It's Something Unpredictable...But In The End There's Right, chapter 3
"So what do you think we should do?" Billie asked.
"I know this is a crazy idea," Mike said and scratched his head. "But what do you think of hiring a private investigator?" Mike looked at Billie. Billie was doubtful but Mike reinforced his idea. "Think about it Billie, if we call the cops, that might make it worse for Anna, Adie and Joey. Besides, it will attract the media, and that's the last thing we need."
Billie looked at his band mate, he knew Mike was right but who are they going to hire? "But Mike, where are we going to find one?" he asked.
Mike smiled. "Well, do you remember Tasmin from high school? She's a private investigator now, maybe we could hire her," Mike said.
"You mean 'The Tasmin' with the brunette hair, and round-rimmed glasses? The one you used to date?" Billie questioned, amused by Mike's answer.
"Yep! I ran into her a few weeks ago. She gave me her business card." Mike took out his wallet from his pocket and looked through the compartments. "I swear I put it in here," he mumbled under his breath. "Oh yes! Here you go." Mike handed Billie a white card.
Billie took it and read the words that were printed on it. 'Tasmin Miller.' Oh yeah, that's Taz, all right. After a while of considering the idea, Billie agreed.
"So what are we going to do now?" Adrienne asked.
"Well, we can't really call at this time. We'll go to her office tomorrow," Billie said. "But meantime, I'm hungry." He scratched his head.
Adrienne smiled. "I'll fix dinner now. Mike, Anna, are you guys staying?"
"If you don't mind, Adie," Mike said. "Of course not. You guys are always welcome here."
"Thanks, Adie," Mike said and flashed a sincere smile. Adrienne nodded and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll help," Anastasia offered and followed Adrienne.
***
Billie lied on his bed, his mind disturbed. He turned to check the time from the electronic alarm clock; 04:25. 'Oh my god! I need to go to sleep. Billie stop thinking and go to sleep,' he told himself. Eyes closed, he turned facing Adrienne. He wrapped his arms around her waist, she was sound asleep. He smiled as he breathed in the scent of apple from her dark brown hair. He felt happy but the sense of insecurity clouded him. After the threat, he couldn't stop worrying, what might happen to Adie, Joey, Mike or Anna. Who would want them to be killed? Who would hurt Tre to this state?
After another moment of sleeplessness, he got out of the bed quietly and tiptoed his way to the music room. It was at the end of the house, so he took Blue and played a song. He was singing Longview when the door creaked open. "Mike?"
"Sorry. I heard you play, so I bet you can't sleep too," Mike said. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah." Mike came in and shut the door. He made a bee-line towards the rack full of guitars and bass guitars. He picked up a black replica of Blue. "Do you mind, if I use this?" he asked.
"Be my guest."
Mike smiled and sat on the couch opposite Billie's. After tuning the guitar, he looked at Billie. "Sorry. I heard a tune from the room just now. What song is it?"
"Oh, that. It was nothing. I was just simply messing around with the notes," Billie confessed.
"No, it was great from where I was," Mike said.
Billie smiled and played the tune again and he sang, "Ready for a cheap escape, on the brink of self-destruction. Widespread panic." He paused to look at his mate's reaction. "Don't stop. What's the next line?" Mike asked. "I don't know. It just came into my mind, a minute ago."
Mike nodded and played the tune. Billie was always amazed at how Mike could always repeat a tune that he had only played once.
"Broken glass inside my head, bleeding down these thoughts of anguish," Mike sang.
"That's good," Billie said and thought for while and continued, "Mass confusion. The world is a sick a machine breeding a mass of shit."
"With such a desolate conclusion, fill the void with."
"I don't care," Billie continued for Mike.
"So, what's next?" They both thought for a while Mike and Billie played the whole song again. "How about erm... there's a plague inside of me, eating at my disposition. Nothing's left," Mike sang.
"Torn out of reality, into a state of no opinion, limp with hate," Billie continued. Mike studied his friend. He waited for Billie to stop. "Billie. I know what you are thinking. I'm worried too but we'll find Tasmin first thing in the morning."
Billie looked at Mike. "I just can't help it, you know, wondering who would want to do this," he said. Mike stared blankly at the maize-colored walls, deep in his own thoughts. Billie sighed and played Basket Case.
As Billie sang the line, 'Grasping to control. So I better hold on,' the phone rang which made Billie and Mike jumped a little. Immediately, Billie picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Billie!"
Relieved that it was Lisea, he calmed down a bit. "Lis, what is it?"
"It's Tre! He's... fine..."
"What? Really?! Okay, I'll come to the hospital now," Billie said. He placed the receiver down and turned to Mike. "It's Lis. Tre's awake."
"Well, I'm going with you," Mike said. He stood up and put the black guitar to where it belonged. "Just give me a sec. I'll grab a coat and leave a note for Anna."
"Okay, I think I have to tell Adie too." Billie followed his friend and went back to his own room, where he grabbed the nearest t-shirt and trousers in sight to change. He walked to Adrienne's side of the bed and gently pushed away the strand of dark brown hair that fell onto her face. He then stroked her shoulder and whispered, "Adie! Adie!" After a while, she opened her eyes. "Mmm... what's up, baby? Is something wrong?" She abruptly sat up and the duvet fell down to her waist.
"No. Nothing's wring. Tre just woke up. I'm going to the hospital now," Billie explained in hushed voices.
"That's great. But what time is it?" She glanced at Billie's clock. "Five?! Okay, Billie. Just be careful. Drive slow."
"I will." He smiled and kissed her forehead before walking out of the bedroom and went downstairs to meet Mike.
"I know this is a crazy idea," Mike said and scratched his head. "But what do you think of hiring a private investigator?" Mike looked at Billie. Billie was doubtful but Mike reinforced his idea. "Think about it Billie, if we call the cops, that might make it worse for Anna, Adie and Joey. Besides, it will attract the media, and that's the last thing we need."
Billie looked at his band mate, he knew Mike was right but who are they going to hire? "But Mike, where are we going to find one?" he asked.
Mike smiled. "Well, do you remember Tasmin from high school? She's a private investigator now, maybe we could hire her," Mike said.
"You mean 'The Tasmin' with the brunette hair, and round-rimmed glasses? The one you used to date?" Billie questioned, amused by Mike's answer.
"Yep! I ran into her a few weeks ago. She gave me her business card." Mike took out his wallet from his pocket and looked through the compartments. "I swear I put it in here," he mumbled under his breath. "Oh yes! Here you go." Mike handed Billie a white card.
Billie took it and read the words that were printed on it. 'Tasmin Miller.' Oh yeah, that's Taz, all right. After a while of considering the idea, Billie agreed.
"So what are we going to do now?" Adrienne asked.
"Well, we can't really call at this time. We'll go to her office tomorrow," Billie said. "But meantime, I'm hungry." He scratched his head.
Adrienne smiled. "I'll fix dinner now. Mike, Anna, are you guys staying?"
"If you don't mind, Adie," Mike said. "Of course not. You guys are always welcome here."
"Thanks, Adie," Mike said and flashed a sincere smile. Adrienne nodded and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll help," Anastasia offered and followed Adrienne.
***
Billie lied on his bed, his mind disturbed. He turned to check the time from the electronic alarm clock; 04:25. 'Oh my god! I need to go to sleep. Billie stop thinking and go to sleep,' he told himself. Eyes closed, he turned facing Adrienne. He wrapped his arms around her waist, she was sound asleep. He smiled as he breathed in the scent of apple from her dark brown hair. He felt happy but the sense of insecurity clouded him. After the threat, he couldn't stop worrying, what might happen to Adie, Joey, Mike or Anna. Who would want them to be killed? Who would hurt Tre to this state?
After another moment of sleeplessness, he got out of the bed quietly and tiptoed his way to the music room. It was at the end of the house, so he took Blue and played a song. He was singing Longview when the door creaked open. "Mike?"
"Sorry. I heard you play, so I bet you can't sleep too," Mike said. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah." Mike came in and shut the door. He made a bee-line towards the rack full of guitars and bass guitars. He picked up a black replica of Blue. "Do you mind, if I use this?" he asked.
"Be my guest."
Mike smiled and sat on the couch opposite Billie's. After tuning the guitar, he looked at Billie. "Sorry. I heard a tune from the room just now. What song is it?"
"Oh, that. It was nothing. I was just simply messing around with the notes," Billie confessed.
"No, it was great from where I was," Mike said.
Billie smiled and played the tune again and he sang, "Ready for a cheap escape, on the brink of self-destruction. Widespread panic." He paused to look at his mate's reaction. "Don't stop. What's the next line?" Mike asked. "I don't know. It just came into my mind, a minute ago."
Mike nodded and played the tune. Billie was always amazed at how Mike could always repeat a tune that he had only played once.
"Broken glass inside my head, bleeding down these thoughts of anguish," Mike sang.
"That's good," Billie said and thought for while and continued, "Mass confusion. The world is a sick a machine breeding a mass of shit."
"With such a desolate conclusion, fill the void with."
"I don't care," Billie continued for Mike.
"So, what's next?" They both thought for a while Mike and Billie played the whole song again. "How about erm... there's a plague inside of me, eating at my disposition. Nothing's left," Mike sang.
"Torn out of reality, into a state of no opinion, limp with hate," Billie continued. Mike studied his friend. He waited for Billie to stop. "Billie. I know what you are thinking. I'm worried too but we'll find Tasmin first thing in the morning."
Billie looked at Mike. "I just can't help it, you know, wondering who would want to do this," he said. Mike stared blankly at the maize-colored walls, deep in his own thoughts. Billie sighed and played Basket Case.
As Billie sang the line, 'Grasping to control. So I better hold on,' the phone rang which made Billie and Mike jumped a little. Immediately, Billie picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Billie!"
Relieved that it was Lisea, he calmed down a bit. "Lis, what is it?"
"It's Tre! He's... fine..."
"What? Really?! Okay, I'll come to the hospital now," Billie said. He placed the receiver down and turned to Mike. "It's Lis. Tre's awake."
"Well, I'm going with you," Mike said. He stood up and put the black guitar to where it belonged. "Just give me a sec. I'll grab a coat and leave a note for Anna."
"Okay, I think I have to tell Adie too." Billie followed his friend and went back to his own room, where he grabbed the nearest t-shirt and trousers in sight to change. He walked to Adrienne's side of the bed and gently pushed away the strand of dark brown hair that fell onto her face. He then stroked her shoulder and whispered, "Adie! Adie!" After a while, she opened her eyes. "Mmm... what's up, baby? Is something wrong?" She abruptly sat up and the duvet fell down to her waist.
"No. Nothing's wring. Tre just woke up. I'm going to the hospital now," Billie explained in hushed voices.
"That's great. But what time is it?" She glanced at Billie's clock. "Five?! Okay, Billie. Just be careful. Drive slow."
"I will." He smiled and kissed her forehead before walking out of the bedroom and went downstairs to meet Mike.
