by JN Lenz
There was a funeral service at two pm on Saturday so trying to make it down to the city after the funeral was over before five when Vito left for the night would be impossible. Instead I decided to plan for a mid-morning drive down to the city on Sunday morning, I would mention to Clyde after the services on Saturday that I was planning on driving to the city on Sunday afternoon and making our final payment to Vito. There would be no point in leaving for the city early on Sunday, Fred had informed me that since Vito attended Mass every Sunday morning and would not be at the bar before noon. “If you go Sunday you need to be back by six or so I want to go by the Nursing Home at seven on the nose, perfect time for a coffee and muffin with your favorite old person helper girl. My number six is waiting.”
Clyde answered; he talked as casual as if he was just trying to get me a date, meanwhile his entire plan for the visit was based on the premise of another murder.
That someone’s death (I had not even bothered asking Clyde who he had planned the next victim to be) would result in our visit scarcely hindered me from participating in the mid-evening Nursing Home visit, I knew this was a chance to possibly see Lilly again. As hard to believe as it was, I had been so busy I never did get a chance to call her after that first encounter at the front desk of the Nursing Home.
I had sensed or hoped she was also interested in me that night but I had yet to follow up on the hunch. That’s how focused both Clyde and I had become to make our first business succeed, and avoid mistakes that could result in us ending up in prison.
Hard to believe that beautiful ray of sunshine was only a phone call away, a stand out in a small town that I had found, yet somehow I could not even find the opportunity to call her.
Something must have changed in me along the way if I could not find the opportunity to call Lilly. She was stunning, I had been thinking about her nonstop since that night.
The Sunday three weeks ago that would change my life in so many ways.
It was a night of many firsts, my first encounter with Lilly, Clyde and my first encounter with murder.
Once again here was Clyde presenting murder to me like a gift, it was only during these first six murders that Clyde would involve me in any of his murders. Somehow I managed to keep myself from removing another file box from the cabinet., continuing in succession I forced myself to read the files numbered one to six first, these files which contained the details of the seven murders Clyde had committed with my knowledge and even my help.
Although I had yet to read any of the other dozens of other files in the cabinet which were all catalogued in the same fashion as the six murder files I was reading meant they all must be murders as well, I was sure of it before opening any of them. So here I was ready to read the last of Clyde’s original plan of six murders to save Fred’s fingers and save our newly acquired business, although the number six had in fact become number seven after the unexpected double killing at the Elderson home.
In a repeat of our initial murder Clyde would call on my services in distracting the female staff up at the front desk of the Nursing Home, once again my part in being an accomplice in a murder was to hang around a hot sweet heart and try your best to get a date while Clyde coolly slides out back to whack some old bitch down the hall.” Yaa” I answered quickly as the image of Lilly popped into my head.
”I can do that; I will just head down to see Vito a little earlier than I had planned. I can’t show up until after one pm though, the hypocritical fuck attends Catholic Mass like a fucking saint every Sunday. Fred said not to even try getting him on a Sunday before 1pm and not after four pm for sure, I guess nine and a half fingers Fred would know best.” I began to laugh as I talked to Clyde, suddenly unable to contain my happiness with the thought of seeing Lilly again, which had put a smile on my face I could not erase.
“What the fuck is with you? You look like a little school girly with new titties. Is it the thought of fornicating with the lovely little Lilly, has that got you all giddy you raging fag?” Clyde responded in some bad impersonation which he was always terrible at, guess it was hard for him not to see my permanent grin.
“No I’m not and yes I will be searching out the very fine Lilly all the while keeping all the other ladies occupied and out of your hair. Like a virtual carbon copy of number one, I can do that. I’m all over it brother” now I was talking like a fucking idiot, this girl really was having an effect on me.
The traffic that Sunday afternoon on the roads down to Toronto from Largo would be sparse, I decided not to leave Largo that Sunday afternoon until around noon. There would be no point getting down to the city early and before Vito arrived at the bar which Fred said would be around one in the afternoon, the pack of traffic put me at the front door of the run down pool hall and bar at one thirty six by the clock in the Cadillac. I had decided to take the Cadillac down to Toronto instead of the service van I usually used when just running errands.
The place looked even more run down than I remembered from my first visit to see Vito, back when I would guarantee Vito of my return to pay Fred’s entire debt in six weeks. Here I am just three weeks later enough cash to permanently forget about this scumbag and erase him from our lives for good. When I had counted the money back in the funeral home office before placing it in the envelope to give to Vito I placed another two thousand in my coat pocket incase his accrued and compounded interest figures varied from mine.
Opening the front bar door would reveal the same poorly lit and rough interior of the worn out pool hall, the dome lights of the pool tables illuminating the smoke from the cigarette smoke which hung in the air even though the bar could not have had more than ten customers at the time.
This time around I knew where I was going and would not bother walking over to the bar tender but instead I headed directly for the back of the bar and the metal rood with the small covered window. Giving the door a quick double tap with the knuckles of my right hand I would wait for a good twenty seconds before the sound of the latch behind the small door at eye height would open inward.
The same big face that had greeted me during that first visit now filled the window once more, after a brief snort of air from the large man’s nose he shut the small viewing window and unlatched the steel door. Pulling the door inward the doorman would keep the steel door between himself and me as I walked through the doorway before closing it rather quickly behind me enough to make me think they were trying to unsettle me, a bit of intimidation to set the mood. Vito sat hunched over several piles of money and a pair of ledgers directly in front of him, an adding machine, a lamp and two phones would be all that sat on his desk that day.
“Aren’t you a few weeks early, what you got something for me?”
The deep voice of Vito calmly asked me after the door slammed shut behind me, his head still buried in the ledger as his right hand danced away on the adding machine as the thin tape register spit out the top on the unit. The voice inside my head wanted to pull some Al Pacino act in Scarface
“Yaa I got something for you”
I would want to yell before telling him to
“Say hello to my little friend”.
But I was no killer and blood and guts made me queasy so I’d stick to the money instead
“Yes I am happy to announce that we have gathered the needed funds to erase Fred Shackles debts in full, my calculations on today are total including all compounded interest costs bring us to forty six thousand dollars I believe, sound correct?”
I replied in a bland expressionless voice, I was not about to let this shit bag get the better of me.
“Let’s just have a look here”
Vito replied as he began to flip through the ledger to his left, at the same time I began to pull the envelope which contained the forty six thousand dollars out of my jacket pocket as I watched as his right hand again begin to move rapidly across the keypad before announcing “ looks here like you owe me a bit more than the forty six thousand but it’s not much so hand over the
forty six and Fred is clear, never thought I’d see another cent of that dead beats cash after I heard he lost that damn funeral home, what an idiot.
So you the guy that won that business from him?” Vito had now raised his head from the ledgers to finally face me as he talked “well I’m one of them” I replied as I handed the envelope across the desk and into his outstretched hand, guess news travels fast in gambling circles. The fact Clyde and I had won the Shackles Funeral Home during a Poker Game was never something any of us repeated to anyone, around Largo the residents believed Fred had decided to sell the business to Clyde and I .
Ultimately anyone that knew Fred realized the sale of the Funeral Home was somehow connected to his gambling addiction be it directly or indirectly. After removing the bills and counting them quickly Vito gave me the nod before announcing “it’s good” after which I turned and began walking out offering.
“Wish I could say was a pleasure and I won’t be seeing you soon” as I walked back towards the steel door with the little peek through window.” But your good friend Fred may be seeing me” Vito taunted me as I tried to make my mistake but I remained calm.
“Then you would be a fool to loan such a man money that had no hope of repaying it, Fred had no association with the business any longer this is the end of our business relationship, good day.” I replied in what I believe was my first truly smug and completely conceited reply I had ever given anyone as I looked to the doorman in my best“ get the fucking door now” look which appeared to work as the large man rapidly made his way to the door.
Having pulled the door open just ahead of me, Vito would not say another word before I heard the door close behind me. I would not turn back to look at Vito or the inside of that run down old Pool Hall that day instead I walked straight out the front door of the bar and never looked back. The drive back to largo that afternoon was like no other I had experienced before, that final payment to Vito had somehow made me feel freer and happier than I had ever been. That and the thought of hopefully meeting up with Lilly tonight as well, the money was staring to come in faster than it was going out for once, life was good.
There would be plenty of time for diner and for me to explain to Clyde what had happened in the city that day after I arrived back from Toronto, I had thought better than to open a bottle of wine (in celebration of the debt payment to Vito) for dinner that night, both of us needed to be on ours toes tonight, the celebratory wine could wait. Our second drive to the Arbor Nursing Home with the intent of murder on ad least one of our minds transpired much like the first time we made this trip with the same murderous intention.
My mind wandered from Lilly to the thought of putting gambling debt finally to bed and save Fred’s remaining nine and a half fingers from being de-digitized one finger at a time. At last his myriad of debts would be paid, we could push forward with our path to the riches. Clyde and I both had our own plans for what we wanted form the future but they seemed to align with each other even though they were certainly distinct visions of where each of us wanted to be. I guess we both knew the limits we placed against achieving that goal would hold no boundaries. One thing we both knew for certain was a future without money looked bleak and miserable and like the old lady always said “misery loves company”. We were to dispense the misery and we would have plenty of company.
Clyde and I sat in silence as the Cadillac floated around the small town streets of Largo leading its way towards the Arbor Nursing Home just as it had led us there on that first night of murder. The headlights of the big Cadillac sent long shadows against the mature maples that lined the side streets of Largo; the beams could not escape the tunnel of leaves that encompassed its rays.
I stopped the car in front of the same local coffee shop we had visited less than three weeks prior for the same half dozen coffees but opted for a dozen donuts instead of the half dozen muffins I had bought for the last visit. Hopefully it would be enough to keep the ladies engaged while Clyde once again played the grim reaper along the halls of the Arbor Nursing Home. As I pulled the car close to the front entrance of the Nursing Home I noticed the same worker sitting at the desk that had been there on our first evening visit. My thoughts raced with the potential for Sally to be working the same shift with the same people, she is going to be there tonight I was sure of it.
“I’ll get the door “I called to Clyde as he disappeared around to the rear of the van to remove the floral arrangements to be brought into the Nursing Home. Holding the tray of coffee’s with the box of muffins balancing on the top of the cups, I reached over to the key pad and entered the four digit number that was listed directly above the key pad. Even in their diminished mental state I was always surprised that none of the residents would have the clarity to read the four digit code which most Nursing Homes posted directly above the touch pad which released the electronic locks securing the outside entry doors. Hearing the electric motor pop the lock open I pushed open the door securing the door with my foot once again had a free hand to remove the muffin box from its precarious perch. With the door secured open I gestured to the two ladies sitting at the front desk by raising the tray of coffee slightly higher.
“Would you ladies have time to stop for a coffee and a muffin” I called to them as Clyde entered the open doorway carrying two large and one small floral arrangement. Just as he had done weeks ago Clyde walked to the front desk and placed the smallest of the three arrangements on the counter in front of the two female attendants.
“Maybe this will brighten the place up a smiling Clyde stated as he headed off down the hall” I’m just going to place these other arrangements down in the common room and maybe one on a hall table” Clyde stated as he continued to walk down the hall soon disappearing around a corner.
“Good evening ladies here you go, there are sugars and cream in the little bag and there are a variety of muffins here as well hopefully you can find one that you like. Is Sally or any of the other ladies working tonight, why not call them down to join you? ” I pushed the box of muffins closer to the pair of them as I talked.” Well aren’t the two of you just the sweetest gentleman, never see our husbands doing anything nice like this would you Joyce? The older women stated as she turned to hear the “ oh no never “ from the smaller younger ward clerk who was sitting further back along the U shaped desk and counter.
“So you are hoping that Lilly is working are you” carried on the older and apparently more talkative of the pair and looking for some instant gossip to pass the time of another midnight shift. “I believe she is out back somewhere, I will just call back and find out right now.” The talkative ward clerk continued to talk to me as she dialed the extension and waited for a reply from the other end, she transitioned seamlessly from her conversation with me to the
“Hello Lilly I have a young man here at my desk that would like to buy you a coffee.” The older clerk waited for the response before continuing” Oh just come down for a coffee and a muffin, from let the other girls know too.”
“She was asking who had brought us the treats” the clerk continued to me as she hung up the receiver. “Sally knows exactly who it is I’ll bet, you know you’ve left a lasting impression on that young lady, she has been talking about you nonstop since your last visit. Why don’t you just ask her out for super” the talkative ward clerk continued it turns out she was also a match maker in addition to being a real conversationalist.
“Or are you gay, which is OK too but the two of you fellas don’t really fit the profile” she continued as I quickly interrupted her with
“No I’m not gay”
My response coincided precisely with the arrival of Lilly from behind the near wall which was adjacent to the front desk. Our eyes came together at that instant as I turned slightly her wide smile greeting me with a warm
“Why hello there, a girl could get used to being spoiled like this. I’m afraid you’re going to get us girls too used to this or fat! Right Betty” Lilly continued to smile as she spoke
“I’m already fat, so I’ll take the spoiling just fine” added Betty, soon I would know all their names.
“It is my pleasure ladies” I replied as I continued to look directly at Lilly, man alive she was a sight even in that bland polyester uniform.
“Since you are in the giving mood maybe I could ask you for one more favor while you are here” Lilly’s inquiry prevented the awkwardness that may have developed from my continued staring directly at her.
“Sure, name it”
“I need a box from the top shelf of the storage room I’m a little more vertically challenged than you are any chance you could grab it for me” Lilly added. Yaa I thought I can follow you to a storage room provided it’s not across the hall from the room that my buddy is visiting.
“Then follow me” Lilly replied as she grabbed one of the coffees and thankfully led me past the front desk and behind the attached wall off in the opposite direction as Clyde who had already disappeared around the same hallway, stalking the very same passageways that he had traversed only three weeks earlier with the same intent.
Carrying the flower arrangement in one hand and a tea in the other hand which Clyde had purchased at the same favorite local coffee shop in which we had purchased the donuts and coffee’s I would use to distract the female staff of the Nursing Home. The tea had been laced with a tasteless fast acting poison he had sourced from somewhere, Clyde would not tell me at the time what the poison was or where he had acquired it. The details of the poison he would use missing even here in his files, Clyde had hoped to convince the old lady to accept the tea, since it was only shortly after eight the old girl would still be awake.
The pre arrangement files Fred had compiled on Mrs. Worthington (the current object of Clyde’s attention) was very detailed and included the room number at the Nursing Home in which she had been residing for the past ten years. The room was only a short distance down that second hall Clyde had turned onto, before turning to enter the room of Mrs. Worthington Clyde noticed the door on the room directly across the hall from where he was entering was closed. So far so good thought Clyde as he entered past the open door and into Mrs. Worthington’s room, she was a diminutive little lady who was currently sitting in a high wing back floral patterned chair in the far corner of the room staring at a small TV which sat on a small end table also on the opposite side of the room.