Hotel California V

I walked in and placed my weekly buys on the kitchen counter by the doorway. It was a small unit built for two mates or four if they are more than mates. The unit has two rooms with its own bathroom. The kitchen was a compact one with the cooking counter and next to it was the serving counter in the 'L' design. I guess the two occupants per unit applied when they furnished the place. There was the living area, or so named with the huge TV on the wall and the two-seaters couch that unfolds into a single bed. And the coffee table that sat in between the TV and the couch. There was the solitary flower vase with the fake flowers on long stems and leaves that never dropped. The place was immaculate considering I am the only occupant for the last year and my schedule there was only an hour of movement and then it was to bed. I occupied the main room which was a world apart from the described outside living conditions.

The bedroom was with the huge bed, with the bedposts and the headrest. There were the dresser and built-in three doors closet where I kept clothes and the small four-level cupboards where I stored my dainty personal kinds of stuff. It was also where I stored the cuffs and extended metal rod among other tolls I used as a Police Officer. The only oddity in the room was the wall facing the bed was mirrored from floor to the ceiling. I guess I am sort of voyeur in my peevish self.

“Step in, Ma’am. The place is not much but it’s my place to be away from the outside.” I spoke to my superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Prandy; Madge Bridget Prandy or behind her back she was named the MCP. The DCI was posted over because of the increasing cases and the Holidays. 

“Thank you, DC Bernice.” I was Detective Constable and that ranked me as Junior officers, I guess we could be allowed to take on some personal thanks from their Superior. “I am sorry to trouble you for the stay.”

It was Christmas and the bookings in the Hotels were overflowing. As her office aide, I had been rejected five times despite my calling as a Police Officer. Even the Police Dorms were taken up by the officers that have to stay back to do their duties. The city was besieged by some bad incidents and the Commissioner was not keen to have the statistics rocket up during the holidays. So, most of the single officers were recalled to duty and one of them was myself but I have a baby sitter task added.

I saw her carry the overnighter which was a relief for me. That meant she was staying only the shortest of nights or days. She was as tall as me, with the athlete build and a blonde at the range age of early forties. It figured for she was a tough officer and cracked some tough cases in her career. AS for myself, two years out of the Academy, I was not the tough nut but a wiz with the computers hence my position as aide to her. I was the redhead in the Department of blonde and brunette to the bald. They all called me Red for Red Riding Girl and the name stuck for I was fetching tea of the paper folders to the Seniors with the tag along for the sob tales to hear from victims.

“Red, time to visit Granny.” That was my cue to follow and take notes with victims or their dependents.

“Ma’am, you can use the other room. The one on the left. It's unoccupied.” I told DCI Prandy. “Would you like tea?”

Silly of me as it was past nine in the night and I was offering her tea. It was not like I was in the village with my parents and tea was our drink before we sleep. In the city, everyone drinks wine.

“No, thank you. I would prefer wine. Do you have any red?” I heard her just before she stepped into the loft bedroom. I looked at my kitchen and tried to figure out where were the wines. It was not I don’t drink but I was more into herbal living. I have five assorted herbal teas and other organic stuff but wine, that was a rarity. I found one left unopened form the last party I held on Easter. I hoped she likes the country. It was in Spain.

“Thank you, Freddy.” He was my brother who dropped over then with his girlfriend. They spent the weekend with me, ignored my food and brought their own which I had to dispose of soon after, occupied the left room and fucked all night keeping me awake. I wanted to knock on the door and quote them ‘public nuisance’ but you do that to your own families. It was unbecoming as the sister. A sister who was living in solitary in her own unit.

I heard the shower in the left room, and then decided it was for me to duck off too. I took my own right room, and closed the door. I wanted to latch it but stopped myself. It was not like I have an intruder in my unit but my superior officer. And she held the rank of Inspector. If there was any doubt of protection, I will say I am blessed. I smiled at my own silliness and then caught my reflection in the mirror. I could not help it admiring myself. I have the curves in the right places and the long legs that could do any tap dancers to drool. I was still in my uniform. I did not change to my casuals due to the rush.

“Arghh…” My hairdo was out of place. I should have seen it, rushing to the waiting patrol car to take us back here. It was one of the privileges of the Inspector. Normally I will be on the Tube and my hairdo will be hidden below the beret or the baseball bat, pieces of denim or the blouse and skirt with sneakers. I told you I lead a solitary existence with the TV, my weekend companion. If there was a pet, it was pet boa constrictor but that was made from stuffed kinds of cotton into a mock-up sewn reptile. It was thick and long enough for me to warm my body. I stripped and then took a body check before I stepped into the shower. It was a warm one and the muscles in my body faded to the level of comfort. I slipped on my usual nightie attires; sleeveless vest and close-cut shorts. I had my hair wrapped in the towel like a turban and stepped back to the living area.

There she was. Pardon me, I meant the DCI was seated on the couch.

“Hi, DC Bernice. Pardon me for I have poured myself a glass.” I looked at the wine bottle. She had it opened with the bottle opener. I had forgotten where it was. And the glasses. She found them all as if she was in the crime scene. “Good wine. Spain, is it?”

I took the other glass and poured a portion for myself. I was not much of a drinker. I then joined her. It was then I noticed her dressing was informal like mine but painstaking simple; the oversized t-shirt and the sweat pants. And her hair was dry.

“Hotel California.” DCI Prandy motioned to me the banner below the TV. I looked at it and smiled.

“Yeah, a friend from California brought it over. She was an Eagles fan. She even got me the CD.” I smiled.

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here

DI Prandy hummed the chorus. I joined her at the fourth line and we then laughed.

“Lovely song. Like the Hotel, your unit is nice. Or shall I say more than comfy.” DCI Prandy praised my unit. We went on talking in the city and its living conditions. As officers of the law, we have been to most corners of it and the things we saw could never all be placed into words.

“Do you have anything on the TV?” DCI Prandy changed the subject then. I nodded and reached out to grab the controller. It may be beneath the table hidden by some old magazines. I leaned over and searched for it. I found it and then realized when I leaned over, I had my butt towards her with my vest opened. She could have seen my body; my hidden parts.

“I am sorry.” I handed her the remote. She looked at me with a baffled look.

“I mean I should have….. dressed more ….” I uttered in my voice.

“No… Please sit down.” DCI Prandy reached for my right hand which was holding the controller. I took her order and saw down with my legs closed and the hands-on it. DCI Prandy took the controller away from my hand and then held my right hand. It felt …. Reassuring.

“I could leave if you want.”

“No, you don’t have to. You are my guest.” I looked at the DCI. “I can’t ….”

“Refuse me? Because I am the DCI or ….. your guest.” She placed me in a fix to reply then.

“Call me Madge. It's my also my other given name.” DCI Prandy or Madge then held out her right hand to my left cheek. “I am not your DCI here. I am Madge your guest, …… Bernice.”

The mentioned of my name jolted me. The lyrics of the song blitzed past my mind.

Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"
And in the master's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast

She was …. I meant DCI Prandy was intimidating. She was as the DCI, to many of us and to the suspects whom she could extract confessions like the knife into the melted butter.

“I think I will leave.” DCI Prandy pulled her hand off mine but I reached out to grab it back.

“No, don’t. You can’t leave.” I paused in my words.  “I meant please stay. I will get us some food.”

It was an excuse for me to get up but she pulled me to sit down. She looked at me in the eyes. I looked away. I was frightened and for no other reason than I feared her.

“Bernice, can I hold you?” I heard her and before I could reply, she had held me into her arms. I melted into her with my face at her left shoulder. I felt her hand moved over my back, and her lips were on my hair. It was so comforting. I nudged further in and wrapped my arms around her.

“How long was it?” I shuddered at her question. It was like your lover asking when you last had your menstrual.

“A year to be exact. Last Christmas we broke up. She left me that morning.”

“Was it why you left her things in the other room? I saw the boxes. They were unsealed.” That had to be my brother’s doing. It was his last visit to my unit. Fucking nerd. He had made rude statements towards me then.

“Give it right, Sis. You are demented in your thoughts. How would you tell momma of your choice of love?” I had cursed him in my anger. I told him I have a life, and how I handled it was not his calling.

 

“Was that why you brought the bitch to my place? Was it to mock me? I hoped the fucks were satisfying. How much did you pay the whore?” That blow was hurtful but so was his towards me.

“Enough to tell you, a woman needed to be fucked. I am the Beast at it.” I knew my brother was a wild one. He was going his lady lovers like switching lanes. He was brutal. He has a folder in the records for battery and assault. I was his only family member that kept the candle at the window for him. He came when he likes and leave when he was needed elsewhere. The last visit with the emotional words, I told him to ‘fuck off’. He did and we did not speak for weeks. I kept on telling myself, he had no more place in my life.

“Bernice…” I heard the DCI. “I packed it there. I did not know it was opened.”

I feigned ignorance. I then had my tears running onto her shoulder. She held me even tighter and then pulled my face towards her lips. We kissed while our hands moved over our bodies. She slipped in her hands through the open sleeves and cupped my breasts. I responded with my own hands into her sweat top. It was all moving so fast and the next thing I knew, I was leading her to my room. She pulled away and watched me stroll ahead to the bed. I lay down looking at her at the room doorway. She was still in her sweat top but the pants were off. I don’t what went over me but I heard these lyrics in my mind.

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
The warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway

“Bernice, invite me in.” The lady standing at the doorway voiced out. I nodded but she wanted me to say those words. I bit my lips before I uttered these.

I heard the mission bell

And I was thinking to myself
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way

I wasn’t sure how I sounded then but she took the bold steps into my room. I knew then I was to live my life once more; free from my past. Our lips matched each other and then the phone rang. She got up and walked back to the other room. Mine rang too. It was on the dresser. Both of us picked it up.

“DC Bernice. We got to move. Another shooting in the city.” I nodded to DCI Prandy. We are bound by the sworn oath to serve the community regardless of our personal needs. Both of us got dressed and soon we were in the assigned patrol car. I looked at her from the rear-view mirror. She gave me a weak smile. Her lips said it then.

Mirrors on the ceiling

The pink champagne on ice
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"
And in the master's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast

“Beastly night, Chief Inspector. We can’t seem to tame it at all. I guess Christmas will be bleak this time.” We heard the constable driving the patrol lamenting on the holiday he was missing.

“We are not lost yet, Constable. There is always tomorrow when we can resume the celebration. Or next year. Eventually, the beast will come to rest at our feet. Could we have some music, please? It's Christmas Eve. Play something tasteful.”

I turned on my playlist. It went on like this.

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here

“DC, you got my taste right.” I heard the DI.