You Can’t Un-see It

The Cooler: Chapter 27

JJ walked out of his apartment expecting to see the normal view, of Roger smoking a cigarette, instead, a woman was standing at the railing speaking into a cellular phone.

“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s a mess. I think, if we can get a team in here before the FBI shows up we can recoup.” She listened for a moment and then turned to see JJ standing in-front of his door. “Just a minute one of the neighbors just stepped out.”

“Sir, do you know anything about your neighbor?” She asked.

“Not really. He liked to smoke at the railing,” JJ said.

“Yeah that seems to be common,” she said pointing out the half dozen, overweight, older men in boxers, and t-shirts, smoking at the railings. “Did he give you anything? He had a contract with us to write his memoir, and now that he died, we are trying to figure out what he did.”

“He died?” JJ asked.

“Yes, he had a stroke a couple of days ago and then passed away in the ambulance,” She said. “What,” she responded to something said over the phone. She turned back to the railing and put her hand up to try and keep her voice from carrying beyond the phone.

Seeing that he was dismissed, JJ continued on his way to the bar.

***

“Man I should look at getting a cell phone,” he said as he tried to push through the crowd in the bar. There was a baseball game on, that everyone was watching.

Continuing back to the phones JJ avoided a couple of exuberant drunks when a batter made a grand slam.

He finally made it to the pay phones and dialed Raul’s number.

“Hey, this is JJ. Page me back when you’re home,” he said to a beep of an answering machine.

He looked around trying to decide if he should wait for the page at the bar or find something to do. He opened his wallet and saw that it was still packed with hundreds from his night out with Roger.

“Well might as well make use of the facilities while I’m here,” JJ said to himself and then went into the bathroom. After finishing his business he was standing at the sink washing his hands when he saw a scruffy looking person leave the stall and walk out without stopping at the sink. “Thats not right.”

JJ walked out and stopped at the bar. “Can I see a menu,” JJ asked the closest bartender.

“What?” the guy asked over the roar of the patrons to a play.

“CAN I GET A MENU!” JJ yelled back and then saw the person that had left the bathroom, was in the kitchen behind the bar.

“Here you go,” the bartender said handing him a menu.

JJ made it look like he was still interested in ordering food by looking over the menu a second and then said, “Never mind.” And then put it down and headed out.

“Well that’s disturbing,” JJ said to himself, then headed back to his apartment. Walking across the parking lot he saw a few black SUVs and men in suits standing around. He decided that it would be better to not interact with law enforcement so he turned and headed out to the sidewalk, and started walking the couple of blocks to the closest place to get a good breakfast. It was close to eleven in the morning and the sun was really making its presence known. The heat from the blacktop of the road was worse than the sun. When he walked through the shade of a building he would get a short break but there was no shadow for the road.

“Just you?” The hostess asked when he walked into the diner.

“Yeah,” JJ responded.

“You can sit at the counter or wait for a table,” she said.

“Ok, I’ll take the counter,” JJ said.

“Take any fee seat,” she said handing him a menu.

JJ sat and ordered a couple of eggs, bacon, and toast. “Oh and coffee,” he said after the waitress had turned around to put the ticket on the spinner..

“Got ya,” she said over her back.

After taking the first sip of the coffee he was missing the Kona that he got from the California.

There was no abandoned paper to occupy his time while he was waiting for his order. Looking around he realized it was Friday. The place was full of people getting lunch. He couldn’t say why he realized what day it was, but the place had the feeling of anticipation of the weekend.

“Here you go. Enjoy,” the waitress said as she dropped off the plate.

JJ had just finished the food when his pager went off.

He dropped some cash on the counter and then went to the pay-phones near the entrance to call the number.

“Hello,” Raul said when he answered the phone.

“Hey it’s JJ,” JJ responded.

“Oh great where are you?” Raul asked.

“Over at a diner on Maryland Parkway, just north of sunrise hospital,” JJ said.

“Uhm, ok. Peter said he thinks he has a solution to dealing with the two heads,” Raul said.

“That’s great. Whats his plan?” JJ asked.

“I’m not exactly sure but he said something about giving him a hot foot,” Raul said.

“Thats uh. Is there actual fire involved?” JJ asked.

“Nah, I asked Peter that exact question, he said that there is no fire involved,” Raul said. “Now we just need the vessel from Kawika.”

“That might be the tiki-bar statue that Kawika gave me,” JJ said.

“What did he give you and when did you see him,” Raul said, and then speaking away from the phone. “Peter, I think JJ has the vessel.”

“I saw him last night, he gave me a little statue that looks like it would be on a shelf in a tiki bar,” JJ said.

“Did he say what it was?” Raul asked, then to Peter, “I don’t know yet he hasn’t told me.”

“I think he said it was a gift for Peter, but I don’t know. It seems pretty cheap. I don’t know why he would want to give Peter some tourist garbage like that,” JJ said then heard some mumbling as the phone was handed off.

“Where are you?” Peter said over the phone.

“Like I told Raul, I’m at a diner across from Sunrise hospital,” JJ said.

“What street is that on? I don’t know the town … what oh ok,” Peter responded to something Raul said. “Raul says he will be there in about twenty minutes,”

“Ok,” JJ said but Peter had already hung up the phone.

JJ went back and got a table to wait while he nursed a cup of coffee.

The waitress refilled his coffee cup twice before Raul showed up.

“That lunch traffic is brutal,” Raul said sliding into the booth across the table. “Whats good here?”

“I don’t know. Well the eggs and bacon. I hadn’t ever eaten here before I just came here because I wanted a place to eat breakfast,” JJ said.

“Then I guess I’ll have that,” Raul said. The waitress came over right after Raul sat down and he was able to order.

“Can you show me the vessel?” Raul asked after the waitress walked away.

“It’s back at my apartment,” JJ said sipping his coffee.

“That’s disappointing, I guess you don’t understand what it is otherwise you would keep it near you. We just have to hope that one of his minions didn’t see Kawika give it to you,” Raul said with a frown on his face.

“How did you all of a sudden become an authority on magical stuff? It’s not anything important it’s just a cheap Hawaiian souvenir,” JJ said.

“If Kawika gave it to you, for Peter, it is not a souvenir. Describe it to me,” Raul said.

“It’s a small uhmm,” JJ stopped for a moment trying to recall what it was. “I know it was a small and … well its a small piece of junk that was probably made in Hong Kong.”

“Peter said if it was the real thing it would hide its self from anybody that had seen it. He didn’t say what that means but obviously you not being able to recall it was exactly what he was talking about,” Raul said.

“Hmm,” JJ said, disgusted with himself because he couldn’t recall it.

“I’ll eat fast and then we can go get it before we head over to my place,” Raul said.

“How’s Peter?” JJ asked.

“Same as when you saw him just a day ago,” Raul said. “Are you expecting him to all of sudden to go crazy?”

“Well, yeah, I guess I am. He’s been this crazy guy haunting me during the day and in my dreams,” JJ said.

“He reassured me that the cleansing spell he did in the volcano’s pool would keep Kaulu at bay. He said that it was a Hawaiian spell and thats why he did it in the shadow of a volcano,” Raul said.

“Here you go,” the waitress said dropping off Rauls plate. “Can I get you anything else?” She said bending over far enough that Raul got a good view of her cleavage. “Anything else.”

“No that’s all,” Raul said, looking at his plate of food.

“I’ll take the check,” JJ said.

“Ok,” The waitress said not taking her eyes off Raul and dropping the check into JJ’s coffee.

“Thank you,” Raul said seeing that the waitress was still standing there.

“You’re welcome,” she said turning around then she bent over and picked up an imaginary piece of trash.

“Wow you just don’t see it do you?” JJ asked.

“What don’t I see?” Raul asked.

“Nothing,” JJ said, picking up his coffee cup.

Raul finished his food in silence and then they drove over to JJ’s apartment.

When they pulled into the parking lot for JJ’s apartment there were still a couple of black SUVs near the walkway.

“What’s going on here?” Raul asked.

“I think it’s either the FBI or the Mob collecting my neighbors things,” JJ said.

“What did he do that the FBI or the … Mob? Do you mean the Mob like as in the godfather and that kind of thing?” Raul asked.

“Yes the mob. He was a hitman,” JJ said.

“A hitman! Is that safe having him living next to you?” Raul asked.

“Well it is now. He died,” JJ said.

“Of lead poisoning?” Raul asked, trying to act sophisticated.

“No, he had a stroke,” JJ said and then looked out his window thinking about that night with him.

“Do you think it’s safe to go?” Raul asked.

“I don’t know? I guess it depends on if that’s the FBI. Maybe we should wait it out at a bar or somewhere,” JJ said.

“Peter said we really need the vessel soon,” Raul said.

“Can’t it wait a little bit, we could go listen to some music or watch a game, it’s just a cheap tourist trinket,” JJ whined.

“Give me your keys. I’ll go up and get it,” Raul said holding out his hand.

“If it’s that important I’ll go,” JJ said.

He climbed out of the car and then walked over to the gated entrance to the buildings. Standing in front of the gate was a tall man wearing a black nylon jacket with the letters FBI on the back.

“Did you find any female bodies to inspect?” JJ quipped as he pulled out his key to unlock the gate.

“What?” The agent asked as he stepped out of the way since JJ had a key.

“I was just wondering if someone tore the tag off their mattress?” JJ asked opening the door.

“Very funny,” the agent said.

JJ went up the stairs to find four men standing in front of Roger’s apartment. The lettering on the jackets were a mix of FBI, AUSA, and US Marshals.

“Excuse me,” JJ said as he stepped around the men, then stepped up to his door.

“Sir,” the marshal said to JJ just before he opened the door.

“Yeah, what do you need?” JJ asked in response.

“Did you know Mr Calun,” one of the FBI agents asked.

“Wilcox,” the marshal said.

“What? Does it matter now?” The agent said.

“He probably didn’t know his real name,” the marshal said.

“Not really, he liked to tell me to piss off, when I tried to talk to him,” JJ said and then turned to finish opening his door. “Have a lucky day,” he said over his shoulder, then walked into his apartment.

The statue from Kawika was sitting on the table next to the envelope from Roger.

“There you are,” JJ said grabbing it. The envelope stuck to the bottom of the statue as he picked it up from the table. JJ pulled the envelope off then looked at the bottom of the statue expecting to see the residue of a price sticker. “So why did the envelope stick?” JJ asked himself as he turned the statue over. The bottom was clean. He set the statue down and then looked at the envelope. It too was clean. As he turned the envelope over he could feel something heavy sliding around inside. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened it then shook out the contents. The was a small slip of paper and an old roman coin. “This was my lucky piece” was scrawled on the paper in a shaky handwriting.

“Thats interesting,” JJ said slipping the coin into his pocket and then went to the door to head out.

He opened the door where he saw Raul leaning against the railing.

“Hey,” JJ said closing the door.

“Where’s the vessel?” Raul asked.

“The what?” JJ asked.

“The reason you came up here, the vessel,” Raul said stepping away from the railing towards the door.

“Come on in,” JJ said, quickly getting out of the way and opening the door.

“Wow, that is an incredible statue. That looks like koa wood, Where did you get it?” Raul said.

“Oh, I think I got it at the California. I think it’s just cheap plastic. So why did you come up?” JJ asked.

“Uh, I’m not sure now,” Raul said shaking his head, looking a little lost.

“Well then lets head out,” JJ said walking towards the door.

“Right I guess so,” Raul said reluctantly leaving.

They both stepped out and JJ locked the door while he eyed the now lone FBI agent standing in front of Roger’s door.

“I think we were supposed to get something.” Raul said looking out at the three floors of empty railings. “Is there a phone near-by we can use?”

“Yep down at the bar,” JJ said and then started walking.

“Uhh, ok,” Raul said, stretching out his stride to catch up with JJ.

Just as they were going to head down the stairs they had to step out of the way for three FBI agents, that were quickly coming up the stairs talking about when they would be finished moving boxes.

“Your neighbor had a lot of stuff,” Raul commented after the agents had gotten out of earshot.

“Yeah, I saw the inside of his place yesterday and it was packed with boxes. Every table was covered in papers and binders,” JJ said.

“And he was a hit man?” Raul asked.

“Yep, so, where to?” JJ said.

“Uhm, I think … you know what I’m not sure. Is your coin charged, do you want to go gambling?” Raul asked.

“One second let me check,” JJ said.

“Beep, beep, beep,” JJ’s pager went off.

“We’ll have to put that on hold,” JJ said grabbing the pager and looking at it. “Hmm this is your number isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Raul said as he looked at the pager after JJ showed him. “Hmm, I wonder what Peter … Oh shoot I’m supposed to get the vessel from you.”

“Vessel, what do you … oh that cheap souvenir I got from Haw…I’ve never been to the islands why did I think I got it from there?” JJ asked of himself.

“Wait,” Raul said, looking down to think. “Peter said that the vessel would hide it’s self.” He looked up with clear eyes and said, “Lets go call him, he might know how to stop it from hiding from us.”

“Ok, off to the bar,” JJ said.

Raul again had to speed up his pace to keep up with JJ.

“Wow this is … some bar,” Raul said following JJ in.

The bar wasn’t a busy as it had been. Now there was only a few people at the actual bar.

“It’s in the back,” JJ said, making his way to where the phones were.

“Hey Peter,” JJ said when the phone was answered.

“Simon, is Raul with you? Did he tell you to get the vessel?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, he did…” JJ started.

“Then get it over here we need to get this done, Kaulu is getting worse. When will you be here?” Peter asked.

“Thats the problem we can’t get it. Every time we go to my apartment we forget to get it,” JJ said.

“Let me talk to him,” Raul insisted.

“Ok, here, you tell him,” JJ said, handing the phone over to Raul.

“Yeah…yeah…yeah, I’ll tell him. He won’t like it,” Raul said and then hung up the phone.

“Well I have some good news and some bad news,” Raul said.