Seemingly satisfied, Aaron nodded at the briefcase and commented, "Well, I got no idea where somebody like you got all that money all of a sudden, but I ain't complainin' either way." Possessively wrapping his thick fingers around the briefcase, he continued, "They might have to keep that gun overnight, but you should get it back by tomorrow. I'll call Keith in here, and you can give it to him."
Faith braced herself for yet another night next to an empty bedside drawer. "Well," she said aloud, "at any rate, thank you. I guess we misjudged each other, in some ways." That should have been the end of their conversation, so that she could go through whatever motions she needed to with Keith before finding a subtle way to tell Sherm and the S.A.S. everything, but there was still one question she could no longer hold in. "...But there's one more thing."
"What's that, Faith?" Aaron asked as he stretched and looked down at his watch.
Swallowing hard, Faith asked, "What's going to happen to Rowan?"
Raising an eyebrow as he looked back up at her, Aaron asked, "Why? Are you gonna miss him or something?"
"I never said that," Faith asserted. "I just want to know what you plan to do, once you're finished with him. Are you eventually planning to let him go, or is it more serious than that?"
Instead of answering her, Aaron only mumbled with a sigh, "Of course you'd still care about him, even after he stole years you could've spent on yourself and things you wanted. Well, I figured you were lying to me anyway." The nonchalant tone he spoke with was just as unsettling as if he had said those words with a raised voice.
"Wait--you're not making any sense," Faith said, trying to appear as confused as possible and immediately regretting her question about Rowan. "What is it that I lied about, and--when?"
Aaron shook his head, almost appearing as though he was conflicted about something. "It doesn't matter." He then walked back over to the counter to finish his cigar, and what he said next only sent more shivers down her spine: "I'm getting closer to finding out who's been causing all these things to happen around Happy Scoops, and when I do it'll take a lot more than a gun like yours to save 'em. Now I could've easily kept that gun or even sold it, but I chose to give it back to its real owner since I like you. But just like you found out with Rowan, ya' can't ever find yourself trustin' anybody too much."
Faith shook her head. "...What am I even supposed to say to something like that? All I can do is repeat what I've already told you."
"That's the idea--ya' don't say anything, to anyone. I wanna believe you, but since you're different from the average low-life that no one would never believe anyway, how do I really know I can trust that you won't decide to spill your guts to the police, your family, friends, etc.? You're givin' me an awful lot of questions here."
The only way Faith could continue to keep herself from wavering in front of him was to focus on what Rowan had done to her, which helped to replace the fear with an aggressive determination to come out on top. And fortunately for her, the fact she and Aaron had a common enemy now could possibly make things easier. "So you want to know the real reason why I asked you that? Well, I've been toying with an idea that may help you and me both."
Aaron said nothing, only folding his arms and staring at her, eyebrows raised.
"Alright, so," Faith began, "for all I know you might've thought of this already, but if Chance still isn't cooperating, couldn't Rowan be used as some form of leverage? I'll admit, I'm still personally not done with Rowan yet, and you still need a good accountant, right?" She allowed herself a hint of a smile, hoping it might make her act more convincing. Maybe if he believed she was truly becoming like him and the rest of his 'staff', he would take her seriously. But the scary part was, it didn't even feel like much of an act for her, given that it was the likes of Rowan and Chance they were talking about.
At first, Aaron only continued to stare at her, as though sizing her up, but soon let out a quiet chuckle. "Ya' really want revenge on him that bad, huh? That's funny though, because I thought you said you wanted to just run off and forget everything," he commented, making a running motion with his fingers at the words 'run off'.
"I do. But not before I face Rowan."
"Hm. I do still need an accountant, and I did think about that, but I doubt it'd be very effective. Chance and Rowan ain't exactly close, in case ya' haven't noticed."
"You never know--he might care more than we thought. He may not have ever met Rowan's emotional needs, but he always seemed to make sure he had things like food and clothes when he was staying with him. So, you might be surprised. Just think about it--that's all I'm asking here."
Having spent no more than five seconds appearing as though he was genuinely thinking it over, he looked back over at her and commented, "Well Faith, I'll give ya' this--one thing I never am when I'm around you is bored." Once again, he avoided giving her a definite answer regarding Rowan, and instead walked back over to the table and picked up the briefcase before adding, "Don't worry about Rowan or Chance, a'ight? They're my problem now--not yours."
"I understand," Faith nodded. "It was just an idea." Well, maybe he doesn't plan to kill Rowan yet, or by some miracle Aaron will change his mind and consider what I said. Rowan's not escaping his consequences that easily, at least not if I can help it. There's still the issue of my name in that book, however... "So, anyway, whenever someone does finish paying you back, do you remove all of their information from your records? I mean, it's not like you would need it anymore then, right?"
"Uh, not always. I've got a few repeat customers, so it's typically easier to just keep it on file in case they ever need my services again. What difference would that even make to you though, unless you need to borrow some m--"
"No," Faith suddenly said, a bit too quickly and loudly. "Um, no. I'm good. I guess it wouldn't make much of a difference. I mainly just wanted to make sure anything about me would remain confidential." It could make a HUGE difference if it's eventually seized as evidence with my name still visible in there and I get questioned about it, let alone if it somehow got back to my family what I was doing here, Faith thought uneasily.
Aaron shook his head and shrugged. "It ain't like anybody's gonna see it, except me and my staff. So I don't know what you're worried about."
"...You're right. Anyway, I guess I'll be going now, since everything's settled."
"Well, you just remember my advice and focus on yourself, and have a nice quiet rest of your evening," Aaron told her, placing an unsettling amount of emphasis on the word 'quiet'.
The more Faith thought about it, the more she started to panic internally. She had no real way of knowing for certain that he still didn't plan to have her suddenly killed once she walked outside. She would just have to risk it, but since getting Aaron's trust was the name of the game right now, she would tell him one last thing: "You're right about trust being a difficult thing, but different as I might be, I really see no reason for us to harm each other."
Aaron only replied with an emotionless poker face, "Well, it ain't like I'd go to the level of trouble that I did for someone I wanted to just get rid of, and I think you know better than to waste my time like that." Glancing at the door behind him, he added, "And speakin' of the time, I've really gotta finish some things up. Keith'll be out here in a minute, so just don't disappoint me." With that, he turned around and disappeared down the hallway, the sound of his footsteps growing increasingly quiet until the only sound she could hear was the low hum of the ceiling lights above her.
She wished she could just tell him the truth--that his dad regretted not having been a better guardian, and that his sister still remembered who he was from their days at the orphanage--just to see if he would have any other reaction aside from a bitter glare or a fit of apathetic laughter. What would he be like, if forced to finally confront what he's done, with no more money, weapons or excuses? If Brian and even Nayla went to visit him once he's in prison, would Aaron be willing at all to have a conversation with them?
The sound of the door leading to the back suddenly opening and shutting once more would soon jolt her back to the present and remind her that such an outcome was still far from guaranteed. "Alright. Give it here and let's get this done." Like Aaron, Keith also had an especially rough demeanor about him tonight, having a similarly sweaty brow and disheveled hair.
Quickly, Faith placed the gun in Keith's outstretched hand. As much as she hoped they were serious about giving it back to her as soon as possible, right now she felt like the safety of her house tonight would really be enough, if she could reach the inside of those four walls once again.
"I thought Mr. Galanos was joking at first, when he said to just give this back to you," Keith mused. "But I guess he knows what he's doing."
"I was surprised too," Faith said carefully, "but I'm grateful nonetheless."
"Now, as for tonight, none of this happened," Keith instructed her. "Your gun got lost, an officer recovered it, and since there are no crimes officially reported involving the weapon there won't be any need to keep it as evidence for anything. When you do get cleared to pick it up, be sure and act surprised. If the boss doesn't get in any trouble from this, neither do you."
"I see. Well, please tell Aaron I said thanks again." Keith's words still didn't deter her from what she knew needed to be done. And even if it couldn't be done, she would need to try.
Imagine having everything and fearing no one, the way I had always wished it could be for Rowan and me...only to have all that money and power stripped away, and being forced back into a confined space with nothing but your own thoughts about what you did wrong. Well, it's nothing personal Aaron, but Brian and Nayla have suffered long enough. And now that Rowan has shown me that type of pain, I can't allow you to continue doing the same to them. But hopefully what you said to Nayla that night was wrong--maybe in some ways, it's not too late for you. I guess we'll find out soon enough.
After yet another unnerving drive home that entailed multitasking between watching the road and watching over her shoulder before rushing inside and locking the door behind her, she figured Aaron really must not have wanted to kill her--yet, anyway. Knowing she would be safe for now, it was time to give Sherm a much-anticipated update.
She just hoped he wasn't letting the disappointment of being snubbed by the S.A.S. get the better of him. Just because they might not need his support doesn't mean that I don't, Faith thought as she pulled out her phone to call him.
Sherm must have already been waiting near his phone, because Faith barely heard a second of the ringtone before she heard his voice. "Faith! How did it all go?"
"We'll get to that. What about you? How have you been doing overall?" she asked, feeling the need to check on him too even in spite of everything that was going through her head at that moment. Or maybe she was just hesitant to go straight into everything that had happened tonight.
"Oh, I'm okay," Sherm said, though his slight hesitation before saying so seemed to signal some remaining defeat in his voice. "But hey, forget that--I'm just relieved to hear from you. So, I mean...are you finally free from all of this?"
"Well, yes and no. Aaron's really thrown a wrench in things, but not in the way I expected he might." Faith inhaled. "Rowan tried to use my .38 special to kill Aaron tonight, and now they're keeping him prisoner, probably tied up in one of Happy Scoops's storage rooms. He and Keith offered that gun back in exchange for my silence, and I'll likely have it back from the station this time tomorrow."
"Wait--you mean Rowan actually tried to kill somebody...and you actually took a bribe to help them cover it all up so Aaron can kill him instead?!" Sherm sputtered.
"Will you just stop and let me finish?!" Faith suddenly yelled impatiently. "It's not like I had much of a choice but to accept it at the time. I didn't exactly want it back either at first, but I think the benefits will outweigh the risks if I just keep it. Even if Brooke can help us--"
"Wait," Sherm stopped her. "How do you know Brooke? Did you somehow meet her?"
"I didn't meet her, but I was sort of reintroduced to her son Parker tonight. I always used to think it was Parker that was responsible for a lot of Rowan's issues. Turns out he was just as much of a pawn in Rowan's game as I was. He came to Happy Scoops, practically on his knees asking to get Rowan back, but you can probably guess what Aaron's answer was. Parker begged me not to tell anyone he went there, but he can bet that his mom is going to hear the full story if I have anything to do with it."
"For real," Sherm agreed. "But speaking of which...are you planning to let her know along with the S.A.S. about the fact he used your weapon to try to kill Aaron?"
"I guess I'll have to," Faith said reluctantly, realizing that telling on Parker and everyone else would be a lot easier than telling on herself and the part she had in all of this. "You know, a part of me wishes I could just go along with everything and not tell anyone. Even if Aaron never finds out I'm the one who helped put him away, the last thing I need is to be considered an accessory in all of this."
"Well, if things end up going the way we want them to, you'll want to have been as truthful as possible. But...do you really want to keep that gun, knowing what Rowan tried to do with it and the reason Aaron gave it back?"
"Yes," Faith said bluntly. "If you lost something important to you, and you had a choice between getting it back or leaving it in the wrong hands, which would you pick? You can't always be a boy scout in these situations. Besides, Aaron wasn't exactly silent to me about the fact he would've sold it on the dark web or something if he hadn't felt like returning it to me. But you're right--if Aaron's really going down, I have no interest in going down with him. Before I tell Brooke anything though, I need to be completely sure that she won't treat me like an enemy."
"Faith, she's been dealing with gangsters and corrupt colleagues for so long that I don't think you'll have much to worry about. Okay? She'll probably think you're a saint in comparison," Sherm tried to reassure her. "They'll want all the help they can get right now, and it's not like you have a past criminal history or anything. Besides, somebody like Aaron knows exactly what he's doing and doesn't care, but...I don't think you really knew at the time what you were doing. Not with your only company most of the time being Rowan and his delusions. I can't promise she won't ask for your gun back, but I can promise you'll be doing the right thing, for what that's worth to you."
"Yeah. I would honestly just let her keep it and investigate all she wanted considering what happened, but...it was still a gift. My parents and I didn't always see eye to eye regarding Rowan, but my dad at least wanted me to feel safe when he gave that to me, back before things got so bad between them. And it's not like I can just pack my bags and run either, because you or my parents could still get hurt in all of this. I didn't really think about that before, but now that I realize how much you all actually care...it's different. Really different."
"Well, then just tell her what you told me," Sherm said gently. "I'll tell her to expect a call from you before I send the contact information, okay?"
"I will. And that sounds good."
"Good. At least I know you're doing what you can, now that I've done everything I can really do at this point if the S.A.S. aren't willing to give me a chance," Sherm said, somewhat begrudgingly now.
At first, Faith only stayed silent. He had likely been holding it all in for quite a while, so she figured he was allowed to still be upset. Maybe he felt as helpless and overlooked as Faith often had when she was with Rowan. Sherm may not have been the one suffering the most, but seeing someone he cared about suffer while being unable to do much about it, while simultaneously being rejected for a chance to gain a sense of significance in the process, must have been frustrating for him. But wait a minute...maybe this isn't such a bad thing. "Actually Sherm," Faith now mused aloud, "it could be that there's something you can do that the rest of us can't."
As expected, Sherm was all ears. "I'm listening."
"I'll tell you all about it--after I talk to Brooke and the others."
"Oh...okay. Sounds good," Sherm agreed, a bit disappointed that he had to wait. "Well, knowing Brooke, she's probably going to want to do a video call."
"Um, okay. Why not just a regular phone call though?"
"Well, it's the closest thing to her actually getting to meet you, since meeting in person could be too risky right now."
"Even so, I want to be as anonymous as possible once she and I are done."
"I understand. And I think she will too. Just one thing though--she's a really outspoken and to-the-point kind of person, so don't let that make you nervous."
Well, if she intimidates me too much I may not want to tell her much of anything, Faith brooded to herself, but knew better than to say it out loud. It would be best to just get this over with and make sure Brooke knew she wasn't like the rest--just as Aaron had said. At least, she hoped she wasn't slowly becoming corrupted from all of this...
Upon ending the phone call with Sherm and receiving Brooke's contact information as promised, Faith took her laptop, cellphone, and a kitchen knife with her down the hall and into the bathroom--the only room in the house that had no windows--and opened her videoconferencing app. She had already done a check around the house earlier for any newly hidden cameras or microphones without finding anything, but she still didn't want to take any more chances than she already was. If the wrong person did somehow hear the conversation that was about to take place and decide to come for her, Faith wouldn't make it easy.
Sure enough, Faith saw the green dot next to Brooke's username showing that she was online. Taking a long breath in and slowly letting it out, Faith locked the door, sat down, clicked on the 'call' button, and waited until she saw that Brooke had picked up.
"...Hello?" Soon after Faith heard a female Southern accent on the other end, she saw the face of a freckled woman who appeared to be in her forties, her honey blonde hair in a braid that was draped over her shoulder.
"Hello, Brooke," Faith said solemnly, having made sure the knife she'd brought with her wouldn't be seen from Brooke's side. "Alright, so I think we have a lot to talk about, but I'll try to be as to-the-point as I can."
"Hello, Faith." Already, Brooke was suspiciously narrowing her eyes. "You know, you look awfully familiar. I think I've seen you before."
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