Authors: Jeffrey Littorno
Joey spoke up to make it clear, “Lou, what’re you ramblin’ on about? Should we hunt for a diamond stashed ‘round here somewhere? I mean, just let me at it.”
Theresa sat without showing any reaction. I was not quite sure what to think about Stoaffer’s ranting.
He shook his head slowly and chuckled to himself. “No, Joey, I am not aware of any diamond hidden here. I was referring to a figurative diamond.” Stoaffer smiled at Joey’s obvious confusion. “Don’t worry. I will stick to more literal references. I mentioned before I am some-one who is used to possessing power, and I spent a substantial amount of time developing methods for holding on to my power. Overall, those methods proved effective. However, I am aware of a threat to my power which can no longer go unaddressed. I am now in San Pietro to eliminate this threat.” He straightened himself with pride at having given such a clear explanation.
“So you’re saying you think that Theresa is some kind of threat to you?” I shook my head unable to believe I understood him right. “Really Louis?” I found myself laughing at the ridiculousness of the idea.
Stoaffer’s laugh came out harsh and humorless and stopped my own laughter at once. “I realize how absurd this all sounds.”
“Are you serious, Uncle Lou?” Theresa practically screamed. “Are you sure you know how
absurd
this sounds? It’s absolutely crazy! Until today, we hadn’t seen each other since I was ten years old! How could you think I was any kind of a threat to you?”
Stoaffer appeared concerned about Theresa’s feelings. He started to toward her but then stopped to say, “I understand your confusion, my dearest Theresa.”
The words enraged Theresa. Her face grew red, and she started to reply but instead snapped her mouth shut and shot an expression of pure hatred at Louis.
If he noticed Theresa’s response, Louis showed no signs as he continued, “The threat you pose is not the result of anything you did.” He paused a moment choosing his next words carefully. “Your earlier declar-ation of no feelings for me proves this. However, your words do not alter my feelings… I love you.” The puff of air escaping from Theresa’s mouth stopped Louis for a second. “These feelings prevent me from dealing with you.”
“Maybe I am being dense, but I don’t understand why you would have to
deal
with me at all.” Her appearance and voice no longer showed anger but rather a high level of stress. “The door is right there. Take your bonds and your friend and whatever else you want and walk right out the door. You don’t ever have to see me again, and you don’t ever have to worry about me posing any threat to you.”
“There you go, Lou! No need to kill anyone,” I said in a bright, optimistic voice. “We can head out the door and never worry about a threat.”
Stoaffer’s smile made it clear he was not giving any serious consideration to what I said. He regarded me as one would a child who said something ridiculous. “Thomas, thank you for your insight. I would like to agree with you, but I cannot.” He chuckled. “Sure would make things easier though.”
“Well, shit, if we’re gonna do this, let’s do this!” Joey demanded as he moved toward Theresa with the gun in his hand.
“Hold on for a moment, Joseph,” Louis replied. “I truly admire your enthusiasm and sense of purpose in this matter. However, Thomas must be the one to do this deed.”
The words sent a cold blast which took my breath away. I needed a few seconds to recover enough to speak. “Louis, you know I don’t think there’s any reason to kill her. Why do you want me to do it?” I am not sure if he was considering my question or not, but Louis did not respond right away.
“I got the gun right here, Lou! Pop! We’re done!” Joey pleaded. “I’m sick o’ all this talkin’. Lemme finish this!”
“Joseph, stop where you are!” Stoaffer’s command froze Joey where he stood. “I need you to listen to me carefully. It is crucial for Thomas to be the one who does this.” He glanced at Theresa but was obviously not comfortable at the sight of her. “Let me try to explain. With the bearer bonds I got from my old desk tonight, we became extremely rich men. None of us will ever need to be concerned about money again. The thing about which we
will
need to be concerned is our trust in one another. Without such trust, we will never be able to stop looking over our shoulders and be certain ghosts from the past will not return to haunt us.”
“Oh, so now you’re going to tell us a ghost story? Louis, you got what you came for. Let’s go.” I was feeling anxious to be out of this house and back on the road
“Actually, I haven’t gotten everything for which I…we came, Thomas. I am trying to explain. Please let me talk to Joseph for a few more minutes and then you and I need to discuss some things.”
Instantly, Joey stood in front of Stoaffer. “I dunno what we got to talk about, Lou. I mean, you said you wanted this chick dead so I’m ready to do it. Alla sudden I’m not good enough for you.”
Joey sounded like some kid whining about going to bed early, but Stoaffer’s reaction was what truly surprised me.
“Joseph, please don’t ever for a second think you are not good enough for me. I am confident in your ability to do this task.” I expected to see Stoaffer’s face blossom into a smile and hear the sound of his laughter, but he just continued in his sincere-sounding voice. “My insistence upon Thomas doing this rather than you is not a reflection of my trust in you. I said before we must have trust in one another. An essential part of establishing, building, and maintaining trust is showing a willingness to put yourself on equal footing with the other participants in your relationship of trust.”
A sound which combined a snicker and a giggle escaped from Joey. He looked over at Theresa who now sat motionless hunched over on the edge of the couch with her face in her hands. “I hafta say yer Uncle Lou sure woulda made an excellent talk show guy. Like one of those afternoon shows housewives watch in the afternoon when their husbands are out bangin’ their
secr’taries
.”
Theresa raised her face to show red, teary eyes and a look of scorn.
“Well, perhaps in another life,” Louis replied with a smile. “However, in this life, there are pressing matters to which we must attend, and no more time to deal in broad generalities. Let me ask you some specific questions, Joseph. First, how long have you and Thomas been friends?”
“Shit, I don’t know … as long as I can remember.”
“That’s wonderful. Thanks for your honest answer, Joseph. It must be marvelous to be friends for so long. I bet the two of you have lots of terrific memories.” Joey responded with a knowing smile as Louis continued, “Now think back on all the time the two of you have spent together, those good times and those … those not so good times.” Stoaffer’s voice was calm and soothing not unlike the voice one of those hypnotherapists. “Get a good picture in your mind of some of those times the two of you spent together.”
Joey’s smile and faraway expression made it obvious he was picturing past experiences.
“Now in those times spent with Thomas, I want you to remember the times when you did things other people might think are wrong. Those things like stealing cars, burglarizing houses, and hurting people.”
Joey still had the faraway expression, but his smile grew bigger.
“Let’s focus on the violence,” Louis said and the whole conversation sounded more and more like one of those psych interviews I had. “Think back on those times when you and Thomas were together and people got hurt. The time the boy in the juvenile hall lunch room got badly beaten with a food tray, the girl with the long red ponytail who was attacked behind the high school but was too afraid to tell anyone, and the woman at the grocery store who got shot.”
I did not wonder until much later how he found out about things which had happened long before we met in the grocery store.
“The two of you were involved in so many events in which people got hurt or killed I don’t expect you to remember every one. Think back on the ones you can picture clearly and focus on one thing. Who pulled the trigger or threw the fist or kicked out with the boot or stuck the knife? Did Thomas or did you, Joseph?”
Joey’s face didn’t change from the expression of being somewhere else.
“Why are we wasting time with this?” I asked. “Can’t we just get out of here? I promise we can take a trip down memory lane when we’re in the car.”
Louis smiled at my comment and said, “This happens to be important, Thomas. Now can I speak with Joey for just a moment?”
“He’s gotta point, Thomas,” Joey said. “Thinkin’ back on all our wild times together, I always got my hands dirty. Always me who got his hands covered with blood. Always me to get stuff done, take action. You? You always tryin’ to stop me from doin’ what needed tuh get done. After I did what needed tuh get done, you always complainin’ about how I got those things done.”
I wanted to say something to Joey but could not find the right words or get my tongue to move.
Louis broke in before I managed to speak, “Not much of a way to build trust, right?” The delight was clear in his words. “This is precisely why Thomas to be the one to pull the trigger this time. Not only will this facilitate the male bonding process between us but will also remove any power we can exert over one another.”
“What power, Louis?” I asked now able to speak.
“Maybe you have heard the old expression
knowledge is power
,” he said. “What I am expressing is a practical example of the proverb. When one person gains knowledge with the potential to harm another in some way, that knowledgeable person has power. To be more specific, if one of us knows the others did something… performed some deed which is not considered … acceptable by society, say murder, then such a person wields power over the others. One could control the others by threatening to release such information. Of course, such knowledge is counteracted or effectively neutralized if each of us has some awareness of the other’s misdeeds.”
“How ‘bout sayin’ that again but in English this time,” Joey remarked.
“All right, let’s try this example. You are both aware I killed the kid behind the gas station to get the car. This knowledge gives you a certain power over me. However, the knowledge is balanced because I know you killed the woman in the grocery store.”
“The woman
and
the assistant manager,” Joey proudly added. “Oh, and the business guy!”
Stoaffer smiled and said, “Sorry, the knowledge is counteracted, because I know you killed the woman
,
the assistant manager,
and
the businessman in the grocery store. Our awareness of each other’s transgressions takes the power away from the knowledge. Unfortunately, one member of our trio does not fit into such a well-balanced scenario.”
Stoaffer’s eyes were fixed on me, and a broad grin lit up his face.
“Did I ever give you a reason to doubt or suspect me?” I asked flatly.
“Of course, you didn’t, Thomas. But as I am trying to explain, there doesn’t need to be any reason. The simple fact you possess knowledge which is not balanced by similar knowledge in the hands of others gives you power.” Stoaffer turned his eyes toward Theresa as he continued, “Coincidentally, my dear Theresa presents a very similar predicament. She possesses a power which prevents me from acting objectively in matters regarding her.” He shook his head slowly as if Theresa’s fate made him sad. “In order to correct the imbalance, it is crucial for you to do what needs to be done.”
“I have no problem doing
what needs to be done
, Louis. The problem for me is killing someone for no good reason. So how about if I promise to kill the next person we meet who needs killing? Would this make you feel better?” I tried to keep my voice light to hide my growing sense of dread.
“No, she must be killed, and you must do it,” Stoaffer answered. “A sword is a sword. Whether or not it is used as a weapon, the threat remains.” A smile stretched across his face as Louis continued, “After it is done, we can enjoy the easy life.”
Theresa gave a loud sniff and said, “I’m not sure what I could have done to you, but I am--”
“The discussion is over!” Louis pronounced.
He spun around. Without saying anything further, Stoaffer walked over and snatched the Glock from the little table next to Joey. He turned again and pointed the gun straight at Theresa who froze with fear. His extended arms trembled, and he tensed as if he would pull the trigger at any second. I waited for the gunshot to ring out. He kept the gun aimed at her for almost a minute.
He finally let his arm fall as if all his strength was gone and turned to face me. “Thomas, I need you to do this.” The strength and determination displayed on his face moments earlier was gone. He now appeared to be just a weak old man as he shuffled over and set the gun next to me.
“Thomas, what’s the big deal?” Joey asked. “C’mon, you barely met this bitch. This is the kinda sweet deal we’ve been waitin’ forever for.”
I had to admit Joey made sense. I did not know this woman at all. Why should I defend her? Lots of times over the years, I had been a part of people getting hurt. True, Joey was the one to actually hurt them, but I did nothing to stop him. This sort of made me responsible for the results. None of it really mattered right now. Getting out of San Pietro and getting those bonds cashed was the important thing. Everything seemed clear in my head until my eyes locked on Theresa.
As soon as she raised her head and caught me with her red, teary eyes, every thought left me. She was the image of innocent beauty. The light shining from her was warm and cleansing. Sure, light is light, but this felt different. A smile formed on my mouth as I thought about the light.