The Mistaken (30 page)

“Well, aren’t you perceptive,” I replied. “Actually
I’m British, born in London. But my family immigrated to Australia
when I was twelve. Then I moved to the States about ten years ago,
so my accent is a bit…muddled, or so I’m told.” I sat back in my
seat and dropped my gaze to my hands on the table. “Or
was
told, anyway. By my wife.” I glanced back up at Hannah.

With her lips pressed into a sad smile, she looked
me in the eye for a long moment then moved judiciously on to
another subject, grilling me about my childhood and young adult
years.

“If you missed London so much, why did you move to
the States instead of returning to England?” she asked.

“Well, I’d planned to, but I fell in love with San
Francisco while traveling and couldn’t tear myself away. Later,
Nick followed me, and though I was a bit resentful, I didn’t want
to leave. I had a thriving business building and remodeling homes.
I’d made some good friends. And then I met Jillian.”

I found it difficult to continue as I remembered
that time. My throat grew tight as the memories sifted through
me.

“Not too long after that, Nick had his accident, and
life changed considerably for us all.” I finished with a bitter
grin. “So, tell me more about your son.”

Hannah’s face lit up when she talked about Conner,
and she laughed, which was a sound I’d not heard from her. It was
captivating, just as she was, and it made me smile and laugh, as
well. Enjoying the moment with her took me back to a happier time,
when Jill and I used to dream of our family together.

“You know, you remind me of my wife in some ways,” I
remarked.

Hannah looked surprised with her lips parted and
eyes wide. “Oh? How so?” she asked.

“I don’t know, your spirit, perhaps. Your
independence and sense of compassion. Those were some of the things
that made her beautiful to me. You share that same kind of beauty.”
As Hannah stared back open-mouthed, I felt the need to clarify.
“Not that you look like her, but...” I reached for my wallet and
pulled out the photographs we’d taken last year at Pier 39. I
handed it to Hannah. “You do share the same fearless nature. She
had a fire in her. I’ve seen the same in you.”

She stared at the photo with a melancholy smile.
“You both look so happy.” she said then handed the photo back.
“It’s easy to see how much you adored her.”

I held it in my hand and ran my finger over Jill’s
image. I imagined all the times I’d run my finger along the side of
her face, tipping her chin up so I could kiss her, and I smiled at
the memory.

“I still do,” I whispered as if speaking to Jill.
“That will never change.” I shook my head and returned to Hannah. I
replaced the photo and took out some cash before putting my wallet
away. “We’d better finish up and get back on the road.” I dropped
the money on the table in front of her. “Would you mind paying the
bill? I still need to use the men’s room.”

“Oh…sure. No problem.”

“Thanks. I’ll meet you back at the car then. Just
keep the doors locked.”

I excused myself and used the facilities. I poked my
head out the rest room door and spied Hannah as she was leaving the
café, and, because I knew she was out of earshot, I decided to try
Nick’s phone again. I was surprised, but greatly relieved, when I
heard my brother’s voice on the other end.

“Nick! Oh, thank God. Are you all right? Alexi
hasn’t hurt you, has he?”

“Tyler?”

Goosebumps sprang up along my arms at the rough
sound of his voice. “Yeah, Nick, it’s me. I was worried about you.
Alexi answered your phone when I called last night. He wouldn’t let
me talk to you.” I waited for his response, but there was nothing.
“Nick? You still there? Are you okay?”

“Ty...I’m...I’m so sorry, brother.”

I grew concerned. Something wasn’t right.

“Nick, what’s wrong? Where are you?”

“Ty, this is all my fault. I tried to take care of
it, but I’ve just made things worse.” He sounded like he might be
crying, a rare thing for my little brother.

“Nick, it’s all right. Just tell me what happened.
Are you hurt? Where are you?”

“Ty, don’t come after me, okay? This is my
responsibility now. I don’t want you to come looking for me. I’m so
sorry. You don’t know half the shit I’ve done, Ty, so please,
don’t—”

“Nick, what are you talking about? What’s going
on?”

I was frightened for him. Alexi must have done
something to him, hurt him somehow. Nick sobbed into his phone. I’d
never heard him so desolate. Even after his accident, he never fell
apart like this.

“Nick, stop crying. Calm down and tell me where you
are,” I commanded.

“No. You can’t come here, you hear me? It’s not safe
for you here. Don’t come back down here looking for me, Tyler.” His
voice broke when he used my name.

“For God’s sake, Nick. Why not? Just tell me what
happened,” I asked gently this time.

“I can’t, brother. I want to. I need to, but…I
can’t.”

“How am I supposed to help you if you won’t tell me
what’s wrong? Please, Nick. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you
think.”

“No, Ty, it’s worse. I fucked up. I fucked up bad.
You have no idea.”

“I would if you’d tell me what’s going on. Please.
You’ll feel better. You know you will. You always feel better after
you talk to me, right? Come on, Nick. Let me help you. Please. Just
tell me.”

“Oh God, Ty. You never knew it, but…I was getting
even with you. I was pissed when you came down so hard on me after
the accident, even though I knew you were right, that it was my
fault. But I didn’t care. I just wanted to get back at you for
putting me in that position in the first place. Do you see? Can you
understand now?” He cried even harder.

“No, Nick. I don’t understand at all. What does that
have to do with anything?”

“I was such a fucking disappointment, wasn’t I,
Tyler? I could always see that in your eyes.”

“That is
not
true.”

“And you, you were always so perfect, weren’t you?
The perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect husband. You
never did anything wrong. Not like I did, huh, Ty?”

“Nick, what are you talking about?”

“I was just as devastated as you were when Jill
died. I loved her, too, Tyler. Just like you did. But you didn’t
know that, did you?”

“What?
”

“You couldn’t see what was right in front of
you.”

“Fuck you!”

“I could have helped her, Ty.”

“Stop, Nick. Please.”

“I could have saved her—”

“Why are you doing this?”

“—
and she wouldn’t have
died.”

“Shut the fuck up!
”

“But you didn’t trust me. You never do. You didn’t
think I could help. Because I’m just Nick, the fucking screw up,
right?
Right?
”

“No, Nick, come on. Please. Don’t do this.”

“Well, Ty, I proved you were just as fucked up as I
was. You got hooked on booze, too, didn’t you, brother? It helped
you through. Made it all a little more bearable, didn’t it? Well,
you can thank
me
for that.
I
manipulated
you
,
for once, and you went along for the ride, like I knew you would. I
brought you down, made you no better than me, so you could see I
wasn’t such a loser after all, that I wasn’t a bad guy. I knew you
could be weak, too, Tyler, just like me. I dragged you down on
purpose, brother. God help me, I did it on purpose.” His confession
complete, he finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

My hands turned ice cold, and there was a sinking
feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know what to think or
say. My mouth just flapped open and closed like a beached fish. I
was utterly stunned. When a couple of guys entered the men’s room,
I pushed by them and ran out the back door of the café.

“I’m so sorry, Tyler. Do you see now? This is why I
don’t want you to come after me. You were right all along. I just
get in the way. And that’s just the half of it. You don’t know, Ty.
You just don’t know. You’re better off without me.”

I felt like the earth had been blown out from
underneath me. I leaned against the back wall of the café and slid
down to the ground, running my hand over my head again and again as
I tried to clear out the confusion of Nick’s confession. I couldn’t
respond. I could only sit there listening to Nick sob and
apologize.

“I’m so sorry, Tyler. Please don’t hate me. I
couldn’t stand it if you hated me.”

I couldn’t find my voice to reassure him. I remained
still and silent.

“Are you still there?” he asked. “Tyler?”

I suddenly realized I didn’t care what he’d told me.
It didn’t matter to me one way or the other what he’d done or why.
He was my brother, and I needed to get him back alive.

“Nick, where are you? Please, just tell me so I can
come get you.”

He was perfectly calm now. “No, I don’t want you to,
Ty. It doesn’t matter now. I don’t need your help anymore.”

“Don’t be stupid. We can work this out, you’ll see.
Just tell me where you are.”

But he said nothing.

“Nick, I’m not angry, I swear. You’re my brother. I
could never hate you. I understand how you must have felt, and I’m
sorry. I love you. I need you to let me help you, please, just one
more time. Like the old days. I can fix this. Haven’t I always?
Just tell me where you are.”

“No, not this time, Tyler. You can’t fix this. Not
this time. It’s gone way beyond you and me now.”

“Nick, godammit, tell me!
Where the fuck are
you?
”

I heard a lot of rustling noises and then what
sounded like the phone being dropped on the floor. I could make out
Nick yelling. He was angry and scared. And there were other voices
taunting him, laughing at him. I didn’t know what was happening,
but it didn’t sound good, and I feared Nick’s life was in serious
jeopardy. I yelled his name into the phone over and over to no
avail. He was gone, though the line remained open.

Suddenly, another voice broke over the line. “Tyler,
I think it is time you brought the girl in, don’t you?”

It was Alexi. The mere sound of his voice made me
shake with impotent rage.

“Alexi, you fuck. If you’ve hurt him, I swear, I
will hunt you down and fucking kill you.”

Alexi chuckled softly. “Well, Tyler, I am not hiding
so there is really no need to hunt me down, as you say,” he
explained, sounding oddly light-hearted. “Feel free to come see me
anytime. I welcome an end to this most tiresome affair, as I am
sure your brother does. Just bring me the girl and all will be
settled. No hard feelings. I promise.”

It sickened me the way he behaved, like this was
just some simple act of bartering, one human life for another.

“Alexi, please. I know Nick must have told you. I
have the wrong girl. She’s not just merchandise to be traded.”

“Ah, but you did not feel this way some weeks ago.
Did you, my friend? No, you sought revenge. So you shall have it.”
I could almost see the grin on his face as he spoke.

“There’s no revenge to be had, Alexi. I’m telling
you, I have the wrong girl. You must understand. I can’t turn her
over to you.”

He laughed again. “Well then, you have a significant
problem, as does Nick, so I suggest you either find the right girl
or bring the one you have, because your brother is running out of
time. Tick-tock.”

“Alexi, please. What does Nick have to do with any
of this? This is between you and me. He can’t make up for my
mistake.”

“Perhaps not, but you chose to involve him in what
should have been a simple transaction. And now you have gone rogue
and left your beloved brother out to dry. No matter. I cannot have
dogs like the two of you make fools out of me and Mr. Chernov, now
can I? No, I think not. So you have until tomorrow to decide which
it will be, the girl or your brother. Now, I like your brother. I
really do. So for his sake, I hope you make the right
decision.”

That was it. I was trapped. I couldn’t just let Nick
die, but neither could I turn Hannah over to Alexi. Once Hannah and
I got down into The City, I would make arrangements for her to
return home, and I would meet Alexi alone. If I had to trade myself
for my brother, I would, gladly. No one else would pay for my sins
ever again.

I sighed, my defeat all too bitter. “Where do you
want to meet?” I asked.

“Very good.” His tone was smug and satisfied. “Come
to Dmitri’s Tea House on Geary near 25th. You know it?”

“Yes, I know it. I should be there tomorrow
morning.”

“Make sure that you are, my friend.” And the line
went dead.

I fell back against the building and slid to the
asphalt, my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. That
was
it. I’d played my hand and lost. Alexi knew it and was
no doubt enjoying his victory while awaiting his spoils. He had us
both now, me
and
Nick. I just prayed Dmitri would accept me
in my brother’s place, that I, alone, would be enough. I would turn
over everything I had to appease him, but I wasn’t sure, even with
all my savings and insurance money, that it would be enough. He
wanted the girl, any girl. He expected one, demanded one. What
would they do to us when I returned empty-handed? The walls were
closing in. I could see no way to escape.

I stared blindly at the pavement between my feet,
trying to come up with a plan when my hands were pulled out from
beneath my head. Hannah was kneeling in front of me with her brow
puckered in distress. I hadn’t even felt her wrap her fingers
around my wrists and pull.

“Ty, what are you doing out here?” she asked. “I’ve
been looking for you everywhere. Didn’t you hear me calling?”

I gazed back at her with a blank stare, my jaw
slack.

“What is it?” she asked. “What’s happened now?” Her
face was creased with tension, worry pulling the outsides of her
brow down