"We will have to dispose of him." Peter Gould exhaled. "He's a worthless
French priss. He will sing to the police at first sight of tomorrow's
paper," he said matter-of-factly.
"What shall I do then?" the young man who brought forth the bad news asked.
"It will have to be done tonight. I will handle it from here." He glanced around nervously. "Don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Goodnight."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie rocked back and forth on the stone bench in the Count's back yard. It was approaching the wee hours of the morning, and she felt a chill down her spine. Still, she couldn't make herself move for she knew something was very wrong, and she was afraid to find out what.
When the count himself appeared in the garden with her, she nearly fainted. Maybe if she didn't move, he would overlook her. Would he have her arrested for trespassing? Did he know she ratted him out to the newspaper? How could this day get worse?
But he didn't seem to see her. He smoked something that she did not recognize as a cigar and looked up at the sky. After her first run-in with the count, Mush had given her his switchblade to carry with her. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Just in case.
*~*~*~*~*
"Race! WAKE UP!"
Race was jerked out of a dreamless sleep just to be thrown on the floor. He scrambled to his feet and prepared to beat the shit out of whoever woke him. His eyes finally focused on Spot, then he rubbed them. Spot looked disheveled and kept looking nervously over his shoulder. "Shit. What now?"
"They set us up. Those Bastards set us up," Spot's hand shook as he took a drag from his hastily made cigarette.
"What? Who?"
"Where's Mush's girl? She still at Timmy's?"
"Shit. Shit. I fergot about her. Shit. She don't know 'bout Mush," Race shook his head and tried to clear the sleep out of it.
Spot grabbed Race's shoulders and shook him. One of Race's roommates threw a pillow at him. Spot lowered his voice. "We 'ave ta find 'er. I t'ink she's our only bargaining chip wit' da Mannigans now. Timmy's attached ta 'er or sumptin'."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia barely got caught when he brushed past her to go out to the back garden. Instead of attacking him, she hid like a frightened child. She needed to do this right. She couldn't leave this job half done. She owed him.
She made her way back to the back door. She hid in the heavy curtains and peered out the window at him. She saw someone else out there with him. Except she wasn't sure he saw the other person. She squinted to see who it was. Is that Sadie, Mush's giorl? she thought. What is she doin' 'ere? Does she know somethin'?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jacob needed air. He also needed money. He thought maybe he could ship the kids back to him, and save that money for boarding school. Nannies are cheap. He smoked a lot these days, and drank even more. This morning, he had started drinking at noon. As long as it is after noon, it is acceptable. In France, they drink more than they do here, he thought. But his father warned him of the harder liquor, and he had not heeded the advice.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie felt another presence in the garden. At first guess, she thought Mush had finally come, but then she returned to her senses. The newest presence was no doubt a professional burglar. She saw the shadow clear the brick wall and land almost noiselessly in the bushes. As the back garden got too crowded, Sadie made a decision to flee for her life. If the count wanted to confront her for her trespassing, he would have done so already. And now this new person in the bushes. Sadie got up and headed for the back gate.
"What shall I do then?" the young man who brought forth the bad news asked.
"It will have to be done tonight. I will handle it from here." He glanced around nervously. "Don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Goodnight."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie rocked back and forth on the stone bench in the Count's back yard. It was approaching the wee hours of the morning, and she felt a chill down her spine. Still, she couldn't make herself move for she knew something was very wrong, and she was afraid to find out what.
When the count himself appeared in the garden with her, she nearly fainted. Maybe if she didn't move, he would overlook her. Would he have her arrested for trespassing? Did he know she ratted him out to the newspaper? How could this day get worse?
But he didn't seem to see her. He smoked something that she did not recognize as a cigar and looked up at the sky. After her first run-in with the count, Mush had given her his switchblade to carry with her. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Just in case.
*~*~*~*~*
"Race! WAKE UP!"
Race was jerked out of a dreamless sleep just to be thrown on the floor. He scrambled to his feet and prepared to beat the shit out of whoever woke him. His eyes finally focused on Spot, then he rubbed them. Spot looked disheveled and kept looking nervously over his shoulder. "Shit. What now?"
"They set us up. Those Bastards set us up," Spot's hand shook as he took a drag from his hastily made cigarette.
"What? Who?"
"Where's Mush's girl? She still at Timmy's?"
"Shit. Shit. I fergot about her. Shit. She don't know 'bout Mush," Race shook his head and tried to clear the sleep out of it.
Spot grabbed Race's shoulders and shook him. One of Race's roommates threw a pillow at him. Spot lowered his voice. "We 'ave ta find 'er. I t'ink she's our only bargaining chip wit' da Mannigans now. Timmy's attached ta 'er or sumptin'."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia barely got caught when he brushed past her to go out to the back garden. Instead of attacking him, she hid like a frightened child. She needed to do this right. She couldn't leave this job half done. She owed him.
She made her way back to the back door. She hid in the heavy curtains and peered out the window at him. She saw someone else out there with him. Except she wasn't sure he saw the other person. She squinted to see who it was. Is that Sadie, Mush's giorl? she thought. What is she doin' 'ere? Does she know somethin'?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jacob needed air. He also needed money. He thought maybe he could ship the kids back to him, and save that money for boarding school. Nannies are cheap. He smoked a lot these days, and drank even more. This morning, he had started drinking at noon. As long as it is after noon, it is acceptable. In France, they drink more than they do here, he thought. But his father warned him of the harder liquor, and he had not heeded the advice.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie felt another presence in the garden. At first guess, she thought Mush had finally come, but then she returned to her senses. The newest presence was no doubt a professional burglar. She saw the shadow clear the brick wall and land almost noiselessly in the bushes. As the back garden got too crowded, Sadie made a decision to flee for her life. If the count wanted to confront her for her trespassing, he would have done so already. And now this new person in the bushes. Sadie got up and headed for the back gate.