Restroom
“Final call for flight American Airlines 19, can all remaining passengers make their way to gate B10 for final boarding.”
Where is she? Dale thought. His wife Audrey had needed to use the restroom before they boarded their flight back to LAX. That was fifteen minutes ago, way before the final call to board.
I bet she’s gone the fucking bar, she will have escaped while I was watching the planes landing out the window! He thought. He was angry he hadn’t paid more attention to the restroom doors.
“If we miss this flight because she wanted another G&T she can pay for the next flight!” He didn’t realize he had muttered that out loud until the guy facing him slouched against the opposite wall shot him a half-smile.
“Maybe they went the bar together?” the guy opposite laughed.
“Your wife in their too?” Dale asked.
“I hope so! She went in nearly twenty minutes ago and hasn’t come back out yet.”
Dale noticed the guy had a slight slur when he spoke and realized he was probably more than a little tipsy.
Dale Cummings noticed the little things. He had been a cop for more than twenty years and had been Chief of police in Idyllwild, California for nearly eight of those now. What he did miss and too often was his wife Audrey drinking more than she should. She managed to evade him in ways most others couldn’t.
Now the more he thought about it, the more it made sense she wasn’t in there. Fifteen minutes was way too long for Audrey to be in there. Two minutes and then off to the bar was far more likely. Dale was thinking.
He would give her another few minutes then would ask a staff member to go check. He didn’t want to but he also didn’t want to miss the flight. He was also thinking if the drunk guys’ lady came out first he could ask her.
“Business or pleasure?” chirped the guy opposite.
“Pleasure,” replied Dale, “or it was until now!” he grinned.
They had been vacationing in Colorado for the last 10 days and it had been a great vacation. They had rented a fairly large cabin in Fall River, right in the middle of no-where. They both loved the wilderness and Dale loved the thought that Audrey couldn’t pick up any more booze than what they brought with them.
He knew the flight out and back home would be a chance for Audrey to top up with a little extra but he didn’t mind that as he could keep an eye on her in the airport.
It wasn’t that Audrey was a nasty drunk or even troublesome. She just drank too much and then she wasn’t the Audrey he loved. She became a more brash and loud Audrey who Dale was not a fan of and was also sometimes hard to find, like now.
Dale thought about heading to the nearest bar and checking to see if he could find Audrey there but he was worried that if he did and she wasn’t at the bar and was still in the restroom he might miss her then it would be his fault they missed the flight.
Just then a woman dressed in all denim and brown dusty cowboy boots approached the restroom and opened the door to go in. Dale was sure he heard something as the door opened. First, he thought he heard a strange whooshing noise then followed the faintest scream of a woman. The denim woman stopped, turned back on herself, let the door go, and walked away.
He did hear something. He couldn’t say what that something was but over the constant chatter, laughter, rumbling of planes and footsteps he thought he heard the faintest scream.
He considered asking the guy opposite and changed his mind when he saw the guy had his head buried in his cell phone.
Turn it off, Dale thought to himself. You didn’t hear anything it’s just your usual suspecting mind and what you need right now is an attendant and quick.
He started to look around, no one. He walked a couple of paces around the corner of the wall which lead away from the restrooms. There, a female restroom attendant was heading straight towards them. He retreated to the spot he was in a few moments ago and waited for the attendant to approach.
As the attendant approached Dale could see she was an older lady, around early sixties, grey hair, glasses, five foot three, slight build, and dressed in a navy blue blouse with matching navy pants of the airport maintenance team. Dale had profiled her, he profiled everyone, it was a habit he picked up a long time ago and one he couldn’t help but do constantly, just like his suspicious mind. Somethings he just couldn’t switch off no matter how hard he tried.
“Excuse me, ma’am, can I bother you for a second?” Dale asked.
“Sure,” said the attendant, “what can I do for you sir?” she smiled.
“Well see, my wife went into the restroom nearly twenty minutes ago and either hasn’t come out yet or has come out and I have lost her and we need to board our flight,” Dale was smiling and courteous as he always was, “would you mind checking to see if she is in there for me?” he shot the lady his best smile which usually worked.
“Not a problem,” she replied, “what’s her name?” she said returning Dale’s smile.
“Audrey,” he said, “thanks,” Dale chirped back.
The attendant walked slowly towards the restroom door, reached for the handle, and slowly pulled the door open. There was the same whoosh Dale had heard before. The same faint scream. Then the attendant stepped inside.
The drunk guy opposite had been oblivious to the whole situation, he hadn’t even raised his head whilst Dale was talking to the attendant but was now looking up at Dale again.
“Hey buddy!” he slurred with a smile.
“Lady attendants gone in to check if my wife is in there” Dale replied.
“Hope she finds her,” he smiled.
“Finds them both don’t you mean?” asked Dale.
“Who’s both?” asked the drunk guy.
“My wife and yours,” Dale said as his smile waned slightly, “remember?” Dale asked.
“I haven’t got a wife,” the man replied, “flying solo too,” he said. His words were slurring slightly less. “Could say I’m married to my work I suppose,” he laughed.
“But when we spoke before you said your wife was in there too and had been longer than mine?” Dale said. His voice sounded unsure, he sounded like he was the one slurring slightly now.
“Sorry buddy, no idea what you’re talking about,” he said with the smile fading and the slur completely gone, “we have never spoken until now,” he said, his eyebrows lowered and his face had a puzzled look on it, “you okay buddy?” he asked.
Dale was confused, his head spun slightly. A wave of dizziness was beginning to overtake him, he felt like he was going to fall. He leaned back against the wall behind him.
“Bu..bu..but you said,” he struggled to say, “you said your wife was in there!” Dale slurred as the words came out.
What is happening? I haven’t been drinking. What’s going on? Dale thought. Then the guy opposite began to walk over slowly to Dale.
“You okay buddy?” he asked, “you don’t look so good,” he said. “I…..I don’t know,” Dale said, “I felt fine, now I don’t know.” he murmured.
Dale was breathing hard now, he could feel his chest rising and falling quickly, his temperature was skyrocketing. Sweat was gathering on his brow and all down his back. He felt like the walls were closing in on him. His heart was racing and then everything faded to black.
“He’s coming round,” shouted a voice.
“Don’t let him!” yelled a second voice, “this is as close as we have gotten to it, send him back!” the voice was almost screaming.
“But sir, his vitals are off the scale!” said the first voice.
“We don’t have a choice, we are out of time! Send him back now! I’ll speak to him!” this time it was a scream.
Dale faded back into darkness.