Chapter Text
We arrive back home. A somber silence between us as we process all this new information. We pull up to the drive and step into the house. There’s a smashed vase on the ground.
“Dad has been.”
The note I’d left on the counter had been scrunched up and smoothed back out again. He’d written ‘okay, sorry I knocked over the vase on the way in’. A lie. This had all the signs of outrage.
Austin took the note out of my hand and threw it away.
“I’ll get it cleaned up.” He offered “Go take a shower.” He kissed me on my forehead. I looked at my phone. 8 missed calla and a text message from dad.
“That Russo kid best not be messing with your head.” ‘Which one?’ I thought.
I stood in the showers for what felt like hours, replaying these new memories, wishing I hadn’t remembered some of them. I let the gentle humming of the shower unit settle my nerves and felt the gentle pressure of the water relieve some of the tension I carried in my shoulders. I still could not still my mind from its persistent unease. I thought carefully about what the connection could be to my dad. Was there anything I’ve missed? Me. Ned. Bennie. Austin. My dad? Could he really have known what happened between Bennie and Ned? Did he really know Bennie? Does that mean he knows Austin? Does Austin know more than he’s letting on.
‘Russo kid’ I suddenly remembered. The blood pulsing between my ears as mind erupted in alarm. Dad said Russo, I’d never told him his full name. I drew my attention back to the room and turned off the shower. Once the soothing murmur of the cascading water had ended, there was another sound. Some commotion, things smashing.
“What did you do to her?!” I heard Austin shout. I put my robe on and ran out.
Austin had my dad pinned up against the wall.
“Why did you make her think she’d killed her husband?!” He snarled.
Dad was nervous it was obvious. Yet he still tried to act as though he had the upper hand; he scoffed, “I don’t know what you’re talking ab..”
Austin about took his nose clean off his face with a right hook. I covered my mouth with my hands. Instinct had me ready to tell him to stop, but I didn’t want him to. He readjusted his grip on his shirt and threw him back against the wall.
“Why?! Why are you protecting Bennie?!” He spat.
“Who’s Bennie?” He asked. He turned to me “Can you tell this thug to let me go? I think he broke my nose.”
“How did you know his name was Russo?” I asked.
“Wha..?” He shrugged, “you told me yesterday.”
“No I didn’t dad.” An acceptance fell upon his face as he realised I’d wised up to him.
Austin hit him again. “Why are you protecting Bennie?” He spat.
Dad laughed. “You think I give a shit about Bennie?!” He spat blood in Austin’s face. Austin turned away. Dad went to hit him but Austin ducked and caught him with he’s knee . Dad crumbled in a heap on the floor. He kicked him again. I felt suddenly out of body. My father, the person who I’d thought had been protecting me over the past few years, being physically assaulted by the man I loved. My head nor heart could make sense of what was happening. I felt so torn.
“Austin!” I said before he kicked again.
Dad looked. “The darling fucking daughter, as vacant as a missing tooth, suddenly decides to wake up.”
Austin looked at me for permission to kick him again. I gave a slight nod. Dad recoiled with the impact.
He coughed “What are you doing with this murderer? You know he killed his own father? And you. Tut tut. You killed your own husband.”
“No dad. I didn’t! I remember now it was Bennie.
Bennie killed his dad too.”
He laughed acting the fool, “Bennie who?” He looked at me. “Trust you to get involved like this. Only you could accidentally meet a man on death row, stab his brother, who happens to be the same person who killed your husband. He’s so pissed about that you know!” he smiled, his teeth red with the blood pouring from his nose. “The idiot thought you’re little visit had something to do with me. We spoke yesterday, once he was out of jail.”
“He’s out?” Austin and I both asked in the same moment.
“Thought I was trying to frame him for killing his dad. I couldn’t let the man go about thinking I’d do such a thing!” He revelled in the confusion on both our faces.
“What are you talking about? I saw him shoot him.” Austin yelled in increasing frustration.
He shrugged his shoulder theatrically. “If only someone had seen. If only someone was still alive to tell the tale.”
“Is that why Bennie killed Ned? Ned saw didn’t he?” I asked.
“You can ask Bennie yourself, he’ll be here soon enough” he smiled wickedly.
I looked at Austin in panic. I remembered the hate and anger in his eyes as he tightened his grip around my throat. I’d seen him kill someone I’d loved before, I couldn’t let that happen again.
“Austin let’s just go. I can’t see him again.”
He looked torn for a moment. Wanting to do the right thing for me, wanting to find out what happens, wanting to get his hands on Bennie at long last. He knew Bennie was a loose cannon. “Go get dressed he said”.
I rushed to the bedroom and threw on whatever clothes I could find. I filled a bag as quickly as I could. I couldn’t concentrate on what I needed. I emptied two drawers as quickly as I could and stuffed everything in a bag. Who knows if anything is picked was of any use. My memory replayed the moment Bennie held Ned in the bath, but this time it was Austin. I needed to get back to him.
When I came back father was on the floor again. Austin was breathless and bandaging up his knuckles. As I watched him I felt like I was living that “You’re so cool,” moment from True Romance. I should be outraged and horrified. But I wasn’t. I loved everything about him. I went over to him. He held me around my waist and my caressed my face.
“What a mess” he said, “I thought I had baggage” we both laughed a sad, slightly hysterical laugh.
“I’ve packed a bag, let’s just go! Please! I want to go back to that feeling when I picked you up the other day, or when we first met at the shop.”
“Ooh where are we going?” a cold voice rang out from the foyer. Bennie.
***
He saw father lying on the ground in a heap. Bennie started laughing.
“How the mighty have fallen! Did she stab you too?” His feigned jovialness turned sinister. He stopped laughing as he looked at me.
“Ah Bennie, have you met my daughter?” Dad said through breathless brakes. His face a swollen mess. His blood stained shirt torn and a shoe missing. His forced ribbing with Bennie made my blood boil. I looked at Austin, he was watching Bennie like a lion stalking it’s prey.
“Once or twice, the first time was a lot more fun!” He sneered. Austin lunged at him but Bennie was sharp, he stepped out of the way. I hold onto Austin, for my protection and his.
“What’s up bro? Mad that I saw you’re girl naked before you did?” while Bennie was trying, and succeeding to intimidate me, Austin connected with a left jab on the side of his head. Bennie stumbled a bit in my direction and grabbed me around me neck with his right arm, his left hand held me by my forehead.
“If you want me to snap her neck keep going.” He threatened. Austin stopped himself knowing Bennie wasn’t all talk.
“See there I was, thinking you were coming after me for your husbands murder.” He growled in my ear. “So as you can imagine, I was puzzled to say the least when I find out you’ve been snooping in my family business! You weren’t there for your spouse at all, you were there about my father. Hours I spend picking at this scab,” he gestured to the a scar on his abdomen where I’d stabbed him, “wondering why you’d do such a thing as to stab me like that. Wondering what I’d do to you in return, how I’d do it. Must be the Doc I thought. After everything, daring to send me down! That can’t be it, I thought, your old man ain’t that dumb. Then I he pays my bail, tells me all about how, or who, my dear brother is doing since getting out. A bizzare coincidence I’ll give you that.” He lets my go and shoves me in Austin’s direction. He looks Austin in the eyes. They’re silent for a few moments. Both getting angrier by the second as they stare each other down. Suddenly they break out into a brawl. Bennie is quick, gets the upper hand on Austin, but Austin has had nothing to do but defend himself for the past 7 years. He overpowers Bennie and starts pummelling him. “THIS IS FOR POP” He yells.
Bennie somehow pushes him off staggering to his feet and wiping his lip. “I didn’t fucking kill him! I wish I had, don’t get me wrong! I’d have happily done it.”
Breathless Austin asks “What?!”
“I was after you, you fucking idiot. Pop jumps in and saves his precious son! Except my bullet didn’t kill him. It probably rendered him useless. The boss killed him!” Bennie adds. We both look at Bennie confused. He points at father on the ground. He’s propped up against the wall, a triumphant smile across his face, hands in the air as if to say ta-da.
“If that pencil necked husband of yours hadn’t have been stupid enough to threaten me with a video of my being there,” dad panted, “none of this would have got so messy.”
Austin’s face was furious. I barely recognised him. “But you were there Bennie!!”
“Yeah I was there! I was there on Doc’s orders. See turns out one of the cars you and pop hijacked had been one of the Doc’s deliveries. Doc was obviously angry about that, but furious that pop had the balls to go ahead and sell it on, on our patch.” Bennie explained.
“We were on our way to settle things,” dad adds. “Whether that be recruiting him or killing him. Either way we’d need to get rid of you first. But by time I’d got there he was damaged goods. We put him down like a race horse” dad laughs a menacing laugh. I felt sick. It’s cut short as Austin knees him in the face.
“Turns out I hadn’t completely cleared the area.” Bennie continued “Didn’t think you two were organised enough for an accountant!”
I looked toward my father “You had me believe I’d killed him? Made him out to be abusive?! Just to cover your tracks?”
“Oh shit!” Bennie laughed, “you convinced her she’d done it. No wonder she was so gormless when she came to me. I knew you were bad.” he laughed. “I didn’t realise you could be that evil.” They both laughed. “Was Cargle in on this?” Dad nodded. “He’ll do anything for money!” Bennie added, dead pan. It went quiet.
“Yeah, that was probably my fault too.” Bennie joked. “See I didn’t realise you lived with the accountant. Even papa bear hear didn’t know you were married.” He laughed, “I seemed to be leaving a trail of witnesses. Think I’d been sampling too many products.” He winks. “So I take my grievances to daddy dearest. He never told me you’d be there, I wasn’t happy! Even Doc don’t like my angry do you Doc?” He didn’t pause long enough for dad to answer. “So he offered to clean up this mess, said he has some new mind - truth- control thingy he wants to try. I say go ahead, but if this comes back to bite me, I’m ready to bite back”. He looks at my dad in a heap on the floor. He scoffs to himself and shakes his head.
“Hey Austin, bet you didn’t know pop was peddling meth on the doctors patch.” Austin said nothing.
“See,” said Bennie, “the Doc here runs this town. Doc couldn’t have that could you Doc? “
“Mm-mm” he replied nodding his finger from side to side.
Austin grabbed Bennie and threw him against the wall, “Pop never sold that meth and you know it!” He spat.
Bennie brought a finger up to his temple, over acting the process of thinking. “You know. Now you mention it.” He shrugs himself loose from Austin. “I think it was me. Yeah! I sold that meth.” Bennie looks at dad and starts laughing. “Oops!” He’s manic. Dad finds it hard to speak now. He slowly shakes his head. I don’t know if this was news to him.
Bennie sits himself on the stool next to the breakfast bar, lights himself a cigarette. Austin and I are stood, our hands are clasped together as he stands a little in front of me. Dad is still on the floor. Wheezing.
“So here we all are. What happens now?” Austin asks.
“Doc?” Bennie asks, knowing dad won’t be able to answer. Austin shift uncomfortably, almost as though he’s angry dad couldn’t put up more of a fight.
“No? Okay, I’ll sort it,” Bennie interjects quite happily. “Pretty simple really for such a complicated mess. We remove the problem.” He pulls out a switch blade from his pocket, which instantly sets my heart racing. He closes one eye and stares down the blade in Austin’s direction. “One of you is being an incredibly weak link and could unravel this whole thing.” He slides it across to aim at me. “Not fit for purpose really.”
“Bennie” a croaky wheeze calls out from the corner. “Help me up.”
Bennie went over to him, grab his hand, pulled him half way, then dropped him.
“Hmm.” Bennie rubs his chin. Austin had picked up a kitchen knife while Bennies back was turned. “Can’t help yourself up old man? Sounds like weak link activity to me.” he continued. “After all, who was it that wrongly shot and killed Papa Russo, in front of a witness? Placed all his faith in his ridiculously elaborate plan of mind control? Pumped his daughter’s bank account full of money for her to buy her little lover boy a new lawyer? and put all his trust in the most easily bought man in the country?”
Confused Austin and I both stopped in our tracks. Dad’s faces looked ashamed following his dressing down. He studied Bennie’s face, waiting for Bennie to change the mood again. “What are you talking about Bennie?” He ask trying to regain some dominance.
“While you’ve been busy panicking about these two, Cargle has been busy emptying your accounts keeping half for himself, transferring the widows ex-lovers video of the shooting to me and flying to Mexico with his wife and daughter.” Bennie laughed. “He’ll do anything for money!” he repeated.
Dad said nothing, just sat there in his shallow breath. Rolling over and admitting defeat. Bennie pointed at Austin, “Help me with this sack of shit.” He commanded. Austin didn’t move. “I don’t take orders from you.” He mumbled.
Bennie leaned over my dad, getting as close to his face as he could. “I’m the boss now”. He jumped back up. “You hear that brother?” He swaggered closer, until they stood toe to toe. Through gritted teeth he declared, “I’m the boss now.” Austin stilled, then head butted him. Bennie hit the ground, cradling his head in his hands. Austin walked over to my father and took his arm around his shoulder, then waited for Bennie to pick himself up and get the other side. They took him out the door and to his car. Austin came back inside, followed by Bennie,
“We’re not done lover boy. I need your help with this.” He walked back out and revved the engine of dads car.
Austin turned to me. Kissed me and picked up the kitchen knife again. Tucking it into his belt hook. I looked at him with horror in my eyes as I realised he intended to kill Bennie.
“Austin!” I pleaded. “Don’t!”
He came back to me and held my face, “He’s not going tot leave us alone, you realise that? He’s not done with me, or you! You heard him! He’s alone, no goons with him. If I don’t do this now, he’ll get us another time.”
In this moment I realised I had a choice to make.
Your choice here effects the ending for the story.
Choice A
I start to cry. Tears roll down m face as I realise I may not see him again. “Promise me you’ll come back. I can’t loose you!” He wipes away the tears on my face. “I promise!” he says as he tries to not let me see the tears building in his eyes too. He kisses me on the forehead and walks out the door. I hear the car door shut and the car speed down the drive. I’m alone with my thoughts.
If you choose this root, go to chapter 13 (coming soon)
Choice B
‘I can’t let him risk everything and end up dead or inside again. Id rather die’ I think to myself.
“Austin wait! In my bedroom. One of the drawers, there’s a gun.” I lie. Austin’s walks toward the bedroom, when I was sure he couldn’t see me, i made a silent run for the door and into the car with Bennie.
If you choose this route, go to chapter 14 (Coming soon)