'Til Death (part ten of fifteen)

‘Til Death

A Trick Molloy Mystery

©2009 Michael A. Stackpole

Part Ten

Quincy Fairfield reluctantly passed the picture to me. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

Talia shot me a glance.

I shook my head.

Fairfield looked up, from one of us to the other. “What is it?”

“Nothing really, just a friend of mine said the same of a woman he met the same way” I nodded. “Svetlana is a very pretty woman.”

“It’s true, she is, but that’s not why I love her.” He pushed the folio in my direction. “I have copies of her letters in there. Her sister did the translating. She’s a very loving and humble creature. She desperately wants to have children and said she thinks ours will be beautiful. I’m not sure I could…”

Talia squeezed his forearm. “I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful father.”

“Thank you.” He smiled. “Truth be told I spend more time reading her notes than I do looking at pictures. She will be a wonderful mother, and that is what is important. I’ve actually started taking Russian classes here, through the college, and will enroll her in ESL once her debt is paid off. Can you help me, Mr. Molloy?”

I stared the man straight in the eye. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this for you, Doctor. The people she is involved with are dangerous. She’ll be safe as long as they think you can pay them off. I will do my best to make sure she’s in no danger, but nothing is certain, do you understand?”

The man nodded solemnly. “I do.”

“When was the last time you spoke with them?”

“Ten days ago. I said I needed a little more time. When the housing bubble burst, my mortgage left me… I cannot take a loan on the house.” He picked at a fingernail. “I still have no money…”

“That’s not going to be a problem.” I slipped the picture back into the folio. “Tomorrow morning you’ll be awakened with a phone call letting you know you’re this year’s recipient of the Patterson Prize for Music Education. It’s $125,000. It will be in the papers. You will call them and tell them that you have $5,000 now, and will get the rest to them in a week, once the award is funded.”

Fairfield frowned. “I have never heard of that prize.”

“Trust me, it’s out there.” I tapped the folio. “I’ll need to borrow this.”

“Please. They are just print-outs of emails and pictures.”

“You’ll let me know when and where they want you to drop the money. I’ll provide you with the cash. You won’t touch it, you’ll just hand it over and walk away. I’ll call you when the operation is finished. Do you understand?”

“Svetlana’s in no danger?”

“I said before, nothing is 100% certain, but I won’t do anything to hurt her.”

The gangling man sighed. “Thank you, Mr. Molloy. I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from me. Until Doctor Heron called me, I had a sense of disaster. Now I have hope again. I cannot ever repay you.”

“You don’t have to, sir.” I stood and shook his hand. “I’m just glad I can help.”

He shook Talia’s hand, then wandered off, his head held high.

Talia looked at me and shivered. “How could you lie to him so coldly?”

I sat down and took her hands in mine. She tried to pull away, but I hung on. “Without that lie, Irina is dead. Learning that Svetlana is dead will tear Fairfield apart. Could have been now, or after Irina is free. The lie buys time.”

I looked off to where the old man was getting on his bicycle. “And maybe it bought him a little happiness, a little hope.”

“Silver lining in a very dark cloud.”

“Yeah.”

Her face rose, her blue eyes icy. “Will you ever lie to me like that?”

“No.”

“Even to protect me?”

I squeezed her hands. “Here’s what I promise you, Talia. I won’t lie to you. If I have to protect you, I’ll tell you what needs to be done. It’ll be your call.”

She arched an eyebrow. “No discussion?”

“Not if you’re in danger.” I shrugged. “When your life is on the line, it’s not time for games. But you know that.”

“Is the reverse true, Trick?” Talia placed her other hand on mine. “What if you’re in danger? Will you do what I tell you to do?”

“I’ll listen to you, but I’ll have to make the call, same as you will. Fair?”

She thought for a moment, then nodded. “Fair. Which is why I have to tell you, I think you’re in danger here. I know you want to avenge your friend. I know you want to save Irina. It’s the White Knight Syndrome on steroids. I get that. But I think you should walk away.”

“I think you’re right.”

“But you won’t?”

I shook my head. “But you knew that. That’s why you found Fairfield. You found me a way in that gives me a chance at survival. Thank you.”

I stood and pulled her to her feet. “And, my dear, for that you deserve a reward. Up for a quick trip downtown?”

She smiled half-heartedly. “Dancing?”

“Maybe later.” I slipped an arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the parking lot. “I have an errand to run. And I want you to meet my grandmother.”

If you are enjoying this story and were wondering how we got here, please visit the Stormwolf Store. The short story “The Witch in Scarlet” is the Trick Molloy tale that immediately precedes this one.