Jaye Michael
PART TWO: CONVOLUTION
Chapter Seventeen: Quadration
I wasn’t kissing her,
I was just whispering in her mouth.
– Chico Marx
OCTOBER 14, 1:30 P.M., CASA DE ORO MOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“What’s with Joanie?”
“Huh?”
Carla looked up from her cereal as Ginette walked into the suite’s kitchenette area.
“About ten minutes ago she was in the shower shaving her legs. Now she’s sitting by the mirror in our bedroom doing her hair and makeup, and believe it or not, I think she’s whistling.”
Carla started preparing a bowl of cereal for herself. “Is this the last of the milk?”
“Sá.” Carla nodded and took another spoonful. “Don’t worry. Joanie and Sheila have already eaten.”
Ginette finished off the carton and sat next to Carla. “So what do you think?”
“About Joanie? I don’t know. Maybe she’s adjusting?”
“That’s a hell of an adjustment.”
“Hi, girls.” They both stopped talking as a smiling Joanie walked in and flounced into a nearby armchair, smoothing her white miniskirt, crossing her legs, flicking the hair of her long blonde wig back over her shoulder, and adjusting the collar of her white silk blouse. The other two froze, mouths gaping open while a perfectly made up Joanie smiled back at them.
“Joanie?” Carla swallowed and grabbed a paper napkin to clean up the milk that had dribbled from her open mouth.
“Is that really you? You look beautiful!” Ginette exclaimed as she self consciously patted at her own hair.
“Sure. Who else would I be?” Joanie looked quizzically at the others. Then, with a shrug, her smile seemed to get brighter, if that was possible.
“This is the same Joanie who got on the plane with us, right?”
Joanie nodded.
“The same Joanie who was turning tricks with us just yesterday?”
“Of course, silly. Who else would I be?” Joanie nodded again, but her smile began to fade a bit.
“The same Joanie who was John, our pimp, just a week ago?”
“Oh, stop teasing, girls. You know I’ve always been a girl.” She jumped up, still bubbling, and promenaded over to a nearby mirror to preen while the other two stared at each other in confusion.
Sheila came out of the bedroom she was sharing with Carla wrapping a towel around her head. “Are you ready girls? I want to get to the...” Her voice trailed off as she looked from Joanie to the others and back. “What’s going on?”
“Joanie doesn’t seem to remember John,” Carla explained.
“Of course I remember John.” Joanie spun back towards Carla putting her hands on her hips and pouting prettily. “He was our pimp, but he’s gone and we have his money, and we’re here to have some fun.” Joanie turned to Sheila. “Right, Sheila?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Right.”
Sheila tossed the other two a confused look. When Joanie was looking away, Carla made a gentle spinning motion with her hand held beside her ear. Then she shrugged. “Joanie’s right. Let’s go have some fun!”
OCTOBER 15, 1:10 A.M., CASA DE ORO MOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“I think I’m jealous.” Sheila, Carla and Ginette were in a coffee shop off the entrance to the Casa de Oro’s casino sipping coffee with six or seven sugars each.
“Sá. I know what you mean.”
Ginette just nodded agreement.
“Not only does she look better than us, she’s more feminine.”
They all morosely agreed.
“And what’s worse, is she’s probably up in that guy’s room getting laid and we’re sitting down here in this coffee shop alone.”
“Sá,” Carla groused. “Let’s loose some money.”
“No,” Ginette chimed in. “I want to see the show.”
“I’m up for a show too,” Sheila added, “but I want to start shopping around for a supplier first. After all, our stuff is only going to last so long.” Sheila finished her coffee and turned to Carla. “Is a show okay with you sweetie?”
"Oh, all right.”
They finished their coffee and headed off into the casino. It was going to be a good night, even if it wouldn’t be as good as Joanie’s.
OCTOBER 15, 1:40 P.M., CASA DE ORO MOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Joanie lay on the room’s bed, wearing a low cut, lacy red camisole and matching panties. One knee was slightly raised, her arms propped her up from behind and her breasts stood tall and proud with the nipples hard and pointed. Thus positioned, she patiently waited for the man that she had chosen to emerge from the bathroom. A condom had been strategically placed by the corner of the nearby nightstand while she waited. Her face took on an almost predatory look as the bathroom door opened, then she quickly rearranged her features to be smiling innocently as a naked giant of a man stopped to soak in her beauty. Her smile grew larger and one hand moved to allow her to suck daintily at the tip of her finger. She pushed her chest out a bit further and watched his little soldier grow to stand straight and proud.
Four quick steps and he was on the bed kissing and touching her. Joanie just lay back and thoroughly enjoyed herself. The only problem was a nagging thought that this didn’t feel as familiar as it should.
OCTOBER 16, 2:05 A.M., PRECINCT TWO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“Name?” the blue clad officer asked as he sat in front of a typewriter trying to get name of the lady–he used that word reservedly–wringing her hands and shifting nervously about on the hard wooden seat. “I said, ‘Name?’” he looked up annoyed.
“Sheila Lakewood, but you don’t understand. We were just trying …”
“Date of Birth?”
Sheila looked over at Carla and Ginette who rolled her eyes before giving her own date of birth.
OCTOBER 16, 9:50 A.M., CITY COURTHOUSE, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“Yes, officer. I’d like to make bail for all three. Here’s the fifteen hundred dollars.” A tired but sated Joanie handed over a stack of bills to the clerk of the court.
OCTOBER 16, 10:25 A.M., CITY COURTHOUSE, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“How could you girls be so stupid?” Joanie snarled back over her shoulder as she led the way down the courthouse steps. “If you wanted some coke why didn’t you ask John?” She refused to say another word until they were back at their motel suite.
OCTOBER 16, 11:30 A.M., CASA DE ORO MOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Joanie held the door until the last of the girls had entered and then slammed it shut hard enough to rattle the windows. Stalking over to the couch, she dropped onto it, crossed her arms and legs and glared angrily at the others.
“How could you bitches be so stupid?” she swore. “I mean, trying to score coke? What the hell do you three know about besides hooking? Why the hell didn’t you ask John if you needed coke so bad?”
“Joanie, how can we ask John? You’re John.” Sheila spoke her confusion shared by the others.
“I’m getting awfully tired of this joke. You know I’m not John. John’s a guy.” Joanie stood and posed briefly, the effect marred only by the look of anger on her face. “And if you can’t tell the difference I don’t know how you girls made it on the streets.”
“You really don’t remember? Getting sick? Your body changing? None of it?”
“I refuse to continue this discussion. This is not funny and you’re being mean.” Joanie stalked of towards her bedroom. “I’m beat. Don’t wake me.”
The others just stared after her. After the door closed, Carla turned to the others. “What the hell is going on with her? She can’t really. Not know. Can she?”
“Damned if I know. She’s acting crazy, that’s for sure.”
“Sá. One loco mujer.”
“Ya know. It’s almost like she was a different person,” Ginette observed. “I remember one of those talk shows were they had these people with another person in them. I think...I think...I think it was ‘Oprah.’”
“No one cares what the show was, what about the multiple people?” Sheila interrupted only to be interrupted herself by noises coming from the bedroom Joanie had entered. Suddenly the door opened and Joanie swaggered out wearing black polyester pants and a Cape Cod tee shirt. Her face was washed free of all makeup.
“How are you bitches doing today?” She sat straddling the coffee table so she could see them all. After briefly picking at her nose, she continued.
“Joanie tells me you bitches just got arrested for trying to score some coke. I’m hurt. When has good old Johnny not provided?” The others had that amazed look on their faces yet again.
“Close your mouths and get some sleep. You’ll need your rest so you can work tonight. You’re gonna owe me big for this crap you just pulled. I’ll be back about six P.M., coke in hand.”
OCTOBER 16, 5:00 P.M., CASA DE ORO MOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Sheila groggily reached over to shut off the alarm. She smacked her lips to get some of the taste out of her mouth. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she rubbed her stomach briefly then pulled her hair back off her face. Slapping Carla on her butt on the way to the bathroom she called out, “Up and at um, sleepy head.”
“Five more minutes, Mommy.” The pillow covering Carla’s head muffled the words.
The bathroom door closed and Carla slowly, grudgingly slid out of her bed. Not having the bathroom available, she put on a robe and headed out into the common area, calling in to Sheila as she left the bedroom, “I’ll start some coffee and wake Ginette.”
“What about Joanie?” Sheila called from the bathroom.
“Only if she's Joanie. I don’t want to wake her if she’s John again.”
After putting on a pot of coffee, Carla rubbed her eyes and shuffled over to the other bedroom. Without even turning the lights on, she shook Ginette to wake her and then headed off into that bedroom’s bathroom. Ginette shifted position and went back to sleep.
Leaving the bathroom a bit more refreshed, having washed her face, Carla again shook Ginette, this time keeping at it until she was awake and moving. “Shhh. Don’t wake Joanie.”
Ginette nodded and quietly move off to the bathroom while Carla headed back to her room.
This time Carla turned on the lights in the common room. About half way through she stopped, focused on the kitchenette table and gasped. On the table was about three ounces of what looked like pure white cocaine.
OCTOBER 16, 5:55 P.M., CASA DE ORO MOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“So do we wake her up?” Carla asked as they were sitting around the kitchenette table finishing their coffee. The cocaine had been hidden behind the refrigerator as usual.
“I don’t know. I sure don’t want John back.” The others vigorously agreed.
“So what do we do?”
“What do you do about what?” Joanie stood by the bedroom door rubbing her eyes. “Boy, am I tired, what time is it?”
“About six o’clock.” Ginette responded hesitantly, glancing nervously over at the others.
“How are you?” Sheila tentatively asked.
“Tired. Real tired, like I hardly slept at all. Sure doesn’t seem like almost seven hours of sleep.” Joanie half-heartedly brushed as a loose hair as she came over to the kitchen table and demurely sat next to the others.
“Joanie? Is that you?”
“Of course, silly. Who else would I be?” Joanie tittered.
OCTOBER 17, 8:30 A.M., CASA DE ORO MOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Ginette grumbled, half asleep as she grabbed the front door knob hoping to stop the persistent knocking. She opened the door to see two Las Vegas police officers, one male and one female.
“May we come in please?” The man stepped in before she could answer and the woman followed.
“Are you Ginette Henson?” He asked looking back and forth at her and a clipboard in his hand. Ginette nodded mutely.
“Are Sheila Lakewood and Carla Morales here also?” When Ginette did not answer, the female officer went to each bedroom waking the others and bringing them into the common room.
The male officer spoke again once they were all lined up in front of him. “Ginette Henson, Carla Morales, and Sheila Lakewood, I have a warrant for your arrest.” He handed the nearest woman a piece of paper. While Ginette looked at it, he continued.
“I am about to read you your rights.” He pulled a card from his pocket. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have an attorney, one will be provided for you by the court. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?”
They nodded. “What are the charges?”
“They will be explained at the station. Please get dressed. You will be allowed into your bedrooms one at a time to get dressed. Patrolwoman Smith will be with you while you dress.
Miss, you go first.” He pointed to Ginette who handed the warrant to the others and went to get dressed.
OCTOBER 17, 11:00 A.M., PRECINCT TWO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“Thank you, officer. As you’ve confirmed that my papers are in order, I’ll take my three prisoners now.” Lieutenant Roegler smiled.
Comments
Tradeoffs-17
I like what happened in this chapter.
proves that some people are great actors/actresses.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
...or have split personalities
...or have split personalities. Hopefully, it will be interesting to see which it turns out to be.
Actors? Actresses?
From the way I read it Joanie did indeed get some marbles loose. At least the scene with that hunk she scored was showing she was definitely not John at the time.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Why the 2nd lot of charges?
Have the infection control police caught up with them?
Obviously John has not fully become Joannie, will the full infection take control or is there something happening to the virus's effect, i.e. not as potent?
good chapter Jaye
LoL
Rita
Age is an issue of mind over matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!
(Mark Twain)
LoL
Rita
To the first question, yes.
To the first question, yes. The paperwork is not so much a second line of charges as a change of jurisdiction. Lt. Roegler is not part of the Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD). The paperwork is to let her take possession of LVPD's prisoners.
As to the second question, not everyone handles a drastic shock the same and changing into what appears to be a different person, whether the change is considered desireable or not, is a shock. Add to that the insult to John's ovbiously overblown self-image of himself as a "man's man" and the shock could be enough to cause mental problems.
Plot merge ahead?
This episode ends on 17th October, the incident at the lab took place on 18th. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Roegler has been involved with the transportation of the New York victims to an undisclosed location. Is it the same lab complex or a different one?
At the moment, I'm guessing that because of the relatively large amount of plot time devoted to the girls, and the amount of 'private' incidents / encounters, that they survive whatever's awaiting them.
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!