Chapter 152
Having very little idea what she was talking about, Elliott merely shook his head. “I’ll take your word for it. All I know is, I don’t want any friends of those bastards showing back up here at my house. And I sure the hell am not going to tell Nancy what happened.”
“Well, chances are they will leave you alone, now that they know what you are, and that it’s too late. But… you do need to speak to your wife. And, I really wish you’d reconsider my offer. We have an exceptional team of talented individuals who work with us. I can see you getting along quite well with them. You have a gift none of the rest of our personnel can currently offer. I’d like to hone it. I’m sure if we got you into training with some of our staff….”
“What is this gift you keep talking about? You mean my lucky kung fu kicks or the fact that I jumped over that low, roughshod fence over there?”
She chuckled. “No, neither of those things. I mean your ability to convince others that anything you say is the truth. You’ve always had that skill. I’ve seen the way your eyes glitter when you’re using it. I’m sure you’ve noticed it before. But now that you’ve Transformed, I’m certain you’ll be able to convince just about anyone of just about anything. It’s really quite fascinating, and while I’ve seen other people with the ability, no one I’ve ever met has had this skill to the degree you do.”
Elliott looked into her eyes for a long moment, thinking, before he said, “So you’re saying I’m a damn good bullshit artist?”
“Well, when you put it like that…” Janette laughed. “But yes. It would come in quite nicely when we need to convince the public that they did not see what they think they just saw. We call that ‘running interference.’ I can only imagine how much more important our ability to do that efficiently is going to become with the invention of television and other technology.”
A multitude of ideas popped into his head for how he might be able to use such a skill, particularly since he had been using it all along. But if Janette said it was even stronger now, he imagined he’d be able to accomplish so much more in the used car business. Possibly in other areas, too. The opportunities seemed endless. Elliott thought for a moment before turning back to her. “Janette, I appreciate everything you did to move Jimmy and I out of the situation we were in before with our mom, but… I’m afraid I’m just not ready to move my family to Kansas City to join your team of wizards.”
She must’ve picked up on his resolve because her face fell. “What about here? You could stay here and work this area.”
He was shaking his head before she even finished the question. “I just want to take care of my kids and try to salvage my marriage. In a few years, Jimmy will be more than happy to run off with you guys and join your circus. He’s your man, not me.”
“Jimmy is a wonderful boy and sure to be very talented,” Janette nodded. “But he does not have the skill set you do. You see, Jimmy has a different father than you, remember? While you are a descendent of a Guardian on your mother’s side, you also have some Hunter blood on your father’s. I think that’s one of the reasons you have the skills you do. It’s diluted and hasn’t been activated in centuries, but it’s there nonetheless.”
While her whole statement was noted, it was only the part about his father he cared about. “You know my father?” Elliott had never even seen the man, as far as he knew. All he knew was his name.
“No, but I know of him.” Janette’s voice slowed, and her tone shifted to one of sympathy, as if she imagined it would be hard for him to hear what she was about to say. “I know that he was a truck driver your mother met one night when she was looking for a little money to pay her bills and buy another bottle of booze. As far as I know, Michael Sanderson didn’t even know you existed until you were three or four, and then after that, he decided it was too late to try to get to know you. He died a few years back in a truck accident in Arkansas.”
The news was disturbing. He’d always suspected his mom was making a little cash off of the men she dragged into the house, but he didn’t know for sure. To find out his dad was just a john and that he was dead now was a thought he’d have to save away for later. He didn’t dare ask how Arlene was doing right now for fear Janette knew the answer, and he’d had enough revelation for one night.
“Jimmy’s a good kid,” Elliott muttered. “He’ll be great at whatever you need him to do. But I… not today.”
Janette waited a few seconds before slapping her hands down on her thighs. “Well, if that’s the way you feel, then I guess I’ll have to accept that. Should you change your mind, you know how to get in touch with me.”
“I do.”
She rose, and Elliott did the same. “You know, Jordan’s gonna be angry at me. He wanted to come, but I insisted on doing this myself, thinking I’d be the one you’d listen to. I guess I should’ve let him try.”
“Wouldn’t have made a hill of beans’ worth of difference,” Elliott assured her. “How’d you get here anyway?”
“Oh, my bike’s around the corner. I didn’t want to wake up your kids.”
He nodded. “Take care, Ms. Janette.”
“You, too.” She offered her hand, and he took it.
Janette headed off down the street, stopping to look back at him briefly before shooting off in a blur. Elliott hoped that was the last time he’d ever see the woman in black.
