Carol won't let it go.
Despite your constant reassurance that Tommy is just being an idiot, she's insistent that he's dead. And he is, of course. But she can't know that, not really. Will we ever be rid of this asshole?
But I've got bigger problems than the dead guy's girlfriend. The very not-dead Billy is still out there somewhere, and it needs taking care of. He's been suspiciously quiet, and I don't like it, Steve. I just got you back. I can't lose you because of Billy. This time, I'll make sure the job is done right. First, I have to find him, though.
Billy, it turns out, has learned a few tricks. He was never hard to find back when I first met him. There wasn't a bar in town that didn't know his name, and if there was a fight… well, Steve, it's a good thing you're not a heavy drinker. I don't think I could go through that again.
When they say you look for your parents in your partners, I didn't think that was true. In hindsight, the alcoholic rages, the mood swings, and the deception was all too familiar. One day it was 'I love you' and then the next, 'You're pathetic. How could I ever love you?'. We might have some communication problems, Steve, but you'd never be so caustic.
You have a big heart.
Billy is an open wound.
There are no similarities between you and no competition. You don't need to worry about him, and I tell you that several times. You laugh it off but still look pleased to hear it. Whatever doubts you had, I hope they're gone. You make me happy, Steve.
Billy makes me so anxious I want to throw up because where the fuck is he? I've been around the local bars, all his old haunts, and nobody has seen him in days. He was here. Now he's gone. Does he know I'm looking for him?
The stress is getting to me, and you notice. There's concern behind your eyes when you look at me now, and that's not good. I don't want to worry you, but I can't just let Billy walk around free with his damning - albeit prejudiced - account of what happened. I only did what he wanted, and then he got mad at me? He hated his dad, and besides, the man was an abusive drunk. Not a great loss to the world.
You're trying to help, though. You turn up at the shop nearly daily with a smile and a kiss. So I know Billy hasn't told you yet. He doesn't come back, either. What is he waiting for?
I got one final text message from him a few days after our night in the cage:
Billy - [08:11 AM]
I'm leaving Indianapolis.
You're not worth the trouble anymore. Good luck with Steve.
It was strange, and I'll be the first to admit it doesn't sound like Billy. Has something happened to him? But if he's leaving us alone, I don't really care. So that's it, we're safe.
Almost, anyway.
Carol still won't let Tommy go. She's obsessed with finding out where he is, despite the messages I send her.
Tommy - [00:57 AM]
Hey, babe, still alive.
Thought I'd let you know.
…
Tommy - [12:31 PM]
Did you know I could go three days without eating?
Molly is fucking sustenance!
Seriously, babe, I'm on top of the world.
…
Tommy - [09:01 AM]
Hungover as all hell, babe.
Send pics ;)?
Carol calls him constantly. I have to leave his phone at home now because it's becoming such a pain to carry around. The last thing I need is for you to notice I have another phone. She won't give him up, though, not even when I post pictures of bras and coke to his social media. Seriously, Steve, the shit he has saved on this phone is disgusting. But Carol doesn't care. She only wants him 'home and safe.'
Bite me. She should want to rip his head off or just ignore him entirely. But no, she 'loves him despite his weakness for drugs.'
Finally, I can't take it anymore. Tommy has to be the one to call it off.
Tommy - [02:23 PM]
Listen, Carol, I should tell you something.
I'm not coming home.
There's too much bullshit, I want to enjoy my life. I wasn't happy there.
You be good to you, okay?
When Carol shows you the texts, it's hard to see you fighting back tears. You break down and call Tommy too that night. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. You wrote Tommy off months ago, but when he tries to break up with Carol, suddenly, you want to talk to him again.
Stevie - [04:11 PM]
Seriously, Tommy, pick up the phone.
What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself or something?
Carol is in pieces, come home already.
We miss you.
We. And you're not as over Tommy as I had thought. Am I just something to pass the time whilst you wait for your fuck boy of a best friend to come crawling back?
But that can't be true. You're all over me when we're together, and when we're not, my phone is always buzzing with your messages. You don't miss him, surely. You're just saying that to get him to come back. I wish I could tell you Tommy is gone forever. Maybe then you would move on and help Carol too. But I can't. All I can do is make you hate your best friend.
Tommy - [04:36 PM]
No can do Stevie.
I'm living my best life now. I don't want to be tied down to Carol.
You know that better than anyone.
Hope you're enjoying the street rat's dick. Try not to think about me too hard.
Stevie - [04:40 PM]
Fuck you, Tommy.
I'm tired of playing nice with you and your shitty drugs.
Rot in hell for all I care.
- You can no longer contact this number -
I'm so proud of you that I splurge on your favourite takeout that night even though it's more expensive and the local one is nicer. While eating, you start in a forced casual voice, "Thanksgiving is coming up, and my parents are back, so…"
"So…?"
You swallow, blush and fiddle with a plastic container. "Do you wanna maybe… come meet them over the holidays?"
"Yeah?"
"I mean, it's not going to be fun at all. They won't like you. My dad won't even try to hide it. Shit, what a stupid idea. Forget I asked."
"Steve," I grab your hand and kiss the back of it to get a smile out of you. "I'd love to be belittled by your parents. Tell me when. I'll even wear my leather jacket since your mom will love it."
"Maybe I should wear your jacket. It looks better on me anyway." It does, so I don't argue. Instead, I lean over to steal a dumpling from your plate and laugh when you stab at my hand. "Eat your own."
"I already have. That's why I'm stealing yours."
You let me take it because you love me. I split it in half because I love you. We know how to get along. It's amazing, really, how good things have been since we got back together. We're trying hard to make it work, and it does. With Billy gone and you blocking Tommy, there are no more distractions from us except for Carol. But I can live with her tears if I get your kisses at the end of the day. And I do. You never cease to amaze me.
You even got me a present, bound my stories together into a book and presented it one evening with a flourish. "See! I told you it would be an amazing book!"
Life was good.
Or it was up until the morning Nancy stopped by. You had already gone out for your morning run, and we were both surprised when I answered your door. "Um, hi… Eddie?"
"Yeah. Nancy, right?"
She nods, and it's awkward. We've never been formally introduced. After a decidedly long pause, she says, "I've got Steve's dissertation. He asked me to look through it. Anyway, could you let him know?"
"Sure." When she hands over the papers, I'm reminded of Tommy's stupid video and the fact you two have a history. You don't still have feelings for us, do you, Steve? No, you can't. If you did, you would be dating her. Who in their right mind would say no to you? "So, how was Barbara?"
Nancy looks at me in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"Steve saw her recently. You were friends, right, so didn't you go too?"
"Oh!" Her face, Steve. I knew the second she realised and tried to cover for you. "Yeah, she's great. It's been such a long time since we saw her. Anyway, I need to get to class. Let Steve know I checked his dissertation?"
"Sure."
Something's wrong. Her text to you a minute later confirms it.
Nance - [08:35 AM]
You used Barb as an excuse to cheat on your boyfriend?
What the hell is wrong with you, Steve!
It wasn't hard to find the truth. Both you and Nancy are still friends with Barbara on Facebook, and through your profile, I find a link to… A memorial page. She committed suicide almost five years ago, probably around the time of that video.
You're a liar, Steve. And the worst part is I believed you. So what are we going to do now?
I don't mention it when you return from your run, only that Nancy stopped by with your papers. You're immediately in work mode, despite the sweaty clothes. It amazes me that you still work with paper, even with your laptop sitting a few inches away. "I prefer pen and paper. Easier to read." You told me when I brought it up. "At least for markups."
Nancy apparently agrees with you because you always pass papers back and forth. This is a tradition that has been going on for years. Nothing I say will break it. You're incredibly old-fashioned sometimes. It's kind of silly, but who am I to judge?
Old fashioned or not. You are good with your phone and your words. I should have trusted my instincts about 'B'.
The phone is gone too. You found a new place to hide it, no doubt. Are you still seeing them behind my back? How could I be so stupid? You must have seen Nancy's text by now but have you put two and two together and realised I mentioned Barbara to her and that I know you were lying? Clearly not, because when you leave for class, you kiss me goodbye like usual and leave me your spare keys. You don't know about my set yet, so I take them.
You trust me, but you cheat on me. Where is the logic, Steve?
At least you don't lie about your classes. You do go to school that afternoon. If I have to follow you until you lead me to 'B', then so be it. But not today because Carol is texting me. How did she even get my number?
Unknown Number - [12:07 PM]
Hey, it's Carol.
You got any rare David Bowie on vinyl?
Carol is different when she comes to the shop that evening. She's chirpy in a way I haven't seen since I met her at that party. "Hey, Eddie! Thanks for waiting for me. It's been such a long day. I'm sorry I couldn't make it sooner."
"No worries. So David Bowie, huh?"
"Yeah. My dad is a huge fan, and his birthday's coming up. Steve mentioned you've got some sort of cage thingy with all the good stuff downstairs?"
"Well, it's supposed to be a secret."
"Oh," she giggles, and is this what she's usually like? I think I prefer the crying. "Don't worry. I won't tell if you don't!"
"…Right. Anyway, I don't know if we have any Bowie, but we can check."
Carol laughs awkwardly at the sight of the cage. "Uh, have I mentioned I'm claustrophobic?"
No wonder Tommy had to do drugs to deal with her. "That's fine. You can just stay out there. I'll find the records. So we have… Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs? You want something more recent?"
"No, my dad loves the glam rock stuff, so that's perfect."
"Great, let me just- whoa!"
Carol is holding a gun, all pretence of the bubbly girl gone, her expression hard.
"Uh, Carol?"
"Shut up and give me your keys."
Steve, your taste in friends needs work. Why are you friends with psychos? I hand her the keys because she has a fucking gun pointed at my face. What else am I supposed to do? She shuts the door and locks it, but she doesn't know about the key hidden in the cage, thank god, but I can't get it until she's done.
For a while, she just stands there contemplating me. Finally, she sets down the gun and pulls out her phone. "James Sullivan. See, I managed to talk to him, and he never emailed Tommy. The funny thing is… you appeared days before he went 'off the rails'. I should have known after the fucking texts. Tommy never texts!"
"Carol… this is insane. Just open the door, and we can forget this ever happened."
"Yeah? Like we can forget you've done something to Tommy? Where is he?!" She hits the glass with the butt of the gun, wincing at the reverberation. "It was you, I know it! Just tell me where he is!"
"He's dead, Carol! Is that what you want to hear?" She starts to cry, and this isn't how it was supposed to go. How the fuck do I get out of this? "He killed himself. It was an overdose. I knew no one would believe me, so I… got rid of the body."
"No, no, Tommy was careful. He wouldn't overdose."
"But he did. Right here."
She looks at the floor of the cage and bursts into tears. Okay, maybe too far, but who will believe her? She's clearly gone insane. I mean, she pulled a gun on me! You would believe me, right, Steve? I know we've got our own problems right now, but you'd still understand which one of us should be in this cage right now. And it's not me.
"Carol," I say again in a softer voice, getting close to the door. "Hey, it was an accident. He came down to see the records and shit, I left him alone for like five minutes, and when I came back… it was too late. I'm sorry."
"What about the texts?"
"I don't know. This only happened last week. I should have called Steve or something. Tommy wasn't right in the head."
"Yeah, you should have called Steve. He makes it all better," She scoffs, and there's no way she knows. "Did you know they were sleeping together? God, and I never said anything? Tommy was under so much pressure from his parents, and I loved him. I could ignore it. But Steve gets himself a new freak ass boyfriend so he can ignore the fact Tommy had gone missing."
She's pacing, rubbing her temples and muttering incoherently. Tommy isn't the only crazy one, and she has me locked in the cage. Is this karma for Tommy? That bastard is actually going to get justice at the hands of his girlfriend, of all people.
My phone rings, and Carol is pointing the gun at me again. Like the bullet can get through the ballistic glass, she doesn't know that, though. Maybe if she fires it, the bullet will rebound on her? It's a risky idea, but the only one I have unless she leaves.
"Ignore it." Your name flashes on the screen before you're sent to voicemail. "Steve will be so pissed when he finds out what happened. In fact, I should probably tell him to come down here, and you can explain. If you're lucky, he won't kill you himself."
"Wait, Carol!"
Ignoring me, she pulls out her phone to call you. "Hey, Steve, you should come down to Eddie's shop. He has something to say to you. Better make it quick. He doesn't have long."
"Goddamnit, Carol!" I hit the glass, which admittedly was stupid because now my hand hurts. "Steve has nothing to do with this!"
"He has everything to do with this, you psycho!"
That's rich coming from the gun-wielding nut job.
"You killed Tommy because of Steve! You're obsessed with him! And now he's going to see you for who you really are, and then you're going to jail for a very, very long time. Steve will never want to speak to you again, do you understand?"
She's right. You'll hate me. None of it matters anymore, not 'B', not Carol, not any of it. If you don't love me, then it's pointless.
"Kill me," I say softly, and Carol stops pacing to look at me in confusion. "That's what you want, right? You want to avenge Tommy? So do it."
She laughs, cold and callous. "No. We're waiting for Steve. Don't worry. He'll be here soon."
It's a long wait. Hours pass, and I'm sitting against the door, watching the stairs and waiting for you to come down and end our love for good. Carol is still pacing, but her composure is slipping. She's still muttering and shaking, and honestly, it's getting scary. She's not well, and I'm at her mercy. If you don't get here soon, Steve, she will kill me.
Maybe that's for the best. At least then, I won't have to watch your love turn into hatred.
"Call him."
"Who?" I ask, looking up at her tiredly. Is this how Tommy felt, trapped and alone, waiting for death? At least he had the drugs so he could fly away from it all. He was probably happy at the end. His brain turned to goo. Mine, however, is working just fine, and everything is crystal clear.
"Steve. Call him and get him down here."
I do call you, but you don't answer. It's late, and you're probably at home wondering where I am, so why don't you answer? Or are you too busy with 'B' to think about me? It's almost enough to make me cry. "Voicemail."
"You know what, forget it. I'll just tell him what happened." I don't even get up when she unlocks the door. She points the gun at me again with a trembling hand. At least you still loved me when I died. It's enough, and I close my eyes, waiting for the end.
There's a sound like a crack, and then… nothing. I open my eyes.
Carol looks down at me with wide eyes, a trickle of blood running between them from the hole in her head before she falls forward. I barely have time to scramble out of the way as she crashes to the floor, dead.
A man steps into the cage, and another gun is pointed at me. "Don't move."
I'm too shocked to do anything other than nod.
The man cleans up the body with clinical efficiency, basically ignoring me. Was it some kind of sadistic joke? Once he was done with her, he would kill me?
But no, once he's finished wrapping up the body so it resembles a fucking carpet burrito, he makes a call. "It's done... Yes, he's here, in the cage... I'll let him know." He finally turns his attention to me, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Mr Harrington will be here shortly to deal with you."
And with that, he hefts Carol onto his shoulder and leaves the basement.
Your father. He knows, and now he's coming to 'deal with me' himself. I guess I should have taken your warning to heart about him not bothering to hide his distaste.
After what feels like a lifetime, the basement door opens again and floods the stairs with light. Every step sounds my doom. Louder and louder until he's in the basement and stepping into the light.
It's not your father.
It's you.
You looked at me with such a pained expression, and I know you can never forgive me for what I've done. It was all for you, Steve. Will you ever believe that? Will you give me a chance to explain?
How did you figure it out?
You approach the cage, kneel beside me and sigh. "We need to talk."