Cal knew that he hadn't acted very wisely. Telling Fabrizio he would kill him and Jack anyway, wasn't the best thing to do. Moreover, because Ruth was still living in his home – a fact he wasn't very pleased about, but feared she'd go to the press, if he threw her out – just added his nervousness.
There was a minor prospect she might discover Fabrizio and help him to escape. Though it was on a small chance, Cal couldn't take a risk. Lately she had been a little bit too suspicious. Cal had never liked that cold-hearted woman, but as long as she was serving his plans everything was alright. But that could chance any time, because since the sinking Cal had realized that Ruth wasn't looking at him the same way as before.
So even, if it was completely alien to his nature, there was no other way out – he needed to apologize to Fabrizio. Make him switch the sides. Now Cal didn't think that this would be easy, Fabrizio seemed to be stubborn – but truly he wouldn't support that gutter rat any more once he'd been told about the benefits he was proposing to him.
Cal even knocked on the door, before entering, not wanting Fabrizio to believe him rude.
"Hello," he said his tone of voice sounding friendly, like he had forgotten what had happened lately.
"What, no food?" Fabrizio asked his voice polemic, which Cal immediately noticed, but decided to ignore. Instead he simply shook his head.
"And you still come here?" he wondered eying him doubtfully. "Just to spend time with a scum like me?"
"Of course, I was…I thought we needed to overcome our differences," Cal added still kindly, but now with a mix of anxiety and slyness. "By the way I never thought or said that you were scum. You're from the working class."
What a nice way actually to tell me that I superior to him.
Fabrizio didn't doubt for one second that Cal was play-acting again, only he had already been better.
"I wasn't very thoughtful the last time. You know I do think we two could actually get along, but of course it takes two for this," he added waving his hands like a politician on Election Day.
"Why, when you're going to shoot me anyways?" Fabrizio boldly shot back.
Cal rolled his eyes, turning his head towards the window for a minute, taking a deep breath. That was harder than he thought.
"Look, no one is shooting you for certain…"
"So it's decided then?"
Cal bit his lip, making a heavy sound, trying to buy time. Now for sure he hadn't any wish to let Fabrizio out of here anymore than he wanted Jack to be saved, but he couldn't let a stupid word or sentence destroy everything. Fabrizio was the key goal to Jack. If he could befriend him, not really of course only deceive him in a friendship, he surely could gain the advantage in this game.
"It's… I was overreacting. No, I'm going to shoot you for sure," he firmly stated looking back at Fabrizio, who was staring at him not sure what to expect next.
One minute Cal was acting like a devil and he next he could even count for a human being.
"Stab me then?" Fabrizio went on now very much enjoying this game.
If he wants to kill me anyway, I can at least make his life as miserable as possible while I'm still alive.
He could hear Cal signing in frustration, seeing his body tense as if he wanted to hit him. But Cal stopped himself.
"I really want to be on good terms with you," Cal repeated drawing the seat standing behind him further and sitting down. "Why can't you just forget what I said? I'm very emotional sometimes and say things that I don't mean," he kept his voice low and softly.
Maybe you can betray other people with the bullshit, but certainly not me. Jack has told me more than enough about you to know everything about you – Fabrizio thought angrily, but smiled at Cal like he was buying his lies.
"You already said that and afterwards you told me that you'll kill Jack and me at any rate."
"I told you I'm sorry," Cal said about to become impatiently.
"You mean, because you told me?"
Cal signed, shrugging his shoulders. In reality he had nothing against Fabrizio, other than the fact that he was Jack's friend. True, he wasn't interested in a real friendship, but he could very well need him for his – business. Surely as an Italian and a man of his standing he would know how to follow people in the darker parts of town without making noises and he'd surely heard of one or two methods to murder one.
Probably even done it himself…
Just why was he so stubborn?
"Did I ever tell you how I met Rose?" Cal started wanting to talk first about something that wouldn't let them start quarrelling again.
He didn't care to wait for a reaction, but simply continued with his story.
"It was at a celebration, one of these were the young girls – the debutantes – are first presented to the public. Well, Rose was one of them and certainly the most beautiful."
"So you just went to there to claim her for yourself?" Fabrizio was kind of angry now. Rose was dead. There was no need to dwell on that any longer.
"No, no, of course not…that's not how it's done in our society. No, first I had to speak with her mother to count my chances, but Ruth was soon won over. And Rose…oh I tell you, when we danced together…finally…I felt like I was in heaven," Cal seemed like he was dreaming.
"Mr. Hockley, honestly, what do you want to tell me?"
Cal snapped back into the reality.
"I didn't realize how this still takes at me. I love Rose you know. I always have and frankly I don't hate your friend, because he loved her too – I can't blame him for that fact, but because he was treading on my territory. Rose was my fiancée," he put a hand to his chest to accentuate his words. "He had no right to start a relationship with her."
"Mr. Hockley you can't tell other people what they ought to do."
Cal shook his head.
"I'm not telling anyone anything. I'm simply relying on people's decency. You know what that is, don't you? It's something that tells you, you're not to steal, you're not to murder anyone and you're not to flirt with other people's fiancées."
"But Rose made her choice," Fabrizio interjected.
"Rose was a young, highly edgy lady. I wouldn't say that her choices were actually made out of…mmh….thoughtfulness. Enough of this….I don't think by the way that there relationship would've lasted past the Titanic. Surely your friend would've grown tired of her and Rose would've realized eventually, where she really belongs."
"I want to be your amigo, like you say in Italian," he looked at Fabrizio smiling.
That smile had won over Ruth and even Rose, before their engagement.
Why shouldn't it work on a damn good-for-nothing?
"That's Spanish. We say amico," Fabrizio growled.
"Italian, Spanish – where's the difference?" Cal smiled trying to laugh it away. "It's both in the south, with warm weather and…"
Fabrizio's outraged face told Cal that he wasn't impressed at all.
"Alright, alright, I can see when I'm beaten…so amico it is. I want to be your amico."
Fabrizio let Cal's words sink it for a moment. He had previously stated something similar yesterday, but he knew that this arrangement didn't include Jack.
"What about Jack?"
Now Cal had known that this question would come up. He'd prepared himself, not like recently. He wouldn't let his angriness towards this gutter rat get the best of him again.
"You know that he's my friend."
"Your friend stole my fiancée, Fabrizio. Would you forgive him, if she had been your betrothed?"
"I certainly wouldn't kill him," he firmly exclaimed.
Really what did Cal want to prove now?
"That wasn't my question. I asked, if you would forgive him," Cal repeated, looking him firmly in his eyes. "I mean really forgive him. Could you visit his home and those of this woman once more without feeling betrayed without thinking that you're left out? Could you watch them happy and in love, having to share their happiness, while in reality, who hate both for what they did to you…I'm not innocent myself, Fabrizio. I know that I've made mistakes in my relationship with Rose. I second to that."
Now, I've got him. He can't say yes, without a doubt in his voice and this one I'll catch for sure.
"I…," Fabrizio started, but as Cal had suspected his voice was undecided. "Of course…he's my friend," he choked out like his words would've change, if he hadn't added them as quickly as he did.
"You're lying, you wouldn't," Cal said on bothering for the other one to correct himself. "You wouldn't and know it. I know that what I did was kind of…unusual…," he finally found the right word. "But remember it wasn't me, who started all this. It was he, who took up with Rose, he, who broke into my home…"
"But Rose is dead," Fabrizio interrupted him. "What reason it there to still hold grudges against Jack?"
"And? Does that make it any better?"
Cal waited for a few moments, before continuing. He wanted Fabrizio to really let the words sink it.
"I realize that I'm sometimes…harsh and saying things…doing…what I shouldn't. Rose got…she was a young woman, knowing nothing about life. Of course we had our problem, but we would've come through them."
"You mean, if Jack hadn't shown up?" Fabrizio looked at him.
"I'm not perfect, Fabrizio – and I see now that I should've treated Rose differently - mea culpa…," he stood up bowing slightly "…she had been nervous, because of the wedding, but it was nothing serious…," he stopped once more, watching Fabrizio, who had turned his head away now facing the wall behind the bed.
He's unsteady already.
Cal smiled to himself. Now all he needed to do was add more to his confusion.