Shadows in the Light: Oscar’s Story – Chapter Six

It’s time for Oscar to meet Gina’s ex. That should go well. 🙂

“So what happened?”

We’d gotten her off the bed. She moved with slow, deliberate steps until she got to armchair that had three potted plants sitting atop it. I moved those off, placing them on the floor, so she had somewhere to sit. After getting as comfortable as she could, she turned her gaze on me.

“I went to check in at my hotel first. A small place, but I didn’t need a whole lot since I was going to only be there a couple of days. Plus, living here, I don’t want for much. Anyway, I called an old friend and asked her if I could stop by for a visit. We talked for hours about everything going on in our lives. When I saw it was almost time to meet you, I said good bye, then headed to the bowling alley.”

She reached a trembling hand toward a bottle of water.  I snatched it and opened it for her, then placed it on the small wooden table next to her.

“I waited. When you didn’t show, I figured something had come up. I didn’t bother trying to call, because what difference would it have made? I got up and went onto the street to catch a taxi home.” She sucked in a shuddering breath. “I didn’t even notice him behind me. He grabbed my hair in one hand, covered my mouth with another, then dragged me off into the alley. When I saw who it was, I tried to talk to him. To get him to stop. I prayed, harder than I ever had for anything. I didn’t want to die.”

Her body began to tremble. I got up, walked over, and wrapped my arms around her. “It’s going to be all right. Tell me who did this.”

“It was Kevin, my ex-husband. He started in about how I could visit an old friend, but was too good to say hello to him. He was drunk… I could smell the booze on his breath. He threw me to the ground, kicked me in the ribs, then started in about how I screwed up his life. How it was my fault he’d lost his job. Apparently, I was to blame for everything that went wrong for him. I tried to get up, but he punched me in the back of the head, causing me to fall forward and land on my face. He held me down, and all I could picture was him raping me. Instead I smelled smoke, and then felt the fire as it seared my skin. He got up, started more of my clothes on fire, and then ran off down the alley. I lay there, the skin peeling off my body, and I screamed.

“Two young men came rushing down the alley. They took their jackets off and wrapped them around me to smother the flames. If they hadn’t, I would have died there.”

“Why didn’t you tell this to the police?”

She turned away. “Because I was afraid. I thought I would die in that alley. And if he finds out I didn’t, I’m terrified he’ll come after me.”

“But Gina, the police can lock him up. This is attempted murder.”

Her eyes narrowed. “He’s not stupid. He’ll find a way to beat it. And he’s got friends. Even if they send him to prison, I’m going to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, wondering what that noise was, did I see that shadow? It just… It doesn’t matter.”

Everything about her screamed defeat. That happy-go-lucky nun I’d met was gone, hidden beneath charred skin and memories. She said it didn’t matter, but it mattered to me. She mattered to me. And it was then, seeing the hollowness of her cheeks, the dark circles beneath her eyes, and the way she shook, I made the determination that for Gina to feel safe again, Kevin Gardner had to die.

 

Gina crawled back into the bed as soon as she returned from therapy. There would be many more surgeries in her future, attempts to repair the skin that had been horribly damaged. I was certain she’d pull through. If nothing else, the mere fact she survived showed how strong she could be. While she dozed, I called Lilah to see how Max was doing.

“He’s a good guy.” She paused. “No, he’s actually a great guy. We’ve been talking about art. I… may have taken him to the store to buy some supplies.”

I ground my teeth together. “You’re supposed to be protecting him. He knew he wasn’t supposed to leave the house.”

She sighed. “Stop that. He’s twenty-four, Oscar. He can’t be locked away forever. It’s been almost two months now. Are you any closer to figuring you what you’ll do? He’s been patient, but everyone has their limits. We have everything we need, so we won’t be going out again.”

She was so missing the point. “You are so missing the point. If someone comes for him, are you prepared? Do you have a gun? Will you use it if necessary? Lilah, someone tried to frame him for murder. They’re not going to give up if—”

“Blah, blah, blah. He’s not your pet, your slave, or your toy. If you had taken him out, he wouldn’t have had to beg me. Two hours we were gone. We went straight to the gallery in town, bought canvases and brushes, plus about thirty different shades of blue, and now he’s standing on the deck, painting the sea. And you know what? He’s good. No, he’s incredible. When he paints, it’s almost like a photograph. You swear you’re there, smelling the salt as it drifts inland. If I had that kind of talent, do you think I wouldn’t need to express it? He sure as hell does.”

Her words cut me to the bone. She made sense, but I needed Max to stay alive. I wanted him to have a life to go back to when this was all over.

“No more. He can’t leave the house until I’m back. I know you are trying to help, but this makes things worse. Who’s to say he won’t want to go out again now? What good will it be to have him get killed before I can find out the truth. For that matter, are you certain he didn’t kill his family?”

Lilah barked a laugh. “My God, are you really that stupid? This man could no more hurt a person than he could a fly. And you know what? I think you know that. So get your head out of your ass for once, and get moving. Give Max his life back.” She paused, and I feared what her next words were going to be. “Or don’t you want him to go back to his life?’

Her words struck home. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Uh-huh. He cooks for you. Keeps the house clean. He says he’s even talked you into watching a movie with him. Sounds a little domestic to me.”

And that was the crux of the problem. I did like having Max in the house. He was every bit as good as a major domo, and I didn’t have to throw him out because he pressed and folded my fucking underwear. And, I had to admit, I really liked his pancakes.

“You can’t use this as a reason to keep him here. Find out who’s threatening him and deal with it. Then give him the option of leaving or staying. You might be surprised to find out what he chooses.”

I wasn’t. Was I? I’d been in contact with my sources, came at the problem from every angle. Had I been pushing my investigation aside because I liked having Max in the house? Shit. Now that Lilah mentioned it, I could see a dozen times I’d dismissed one of the findings or comments from people about Knight. While in my mind, I was pretty certain he was mixed up in this mess, I didn’t want to believe either. I’d been sabotaging myself—and Max—by not pursuing this like I would anything else.

“As soon as I’m done here, I’m coming home. Everything so far comes back to Knight. But for every reason I find to suspect him, I find another to believe him.”

“Is that because he’s your friend, or do you truly trust him?”

Did I trust Knight? If I had, would I be keeping Max a secret from him? I pushed back at the thoughts, because right now I had to focus on Gina. As soon as I finished in Milwaukee, I swore to myself that I would do right by Max.

“I have these memories of me and Knight. So many things the two of us have been through. Then I think about Max, what he’s had to deal with, and I have to ask if it’s because of my friend. Maybe you’re right. I thought I had been aggressively pursuing this, but seeing it from your point of view, maybe I haven’t been. I promise, as soon as I’m done here, I’m coming back. One way or another, I’ll know the truth, and Max can get on with his life.”

 

Gina woke up when they delivered her dinner. They offered me something, but I declined. She nibbled a little, but mostly she poked at the fish and coleslaw they brought her. I sat with her a little longer and we talked about her plans for the future. She said she would definitely be leaving the order as soon as she was able to. Her spiritual advisor told her to stay until she was well, and she didn’t have any other options at hand. I made a mental note to speak with Lilah about getting Gina the help she’d need after this was over.

A little after nine one of the other nuns stopped in with four pills that Gina reluctantly swallowed. It wasn’t long before her eyelids drooped and her voice slurred. I got up and stood over her, looking down at my friend. In my job, I get to see the worst of the worst. Gina was like a breath of fresh air, and she needed to be cherished for what she brought to the world, not suffering because her dickwad ex couldn’t man the fuck up and deal with his shortcomings. Meh, overall it didn’t matter. This was his last night on earth anyway.

As I made my way to the outside, I called Lilah.

“If you’re calling to apologize, I’m more than happy to listen.”

“I’m not, but I’m hoping you’ll hear me out anyway.”

I told her about Gina, her injuries, what the doctors had said, and the prognosis. It was good, but I wanted it to be better than just good.

“Do you know anyone who might be able to help her?”

She hummed. “I know a few people who specialize in reconstructive surgery. There are also some psychologists I know who help victims of violent crimes.”

“Can you set up appointments for her? Whoever you need, I’m paying for them.”

For a moment she didn’t say anything. “Oscar?”

That tone. I’d heard it before. Lilah was about to ream me for something.

“Yeah?”

“What are you going to do?”

I huffed. “I think you’ve known me—known the job—to figure that out. Knight has signed the kill order.”

“Did you think to ask your friend if she wanted her ex dead? You said she was a nun. Pretty sure that it’s not in their job description to have people assassinated.”

No, it wasn’t. “She’s not going to be afraid her whole life.” At least on that I was certain.

“This isn’t the kind of people we normally deal with.”

It was a strain to hold in the anger that welled up in me. “Well, maybe it ought to be! He brutalized her. He fucking set her on fire. No matter how good your friends are at their jobs, Gina will always bear the scars of what he did to her.”

“So are you doing this for her or is it to assuage your guilt at not being there for her?”

“What’s the supposed to mean?” I rubbed the bridge of my nose, hoping to quell the headache. I hated being lectured.

“You know I don’t care if you kill him or not. We’ve all done things that for the greater good, but I just want to be sure you’re doing it for the right reason. If you kill him, and it wasn’t for her, that won’t take away the feelings of failing her.”

“No, you’re right. It won’t make it better for me, but hopefully it will make it better for her. She can’t be afraid anymore. If I had a conscience, I would rather deal with this the rest of my life, than have her always looking over her shoulder.” Even though she couldn’t see it, I grinned. “Besides, pretty sure you know how I feel about killing people.”

“Yeah, I know.” I heard a voice in the background. “Max said good night.”

There was an unusual warmth in my chest. Must have been the burrito I had in the airport.

“I have to go.” I hung up before she could say anything. I tapped the Uber app on my phone,  told it where I was, where I wanted to go, and waited. About five minutes later, a car pulled up and I got in. The driver made the normal banal chitchat and I gave him about as much attention as he deserved. When I got to the house where Gina’s ex lived, I got out, paid the man, along with a healthy tip, then squared my shoulders. Showtime.

The house had definitely seen better days. The roof had shingles missing, the chimney needed tuck pointing, plastic flapped over two of the windows, while another had been busted out completely, and the paint had turned from a blue to a green-gray. In the driveway sat a beat up shit yellow Mustang. No doubt about it, once I took this guy out, the neighborhood’s property values would definitely be going back up.

Bits of concrete were lay scattered about on the sidewalk, making it an obstacle course as I stepped up to the door. I rang the bell, but heard nothing. Giving three sharp raps, I waited. A few moments later, I knocked again.

“What the fuck do you want?”

Mr. Congeniality, all right.

The door jerked open, and it was my first meeting with the man I’d come to kill. I hoped to hell he’d been better looking when he and Gina had gotten married, because she could definitely do better than the sack of shit that stood before me.

“Kevin!”

He leaned forward and narrowed his gaze. I could smell the booze on him from where I stood. “Yeah? Who’re you?”

I did my best to look hurt. “I know we haven’t seen each other for a while, but… Well, I’m Nate. I was at your wedding. Remember?”

He cocked his head and blinked a few times. “Oh, yeah. Okay, sure. I remember you. What do you want?”

“I’m in town on business. Thought I’d stop in and see how you and Gina are doing?”

He turned his nose up. “Bitch don’t live here no more. She fucking left me. Ungrateful c—”

“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that.” If I didn’t cut him off, I would have punched him in the face. “But, hey, that just means we can go out and not have to worry about her, right?”

“Go out? I haven’t got any money.”

“My treat. Since I gave you that shitty blender for a wedding gift, I figured I owe you.”

He smiled. “Sure. Sounds good.”

“Know a decent bar around here?”

“Yeah, I do. Lemme grab my coat.”

He disappeared inside the door, only to pop back out a few moments later, then locked the door and turned to face me. “All set.”

“I don’t have my car. I came by cab.”

He clapped me on the shoulder. “No problem. I’ll drive.”

I really didn’t want to get behind the wheel with someone who had obviously started drinking well before noon, but needed to see this through. The thought to off him in the house crossed my mind, but out of respect for Gina, I had to stick to my plan for this piece of shit.

We got in the car and he turned it on. He turned to me. “I’m glad you stopped by. How long are you in town for?”

“Just a couple of days.”

“Oh, great. We should get together while you’re here. I can show you around. There’s a strip joint that…”

I tuned him out. Just my fucking luck, he was a chatty drunk. I stared out the window and nodded occasionally, threw in an ‘uh-huh’ or two, and he was satisfied. We parked two blocks from the bar. Kevin told me it had better lighting, so no one would rip off his shitty car. Whatever. We walked to the tavern, Kevin keeping up a constant stream of chatter. It took only a few minutes to reach our destination, and while we stepped inside, I took in the layout of the property. The building, located in the nearly abandoned factory district near downtown, barely stood out. The place was a dump. Still, it was quiet and I could make do with what it provided.

When we walked in, there were two people at a table, huddled close together. She kept talking, while he pawed her breasts. Classy.

“Hey, Kev. Long time no see.”

The bartender, an older man, frowned at Kevin, who gave a sheepish grin.

“Been busy, Mick. You know how it goes.”

As he wiped his hands on the bar towel, the man pinned Kevin with a stare. “Yeah, and I know how it is when someone who hasn’t paid their tab in months walks through my door.” He nodded in my direction. “You I got no problem with, but he can’t buy you any booze.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet. “It’s no problem. How much does he owe?”

The bartender narrowed his gaze, reached under the bar, and flipped through a notebook. He put it down and glared at me. “Eighty bucks.”

“No problem, I got it covered.” I pulled a hundred out of my wallet and tossed it on the bar. “Keep the change for the inconvenience.”

Mick snatched up the bill like he was afraid it would disappear. The sneer morphed into a gap-toothed smile. He wiped down the bar, then motioned for Kevin and I to sit.

Kevin was all smiles. “Thanks, Nate.” He waved a hand in my direction. “This is Nate. He was at my wedding. Stopped in to see how I was doing, now that the bitch fucked up my life.”

He nodded at me. “What can I get for you?”

“I just want a tonic and lime. Kev?”

“Tonic and lime? That’s a pussy drink.”

Oh, I so wanted this man dead. I wasn’t a fan of people who thought no wanting a drink somehow made someone less than a man. And, worse, that being less than a man somehow equaled being a female. One agent, Savior, would drink this bastard under the table, and then kick his ass.

“Maybe, but I had a long day of travel. If I drink too much, I’m going to pass out at the bar, then I won’t be able to pay for more drinks.”

He dipped his chin. “Yeah, I can see that.” He turned his attention to the bartender. “Gimme a bourbon.”

Since I was the one with the money, I got my drink first. The lime that floated in my tonic had seen better days. A shriveled rind, it rested at the top of the drink. While I stared at the crap he’d served me, the bartender put a scoop of ice in a glass, turned and grabbed a bottle of…what the fuck? I’d never even heard of Evan Williams. At least he poured a generous portion. He put the glass down in front of Kevin, who downed it in one gulp. He set the glass back on the bar and gestured for another.

For the next two hours Kevin’s glass didn’t stay empty long enough for him to take a breath, let alone engage in conversation. Mick kept glancing at my tonic, which I hadn’t touched.

“Something wrong with your drink?”

It wasn’t easy not to wince as I picked the glass up. “Nope.” It was warm and, oh God, so fucking gross. When Mick refilled it, I could have cried. Fortunately, with the way Kevin was slurring, I figured we weren’t going to be there much longer. Well, I wasn’t, at any rate.