A Jukebox at The Diner Prequel: "Year of The Cat" Kaleidoscope - Part Two
A retelling of "Kaleidoscope" from the detective series inspired by the short story "Miss Jackson"
Previously on Year of The Cat…
It was 2 AM when Jenny knocked on Jake’s door. She was a little buzzed. She should have taken an Uber or something. That’s what she was thinking about when Jake opened the door.
“Come in Miss Portnoy.” -Jake, barefoot in jeans, and a Wrangler Workwear flannel hoodie, unzipped, without a shirt on.
“Jenny.” is what Jenny said, but as she walked in she put her hand on Jake's chest for just a moment. “I could use a drink.” Then she walked over to the couch and sat down.
Jake hadn’t planned on any of this happening. It was just a chain reaction. “Chaos, brother…” he could hear his brother Charlie sigh.
He sat down next to Jenny and put his hand on her knee.
“I’ll tell you everything, but it will mean betraying your friends in the short term. I have a way for it all to work out, but, you’re going to have to trust me, and, you shouldn’t, but that’s what it will take. I’ll tell you one thing first: either you’re in or out. If you’re out, give me and Miss Jackson three steps, that’s all I ask.”
His brother probably would have liked that.
“I’m in.” -Jenny
“I’m the one who killed the doctor, but please let me tell you why.” -Jake
Jenny nodded, so Jake went into his study and returned with two tumblers and a bottle of Macallan Winchester. He poured each of them a couple of fingers and they toasted silently. Then Jake told her everything.
He met the good and dead young doctor at Augustine and connected over music. They realized they were neighbors a few drinks in, and that’s when the doctor first mentioned the cat. She just appeared one day, and he couldn’t find the owner. He was hoping maybe Jake could help. When the doctor found out Jake had some tech experience told him about his project, “Kaleidoscope”. It turned out that old Pinebook and Pine Time sitting in a box in Jake’s armoire were exactly what the doctor needed…
At first, the doctor gave Jake the impression that it was sleep and REM state research, but that wasn’t the case. The doctor finally fessed up a few weeks ago. He was working on a designer drug. The way it worked was, in layman’s terms, a time-release of 5 different drugs. Succinylcholine was one. Jake knew that because the doctor hadn’t added it into the mix. He had been slowly increasing the dose, trying to find the right amount to release over time to impair muscle and motor function for the duration of the “trip”, if you could call it that. The doctor asked Jake to stay a few times, in case his heart stopped. Jake didn’t exactly know what else was in Kaleidoscope then, but he did now.
“This is where you’re going to squirm a bit, Jenny. I need to tell you who my father is.”
“Oh, I figured that out tonight. You’re father is David Robert Jones.” -Jenny
“Yes.”
Jenny sat there thinking about how she was ready to jump in bed with an international criminal and then asked Jake if she was in danger.
“No, Jenny, neither you or you’re friends are in any danger. I’ll make sure of that, but you’re going to have to be a part of a little misdirect. The reason the doctor is dead is because he was about to make a deal with the Los Zetas cartel. Are you familiar with them?” -Jake
“Former Mexican Army commandos, right?” -Jenny
Jake nodded.
“So I called my father, and we formed a plan to make Los Zetas believe the project was destroyed, and take “Kaleidoscope” for ourselves. This will happen quickly, so I’ll need you to do a few things for me. For yourself. So no one catches on that you’re helping, listen very carefully, then we’ll have another drink, and seal the deal more intimately.”
Jake filled Jenny in on the plan, then they went to bed. When Jenny woke up in the morning, she was glad it was Sunday. She was so wrapped up in this story she would have forgotten about her duties as a Travis County Unified School District bus driver. Jake had left her a note on the bed.
I won’t see you until I come to get you, be ready. Thank you for last night, Jenny. It was nice not to be alone for once. =j
Jenny was all in.
That morning, Jake left to pick up his father, who’d arrived the night before. The plan was to give his father a tour of the lab they had built to test the effects of “Kaleidoscope” on subjects. Jake was known to the doctors and volunteers as an investor, and today, he would be giving his father a tour as another investor. Riding in Jake’s truck, his father was amused by Jake's “cover”. “You’re in this now, good man, whether you like it or not. It’s best to get me up to speed at the doctors’ lab”.
Mr. Jones was surprised by the front. It was a fully functioning medical office with staff and everything. The front was a local plasma donation center. “X-Gen Plasma”. It was quite brilliant, it drew in people who might agree to an “experimental” drug trial for a little extra cash.
When they arrived at the medical center out on E. 41st there were even a few subjects in trials, which Mr. Jones observed, and well, given his demeanor, his reaction could be called jovial.
“This is quite the story, isn’t it?”
“I thought I was helping with sleep and REM research. I wish I still thought that. Not to rip off The Stones, but you appear to be a man of wealth and fame that I’d rather not have met if given the choice.” -Jake, having a little fun with his father.
“Well you weren’t, I suppose, but it doesn’t have to be a misfortunate situation. It could be quite profitable for you.” -Mr. Jones
“Not Interested isn’t one of the multiple-choice answers is it?” -Jake
The man in the suit chuckled.
“Oh dear boy, it is not.”
“How about we just take one step at a time and see how it goes.”
One of the trial doctors came up with a folder and a USB key for Jake. “Here’s our latest trial research. Unfortunately, the good doctor died before we could tell him we just had several successful tests with the paralytic.”
Later that evening, Detectives Norberg and Rumack were walking to their cruiser when Jenny’s text came in.
“Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking” Shirley stops and shows Elaine the text from Sinnie.
“Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking” Detective Norberg can deadpan with the best of them, but that text rattled her nerves.
“Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines.” Shirley nods in agreement.
“Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing…” Detective Norberg starts cracking up laughing. “Glue! I need more glue!”
Shirley called Jake.
“9 PM, 1000 block of East 41st. Look for my truck.”
The detectives have less than an hour.
When Detective Shirley called Jenny and told her to come meet them and bring the cake, she was a little hurt she wasn’t let in on the surprise, and what a surprise it was. Pulling up to the medical center with Sinnie in the MVOJ and parking on the street, the lights of the police and fire trucks along with the building completely engulfed in flames was exciting until she noticed Jake’s truck in the parking lot as well. The detectives were walking towards them so Sinnie opened the sliding door.
“Happy Birthday Sinnie!” the detectives said in unison. “It’s going to be a minute until the fire’s contained, let’s eat some cake and we can fill each other in.”
Jenny opened the cake box to light the candles and gasped.
There was a note.
“To: “The Squad!”
Apologies for all the excitement but I’ve unintentionally gotten into a bit of a jam. I realize this makes me a “bad guy”, but I’m not, well, this time. However, I’ll have to own up to causing the doctor’s death to save my skin, it was the wrong place wrong time scenario. I figure, why not make a great story of it all, so Jenny, congratulations, you’ve found your nemesis.
Have “Captain Ed”, sorry I don’t remember the coroner’s name, check the back of the watch. There should be Succinylcholine residue on it. That should be all the evidence you need.
Chins up ladies, I’m sure we’ll meet again someday, but for now, would one of you check on Miss Shirley Jackson in case I don’t make it through the night?”
=j”
Jenny handed the card to Detective Shirley and put the candles on the cake, then lit them.
“The Squad!” sang Happy Birthday to Sinnie, and poured champagne into red solo cups.
As Jenny was handing out the slices she noticed something was under the cake.
It was “Silent Sparrow” from Van Darien.
That’s when Jenny noticed the song.
“Detectives, What’s Kaleidoscope?”
Jenny handed Sinnie the CD. “Soundtrack!”
“It’s getting late, but I’m still wide awake…” Van Darien sang.