There was a knock at the door and Angie was already checking the clock noting that it was nine already.
"Well, don’t we look spiffy!" Luce told her at the door as she answered.
"Great! I know I looked like a slept under a doormat, thanks!" Angie told her, letting her inside, "I just don’t know what I am suppose to do!"
"Come on, let’s go down to the village. You don’t really want to spend a wad of money on something prim and proper, do you?" Luce’s eyes were animated and wide as Angie smiled and shook her head.
"What is Rollie up to, Luce? What’s he wearing? I mean, I don’t even know where I am getting married, that’s how ridiculous this whole thing is…how could I have agreed to this?" Angie threw up her hands and groaned.
"Oh, you need a Valium, honey!" Luce told her, giggling.
"Come on, let’s go. Mira told me to pick out something for her in a size 3 and be done with it," Angie told Lucinda and they walked out together, taking a cab to Greenwich Village.
By two that afternoon, they had not found a single dress in amethyst or any other color that either of them liked.
"This is hopeless! I’m calling this off!" Angie said, sitting down, exhausted, "I haven’t even started looking for something for me to wear! I’m calling Rollie right now."
"Oh, don’t!" Lucinda begged her but Angie’s eyes were red-rimmed and Lucinda knew that the stress was getting to her so she stopped her pleas.
Angie pulled out her PDA and sent a message- "Hopeless, let’s call this thing off until later".
They had some italian ice at a small store, sitting outside as Angie wiped her brow in frustration and heat. She threw her head back, looking up at a cloudless, blue sky above and sighed. The PDA signaled in her hand and she instantly looked down, holding her breath.
"Meet me at the corner of 112th Street and Amsterdam Ave", it read. Angie looked puzzled and Luce was already trying to figure out the address. She said it over and over in again in a little sing-song mutter and then shouted:
"Oh! Oh- that’s St. John the Divine Cathedral! My God! Rollie couldn’t have possibly gotten something there for tomorrow, could he have?"
"Get real!" Angie told her, standing up, "He probably is across the street at a hotdog stand and pulling me on a wild goose chase through Manhattan."
"Come on! I can’t wait…" Lucinda told her, pulling her by the arm. She had already hailed a cab with a thunderous whistle as Angie decided she had totally decompensated and would stay that way.
By the time they got within a mile of the Cathedral, Angie was having trouble swallowing. St. John the Divine was the largest cathedral in the world. What was Rollie up to? The cab pulled up to the corner of 112th and Amsterdam and Lucinda and Angie stepped out, looking up at the magnificent gothic style cathedral.
It didn’t take long before she saw the F/X van, other location vehicles, and a slew of people she knew from Ectoplasmic Ranger. She got it now, they were shooting nearby. But why was Rollie down here today?
"Good morning, ladies!" Rollie called out, emerging from the F/X van. He was stretching and yawning slightly as he came toward them. Angie realized then, that he had not ever come to bed. He looked dead tired.
"What’s up, Rol? You haven’t had any sleep! Can we talk in private?" Angie asked him as she came up to him, out of Lucinda’s ear range.
"Sure, but wait- hey Luce? I think Ben Poe wants to talk to you about his next movie. He told me that he specifically wanted a Lucinda Scott type for the next starring lead and what, with the real woman right here, why not speak to him?" Rollie was definitely smooth as Lucinda took it, hook, line and sinker. He pointed to Ben who was busy yelling at some crew people setting up across the street from the cathedral and Lucinda went barreling after him.
"Step into my home away from home," Rollie told Angie, as he motioned her toward the van. His face was a mask of rigidness as she came closer.
Angie took a deep breath and walked up the steps into the van. Sitting inside, to her amazement and shock was the redheaded temptress and novel fiancée of Dingo Tyler. Dorinda stood up, fumbling with her skirt as Angie stepped forward, her mouth opened wide in surprise.
"Oh my God! How? What happened to you?" Angie asked, flabbergasted.
Dorinda sat back down and looked down at her skirt, putting her hands in a tight fist in her lap.
"You’re not going to believe this…" Dorinda began, as Rollie sat down and said nothing..
"Try me," Angie replied, all ears and sat down at her computer station.
"It’s complicated…" Dorinda said, lowering her head. On her finger, she wore the Heart of God ring.
Angie looked closely at the ring. It looked like the authentic ring. At least, the old Greek Skartsonis did not have it. But where had Dorinda been? Had she really been carried off by the men who had attached Dingo?
"I’m listening," Angie said, waiting as Dorinda took a deep breath and then sighed.
"I’m not who I told you I was- that is…I am now but I once was someone else," she began.
"Okay…like that makes sense Dorinda- maybe it was one of your other personalities we’ve been talking with lately," Angie replied, sarcastically.
"I am not crazy!" Dorinda's voice deepened and was forceful.
Angie stopped with her remarks and folded her arms across her chest. Rollie stood behind her, silently.
The van tilted slightly as someone else stepped into the van. Angie looked up to see Michael Sanchez standing behind Rollie.
"Good afternoon all, is it all over yet?" he asked, his face showing his amusement.
"No," Rollie told him, "Angie’s just about to hear it…"
"Oh, good then, I came at the right time," Michael said and leaned against the wall of the van.
Angie looked from face to face and then finally, Dorinda’s face, "so, are you going to tell me why you came back with the ring, Nick Kapis?"
"Wait! You know that he is Nick Kapis?" Rollie asked Angie, "How? I didn’t know until last night when Michael came by and told me the whole story!"
"Sure, I felt something all along and with Mira only finding the one set of strange prints after the loft incident and then of course, the razor in the bag…and the lipstick, but most importantly- I JUST knew!"
"Uh- could I say something!" Nick/Dorinda said, interrupting, "I just want to say that I prefer being called a she as that is what I am physically now. I didn’t go through three years of psychotherapy, a penectomy, hormones, a sex-change operation and breast implants to be called a he for the rest of my life!"
Angie looked at her and smiled, "Sure, Nick! But say, I bet it’s a bitch going through customs and showing your passport."
Nick/Dorinda smiled at her, "yeah, it’s been hard but I have managed. Working for Skartsonis was easy, compared to this!"
"So, tell me- why? What’s this about?" Angie asked her as she shifted in her seat.
"I worked for Skartsonis for years, knowing that I wanted this operation for most of that time but I was a coward- of course, if he had found out, he would have killed me himself," Dorinda said, shaking her head.
"Why, himself? He’s a powerful man, I’m sure he has plenty of muscle working for him…?" Angie asked.
"Well, because I am his grandson! You see…my mother was the daughter he had the ring made for so long ago. Now you can see why my family secret would have made him a little angry," Dorinda continued.
"Okay!" Angie said, thinking this was better than any Jerry Springer show and hugged her knees as she pulled them up against her chest in her chair, "so, you knew he was searching high and low for the ring…and you found out through Dingo’s ad that it was in Sydney so you went there."
"The ring was my grandfather’s albatross. My mother died giving birth to me. She never forgave him for losing the ring in a card game. He vowed on her death that he would find it and restore it to his family. I was brought up in the family way- doing his bidding."
"So, you haven’t seen him in some time?" she asked her as Dorinda shook her head.
"No, he is very old and had sent out his right hand man, Angelo Pappas- to find the ring after my disappearance," Dorinda told her, lowering her head, "Angelo followed me to Sydney. I had the operation there without his knowledge and had begun to look like the Dorinda Bailey you see today. I also was tracking down the ring, but for a different reason, for my mother. I found out that Dingo Tyler was the man who had it and I did my homework. Working at the Goldfish was the connection point. Dingo loved to go there everyday. When I saw the ring around his neck, I made contact. Unfortunately, Pappas saw the ring after doing the same kind of tracking and attacked us outside the club that night."
"Oh God! You must have really panicked then, not wanting Pappas to know about the real you and then, what if he had gotten the ring!" Angie said, touching Dorinda’s arm.
"I did the only thing I could think of, I swallowed it. I knew that I could get it safely out of the country that way at least if I hurried."
"Now, why stay with my father?" Rollie asked then, for this part of the story had not been explained last night when Michael had knocked on the door to the loft after Angie had gone to bed.
"When I watched them cut his finger off and looked into his eyes, I don’t know- it was like I had met my soul mate!" Dorinda replied, smiling at him, making Rollie uncomfortable now, "I wanted to help him, anyway that I could. We bonded, you know. I fell in love with him!"
"Okay, this is making me sick," Rollie said, and moved over to leave.
Michael stood still, his face expressionless as Angie grabbed on to Rollie, his eyes locking onto hers in silent protest.
"So, you came back with him to the States, knowing that you would pass the ring eventually, but Pappas was on your tail. That’s why you asked for Rollie’s help with the paste?" Angie asked, deducing the rest.
"Yes, and after that, with your upcoming engagement and Rollie asking for the ring back during my time in the hospital; and Dingo giving it to him- I was devastated!" Dorinda said, her eyes filling with tears.
"Pappas even came to the loft, looking for the ring. He had continued on the trail of Dingo, not knowing that I, as Dorinda Bailey was his former colleague. He even tied me up. Can you believe it? If I had been a man, he probably would have killed me."
"Anyway, I tried very hard not be disappointed about the ring going to you but Dingo saw right through it and when we were at the Top of the Sixes, he asked for the ring back. I know it was hard for you but it was my chance for happiness. Dingo had asked me to marry him and for the first time, my life felt so right!"
"Actually, it was harder on Rollie, Dorinda," Angie told her as Rollie was starting to think that the ring would have never been suitable for Angie, hearing all the new information.
"I’ll get over it," Rollie replied, disdainfully.
"Wait! How does Michael fit into all this?" Angie asked, looking over at the silent, still mysteriously silent, undercover man.
"Ah, the handsome Mr. Lopez as he called himself to me; he contacted Dingo in Sydney about my grandfather’s quest for the ring. He was also after me as well, just like Pappas. He felt that if he got to me, he could nail my grandfather’s drug operations as well. He, uh- knew about my change in life." Dorinda looked over to Michael who raised his eyebrows.
"So, he used blackmail -if you didn’t help him, certain death with Pappas if he found out your secret and told your Grandfather or life with Dingo Tyler and getting your ring back. I can see why you chose the path you did," Angie said, grinning.
"Mr. Lopez gave me a nice deal in exchange for my help in location of operating bases and in return, did not tell anyone my secret, including Dingo," Dorinda said, continuing.
"Let’s see what Dingo has to say about all this now!" Rollie remarked as Dorinda looked up, startled, and upset.
Angie gave Rollie a fierce warning sign in silence then as Michael interceded as well; "Rollie, we don’t want to upset the apple cart just yet. Pappas is important as well. We need your father in good shape to testify about his involvement."
"But Pappas beat the dun out of my father! Why didn’t you just arrest him then?" Rollie asked, getting upset, his face reddening.
"Because I had taken the rings and left before Pappas saw me again!" Dorinda blurted out, "I was in the bathroom when they stormed in, they were holding your father down and I got out without them seeing me. Your father saved my life by diverting all the attention on himself. I know I was a coward!"
"Yeah, and you dropped your end of the bargain then, you little piece of homo tail" Michael added, insultingly.
"I know! But, I am here now, aren’t I? I came to my senses, didn’t I?" Dorinda asked him, her face displaying her humiliation at his remarks.
"Stop that, Michael!" Angie said him, insulted at his remark to Dorinda. Dorinda closed her eyes as Angie exploded in anger. She went over to Michael and got right into his face, "Nick Kapis was never a homosexual, don’t you get it?"
"No, I don’t want to," Michael replied, his temper flaring, "and I don’t have to care. I just want Skartsonis done with."
"Forget it, Angie!" Dorinda replied, "it’s no use. Men always react that way to transsexuals. I was never a homosexual. I always thought as a female. Just forget it, I can understand his reaction. I have dealt with it all my life."
"So, what now?" Angie asked all of them, taking a seat again and a deep breath, "What are you planning?"
"Well," Michael said, his emotions back in check, "We plan on drawing Pappas out and once and for all, shaking up the Skartsonis empire. With Pappas taken hopefully, and with Nick turning in all of his information, we can close this whole investigation up."
"How are you going to draw him out?" Angie asked, perplexed.
"By having the most quickly publicized, spectacular wedding at St. John the Divine, with Dingo Tyler and Dorinda Bailey getting married…and the bride will be wearing white chiffon and her six carat ruby/diamond Heart of God engagement ring …" will be the announcement in the paper this evening and tomorrow," Michael began as he pretended to open a newspaper and see the announcement.
"And Rollie? You okay with this?" Angie asked, looking over to Rollie who had his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes wearily.
"No!" he muttered, "I don’t like one bit of this, you’re talking about duping my father. Both Nick, er- Dorinda and Michael want him in the dark."
"It’s for the best, Rollie," Michael said, "your father wouldn’t go through with it otherwise."
Dorinda looked heartbroken. Angie felt so sorry for Nick or Dorinda as she was calling herself now. Trying to escape her grandfather, getting back her mother’s ring and finally meeting the man she loved, only to be dishonest and tricking him with this whole marriage deception.
"Michael, Dorinda- would you two mind if I spoke to Rollie alone here?" Angie asked the two of them as Rollie looked over to her, in surprise.
The two looked at each other as Michael then shrugged his shoulders and walked out. Dorinda smiled hesitantly and went after him. Angie looked at Rollie who just kept shaking his head.
"Rollie…why are we mixed up in all of this, tell me?"
"I can only say one word…"
"Dingo!" Angie replied, answering him.
"Yeah, that’s it. Bloody hell! The old bugger is going to get himself really burned on this one!"
"I don’t like it, that Dorinda can’t tell him the truth," Angie said, coming up to Rollie and hugging him with worry.
"And I can’t stop thinking about my old man and him, uh- I mean her in bed, you know…" Rollie’s voice had become hushed and embarrassed.
"They say…everything is as normal as a regular female. Modern medical science can do miracles now. Your father, obviously had no complaints."
"Yeah, well- it still blows my mind. I know it will blow his right off."
"I just have one more thing to ask you…" Angie said then, looking up into his troubled, brown eyes.
"Um?"
"What about our wedding?"
Rollie looked down at her and closed his eyes.
"This whole thing with Dorinda and my father has really shaken me up, Angie! It’s an abomination to me to think that they are walking into this church right over here tomorrow, using a real minister and getting married tomorrow. I was planning on us getting married there tomorrow. Michael showed up last night and already knew about my reserving the St. James’ Chapel for us for tomorrow."
"Ooh! My God, the chapel with Cervantes and St. Teresa in the windows? It’s so beautiful in there…" Angie moaned, thinking about a recent concert she had attended there.
"Yes, wonderful, magnificent!" Rollie added, "it took all my connections and I cashed in all the favors owed to me to get that Chapel tomorrow and now, Michael and my father have screwed it up, royally."
"So, once again, the police take precedence over Rollie Tyler’s happiness," Angie said, pulling away from him as he stooped beside her. She had taken her seat again in the computer chair, her mind in a battle of emotions.
"We are going to be married tomorrow, Angie. I will find a place. We are going to Tahiti. See, here at the tickets," he said, pulling them out of his pocket as she smiled slightly.
"Did you ever find a dress?" he asked her, pushing the corners of her mouth up as they fell back down again.
"No…"
"Well, don’t worry. I got one for you."
"What? I am afraid to ask, where?"
"You’ll see! Tonight, it should be arriving at the loft."
"Oh! It’s not a potato sack, is it?"
"Nope!"
"But, what about Mira and Luce’s dresses and what are you wearing?" Angie suddenly felt the tears that she did not want to shed but she couldn’t stop. This was ridiculous! The whole thing was an incredible nightmare.
"Look at me!" Rollie told her, pulling the arm rests toward him, as the chair rolled toward him with Angie trapped inside, trying to hide her tears.
She looked into his eyes and he smiled, his lips meeting hers as she stubbornly kept hers still and unyielding. He didn’t pull away, instead he continued to kiss her, parting her lips with his tongue and she began to melt, meeting his searching mouth with hers in awakened longing. She moved out of the chair and he picked her up. Their kissing grew more frantic with each breath as Rollie then sat on the workbench bringing Angie onto his lap as she wrapped herself around him tightly. She was moving against him- and with him as he wanted desperately to be anywhere but in the F/X van next to St. John the Divine in the afternoon, with people all around.
"Oh stop, Angie, we gotta stop!" Rollie said, panting as she grinned, coming up for air, her tears gone.
She got off him then, adjusting her clothes as he stood up, moving up behind her and shut his eyes, "Oh God, we got to get out of here."
"I’ll find Luce. Obviously, she and Mira can find their own dresses. I am leaving it up to them now. Somehow, I know that you are going to work this whole thing out, Rollie Tyler. You are going to make me an honest woman tomorrow."
"But first, can I have the dishonest one, tonight?" he asked her as she turned around and kissed him quickly and briefly.
"Nope!"
"What?"
"Talk to you later, Rollie. I’ll see you when you get home. Maybe the dress will have arrived by then?"
He nodded, in silence and in wonderment. As she disappeared out the door, he sat back down on the bench, putting his hand through his hair, nervously.
"Bloody hell!" he said to no one except himself, "My father is marrying a man tomorrow and I’m marrying Mannie’s little girl. Where’s the lightning bolt?" He looked out the window at the sky, for he swore it was dark and stormy outside.