A Dagger Through Dimensions - Chapter 19
“You’re going to see how weak and stupid I’ve been. It’s not pretty, and I hope you don’t change your mind.”
Gordon Brewer - Author/Creator
Tears fell onto Sally’s clasped hands. Remembering her last response, I patted her on the shoulder lightly. I’m not good at dealing with emotions anyway, and Sally appeared crushed by the weight of everything hitting her.
“Well, I just came up with the idea late last night,” I explained. “As I thought a lot about the situation, my only solution was to pay off this guy so he’ll go away. But I’ve got stipulations on the money, so things don’t end up this way again. That’s why I drove up here to see if you are interested in this idea.”
Sally’s head fell on my shoulder for a moment, then she used the tissue to wipe her eyes again. After taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and looked at me.
“Now, what do you require me to do for this money?” she asked in a tone laced with venom.
I felt anger rising inside. Now, I’m not expecting a hero’s welcome from Sally. Still, her brutal response to my offer took me back. After taking a breath, I tried to keep my tone neutral as I laid out my conditions.
“Well, the first thing is you have to put Joe in a place that can stop his drinking. Otherwise, you know he’ll be back at the gaming tables. The second requirement is to keep him miles away from Antonio. Given what you’ve told me so far, I can’t imagine that bastard is happy only with money. My guess is he’s trying to break you by using Joe as your weak point.”
Sally’s eyes widened, and she sprang to her feet. The woman shook her head, mumbling to herself as she walked across the room.
“Are you saying that you decided Antonio was coming after me?” She remained facing away from me as she asked.
“You understood his plan just from our conversation yesterday in your office.”
With a scowl, I shrugged.
“Yeah, as I thought about it, I couldn’t make sense of it. But I’ve seen enough TV...” I paused, then restarted. “I mean, gangsters in movies are always looking for opportunity. Antonio let Joe back into his place for a reason.”
I pulled off my fedora and leaned back.
“No offense, but your husband is an alcoholic who’s going to drag you into the pit with him. Plus, I’m sure that gambling houses aren’t likely to keep a guy like your husband coming back unless they can profit from it. That’s why I’m guessing that Antonio listened to Joe ramble on about his life. He must have set him up with free drinks. Antonio is playing a long game, knowing he can get everything you have at some point using Joe’s addition. Also, you slapped a hoodlum in public. I can’t imagine that he’d take that lying down. Bastards like that want payback, and they’ll stomp on anyone like they’re ants.”
Sally turned around. Her stunned expression made me curious. As I watched, her expression turned bitter. Still, she hesitated before opening her mouth.
“How could you... You can’t possibly know...” The woman’s voice quivered. Then, she shot me a glare.
“Wait, it’s because you think like him, don’t you?”
Offended at the thought, I stared at her for a moment.
“Seriously? I’m not expecting thank you—but,” I replied with a shake of my head. “Ok, if I’m like him, then why did I come over here to help? I’ve been honest about this whole damn thing.”
She heard the obvious frustration in my voice, and her shoulders slumped. I noticed the torment on her face from where I sat. Her expression struck me, and I told myself I must be wrong but my gut tightened.
“Alright, I’m missing something here. Tell me what happened since we last spoke. Is Joe with Antonio? My bet is they’re probably putting the pressure on you as well.”
Sally sat next to me but stayed silent. Finally, she picked up the check again.
“Do you really mean that you’ll loan me this money?”
Why is she avoiding my question?
“Well, I didn’t write it out as a joke. The only other requirement is that I get a part of your company. I’ll let you decide how much.”
That news baffled her.
“You don’t want control of the company?” Her shocked response forced a grin from me.
“Hell no, I don’t want to work,” I chuckled at the idea. “Now, I’m assuming you’re profitable, but I just need the cover. I’ll have repercussions waiting for me at my home since I wrote such a large amount. In reality, this is my wife’s fortune. Despite the rumors you hear, I don’t actually want her money.
A grim expression came to her face. Sally pondered the offer, staying quiet. However, she looked ready to explode. After taking a deep breath, she looked up at the ceiling, almost as if she said a silent prayer.
“Then, I’ll tell you everything, Lane Dagger,” the woman told me in a detached voice. “You’re going to see how weak and stupid I’ve been. It’s not pretty, and I hope you don’t change your mind.”
