Chapter XV
"Don't worry; the little bird turned up, safe and sound at the club," Saul replied with a hint of disdain that made Fredo frown.
"If I didn't know better," Fredo uttered coldly, "I'd think you were disappointed…"
"Look Fredo," Saul began irritably, "I'll admit I don't have too much love for your little doll, but I'd never betray you. You want me to keep her safe and I do it."
"Wasn't that what you were supposed to do when you said you'd have Turner and Lara followed?" Fredo questioned, apparently unimpressed by his lieutenant's assurances.
Saul stared at his boss impassibly before answering in a flat voice. "Marco had some trouble keeping up with them as they apparently tried to run away from him…"
"Or Marco was just distracted because he didn't think it mattered all that much…I mean how hard can it have been to follow them from here to the club" Fredo retorted, although with a slight hesitation.
Saul saw that he still instilled some doubts in his boss and he was satisfied. "Seems they made a few detours… I guess your girl wasn't up for rehearsal right away," Saul dropped casually. He saw Fredo's mouth twitching and knew he made his point. "Well, all that matters is she's safe," he soothed next. "However, it seems she ditched your favourite driver…Robbie will drive Lara back home himself."
"Did you lose Turner? Or did you "lose" him," Fredo asked with renewed suspicion.
"I've got no idea where he is…and frankly, maybe you should start looking for a new driver…"
Fredo glared at Saul, who cursed Turner again for being the cause of more of this suspicion. Of course, he knew that Lara was really the one responsible for it. She had been whispering lies into Fredo's ear for months. For a moment, he was tempted to go into details about Lara and this Turner, but he refrained from it, knowing that somehow, this would turn against him again. "You do remember I said not to touch him yet?" Fredo insisted at last.
"None of my men did anything to him," Saul answered sincerely. For himself, he regretted not knowing the extent of the damage Luigi did on the driver. However, this time he had not needed to lie and somehow it must have been obvious because Fredo relaxed visibly.
"Don't get me wrong, Saul. I know there might be something up with this boy. I just owe him… Now about Ricardo," Fredo suddenly changed the subject.
"I might have news on that front very soon," Saul replied with relief. "He's hiding deep but I've got a lead."
"I want this little shit gone, Saul. Is that clear?"
"Crystal," Saul replied, but not before swallowing hard. There was something in his boss's intonation which implied that if he didn't take care of business soon, he would be the one being taken care of. "I'm working on it!" He affirmed.
"See to it," Fredo uttered darkly. "As soon as Lara's home send her to me," he added before heading inside his office.
Saul didn't answer. His boss expected to be obeyed to the letter. Instead, he wondered how long it would take Marco to get back to him. He was impatient to deal with this Ricardo business. This should go a long way into getting him back Fredo's trust.
~~~~~~
Cole came back from the bedroom with a deep frown.
"What the hell is it you're looking for?" Paul questioned at last.
"I had a gun and someone took it."
"May I suggest your attacker took it?" Paul added with a hint of sarcasm.
"I guess," Cole replied with a strange hesitation.
Somehow, Paul knew there was something about the gun besides the fact that Cole lost it. However, he was more worried about Cole's next course of action at the moment. "So…I hope that you got it into your thick head you've better off staying well away from this Fredo and his gang now."
"I don't know," Cole replied distractedly while staring at the piano.
"You don't know?" Paul exclaimed incredulously. "Didn't you hear a word I said?"
"I heard every word," Cole replied flatly, still stubbornly looking away. "But I won't allow this bitch to keep me from doing what I set out to do. I promised I'd get the goods on the asshole she's shacking with and I will…"
"Uh, uh… are you trying to uphold your promise to Leo, or do you think you'll get your revenge on Lara somehow?" Paul uttered angrily. "Or maybe, it's that bloody death wish of yours…"
"I told you I've got no intention…" Cole stopped abruptly, puzzling Paul.
"What? No more protest?" Paul questioned. Then he followed Cole's gaze and saw the obvious hole in the wall behind the piano. "Did they shoot at you?"
"No…" Cole trailed. Then, to Paul's puzzlement, Cole walked toward the door hastily.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"I've got to go," Cole replied cryptically.
"Now wait a minute," Paul exclaimed, stopping Cole as he was about to open the door. "I've spent the whole afternoon imagining the worse; I searched town frantically to find you. I even took big risks in the process and now, you're running away from me without a smidgeon of explanation?"
"What am I supposed to tell you? I know I screwed up." Cole replied dejectedly.
"You can say that again. Do you know that one of those very unfriendly buddies of yours threatened Lydia and I?"
"What?" Cole exclaimed, whirling on himself and finally meeting Paul's gaze. "Did they hurt her?" He then asked anxiously.
"No…she's safe for now… but I'd like to know how my name popped up…"
"I'm sorry… they saw you this morning and apparently, you've made enemies of them."
"Is that why they came after you?"
"How the hell should I know," Cole said irritably.
"Shouldn't that be another pretty good reason to stay away?"
"If I don't go back, they'll know I lied to them."
"And if you do, there's no guaranty Lara won't spill the beans. Hell maybe she already has…What the hell were you thinking?" Paul questioned with renewed annoyance. "Why in the fuck did you tell her everything?"
"Look, I didn't mean to…I… I thought it'd be ok…"
"Well now you know it wasn't." Paul reproached.
Cole seemed unsure for a moment and then he grabbed a chair and sat heavily. "I was so sure…" he uttered in a low and defeated voice.
Paul sighed sadly, knowing that Cole must be crushed all the more by his revelations about Lara; or Phoebe as he called her. "I'm guessing things heated up between the two of you," he remarked while nodding ostensibly toward the bedroom.
"Go ahead… I know you want to crucify me. I probably deserve it."
"You sure do…" Paul replied but without the reproach that should have accompanied the remark. "Cole, I… I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry about anything. I'm the idiot."
"Well," Paul began while sitting on the piano bench, "not that I don't enjoy this new humility on your part," he pursued with a slightly mocking tone of voice, "but really, I guess in your situation…"
"What situation? I'm just a fucking imbecile who managed to be had twice by the same girl. And here I thought I got smarter," Cole said bitterly.
"We don't know if she…"
"You just told me yourself," Cole snapped. "You think she'll tell Fredo about me…"
"I don't know that for sure," Paul tempered. "However, I can't let you take that chance."
Cole wanted to protest that it was none of Paul's business, but he frankly didn't have the heart. Whatever he decided to do, he didn't feel like arguing about it with his friend. How could it be," he questioned himself in the silence that followed. "How could I have fallen for the very girl that destroyed me?" Suddenly the enormity of this new development struck him. Was this fate coming to bite him in the ass? At this point, he tended to believe it. Maybe he did deserve this after all. A wave of sadness invaded him then and he gave another applied glance to the hole in the wall. For a moment, he regretted not going through with it. At least he would have been spared this renewed pain.
Paul watched his friend intently, waiting for any sort of answer. However, as Cole remained silent and his expression darkened, Paul began to wonder if things weren't worse than he even thought. Granted, his news would have been enough to cause Cole some serious grief. Still, Paul would have expected more anger and less apathy on his part. "You played again…" he tried, hoping that it would bring Cole to open up.
This barely got a reaction out of his friend and Paul sensed that the damage ran deep inside of him. He was about to apologize again when Cole responded absently. "Yeah…I thought it'd make me feel better…"
"Did it?" Paul asked hesitantly.
"Not really," Cole replied darkly, while still looking away.
Another long silence fell between them and while observing Cole, Paul noticed something he had missed earlier. On the left sleeve of Cole's shirt, he noticed a blackened stain. He couldn't be certain but he thought he remembered seeing the same sort of stains on victims of close range gunshots. "Didn't you say they didn't shoot at you?" He questioned after a moment.
"They didn't…" Cole replied without thinking.
The fact that Cole didn't seem surprised at his insistence about the gun shot intrigued Paul further. "Is that gun powder on your shirt?"
Cole slowly looked down at his sleeve. "I guess…" he said.
"How did it get there if they didn't shoot at you?" Paul expected Cole to tell him he was the shooter, but Cole's silence suddenly brought him a disturbing insight. "Cole?"
Cole stubbornly avoided his stare and said nothing. "No…please tell me you didn't try to…" Paul stopped, unable to finish the thought. However, Cole's continued lack of response was confirmation enough. "You, fucking asshole! How dare you?"
"What the hell are you insulting me for," Cole protested too weakly.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Cole Turner, if you're still thinking of…"
"I'm not…" Cole replied laconically, in doing so, confirming all of Paul's suspicions.
"Oh how reassuring," Paul pursued angrily. "Did you go insane? I know you don't have too much respect for life… but trying to kill yourself? I can't believe it. Did you even think about me? Or Leo even?"
"I thought you all had enough grief from me," Cole admitted in a subdued tone of voice.
"Fuck! If you weren't already banged up, I'd knock some sense into you myself. You selfish bastard…"
"It's not you who's gotta live with a man's death on his conscience," Cole suddenly exploded. "My life was over twelve years ago. I've lived on borrowed time and managed to destroy countless lives along the way. For a moment there, I thought I'd do everyone a favour by disappearing."
Paul glared at him without a word and he suddenly stood up, pacing the room like a caged animal. Cole barely acknowledged his friend's unnerved state and it angered Paul all the more. "You son of a bitch! I thought many things about you, many of them none too pleasant, but the last thing I figured you for was a coward!"
This finally got Cole to react in a big way. He bolted off the chair and came to face his friend angrily. "Take it back," he growled.
"Well," Paul uttered without showing any sign that Cole intimidated him in the least. "At least, you've still got some pride in you."
"No one; not even you, can call me a coward and get away with it," Cole pursued angrily.
"What the hell do you call trying to get away from your problems by killing yourself, Cole?" Paul replied curtly, while staring at Cole steadily.
Cole sustained Paul's stare a moment longer, but then, he looked down, his anger obviously deflated. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I don't know…"
"What you were thinking," Paul finished for him. "Cole, I told you. Maybe it's true that you've got some responsibility for this guy's death. However, I think that the best way to repay your debt to him is to live well and prove that you're more than the playboy you've been so far."
"That's stupid," Cole said weakly. "That guy certainly wouldn't think I'm doing him a favour by living…no matter how much good I'd do."
"You don't know that, Cole. But much more than this, think of the wrong you were about to do."
Cole turned away and walked slowly toward the piano before speaking again. "I've done nothing to deserve your friendship, Paul…why are you still here?"
"Oh right!" Paul exclaimed dejectedly. "You're still looking for excuses, aren't you?"
"Paul," Cole warned mildly.
"No way… First off, I've been your friend much too long for you to dismiss me so easily. I've never asked anything in return and that should tell you something."
"What's that," Cole questioned uncertainly.
"Being friends has nothing to do with merit! Why the hell do you think I stuck with you all those years?"
"I…I don't know…remorse?"
"Asshole! You think I'd have put up with your antics just because of remorse?"
"I've heard of more trivial motivations," Cole uttered almost normally, which angered Paul all the more. He walked quickly toward his friend and grabbed his arm, forcing Cole to look at him.
"I'm your friend because I know the man inside of you. The one who is hiding behind all this fatalism… You didn't use to be so easily defeated Cole. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"You already know that…"
There was such pain in Cole's eyes that Paul's anger receded. "It's not just that man is it?"
Cole shrugged the hold Paul had on him and he sat at the piano again. "I love her," he whispered painfully.
Paul sighed heavily and went to grab the chair Cole had been sitting in earlier, dragging it closer. After sitting down, he waited a moment longer before speaking up. "Look Cole… I know you're having serious issues with emotions. I mean," he added quickly when he saw Cole about to protest. "I know that falling for her was a big step…ok it's like a bloody Greek tragedy, I'll admit. It must be tough to know who she really is…"
"I knew already…" Cole uttered under his breath.
"What?" Paul questioned in puzzlement. "How the hell…"
"I don't know how…maybe it was the voice…I think I knew from the moment I heard it. I just refused to acknowledge it. Doesn't that make me really pathetic?"
"No!" Paul exclaimed heartily. "I mean, it's strange that you still fell for her…"
"I don't think I ever stopped loving her, Paul." Cole admitted grudgingly. "All those years," he pursued dejectedly, "and after what she's done to me and I never could get her out of my heart."
This, Paul had no problem believing. He knew that had to be why Cole behaved in the manner he did for the past twelve years. Those feelings he tried to bury were the actual cause of all the bitterness he had showed since. "I'm so sorry," Paul simply uttered.
"No more than I am…"
"But Cole…now that you've actually met her and saw that she wasn't what you'd hoped for…"
"Am I what any woman should hope for?" Cole asked bitterly.
In light of Cole's actions, Paul might have agreed with this, but he didn't think they were what defined his friend. "Cole…you did a lot of wrong, that's undeniable…But I know that if you find the right woman, she won't regret it for one moment."
"You're too sweet and so blind…"
"No I think you're the one who's blind to yourself, Cole. That girl…she ought to be stupid. I can see it even now. As much as you love her now Cole, I'm sure you'll find another one. There are many more fish in the sea…"
"Don't I know it? I probably sampled half of them already," Cole mocked sadly.
"Your heart wasn't free…"
"And it probably never will be. You don't know, Paul."
"What? What don't I know? That you're in love and you think it's the last time it'll ever happen?"
"When you met Lydia, you knew right away she was the only one for you, didn't you," Cole questioned.
"Lydia wasn't a tramp who slept around to get ahead in life," Paul couldn't help saying. "She didn't turn her back on me ever. Not even when she thought I was neglecting her. She certainly isn't one who could have dismissed destroying a man's life and even sent her father to finish the job."
"Maybe there were reasons…" Cole tried.
"Reasons?" Paul repeated incredulously.
"We don't know…maybe something happened to her to make her what she is…Look at what I've become."
"Do you really mean to defend her actions?"
"I can't judge her, Paul. True, my life was seriously altered because of her, but instead of making the best of it, I just wallowed in self-pity for all those years. If only I'd been the only one who suffered because of it, but we both know it's not the case," Cole pursued in relentless self-deprecation.
"But she threatened to have you killed, literally," Paul protested again.
"A few hours ago, I knew I'd found perfect happiness, Paul. I didn't have a single doubt. And you know what? I know she was happy too. Things went wrong afterward, but I'm sure that she felt it."
There was nothing to say to that and Paul didn't even try. As the silence prolonged between them, Paul had time to wonder again about Lara's strange attitude. Could there be something to what Cole was saying? And if so, what did that change to the situation if anything? For the time being and even if he promised himself to get to the bottom of it, Paul's main concern was Cole's safety however. "You're coming with me. I'm not leaving you alone." He said as he got up.
"I don't need a babysitter," Cole replied with vague combativeness.
"If you don't come with me, I'll have to follow you everywhere. Or I'll get Leo to arrest you and keep you safely behind bars. There's no way I'm taking the chance of seeing you going back to those gangsters."
"I told you," Cole tried to protest, "If I don't, they'll know I've got something to hide."
"Since they probably already suspect it, I believe the best thing to do is for you to go into hiding for now. I've just got the place for it too. I was about to go get Lydia and bring her there. I hope you can stand staying with my wife for a few days…"
As much as Cole wanted to say no, and even if his mood was thoroughly down, he couldn't help a little quip at this. "What? You'd trust me alone with your wife?"
"I don't trust you; I trust my wife," Paul answered with a half-smile.
Cole managed a smile as well, thinking that at least it was good not everything changed. Once again, he was infinitely grateful for Paul's friendship. "I just hope I deserve it," he told himself before following Paul out of the room, already planning to slip away at the first chance he got…
~~~~~~~~~~
Phoebe entered the mansion, soon followed by Robbie to her utter discontent. He was sticking to her like glue and she wanted away from him badly. She'd always thought he was a little creepy, but lately, the sensation had deepened. Phoebe was convinced that he had ill intents toward her. In truth, it was easy to understand why. She'd put herself in this mess. That didn't make her change her mind about Robbie however. When Saul came out of the hallway and headed toward them, Phoebe actually felt relief as she couldn't stand to be alone with Robbie one more second. It was rather disturbing however, since she had no lost love for Saul either. Nevertheless, the lieutenant wasn't literally after her ass, unlike Robbie.
"Fredo wants to see you right away," Saul said severely in guise of greeting.
Phoebe didn't even try to appear offended as she headed toward the office. However, as she entered, she couldn't help worrying about what transpired in her little escapade. She knew she'd have to think fast if Fredo heard of it.
"Lara," Fredo exclaimed with obvious relief. "You scared the shit out of me."
"Why is that," Phoebe said innocently. There was no need to give him ammunition by appearing guilty. "You knew I was rehearsing."
The reproachful glance Fredo gave her sent a chill down Phoebe's spine but she kept gazing at him calmly. "Lara…why did you try to ditch Marco?"
"Oh that," Phoebe answered offhandedly. "I think you freaked this Turner out," Phoebe pursued. "He told me he didn't like to have a target painted on his back and he didn't believe this job was worth it. Before I could say anything, he lost our tail and dropped me off."
"He what!??" Fredo almost shouted, startling Phoebe.
"It's ok. He didn't leave me unprotected. I got a cab and went straight to the Club from there…no harm done."
"He knew he was supposed to take care of you."
"Well I guess since you sent someone after us, he didn't think you trusted him for the job. Anyway, he's out of here. Good riddance," Phoebe added disdainfully.
"What does he think? That he can just leave?"
"Oh come on Fredo," Phoebe cooed, "he's not even worth your trouble. I told you he wasn't all that bright."
Fredo still looked angry for a beat, and then he suddenly changed attitude. "Well, I'm glad you're ok," He said, standing up and coming to hug her. When he tried to kiss her however, Phoebe turned her cheek to him. Fredo sensed her reticence but didn't say anything about it. "We'll find a new driver then. I won't have my favourite girl driven by an unreliable guy."
"Perfect," Phoebe simply said before turning around.
"Lara," Fredo called back.
"Yes," she trailed.
"You've got to know I'm only looking out for you. Don't go running off again…"
Phoebe didn't reply and instead nodded uncertainly before hurrying out of the office.
There was something in those last few words that told her Fredo wasn't so certain about her affirmations. She still hoped he would leave Cole alone but she would have preferred that Fredo said so. As she headed for their bedroom, she began to wonder why she was so worried about a man who caused her so much grief. Yet, there were the words Paul uttered about Cole. How could he have written that song for her if he didn't care at all? Maybe the answer lied in Paul's reproach about her being insensitive. Maybe Cole was also good at faking it? No matter how she tried to convince herself of this, it didn't seem to add up. After all, Paul had been wrong about her too…
Phoebe gave a passing look at the bed and then she went to run a bath, hoping that it would help calm her down. Ever since Paul left the dressing room, contradictory feelings and ideas assaulted her non-stop. However, among all of those thoughts, more disturbing one than the next, a realization finally made its way through and troubled her above all. She knew Cole. At long last, she had remembered the tall unassuming boy that often walked along with Paul. At the time, it never occurred to her that he was the one with the soul she fell in love with. As most teenagers, her outlook had been too superficial. Much more than this, Phoebe understood she had known almost from the moment she saw Cole again after all those years and she'd simply refused to admit it to herself. All those feelings he stirred in her, they were not new. That love, which she thought was dead long ago, she understood it had only been dormant inside of her.
Phoebe undressed slowly, unable to push away the thoughts of him touching her, making love to her with such passion and tenderness as to make her forget even who she was. For all the pleasure they shared from this physical contact however, Phoebe knew it ran deeper than that. She couldn't have felt such happiness only from sex. Not after all the men she had throughout her tumultuous life. For a short while that morning, she had experienced what she believed to be a perfect connection… It was hard not to remember that it's what she used to feel while Cole was playing. Was that why she got so angry, she wondered, as the warm water caressed her skin but barely managed to relax her. Had she been more afraid of those deep feelings than from any betrayal? Even now that she should be more worried about Fredo's suspicions, she couldn't stop wondering if she really ran away from her one chance at true happiness. From somewhere deep down inside of her, an intense malaise was growing. Something she had not felt in years. Pain, she had lived with…the cold emptiness, she had endured. However, throughout all of this, Phoebe never let sorrow overwhelm her anymore. She had not cried in years. Just then, as she remembered the hurt look in Cole's eyes, her throat tightened as she fought against the mounting urge to cry.
"No," she exclaimed aloud, forcing back the sobbing that she knew was coming. "I can't let that happen," she added for herself, closing her eyes tight as if it could chase away the troubling thoughts. "I can't let him hurt me again."
Even as she managed to regain some control over her emotions, Phoebe couldn't help another unpleasant sensation to course through her. That one was of shame. The shame the little girl she used to be would have felt for even half of what she had done with her life…
~~~~~~~
That night, Marco gave a call to Saul that actually brightened the lieutenant's severe features. It wasn't long before he was ready to go, but not before he had put out calls to a few of his more trustworthy men.
As he and Robbie were headed for the car, this one gave a long look toward the mansion. "Does Fredo know where we're going?" He asked the lieutenant.
Saul gave him a dismissive shrug before climbing into the car. It wasn't until they were under way before he answered Robbie. "I'm doing what Fredo wants me to do. He doesn't need to know the details right now."
"I thought he'd like to be informed that we found Ricardo…"
"We haven't taken care of the problem yet. I'll give him the good news after all is said and done."
Robbie nodded in the affirmative, but he couldn't stop a little malaise from invading him. Fredo liked to know everything about his business, but increasingly, Saul was making decisions on his own and implementing them without consulting the boss. However, he didn't think it a good idea to point that out to the lieutenant. Particularly that since he had been involved in a few of those actions, Fredo would also hold him responsible were the truth of the matter to come out. Saul had also dangled a carrot that was very tempting in front of Robbie. He told him that Lara would soon lose Fredo's favors and that he could finally get his hands on her. The thought had been exciting to say the least, and silenced most of his misgivings about the "mission" until now. All he had to do to get his prize was work for Saul and for the betterment of their outfit according to the lieutenant. If Saul could make it happen for him, Robbie believed that he was doubly his ticket to the big time. Finally putting most of his worries to rest, Robbie could only hope that Saul didn't plan to turn Fredo's ire against him was something to go wrong.
Soon they were parked in front of a run down building on the edge of town. A large wooden billboard was hanging precariously over a large door which stood half-opened. The painted words were all but washed out on the billboard and Robbie couldn't make them out. It didn't help that there was no lighting other than the car's headlights, which only provided a halo of illumination and left the rest of the building in complete darkness. All in all, the feel of the surroundings was spooky. Robbie clutched his gun as Saul climbed out of the car cautiously. They seemed to be the only ones there and it didn't reassure Robbie at all. Where were the guys Saul called in? Slowly, he made his way out and they both walked toward the front of the car, stopping there and bathing in the bright glow of the headlights. It took only a few seconds that still seemed like an eternity to Robbie before two men came out of the building, both obviously just as well armed as Saul and he were.
Luigi walked ahead of the other man but soon, they recognized Ricardo himself.
"Hey," Saul uttered loudly but very calmly.
Ricardo took a few more steps and stopped while nodding in response.
"Your man told mine that we had a little misunderstanding," Saul pursued after his interlocutor declined to answer his greeting out loud.
"You've gotta believe me," Ricardo finally uttered with just a hint of anxiety. "I've never sent anyone after Fredo. Why would I?"
"Well, Fredo could argue that you've been dying to expand your business for a while…" Saul said very seriously.
"I wouldn't be stupid enough to go after Fredo. The others would have my hide."
"As things stand, everyone already thinks you've done it, Ricky."
"But you know me, Saul… You know I wouldn't do that. I'm sure you told Fredo…"
"Fredo is not an easy man to sway. Besides, those were your men who shot at him and it didn't help your cause in the least."
"'Were' is the operative word here. I'd already told them they were out of my outfit only the day before. I think they were out to take their revenge on me."
"By killing Fredo? " Saul questioned incredulously.
"Well, they knew what would hurt me the most. They probably didn't want me to just die. They wanted me running scared too. I swear to you, I had nothing to do with it."
"Why didn't you just say so?" Saul offered affably.
"As you said yourself, Fredo is not an easy guy to talk to and besides, I thought I'd be better off waiting until the dust settled and he had time to calm down."
Saul nodded in apparent approval.
"Besides," Ricardo added, encouraged by the lieutenant's calm attitude, "I got a call from someone who told me to lay low. It was a good call too since the police ended up in my warehouse. You wouldn't know who was kind enough to warn me?"
"I haven't a clue. Maybe you're right about your men… You hiding made you look very guilty…"
"And also," Ricardo pursued, ignoring the insinuation, "you wouldn't know how it is they found those two guys' bodies in there?"
"Didn't you say yourself a moment ago you cut them loose? Why should you care what happened to them?"
"Right," Ricardo answered hesitantly. "So, do you think Fredo might believe me?"
"As you said, the dust from this whole mess is settling down and the culprits are dead. Maybe if you gave some form of compensation to Fredo…"
"What kind?"
Instead of answering the suspicious inquiry, Saul suddenly gestured behind himself. Three more sets of headlights came on, startling Luigi and Ricardo. "What is that?"
Saul gave him as warm a smile as he could muster. "I think Fredo will be very satisfied with your head on a platter." This he said just before ducking and, almost at the same time, machine guns resounded, illuminating the night with a myriad of bright mini explosions. Ricardo never had a chance to shoot back as he fell to the ground, riddled with bullets, soon followed by Luigi.
After the gun fire died down, Saul stood back up and walked slowly toward the bloody bodies. He kicked Ricardo's remains roughly and then pulled a sharp knife from his belt. Bending toward Ricardo, he grabbed his left hand and in one swift move, cut his middle finger, which was adorned by a large gold band. He stood up, holding up the trophy and turned a satisfied expression toward Robbie. "I guess it'll be enough for Fredo. Heads are so messy."
Saul then noticed the puzzled expression on Robbie's face. "What is it?"
"Do you really think Ricardo was lying?"
"Of course he was. This whole affair is behind us now. Let's go," Saul replied curtly.
Robbie stood there a moment longer as Saul's men came to grab the bodies and carried them toward their own vehicles. The malaise he'd experienced earlier deepened without any clear cause for it. Something didn't add up.
"Hey," Saul called impatiently. "Either you get in now, or you walk back…"
Robbie gave one last look at the bloody dirt, only witness to the massacre which just took place, and he shook himself before hurrying back toward the car.
As they headed toward the mansion, Saul casually turned to Robbie. "I forgot one last loose end earlier. I want you to find Marco and get rid of him."
"Why?" Robbie uttered in surprise.
"Not that I owe you any explanation, Robbie, but I don't think Fredo wants an incompetent man in his employ. Marco served his purpose. Now, it's time for him to make like a tree and leave…permanently. Also Robbie," Saul added in an eerily calm voice, "you should quit thinking so much. It's an unhealthy habit."
Robbie's discomfort deepened, as this felt like a threat if he ever heard one. Marco was only a pawn and his job was to do just what Saul asked. However, Robbie couldn't help worrying about his participation in all this, even as he resolved to carry out the order.
~~~~~~
The next day, Phoebe woke up to find her old lover much more relaxed than he had been in days. She didn't know what did it for him, but right then, Fredo's happy dispositions only grated on her. Not only had she not resolved her dilemma about Cole, but today was her big day and she had butterflies fighting a war inside her stomach. Fortunately, that served as a perfect excuse to reject Fredo's advances.
"Please, Fredo…I'm a mess. I'm so nervous about tonight."
"You've got nothing to worry about," the old man hoarsely replied while trying to grab her breast. "You're perfect and soon the whole world will know it."
Phoebe moved away abruptly and stood up before Fredo could stop her. "I need some time alone to calm myself down…you understand, don't you," Phoebe questioned softly.
Fredo was obviously far from understanding, but he didn't insist to Phoebe's relief. "I've got some more business to attend to today; but I'll be back to accompany you to the Club. Have no fear," he said instead as he headed for his own bathroom.
"I'm counting on it," Phoebe answered lightly. As soon as he was gone, she sighed deeply in relief. The simple thought of his hands on her was revolting all of a sudden. She felt the intense need to draw another bath just thinking about it.
Later on, as she was heading for the dining room, Phoebe heard Fredo and Saul talking in the office. Saul was telling him about some shipment soon to come and she could even hear the shuffling of papers. When Fredo and Saul came out of the office, she hurriedly hid in the hallway, still unsure why she was doing it. She heard the outside door opening and closing and waited a moment longer until an engine roared outside before she dared peering out of her hiding place. The foyer was empty and she walked back gingerly. Then, she noticed the door to Fredo's office ajar. Impulsively, she went in, not even knowing what she intended to do there. She didn't notice Saul watching her from the door to the sitting room. A cruel smile spread over his lips as he saw Lara going into the office surreptitiously. "Well, well, well," he uttered in a self-satisfied whisper, "it's gonna be even easier than I thought."
Meanwhile, Phoebe moved in cautiously, giving many quick glances behind her. When she was certain no one was coming, she emboldened herself and shuffled through a pile of papers carelessly spread on top of Fredo's desk. When she understood what she was looking at, a chill coursed through her. These were loose sheets obviously destined to be added to a ledger and which bore the names of many gangsters with whom Fredo had business dealings. On one, she found the details of a shipment of liquor that was supposed to arrive three days hence. Phoebe couldn't believe she was looking at this documentation. It was so incriminating. She almost left right then and there, but Cole's words came back to haunt her. She was living with a monster and doing nothing about it. Yet, Fredo had been good to her. How could she betray him? Then another thought came to her, born of her recent worries about Fredo's dispositions toward her. Maybe she could use this as leverage? If Fredo suddenly decided that she wasn't worthy of his trouble anymore, he might think twice about getting rid of her violently if she had some weapon against him. Phoebe gave another anxious look toward the office door and then she grabbed the shipment form along with a few of the most incriminating documents, which she pocketed hastily.
No doubts, they would know that some of the paperwork was missing, but before they assumed she took it, Phoebe was certain that she would have time to contact a lawyer to create some assurance for her future. As she headed out of the office, not before looking around carefully and making sure no one was observing her, Phoebe had another bout of remorse about Cole, but she had to insure her own safety first.
As soon as she had gone back upstairs, Saul left his own hiding place and entered the office in turn. He then sifted through the paperwork and threw it in the wastebasket before lighting a match and dropping it in as well. Until now he didn't have too much hope that Lara really was in collusion with the driver to get info on Fredo, but when he noticed her trying to hide in the hallway, he decided to wait and see what she would do. Now, it seemed his long shot was paying off big time. He could only hope that she would call Turner soon and he could finally bring his plan to completion. The driver's failure to show up had set him back, but this new development might just be what he'd been waiting for. As he watched the last of the papers burning, he caught sight of Ricardo's gold band resting on the edge of the desk. Saul patted his coat pocket while uttering, "One down…three to go…"