“Really?” he murmured, looking at me like it was the best gift I could have ever given him. “Wow Norah, just wow. I am very happy to hear that.” Everyone was staring at me now, wondering what I had revealed. Tears rolled from Josh’s eyes. His breathing had become even shallower. He looked at me once more and said, “Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you called me Joshua? I know you would say it whenever you were mad or frustrated with me, but when you said it, you always had this tiny glint in your eye that was so magnetic and sweet. I love that glint so much. It was always for me. Just for me. It was mine. It was part of our magic Norah. It’s been there in your eyes since the first day we met.”
“I love you Joshua,” I choked out as I felt his grip on my hand slowly starting to go limp.
“Thank you for telling me Norah. I love you, and now I know, I’ll always be with you.” His hand was slipping from mine, and I shook him. “I’ll always be with you...” Those words barely came out of his mouth one last time. Then his eyes shut, and I felt nothing from his hand. No movement. No life. Nothing.
NOTHING.
“Nooooo!” I wailed as I pulled his blood soaked body onto mine. “Nooooo.” Samuel lifted the hand he was using to stop the blood from flowing out of his body and put it on my shoulder. “Nooooo,” I wept.
I held his body close to mine and planted soft kisses on his lifeless face. There was nothing I could do but hold him, and try not to think of a life I would never know. Josh was gone, taking a part of me with him.
I would never be the same again.
I helplessly watched as the boys pulled Norah from the car when we reached the crossroad. She wouldn’t let go of Josh’s bloody body. They had to pry her fingers from his chest as they forced her out. She held onto him as long as she could, screaming out that she loved him and needed him. I had to turn my face away to stop watching, crouching onto the ground into a ball to try and prevent myself from going to pieces. I just watched my best friend lose someone she loved. Someone she cherished and had known nearly all her life. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that pain was like for her and the images of horror inside her head.
How could this have happened? How did it all lead to this? Only a few days ago I was about to attend their wedding, and now Norah had lost one of the loves of her life. I started to use my hand to pound on the ground. The hurt I felt for this massive loss manifested into fistfuls of rage. Rage to hit anything in front of me.
I heard Norah scream Josh’s name again. My eyes flew open to where the boys were still trying to hold her back from running back to the car where Josh’s body lay. They were desperately trying to calm her down and soothe her hysterical state by holding her close to them. I realized I needed to use my strength for Norah. She needed every ounce of support we could manage so we could finish this. We needed to get her to safety from both these worlds, and all the evil that followed them. I would not allow Josh’s death to be for nothing, and from the looks on the guys’ faces, neither would they. I would mourn Josh later. We all would mourn for him.
I breathed, trying to stop the image of Josh dying in Norah’s arms from making me break down.
Pull it together Tess...for Norah.
Clint and Samuel held up Norah’s body with both of theirs, supporting her as she weakly shuffled towards the black car parked on the small road off to the side of the woods. Two men climbed out of the black car, stopping and staring at Norah in horror. “It’s not her blood,” I heard Samuel say to the men. Samuel left Norah’s body in Clint’s arms and then took both guys aside to where they were out of Norah’s earshot. His hands were flying around furiously. One guy pulled out a cell and started talking into it, and the other listened to Samuel intently as he spoke. The guy on the cell, pointed to the Mercedes where Josh’s body was now at rest. He spoke to Samuel, who nodded at him. He walked over to Clint, put his hand on Norah’s back, and then Clint handed him what looked like the car keys. The man whispered into Norah’s ear, and then climbed into the shot-up Mercedes where Josh was, and took off with the car.
I walked over to where Clint was holding a paint and blood covered Norah in his arms against his bare chest. “Where is he going with the car?” I asked Clint, who was gripping Norah so tight it looked like they were one person.
“They are going to take care of him.” It was all Clint said. I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. They would make sure that Josh got back to New York and that his body was properly looked after.
The man Samuel was talking with went back to the car he arrived in and got in, and Samuel came running over to where me, Clint and Norah were standing. Samuel rubbed Norah’s back, trying to get her staying focused on the task at hand. He must have known she was close to going into complete mental lockdown again. “Norah, we will get the Lappell for this. They will suffer and pay.”
“Sam’s right Norah. We will make sure of it.” Clint’s voice cracked, getting emotional, but I could tell he meant every word for her. They would both ensure her pain and loss would be met with violent retribution.
She broke free from Clint’s grip suddenly, and began sprinting off towards the woods. Samuel looked like he anticipated her reaction, and grabbed onto her before she could really take off. He pulled her into his arms, already knowing she was going to try and run. This was horrible to watch. Just horrendous and heartbreaking. I could only stare shocked at her sudden outburst. You could feel her pain as if it was radiating around her and you were caught in the spectrum.
“Shhh, it’s going to be okay. One day, months from now, you will be happy again. I swear to you Norah,” Samuel whispered into her ear. His head turned to look behind his back, where I was now standing next to Clint. “Help me get her into that car.” We both walked towards Norah. Clint’s arms went around her and very slowly they helped her over to the awaiting car. They opened up the door and sat her down so her legs were propped outside the door. Norah shook again, and then looked up at both Clint and Samuel liked she had regained some sort of momentary clarity. I ran up to her now, not wanting to miss a second of her being in a conscious mental state. I knelt down next to where she was sitting in the car. She was just looking at us, eyes bloodshot, face soaked in tears. She looked cold and broken, but eerily composed.
“I guess this is good-bye,” she whimpered, staring up to all our faces. Samuel and Clint took a step back suddenly. The moment to say good-bye had arrived, and no one was ready, especially me. Then she cracked. “I’m sorry, I can’t...” she said, crying again. The boys stepped forward, wanting to be her support. “I can’t say good-bye again — to all of you. I just said good-bye to Josh. How can I possibly...”
“Yes you can,” Samuel said kneeling down and locking onto her eyes. “You are a strong woman Norah. Stronger than any of us. You’ve always been more light than darkness. You can do this. You will do this for yourself and for Josh. We all believe in you.”
Her eyes snapped to Samuel and she leapt at him. She had some strength left and he had helped her bring it out and up to the surface. “I’m going to miss you Samuel, so much.” She cried harder. “Make sure he is buried next to his parents okay. Please promise me that he will be next to them. He will be able to rest there. Promise me. Please.”
Samuel kissed her forehead, closing his eyes tight. “I promise you Lenorah Simona Rossi.”
She released him, and then looked at Clint. He looked even worse than her. His face was a mess of emotion. She jumped at him now, and Clint’s whole body swallowed her into his arms, his hands cradling her neck. It wasn’t just a part of him. It was his mind, body and soul in her grasp. It looked like he was trying to say good-bye, but they couldn’t say the words. They just held each other, foreheads resting on one another, not saying anything. Nothing at all. Perhaps the emotion was clear enough to say what was needed. Maybe not saying good-bye was the only way they could do this. She pulled away, and Clint fell to his knees. I was shocked by his reaction. The sight of him broken, like she had died too. I
had no idea his love was that strong.
Norah stepped back from Clint. Her red eyes which had black circles all around them, looked at me now. Oh my God, how the fuck was I going to say good-bye to my best friend? I loved her so much. I tried to talk but no words could come out except some squeaky noise which sounded like ‘goo’. Then Norah did something I never expected her to do. She stepped forward and kissed me, very softly on the lips. I could even taste the salt from the tears that ran down into her mouth. It wasn’t sensual. It was just enough to convey a good-bye and be something special and unique for the two of us. It felt so fitting. It felt so right. I laughed, shocked and sad, and absolutely shattered all at once. Norah could always surprise me in the best kind of way. Impulsive, passionate, unexpected. An all-out intense individual who could floor you with one look, one word or one kiss. There was no one like this girl, who was an important piece of us all.
She turned then to get in the car, but then I remembered. The promise. The promise she made to Josh. She would hate herself and regret it forever if she didn’t do as she promised him. I couldn’t let her leave without doing what she told him she would do. I screamed out, my voice shaking. “But you promised Josh!”
She stilled, her body trembling at his name as she turned back around. Did she think I would forget? Had she really forgotten? She made Josh one final promise. I had to make sure she saw it through. As her best friend, I needed her to complete his final wish. I would not let her have anymore regrets in this forsaken life.
“You promised Josh you wouldn’t go alone. You promised him Norah. No more regrets. Now pick one of us. It’s what he wanted for you.” I saw more tears fall from her eyes as I said his name again, but she stood, now thinking about that promise she made to him in the car. She would keep her word, I was sure of it. Norah’s head swung to where Clint was kneeling on the ground, his eyes fixated on her. No words again. Nothing spoken between them. She suddenly lifted her hand towards Clint, and simultaneously he lifted his. I was holding my breath as I watched this unfold. She was choosing Clint to come with her. She was choosing Clint! He lifted his knee up so he could step forward to take her hand when she seemed to shake again, and then she held up her palm to stop him from moving. The pain and guilt on her face was clear. She couldn’t do it. But there was no mistaking what she was about to do and who she would next turn to if given a choice.
Why was she stalling on her promise right now? Why was she not following through?
She shook her head saying no, but I couldn’t let her go back on her word. It would haunt her forever. “Norah!” I yelled at her. “You promised him! You’ll regret it forever if you don’t keep your promise to him!”
She choked out a laugh and then lifted her eyes once more to look at us all. “That’s where you are wrong Tess,” she began. “I am keeping my promise to Josh. I promised him I wouldn’t be going alone...and...” She paused and then lightly touched her belly, holding her hands there in a maternal way. “I won’t be.” All our eyes swelled at the realization of what she just told us without actually telling us. Then Norah climbed into the car, turned and looked at us all one more time, and as quickly as she had once breathed into all our lives, she was gone. The car speeding off.
My eyes immediately went to Clint. I thought Clint would look a lot more defeated or emotional, but he only stared off after the car. He was deep in thought, probably trying to understand and process what had just happened. Norah had almost taken him with her but at the last second chose not to. Perhaps she didn’t want anyone going with her because she was forced to make a decision like that so soon after Josh’s death. Perhaps she didn’t think anyone could replace Josh or be ready to take on the big life change she was about to embark on. She had her reasons. Reasons we would never know, and somehow I felt better about that, because that way I could always believe that when the moment came, she did the right thing for herself and no one else.
Samuel came up and stood next to me, putting his arm around my shoulder. “You okay?” he asked. I glanced at Samuel and then to Clint and the car that was now a speck in the distance. I leaned in closer to Samuel. “I think the better question is — will Norah be okay?”
Six months later.
I had loved three times in my life,
Which is more than some,
And less than others.
But I had to make a choice,
And I chose me.
It was not a time for love,
But a time to stand on my own.
Because I could never move forward,
If I didn’t allow myself to grieve the love I lost in my past.
And somewhere along the way,
A miracle grew inside me.
My regret turned into acceptance,
My sadness into joy,
Death turning into life.
When I welcomed my son James,
I finally started to let go of the grief,
And the loss of Josh that blackened my soul.
James became my light,
My peace,
My happiness,
My all.
But sometimes I wonder,
When I lay in bed at night, still finding comfort in my music,
My son sleeping peacefully in the room beside me.
I wonder what my life would be like right here, right now,
If I had taken his hand.
The New York City Police Department is now appealing to the public for any knowledge regarding the murders of the three prominent business men killed in Manhattan six months ago. The city was shocked at the series of Wall Street murders that saw some of the most well-known and highly regarded local and international CEO’s, gruesomely killed in what is now being called the ‘Tycoon Three Killing Spree’.
Prominent local US financiers, Arthur Wickburn and Kyser Harkin, who met with international business mogul Hamilton Brooks, were last seen eating together at Stable’s Gentlemen’s Club on the Upper East Side on February 2nd 2013. They were seen by restaurant staff leaving the establishment together in a limousine soon after midnight.
Harkin’s maid, Geraldine Bates, reported that Mr. Harkin never returned to his Manhattan apartment that night or the days following. Similar reports also surfaced for Mr. Wickburn and Mr. Hamilton, whose families and colleagues also made statements that they had not been contacted after the February 2nd restaurant sighting.
In the weeks following their disappearance, remains of all three men were discovered in various undisclosed locations on the side of the Hudson River. They were identified through DNA results which confirmed that the dismembered body parts, were in fact the bodies of the three missing business tycoons.
The coroner’s reports, which were leaked to the media, also describe that the flesh of the men had been substantially burned and stabbed prior to the dismemberment, which depicts some of the gruesome horror the three men must have endured prior to their deaths.
Rumors that New York City crime bosses and their involvement have been circulating, however no one has been brought in for questioning and no charges have been laid.
Friends and family of the three men are now asking for anyone with information that can assist the police further with their investigation to please come forward.
The FBI has confirmed in a press conference today, they did in fact receive evidence from an anonymous source, which resulted in a mass number of domestic and international indictments. Various US politicians and high-profile Wall Street business men have been linked to an underground secret society named in the documents and files submitted to the FBI. They depict members involvement in an extensive number of crimes and criminal activity.
Charges that have been laid include insider trading, fraud, bribery, extortion and even sexual assault. Politicians named in the arrests include senator Gerald Humphrey of Washington, who has been accused of using legislative power for illicit private gain.
Wall Street CEO, Jeremy Holt of Wholewealth Insurance, and newly appointed C
EO Marcus Minkins of Errol Investments, are just a couple of high-profile businessmen connected with this secret society showing to be linked to the growing number of criminal charges. They have been removed from their current positions and have been brought in for questioning.
These arrests come hot on the heels of the police’s public plea for information relating to the February 2nd murders of business tycoons Arthur Wickburn, Kyser Harkin and Hamilton Brooks, which the media dubbed as the ‘Tycoon Three Killing Spree’. Documents have also surfaced stating the three men were key players in the society currently under investigation. The police now believe that their deaths are linked with their ties and the affiliates of this organization.
The FBI are now looking very closely at this underground society and are concentrating all their efforts into investigating their dealings and membership. The first of many court appearances for the men involved are set to commence next Thursday at Hiltonworth Courthouse, New York.
Another six months later.
It was his touch I felt first. The way his hand smoothed over my face, already knowing that I was awake and was keeping my eyes closed. He could sense it because he was a part of me. He poked at my face again, but this time there was playfulness in his movements. I opened my eyes to sparkly green ones resting on my pillow. An elated grin broke across his chubby little face. The warm tropical air blew in from a nearby window, moving the wisps of his chestnut colored hair across his forehead, which only made him giggle at me as my sleepy eyes adjusted to the sunlight.
“Well good morning James,” I said, leaning across and pecking his cheek. James, being six months old, rolled onto his back as I moved to sit up. Staring down at him, I held out my hand so he could reach up and grab it. His little arm extended out and gripped on tight. “Hmmm, up early I see.” He continued to play with my hand and my fingers, pulling at me like I was a toy. I gazed at him, lost in the innocent and curious look on his face. It was so easy to do. Getting swept up in the moment and staring at my son for hours on end. My son. Saying it and thinking it still didn’t feel real sometimes. On some days, the word felt foreign and unbelievable, but then on others, it felt natural, like it was my purpose and where I was supposed to be.
All The Pieces (Pieces of Lies 3) Page 21