Songs and Crimes

"Marianna, is that a new tattoo?" Doreen asked. Marianna finished pulling her shirt on and turned to the pianist.
"Yeah, I was walking around last night- early this morning, I mean. And I said, hey, why not get Paul McCartney's face tattooed to my back." She picked up her Hofner bass- violin shaped, of course.
"That may be a sick obsession developing. The Beatles logo, the Wings logo- that's normal. Song lyrics, painful but okay. But a face?" Doreen patted Marianna's head, prompting a dirty look. Marianna might look younger than most of her friends, but of the regular Calypso crowd, she was one of the oldest.
"Did you get the young Paul or the old Paul?" asked Dream, trying to play peacemaker again.
"Geez, it's not like he's Elvis!"
"Elvis?" Priscilla appeared out of nowhere. "What about Elvis?"
"Nothing. Go back to the bar." Marianna smiled. "I got Paul circa nineteen-seventy-seven, okay?"
"Okay!" Dream laughed. She was lucky she didn't receive an answer like March eighteenth, 1977, at 6:18:42 pm Greenwich Mean Time. Marianna would sometimes respond that way. "So, you really want me on drums tonight?"
"I need someone on drums! If you have a trained monkey... C'mon, let's get on stage!" The Trenchcoats, tonight consisting of Marianna (bass), Doreen (keyboards), Dream (drums), and Suki Leilani Kyoko (guitar), stepped onto the Club stage and were welcomed by their faithful fan club, the Flashers.
"Hey, it's the Flashers!" cried Suki.
"You get too much pleasure from that name," Marianna said dryly.
"I know!" She giggled. Marianna stepped up to the mike.
"Evening all..." her deep voice filled the Club. The Flashers broke into frenzied applause. "Shh... okay, now. That's enough... We're gonna rock tonight, so have a drink and hit the dance floor!" Before the crowd could react, the band launched into Flasher, a song Marianna had written for the fans. Within seconds, the tables were empty, Daniela was under the disco ball, and Marianna's bass was shaking the walls.
Pez deSpencer was slumped into a corner booth, his bright hair dimmed and limp. He wasn't drunk, but well on his way. Daniela had tired of him, as she did with all boys, eventually. Pez was lost without her. A waitress strode by, and Pez demanded two more drinks- anything, he said, with enough alcohol to intoxicate an elephant.
"Flash-flash-flash tonight!" The strobe lights obeyed Marianna; thankfully, the fans didn't. "Do it when it feels right/ Dance away the night!"
"Ya-ya-ya-yaaaaaaah!" sang Suki. Dream attacked the cymbals, and Doreen's fingers flew wildly across the keyboards. If the Trenchcoats ever got a recording contract, this song would be an instant hit.
Two hours later, the set ended, and the sweaty band slumped at the bar.
"Somehow, I prefer the double sets when we sing mostly ballads," said Dream. "Oh, and I will never ever play drums again."
"I'll say," said Marianna. "A trained monkey could have done better. Hell, an untrained monkey could have done better!"
"Thanks," said Dream. "If you promise to treat him well, I'll find you a monkey to play the drums."
"Mickey?" asked Marianna. "No, wait, that's Monkee. I'm always mixing those up."
"Yeah." Doreen sipped her water. "I thought it was Davey, though."
"Well, I know it's not Michael. That's the one who could actually play his instrument."
"Hey, good set tonight," Priscilla said. The waitress refilled Marianna's water glass. "The bar didn't get much business, though. Everyone was dancing."
"Oh, speaking of dancing, isn't the contest this week?" Suki usually placed second, being a professional cage dancer.
"I had to delay... I didn't have enough contestants. Grand Prize this year is a guest spot as a dancer on one of the Drew Carey musical production episodes."
"You're kidding," said Doreen.
"Nope. Daniela said she wanted that. I figure, I pissed her off enough by holding the contest."
"Deadly...evil..." Dream frowned. "Your sister is evil."
"Yes. First runner up gets her contract renewed."
"What contract?" asked Suki.
"With Cagedancers International Alliance- you know, the people that get you parts in movies."
"That's all I get?"
"The renewal costs $250, Suki. Would you rather pay it all yourself- or look for jobs on you own?" Marianna wondered why she seemed to be the only intelligent person in the club. (Aside to Charlie: Oh, yeah UPChuck wasn't there!;))
"Speaking of Uly..." Dream projected her thoughts into Marianna's mind.
"Dream, didn't I tell you not to do that?" Marianna thought.
"Sorry. But I haven't seen him since that last fight with Frogman."
"Yeah, I miss his business. Hey, isn't that him coming in the door?"
"Marianna!" A stronger psychic voice broke into the conversation.
"Dava?" The blue-haired wizard glanced at her across the room. "You never...not since..."
"I know. But I have to tell you- bad vibes are coming from somewhere in the club!"
"Specify?"
"I...really can't tell. But something bad will happen tonight...not in the club. Outside."
"Thanks, Dava. I'll have someone keep an eye out."
A McCartney song, Momma Miss America, played in the background as Daniela brought a drink to Pez. Strange, thought Marianna. Why would she be nice to her ex? "Oskar! Can you watch the door?"
"Why?" The surly patron never wanted to do anything- but usually did it anyway.
"A hunch. I'll give you free drinks till close, just to make sure nothing...I could get sued for happens."
"Free drinks? Okay." Oskar dragged himself to the revolving door. The problem with psychics, thought Marianna, is that nothing ever surprises them- and they cause more worry than I need, too.
"I'm going to find Frogman," said Doreen. Dream had already left to talk with UPChuck, and Suki was on the pay phone, trying to contact her boyfriend, Jax, whom she hadn't seen in two weeks.
"I'm gonna work the bar, I guess." Marianna hopped over the bar counter. "Go, take a break Priscilla. I've got the bar." Priscilla ducked around the tropical fishtank, and Marianna was alone with her thoughts.
Outside, Pez deSpencer dropped dead.

---

Later that morning, about three, Oskar was talking to the police. "I was watching the door... as a favor to Marianna. She hasn't hired a bouncer yet. Pez walked out about twelve-thirty. He was falling down drunk. He fell down. I went over to help him get up."
"Did you notice then that the deceased was... deceased?"asked a cop.
"No, I thought he was just passed out. I got him propped up against the wall. Then it occurred to me to take his pulse, just in case he'd drunk himself into cardiac arrest."
"Then you realized he was deceased?"
"Yes." No, he thought, I didn't realize it until the coroner was called in.
"Does anyone know his next-of-kin?" Shrugs resounded through the silent club. Most of the patrons had left when the cops arrived- many had outstanding warrants.
Marianna, Oskar, UPChuck, Priscilla, and a waitress named Licia were the only ones left- Pollythene had cleaned up the Juice Bar and was napping stretched out on bar stools.
The cops left, commenting that the death would be reported as accidental. "Pigs..."Oskar growled.
"Be anti-establishment elsewhere, Oskar."
"I'm not the one with 'Legalise Hemp' posters all over my bar."
"Okay, Oskar," said UPChuck. "I think you can leave now." UPChuck not only detested Frogman, but Oskar as well- and made no attempts to hide his animosity.
"Maybe everyone should leave. I'm going to clean up, then Polly and I are going to go home." For a moment, Marianna almost looked her true age. Everyone left, reluctantly. Marianna walked over to her daughter, whose features reminded her of Mac- the absent husband gained in an arranged marriage. So much was uncertain- who knew what the dance contest would bring?
Next week: The episode we're all waiting for!! The Club Calypso Annual Dance Contest!!