Unforgiven
Part 8
By Heather
Mick
He’s late. What the hell does Nino think, keeping me waiting this fucking long? I have way to many things I need to be doing instead of waiting on his ass!
Nino can be such an ass. He’s so high strung- especially since he was…well, I guess ‘demoted’ from his family business. He was a first-born, like me and like me he was screwed out of what was rightfully his. So what if he planted a fucking bomb in that church-he was just doing what he thought he had to do. Plus, he was trying to do in my family-a big plus in my book!
I keep trying to give him some shit to help him relax, but he won’t take it. Says he needs the energy to do our job. He won’t even let me have any! Says I need to stay sharp.
He was supposed to meet him at the docks at dusk. It’s 9 now and I just got here.
I keep pacing back here behind warehouse. I barely see him step out of the shadows before he grabs me arm and drags me back behind the building. I can tell he’s pissed.
“Where the hell have you been?” I hiss.
“Hey, sorry man,” he says as I jerk my arm back from him. I shift my black leather jacket (I love this damn jacket!) into place and reach for my cigarettes.
“I had some shit to take care of,” he says lamely. I bet it was really his girl “Faith” down at the old Springfield Sizzler, his sweet little ho. But I won’t go there, if he wants to hang with that cheap piece of work, that’s his business. I light my cigarette and take a drag. Nino glares at me and grabs it, breaking it in half and then grinding it into the ground.
“Are you fucking stupid?” he swears. “Someone will see us!” His eyes dart around, trying to see through the shadows.
“Relax Nino,” I say impatiently. He’s so damn tight, he’s gonna explode. I don’t know what the hell his problem is. Sometimes I think I’d be better off doing this alone!
“Did anyone follow you?” he asks.
“No Nino,” I say, mocking him. “No one followed me. No one even knows I’m alive except your family and they don’t even know I’m in town yet. They still think I’m still in Mexico. So relax!”
“Okay,” he says and for the first time since I got back in town, he seems to relax a little.
“Did you send your little note?” he asks, a smart-ass sneer stretching his face nastily.
“Yeah I sent it to the ‘Chosen One,’ along with his pretty wife’s necklace” I say gleefully. “You should have seen his face when he ran out to find Ray. He was in a fuckin’ panic!”
“Good,” he says. He looks around again; making sure no one is nearby. “What about Carmen?”
“I haven’t gone to see her yet, I was waiting for your instructions,” I say sarcastically.
“I think I should go with you,” he says. “Just in case something goes wrong.”
I shrug my shoulders. I really don’t care if he goes or not. I just can’t wait to see the look on Mama’s face when she sees me. It’s gonna be unbelievable. I can’t wait to…make her pay for all the hell she’s put me through.
Danny
I’m supposed to meet Dietz at Company at 9:30. It’s only 9 now; I got here early. I’ve been a nervous wreck all day, trying to wrap my brain around the news I got…wow, just yesterday.
Just yesterday-my whole life changed. My brother, my big brother Mick, is alive. My wife, the love of my life, didn’t kill him. I know this doesn’t change things for Michelle and I, but I…oh I don’t now…it’s just so damn confusing!
I was going to go talk to Carmen, but then I realized that if she had anything, anything at all to do with this Dietz would know. And Dietz is loyal to me; I know he is. So I called him. He swore he knew nothing about it though, but said he would make a few calls to see what he could find out. That’s why he’s supposed to be meeting me soon-to tell me what he’s discovered.
I rise from my booth and make my way to the pay phones. I just occurred to me that Ray should be here. I feel awful for dragging Ray into all this, but I don’t know whom else to call. Who else to even trust-Ray is all I have.
He picks up the phone on the first ring, sounding tired he says hello. I quickly tell him what’s happened and he agrees to get here as quickly as possible. Hanging up, I look up to see Dietz entering the restaurant. He doesn’t look happy.
Michelle
I hurry down the stairs when I see Ray’s taillights disappear down the driveway. I am so sick and tired of everyone in this family hiding things from me. Especially my own husband. I am determined to find out just what is in that envelope that has everyone so upset-and this house guarded like a jail.
I make my way down the hall and I quickly slide into Carmen’s study before one of the guards see me. All the lights are out, the only light coming from the rising moon’s light radiating through the open windows. I slip past the chairs and over to the desk.
Daring not to cut on any lights, I feel my way down the edge of the desk until I find the drawer. Of course Ray has locked it, but I came prepared. Slipping an old butter knife I hijacked from the kitchen out of the pocket of my bathrobe, I begin to work, as quietly as I can, to get the lock to open.
It takes a few tense, slow minutes, but I finally hear the lock give. I gently slide open the desk and feel around inside, my fingers finally brushing against the large envelope. I quickly slip it out and tuck it under my arm, inside my bathrobe.
Rising quickly, I almost knock over the chair sitting behind the desk, but I catch it in the nick of time. I pause, listening for any movements of a guard in my direction, but I hear nothing.
Finally allowing myself to breathe, I didn’t notice I was holding it until my chest hurt; I make my way towards the door. Just as I am about to open it, it bursts open and light pours inside and hurts my eyes.
“Mrs. Santos? What are you doing in here?”
It’s Jeremy, one of the newer guards. I quickly catch my breath again and look up at him with what I hope is a confident smile.
“Hello, Jeremy,” I say. “I was just looking for my reading glasses, I thought I left them in here, but I didn’t.”
He smiles in return and opens the door wider to allow me to walk past him and out into the hall. “Oh I’m sorry Mrs. Santos. Do you need help finding them?” he asks.
“Oh no, that’s fine Jeremy. I believe I’ll just go on up to my room and watch TV while I wait for Mr. Santos to return. Thank you.”
He smiles at me again and watches as I leave. I hurry on up the stairs and into my room. I cross the room to my bed and plop down. Taking the envelope out from under my arm, I set it down in front of me, eyeing it suspiciously. Just what is in this envelope and why does it have everyone in an uproar?
I open it slowly, and turn it over to let the contents out. A small piece of paper floats out, along with a long, finely wrought golden necklace. A small golden cross hangs from it. I bring it closer and examine it carefully. Something about it is eerily familiar, I gasp when I realize who it belongs too-me. I turn the cross over and see the old engraving, so well known that it is practically engraved on my soul.
“To M, love me”
So simple, yet so telling. I remember the last time I saw this necklace. It was the night I killed Mick.