Day 9

Chapter 8-1

Chapter 8Flight 1926, Somewhere Over New Mexico - Today“You weren't having s*x with any of your brothers?" Quincy, in the window seat, leaned past Dunne to talk to Hannahlee. "What about your sisters? Your parents?"

"Not that it's any of your business," said Hannahlee, "but no."

Dunne grunted and shifted in his seat. Quincy's weight was crushing his rib cage. "Get off me."

Quincy was oblivious. "So tell me, Lianna. Who was sleeping together?"

Hannahlee ignored him and looked the other way. Dunne hoped she'd keep it up; maybe then, Quincy would sit back and stop crushing him.

Instead, Quincy leaned further, pressing harder against him. "At least give me something to work with, here. Like, who was the biggest perv? Or the biggest lush?"

Still, Hannahlee remained silent.

Dunne wondered how much longer Quincy would keep it up. He hadn't stopped talking since getting into Dunne's car for the ride to the airport. If anything, he'd gained momentum during the first hour of the flight to Austin, Texas.

Dunne glanced over at Hannahlee, who was still staring across the aisle. She wasn't as annoyed with Quincy as Dunne was, or she would've gotten rid of him long ago...but maybe her bullshit detector would spike soon, and she'd cut the fanboy loose.

Dunne wished she'd never recruited Quincy in the first place. It was true that a fan in the know could help the mission, but surely they could've found a fan who was less bizarre and obnoxious. Someone who'd been vetted by the studio.

Someone they knew for a fact they could trust.

"Okay then," said Quincy. "Let's not aim so high. How about this?" He leaned over even further. "What can you tell me about why you disappeared for twenty years?"

Hannahlee turned her blazing emerald gaze on him. "Disappeared?"

"You worked steadily on TV for ten years after Weeping Willows...starred for three years on Big Hair, till it went off the air in '86...then poof." Quincy twirled his hand in the air with a flourish. "No more Lianna sightings on screen or off. Now here you are. In the flesh, calling yourself 'Hannahlee Saylor.' What's with the alias?"

"Why don't you tell me, Mr. Pittenger?" said Hannahlee. "Or do you prefer 'Gilbert?'"

Just then, Dunne saw something he couldn't believe: Quincy at a loss for words. It only lasted a moment, but it was still amazing.

When Quincy spoke again, his voice was subdued. "Call me Quincy."

"'Gilbert Pittenger?'" said Dunne.

"His real name," said Hannahlee.

"Congratulations. You've done your research." Quincy leaned back, giving Dunne's rib cage a rest.

"So tell me," said Hannahlee. "Why 'Sweet Quincy Windsor' instead of Gilbert Pittenger?"

"Stage name," said Quincy. "'Sweet Quincy Windsor' sounds more like a professional filker."

"If you say so," said Hannahlee.

"So tell me about your name," said Quincy. "Why 'Hannahlee Saylor?'"

Hannahlee's mouth twitched. She looked away, then back at Quincy. "It's my real name. The one I was born with. Lianna was my stage name."

Quincy leaned over again, putting the pressure back on Dunne's aching ribs. "So why'd you go back to Hannahlee?"

"My career was over," said Hannahlee. "And I was tired of fending off horny fanboys."

Dunne laughed. That might have been the reason Quincy suddenly jabbed him between the ribs, turning the laugh into a gasp.

"Seriously." Quincy stared at her intently. "What happened to you? Where'd you go? Why'd you come back?"

Hannahlee winced. "I'm done talking about this," she said. "Unless you'd like to tell us about Knox."

Quincy's expression went blank. He gave her a last look, then settled back in his seat.

"All right then." Hannahlee got up and stepped into the aisle. "I'll be right back."

As she headed for the bathroom at the end of the cabin, Dunne turned to Quincy. "What's Knox? Like Fort Knox?"

Quincy ignored him and pulled a blue mp3 music player out of the pocket of his leather vest. Though he'd switched from the puffy white shirt to a pink Kitty Willow t-shirt underneath, he still wore the same black vest etched with flames that he'd had on at Willowcon.

"What's Knox?" said Dunne. "Or should I say who?"

In the midst of plugging the music player's white ear buds into his ears, Quincy glared. "Remember that guy up in Idaho?" His nasally voice was tight with strong emotion. "The one who killed and ate over fifty people ten years ago in honor of the death goddess Kali?"

Dunne frowned and shook his head.

"Well, that wasn't Knox," said Quincy. "Now fleave me alone."

"'Fleave' you alone?" said Dunne.

"Short for 'f*****g leave me alone!'" Quincy plunged the buds into his ears. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to speak flanguage?"

"No," said Dunne.

"Well how could they?" said Quincy. "I just made it fup!"

And that was all Dunne got from him at that point on the subject of Knox.

* * * *

The Kitty Willow lookalike skated right into Hannahlee, bowling both of them over. They ended up in a tangle of arms and legs on the cement floor at Quincy's feet.

An enormous, leering grin spread across his face. He tilted his head back and spoke to the ceiling. "Thank you, God. All these years of praying have finally paid off."

Dunne darted around him and helped Hannahlee get to her feet. When he tried to do the same for the skating Kitty, she fell and pulled him down on top of her.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry! I'm usually not this clumsy, but I'm really nervous today."

"Why's that?" said Dunne as he rolled off her.

"I have my big scene with Luanne today." Roller Kitty used a handrail on the wall to pull herself up. "Can you believe it?"

"Luanne...Diego?" said Hannahlee.

Roller Kitty tossed her great feathery mane of golden 1970s hair. "Bella Willow is in the house!" She let out a little squeal of excitement. "I am so pumped."

Then, she spun around and skated off down the hallway.

"Luanne Diego is here?" Dunne got up and faced Quincy. "To shoot a Willows movie?"

"Poor, poor Funne." Quincy shook his head. "Haven't you ever heard of a fan film?"

"Since when does Luanne freakin' Diego appear in a fan film?" said Dunne.

"Since now, you fidiot." Quincy pushed past him and headed down the hall after Roller Kitty.

"Enough with the flanguage, already!" said Dunne. Then, with a huge, exasperated sigh, he fell in step behind Quincy with Hannahlee by his side.