NOTE: Until now, I called Ria’s boyfriend Dan instead of Maru a couple times. I went back and fixed the episodes where I did. His name is Maru Zest. Sorry, my b.

Lusso disconnected. As his senses came back, a dull pain in his skull, like someone was hitting his head with an axe to split it in two. He massaged his temples. Micky and Ding were collapsed side by side against a wall in a deep slumber. He shook Micky gently. Micky rubbed at her eyes.

Micky said, “You know who it is now?”

Lusso swallowed. He tried his best not to look at the security camera that was placed just above them, keeping his gaze fixed on Micky.

Lusso said, “I think it’s David Asknow. Someone’s trying to frame Ulrich Simmons.”

Lusso added, “I’ll explain more when we get to talk to Ria.”

Micky said, “How about now? It’s not just your life that’s on the line.”

Lusso said, “Later will be better. Just trust me.”

Micky said, “Trust you?”

Lusso said, “Just one time.”

Micky said, “Ah, fuck me.”

As she stood up, Ding’s eyes popped open.

Ding asked, “What happened? Do you know—”

Lusso said, “Shut the FUCK up Ding.”

Lusso kicked the wall a couple steps away from Ding to accentuate his point. Lusso’s boot left a streak of dirt on the white wall. Ding’s eyes flitted down towards the ground, and he began to frown.

Micky said, “Ding, we’ve gotta go clean, stand up already.”

Ding stood up and picked up his duffel bag.

Lusso said, “Clean up the dirt on the wall, would you? We’ll be waiting outside.”

Lusso walked out of the room without looking back. Micky shrugged and followed him out. Ding pulled a Corpsitech patented ELECTROMOP out of his duffel and scrubbed the wall. He scurried out of the room.

Ding said, “Wait for me!”

————————-

The door to Ria’s dressing room was already half open when the janitors arrived. Lusso peeked inside, seeing if anyone was inside. He waited by the door while Micky and Ding entered, paying careful attention to the floor, making sure nothing entered room unnoticed. He shut the door just as Ding stepped inside.

Lusso said, “Clean first, fume after.”

Micky and Ding began to mop the floor with their DUST MAGNET mops. Lusso scoured each bit of the room with his eyes while pacing around. Lusso concluded that the room was airtight, most likely as a security precaution. All the air within the room was kept fresh by a Corpsitech patented AIR SCRUBBER in the corner of the room. The only way to enter the room was by opening the door.

Micky said, “Hey Lusso, mind giving us a hand?”

Lusso said, “Ah.. Sorry. I just needed to check something.”

Lusso opened up the AIR SCRUBBER to check if it needed to be emptied. The bottle of waste was half full with a mud brown liquid. Lusso stared at the bottle for a good five seconds, then put the cover back on again.

Lusso said, “The scrubber’s clean.”

He set up the AIR ERASER fumigator on top of the makeup desk where Ria and Samantha had sat just a couple hours ago.

After Micky and Ding finished, they left the room, letting it fill up with white vapor.

—————————-

Micky said, “You sure she hasn’t fallen asleep?”

Lusso remembered all the shots Dr. Elosa gave to Ria.

Lusso said, “Maybe.”

The three of them sat cross legged in a triangle on the bed Lusso and Ding shared. Lusso’s phone lay in between them. Lusso furrowed his brows, wondering if he should call Ria. When Lusso’s phone rang, Lusso’s hands flew to his phone, checking the caller information. It was Ria. He put his phone on speakerphone.

Lusso said, “Hello?”

Ria said, “Lusso? What’s going on?”

Lusso said, “I’ll explain now, starting with the conclusion. It’s David Asknow.”

Ria asked, “So is someone trying to frame Ulrich?”

Lusso said, “Exactly.”

Micky asked, “Why?”

Lusso said, “Motive. We saw the news article. If someone wants to harm Ria, it’s David. Ria, after you sued David, him and his wife divorced. A little after, his ex-wife and kids died in a burglary. David was the first person to discover the crime. He probably blames you.”

After a pause, Ria said, “I didn’t kill his family.”

Lusso said, “You didn’t. He could still blame you.”

Ria asked, “How do you know?”

Lusso said, “Someone sent it to us by text. We don’t know who. How do you know?”

Ria said, “Nothing’s secret at JGE. For long, at least.”

Lusso said, “Anyways. Ulrich is a goddam creep, but he’s not someone smart or determined enough to do anything to you. Vera clearly doesn’t care. Samantha isn’t trying to do anything to you. She just wants to change jobs. Plus, all the security cameras were wiped the day Jin Isman died. That’s David. Ulrich probably has never touched a security system in his life before.”

Lusso said, “Need more proof, or can we move on?”

Ria said, “I guess it makes sense. But what if there are two people? What if it’s Ulrich and David?”

Lusso said, “Nobody in their right mind would work with Ulrich for anything this important.”

Micky said, “Fine. Let’s say it’s David. How can we even stop him? What does he even want? Even if we want to report him, we have no concrete proof.”

Ria said, “I’ll report him again. Then get rid of him for good this time.”

Lusso said, “For what? Sexual assault? You got proof?”

Ria said, “I’ll make it up for now. I’ll tell Inka all about this later. Inka’ll get rid of David. It’s not like there’s been anything good between me and David.”

Lusso said, “How about tomorrow? What if David wants to kidnap you tomorrow?”

Ria said, “Last time, within a couple hours of the reports, David was taken off duty.”

Lusso asked, “What if he’s not? Give us your schedule for tomorrow. We’ll need to know more to help you.”

Ria said, “Alright.”

Lusso said, “Well, do what you need to do anyhow. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ria said, “Alright… Thank yo—”

Lusso hung up.

Lusso said, “The nerve on her. I guess some people just have it like that, right? Thanking people they blackmail?”

Micky said, “You do you. Maybe I don’t get it, ‘cause you have such a special way of looking at things.”

Lusso opened up his mouth to speak, but his phone rang again. He picked it up without looking.

Lusso said, “Yeah, what?”

“That’s not too friendly.”

Lusso felt his right calf prickle again. The pain of the taser was still fresh in his mind.

Lusso said, “Who are you?”

“Listen. I don’t have business with you, but some important tech was taken from me and my team. You’ll meet the people that took our tech tomorrow. Call me when you see ‘em.”

“How—”

“You’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em. Don’t try to take them on your own. You’ll end up just like last time. ‘Cept you’ll be full of bullets, not tased.”

The voice on the other side chuckled, “Hee hee hee.”

“Wait!”

Lusso looked at his phone. He’d already hung up.

Micky said, “That’s the guy that jumped you and Ding outside of the police station?”

Lusso said, “Yeah.”

Lusso sighed.

Lusso said, “Mind if I smoke?”

Lusso pulled out a matte black stick, the size of a stick of gum. He took a drag. He held in his breath, looking expectantly at Micky. After a couple seconds, he choked, and smoke sputtered from his nostrils and mouth. Micky laughed.

Micky said, “I was going to see how long you could hold it — 3 seconds? Are you kidding me? What were you even going to do if I said no?”

Lusso said, “I only smoke the strong stuff.”

Micky said, “Yeah?”

Micky pulled out her JGE patented SMOKE PEN and puffed away. Ding sat in between them, looking at Micky, Lusso, then at his feet. Some of the smoke didn’t dissipate, forming a light haze around the bed. Ding tried to stand up to open the window, but Lusso caught his wrist with one hand, the other holding his vape to his mouth. Ding sat back down.

Lusso met eyes with Micky. Lusso put a finger to his mouth to indicate silence, then took Micky’s hand. He wrote on her hand.

“U-L-R-I-C-H-+-A-I”

Micky sighed, and nodded. She took a long drag from her vape. Lusso stood up, and walked over to the window to open it. Smoke drained out into the night sky, and damp air filled the empty space the smoke had left. Lusso looked up at the sky. Low clouds formed a ceiling over the city, blocking out the stars and the three moons. Lusso remembered the weather forecast. It would rain tonight.

Lusso looked back and said, “Micky, you wanna get drinks from the convenience store? Nothing too strong. Just for a little buzz.”

Micky said, “Sounds good. Ding, let’s go.”

While Micky went into her room to get her wallet, Lusso called Yena.

Yena said, “Hello?”

Lusso said, “Hello.”

Yena said, “Do you think it’s normal to call someone at 2 A.M.?”

Lusso said, “Why not? I think if I chip in for someone’s hospital bills, I get to at least see how they’re doing.”

Yena hiccuped.

Lusso said, “Sorry. You seem pretty awake though.”

Yena said, “Studying for a test.”

Lusso said, “Good luck. I have to go.”

Yena said, “You’re still an asshole.”

Lusso said, “So what?”

Lusso hung up as Micky came out of her room. The three of them exited the motel. It was already humid inside, but walking outside made Lusso feel like someone that just came out of a swimming pool was hugging him. The janitors trudged out into the damp and dark night.