When we got back to town I went and saw Monday. Demie said that she had some things to take care of, and gave me an address where I could find her after I was done.
What I found was astonishing. Monday had not only cleaned his apartment, he had painted it! There wasn't even one soda can on the floor. And it didn't stink!
He saw the look on my face. "Oh, yeah, I kinda decided to stop being so useless, in case Zee comes back with my kid. I wanna show her I'm ready to be a dad, y'know?"
I sat on Monday's new, non-stinky couch, which made me miss mine. I was going to have to go find a new place to live before getting my stuff out of storage, plus get a new job, and I didn't look forward to any of that.
We shot the shit for a while, and eventually talked more about Zee: "Not much more to tell, Tommy," Monday said, his eyes looking into the distance. "Heard a cracking sound and some weird high-pitched noise, and then Zee screeched...she sounded happy. By the time I got to the bedroom door she was already at the window, holding something. She looked back at me, and for a moment I thought she'd stay, but then she jumped. Just about lost my shit, but she fucking flew away! She started looking more bird-like before I lost sight of her. I don't care what she really looks like, honestly...I just want her back, man."
I never knew what Monday saw in the stinky bird lady, especially after she just about killed him the first time they had sex, but I needed to be supportive for my friend. I made a mental note to ask Demie about harpy families. She had said she was going to do some research. Hopefully she didn't forget or get distracted.
Monday still sold kush so I bought a bag. I didn't know when I might have money for more, as I had to get a new job too. Fuck!
--
I pulled the Chevelle up in front of the address Demie had given me. This couldn't be right! The apartment building was high end. I yelled to Kate through her portal entrance in the car's trunk that I'd be back in a bit, and then went up to the intercom and punched in the code Demie had given me.
Demie answered. "Yeah?"
"Um...it's me..."
The door buzzed and I went in. The lobby screamed money, all black and gold, with lots of foliage. I took the elevator up to the 13th floor.
Demie stood in the open doorway of apartment 1304. I vaguely remembered some Asian cultures considered 4 to be an unlucky number, just like 13 in North America. What a great apartment number, Demie, I thought.
As I walked into the apartment, I was taken aback. It was huge, with high vaulted ceilings and a low retro couch, loveseat, and oval glass coffee table in the living room area. The TV was definitely not retro, though; curved 52" OLED! The main area was open, unbroken except for the large fireplace right in the center. I saw a kitchen with a good-sized island past the fireplace, and a couple of hallways branching off, presumably for bedrooms.
"Whose place is this?" I asked.
"Mine," she replied. "Ours, now."
"What-? How...?" I looked about.
She sat on the couch. "My old master had me gather treasures for him. Gold, jewels, even cash. All illegal, of course. He had me bury it until the cops backed off. While I told him where I buried it, I didn't tell him that I had some friends dig it up and re-bury it. Stupid man sent me back to Hell thinking it would save his soul and he'd be rich, and he got nothing out of it." Demie had a smug, faraway look on her face.
I sat next to her. "And where's your old master now?"
She grinned, and her natural sharp teeth showed. "Hell."
"Before or after I summoned you?"
She got up, shrugging her shoulders. "Shortly after...he just disappeared, y'know?" She licked her lips, and her tongue extended like a tentacle. "It's his Chevelle we've been driving around in."
"Fuck! Demie, if it's in his name..."
"It's not." She climbed into my lap. "Let's break this place in, Tom. Whattayasay?"