“I’m your consigliere. I advise you even if you don’t want to hear it. I think you’re making a mistake. I hope you can see this when this is done and dusted. You’re leaving her jobless, penniless, and heartbroken.”
“Not my fault she wouldn’t take my money. More fool her.”
I look at my timepiece, remembering when Bex commented on it in Rome. I have to resist a smile as I get a sudden flash of memories all hitting me. She’s coming out of her hotel room wearing only a towel in a blind panic. Eating breakfast with me at Giuseppe and Antonio’s.
The flight back to Chicago. Our first fuck in the airplane toilet. Walking into the office and finding her there. Her fighting to keep everyone’s jobs. The way she was with Alicia, the two of them reading together. Taking my girl to school. Telling me about the bullies. So much compassion for someone she hardly knew.
Then other memories hit me. The face Bex made when she came for me for the first time. The way she looked when I came on her face. The way she made me feel when we were in bed together. Bending her over the desk.
Getting married. Her dress as she walked down the aisle, the light hitting her through the stained glass windows. She looked like an angel. She was so happy that day. I was too. I knew it wasn’t real, but I was able to pretend for at least a couple of hours.
At home, watching that movie together that she loves so much. I never saw the end of it. That hits me for some reason. Now, we’ll never sit and see the end of the movie together. Demanding she change her clothes. Demanding she flash me. Demanding she bend over. Demands. Demands. Demands.
No wonder she wanted to end it.
“I’ve got to go,” I say, noticing the time. “You do your job, and I’ll do mine, all right?”
“Sure,” Toby says, looking resigned to what’s got to happen. “I’ll submit the petition, and your marriage will be like your relationship and your soul. Gone forever.”
56
Hunter
* * *
“What do you think?” Ernesto asks, waving his hands around like he’s an evangelical preacher. “You love it, right?”
My nose wrinkles as I approach his table. Turns out the smell of a strip club lingers even when it’s closed. Sweat soaked into the walls, and the carpets doesn’t fade when the punters leave. Cheap perfume wafts around, sticking to every surface like a virus. Stale beer and desperation still hang in the air.
Brody’s sitting beside Ernesto, picking his teeth with his finger. The remains of a burger sit in its wrapper in front of him. He says nothing, just looks at me in disgust.
“Needs a clean,” I say, taking the offered seat at the table. “A fucking good clean.”
“We have a new cleaner.”
I don’t tell him I know that already. I helped him get hired under a fake name.
“It’ll be spotless in time for the reopening. Got under the counter drugs ready to go. Once they’re pissed, we’ll be able to sell them anything. Even the girls.” He rubs his hands together. “Going to be some hot action in the private booths once this place gets going, and I’ve set up cameras in them all. Juicy blackmail material equals plenty of extra profit.” He taps the side of his head. “Always thinking, that’s me.”
“Why are you here?” Brody asks. “Thought you were on the run.”
“Going to take me in?”
“If we don’t like what you’re saying, yeah, you’re damn right I am. How’d you even escape?”
“Someone forgot to lock a door.”
“Yeah, right. You expect me to believe that? Who’d you bribe?”
“Shut up,” Ernesto snaps at him before turning back to me. “You called us,” he says. “You wanted to talk to the two of us. I came back early from my honeymoon to do this. So here we are. What have you got to say, and it better be good?”
“You win,” I say, placing both hands on the table. “All right.”
“Sorry?” Ernesto blinks slowly. “Am I hearing you right? Did you just give up?”
“You’ve got me backed into a corner. I can’t keep fighting against these murder charges. Sooner or later, you’ll find enough evidence or witnesses I can’t intimidate, and I’ll end up going down. I didn’t kill Sofia or Oswald, but no judge will believe me if you’ve got everyone bought out and ready to send me down. I can’t get my wife pregnant in time for the Don to choose me. She’s already filed for an annulment. The marriage is over, and I’m tired of all this bullshit. You win, all right? You take over, and I’m fucking off out of the country. Going to start up in Europe somewhere. See if I can make some money in a new place.”
Ernesto leans back in his chair, clapping his hands together. “Well, color me amazed. I never thought I’d see the day you just gave up.”