CHAPTER 16 (Ring-a-ring a Roses, Mick is very nosey)
“Ian, calma. I thought you would be happy to meet your long lost brother. Well I am a super excited to meet you, I won’t take up much of your time, just a few minor details I need to know. I will take the gag out, only if you promise to behave. Or I am out of here. Deal? Nod your head if you agree. Oh Ian don’t be difficult, you haven’t even touched your lunch, you can stay here and starve to death, or we can come to an amicable solution, where you get to live, just not in your house, nor with your wife. Calma, I am not a monster brother. All I want is what you had, so now we are even. So tell me, what do you call Mick and Melo? Senhor or amigo, or by their names? Ian, the silent treatment is going to make me cranky, and when I get cranky, someone dies. And those two dogs of yours are really getting on my bad side. So answer my questions, and how many times have you fucked Carolina, that is a must know.”
Ian stared at his reflection, he knew he had seen him before, Breno. Yes, it felt like yesterday, life changed and he had forgotten about him, the boy that looked exactly like him. Ian pointed to the gag. Breno removed it. “Who are you?”
“I am your twin, your brother. I watched you my whole life long, and all I wanted was to be you, now I am, Ian we can have a good life, all you need to do is cooperate. No one will get hurt, I will set you free, you can go live anywhere you want to, just stay out of this life, the life I have created for myself.”
“No, I will never allow you to do this to me, Breno.”
“So brave, what are you going to do, Ian? Scare me to death with that look?” Breno burst out laughing. “Brother, I don’t have the whole day, so tell me what I need to know, and no fibbing, I have a date with my, our wife.”
IAN: “If I tell you the truth, will you set me free?”
BERNO: “You have my word, brother.”
IAN: “Don’t call me that, I don’t even know you. I call Carolina, Cara, and I call doctor Costa, Doc Mel, and I called his brother Tio Mick. Now can I go?”
BRENO: “All in good time brother, sleep well Ian.” Breno injected Ian, and he fell asleep on the couch. Breno drove home, in a very good mood. “Hi Cara, did you have a good day?” Carolina frowned. “Yes, thank you Ian, and you?”
“My day was ….” Mick sat in the sala, the dogs by his feet. They growled at Breno. “Tio Mick, what a surprise, would you like a drink? I had a passenger, after we spoke.” Breno winked at Mick, Mick winked back. Well played Ian, well done. Thought Mick.
“You left your coat, at the office.” They both looked at Carolina. “I will set the table, are you staying for dinner, Tio?” Mick had to bite his lip. “Yes, thank you Cara, that would be lovely.”
Breno, ran upstairs to shower. Mick whispered to Carolina, to keep up the pretence, he had to warn her, when ‘Ian” didn’t arrive home, after their drink, Mick was convinced he went to see Ian. Carolina was afraid. Mick suggested, that she should get out of town. Carolina didn’t have much family, a grumpy old Aunt, no, that wouldn’t do. Her roommate from university, yes, that she could do, and she had enough money in her account, to leave. She sent Mick a text, when Breno came down stairs. Carolina took the dogs outside. “I think they are getting hot, the cool night air should calm them down.” She kissed Breno’s cheek. They had an animated conversation about the day. Carolina was an excellent cook. Mick said good night after a cup of coffee, he could see the fear in her eyes. He felt very troubled leaving her with this nut job. The second Mick left, Breno asked her if she wanted to make love. Her pulse was throbbing in her ears. “Not tonight, sweetheart, I need to be at the university at six, you know how difficult these exams are.”
Breno was not impressed. “You will do well, it won’t take up that much of your time.” Breno fondled her, then kissed her. The dogs were barking at the door, they knew there was an intruder in their home. “Ian, please, not tonight.” Breno slapped her. “I will not take no for an answer, go to your bedroom and get undressed, or..” Carolina walked to her bedroom, she thought of locking the door, and climbing through the window, Mick is waiting for her. She was about to close the door, Breno pushed it open. “I like to watch, so get undressed.” Carolina, did as he said, she was shaking.
“Cara, you loved me before, what seems to be the problemo tonight, don’t you like me anymore?”
“Ian, I am tired, the exam took three hours today, and I need to be up at five, please, I need to go to bed.”
“Then I will go to bed with you Cara.” Carolina knew there was no way out.
“Ian, how about, you get undressed, and I will fetch us each a glass of wine, hey just like last night?” Breno had no idea if she was lying. “Sure Cara, yeah, that was fun, I will wait for you, don’t take too long.”
Carolina ran for the front door, merda, it was locked, she ran for the back door, the sliding doors were glass, the dogs were losing their minds, trying to get in, she slid the door open, Jesse, jumped on Breno. Breno stabbed her, she howled in pain, Carolina tried to run, but he grabbed her by her hair, and stabbed her in her side, just deep enough to stop her from running.
“How did you know?” Breno slapped her. “How, I look just like him? How?” Breno kicked her where he had stabbed her. Jesse growled, but she couldn’t get up, to defend Carolina. Jordo, was growling on the other side of the glass, spittle drooled from his mouth, it splashed onto the glass door. Jordo was out for blood. Breno slid open the door, and stabbed the Jordo repeatedly.
“Carolina, you will be next, how did you know, I wasn’t Ian?” He kicked her again, the tiles where covered in blood. “The scar, Ian’s is older, and thicker, and he calls me Carolina.” The loss of blood was making her dizzy. Breno dragged her by her hair into her bedroom, clumps of her hair came off in his hands, he ripped off her clothes, she tried to hide her nakedness, Breno pulled her hands free. Then hit her in her wound, he punched her repeatedly. He pulled off his clothes, he was hard, the sight of blood, and on a naked girl did that to him. Breno threw her onto the bed, he turned her on her stomach. “I don’t want to go where Ian did, so bite onto the pillow, this will hurt.” He tore her rectum open, Carolina screamed, and passed out, blood soaked the bed, but Breno was not done. He rocked even harder, he heard the gun being cocked. “Get off her.” Mick aimed for Breno’ s head. Breno had placed a gun under her pillow, he shot Mick in the shoulder, grabbed his clothes and he was gone. Mick called an ambulance, he would live, as for Jesse, Jordo and Carolina, he could only pray. I unlocked the front door for Melo, and the paramedic’s.
“Meu Deus.”
“Melo, focus, get the dogs to the Vet, the male is dying, and take the cat with you, she is in shock, she is wetting herself, just go, I will meet you at the hospital.” Mick helped Melo put the animals in his car. Fuffy curled up on his lap, but he drove like a mad man to get the dogs to the Vet. Both Jesse and Jordo went into surgery. Melo held Fuffy, until she relaxed. “I will come back for you girl, I promise, there is another girl I am really worried about.” Melo kissed Fuffy, and handed her to the assistant. Melo drove post haste to the hospital. Mick was standing outside smoking, Mick had not smoked in twenty years. “Mick?”
Mick shook his head. Melo sat down. “Light me a cigarette.” Mick handed his brother a smoke. “He stabbed her in the kidney, then…. Then he raped her, she was dead before I got to her. I blame myself Melo, her blood is on my hands, and I have no fucking idea how to find Ian, before…” The brothers smoked in silence. “We need to go check on the animals, I will see to her burial.” Said Melo. Mick followed him. Jesse was out of surgery. “How is Jordo doing?” Melo picked up Fuffy. “Can I take her home?” The assistant nodded. “Jordo will take a long time to heal. He will have to be fed, and his wounds cleaned regularly, if he gets an infection, he won’t survive. “I will take them, my wife will take care of them, and all the bills, I will settle it, please, please save the doggy.” Melo left, the tears made it hard to see where he was going.
IAN: He pulled on the chain’s, he pulled harder, the wall was not solid. He was tall enough to reach to opposite side of the wall with his feet, he pulled, he pulled a part of the wall out. Ian grabbed the chains, kicked the door down and ran.
BRENO: He beat me again, he will not live, I hope those fucking dogs die. Breno drove too fast, a cop pulled him over. “Senhor, my wife was attacked, you can call it in, she is in surgery, just call it in por favor.” The cop called it in. “I will follow you to the hospital, Senhor Alveiso.”
The officer accompanied Breno into the hospital. Breno identified himself. A doctor came down stairs, and told Breno, his wife had succumbed to her wounds. Breno laughed and left the hospital. The officer looked at the doctor in shock. “Everyone deals with death differently, while you are here, Senhor, I need a detective to come and see me. Signora Alveiso was rapped.”
IAN: He was running with the chains in his arms, he had to get to a phone. He begged the drugstore owner to use his phone. Ian had money in his pocket. “Senhor, I was kidnapped, does it look like I did this to myself? The man I need to call will verify whom I am, take as much money as you like, out of my pocket, por favour Senhor, lives are at stake.” The owner called the number. Mick answered. He told the owner that Ian was telling him the truth. Mick asked for the address, he was there within a half hour. “Ian.” Mick embraced him. “I will get these off you.” Mick gave the owner an additional sum of cash, and showed him his badge.
“I need to get you to my home, Ian. I have really bad news.” Ian listened and he wept. Mick cut the chains off. “Am I a suspect?”
“No, Ian, Melo and I told the cops you were passed out at my house. So go to the sala, lie down, they will be here, well, they are here, try and hide your hands.” Ian lay on the couch, when detective Aberto Montes told Ian that Carolina was dead, he didn’t have to pretend. The pain he felt was real. Mick held him. “How are my animals?” Mick told Ian what he knew. “Can I go detective? I need to see my wife, and I need to see my animals.” Detective Montes, assured Ian he was free to do as he pleased. Ian and Mick went to the morgue. “I want to see my wife.” The ME looked at Mick. “He wants to see his wife.” Ian looked down at her. He hated Breno, he wanted Breno dead, the same was what he was looking at, dead. Mick saw it in Ian’s eyes. “Amigo, not now, come, we need to go to the Vet.” Jesse wagged her tail when she saw Ian. He wept and she licked his tears dry. “My girl, I am so sorry.” Jordo was still heavily sedated. Ian held him. “Boy, forgive me.”
“Where is Fuffy?”
“At Melo.” Ian nodded. “I want to see her please.” Mick drove him to Melo’s house. Fuffy jumped into his arms. “Ian sit. These animals were the biggest clue to all of this, they couldn’t stand Breno. I am so sorry, I need you to forgive me, Ian, I let Carolina and you down, no that is not the correct wording, I am responsible for what happened.” Mick broke down and cried.
“Mick, he is sick, he wanted to be me, he blames me for his childhood, as if mine was easy. He wanted my wife, but he hates animals, we are identical twins, with the exception of the scar’s, his is too thin.”
“Ian you will have to talk to Montes, he is a good man, you don’t need to tell him what happened with your Mama. But you will have to tell him about Breno, we can’t catch him on our own, he will kill us all, my family, and my brother’s family, and you are right, I met him, he is sick, so sick he needs to be put down, please talk to Montes.”
“You and Melo will not tell him about Mama’s death?”
“No, we will blame it on Breno, and Melo has destroyed your files, just in case, so the story is you hired me, and you became friends with Melo, same profession. That will leave the cops out of Melo’s office.” Ian nodded. He looked at his wrists, they were on fire. “Call Montes, but don’t leave me alone with him, there is too much I don’t know Mick. And my wife….” Mick nodded and made the call.
Montes was older, he knew Roberto very well. He knew a little about Ian, but not much.
“Senhor Alvesio, I am terribly sorry for the loss of your wife, and the way in which she died.” Ian nodded. “Senhor, what I am about to tell you, cannot leave this room, not now, do with what I tell you, as you see fit, but, lives are at stake, you know this is my third wife, and my other wives death’s were not accidents, I will tell you as much as I know, but, I am telling you because Mick told me to trust you.” Montes agreed to Ian’s terms. Ian purged. Montes was dumbstruck. “A twin, and he killed then all to get back at you, and you had no idea you even had a brother?”
“I can corroborate it all, Aberto, I met that dog, he pulled the wool over my eyes, I had a beer with him, I sat at their table and had a meal with them, Carolina was scared, she sent me a text, look. I sent one back and told her to get out. We know how that ended.”
Montes thought for a while. “He wants to be you. We can use that to lure him out, but not now, I am so sorry that you have to bury another wife, I can’t begin to imagine your pain, I will have the body released as soon as I can, this is a shit storm, thank you for trusting me, Ian. Honestly in all my years, this is the most bazaar case I have ever stumbled upon. The first time, with Marisa, Roberto was adamant that you were innocent, I wish he was here to see just how right he was.” Montes said good bye, he would contact Mick, he didn’t want to endanger Ian’s life more than it already was.
Ian stayed with Mick, his home was a crime scene. Ian knew he would not go back.
“Mick I need to find another place to stay, please fetch my clothes, and when you can put the house on the market, I don’t want to go in there.”
“You don’t have too, a friend of mine owns a boarding house, you will be safe there, Jordo, and Jesse will stay with Melo until they are well, by then we would have found you a new home, try to sleep, I know I am asking for the impossible, but you look unwell.”
“I am hungry, and I need to wash, may I used your bathroom please Mick?” Mick showed Ian where to go, and gave him a clean pair of night clothes. Mick when to his wife, and explained what happened, not all of it, only that Ian’s wife was a friend, and that his wife was murdered.
Ian didn’t sleep, he wanted to, he knew now what revenge felt like, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. He left early to check on Jesse and Jordo. Jordo was awake, he tried to wag his tail. “Hey big guy, it’s okay, don’t hurt yourself, hey girl, no-no, lie down we will play when you are better. I love you, I love you so much, please don’t leave me, and thank you for what you did for your Mommy, you are my hero’s.” Ian sobbed, he held his dogs for a long time, his clothes were too big, and his pants kept slipping off. He stayed with his dogs. Mick brought him a suit. Mick petted the dogs while Ian changed. “I am sorry.” Mick kissed Jesse then Jordo.
“Montes called, we will have breakfast with him. I have all your things at my house, and your car, I have spoken to my friend, he has a room for you, this place is very secure, no one can get in or out, it has electric fencing, and a guard at the gates, you will be safe.” Ian nodded. He didn’t feel safe.
Montes shook their hands, Ian ordered a coffee. Mick a full breakfast.
“There is very little in the system on Breno. He was adopted at birth, from the hospital, he was placed in a foster home at the age of six, he went from one to the next, at seventeen he killed his foster dad, well that is speculation, then he disappeared, the most recent job he had, was as a Night watchman at the morgue, and that is the only employment he has ever had, that we know of. Breno, is a shadow, he never stays in one place for long, or he hides in the shadows. As I said before the only way to catch him, is to use you as bait.”
Mick didn’t like the idea at all. “Montes, I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, but Breno is not normal, nothing he does is close to normal, he will shoot Ian in cold blood. I am lucky the bullet went right through, I don’t like this, I will not agree to it.”
“Senhor, allow me to bury my wife, and I will think about it, if you can swear that I will not be harmed I will do it, I need this maniac out of my life, I don’t know him, I don’t care that he looks like me, he is a stranger, he was a stranger the first time I saw him, and I forgot about him, all I can remember was his name.”
Ian moved into his room, he wanted to be alone, his boss called him, and told him to take all the time he needed, his job would still be available. Ian thanked him. Had a shower, and went for a run, the premises were large enough to build up a sweat, he had no intention of going toe to toe with Breno, not now, he had to think.
BRENO: He thinks he won, he will never win, I got that bitch, and those dogs, I will get him and his friends, I just need to find my evil twin. I am living in this horrible room, because I paid for a month. There is a hole in the wall, I placed a cardboard over it, but I can hear the people next door fuck. I have to follow Mick the dick, that will be the only way I can find Ian. I had it all, and he took it away, again. I have one of his cars, I have to dump it, I wish I could dump it with his body in it.
Breno dressed in black, he always dressed in black, he used the car to scan Mick’s house. No sign of Ian. No they will hide him. He drove the car into the Pio do Peixe, he jumped out, he was soaked, that didn’t bother him. He would steal a car. He had to find Ian. He drove past the house, the place was swarming with cops. Breno drove past Melo’s house. All quiet. He knew Ian would not be there, so the next step would be to interrogate, Mick. Breno drove around, ten waited outside Mick’s house. No dogs. He jumped over the fence, picked a lock and waited in the closet for Mick or his wife to come home. Breno hoped the wife would arrive first, he never got to ‘finish’ last night.
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