Al is there, asking for permission to enter. It is like he’s a vampire. Cynthia nods and takes a step forward, to feel Al, to see if he’s real.
She’s drawn to him, like a magnet - and her touch turns into a hug. He’s warm, definitely real. She gives into the craze, pulling him in tighter.
“Oh, Cynthia,” he says playing with her hair, “the last thing I wanted to do was cause you pain.”
Al then releases. He touches her cheeks and runs down the tracks of tears. “I should have told you,” he says. “Long before this ever happened.”
“What are you saying, Al?” Cynthia can’t break the spell.
“How I knew what my ending would be.”
Last Night
It’s Dustin’s that wakes her. “Cynthia? Cynthia, are you okay?” “Hurry with the paramedics. We may have casualties.”
Her vision starts to clear. She nods but stops herself and shakes it ‘no.’
“What happened?”
“There was a blast.” Dustin squats beside Cynthia who reaches down and life one of the pieces of shrapnel. There is no sign of Al.”
“Oh my God! Look at Barry. Where’s Al?”
Cynthia whips her head toward the living room to see paramedics bending over Barry’s body. His eyes are closed and he’s shaking.
“They’re working on him,” Dustin says. “He’s alive - looks like he got hit in the head pretty badly. Cynthia, you’re bleeding. What the hell happened?”
She closes her eyes for a moment. “There was a package delivered. When Al put it in the chair, we heard a hissing sound. Al grabbed it and ran. That’s all I remember. Where’s Al?”
“It looks like you were targeted—we can’t find him,” Dustin says.
“Where is he? He can’t be just gone.”
“I don’t know.”
Dustin pats her on the shoulder. “We’ll find him.” He holds out his hand to help her up. “You’re hurt. We need to get you to the hospital.”
“No, I can’t leave without Al.” Cynthia pulls herself up, using the arm of the sofa as leverage. “Al, Al—”
“Cynthia, we have to go”.
She feels his hands on her shoulders. “Dustin, don’t let IU touch anything.”
“Ok. They won’t until you go through it first. We have to go now.”
Lowering her hand, she turns to face him. “Dustin, where’s Al? I need to find out where he is?”
“We’ll find him. I know.”
Cynthia concedes.
“Don’t touch anything. Bring every last envelope to the fucking precinct!”
Instead of going to the hospital, Cynthia heads to the precinct with Dustin. Boxes are brought in one by one piling up on her desk. She feels that Al had left a secret - and she cannot permit anyone else to see them. Although Cynthia can’t explain it, her gut feeling is that Al’s secret and his disappearance are connected.
After her hasty repacking, whatever system Al had is in shambles. A journal from the 1800s mixed with newspaper clippings from the 50s. Underneath photos and drawings without any date at all and notes in Al’s handwriting. There are many references to death; different types, covering over a hundred years. Some horrific, some mundane. Al has always considered himself a student of death; she had no idea how far it went. Still, these leads were farfetched.
“Detective Jones.” Captain Rowland’s voice startles her.
Cynthia looks up, pushing her hair behind her ears. “Yes, Captain?”
Rowland pauses. Cynthia hadn’t cared what she looked like after the blast. What are a few cuts when Al’s missing?
“Go home.”
“But Captain, Al is—”
“I know. Detective Dustin filled me in. The FBI was called in to assist. They’re doing everything they can. Al will be found, Detective.”
“No, I can’t just give up like this. He’s my—“
“Detective, you look like hell and can’t do your work in this state.” Cynthia steps forward. “It’s midnight. Go home, get some sleep. We have this covered.”
“Captain—”
“Do I have to give an order?”
Cynthia shakes her head and places everything back in the box. Rowland watches her, waiting until she’s left the precinct. Though Cynthia doesn’t turn around, she feels a uniformed officer watching her until she gets into a squad car and it pulls off.
She replays the night’s events… until someone knocks on her door at 3 AM.
“Detective, we’ve found Al,” An officer said.
“Where is he?”
“He was burnt badly and didn’t make it.”
“Where was the body found?”
“A few feet from the fire escape. He almost made it.”