“Still.”
“And there’s Louise, of course.”
“Yes.”
“The doctors have asked us to make a decision — according to them, she is not going to recover. They can keep her alive indefinitely, via these mechanized contrivances, but recommend we switch off. Allow nature to take its course.”
“I have a better idea.”
The Professor looked over. “What, precisely?”
“I’m going to channel a little bit of you, Wright and the Big O. I’m going to play God, just for one night. There won’t be any reruns.”
#180
Waiting up for the Reset was like trying to stay awake to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus — no matter how strong one’s willpower, you passed out right beforehand and woke in the morning with the presents already chucked together under the tree.
Not that Jack’s parents had ever once invested in a shrubbery to encourage Yuletide season shenanigans, but he got the gist.
In this case the city sparkled. Every scrap of evidence that there’d been a destructive Cape war harbourside had been erased, the shops and buildings down there raised from obliteration. The Equalizers banner was back downstairs in the lobby and the table the Brick had damaged — in a meeting a couple of weeks before that included the late Great White Hope — fixed itself.
The hospitals and clinics emptied out, even if the mortuaries remained fully booked, and Tarpé Mills got her eyes back.
All of which possibly accounted for why the Brick whistled a jaunty Christmas tune (it was ‘Jingle Bells’, and gave good chase to Matt Munro’s vocals in the song playing on the café sound system, Quincy Jones’s ‘On Days Like These’) when he bundled into the Neon Bullpen at eight-thirty the following morning. The elegant woman in the tutu, attached to his arm, was likely another reason.
Southern Cross and Pretty Amazonia were already seated with Gypsie-Ann Stellar. The Equalizers had on their costumes — Jack without his mask — while the reporter wore a smart, tweed pants-suit number. All three were tucking into coffee and flapjacks.
“What’cha celebratin’?” the Brick inquired, having cut the whistle as he approached their table.
“Renewal,” PA said, adding maple syrup to her breakfast. “A bona fide second chance, or at least a good kick up the bum.”
“Nice t’see you waited fer us.”
The woman glanced over a dangling pancake on her fork. “Quit grouching, Casanova, and sit down. You eaten yet?”
As she leaned in close to her partner, Midori laughed. “B woke a bunch of restaurant staff at six this morning, all in the name of demanding they cook him up something called the King Henry VIII Steak.”
Jack chuckled between mouthfuls. “Oh, wow, I remember that — was too scared to try it, though.”
“You kiddin’, bright eyes? I was ravenous!” Straight after kissing the girl’s forehead, the Brick joined in the bonhomie. “Still am — order me a wad o’ jacks, will ya?” The girl pulled up a chair, while the man positioned himself on a more secure bench-seat.
Pretty Amazonia leaned back to inspect him as he did so. “You’re looking dapper, hon.”
“Feelin’ mighty fine too. Blessin’s o’ the Reset, eh?”
“One-time special, according to Jack.”
“Once were enough fer me.”
“I’ll say. He’s well and truly back on form,” Prima Ballerina agreed, eyes all over her chunky beau.
“Prima was sayin’ the swearin’s out — again.”
“Yep,” confirmed Jack.
“Fer f’s sake. How ’bout boozin’?”
“I think that’s still okay.”
“Bonza fer small mercies.”
“By the way, in case you’re curious, we’re waiting for Bob Kahn to join us,” spoke up Gypsie-Ann, while she applied to her dish a liberal blend of tomato sauce, black peppercorns, French Dijon mustard, salt and maple syrup.
Studying the resultant concoction, Jack felt vaguely ill. “Are you going to eat that — or just play with your food?”
“Don’t knock it till you try it, buster. Yum.”
With a bass-driven chuckle, the Brick unwrapped a fat cigar and lit up. “So, what’s Dick Tracy want?”
“He has the autopsy report.”
“Whose?”
The reporter rolled her eyes. “Whose do you think?”
“The dead geezers at the Patriot.”
“Spot on. My blood runs in your veins yet.”
“Sure the fella’ll remember to bring the thing — or come at all? I seems to remember a Reset happenin’ last night.”