A Dagger Through Dimensions - Chapter 15

Get over it, you fool. You’re no hero!

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Chapter 15

“Please, hear me out, Mr. Dagger.” Sally leaned forward, tears still in the corners of those blue eyes.

“Early this year, Joe didn’t come home. I was worried and went looking for him. When I went to Rosetta’s, Antonio told me that Joe had left town, and he was staying with friends. I knew it was a lie, but the man started to...well, he became too friendly, and I called him a filthy rat before I slapped him.”

She composed herself, looking down at her hands.

“Then, that bastard told me I’d receive Joe’s ears in a box if I didn’t pay off his IOUs. I didn’t have a choice. He gave me two days, and I came up with enough cash for Joe to come home.”

“Didn’t you go to the police?” His tone of incredulity caused her to cock her head oddly.

“Are you crazy? Everybody knows Antonio pays off the cops to look the other way,” Sally insisted. “The only one who might take him on is the district attorney. What do you think he’d do to me if I went to the D.A. about this?”

Her stare insisted I was stupid to ask her such a question.

“Anyway, I paid the debt off,” she brought her hand up, pushing her hair back. “You see, I thought it would be the end. Obviously, that’s not what happened.”

“Listen, I feel bad about your life. It sounds like you need to put your husband into an institution and walk away,” I flatly told her as I pulled off my fedora and tossed it on the desk.

“After last night, you’ve got plenty of evidence.”

Her face paled at the comment. For a moment, she stumbled to compose herself.

“I don’t have time for that now. Two days ago, Joe went back to Antonio’s place even after he promised me he would never go there again.” Sally bit her lip, holding in her emotions. “The bottom line is my husband bet a large amount on the poker table again. Of course, he lost, and Antonio wants more money than I can come up with. I have copies of the notes that Joe tried to hide from me.”

She paused, stiffening in the chair.

“I’m a proud person, but not too proud to say that I’m scared.”

“I still don’t get what you want me to do.” My confusion brought a brief flare to her face.

“Do you want me to beg you? You’re famous in this town. I want you to go to this hoodlum. Talk to him and buy me some time,” she implored him. “I’m working on something to get us out of this fix. I’m hiring you to help get me a week. That’s all I’m asking.”

At that point, I know that my jaw nearly dropped to the desk. She wanted me to walk into a gangster’s place and ask for mercy on her behalf. Now, I have seen plenty of movies about gangsters. One showed me a couple waking up with the head of a horse in their bed. I’m betting that Antonio’s answer to her is likely to be a couple of bullets placed in my brain. Or, just as bad, I could end up wearing cement shoes at the bottom of a river.

“You just said they promised to give you Joe’s ears unless you paid up. Somehow, I don’t think you have enough money for me to take that risk.”

Now I’ll admit that I hated how it sounded like a coward talking. I watched her expression drop. Still, those blue eyes drew me in. Then she dropped her head. I took a deep breath and my mind screamed for me to throw her out of the office.

Get over it, you fool. You’re no hero!

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