His Conundrums

Chapter 12

A Man With A Temper

It was broad daylight, and the sunlight came from his glass window gently touched his fair skin. He was in his library holding his favorite book, watching his garden of Black-Eyed Susan flowers when someone knocked on the door.

"Good noon, Sir." A man who entered the room greeted him.

He never responds and just waited for him to talk.

"Mr. Mario Jagneer is here," he said.

"Alive?" he asked.

"Dead." the man said without any hesitation.

He smiled, knowing what it means.

-0-0-0-

"Mr. Redmund Lauve~," he said, revealing himself from one corner. He was there all that time, hearing how these two old men greeted each other.

Mr. Lauve looked at the guy whom he saw once visited his coffee shop, Merion Jagneer. A man he never knew his friend's nephew. Mario took a step backward to face him. There he felt no fear, but pure terror, a man more than who Mario Jagneer was.

"We want the files, Mr. Lauve. All you need is to give it to us," he said like he was just asking for a piece of paper.

"We don't need to complicate things like giving you a warning through bomb attacks. As my uncle said, you're smart." He walked around the room like he was explaining the formula of velocity.

"Don't you feel bad knowing Mrs. Porter and his daughter died? You let those two innocent women be involved in this matter. How can you be so irresponsible?" It's funny to look at how he lectures an old man, but the situation seemed like in between life and death, and there's nothing to laugh about.

"Tell me, where are the files, Mr. Lauve?" he asked. The calmness in his voice comes with authority, even the big guy living almost all his life in a war's trembling in fear.

"You're not his nephew, are you?" Finally, he found his voice out in a wave of terror.

Merion laughed hard as he could. He never expected him to ask that question at that very moment.

"Why? Everybody says we have a bit of resemblance," he said, recovering himself from laughing too much.

"I knew him than you do," Mr. Lauve said.

"Of course! You were with him since I don't know when but you were the first person asking me that." He snatched Mario's gun and pointed it out, right at Mario's head. Yes, not Redmund but Mario.

"I love seeing you two having this last reunion you might have. Maybe it's wonderful to have a friend looking at each other, seeing how your face wrinkles and your hair turns white. You know, I kind of hate the idea of that man. He let this old man take over my place." He clutched Mario's right arm by force.

"Am I not competent enough? Look! I have you both in my hands. Now tell me, where are the files, Mr. Lauve? Or I'll blow your friend's head right in front of you," he said with fierce eyes and gritted teeth as he pressed the gun's muzzle to Mario's temple.

"You have no fear, Lucas," Mario said to his nephew, whose name isn't Merion, and a man who isn't really his nephew.

"That's right! I'm Lucas! I'm Lucas Bouldwig. Oh ho! I almost forgot my name. I used to be the leader of Xi but that man..." He scratched his head with his right arm while holding his gun.

"...that man wants this oldie to lead, making me merely his assistant. No action, no explosion, nothing at all." He said like a boy who had his toy car being stolen.

"You don't have to do this, Lucas," Mario said.

"GIVE ME THE GO**AMN FILES!" He shouted, losing his temper.

Mr. Lauve was surprised at what happened. He thought that he was about to die right on his birthday. But it seemed like he had a friend with him when that happens.

He saw cold blood filled his newly fixed room, staining his new polished carpet.

Not far from a distance, they heard the sound of police cars coming. Who called them? Lucas laughed when he heard them draw near.

"Oh, yes! He never knew you have new friends," He said, laughing.

"...because I never told him." He looks like a lunatic laughing that loud. His face went dark after, saying, "Just as how I planned him to die."

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to--" He was cut off from talking when someone suddenly entered the door.

"Put your gun down." It was the head of the police who pointed out his gun to Lucas.

"Oh! Come in! Join us! Have fun with us." Lucas gestured for him to come inside.

"We're the police. Put your gun down, or I'll shoot you!" he said, taking a step forward, revealing his co-policemen.

Lucas knew it was dangerous for him to have sudden movements and decided to obey the police's orders. He put his gun down and threw his hands in the air. A policeman came in, putting his hands at his back, fixing his handcuffs without lowering their weapons. They pushed him outside, made him exit Mr. Lauve's room.

"Mr. Lauve!" Joe shouted out when he saw the old man safe, still sitting in his bed. He hugged the old man, and he hugged him back.

"Hello, stranger." Mr. Lauve greeted him, and he frowned.

"I'll let you slide this time because of what happened and because today is your birthday." He warned the old man, and the old man just laughed.

Mr. Lauve went down from his bed, making his way to where his old friend was. Seeing him died in front of him made him heartbroken. A tear escaped his eyes. He remembered him mouthed something before he closed his eyes when Lucas pulled the trigger and shot him.

'Happy Birthday.'

"Excuse me, mister, but we have to move the body," a policeman said.

He wiped his tears and moved away, making a space for them to move the body. George patted the old man's shoulder while Sirius was there and didn't make any sound. They helped the old man got down from his room to his coffee shop. It was already dark outside.

"Mr. Lau—" Joe was about to call his name when they heard people shouting and guns shooting.

"Get down!" Police who were with them shouted. They hid behind the counter.

"I'm a thief, but I'm not really into fights," Joe whispered but loud enough to make George hear it. He forgot it's not only them.

"You're what?" George asked him, surprised by what he just heard without minding the loud noises outside.

Sirius covered his ears while Mr. Lauve moved aside. Joe slowly looked at George and smiled.

-0-0-0-

He went to where his men said that guy was waiting. He was on the front porch, smiled as soon as he saw him.

"Lucas," he said as soon as he stepped closer to him.

"You said to kill him if he doesn't kill that old man, now keep your promise," Lucas said, facing him.

"You're really the man with a temper," he said.