“Oh, so now you’re going to tell us a ghost story? Louis, you got what you came for. Let’s go.” I was feeling anxious to be out of this house and back on the road
“Actually, I haven’t gotten everything for which I…we came, Thomas. I am trying to explain. Please let me talk to Joseph for a few more minutes and then you and I need to discuss some things.”
Instantly, Joey stood in front of Stoaffer. “I dunno what we got to talk about, Lou. I mean, you said you wanted this chick dead so I’m ready to do it. Alla sudden I’m not good enough for you.”
Joey sounded like some kid whining about going to bed early, but Stoaffer’s reaction was what truly surprised me.
“Joseph, please don’t ever for a second think you are not good enough for me. I am confident in your ability to do this task.” I expected to see Stoaffer’s face blossom into a smile and hear the sound of his laughter, but he just continued in his sincere-sounding voice. “My insistence upon Thomas doing this rather than you is not a reflection of my trust in you. I said before we must have trust in one another. An essential part of establishing, building, and maintaining trust is showing a willingness to put yourself on equal footing with the other participants in your relationship of trust.”
A sound which combined a snicker and a giggle escaped from Joey. He looked over at Theresa who now sat motionless hunched over on the edge of the couch with her face in her hands. “I hafta say yer Uncle Lou sure woulda made an excellent talk show guy. Like one of those afternoon shows housewives watch in the afternoon when their husbands are out bangin’ their secr’taries.”
Theresa raised her face to show red, teary eyes and a look of scorn.
“Well, perhaps in another life,” Louis replied with a smile. “However, in this life, there are pressing matters to which we must attend, and no more time to deal in broad generalities. Let me ask you some specific questions, Joseph. First, how long have you and Thomas been friends?”
“Shit, I don’t know … as long as I can remember.”
“That’s wonderful. Thanks for your honest answer, Joseph. It must be marvelous to be friends for so long. I bet the two of you have lots of terrific memories.” Joey responded with a knowing smile as Louis continued, “Now think back on all the time the two of you have spent together, those good times and those … those not so good times.” Stoaffer’s voice was calm and soothing not unlike the voice one of those hypnotherapists. “Get a good picture in your mind of some of those times the two of you spent together.”
Joey’s smile and faraway expression made it obvious he was picturing past experiences.
“Now in those times spent with Thomas, I want you to remember the times when you did things other people might think are wrong. Those things like stealing cars, burglarizing houses, and hurting people.”
Joey still had the faraway expression, but his smile grew bigger.
“Let’s focus on the violence,” Louis said and the whole conversation sounded more and more like one of those psych interviews I had. “Think back on those times when you and Thomas were together and people got hurt. The time the boy in the juvenile hall lunch room got badly beaten with a food tray, the girl with the long red ponytail who was attacked behind the high school but was too afraid to tell anyone, and the woman at the grocery store who got shot.”
I did not wonder until much later how he found out about things which had happened long before we met in the grocery store.
“The two of you were involved in so many events in which people got hurt or killed I don’t expect you to remember every one. Think back on the ones you can picture clearly and focus on one thing. Who pulled the trigger or threw the fist or kicked out with the boot or stuck the knife? Did Thomas or did you, Joseph?”
Joey’s face didn’t change from the expression of being somewhere else.
“Why are we wasting time with this?” I asked. “Can’t we just get out of here? I promise we can take a trip down memory lane when we’re in the car.”
Louis smiled at my comment and said, “This happens to be important, Thomas. Now can I speak with Joey for just a moment?”
“He’s gotta point, Thomas,” Joey said. “Thinkin’ back on all our wild times together, I always got my hands dirty. Always me who got his hands covered with blood. Always me to get stuff done, take action. You? You always tryin’ to stop me from doin’ what needed tuh get done. After I did what needed tuh get done, you always complainin’ about how I got those things done.”
I wanted to say something to Joey but could not find the right words or get my tongue to move.
Louis broke in before I managed to speak, “Not much of a way to build trust, right?” The delight was clear in his words. “This is precisely why Thomas to be the one to pull the trigger this time. Not only will this facilitate the male bonding process between us but will also remove any power we can exert over one another.”
“What power, Louis?” I asked now able to speak.
“Maybe you have heard the old expression knowledge is power,” he said. “What I am expressing is a practical example of the proverb. When one person gains knowledge with the potential to harm another in some way, that knowledgeable person has power. To be more specific, if one of us knows the others did something… performed some deed which is not considered … acceptable by society, say murder, then such a person wields power over the others. One could control the others by threatening to release such information. Of course, such knowledge is counteracted or effectively neutralized if each of us has some awareness of the other’s misdeeds.”
“How ‘bout sayin’ that again but in English this time,” Joey remarked.
“All right, let’s try this example. You are both aware I killed the kid behind the gas station to get the car. This knowledge gives you a certain power over me. However, the knowledge is balanced because I know you killed the woman in the grocery store.”
“The woman and the assistant manager,” Joey proudly added. “Oh, and the business guy!”
Stoaffer smiled and said, “Sorry, the knowledge is counteracted, because I know you killed the woman, the assistant manager, and the businessman in the grocery store. Our awareness of each other’s transgressions takes the power away from the knowledge. Unfortunately, one member of our trio does not fit into such a well-balanced scenario.”
Stoaffer’s eyes were fixed on me, and a broad grin lit up his face.
“Did I ever give you a reason to doubt or suspect me?” I asked flatly.
“Of course, you didn’t, Thomas. But as I am trying to explain, there doesn’t need to be any reason. The simple fact you possess knowledge which is not balanced by similar knowledge in the hands of others gives you power.” Stoaffer turned his eyes toward Theresa as he continued, “Coincidentally, my dear Theresa presents a very similar predicament. She possesses a power which prevents me from acting objectively in matters regarding her.” He shook his head slowly as if Theresa’s fate made him sad. “In order to correct the imbalance, it is crucial for you to do what needs to be done.”
“I have no problem doing what needs to be done, Louis. The problem for me is killing someone for no good reason. So how about if I promise to kill the next person we meet who needs killing? Would this make you feel better?” I tried to keep my voice light to hide my growing sense of dread.
“No, she must be killed, and you must do it,” Stoaffer answered. “A sword is a sword. Whether or not it is used as a weapon, the threat remains.” A smile stretched across his face as Louis continued, “After it is done, we can enjoy the easy life.”
Theresa gave a loud sniff and said, “I’m not sure what I could have done to you, but I am--”
“The discussion is over!” Louis pronounced.
He spun around. Without saying anything further, Stoaffer walked over and snatched the Glock from the little table next to Joey. He turned again and pointed the gun straight at Theresa who froze with fear. His extended arms trembled, and he tensed as if he would pull the
trigger at any second. I waited for the gunshot to ring out. He kept the gun aimed at her for almost a minute.
He finally let his arm fall as if all his strength was gone and turned to face me. “Thomas, I need you to do this.” The strength and determination displayed on his face moments earlier was gone. He now appeared to be just a weak old man as he shuffled over and set the gun next to me.
“Thomas, what’s the big deal?” Joey asked. “C’mon, you barely met this bitch. This is the kinda sweet deal we’ve been waitin’ forever for.”
I had to admit Joey made sense. I did not know this woman at all. Why should I defend her? Lots of times over the years, I had been a part of people getting hurt. True, Joey was the one to actually hurt them, but I did nothing to stop him. This sort of made me responsible for the results. None of it really mattered right now. Getting out of San Pietro and getting those bonds cashed was the important thing. Everything seemed clear in my head until my eyes locked on Theresa.
As soon as she raised her head and caught me with her red, teary eyes, every thought left me. She was the image of innocent beauty. The light shining from her was warm and cleansing. Sure, light is light, but this felt different. A smile formed on my mouth as I thought about the light.
At that point, Joey’s voice broke in, “Thomas, think about the best dreams you’ve ever had! I mean the most awesome dreams! You drivin’ the hottest, fastest cars. You bangin’ the hottest babes. You kickin’ back on a warm beach. Remember the choice of a few months on Easy Street or a lifetime on a warm beach? You chose the lifetime on the warm beach, remember?” Joey’s face took on a serious expression. “Didja think the beach came without a price?”
Joey’s questions bounced around in my head for a couple of seconds before I answered, “When has either of us thought about the price of anything?” I laughed, but no one else joined me.
“Yuh know I’d be happy to do it if I cud, but the deal is I can’t. It’s not like all those other times. This time you hafta be the one to do the deed.”
“Why?” I asked loudly. “Because he says I have to?” I spun around to look at Stoaffer slumped in one of the recliners. “Why are we following some crazy old man who we grabbed during a robbery? Why are we listening to anything he says?”
“We’re listenin’ to him ‘cuz no one else is sayin’ nothin’!” Joey answered. “Now stop talkin’ and just get this done!”
The gun floated up in my hands on its own. I pointed it at Theresa. The Glock jumped with a violent jolt as a puff of smoke and a bullet blew from the barrel. Everything remained frozen for several seconds. A slow trickle of red from a small circle in the middle of Theresa’s forehead flowed down between her eyes to drip from the tip of her nose. Her lips quivered. In her eyes was a look of shock. All of a sudden, she fell over to her right and was still. I stood with the gun still lifted watching the motionless body in front of me. This was the scene until Stoaffer’s voice yanked me out of it.
“Thomas, all you need to do is pull that trigger and everything of which you ever dreamt will be yours.” Stoaffer’s voice sounded energetic, but his words really caught me off guard.
I rolled my eyes to show the ridiculousness of his statement. I even waved the gun at Theresa’s lifeless body to show him how he ought to pay a little more attention to what was happening. My stomach jumped into my throat as I turned toward her. Theresa stared back at me with her eyes and nose red from crying. She had a terrified expression but no hole in her forehead.
“Please, there is no reason to do this.” She said. “Joey, is it?”
“Thomas,” I answered.
“Uh…Thomas, there is no reason to do this. I haven’t done anything bad to anyone. If it’s just about money, I can get you lots of money. Whatever you want.”
I glanced toward Louis to check his reaction to Theresa’s offer. He flew out of the chair to stand next to me.
“You’re not seriously listening to this crap, are you?” He growled. “Use your head! She’s begging for her life. She will say anything to save herself.” Stoaffer took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, “She promises to get you a great deal of money. Think about it logically, Thomas. Why would she do that? Right now, you’ve got her in your sights. Right now, you own her. But later, who knows? Once we leave this room, she is no longer under your control, and she’s got no reason to keep her promise.”
I felt like a spectator at a tennis match as I turned my head to see how Theresa would respond to Stoaffer’s words.
“Thomas, that is not true. I promise I will get your money, and you can trust me,” she said as she shifted her eyes to Louis. “I still don’t understand what I did to deserve your hatred, Uncle Lou.”
Stoaffer simply ignored her words and kept his focus on me. “There is not time for this. Just finish this so you can start enjoying a new life.”
I knew Stoaffer was right. This was the moment for me to take action. With that thought in mind, I raised the gun and pointed it at Theresa. But as soon as we made eye contact, the thought and my determination was gone. Her glowing innocence made it impossible to even consider harming her. My arms went limp, and the gun fell to my side.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake! Thomas, you are worthless!” Stoaffer screamed. “Can’t you do anything?”
The words were not much different than those I had been hearing for my entire life. Somehow at that moment, they stung more deeply, and I spun back toward Theresa.
I never had much experience with guns, especially shooting them. This probably explains why the gun fired before I had stopped completely and why my shot missed the mark. Instead of hitting her in the middle of the forehead, the shot struck her in the cheek below her left eye and tore away most of that side of her face. I caught a glimpse of her bright, white teeth. The force threw her body backward and part of her brain splattered on the wall behind. I bent over and threw up on the floor around my shoes.
After a few minutes, my stomach was empty and the dry heaves stopped. I raised my head slowly unsure of what I would see. The room seemed much brighter than it had been. I looked around to see if someone turned on another light. Instead, it appeared each light had grown stronger, and I could no longer stare directly at the lights. I did not see Joey anywhere in the room and wondered where he could be. My gaze eventually settled on Theresa’s body slumped over on the couch. A dark stream of blood was pooling on the floor next to the couch. Stoaffer was half-sitting on the couch leaning over her body and sobbing. His reaction puzzled me as I shuffled over to him.
He seemed completely oblivious to anything other than Theresa’s lifeless body, which he alternated between lifting while hugging and placing carefully back on the cushions of the couch. The sobbing continued for several minutes until I slowly reached out to touch him on the shoulder. At the instant my fingertips touched the old man, I knew I had made a terrible mistake, maybe the worst mistake of my life.
The sobbing stopped immediately. Stoaffer’s head slowly turned toward me. The face I saw had changed from Stoaffer’s. It appeared much sharper, almost jagged. His eyes were almost reptilian, glistening gold with tiny black pupils. His nose was sort of a spike. His mouth was twisted into a shape which was more of a snarl than anything else. The teeth revealed looked yellow and dirty and very sharp. Tears glistened as they ran down his cheeks. His mouth started to move like he was going to speak, but it appeared difficult for him to control his tongue. The thin red tongue darted in and out between his lips as if it had a mind of its own. A string of sounds came from the mouth, but it was gibberish. After a moment, he tried again. This time,
I understood the slurred words.
“You killed her. How could you kill her?” The Stoaffer-thing lisped. “She was so good…so beautiful.” Stoaffer’s yellow eyes did not seem to blink, and I could not interpret his expression.
Now it was my turn to have trouble finding my voice. Killing Theresa had not been something I wanted to do. I had done it only at Stoaffer’s insisten
ce. To hear him now ask why I had done it was too much to bear, and I screamed, “What the hell are you talking about? You know that I didn’t want to do it! Even when Joey agreed to do it, you said it had to be me!”
“No, I said if you wanted to enjoy the good life, Theresa had to die,” Stoaffer hissed. “I never thought you were selfish enough to kill her.”
“You…you… were pushing me to do it! You told me not to listen to anything she said!” I spluttered.
I glared at the face of the Stoaffer-thing as the mouth curled into a smile. “Calm down, Thomas. I’m just messing with you.” A raspy, squeaky laugh erupted from him. “I loved her, but I needed her removed. No matter how I tried, I just couldn’t do it. Thanks a million!”
“I don’t even know what you are!” The strangeness of the situation was beginning to sink in, and I was nearly hysterical. “I want to get out of here! Where’s Joey?”
My question brought another laugh from Stoaffer. “You’re looking for Joey? Seriously, Thomas?”
“Fuck you, Louis! Where is he?” I screamed.
Suddenly, the Stoaffer-thing was quiet. After a moment, he said calmly, “I am certainly surprised that you didn’t figure it out. Joey is not here.”
“Louis, I can see he’s not here. Where is he?” I asked struggling to stay calm.
“He is there,” he answered and pointed directly at me.
I turned to see if he was behind me. Of course, he was not. I spun back around to find Stoaffer standing near me.
He pushed his finger to my forehead and said, “Not there, but here.”
At the sound of the words a wave of nausea swept over me and the room began spinning. I was in hell and I knew it. Of course, knowing something and accepting something are two very different things. To avoid having to think about it any more, I charged ahead. “Enough of your bullshit! Just tell me where Joey is so we can get our money and get outta here!” I shouted with a lot more courage than I was feeling.
His mouth curled into what was supposed to be a smile as he said, “Are you serious? You still don’t understand? You are not getting any money, and you are not going anywhere that I don’t want you to go. You have been chosen, because you present a unique case.” He stopped for a second to let me appreciate the meaning of his words. “Everyone, excluding the pure psychopath, has internal voices reminding him of what is right or wrong. Like the little angel and devil you see in cartoons. But you ... well, you are special. I have never seen anyone who has created such an independent embodiment of the voice.”
Soul Hostage Page 21
