by JJ Lamb
“You're sick, Faye.” Gina shook her head back and forth. “Very sick!”
Faye looked at Gina imploringly. “I can't help it if I need someone to love me. I deserve a life, too.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, so do those people in the hospital ... those poor souls who'll die without the cells you stole.”
“They got their marrow back ... almost all of them.”
“Almost? You mean Carl Chapman, don't you? What happened with him?”
Faye's eyes grew large and frightened.” He wouldn't pay!”
The pulse in Gina's temple pounded, her eye twitched erratically. She slammed the water glass down on the counter, shattering it—splinters of glass flew everywhere.
Gina clamped her eyes shut, shoved her hands into her pockets to bury their tremors. “What happened to Carl's marrow, Faye?” she demanded.
“I tried to stop Frankie. I told him as long as the man was still alive, he might change his mind and pay. I begged him—”
Gina stepped forward, her face only inches from Faye's. “What happened to the marrow?” she demanded.
“Go ahead, hit me!” Faye screamed. “Why not you, too!” She moaned and crumpled to the floor, covering her eyes, sobbing loudly.
“Tell me what he did with the marrow!” Gina stared down at her, wanting to stomp Faye like some noxious insect.
Faye's eyes opened, flitted like those of a trapped doe. “He dumped it ... washed it down the kitchen sink.” She rubbed at her cheek, wouldn't look directly at Gina. “I pleaded with him not to. Told him I should return it ... at least put it in the repository in the wrong slot or something ... help cover our tracks.”
“Are you telling me you simply watched while that maniac washed Carl Chapman's life down the drain?”
“Frankie would have hurt me ... hurt me badly if I'd tried to stop him. I was scared.”
“So, you not only allowed yourself to live with a murderer, you helped him.”
Gina started pacing in front of Faye. Suddenly, she was outside herself, hating what she saw herself doing. Was she any better than Frank Nellis, or her ex-husband if she could continue to intimidate Faye like this?
“I'm taking you to the police,” she announced. “Now! I can't even look at you anymore without feeling sick to my stomach.”
Faye brought her knees up to her chin, rested her head on them. “You can’t do that.”
“The hell I can’t!”
“No, you can’t! Frankie has Vinnie’s marrow ... he’ll destroy it.”
“What?” She stared at Faye, who wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“You miserable bitch! You miserable, lying bitch! You told me Vinnie Capello’s marrow was in the lab; made me think Vinnie was going to be all right.” She pounded her hips with the heels of her hands. “I wanted to believe you. How could I have been so stupid? I should have looked for myself. To hell with Vasquez... to hell with Bob Ghent!”
“It wouldn’t have done you any good,” Faye whispered. “I put phony packets in the repository. Frankie still has Vinnie’s cells.”
“You mean, the rest of his cells, don't you? He wasted one packet sending it to the Capellos.”
“But it was only one packet.”
“You don't hear yourself, do you; don't hear the despicable things you're saying.”
“Yes, I do. I do, I do! That's why I'm here ... I want Frankie and me out of this, once and for all.”
“Well, isn’t that great. What the hell finally woke you up?”
“Vinnie Capello,” Faye whispered. “He's so young ... just a boy.”
Chapter 32
Faye wept during the entire drive to her apartment, then, once they were parked, pleaded with Gina once again.
“Please don't get Frankie into trouble; he's all I have.”
“Fuck Frankie! All I want right now is Vinnie Capello's bone marrow.”
“Please, Gina, please!” She clutched at her arm. “Let me do it; let me get the marrow out of the apartment. I'll bring it out to you; then you can give us enough time to get away.” She tugged desperately at Gina's sweater, wringing it in her hands. “Can't you at least do that? Is that too much to ask?”
“Faye, listen! I told you, I'm going to the police ... as soon as the marrow is safely back in Ridgewood. That's it. Period!”
Faye wiped haphazardly at her face, dug in her purse for a tissue and blew her nose. “I'll go get it ... bring it out to you.”
“No, that’s not going to make it. I'm going in with you.”
“You can't. He hates you, Gina. He told me never to bring you around again. If he even sees you, he’ll destroy the marrow. You have to believe me!”
Gina shivered. Faye’s panic was infectious, seeping into nooks and crannies, bringing her own private hells to the surface. She needed to talk to Harry, had tried to call him from her apartment but there’d been no answer. Now, there was no way to reach him.
Gina cracked open the car door, looked across at Faye. The lab tech's face was wet and splotchy; the fading bruise around her eye added to her expression of fear and desperation.
As she continued to stare at Faye, her breath caught with an anguish that was loud and ragged to her own ears. She gripped the steering wheel to still her shaking hands. There’d been a similar time, when she’d sat outside her Bronx apartment, trying to work up the courage to tell Dominick that she was getting a divorce.
Two years! Two years and she still lived in fear of her ex-husband—Dominick the handsome, devil-may-care scamp, whom the act of marriage had turned into a brutal, fist-swinging adversary. She remembered his meaty fists, remembered how they had smashed into her face and any other part of her he could strike when life didn't click just right.
She fought with the moment, overrode the nearly irresistible temptation to touch her own face as she relived the pain. Instead, she chewed on a fingernail and swore under her breath at the lapse—she hadn’t bitten her nails since...
Maybe she should lie, just a little bit. Something to reassure Faye, give her hope; something to quiet her down, make her feel more secure.
No! Suddenly she could see what was happening: She was being sucked through an all-too-familiar trapdoor, falling down, down into Faye’s quagmire of helplessness, self-hatred, and pain.
Gina pushed away the debilitating memories, sat up taller. No lies! Faye had to face the truth. She would have to pay for her relationship with Frank Nellis, pay for her part in this whole mess.
“I can't trust you, Faye,” she said, pushing open the car door. “If I let you go in there by yourself, you won't come back, I know it. You'll run, both of you.”
“Gina, I could have done that in the first place. I didn’t; I came to you. I want to help Vinnie, too.”
“I'm still going in with you.”
“He’s already going to be suspicious, Gina ... you know, because ... because I’m so late ... angry, even.” She held out an imploring hand. “He’s going to know something’s wrong the second he sees you ... us.”
Gina refused to hear anymore, slid out of the car, trudged around to the passenger side, and opened Faye’s door.
“I'll wait outside your apartment in the hallway. He won't see me.”
Faye reluctantly exited the car, refused to lift her eyes as they went inside and waited for the elevator. Only when they were outside the apartment door did she lift her chin and look at Gina, then only to place a fingertip to her lips for silence.
Gina nodded and stood off to the side. She watched as Faye pulled a huge, jangling key ring from her purse.
Before Faye could insert the key, the door swung open and banged against the inside wall. Nellis filled the doorway, reached out and yanked Faye into the apartment.
Gina yelped, slapped a hand over her mouth. She started to edge farther away from the door, but Nellis lunged into the hallway, grabbed her around the neck, and tossed her into the apartment. She stumbled over Faye and sprawled across the floor.
“What the fuck are
you doing here?” Nellis roared as he slammed the door shut. Before she could answer, he kicked at Faye. “As for you, didn't I tell you to stay away from this bimbo nurse?”
Gina edged up on one elbow, still shaken. “You bastard!”
“Shut up,” he growled. “I haven't even begun to think about what to do about you.”
Frankie reached down, grabbed Faye’s arm, and yanked her upright. “Didn’t I tell you what would happen if you brought her here again?” He raised a hand threateningly; she cowered against him.
“Please, Frankie. Don't—”
He backhanded her hard enough to knock her off balance, caught her before she could fall, and pushed her up against the wall. “I warned you, and you didn’t listen, so this should come as no big surprise, you stupid bitch!”
Frankie held her in place with a hand against her chest, lifting each arm in turn. With exaggerated curiosity, he examined a hand, shook it, slammed it back against her body; repeated the sequence with the other hand.
“I don’t see them, Faye,” he said, as if talking to a school child. “I don't see those little packages you were supposed to bring me tonight.” He moved his hand up and pinched her cheek, twisted her head back and forth.
“Where are they, god dam it?”
“Leave ... her ... alone,” Gina stammered. She struggled to her feet, aware of an old familiar whine coloring her words.
Frankie ignored her. “I asked you a question, bitch! Answer me!” When Faye remained silent, he pounded at her stomach with both fists. She clutched at him to stay erect, but eventually slid to the floor, her hands raking down the length of his body.
“Frankie, I didn't do anything bad,” she cried.
“I don't believe you, you fucking whore. Where's the packages? And what did you tell her?”
“I couldn't ... didn't ... anything,” she gasped, huddling against his legs. She turned to look up at him; her face a mottled red and purple. “Please don't ... please don't hurt me anymore.”
“Stop it!” Gina screamed. She tried to stay on her feet, but Nellis kicked out sideways, knocked her back to the floor. “Don't you dare‒
A shoe caught her hard in the mouth.
“Leave her alone,” Faye yelled, pulling away from him.
“You son-of-a-bitch!” Gina shouted. She scrambled to her feet again, fists swinging. “Keep your god dam hands to yourself, asshole! All I want from you is the fucking bone marrow you stole.”
Fending her off with one arm, Frankie rubbed at a spot on his chin where her fist had connected. At the same time, he glared down at Faye.
“I didn't tell her anything, Frankie ... I didn't tell her ... she already knew—”
Nellis kicked Faye's face, once, twice, a third time. With each blow, she screamed; blood spurted in wide arcs from her nose, splattering on her arms, clothes, and the floor. He growled as he grabbed one of Gina's arms and dragged her down the hallway.
“Fucking women! Fucking women!”
Gina tried to dig her heels in, snag a doorway, but he pulled her along effortlessly. Flinging open a hallway closet, he grabbed her around the neck and shoved her head forward into the opening.
“You wanted the marrow, bitch! There it is! Take it out of the freezer!” When she didn't move, he yanked her up with a chokehold. “Do you know how easy it would be to break your skinny, chicken-neck? Now open the god dam door.”
Gasping, she opened the small refrigerator. Puffs of icy air surrounded her face. When the mist dissipated, she saw a pile of frozen marrow packets inside.
“If that's what you came for, bitch ... take it!”
She planted her feet, pushed at the doorway, trying to back out. He lifted her off the ground by her neck. Everything went dark, her mind drifted into blackness; then, as her feet touched the floor again, she floated back. She reached out, her hand a detached thing moving through thick molasses, trying to touch the nearest packet.
By allowing her to reach into the freezer, he’d loosened his grasp just enough to allow her to suck in a large gulp of air. When her head cleared, she knew he wasn't going to let her go. Vinnie! No! She couldn't allow Vinnie to become another Chapman.
“Let her go, Frankie,” Faye cried out hoarsely, crawling down the hallway toward them. “Just give her the marrow and let's get out of here. We'll take our money and hide.”
“Our money?” Scorn etched itself in every line of his face. “You know, you really are a stupid slut!” He held up a finger and waggled it at her. “Do you know that?”
He suddenly released Gina. She fell to the floor, still clutching one of the frozen marrow packets.
“You still don't get it, do you, you cow?”
“I ... I don't ... understand, Frankie,” Faye said, using the wall to inch herself up, one bloody handprint after another.
Nellis sauntered up to her, jabbed a rigid finger into her chest. “Of course you don't. You don't understand because you're nothing but a dumb cunt.” He grabbed her hair and yanked her up against him. “Isn't that so?”
“I ... don't ... what do you mean, Frankie?”
He rested a free hand on his hip. “What do you mean, Frankie?” he mimicked. “Look at you, you big fat tub of lard. Why would I take you anywhere?”
Tears flooded over Faye's face, rivulets in the dark mask of blood. “Frankie, that's not funny. You don't mean it.” Her voice rose to a high pitch as she threw her arms around his neck.
“Oh, I mean it all right. I'm not taking you anywhere, Faye.”
He shoved her with both hands, knocking her against the wall. She slid down onto the floor in a heap.
“Do you get it now!”
He stepped forward and began kicking at her face again. Her wails diminished to tiny whimpers when he stepped away; there was only silence.
Gina wanted to evaporate, will herself into nothingness. She stared at Faye, a motionless broken doll covered with tears and blood. She could barely breathe, the air was so heavy with Frankie's vileness, the reek of his animal excitement, the stink of his oily sweat.
She clung to Vinnie’s marrow, petrified. Nellis slowly shifted his focus from Faye back to her. She stared into his tar-black eyes, numb beyond comprehension; she finally curled into a tight ball, exposing as little of her body as possible to the fists she knew would soon hammer her.
No! Not again. Never again!
She straightened, slammed the freezer closed, and sprang to her feet. “You rotten son-of-a-bitch!” she screamed. “I don't know what sewer you crawled out of, but you're not going to get away with this. People at the hospital know where I am ... if I'm not back—”
“Take your clothes off!”
“What?”
“You heard me, take your god dam clothes off!”
“Fuck you!”
He reached down and grabbed Faye by the hair with one hand; with the other, he pulled a long, silver-and-black switchblade from his pocket, snapped the blade open, and rested the tip against Faye's jugular. A trickle of blood oozed from the sharp point, ran down her fleshy neck and flowed into the spattered gunk on her blouse.
“Now, take off your god dam clothes or I'll pig-stick her right now.”
Gina hesitated, then slipped out of her sweater, blouse, and white pants. “You'll pay for this, you—”
“Maybe, but not in this lifetime.”
“Listen, Nellis: You haven't actually killed anyone yet. Don't make this worse than it already is.”
He released Faye, allowing her to drop to the floor like a sack of flour. In two steps he was at Gina, clutching her arm. “Another stupid bimbo heard from.” He smirked until her skin crawled. “Lady, you don't know shit. How do you think that asshole Chapman got it?”
“Frankie....” Faye's voice carried down the hallway as a muffled, squished sound. “... you said there would be no ... killing ... promised me.”
“See what I mean about being dumb?” he said to Gina.
She tried to pull away, but her arm was clamped i
n his vice-like grip. She hit at him with the bag of frozen marrow, knocking the switchblade from his hand. He grabbed the bag, threw it behind them. He flung an arm around her neck, choking her as he dragged her into the bedroom.
She struggled to breathe, felt herself losing the moment, drifting from one thought to another.
Vinnie ... poor kid ... Nellis, Carl? Murder? Faye ... hurting ... dying ... Harry...
She pulled weakly at the arm crushing against her throat. “Let ... me go … you bastard.” She reached up over her head and yanked his hair, clawed at his face.
“Got me!” he laughed. “Now whatcha going to do, beat me to death one hair at a time?” He tossed her like a rag doll across the bed, a few of his black curly hairs caught between her fingers. Up and down, up and down, she bounced, forcing rushes of air back into her lungs. She stared at the ceiling, which had become a maze of swirling, flashing lights, then scrambled for the side of the bed.
Nellis met her there, holding a fist-full of leather belts. Before she could retreat, he grabbed one wrist and lashed it to the headboard; rolled across her and did the same with her other arm. She bucked up and down, kicking out at him, trying to keep her legs out of his reach. But within seconds they, too, were tied down.
“Let me go!” she screamed, twisting and turning, trying to free herself.
“Silly little weak things ... never can get it together ... just don't know how to mind ... keep a man happy.”
“Aren't you the tough stud, having to tie me down.”
“Don't try that smart-ass psych stuff on me, bitch. It won't work.”
“You didn't really kill Chapman, Nellis. Just more of your bullshit ... trying to show off. God, you're pathetic.” She tried to stare him down, but his eyes were unflinching, empty.
He turned his back on her, walked over to a chest of drawers. She struggled against the bindings, squeezed her eyes shut, imagined slipping her hands through the leather. When she opened her eyes again, he was standing over her. He held a syringe and a small bottle of murky fluid.
“I don't have to tell you anything, slut. But it was no fun doing that cheap bastard, Chapman. Fast asleep ... never knew I was even there.”
