I looked at the phone ringing in my hand as if it were something I had never seen before. I reconized the number, of course. I had been seeing that number and calling that number for the better part of two months. That number was the last thing I wanted to see right now.
"Jesse..." I answered carefully, my voice low and calm. Calmer than I felt, anyway.
"I don't like being played with, Michael." He told me. His voice was icy and cold. It sent shivers down my spine.
"I haven't been playing with you Jesse." I said, keeping my voice even, chilled. I signaled the waiter at Carlito's go get my check. Jesse sighed on the other end of the line.
"No more lies, Mike. Please?" He asked. Jesse sounded almost desperate. Like it was killing him to be saying these things, doing these things.
"I haven't been lieing to you Jesse." I defending myself and letting the chill in my voice melt, falling into a worn pattern of conversation.
"You haven't been telling me the whole truth either." He pointed out dully.
"I know. But I promise, the means justify the ends." I pleaded. Jesse barked a harsh laugh.
"How often I have heard that before."
"Just trust me, Jesse." I begged.
"I did trust you. Look where that got me. I want the truth." He demanded.
"Where and when, Jesse?" I asked, willing to do anything to calm him down.
"South Beach, ten minutes." He ordered.
"See you there." I snapped my phone shut and left a couple of dollars for my ice tea. I was at the beach in under five minutes, but I didn't see Jesse. My phone rang.
"Jesse, where are you?" I asked when I picked up.
"Right in front of you." I turned and looked away from the water. Sure enough Jesse was stalking toward me. When he was close I tossed my phone into the water. He did the same. Then he pulled out a gun and held it to my chest.
"Goodbye, Mike." He said and cocked the gun.
"Do you really want to do this? You kill me, you never get the answers you want." I pointed out. He pulled the trigger anyway, his words the last thing I heard.
"I told you I would kill the man who burned me."