Wrestling the Kraken

Vivianne

Vivianne

Vivanne lit a cigarette. She didn't smoke often, but today she had been through half a pack. Waiting was insufferable. Every now and then she anticipated a knock on her door that refused to come. He said he'd be here, he'd be here.

A knock came at the door.

At first, she thought she imagined it, but it came again louder this time. Putting out her cigarette, she rushed to answer.

"Finally!" She breathed out. "Did he make it? I'm sorry, you know I didn't mean to. I was just so angry and well...you saw him." She blurted out, as Dante made his way in. He took off his coat. Vivianne went to reach for his arm, but he pulled away.

She had to tell him, but didn't know how. He would never believe her now, after everything that happened this week. How could she explain that she knew who killed his mother and the others and never said a word about it? That she knew who killed Lily? She never meant for Dante to suffer like this, but it all got out of hand.

"I didn't tell them you did it." Dante said, leaning his hands on the back of the couch. He turned his head to glare at her. "But I wanted to."

Pity was all she could feel. Once, she had hated him and that hatred led to watching his demise with pleasure. Years of lies and death, so many of them gone... and she couldn't help but feel responsible.

"Why didn't you tell them? I would have thought you'd love to see me behind bars?"

Dante straightened up. "Because I need you." He said, then seeing her face brighten, he snapped. "Not like that, woman."

"I wasn't thinking that!" She snapped back.

"I need you in order to set a trap." He sighed. Vivanne was the last person he wanted to use for this plan, but the opportunity presented itself and he would have to make do with it. "My father survived the surgery, but he refused to see me afterwards, so I was unable to correct that."

"What? But why would you want that?" She was confused. She had thought Dante adored his father, but the matter about the funeral could be clouding his judgement.

Dante rubbed the bridge of his nose. He didn't want to tell her. Not because of her reaction or whether she believed him or not, but for the hassle. "Because he's behind the rose murders. I have to stop him somehow. He's gone too far."

Dante, no. You have it all wrong! Vivanne pleaded in her head. "But why him? It doesn't make any sense. Why would he endanger the business like that? Why would he place the bodies near the circus everywhere we went?" She tried to reason with him.

"My father didn't place the bodies." He said. "I did." He admitted, caring less for her reaction.

Vivanne didn't understand, couldn't understand. Was he in on it too?

"I moved the bodies and made sure the papers knew where to look."

No, she couldn't believe it. The words reached her ears, but they wouldn't make it any further. They bounced off her, trailing on the current of tension that lingered between them.

"The rose then? Was that you?" She asked.

"From your bouquets." This he said with pleasure.

She needed to sit down. Was this her punishment? Because she never revealed the killer? The kind hearted dreamer she had first met on the circus grounds, before she ever thought of joining. In fact, she had only wanted to join, because of him. His dreams were infectious and It made her want them too. Then when Lily won the spot, instead of her, she had also won his heart. Being tossed aside, not good enough for the show and... not good enough for him... made her more determined than ever. For so long she hated him, caught up in proving that he had missed out, that she never saw the innocence drain from him. The madness of it all, corrupting him and now she didn't know who he was.

"The only way to stop all of this..." Dante continued, "... is to catch Father in the act, or catch someone who we can convince to talk against him. That's what mother and I were about to do, before he got to her first."

"How are you going to do that?" She asked.

"I'm going to use you as bait." Dante replied.