Mart.”

“GRRR,” JJ’s stomach expressed its desire to be filled.

“Sounds like we need some food … soon,” Raul said.

“Yeah, that would be good,” JJ said. “But first, the quickie mart.”

***

“Have you been here before. This is a really nice place,” Raul said as he sat down in a booth in a coffee shop in the Mirage.

“Yeah, a while ago … wait, it was only a week ago when I was here last,” JJ said after realizing that it had only been a week since he was here.

“What's good here?” Raul asked.

“I’ve only had breakfast here,” JJ said, looking over the menu.

The two of them looked over their menus until the waitress came over.

“What can I get you two?” the waitress asked.

“I’ll have the burger and fries and a Coke,” JJ said.

“I’ll have the same,” Raul said.

“Alright, it will be right up,” she said.

“Now it's time to change this battery,” JJ said as he pulled out the dead pager and the battery they had gotten from the Quickie Mart.

It took a moment for JJ to figure out how to open the battery compartment. While he was busy fiddling with it, Raul was looking around at the interior of the dining establishment. The place was bright and had a tropical feel.

“Got it,” JJ said, putting down the now-working pager. “I wonder how many pages …”

“Beep beep beep,” the pager went off.

JJ looked down to see that the number was the general line for UMC. “Oh! It's the hospital number,” JJ said. He looked around the restaurant. “Did you see any phones near here?”

“Yeah, over near the bathroom,” Raul said.

***

“You paged me?” JJ asked when the phone at the nurses' station at UMC was answered.

“And who are you?” The nurse on the other side of the line said.

“JJ Presley,” JJ said.

“Oh, the drug dealer. Bought time you called back. You won’t be a dealer long if this is how you do business,” the nurse said.

“I had to change the battery. So, not to be rude to such a nice person, but why did you page me? Is Peter ok?” JJ asked.

“Oh, right. We discharged him around noon,” the nurse said. “We tried paging you, but after waiting a couple of hours, we had to release him.”

“His medication was correct, and you guys let him go?” JJ asked.

“We let him go,” the nurse said. “I’ll be right there,” she said to someone in the room. “Have a good night,” she said to JJ and then hung up.

“Great, now I need to find Peter again,” JJ said to himself.