by Don Potter
“That was his voicemail.”
“You called a dead man to leave him a message?”
“I was going to check his messages to see if anyone called.”
“That’s even too unbelievable for me to buy into. So start talking before I start knocking you around the way Vance did. Of course, you may like that kind of treatment.”
“You wish.”
George took off his belt and wrapped it around her wrist. He then grabbed a sash from the drapes and secured her ankles. Looking at her shapely legs caused him to realize how his burning desire to have the woman caused this chain of events to take place.
“I’ll scream.”
“Go right ahead. There’s no one in the building to hear you. When you’re tired of screaming, we’ll talk.” George turned on the radio and set the dial to a local news station thinking they will have a report about last night. He made a pot of coffee and listened. After an hour, it was apparent that there was no news involving him.
He went back to Pattie’s cell phone and looked at the other calls to and from her number. It showed that all of the calls in the last twenty-four hours involved just two numbers.
“Bet the numbers are Vance’s cell and his home phone.”
“What’s that prove?”
“Obviously the two of you are engaged in some kind of scam. Why you picked me is baffling and what you two are up to is a real mystery, but I expect to find out everything. So you can tell me now or tell me later, but either way you will tell me. Make it easy for both of us and tell me now.”
Her phone rang. George let it go to voicemail. Then he played it back for both of them to hear.
“So Vance is planning to come rescue you. All he’s waiting for is your call to tell him when. Would that be when I’m sleeping? Or do you have a better time to do me in?”
“It was never anything like that.” Pattie seemed ready to talk and he was prepared to let her.
“Really?”
“It all started when a man pulled me back from stepping into traffic without looking. I could have been killed. After the close call, he asked me if I wanted to have a cup of tea to calm down. He seemed to know a great deal about me even though we had never met before.”
“Sounds familiar,” George interjected.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing, I was just thinking out loud. Go on.”
“Well he knew a lot. Like Vance and I were in deep financial trouble and our world was about to fall apart.”
“I know about being overextended.”
“Worse than that. Vance gambled and did little else. I didn’t pay attention to our finances; he took care of everything. I like to look good and never want another woman to get more attention than me. Guess that goes back to my childhood.”
“So at least that part of your story is true?”
“Yes. Anyway, Vance started to eat too much and drink till he was drunk. I confronted him, but he flew into a rage whenever I did. Finally, when the creditors began to call, he told me what was going on. But we did not know how to stop spending. Actually we didn’t want to cut back, nor did we want others in the crowd we ran with to see we were not able to keep up with them.”
“Get back to this man you met. Did his name happen to be Lew?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Lucky guess.”
“Lew said he could help Vance and me get out of the jam we were in. All I had to do was come to a bar the next day and let you think your charm swept me off my feet.”
“What about the shooting?”
“That was simple. The bullets were blanks. And the street we were on was one chosen by Lew. We actually live across town.”
“The black-eye and the other bruises, were they real?”
“Oh yes. Vance seemed to enjoy doing it. That bothers me. But going beyond that, what does Lew have against you?”
“Haven’t figured that out yet. But I will. And when I do, you may be called upon to help me in some way or I’ll call the cops and tell them what you tried to do to me.” He needed to convince Pattie that by doing this she and Vance would avoid criminal charges, but he had no intention of bringing in the police.
“Sure. Whatever you say. Now will you free me up? This belt is killing my wrists.” There was no sincerity in her voice, only fear that might turn to resentment, even anger, once she was out of her current predicament.
“I need to shower and shave. Then we’ll talk about it. Just sit tight. I won’t take long.”
George finished an extremely hot shower and enjoyed the many massage heads that pulsated streams of soothing water onto his aching body. The massive bathroom was engulfed in steam when he stepped out of the glass enclosure to dry off. His peripheral vision caught the form of a person standing there.
“Refreshed, George?” Lew was leaning against the vanity holding an unlit cigar.
“Did she let you in?”
“Hardly. Don’t you have her bound and helpless?”
“I don’t ever want to talk with you again. You know what happened. You started it. And you could have stopped it. I’m leaving and going back to my old life.”
“What life?”
“Anything is better than having you talk me into doing things I don’t want to do.”
“Wasn’t it you who made the wishes? I simply helped make them come true. Right?””
“You led my down the path and I followed without putting up a fight. That won’t be happening anymore.”
“Of course. Do you want me to leave?”
“Not so fast. There are a few questions for you to answer.”
“As you wish. And what would these questions be?”
“I’ll get to them. But first I need to know what to do about the two people you got me involved with.”
“Pattie and Vance?”
“They’re the two.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I’d like to kill them.”
“That’s your wish?”
“No, and cut out this wish crap. This is serious. Are they planning to hurt me?”
“I can’t say. Why don’t you ask them?”
“I need to be prepared to defend myself if necessary.”
“And, you want my help?”
“Just in case. Are there any real bullets around?”
“Did you look in the very back of the safe?”
“No, but I’ll look when I check to see if all the money is there.”
“It’s there. Who could have taken it?”
“Whoever put it there to begin with.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“About as far as I can throw you.”
“After all I’ve done for you?”
“Do you think I ought to invite Vance over here?”
“Why do you want him here?”
“I need to find out what it will take to make the two of them go away. To be truthful, I’d like him to leave and her to stay.”
“Then why not invite him?”
George dressed. He opened the safe and rooted around until he found the ammunition clip. This one contained live bullets. A quick inventory of the money indicated nothing was missing.
“You know Lew, I could use about the same amount of cash that I have in the safe to negotiate a deal to get rid of Vance forever. Might need twice that if I hope to keep her for myself.”
“And that’s your wish?”
“Yeah. That’ll do it for now.” George went to the closet for a pair of shoes and discovered a valise on the floor. He immediately opened it. Inside was the same amount of money as was sitting in the safe.
“This is more like it. If you really made this happen, I want another suitcase with double the money I have here. Like the saying goes, might as well strike while the iron is hot.”
“Whatever you wish. Will this satisfy you?”
“Where can I find the new suitcase?”
“Have you looked under the bed?”
George bent down and retrieved a larger piece of luggage from under the bed. He opened it and was quickly satisfied that the money he asked for was there. Then he closed the suitcase and shoved it back into its hiding place.
“I’m starting to get the hang of this thing. A few more wishes and I’ll be an expert at it.”
“Anything else?”
“That’ll do for now. But don’t go away. I might need you again, soon.” George left and returned to the living room.
“You certainly took your time,” Pattie said. She looked even more uncomfortable than before.
“I want you to call your husband and have him come over for a little chat.” George picked up Pattie’s cell, pressed the most recent incoming number, and held the phone for her to talk.
“Hi, it’s me,” she said. “He wants you to come over for a talk.”
Pattie listened.
“No, I don’t know about what, but I’m sitting here with my arms and legs bound, so I’m not in a position to ask too many questions.”
She listened again.
“You know the building. It’s the new one everyone’s been talking about.”
Pause.
“How soon can you be here?”
Another pause.
“It’s the penthouse. Hurry.”
“Good,” George said and put the phone on the coffee table.
“Okay. He’ll be here in twenty minutes. I did what you asked. Let me loose.”
“Not so fast. We need to have our own conversation first.”
“I don’t know what we have to discuss. I told you everything.”
“Not quite.”
“Like what?”
“Like how do you feel about old Vance? Do you love him or is he just your partner in crime?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Let’s just say I’m curious,” George thought he was being clever, but she could see where his mind was going.
“Too many years together and too much recent stress left us together for convenience more than anything else. The fire went out, but we need to survive.”
“Ever think about leaving him?”
“Couldn’t if I wanted to.”
“Do you want to?”
“What are you getting at?”
“I find you very attractive. The kind of woman I always wished for. I could take care of you if you’re willing to give it a try.”
“We don’t know each other.”
“In time we will. What do you say?”
“I find you attractive too. But this is a big deal. Got to give it some thought. You should as well.” Pattie needed to stall for time. She and Vance were a couple and she had no intention of throwing that away to satisfy the needs of a nerdy-looking crazy man with a lot of money and a gun. Vance would protect her; she could depend on that.
“No problem, it’ll be another fifteen minutes or so before he gets here. I won’t need your answer until then.” George flashed the gun. “I got real bullets this time.”
Nothing was said until the buzzer rang. George pushed the button to let Vance in. Pattie knew the time had come.
“I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt him.” She realized concern for her husband was confirmed through her words. “After all, we can’t enjoy our new life together, if the police are after us,” she added trying to be as believable as possible.
“Well I can see we have some work to do in order to get you to come around. Maybe the best way to get what I want is to simply remove Vance from the equation.”
“You wouldn’t do that. You’re not that kind of person.” She looked at George as he rubbed the barrel of the gun against his cheek. “Are you?” she said fearing he had had become that kind of person.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in Vance,” George said and walked behind the couch positioning Pattie in a line between the front door and him.
“What’s going on here?” Vance asked.
“Shut the door and sit in the chair over there,” George motioned with the gun in his hand.
“You won’t get away with this,” Vance said.
“But you two thought I was the fool who would buy into last night’s little charade and you’d end up with enough money to get out of town so you could start your scam all over again.” George walked to the chair and patted Vance down from behind holding the gun in a position to fire through the chair where the man was seated.
“You got it all wrong.”
“No you did.” George’s retort was angry. “But I’m not a vengeful man. So I’m going to give you an opportunity to get some of what you want while I get all of what I want.” He walked back to the couch and stood to the side of Pattie.
“Go on.”
“Your lovely wife is nothing but a trained dog to you. She has been brainwashed to believe she can’t make a decision on her own or even exist without you. So I’m going to help Pattie forget Vance by buying her from you.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Pattie cried.
“How much are we talking about?”
“Plenty.”
“What’s plenty?”
“Vance, you’re not really going to do this?” Her question was more a plea.
“Be quiet. I want to hear what he thinks you’re worth. It might come in handy down the road.”
“This isn’t happening. Stop this craziness.” Her voice was shrill and she began to squirm until George put a firm hand on her shoulder.
“Back to the question of how much? Just what did you think the take would be from last night’s caper?”
“Can’t say for sure. But I figured on fifteen, twenty thousand. Maybe more.”
“Come on Vance. Ya gotta think big if you expect to amount to anything.” George was really enjoying himself to the point that he had forgotten who he was and how he had come by his new-found riches.
“Fifty?” Vance’s reply was weak.
“Good guess or is that what Lew told you?”
“Who’s Lew?”
“Oh, maybe your darling wife didn’t mention her dealings with him? It doesn’t matter anyway. Pattie will be with me and you’ll be gone.”
“You can’t buy Pattie for fifty thousand dollars.”
“So you willing to sell her if the price is right?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You better not.” Pattie screamed.
“What about twice that amount?”
“A hundred thousand dollars?”
“That’s it.”
“Well...”
“Don’t I have a say in this?” Pattie was livid.
“Nope,” Vance replied.
“Ain’t true love grand? Well you can both walk out of here; without the money, of course, and in hand cuffs when I call the police. Or, I don’t call the cops and you leave with, let’s make it, two hundred thousand in cash, and Pattie stays with me. It’s your choice, Vance.”
“Sorry, Pattie,” Vance said without hesitation. “I’m not getting any younger. With that money, I could begin a new life, in a new town and find a new woman.”
“I’m not hearing this,” Pattie said as she dropped her head and wept.
“Where’s the money?”
“Come with me.” They walked into the bedroom with George steering Vance by moving the gun stuck in the man’s back. “There’s a suitcase under the bed. Pull it out and look inside.”
“Wow. I never saw this much cash at one time.”
“Do you want to count it?” George asked sarcastically.
“Yeah, just to be sure.”
The sound of a sliding door being opened came from the living room. Both mean seemed to realize what was happening. They rushed in as Pattie flung herself over the balcony.
“Look what you did,” Vance said as he peered over the railing at his wife’s body twenty stories below.
“No, it’s what you did by treating her the way you did and being willing to sell her.”
�
�What are we going to do?”
“We? Who said anything about ‘we?’ I have no further use for you and there’s no reason for me to give you my money.”
“Are you going to call the cops?”
“No, I’m going to call the coroner.” George fired three shots into Vance’s torso. Just like the night before only this time with live ammunition. The man shook from the impact as the bullets hit his body before he fell to the floor of the balcony.
George walked inside to discover Lew, sitting on the couch with the suitcase next to him and riffling through the stacks of money.
“I’m counting it to be sure your friend Vance didn’t pocket any of it,” he said with a curious smile on his face. “Guess your plan didn’t work out so well?”
“What am I going to do?”
“You told me not to leave. Why don’t you pour us a drink and we can talk it over?”
“Can you do it? I’m too shaky.”
“Certainly, George. Is that what you want?”
“This whole thing looks pretty bad.”
“Two bodies. One bound, one unarmed and you with the gun. How can you say that looks bad?” Lew forced a smile.
“You got me into this and I need you to get me out of it.”
“I did not cause this. Were they not your wishes?”
“But you made them happen.”
“You admit to that now?”
“Yes. Somehow you have the power.”
“Okay. That’s settled. Are you willing to do anything I ask in order to make the problem, or should I say problems, go away?”
“Make it all go away. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“For eternity?”
“Yeah, for eternity. Now let’s get moving before someone finds her body and sends the police up here only to find him too.”
“Since that is your wish, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s all taken care of. Would you like to see for yourself?”
George rushed into the living room and through the balcony door.
“Where’s Vance? There’s no blood.” He stretched over the balcony and looked down. “She’s gone too. This is a miracle.”
“I won’t call it that. But it is amazing, don’t you think?”
“Let’s have another drink to celebrate.” George poured one for himself and sat down in the chair across from the couch, the place where Vance had been sitting just minutes before.