The Mistake

Chapter 2 Part 3

Butch peered through the peephole and blanched. "Omigod! It's her, it's Bondra!"

Daryl turned from the desk he was searching and went to the door. "What's she doin' here?"

"I don't know, I don't know." Butch pranced in a nervous circle. "How do I look? Do I look alright?" He jumped as the sharp rap on the door sounded again—louder.

"Should we let her in?"

"We told her we were here, you idiot. Of course we let her in."

"Fine, I'll let her in." Daryl reached for the knob.

"No! Wait!" Butch ran to the mirror over the computer and pulled at his hair and his shirt, smoothing his face and turning his head side to side.

"Oh for Christ's sake, Butch." Daryl opened the door and stepped back quickly as Bondra stormed in.

"Where is she?" She did a quick scan of the room, settling on Butch who was trying to strike a suitable pose. "What the hell's wrong with you? You got some kind of twitch going on?" Her eyes traveled over the mess of the tossed apartment. A pathetic looking plant lay on the carpet, its pot broken in several pieces.

He stepped forward, flustered, and held out his hand. "There's nobody here, we heard them when we arrived and by the time we picked the lock on the door they just vanished."

"Vanished." Bondra pushed past the two men and went to the bedroom. She stepped out onto the balcony and saw immediately how the escape had been made. Coming back inside she saw the two standing awkwardly in the bedroom doorway. "They went over the balcony... what? Are you two bookends or something?" She watched with a sudden shock as their heads clanged together and they sank to the floor like cooked spaghetti. The image of the hulk that stepped into the room from behind them sucked the air from her lungs in a fearful gasp.

      "You must be Bondra Croft." The voice was surprisingly gentle and polite. She nodded, mouth hanging open, her beige skin turning pallid. "Mister Bonducci asked me to deliver a message."

Toto tried once more to get Bondra to tell him where Bernie's money was; his approach had been firm but non violent. Now he sighed mightily and removed his wristwatch, stuffing it in his pocket.

"I'm really sorry about this Miss Croft, you are a really beautiful lady."

She watched him take off his rings and from his pants take out a pair of huge rubber gloves. Bondra's stomach turned over and she felt her bladder threaten to let go. "Wha- what are you going to do?"

"I told you, ma'am, deliver a message." He let the rubber snap loudly around his trunk sized wrists.

"Wait, please..." She held up a hand and began to sob. "I'll tell you where the girl lives, please don't hurt me."

"What girl?"

"The one that took your money. She cheated me too, that's why we were here, and we heard she was with some man in this apartment."

"They were with you?" Toto nudged the heap on the floor with his foot.

"Yes. They're detectives I hired to find where the girl went." Bondra pressed her knees together and whimpered. "Please, I have to use the bathroom."

Toto drew his chin in, "Miss Croft, I may not resemble Einstein but I am a little smarter than that."

"No, please. It's true. Please. Where can I go? I can't get away."

Toto considered her for a moment and figured that it might be prudent from a hygienic standpoint; after all, he didn't want that kind of a mess while he was working her over. "Hurry up and no tricks, Miss Croft."