CHAPTER 18 (Simon says, or is it, Breno says?)
Ian left his drink on the table, and grabbed is coat. “How did you know Natty is dead?” Ian turned around. “Natty is dead.” He almost said it in slow motion. “Oh, mue Dues, I am so sorry, I think I heard it on the news, Mick the whole morning was one blur, I am so sorry, I couldn’t talk about it, I was burying my own wife.”
“Ian, take off your shirt.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Ian, take off your fucking shirt.” Mick told Melo to stay the hell out of this. Ian placed his jacket on the couch, and took off his shirt. “You can put it on, I am sorry Ian, you are right, the past few hours are enough to make a sane man loco. Please don’t go, have your drink, I am sorry.” Ian went into the sala, and sipped his drink, he didn’t like hard drink. “Is Montes any closer to ………….” The room spun. Ian sat back. “Stay out of it Melo.” Melo left the room. “Who are you?” Asked Mick. “I am Ian, Mick.” Mick slapped him. “I don’t believe you, who are you?” Mick felt the lights go out in his head, as a hard object connected with it.
IAN: “You didn’t have to hurt him, the man is my friend, and he is on edge, give him a break, I don’t want you anywhere near his home, or his family in the future, have I made myself clear?”
“Crystal, before you leave, come here, I have missed you, just hold me.”
“I missed you too, thanks for getting me out of there, but let them be, okay? The house should be available by the end of the week, I don’t want unnecessary attention, so lay low, we will sort this out in time, just no more merda, my nerves can’t take much more.”
“I am sorry, baby. Ian I will behave, you are right, too much now, please don’t leave, stay the night, I need you.” Ian leaned in for the kiss.
MONTES: Mick was sitting opposite him. “Detective, we are being played like a fucking orchestra, I don’t know who knocked me out, and I cannot say for certain, that the man I drugged was Ian. Aberto, after what happened to me, I don’t want to see Ian, they are mirror images of each other. I want to bury my wife, and get the hell out of Bonito.
I have family in Australia, I can’t stay here, I can’t bump into Ian and pretend to be his friend, release my wife’s body, I want to go. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Please respect my wishes.” Montes made a call. “You can have her.”
Mick wiped his face and left, he stood in the parking lot and he sobbed. Smash. He was out cold.
Mick woke up to the throbbing in his head. It was dark, too dark. He felt around in the dark. No this can’t be right. He felt for his phone, he tried to move, but the space was terribly constricted. “I am in a coffin.” Mick screamed until he had no voice left, he kicked, he clawed, he knew this was it. “I hope you both get fried.” Mick waited for the last of his breath to leave him.
MELO: “I am telling you, listen to me, I can’t find my brother, now what the fuck are you doing about it?” Screamed Melo into the receiver. “Melo, maybe he needed a time out.” Montes was in over his head. “Go to hell.” Melo slammed the phone down. He searched for Mick, put a trace on his car, nada. They couldn’t find a trace on Mick’s phone. He disappeared. Melo had to oversee the Wake and the funeral. The padre’ came to Melo. “Senhor Costa, you better come with me.” Melo rushed after the Padre’, to the burial site. “We couldn’t find Natty’s coffin this morning, so I got another, when the digger, dug her grave they found the coffin, I am sorry Senhor…”
Melo stepped forward, he screamed, and threw himself into the hole. He shook Mick. “No-no, irma~o, wake up, dear Deus, please wake up….” The Padre’ helped Melo out of the hole. “How do I tell his children?” Melo sobbed and walked away, he didn’t want to see Montes. “All useless.”
Melo attended the service for Natty, then he left. He drove aimlessly all over the town, he was so lost, how did this happen, how? He went home. Maria didn’t attend the service, all the children were at home, she was unconscionable. “Where are the dogs, and Fuffy?”
“Ian fetched them, he said he told you he found a new home, and that he would fetch the animals after the service.”
“Maria, Ian wasn’t at the service.” Melo went into his study, this had all gone too far. He called Ian, and asked for his address, then he placed a revolver in his coat pocket, even if he died, he had to know the truth.
The place Ian moved to was magnificent. Ian opened the door for Melo. “Do you want a drink?”
“No thank you Ian, only answers. Why didn’t you attend the funeral today, and please don’t lie, I am tired of the lies, tell me the truth then be done with me.”
Ian sat back. “Take off your clothes, you can keep your boxers on.” Melo placed the jacket, within reach, maybe this was the worst idea he ever had, but he had to know.
“I did go to the service, but not for long, once the whole commotion with Mick started, I left, I fetched my animals, and ordered furniture, I didn’t know the place would be available today.”
“Ian, did you kill Mick?”
“No, I most certainly didn’t.”
“I did, Ian told me not to, but, I never listen to Ian, I have a mind of my own, Doc, so yeah, now what are we going to do with you?” Melo’s mouth hung open. No, this cannot be the truth, how was it even possible?
“Don’t kill me, I will not say a word, no one knows I am here, not even Montes. I just had to know. If I asked you questions, would you answer me honestly?”
“I need to go to work, Ian can purge if he feels like it.” He kissed Ian on the mouth, I cringed.
“Senhor, please, por favour, don’t kill my family.”
“Then keep your trap shut, see you later Doc.”
IAN: “Do you want that drink now?” Melo asked for a beer, I guess that was a precaution in case I spiked it, I took a beer for myself, I knew he was the smart one, and I silently applauded him for putting the pieces together. I am not sure what I am going to do with him though, I don’t trust, look where trust brought me, cheating wives, plural. And so much death, I am tired, I just want to live, and be left alone. “So, ask your questions Melo.”
“Are you two……lovers?” Ian nodded. Melo downed his beer, and asked for another. “Since when, for how long?”
“Mm, I think since the age of seventeen, I didn’t really keep a record of my sex life, Melo.”
“Why all the murders? Why Mick?”
“I cannot say, I don’t know why Mick, I think Mick was getting too close to the truth, I honestly didn’t want him to die, as for the others, much the same, they knew too much. However you are the only one that truly put the puzzle together, what gave it away?”
“Behaviour, you sit at an angel, you never remove your jacket, you seldom smile, because you are acutely aware of the scar on your face. You are left handed, he is not.” Ian applauded.
“I need to give the dogs their medication, come with me please.” We walked into a stunning bedroom. The dogs looked much better, Fuffy rubbed against my leg I petted her. “Jesse, and Jordo are better?” Asked Melo.
“Much, I took them to the Vet, this morning, they will start walking by the end of the week, Jesse, will be up sooner.”
I wondered if I could out run him, one shot, I just needed one shot. Ian bent to administer the ointment, and I ran. I grabbed the revolver, it fell out of my hands, I picked it up…. “Don’t, if you pull that trigger, you will be dead, so hand me the gun, and continue your conversation with Ian, or I will end you right now.”
Ian walked back into the sala. “Thanks, I thought, he was being too friendly, go to work, I will take care of things, we have not finished our conversation. Thanks for having my back baby, I love you.”
“Melo, I didn’t want Mick dead, hell I liked the man, I don’t want you dead, I feel sorry for the children. However, if you squeal, I will know, he will know, and you know what he is capable of, I want you to go home, forget what you saw, and live, as for all your questions, I will answer all of it when I know I can trust you. Get dressed, I removed the bullets, so please don’t be a fool, fools die young.”
MELO: Drove straight to the precinct, he asked to talk to Montes, he didn’t know he was being watched, they had not formally met.
Ian answered the cellular on the first ring. “He is here, in an audience with Montes.”
“Mother……..! I told him to go home.” Ian cut the call, then dialled another number. He went back and tended to his animals.
He hid in the closet, it’s one way to get a full view of the bedroom. Maria had put the children to bed. She walked in, he placed his hand over her mouth. “Don’t scream, it really pisses me off.” He slid his hand under her nightie. She had large breasts, he squeezed, oh it felt so good, he still had one hand over her mouth. “Don’t scream.” She nodded. He pulled her nightie off, then pulled off her panties. Nice. He liked her up and down, maybe he should inject her. He took out the syringe and injected her, he was in the mood to play. “Suck me.” She did. He placed his fingers inside her, she rocked. He bit her breasts, she rocked harder. She was getting wet. He suckled her nipples one by one, she rocked harder. She was about to climax. “I never allow that.”
He placed his fingers around her neck, and he squeezed. Her pulse throbbed under his fingers, he had to hold himself back from climaxing. When he no longer felt her pulse, he tucked her into bed. No note this time, this time the message was clear. He left.
Melo spoke to the children, he called to Maria. “Did Mãe go to bed?” He asked his son. “Si pai, I think to bath, but she didn’t come down.”
“All of you need to go to bed, its late.” Melo kissed them good night.
“Maria, are you sleeping, we need to talk.” Melo shook Maria, then switched on the night-light.
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