Slash (Novella I) by Kevin Anthony Read Free Book Online Page B

the dumpster near him. “Talk quick.”
    “ Do you know a woman named Valarie?”
    “ Of course, we sometime split motel rooms. I trust her. I’m Melvin by the way. So, she’s been missing?”
    “ Yeah.” Ford motioned at himself. “I’m her son. Have you seen her around lately?”
    “ Nope.” Melvin crossed his arms that had a few bruises. “Sorry kid, that’s all I got for you.”
    “ Well, do you at least remember the last time you saw her?”
    “ A couple of days ago.” He shoved Ford away. “Now I have a story to finish, get.”
    The slasher needed more information and playing nice wasn’t working. Ford charged at the Melvin and used his left forearm to pin him against the stone wall of the alley. He applied force against the man’s chest.
    Melvin delivered a few weak punches to Ford’s forearm. “Are you insane,” He coughed.
    “ Where is she?”
    “ I told you, I don’t know.”
    “ Please, I need info. I need to talk to her.”
    Melvin’s dingy face hastily reddened. “I have no reason to lie to you. You’re my friend’s son.”
    Ford’s eye welled up with tears. “I just need to apologize to her.”
    As he began to let his guard down, Melvin grasped Ford’s injured hand and squeezed.
    Ford let out a scream as he snatched his injured hand away. He stormed from the alley, caressing his pulsing hand.
    The sun was setting, with dusk approaching. Ford returned to his car and sat. He banged the back of his head against his headrest and punched the steering wheel with his left fist. The last thing he needed added to this day was Rubble’s mouth. He fired up his car and drove to his other-mother’s house.
    Only her car was parked outside, but upon entry, he learned that she had guests. A well-groomed male couple, a woman wearing an excessive amount of makeup, a graceful man with shoulder length bleached-blond hair, and his other-mother sat in the living room. Ford stood, awkwardly staring at the crowd.
    Harriet, dressed in all black, nearly no skin exposed, stood. “Ford, we were just talking about you.”
    Her grinning guests directed their eyes to the slasher.
    He raised his injured hand at them. “Hi.”
    “ Oh my,” The wild haired woman worried. “Baby, what happened to your hand?”
    “ I slammed it in a car door.”
    “ Sounds painful,” A nasally blond man betted.
    “ Yeah, but I’m surviving.”
    Harriet pointed at the couple. “Do you remember Terry and Lenny?”
    Ford stared at the two men who sat beside each other holding hands. “I’m trying.”
    Harriet pointed at the bald member of the couple. “That’s Terry.”
    “ I’m Lenny,” His partner revealed. He wore a gold silk shirt, jeans, and knee-high leather boots.
    Ford lightly smacked himself against the forehead. “I feel horrible for not remembering.”
    Terry laughed as he brushed at his purple blazer. “It’s okay, you were only an infant.”
    “ We were your babysitters while your parents worked the crowds on stage,” Lenny revealed.
    Harriet laughed. “They used to fix your hair and dress you in flashy feather boas.”
    “ And Valarie hated every bit of it,” Terry recalled as he over-dramatically rolled his eyes.
    Ford got knots in his stomach at the mentioning of Valarie’s name.
    “ Don’t make my son a homo,” Lenny exclaimed, mimicking Valarie.
    They all broke out laughing, beside Ford, his mind elsewhere. He noticed Harriet appeared to be delivering a phony laugh. She barely could maintain a smile. Ford’s eyes met with his other-mother’s and he nodded towards the kitchen. As he walked away, Harriet excused herself from her guests and joined him.
    The moment Harriet was out of the sights of her guests she buried her face into hands. “I look a hot mess.”
    Ford pulled her hands down to her waist. “Not tonight. I need you more”
    “ I’m breaking down Ford.” She raised her sleeves revealing a rash. “I’m all itchy.”
    “ Other-mom, aren’t you listening. I need