Chapter Sixty Four

Trinity

I sat there, cool as a cucumber, waiting for Chad to lift his gaze and respond.

“Trinity... I'm so—”

“Hahaha, you're what?” I interrupted, “Please don't tell me you're about to say you're sorry? Because that's hilarious.”

“I am though.”

“Sorry for what exactly? Sorry for what you've done? Or just sorry you got caught?”

“Trini—”

“You can call me Mrs. Gotti and you can speak when I say so.”

“Bu—”

“Shut up, Chad.”

“You see, you and I have big problems, Chad. First, you steal from my husband. Then you sit back and do nothing knowing Mike had every intention of killing me. But as if that wasn't enough for you, Chad, even after my husband gave you a second chance, what did you do? Oh, that's right, you went and stole from our friends. But you know what is my favorite part of this story? As if what you had done wasn't enough, you then set my husband up to be killed.”

“What, no, I swea—”

“SHUT UP, CHAD.”

“Did I say you could speak?”

“Even then my husband decided to give you a third chance and what happens? This so-called locker Chad has, with evidence he supposedly collected to save himself, has what in it exactly? Oh, that's right, it has a fucking bomb in it, that conveniently goes off the moment it is opened.”

“That wasn't me.”

I hit him across the face again with the handle of the knife.

“When will you learn? Even my children listen better than you do, Chad. You speak when I say so. So now I find myself in this position. What to do with you, Chad? What side of the fence are you really sitting on? So now I'm going to let you speak, Chad, but all you need to do is answer one simple question for me, do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think I should do with you right now?”

I watched him carefully as he thought about this for several minutes.

“You should just let them kill me.”

“Why do you deserve to be let off that easily?”

“You think death is easy?”

“After everything you've done, yes, I do think that's a pretty easy way out for you. So why do you deserve an easy out?”

“Either way I'm dead. If they can get to Stephen that easily, I'm as good as dead anyway. It's just a matter of time.”

“So instead of killing you myself, why wouldn't I just hand you off to them? It would be a nice little trade-off for me to get them off my back, wouldn't it?”

“You should. It's the least I deserve and it would help you.”

“Hahaha, you're hilarious! Help me out! Please! You think I'm naive enough to think Chad does anything to help others out. Everything you do is to help you, not me, not anyone else.”

“What else can I say? You're not going to believe me either way so do as you please now.”

“Awww, look at you, Chad. Trying to play the victim card now. That's cute, you know. And if it was my husband sat here, not me, it might have worked. But I'm a mother who has children try and pull that shit on me on the daily, so your little sympathy trip you have going on isn't going to wash with me.”

“You can believe what you want now but I know I am sorry and never meant for any of this to happen.”

“I'm sure you didn't. After all, you don't think of the repercussions of your actions and what it means to others. You only think about yourself, Chad, and what Chad can get out of something. You didn't think about me when you sat back in the knowledge that Mike was prepared to kill me. And you certainly didn't think about my children when you told my husband about a locker that was rigged to explode.”

“THAT WASN'T ME.”

“Oh, I know you didn't just yell at me, Chad! I know you aren't that stupid.”

“Aghhhh, what's it going to take for you to believe that wasn't me?”

“Hahaha, definitely not your word. We all know that isn't worth shit.”

“So what do you want?”

“What do I want? Hahaha, what do I want?”

“I want my life back that you stole from me! I want my husband and family back before you tried to rip us apart and made him a shell of the man he used to be. I want never to have met you, Chad. But wanting is pointless because it doesn't change anything. Everyone knows you go out and get what it is you need. You make it happen yourself. So that's why we are here, Chad, so I can make it happen myself.”

“And what does that mean? What are you going to make happen? It won't bring your husband back, it won't change what has happened.”

“Maybe not, but you know what? It will make me feel good. You've been selfish for so long putting your own needs ahead of everyone else who has supported you. So maybe it's my turn to be a selfish bitch, Chad, maybe it's my turn to do like you do - put myself first.”

“So here is what we are going to do, Chad. We've already established either way you're a dead man walking so you're coming back to America with me.”

“What!”

“Ut uh, don't speak back to me, Chad. You listen now.”

“You're coming back to America, Chad. And I'm going to give you a special parcel to deliver for me. See, you brought this mess into my life, so now you are disposable to me, I can do as I choose with you. And I choose to put you to work for me. You will come back, and you will work and do as I choose fit for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Fuck, Chad! You really don't get the concept of speaking when you're spoken to, do you? I really don't want to use this knife today but you're making it very difficult for me to control myself.”

“Sorry.”

“Haha, I bet you are. But I'm sure it's just feeling sorry for yourself, nothing more. So as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me again.”

“You will come back with me and you will work for me. I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder, and I don't want Detective Peters continually annoying me and upsetting my children so you're going to deliver him a little parcel for me. Actually no, a big parcel. You are going to give him what he wants, and give him enough to keep him out of my life.”

“He won't pay for that.”

Trinity - He doesn’t need to. Think of it as my gift for a peaceful life.

I observe him as he quietly digests my words.

Chad - What if I do this?

Trinity - Hahaha, you’re a regular comedian. There’s no ‘if’, Chad. You’re going to do this. And do you know why? Because from where I’m sitting, you don’t have the luxury to negotiate.

Chad - It doesn’t work that way. Why would I do it if there’s nothing in it for me?

Trinity - Do you know what’s in it for you if you don’t? A murder charge, Chad. That gun used to kill Mike could easily resurface. And wouldn’t it be intriguing if it just happened to turn up with your fingerprints on it?

Chad - You couldn’t. I never touched it.

Trinity - Are you certain about that, Chad? Remember our last visit, when you were unconscious for so long? Are you sure we didn’t place that gun in your hand while you were out cold?

I watch as shock registers on his face. He doesn’t know we don’t have it. But I don’t need him to know that, I just need him to believe we do.

Chad - Okay, and if I do it, you’ll let me go?

Trinity - No, Chad, haha. I’ll decide what to do with you when and if you deliver on this. But walking away free isn’t an option for you.

Chad - Well, I don’t really have a choice here, do I? I have to do it.

Trinity - Now you’re getting it, Chad. Look at you go.

Trinity - But there’s just one more thing I need to ask you before we wrap up here, Chad, and I arrange for us to return to America.

Chad - What’s that?

Trinity - Do you like ghosts, Chad?

Chad - Ghosts?

Trinity - Yes, Chad, ghosts. You see, I adore ghosts.

Chad - I don’t understand. What do ghosts have to do with this?

Trinity - I’m so glad you asked. Ghosts are my favorite.

I say as I back towards the door and open it.

Trinity - You see, I brought my very own ghost with me today.

And with that, Stephen steps into the room.

Stephen - Hi, Chad.