CHAPTER 17 (Hello, is it me you looking for?)
By the foot fall I knew it was a woman coming up the stairs, she shouted at the children to eat their dinner. I think her name is Natty, not that I care who or what I fuck. Natty, presumable, that’s her name, ran water into the tub. I watched her from my vantage point. She walked into the bathroom, and I followed.
“Signora, if you scream, I will skin one of your children.”
Fear is a fantastic tool. She stood naked and frozen. “Well done signora. Now bend over the tub, and this will all be over in a flash.” She did as I asked. I entered her, and it really was over in a flash. “Wash up, then, tell you children, you are ill, and you don’t want to be disturbed.” She scrubbed herself while I watched, I got turned on again. Mick was coming up the stairs, I grabbed Natty, out of the tub, and threw her onto her bed. I put my finger over my lips. She was the most cooperative person I have ever encountered.
Mick was utterly shocked, the man knew his wife, this is not her normal behaviour. “Mick, tell the children I am ill, and not to come up here.” Mick shouted down to the children, and locked the door. Then he noticed me, I covered his wife. “No, take that sheet off her, or you will be next.” Mick reluctantly removed the sheet. “What do you want, Breno?”
“I want to know where my brother is.” Mick pondered. He shook his head.
“I don’t know where Ian is.”
“Don’t fib, Mick. That’s not very becoming on a man of your age. Then call him, I want to know where he is.”
“Breno, he is burring Carolina tomorrow, can you give the man a break, you can find him after the funeral, don’t you have a heart man?”
“No. Mick, I don’t have a heart, do you honestly think I kill because I care?” Breno bellowed with laughter. “Call him, I will not allow you to throw a spanner in the works this time.” Mick shook his head.
“Tio. Take off your clothes.” Mick was terrified, he needed to protect Ian, but was he willing to die for him, and watch his family raped by this mad man?”
“Tio, I will not ask twice, take off your clothes.” Mick was struggling, he couldn’t trust this idioto.
“I will do as you ask, on one condition, let my family go.” Breno scratched his head with the butt of the revolver.
“NO!”
“If I tell you where he is, will you let us live?”
“Sure, why not, but, I want my fun, so get undressed Mick, you are trying my patience.”
Mick undressed, silent tears escaped from Natty’s eyes. Breno watched him, a smirk formed in the corner of his mouth. “Nice a big boy, so was Roberto, I like big boys, now turn. And Natty scream, and you will be dead.” Mick bit his lip until the blood dripped onto the pillow. Natty looked at him in utter helplessness. Mick wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Hold on Mick, this might smart a little.”
Mick prayed, he prayed like he had never prayed in his life. Once Breno was spent, he let him go. Mick lay down, and covered his nakedness. “Where is Ian?” Mick gave Breno the address. He waited for him to leave, then checked on the children, he called Montes, and Ian. “Get the hell out, he is on his way.”
Ian grabbed his bag, and ran to his car, he was out within minutes, he was prepared for this scenario the whole day, he drove to Mick, and hid his car in the garage. Mick looked ill. Ian knew exactly what had transpired between Mick and Breno. Montes was taking their statements. Ian didn’t know what to say. There are no words on earth to make this right.
“Ian you need to come with me, it’s the only way to keep you safe, I will lock you up for the night, in the holding cells. Mick an officer will watch the house, I have a feeling Breno will be back, I gave my man one order, shoot to kill.”
Ian and Montes left. Breno was fuming when he couldn’t get into the boarding house. “He left, didn’t he?” The guard didn’t take notice of Breno. Breno doesn’t take kindly to being ignored. He shot the guard in the head. On a piece of paper he wrote, Sabrina Ara`juo. Then he drove back to Mick’s house. He knew undoubtedly that a cop would be watching the house. Breno was getting bored with this whole situation. He parked his car a block away, and walked up to the cop. He held up his hands. “It’s me Ian, don’t shoot, I left my phone in the house, and I need to call the Padre’ first thing in the morning, please don’t shoot, Jose’.”
Breno entered the house, he walked up to the bedroom. He shot Natty first, once in the heart, then in the head. “I will let you live, Mick, I want you to remember for the rest of your life, that you were responsible for her death, all I wanted was to talk to Ian, but you made another decision, in my stead.” Breno went down stairs, Mick heard the gun shots, but the cop won’t not with a silencer on. He ran down stairs, the children were alive, they screamed in fear. Mick called Montes, Montes called Jose’, he didn’t answer the call. Jose’ was knocked out in his car. The ME arrived. Melo arrived. Ian was locked up in a cell.
Mick told Montes everything, then he sobbed, he would have to see his brother regularly, he will never overcome what had happened, he felt dead inside, as if Breno stole his soul, he didn’t look when they took Natty away, what for? Why should he look? It won’t fucking bring her back to life. Mick and the children spent the night at Melo.
Mick called Ian before sunrise, but he didn’t answer his phone. Mick called Montes. “He is in the cell, Jose’ watched him the whole night, he might be at the Rectory, I will drive over and find out, and Mick, if you don’t want to attend this funeral, then don’t.” Mick said he would think about it. Melo was going. Mick was still in shock, he would go, it’s not Carolina’s fault his wife is dead, that’s all on him.
Montes waited for Mick at the Rectory. “Montes are we ever going to find this maniac?”
“bom Dia Mick. Mick we can’t find Ian. Breno killed the guard, they found this in his mouth.” Montes handed the piece of paper to Mick. “Do you know what it implies?” Asked Montes.
“Yeah, it’s one of his first kills. You said you can’t find Ian. Explain.”
“Ian was in lockup the whole night, he had a shower around four a.m, then said he was coming to the Rectory, he has not been seen since. I tracked his car, it was abandoned a block from here, no struggle, no forced entry, it’s as if he got out of the car and disappeared.”
“Maybe he decided to go for a run. He does that when he is stressed.”
“No, the car door stood open, Mick.”
IAN: “I need to go to the funeral, it will be too suspicious if I don’t. I will take a run, I really need to go. Have you not done enough for one night?”
“For you, it will never be enough. Go, go to the funeral. I will see you when I see you. Ian, kiss me before you leave.”
Ian dressed into his jogging clothes and ran, he had an extra suit in the trunk, he had his whole closet in the trunk of his car. He ran. Run Ian run, slap. Carolina is dead. Slap. Marisa is dead. Slap. Eloa is dead. Throb-throb. Mama is dead. Ian called Mick and apologised. “I was on my way, but the car suffocated me, so I ran, I am sorry, I am having a shower, I will be there soon.”
Ian cried throughout the funeral. He disliked funerals, he disliked the dead even more. There was no cake and tea, thank God, he wanted to get out. “Mick I am renting a room at a Motel, I am looking for a house, my house is on the market. I can’t go back, I am starting work today, I need to work, I am sorry about Natty, I am so-so sorry.”
Mick watched Ian leave. “Melo, I didn’t tell Ian about Natty, did you?”
Melo thought about it. “I don’t think so, maybe Montes did.” Mick tried to call Montes, but it went to voice mail, Mick left him a message to call him as soon as he got the message. Mick had his brother went to Melo’s house. The dogs were home. Maria was the best nursemaid, and it kept Mick’s children busy. Melo poured them a drink. “Mick, what bothering you, please, irma~o, I am not taking anything that happened in the past twenty-four hours lightly.”
“I don’t think that was Ian at the funeral, my intuition has saved my life……I wish it had saved…” Mick sobbed. The children didn’t know their Mother was dead, and Mick was not ready to tell them.
IAN: The estate agent picked him up at the Motel, he needed a home. He had more than enough money. He found what he was looking for, it overlooked the Rio do Peixe. And it had a garden for the dogs. “My wife had life Insurance, not that I knew that, and my house, is clean, do with it as you wish, just get me out of that Motel, please Senhor, small places make me very uncomfortable.”
The estate agent assured Ian he would be in his new home by the end of the week, the place had been vacant for a while. Ian would have to buy furniture the place was bare, stunning, modern, and he liked that the park was in walking distance, he could run, and once Jesse, and Jordo were better, he would play with them in the park.
Ian went to work, he had to stay busy, he called Mick when he had lunch, but his phone was off. He would go by the house after work. The day was busy, and it would get busier as they approached December. Ian drove to Mick’s house and knocked, no one was home, then he drove to Melo’s. Melo let him in. “How are you doing Ian? Want a drink?” Ian nodded, then went to the dogs. “Whatever they need, I don’t mind the cost, and here is a little extra for taking care of them, thank you signora Maria. “Did you know Carolina had life insurance?” Ian stood up. Mick was visibly angry. “No, I didn’t know, how could I have known, we weren’t married that long, nor were we really close, what are you insinuating? And what’s wrong with you, have I done something Mick? If so tell me, so I can defend myself.”
Mick walked away. Ian grabbed his arm. “Mick what the fuck, amigo?”
“Did you go to Carolina’s funeral today?” Ian looked at Mick as if the man had lost his mind. “I sat next to you.”
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