Ruby and the Ruby 2 (2): Safe and Sounds

A gentle rain began as Ms. Ruby found her way to the chair in front of Jacques Hammer's desk.  Hammer retrieved a notebook from his bag of office possessions and flipped to an open page.  He then messily rummaged around his bag for a pencil.  Instead he found a crayon, but, being too tired and embarrassed to dive into the colossal mess again, he alternatively turned to his notebook and acted like nothing was amiss.  Ms. Ruby was in such a state that she did not even notice his unprofessional act.

Ruby sighed.  "Mr. Hammer," she said, in a quiet voice, "someone is after me."  She paused and breathed.  Her next statement came out only in a whisper.  "And they want my ruby."

Hammer put down his notebook and crayon and looked at her.  "Do you know who this person is?" he asked.

Ruby looked at him.  Then, she scanned the room with a look of horror.

Jacques looked too, but he saw nothing.  "Ms. Ruby?  Is everything alright?"

Ruby looked at him, with a look of shock on her face.  "You don't hear them?" Ruby asked, startled.  "You don't hear all of them?!  They've been following me everywhere!  They won't leave me alone!  They want my ruby!!"

Jacques was startled now, too, but for a different reason.  He looked at her curiously.  "What are you hearing?!" he said, with urgency.

"You don't hear them?" Ruby repeated again, distantly, as she didn't even look him in the face but instead continued to scan the ceiling.  Her head then bolted to the left.  Her hands grasped the arms of her chair with a strong grip.  She scanned the room again, even more afraid then before.

"I don't hear anything," said Hammer, looking at his client with a peculiar look.

Ruby laughed, unhinged.  "The one person I thought I could trust!  I've been hearing them for so long....they come and go.....they won't leave me alone!  They follow me everywhere!  I live my life in fear!  That is no way to live!  No way at all!  Everyone thinks I'm crazy!  They don't hear it either!  I suppose you think I'm insane as well!"

Hammer scanned the eyes of the woman.  She had been an actress once, he knew, but this was true fear in her eyes.  "I believe you, " he said in a calm voice.

The woman in the chair stopped her searching for a moment, distracted by the man.  She looked him in the eyes.  "What?" she said, flabbergasted.

"I believe you," he repeated.  "I don't hear the sounds, but I know that you are hearing something and I'm going to do everything in my power so that you can sleep again at night."

Ruby stared at Hammer.  Normally, she would have given a sentiment of her thanks, but there was something more urgent on her plate: "It's stopped," she said.  She breathed in and out.  "It's stopped."

Hammer let her breathe for a moment.  Then he started talking again.  "OK, madam, tell me exactly what you heard."

"Well, it starts with footsteps.  Lots and lots of footsteps," she began, still calming down.  "Then, the scratches always come.  Lots of them, too.  On wood, on chalkboards........lots and lots....."

"Anything else?" Jacques inquired.

"Well, after that, there's always yelling and then some screams.  Those are always followed by breaking glass.  And then," she began, a look of frustration appearing on her face as she raised both hands into the air, "...and, and then.....there's a...."  She trailed off again, struggling for words.  "There's a rattle.  It always ends in a rattle."

"When did this begin?" asked Hammer.

"This evening," said Ruby.  "At around nine, I heard the sounds while I was in my bedroom and I ran to another room in the condo I have, you know, the one at the hotel?  So, yeah, I ran into another room and didn't find anything but when it stopped, I went back into my bedroom and the place was completely trashed.  The bed was ripped and feathers were everywhere.  The drawers of my desk were opened and all of my things were on the floor....everything was just trashed."

"Was anything taken?" asked Jacques.

"Well, I don't think so, but, I mean, I didn't have a lot of time to check.  The sounds started again soon after and so I left my condo and ran down the hallway.  When they stopped, I went back in and my dining room was trashed too!  I ran out of my section of the hotel and went to the lobby, but when the sounds started again, no one could hear them and they all called me mad.  I ran around town and the sounds came and went but no one else heard them and none of them would believe me.  So, I came here, and, yeah...."

"Was there anything left behind?"

"Well, there weren't any prints or anything, but in each room, a saw was left behind."

"A saw?" Hammer asked, intrigued.

"Yes.  On the side was the marking of a ruby and the number "16."

"16?"

"Yes, Hammer, I know what I saw; you don't have to keep confirming things."

Hammer scribbled some notes with his crayon, looking away from his client for a moment.  He met her eyes again.  "Ms. Ruby, do you know where your ruby is now?"

"Yes," Ruby said, "it is safe."

Hammer did not pursue the topic.  Instead, he asked, "Would I be able to see your apartment, Ms. Ruby?"

"Yes, I can take you there now," she said.

And, so, they went.

The time was 10:58, and Jacques Hammer was back on th-well, you know.

To Be Continued