CHAPTER FOUR: THE TRAP SPRINGS
784 Words
"How's the shoulder?" Ali asked casually.
"How do you think?" Marius retorted, feigning control.
Ali carefully cut away the torn fabric, revealing the bloody wound. "This will hurt," he said, emotionless.
"It's not your fault. You saved my life."
"I have to get the bullet out."
Marius nodded, jaw clenched. "Do it."
Ali inserted makeshift tweezers into the wound. Marius's body tensed, eyes rolling back as he suppressed a scream. The tweezers closed around the bullet. Marius's face contorted in agony.
The bullet emerged. Ali applied pressure to stem the bleeding.
"There, it's out. You should feel the release now."
"You saved me, Ali. Thank you."
"And I'd do it again, kid." He ripped Marius's shirt to form a bandage.
"This isn't over," Marius whispered.
"No, it's far from over. This is just getting started." Ali stood. "I'll get the body bag. We need to dispose of the body and clean this mess."
"We need to find Bishop."
"We will." Ali grabbed a whiskey bottle and took a gulp. "Faust's partner mentioned EMTs. If Bishop was in a crash, he'd be at a hospital within a mile radius. It's weird we haven't gotten a call yet."
He pressed the bottle to Marius's chest. "Drink!"
"No, I'm fine."
"I wasn't asking."
Marius took a small sip and handed it back. Ali smiled, then emptied it on the wounded shoulder.
"f**k!" Marius screamed.
Ali laughed. "You scream like Faust. You sure you were in the military?"
"I have a low pain threshold," Marius said with an eye roll.
Ali helped him to a chair, fashioning a makeshift sling. "Catch your breath. I'll be back with the bag."
He returned quickly with a grey body bag and chain. "Help me turn him over."
They lifted the corpse into the bag. Ali wound the chain around the legs, stiffening them together.
"Grab the legs. I'll take the top."
They carried the body through the kitchen garden and toward the cliffside. At the gym door, Ali stopped.
"Wait. I need a weight plate to weigh the body down."
"Can you manage, old man?" Marius teased.
"Better than you. You're just one arm."
Marius snickered, noticing the fierce wind. He slid down to sit, finding a cigar in his pocket. He stood to get a light from the kitchen when he heard sirens screaming at full blast. Headlights flooded him, and policemen spilled out, quickly securing the area.
"Handz where I can zee zem!" a feminine voice commanded.
Marius raised his right hand as a female officer approached tactically, weapon trained on him.
Two officers handcuffed him roughly, tearing his arm from the sling. His face creased in pain.
"Maree-yus Proh-fah-see! You're un-dah ah-rest pour le meurtre!"
She led him to the squad car. "Sekoor lah peh-ree-meh-treh! An' somevon get me forenzics now!"
Officers searched the mansion while Marius sat alone in the car, worrying about Bishop.
The officer returned, livid. "You people are sick! Separating men from their bodies!"
She got in the driver's seat and started out of the compound. The ride was quiet except for her short bursts of breath, barely containing her rage.
They arrived at the police building past midnight. Marius got led upstairs into a grey interrogation room and handcuffed to the table.
The Asian female officer entered, holding a thin file. "Marius Elegante Profacci. I'm Detective Anissa."
"Accept my condolences about your father. Daddy's barely cold and you're already making trouble?"
Silence.
"Why did you kill that man?"
They peered at each other eye to eye.
"I want to speak to my lawyer."
"You mean the one whose head is in a box? Freddie Mareno. Prime strategy—taking out your lawyer first."
Marius gritted his teeth.
"I guess that's what you get when you dance with the devil."
"f*****g Cortizos!" he blurted involuntarily.
She smiled softly, leaning forward. "What was that?"
He kept silent.
"I know someone was with you. The angle of the bullet wound, the garrote mark on your neck, your shoulder wound—someone else was there. Who?"
"You could claim self-defense, but executing a defenseless man made it murder."
Marius focused on the two-way mirror.
She snapped her fingers. "Hey! Maybe we should ask your brother who else was there."
He snapped back to attention. "Yes, we know where Bishop is."
"Where?"
"Not so fast. Tell me what I need to know."
Marius leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. He slowly folded his hand into a beckoning gesture.
She leaned in, anticipating.
"I... Want... My... Lawyer."
She smiled wryly. "Mr. Profacci, you're being charged as accessory to murder. You'll remain in custody until we gather sufficient evidence."
"Inspector, show our guest to the VIP suite."
- Writer
